Creepy Crawlies

Sorry it’s been a while, we do have another post in the pipeline about our stay in Switzerland, but in the mean time we have this treat for you all..

Since we left the UK and found some sunny weather, we have been plagued with insects, and like most girls I spent the first month being terrified of the majority of things that lived/landed on or near me. But its seriously hard work being that scitish/frightened all the time, and I soon got too lazy to care. So now we’ve become like insect paparazzi and we snap most of the weird/wonderful and sometimes pretty things that land on us before it bites or flys away. So we have found some disgusting looking insects and between us (inc Jase and Claire) we have managed to photograph the majority. So check out the photos and we challenge anyone to try and identify them!

Arrivederci Val Masino

Balancing Act – Preda Rosso

Well it’s that time already, and it has been a week of goodbyes. Having waved Hannah and Andy off on a one way trip to England (for now), we are now moving on from this beautiful place too. We have spent the last three weeks climbing, lazing in the sun and socialising, and we will definitely miss some of our new friends. The weather has just become too hot to climb, so we are heading for higher ground at Val Daone.

Party Italian Style

Bagni di Masino

I can do a pull up! Only one though so I can’t get too excited yet; I have become so obsessed with trying that I stop at every overhanging ledge to practice, I must look ridiculous to passers-by.

Let the Games Begin…

The Valley

We arrived at Val Masino the same day Paul’s parents left, the plan was to get in some  climbing before the bouldering festival Melloblocco kicked off at the weekend. We took a wet walk from San Martino to Val Di Mello, scouting out the climbing and taking in the scenery. Looking up from the valley you can see hundreds of water falls leading from the snow topped mountains and they all lead into the crystal clear river that runs down the centre of the valley.  We spent the next few days lounging in the van and most of the wet evenings in a local bar wasting time on the internet. On Wednesday the rain stopped and the rock dried, and we were up and ready to climb.

Climbing in the Streets

Huge boulders

As we made our way through San Martino a woman sitting in a local bar looked like she was trying to take a sneaky picture of us. After pointing this out to Paul we agreed it was strange and quickened our pace crossing behind a car to evade her. Only when we popped out the other side of the car she was stood waiting with her phone at the ready.  After a quick explanation we ‘posed’ for a photo and it made its way onto facebook with the tag line.. “The first boulderers to arrive in the valley.”

Lake Como and Company

As promised we have tagged the photo’s from the Camargue into this post, I wish we had captured Paul’s bail from his horse on camera!

Sunset on the Camargue

The Famous White Horses

Riding across the Camargue

Breakfast Time

So after our little disaster in France we arrived in Italy, Lake Como and headed straight to Bellagio, a little village on the fork of Lake Como. Here we eagerly awaited the arrival of Paul’s Mam and Dad. This had been planned for a long time, and it would be an understatement to say we were excited to see them. In a twisted way the robbery had happened with just enough time for replacements and supply’s to be bought by both our extremely helpful parents back in England, and then shipped out with Anne and Eric. After initial hugs and welcomes we found ourselves checked into a lovely little hotel in Bellagio, with suitcases of goodies being emptied onto our bed. It was like christmas all over again.