Making my hiking plans for the summer holidays, folks!

Hi there, all you hikers, ramblers, amblers and speed-walkers.
Remember me?

Taken in the Derbyshire Hills, 2016  (©R.Grashoff)

I'm your friendly chubby outdoor enthusiast, making her rambling plans for this Summer. 

This sounds very straightforward, but it absolutely is anything but!

Where to go, when you have so many places on your list and little money?

Iceland is an option I have to forego, due to the high cost.

The West Coast of Canada - ditto.

New Zealand ...say no more...

Italy and Greece, gorgeous, but far too hot for me in Summer!

I have considered Austria, Germany, and Denmark, but have returned to my home-away-from-home...England.

Taken along the Dove, 2016 (© R. Grashoff)

First of all, due to their Brexit the Euro is giving me a few more Pounds. Always handy. And let's face it, I adore this country for its wonderful rambling mindset. Brits are natural ramblers! I'll never forget frail octogenarians cheerfully passing me at speed on the hills of The Lake District. And the thousands of miles of hilly footpaths are sheer heaven for a Dutchie used to flat land and barbed wire everywhere.

So, my plans.

I have already walked the coastal paths from Dover to Land's End, so that's not what I want to do this time, but whilst doing that, I took a quick detour by train to visit Bath, and this gave me a definite taste for more!

I have a taste for history, preferably ancient history, and so far have not visited Stonehenge or Glastonbury and this time I will. 

The Derbyshire hills, 2016 (© R. Grashoff)

We will make our way by car from Dover (our port of entry) taking the coastal road (A259) towards Brighton. This will be our first stop I think, as I am taking my daughter and she will love the Royal Pavilion.

From Brighton we will head inland towards Bath. But my aim is to walk and see things, so my little old car is simply a means of getting places and will have lots of deserved rest.

We will then take the A27/M27 to Salisbury, and from there on will concentrate on visiting a rough circle consisting of Stonehenge, Glastonbury, Bath, Bradford-on-Avon and Avebury, making the latter our departing port for taking the M4 back towards London and hence the M20 back to Dover.

Depending on finances, weather and roads (i.e. how long does the driving actually take to get places? I remember navigating those roads in the South very well - it seemed to take forever) we might take a detour up towards the Cotswolds.

And the main aim is to walk as much as possible.

I cannot wait! Oh...and it is only February 1st when you are reading this! Months and months of hard graft and motivating young men to get through first!

But the thought of the green English hills and the wonderful footpaths to ancient sites and gorgeous towns will sustain me.

obviously, this isn't mine, I plucked it out of cyberspace