I was born here in Dumfries back in 1963 and have lived here all my life except for
a few months here and there.
From a very young age i have always travelled and i have been lucky enough to have
visted almost all the countries in Europe...although in recent years quite a few new ones have been added ( Latvia,Lithuania,Estonia
and the other ex Soviet states ).
When i was a child we used to drive out to Spain and Italy in the Summers for our
holidays and im sure it was these early trips which shaped my future love of travel and adventure.I am not happy unless i
am planning our next trip and i love looking for great deals on flights,car hire and accomodation.
Over the years i have been to lots of places that i have grown to love. My fav Countries
are France and Canada but i have also a great affection with Austria,Switzerland,Italy,Belgium,Holland,Luxembourg,Slovakia,Slovenia,Serbia,
Croatia,Czech Rep,Albania,Bosnia and many others.
In France i love Provence and the Cote d Azure as well as Chamonix which is a place
where i could easily live. France is a country which has so many contrasts,a country with a great and varied coastline,stunning
rural towns and villages,some of the best mountains in Europe and the World as well as superb food and wine and also some
brilliant small Hotels which you would gladly return to again and again.
I am a Francophile and i cant deny it.
My other love is Canada. A huge Country in everyway. A place where people could not
be more welcoming and where you can find all the adventure that you could ever wish for. Next year will be my 7th trip to
Canada and it now feels like a second home. The area between Nelson,Castlegar,Trail and Rossland is where we get drawn back
to year after year.It is an addiction and one i dont want to break.Vancouver,Calgary and Toronto are all fine cities which
i always enjoy visiting. In the future i want to head up to the Northern Territories and the Yukon and also to visit the Atlantic
Provincies. It will take some time but Canada is so big nobody will ever see it all.
I have been lucky enough to have visited all of the old Eastern Bloc and in the days
of Communist rule things were a lot different from what "tourists" see today when they have short breaks to Prague,Berlin,Budapest
etc etc.
One of my best memories was travelling into Northern Albania from the old Yugoslavia
in the early 1980s and heading down to Skopje in Macedonia.
I will endeavour to gather pics and info from these old trips and put together a travel
log.
I also have a great love of Scotland and the rest of the UK and Ireland and have had
many trips to the mountains of Skye,Glencoe,the Cairngorms,the Lakeland Fells and the Welsh mountains in all weathers and
all seasons. Walking,Climbing,Skiing or Snowboarding i will always be happy here at home as well as in places abroad.
My love of all sport is topped by my dedication to my local football team " Queen
of the South" whom i have followed all my life...mostly through bad times but also the good times of which we have had a few
in recent years. I love nothing better than cheering the team on either home or away and will support them no matter what
happens.
As children we were brought up with Horses and Ponies and i cant remember never having
them.They have always been a part of my life. I was always competing in Gymkhanas and Showjumping comps as a youngster and
as i grew up i always had a love of Racing. My Sister was an Apprentice Jockey on the flat and i rode as an Amateur in Point
to Points for a few years even although my weight was always against me. We now have 3 Horses and Jills old Pony "Geenie"
at home. Jill competes at local Riding Club events and we will have a section of the site showing what events are coming up
locally.
Over time i will try to build the site up with reviews and reports of trips,usefull
links and info as well as pics of my trips.
Please feel free to contact me with any thoughts or comments.
