It is now under 2 months until Tim, Lucy, Jo and me walk 100 kilometres across the South Downs.

When I first agreed to take on this challenge I thought: “100 kilometres? Pah, no problem, that’s just walking 1 kilometre over and over again. That’ll be no problem. Anyway, it’s on the South Downs, so it’ll be downhill from Petersfield to the coast.”

I was wrong on every point.

So far the longest walk we have done as a team is about 35 kilometres. The first 10 kilometres really is just like walking 1 kilometre over and over again. After that your body starts to object.

At 20 kilometres your body starts to REALLY object. At 30 kilometres my body was (quite literally) starting to fail. A muscle that I don’t think I have ever used before (on the back of my thigh) intermittently started going into spasm. Other members of the team found hips seizing. Lips were (I’m not exaggerating) a shade of blue due to the cold. And I wont go into the gruesome details of the ruptured blisters on feet.

So, I am now not even contemplating the pain we will have to go through at 50 kilometres, 70 kilometres…

As for the South ‘Downs’? Presumably this is a name given by some marketing board so that it doesn’t deter ramblers from walking there. Really they are the South Ups. You start by walking up a steep incline – and you admire the views across the beautiful countryside. And you think – this is fine, nice level walk to the coast.

No.

Actually you walk off the top of the nice beautiful ridge, into a valley. And then, you walk up the next hill that appears to be vertical. Those hills that have the decency to be only a ‘steep’ gradient go on for miles and miles. Until you become convinced that at some stage someone will come along and tell you that you should have oxygen to walk at this altitude.

The day after training walks, it is difficult to move. Knees ache from the impact of walking downhill. Walking at all is a chore, walking at pace is impossible. I have had blisters on my feet constantly for the past 8 weeks.

I hope I’ve made our training sound like a real sob story. Of course, it isn’t. Because, I’m choosing to do this walk, and after each training session, I get in a car and drive home. I get a glass of water from the tap. I put some Compeed on my blisters. I have a hot bath to soothe my aches. If my thigh muscle doesn’t get better – I’ll drive to the doctor and be seen that day.

When someone in Africa walks miles to get water, they don’t get in a car to go home. They carry that water miles home. If their feet are blistered the wounds go untreated. If they need a doctor? There may not be a doctor for them to see.

This is why we are doing the walk, to raise money for a charity that helps people like this all around the world. They provide services where they are needed. Clean water to refugees in Uganda. Providing shelter and sanitation to those affected by the cyclone in 2008 in Burma. Helping impoverished farmers in Mexico get a fair price for their crop.

Please give whatever you can afford.

Sponsor us

This isn’t about the terrifying/stupid (delete as appropriate) walk we are doing. This is about supporting people around the world who need our help. People who don’t have the luxury to train for walks at the weekend.

Read more about the team’s walk on the Explore website

Despite the wonderful variety of vegetables in the local markets they are not served in the restaurants! It is considered peasant food. However surprisingly we were offered raw broad beans for breakfast in one of our hotels!

When asked where I live back home many people (my generation & older) know the Isle of Wight as a 60’s Italian band called Dik Dik released a popular song about the Pop Festivals of the late 60’s/1970 & every other word is Hippies!!

Sicily now has a new president, Berlusconie. The last one was a naughty boy & his term finished two years early. Elections were held peacefully on 13th & 14th April.

The sirocco wind has been blowing from the SE (Sahara) which brings with it a fine pink coloured sand which obscures the views but brings the heat. Fortunately it doesn’t often last for long. Then the Mistral blows from the NW bringing clearer but cooler weather.

Since I first arrived I’ve been asked directions in Italiano! Must be that tour leader look on my face! The other day I discovered how to say nudist beach as I was asked where the spiaggia nudista was!!

May is the season of weddings. Couples get married every day of the week except Sundays. Saw several weddings in Syracuse & Taormina with brides wearing beautiful dresses & bridegrooms in flashy Italiano label suits.

On Oritiga Island (the original settlement of Syracuse) we also witnessed an Initiation Ceremony in a church for the Knights of St John.

The durum wheat which is grown everywhere is now being harvested so the lushness of the island is disappearing. The spring flowers are also beginning to fade although the poppies are now at their best, such a vivid red.

Although it’s been a great time of year to visit Sicilia with the flowers, blossom, lushness & reasonably good weather it’s also the time of incredibly noisy school groups!!

The education system in Sicilia is the same as mainland Italia except the schools have a longer summer holiday due to the long hot summers so they break up end of June for 3 months!! This means they have shorter Easter & Christmas holidays & no week off in February for skiing!

Several Greek theatres are used from May. In Syracuse the season of Greek plays began on 8th May until end of June. In Taormina the famous Film Festival is held from June plus many different concerts for all musical tastes. In recent years Elton John & Lisa Minelli have performed here.

Occasionally the audience is treated to an amazing concert in a Greek theatre with Mt Etna erupting in the background!

Went up Etna again Saturday morning. The guide told us how a week ago the volcanoligists thought there may be an eruption due to the build up of pressure but she had calmed down. There was a lot of white steam being emitted but we were told when it’s white it’s OK. You only start panicking when it turns blue!

Later that evening we enjoyed our Last Supper on the seafront of Giardini Naxos. At 21.30 volcanic ash started raining from the sky! Etna was erupting!!!

What a finale!

Want to see Etna and all that Sicily has to offer? Try our ‘Classical Sicily‘ tour for some of the best preserved Graeco-Roman sights in the Mediterranean and some of the Islands other beautiful cultural highlights. Do you want to get even closer to Etna and the other Sicilian volcanoes? Try our ‘Sicilian Volcano Hike‘.

Stromboli & Volcano are still active!
Lipari is the largest island at 37.6 sq km, where I based myself for 4 days.

Pumice quarries are still an important part of the economy.
The tourist season doesn’t really begin until June so everywhere appeared very sleepy as if everybody was still waking up after a winter of hibernating! Or maybe it’s a chilled out atmosphere all the time.
I was impressed by how uncommercialized & unpretentious the islands are. Reminded me of Turkey 20 years ago.
From Lipari I took the hydrofoil across to Vulcano, known as the Island of Fire by the Greeks & therefore called Vulcano after the God of Fire. The smell of sulphur is very noticeable when you arrive on the island. Trekked up the smoking volcano, Vulcano della Fossa. The views are great from the top looking across to all the islands & the Sicilian mainland.

Next I relaxed in the smelly sulphur mud pools. By the time I returned I was stinking of sulphur too!
The next island I explored was Salina, the second largest at 27 sq km & the most fertile. Quality Malvasia & Black Corinth grapes are cultivated to produce Malvasia sweet wine.
Caper cultivation is also very important to the local economy & are exported worldwide. Did you know the caper is the unclosed flower bud! They are hand-picked & preserved in salt. Before being eaten they are soaked in water to remove the saltiness & to restore their taste & aroma.
Salina is the highest island in the archipelago so I trekked to the top of Fossa delle Felci at 962m. More incredible views over all 7 islands.
The Italiano film Il Postina (The Postman) was filmed on Salina.
On to Stromboli the furthest away from the Sicilian mainland & 4th largest at only 12.6 sq kms. Stromboli is known as the Lighthouse in the Tyrennian Sea due to the constant eruptions which create a natural light. The volcano erupts every 15-20 mins! I heard the explosions throughout the night!
After the very strong eruption in 1930 many locals emigrated, mainly to Australia then returned with their Ozzie accents! Many abandoned buildings have also been bought by wealthy Italianos as holiday homes.
Transport around the harbour town is by ‘golf type’ buggies known as Moto Apes! They are in fact Piaggio Ape 50’s which have lots of character.
Saw the house where Ingrid Bergman & Roberto Rosselini filmed Stromboli in 1949 & fell in love!
Returned to the mainland via all the islands for a last look before I hopefully return again one day!

The best way to see the Aeolian Islands is by foot, so try our ‘Sicilian Volcano Hike‘ tour.

The tour started in Syracuse on Good Friday where we went along to see the evening Good Friday procession. We were the Good Friday procession!! As we followed the priests around the town carrying the cross!!

Onto Noto, one of my favorite Baroque cities in Sicilia. We were there on Easter Day morning in the sunshine with locals all in their Easter Sunday best. It was a great atmosphere but not an Easter Bunny in sight! Instead they make Easter sheep out of marzipan.

Piazza Armerina has an oldie worldie atmosphere especially in the evenings as we wander down the cobbled back streets with the impressive cathedral up on the hill all lit up.

The Roman Villa at Casale has some magnificent mosaics. Was once the Hunting Lodge of a wealthy local.

Next to Agrigento & the Valley of the Temples. There is supposedly more Greek temples in Sicilia than Greece! Temple of Zeus was the largest Greek theatre in the world & three times the size of the Pantheon in Athens!

The Greek site of Selinunte (with more temples) is the most extensive Greek site in Europe & overlooks the coast. Buggies are provided to tour around the site for those with weary legs!

Next stop Marsala where I tried a selection of Marsala wines ………… almond & even crema which has egg added to it to make it creamy!

Took a 10 minute boat ride across to San Pantaleo island & the Punic/Carthaginian settlement of Mozia. Visited the Tophet where children & animals were sacrificed to the God Baal Haman (similar to the one in Carthage).

Next to the medieval hill town of Erice. Another of my favorite visits on Sicilia. Climbed up King Frederick 2nd’s tower for some amazing views of the coast below & nearby islands. Tried some canolli, a local rich desert made with ricotta cheese by nuns!

Onwards to the Greek settlement of Segesta & guess what?? Another impressive temple in an amazing location.

On to the capital of Palermo, home to 1 million inhabitants. That’s a 5th of the population of Sicilia. Went to a Puppet Theatre which is one of Sicilia’s traditions. A medieval version of Punch & Judy with goodies & baddies.

Further along the coast we visit the medieval harbour town of Cefalu. Another of my favorite spots with its Norman cathedral.

Finally to Letojanni where we stay in an ex-convent still run by 5 nuns. The information on the back of the room doors advises what to do WHEN there is an earthquake, not IF!!

Arranged our Last Supper at Victor’s on the seafront plus a special celebration meal for Mary’s 50th birthday. Asked for a gateau for 21 people. They seemed a little surprised. Said it needn’t be too large just enough for everyone to have a little bite. I then discovered to their relief ‘gatto’ is cat in Italian!! Torta is gateaux!! Whoops!!

The Highlight for me was my first ascent of Mt Etna. One of the most active volcanoes in the world. Three times the size of Vesuvius at 3345m. Due to all the snow we took the cable car up to 2500m then did our own thing wandering around in the sunshine with amazing views 360 degrees. Should be on everybody’s ‘must do’ lists but it’s more impressive in the snow & sunshine. We were so lucky & hardly anybody up there first thing in the morning.

Find out more about Explore’s Classical Sicily – a 10 day tour of Sicily

The largest island in the Mediterranean.

Where everything is so green, the blossom is out & the spring flowers sway in the gentle breeze!!

My first impressions of Sicilia are good. Not only does it boost one of the most active volcanoes in the world, Mt Etna last erupted in September 2007 & I’m hoping it will erupt for me whilst I’m here!! There are many quaint medieval towns with Baroque buildings (17th & 18th centuries), cobbled streets & piazzas to enjoy a cafe whilst watching the world go by & some of the most important classical sites: Agrigento, Selinunte, Segesta & the Roman villa at Casale to name a few.

Sicilia has more UNESCO World Heritage sites than any where else in the world so there has been a lot of restoration & excavation work in recent years.

Thanks to Euro money there are some amazing roads with some of the highest bridges in Europe spanning across vast valleys & long tunnels through the mountains.

Sicily was one of the breadbaskets for the Roman Empire & still today the island is famous for its citrus fruits, almonds, pistachios, wines & olives.

90% of all Italy’s pistachios are grown on the northern & western slopes of Mt Etna.

The best almonds are grown around Agrigento & when the trees are in blossom in February an annual Almond Festival is held.

Ever tried the sweet Marsala wine? Discovered by an English man, John Woodhouse in the late 18th century. Made in a similar way to sherry in Jerez, Spain. Salute!!

Sicilian cuisine is renowned for being amongst the best in Italia.

Plenty of pasta, pizza, tasty meat, fish & seafood including sea urchins. The swordfish is particularly good at this time of year. Oranges & lemons have three crops a year so they are always in season.

Ice cream may have been invented in Sicily as snow was brought down from Etna to which honey & orange & lemon juice were added to create a wonderful dish.

Another local delicacy is brioche con gelato, basically an ice-cream butty which business men & children alike love to have for breakfast &/or lunch!!

Everything stops for the afternoon siesta then everybody comes out for the ‘passeggiata’. Men are seen sitting/standing around watching the world go by!

Plus for the time of year 20 degrees & sunny is very pleasant & it’s only going to get warmer!!

If you feel inspired to get to know the charming Sicily a bit more, then try our ‘Classical Sicily‘ tour.

As a little bit of a celebration of Tour Leaders we have a mini blog series from one of our most experienced tour leaders Michele. She has written a few pieces on her recent stint of tours in April – and we also have some interviews with tours leaders coming up too.

Its great to see tour leaders get recognition for the work they do and that’s why we are very pleased for Diego Torres Garzon, who has been nominated for Wanderlust’s Paul Morrison Guide Award.

The High Atlas has stunning views

Aside from the incredible views, the great food and wonderful company – Hannah quite liked it, and as Dionne works for Explore maybe she’ll get her wish to go to Nepal???????

I know my tribe would be up for joining her?

Take a look at all our family holidays in Egypt

Way back in December an entry form for the Hart Sprint Triathlon landed on my desk. With the Christmas excesses approaching the idea of getting fit enough to swim 400 metres, cycle 20 kilometres and finish off with a 5k run appealed to 18 Explore staff, friends and family!

In 2006 the event had been a big success in with 10 people taking part, 3 of whom had even done it before so the experience surely couldn’t be that bad!

So training started for most of the team in January, mainly in the gym due to the weather. Once the clocks had changed and the sun started to shine we started group cycle sessions on a Sunday to learn the route. Shiny new bikes where bought and the competition heated up.

We decided to raise money for the national charity Marie Curie Cancer Care as the staff involved came from all over the south of England. I have also been working closely with them over the last few months putting together weekend charity challenges to Lapland and Sicily.

So early on a Bank Holiday Monday, the nerves where high! The Explore team were some of the first in the pool. With all of us out of the pool within 15 minutes we jumped on our bikes to ride the 20 kms. The wind was strong so the speed was slower than in training. We had two heroic stories from the bike leg, Sean our Customer Relations Manager had a flat tyre as he left the transition area but showed real determination to cycle the 20kms in the name of charity. Then half way round the cycle course Rob (the husband of Flights Systems Manager – Kay) bike broke so he abandoned his bike to run the second half of the cycle before embarking on the run.

Many of us finished the cycle in under an hour and with legs like jelly set off on the cross-country run. James was well ahead by this point was the second person out of a field of over 400 to cross the line – although due to the staggered start actually came 39th! A great position for a first timer. Our first lady to cross the line was Lucy finishing in just under 1hr 30mins. The rest of us all come through over the next hour, with the motivation of our colleagues shouting our names form the finish line there where many a sprint finish.

After a good stretch we all headed to the pub for a well earned Bank Holiday beer. We all had a great day whether we were there to do well or simply get round and raise some cash. Total so far is £1,800 but we hope to hit £2,000.

Well done to James, Lucy, Tim, Tanya, Debbie, Lark, Fran, Rick, Claire, Kay and Sean, Rob, Phil and Carol for completing this great event and raising a great amount of money for Marie Curie Cancer Care.

If you are interested in helping raise money for Marie Curie Cancer care and enjoy the Explore experience please see www.mariecurie.org.uk or contact them on 01884 703 540.

Alastair interviewed him recently about his trip with Explore on our Across the Roof of the World tour, in China and Tibet. Obviously a stunning journey across a wonderful area, which Amar discusses in detail. A fascinating interview.