Deadly serious

I love this self-portrait. The blank melancholic look might be a little worrying but hopefully it was just an accident. I can stare into these eyes endlessly.

I'm not sure this dark and blurry photo will do it justice but this has got to be my favourite drawing by Katarina.

After a cool 12 days with perhaps a little more rain than we wanted it was a shock to come home to a heat wave. The train journey home was the fastest and easiest of all our journeys. The only pain was the slightly overcrowded London train, probably of those rushing to the tropical heat of the south east. I'm just grateful we never had heat like this on our holiday. However, one thing the south east does seem to have in abundance is wonderful cloud formations. The two in the foreground here looked like a horse rolling on its back and a kid splashing in a bath tub - it beats the grey wash that can engulf northern England. Anyway, after 12 regular trains, 5 steam trains, 1 speed boat, 1 rowing boat, 2 buses, 2 coaches, 3 taxis, 1 mountain gondola, 1 chair lift, 1 high rope bridge, 1 zip wire, 3 mountain ranges, 1 peak, 5 rooms and two pairs of worn walking boots, it's back to work for me and off to Spain for K for her third holiday this year. If she ever tells me she doesn'...

The 12 mile journey back to Bangor again took 50 minutes as the bus meandered through every street in the area. The rain was coming down heavy which forced us to wear our waterproofs and thermal layers and so exaggerate the discomfort of a very sickly journey. K went a deep shade of red and spent the journey slung over the hand rail.

After 12 cooked breakfasts in a row we both struggled to fake a smile on our last morning. These guest houses are so determined to push a fry-up on you that it's difficult to refuse and if you do they look insulted and you worry what they'll leave in your tea. I compromised with a rather sad looking anaemic plate of scrambled eggs. K had cereal and toast and a mountain of butter. The table next to us had two perfect families of 2.4 children shovelling bacon and eggs into their mouths.

On the way back from the quary we visited a derelict 13th century slate keep that overlooks the lake around Llanberis. It had another series of tiny steps that once again we only managed half way. We then took a few final snaps of the valley. The sky was now a clear blue and the sun low bringing out a whole rainbow of colours in the mountains that even I could appreciate, even if I couldn't name. Two days wasn't much but the weather has been fantastic and we also reached the peak making it the most successful of our three destinations. Snowdonia was the most touristy but also the most accessible. The area, despite the tourism, has retained its natural charm and hasn't been scarred by the usual tackiness of a popular destination. I would loved to have walked to the peak but I think our visit was a success nonetheless.

After returning to our room for a bit more emergency dentistry, because K's filling had fallen out again, we climbed up some of the slate mountain left at the quarry. The path we were on was a very steep track up which slate trains were once winched. We got halfway, passing through a derelict winch house before we had to give up because the slate steps were becoming more loose and slippery. K picked up a few small pieces of slate to bring home.

Today's main activity was a climbing course, for both of us. Katarina did so well braving a series of very high ropes, zip line and free falling swing, completing a course that some much older had backed out from. Katarina was the youngest and I was the oldest. Unfortunately cameras weren't very practical so no photographic evidence. There were eight of us in the group led by a professional instructor. We were always connected to safety ropes. Somehow I ended up always going first. In this photo it is the course furthest away and highest up, not the nearby kids course.

You'd have to be blind to miss all the slate around Llanberis so it was embarassing only to realise after visiting the slate museum that this local area has been completely shaped by the industry for centuries. 3000 men were once employed at this quarry at its peak but it was closed in 1969 devastating the whole community. We visited the museum in the morning shortly before our second activity.

The last day of our holiday started with a clear blue sky. A few clouds appeared later to take the edge off the sun and make it perfect weather for me. It was, by far, the best weather of the whole holiday, although it probably would have been too warm if we'd done more walking.

Although we'd previously visited two mountain ranges we hadn't yet seen a waterfall up close so I found nearby a walk a short way along one of the Snowdon paths that got us up close to this fine specimin. It was no Niagra but a walk off path allowed us to get very close to the top edge in this photo and see the water crashing down below us. Eventually, following the stream up hill, the ground beneath got so boggy and slippery we had to came back. The area is also surrounded by the spiralling path of the Snowdon Mountain Railway so every 15 minutes we got to see the chugging locomotive dragging tourists up and down the mountain. Back at the B&B, via a local cafe for a dreadful pizza and curry, we were ready to sleep.

We hired a boat in the afternoon and rowed across the lake beside the slate cliffs. Katarina had her first chance at rowing. I wasn't much better, but after getting the hang of it we made it out to the middle of the lake for a few snaps.

For the route down we returned to the train early to secure our seats on the opposite side of the train to got better views of the valley lower down. We were delayed halfway waiting for the ascending train which gave us more time to view the scenery, although Katarina was starting to get impatient.

This was the photo missing from the previous post. It's a view from the last stop up the mountain, just before entering the summit cafe. Another train is descending below.

After 9 days of holiday, countless trains and hours in the rain, we made it to a peak and the weather was perfect. The last few winding rocky stairs to the highest point were without handrail and run alongside a sheer drop off the mountain. I don't know how more people haven't fallen off the edge here. We had to hold the steps as the wind was trying very hard to blow us off the mountain. The top was crowded with people trying to get the same photo and we didn't want to be late for the return train so we didn't have much time to appreciate the view but with plenty of photos we have time to review later.

After a few minutes constantly ascending at a steep gradient you begin to lose your bearings and take photographs at strange angles struggling to find the horizontal line. The train travels very close to many sheer cliff edges and some passenger can't look out of the windows. The engine thumps continuously in pushing us up but it's been doing it for over 100 years so no reason it should give in now. Katarina and I took 100s of photos of the mountains and shrinking ground below. At the top the view is certainly breathtaking and so is the cold wind.

After perhaps not the best sleep so far, given the substandard quality of our rooms (including thin floppy cushions, ticking pipework and creaking floorboard from the room above), our first aim was to make our only summit of the three peaks. The Snowdon Mountain Railway, built in 1896 and always designed for tourists, consists of a single cramped carriage with wooden seats pushed by a noisy rattling steam locomotive. Unlike those seated in the middle of a row we were lucky to get window seats and a good view for the whole 8km journey as we were pushed up a very steep incline to the 1085m summit of Mount Snowdon. I had originally intended to walk this, but in the end it would have been too much to take Katarina so far on foot.

Llanberis is a small town at the foot of Snowdon where the Mountain Railway begins its long and slow ascent up Snowdon. We take it tomorrow. The town itself is a little tired looking but seems to have everything in its single straight high-street (Wild West style) including a chippie, Indian and Chinese. We got a Chinese and had a peak at the mountains while we waited. Not a bad waiting room. The Chinese takeaway owner moved here from Woolwich. Their children grew up and moved back. Our B&B is probably the dingiest of the three so far. The one in Scotland was beautiful and very well furnished and maintained. This one is a little like a two-star hotel, together with plastic shower curtain, primary school soap and a single plug socket operating a TV, two lamps and the bathroom lighting. But it is quite spacious and from the outside is probably the most impressive.

Don't get me wrong; I don't romanticise about all this country life. The limited public amenities and parochial attitudes (probably harbouring most white man phobias) would be difficult for me. However, watching the bus driver drop each passenger exactly where they wanted, even if it meant a slight detour, was alien to me. He even asked where I was going, got advice from another passenger and then dropped us off at the guest house. Okay the journey took at hour to cover what is normally a 20 minute trip, but I didn't feel the trauma of a London bus. The view was an added bonus. Of course, after all this, we might get a cab on the return journey.

As soon as we left Cumbria the weather changed. Morecambe Bay had the last of the uninterrupted cloud; as we came further south through Warrington the cloud broke. Back west into Wales and the good skies remained leaving us with unobscured views of mountains like those we had last seen in the Scottish Highlands. Fingers crossed that we get good views of Snowdon. Our last two trains through Wales were the busiest and noisiest we've had on the whole journey but the seats were spacious and well ventilated so the journey was pleasant enough. The whole journey from Ravenglass to Bangor involved four trains. This avoided any individual journey being too long which was better for Katarina.

This is a view that's been typical of our time in Cumbria and from what I hear from locals it's not at all uncommmon. The Lake District has been a washout. Although we did get to the foot of the Scafell Pike path, we didn't get much of a view. However, we did get a good taste of the scenery and I learnt how to apply a temporary filling. We (although mostly I) also had three great breakfasts. Our first room had a great view of the coastal sunset but we had to move for the second and third night as they were full. The second room was small but thankfully no heat wave. Snowdonia is now our last of the three peaks.

Despite all the rain and teeth problems, Katarina's joy here was more at being in the photos. It was sad to leave because we probably didn't see the best of the Lake District. Apart from the evening we arrived, we didn't see blue sky at all. The small room we had would have been a sauna in a heat wave but something in the middle would have been nice. On to Snowdonia.

One of the last places we visited at the castle was an extensive owl centre with breeding programme which seemed to go on forever. It was an impressive place to visit. They had owls of every size and colour from tiny fluffy owlets to enormous African Eagle Owls. This is what they were fed. Pretty, eh? We then went on to an interative life-size meadow vole maze. We then did it again, then again. We took the main road back, which, by avoiding the mud, took a fraction of the time it took us going there. We collapsed on our beds. This was a very long day.

Unfortunately, the second day in Cumbria had worse rain than the first. Although the morning by Seascale was dry. By the time we'd sorted out K's teeth it was tanking it down outside. However, the plan was to visit the local Roman baths and castle, which I'd hoped was a short walk up the road. However, the route we were given (designed to be more fun than the dull main road) took us across a wet beach and a very long and very boggy footpath. What seemed relatively short on the map took us well over an hour - in driving rain. Once again, our clothing saved us - helped by a couple of umbrellas. The Roman bath house was in a surprisingly good state and some of the original render was still present. The small alcoves that probably held statues were still in good order. Must have been quite a destination almost 2000 years ago. The Roman presence is quite strong everywhere here, not least Hadrian's wall. We didn't get to our destination, Muncaster Castle, until 3.30p...

Katarina's whole filling eventually came out leaving a huge gap in her tooth with only a thin shell of enamel. The tooth is also cracked and wobbly and painful to bite on. So, we had to visit the local town of Seascale, for the nearest pharmacy, to buy some emergency filling (which, according to directions, was opposite the bear-cree and chippa). I bought two kits, just in case. While we waited for the train back K chased waves and collected some shells. Back at the hotel I had a go with the first kit, which involved carefully mixing a white powder with a few drops of liquid in a tiny thumbnail-sized plastic bowl. I eventually got the correct consistency and then we started to clean and dry the tooth area. You can tell I don't work with plaster much because by the time we got K's teeth prepared, the filling material had gone too dry. It was a disaster and anyone standing outside our room listening would have had little doubt about that. So, instead, I began to call all ...

And this was our view from the back of the Ratty. Notice the very narrow track. How does it stay up?

We got the rear seat again on the return train. It's a very small train and a squeeze to fit us and our bags and walking poles but a welcome rest from walking and the rain. They have open air carriages for the brave.

This is the view of Harter Fell from Dalegarth station, the last stop on the steam train from Ravenglass. We were waiting to return. To illustrate just how fast the clouds can descend here, as we got to the station and sat down, I saw Harter Fell unobscured and it's quite a site especially after seeing it close up. However in the time it took to get my camera out, it had turned to this. A fog had enveloped its vast peak completely and just clung there. Imagine being on it and reaching into your bag for your map. Too late.

Unfortunately, as soon as we started out, so did the rain. Our clothing was well prepared but perhaps our hearts were not. It was about 5km down to the valley that looks up at Scafell Pike and I decided to take the off-road path across bogs, fallen trees, rivers and ditches. The rain stopped me from taking a single photo with my phone but we did get some with our cameras. When the rain held back a little the views were great, but you'll just have to take my word for it. The country here is more cultivated than the Highlands but the moutains appear more rugged. This blend gives the scenery more texture so while it seems to have less scale it is replaced with detail and every mountain has a very distinct character. Katarina struggled to start so I had to bribe her with a financial incentive, which hit the spot. We then moves much faster.

After a 5km slog across a very wet Eskdale we made it to our destination, the foot of the valley that, on a clear day, has a direct view of Scafell Pike. However it was a remarkable sight for all the wrong reasons. As we approached the valley we were following the road around a jagged peak called Hare Crag on our left. The other side of this peak was the valley. On our right was Harter Fell at 653m, a fell that has so much more character than the simple dome-like structure hinted at by the map. Harter Fell is the most prominent feature for a long time before the valley. A short break in the rain at this point brought some more light and all the colour of the mountains. It was like someone had just turned on the light and we rushed to take out our cameras from our waterproof bags. At last we could see what everyone was going on about: Eskdale really is beautiful. However as soon as I'd got my camera out the clouds had returned and so had the rain. I put my camera away cursing the w...

We took the Ratty steam train from Ravenglass to Dalegarth. This isn't the best view of the train, since you miss the locomotive, which is there at the other end, but I think it was the best seat being a completely unobscured view from the rear. It's a 40 minute journey to cover the 6.9 miles but obviously it's not about speed as it cuts through a beautiful valley to the heart of Eskdale.

It's definitely day 7 now, but I appear to have miscounted the earlier days. Anyway, it's a very cloudy morning and a few rain clouds have already passed over. It's due to rain on and off but only lightly. Typical though, that the rain seems to have followed us from Fort William. Our aim today is simple: to get a view of Scafell Pike. The B&B owners have recommended a route so hopefully that will be easier than some of the routes I've found. Anyway must get the waterproofs on and cheer up Katarina. She's had some toothache.

Ravenglass is a world away from the previous industrial stop of Selafield. It's tiny and very picturesque. It's right by the shore like most stops on this coastal railway and offered a great sunset out to sea. We missed the actual sunset as we rushed off to get last food orders at the pub, the only place still serving. After scampi K and I walked the pebbly beach as darkness took over. Unfortunately it was too dark for photos on this phone. We have the same seaward sunset view from our room window. Overall the day passed off okay and we made all our connections, but at 8 hours and three trains, I think we exhausted sitting. Fortunately K was able to pull out her wobbly tooth so this might reduce the dental emergency. Tomorrow we're off to Eskdale for a view of Scafell Pike: the second of the Three Peaks and our next target. Unfortunately it is obscured by other mountains from many angles so we must walk a fair way to get a sight.

The train from Carlisle to Ravenglass was horrendous. When the train arrived I was concerned that the vast crowd of people on the platform would not fit as the lenght of platform indicated a short train. Indeed, when it arrived it had only two carriages. Everyone quickly congregated around the doors waiting for people to get off the other side. However, as the train emptied of arriving passengers, the conductor pressed a button and the rear carriage separated with a hiss and clank. We were left with one car. The crowding was Japanese style but fortunately we got a seat and the train left 10 minutes late. The journey itself was uncomfortable and very slow. Crowds of teenagers to the stations before Ravenglass filled the single carriage. We arrived eventually 30 minutes late. This was the sight at the station. It doesn't look real and is a contrast to the train itself.

The Glasgow connection involved a hot bus ride between stations. The Carlisle train fortunately had a power socket but no phone connection or GPS. Twilight zone. Journey has been long but K has had her DS. Ravenglass train is now coming in.

We're on the standard slow train to Glasgow and the views are no less spectacular. This is the stop at Corrour which seems to make excellent hill walking country, although perhaps not varied enough for Katarina. It would probably be fine for a day or two. The track cuts through a mixture of mountains and highland plateau. Our current altitude is 438m. The area looks completely unspoilt by human dwellings and even the very occasional train station seems to come out of nowhere and be surrounded by little more than a car park. Perhaps, like the Morlock, these people live below ground and come up in their Range Rovers to feast on deliveries from Morrisons. The weather seems to be improving as we head south so fingers crossed. Katarina has lost a filling and is living on soft food at the moment so we are trying to locate a dentist. However everywhere we've tried so far before we left Fort William and around Ravenglass are full or closed; emergencies, it would appear, must be pre...

Apart from some early showers that ruined our first stop off on the train journey, the weather held quite well. These past two days have certainly not lived up to the scale of rain predicted, but then we did leave Fort William on both days. Today wasn't as exciting as yesterday's speed boat but the train journey provided plenty of focus. It was a shame we had to share our train ride with a grumpy looking man (but quite friendly wife) who sat opposite, but since we spent most of the journey chasing free windows this wasn't much of an issue. This was our last full day in Scotland but after getting back at 4pm to Fort William we didn't have much interest in any other activity so strolled slowly back to the B&B to enjoy this view from our beds and watch Ennis and Bolt win gold. We'll miss this place if not the rain. So, roll on tomorrow and a four-hour train ride through the Highlands to Glasgow, then on to Carlisle, before terminating in Ravenglass for two da...

I'm sure we could all imagine an explanation for this boat name but I'd love to have known theirs. Not sure it beats 'Prince Mad' that I posted yesterday, but then I cheated with that one.

Mallaig, the sea and the mountains provided a great backdrop for the steam train, but this phone struggled with the contrast. The town was tiny but surrounded by sea gulls and huge fishing boats busy emptying the North Sea to fill out Bird's Eye fish fingers. We looked for something to eat and unsurprisingly the choice, among about eight eateries we saw, was heavily focused on fish and chips. I had haddock and Katarina had scampi. They were both good.

So the brochures say and they even won a prize labelled as such, probably by some Scottish tourist society. Certainly when there was a break in the folliage you frequently got some stunning views over and over again that looked better than this phone can capture. Given the type of terrain here I don't think there's many places in the UK that could live up to it but I'm sure the American West has even more to offer, thanks to Chinese rail workers. Of course we are also going on to Wales to take the Snowdon Mountain Railway so they might have something to say too. But cynicism aside, this was 40 miles of continuously stunning scenery.

I've cheated here in using a postcard but the panic that everyone went through when the approach of this viaduct was announced meant only the most selfish (those who stubbornly held their window place for the whole journey) would catch a decent photograph. It is billed as the centrepiece of the journey and it is quite a sight but from the train your view is obviously limited and there overrated.

This was frequently the view from the window, especially if we left it open going through a tunnel. The carriage would go dark and when light returned it was replaced by an acrid white fog that burns your eyes and throat. We decided to keep away from open windows during tunnels.

For our last full day in Scotland we took the Jacobite train to Mallaig, a fishing port on the west coast. The train was used to film the Harry Potter movies. Can't say I'm a fan of the movies but the train offered great views of the Highlands and plenty of steam. Most of the journey consisted of rushing with other passengers from one side of the train to the other fighting for the best window to snap a photograph of the scenery, which was frequently obscured by tall trees, through which you could see with your eyes the stunning scenery that is only a blur of folliage to the camera lens.

This driver would certainly be in with a chance. He snapped at Katarina for dragging her walking poles along the floor of his new bus (that we'd taken back from Loch Ness). He event got out of his seat a minute later to repeat his sermon on the importance of respecting other people's property. (a) it wasn't his bus (b) we had a ticket (c) I didn't see him moan at the passengers treading with their muddy feet (d) would he say the same if someone has crutches (e) we struggled to understand a word he said. However, saying all this, he might lose the prize by default for offering his hand as we left the bus on arrival. He seemed apologetic and I was equally respectful. Nobody wants to pick a fight with a man with a face as grumpy as this.

We finished off the day with what was my real target: an unobstructed view up Loch Ness. This pier by the boat house has one of the best views and I wanted to catch it before leaving. We got here half an hour before catching the bus home. The view is certainly satisfying. Times like these you have to take photos because in all the rush it's difficult to sit, relax and take it all in; instead you must relive it back at home. Maybe we keep returning to try once again to capture the beauty only to fail again. At the end of the day, beauty is all in the head; a memory only helps to make it more vivid. I was here twice in my childhood and it was good to stoke the memory.

Today the weather once again made the day. Although it rained, our waterproofs were enough to keep out the wet and still appreciate the frequent breaks in the cloud. In fact the sun seemed to follow us around in the speedboat. Looking back at Fort Augustus from half way up Loch Ness, it was submerged in dark cloud cover. I've always said my favourite weather is cloudy with breaks of cloud at just the right moment. On returning to Fort William I hear the rain had not improved back there. It was apparently horizontal rain all day. Fortunately we were a good few miles away. In fact where we were on Loch Ness the wind was only adding to the fun. I decided, after seeing no end to the rain to spend some rainy day money on better activities. Walking was getting nowhere. Tomorrow is a steam train and aquaduct. Apparently the best train ride in the country. This is after the best view in the country (Loch Ness). But then if we believed tourist brochures we'd probably all be holidaying ...

Apparently the locks here are almost 200 years old but don't think they ever had boats this size squeezing through. When we arrived it was at about lock 3. We went off for a walk and when we returned it was still going through a higher lock. Katarina enjoyed running across the gates.

What could be a bigger contrast to a speed boat than a farm. This one was well designed. The highland landscape offers the animals lots of natural hills and stony outcrops. Fort Augustus is tiny (population 576) but is swamped by tourists, mostly foreign, including the drowning Russian canoeist.

I managed to get a photo (taken from my digital cemara's LCD) of a later speed boat so you can see what it was like. This was near the end of their journey where the waves weren't as big but you should get the idea. We were sitting in the 3rd row from the front. I GPS tracked the trip so will try to post the journey when I get to a PC. It would seem we topped 36mph. Not bad when your hopping from one crest of a wave to another.

We took a speed boat down Loch Ness suited head to toe in waterproof thermals and goggles and we needed it. The driver (if that's what you call him) took us deliberately into the waves at 30 knots to have us take off and slam the waves. Literally a gripping experience. We took a few breaks to wipe our faces dry, enjoy the scenery and take some photos, like this one. It lasted 90 minutes, which proved to be just enough to avoid spinal injury. We had to take one small detour to save a canoeist from drowning and drop him off on a passing cruise boat. He had fallen in the water and if we hadn't seen him struggling then he would have been doomed. I have no idea what he was doing that far out in the Loch, but it added a bit of drama to an already exciting trip.

It's literally one ray of hope, which is one ray more than yesterday's wash out. It's not predicted to last but optimism can lift an army.

Clouds I like. They can be beautiful, majestic and even awe-inspiring. For me, the key is they hide the sun. I'm not a sun person. But today they were formless, omnipresent and wet. London weather I like. It's rarely two days the same. Never too much sun and the rain is rarely all day but usually in bursts especially around lunchtime. That, I like. It's easy to forget in London then that weather systems elsehwere can persist for days at a time. I never trust a weather report in London, but the weather reports from 10 days ago were spot on for today in Fort William. I'm still hoping tomorrow might have a few dry patches because today there wasn't even a break to take out the camera. Our clothing experience today was an advert for modern synthetics. I wore state-of-art Gortex covers over fully breathable and wicking layers. I stayed dry completely. Katarina, both because quality child-size gear is difficult to find but also because there's a limit to how much I co...

Weather good and achieved all and more than originally planned. The Nevis mountain activity centre is very impressive. The Gondola and chair lift offered very easy access to great views and all professionally run by very friendly people. Amazing how much can be achieved with so little effort - and without a car. Katarina enjoyed it and had no trouble with the extra hike that took us to a peak neighbouring the Gondola peak where the views were stunning. 650m is not much at all by even European standards but you really got the feeling of altitude. The almost silent chair lift, as it gently swung in the wind and at times seemed to leave us suspended motionless mid air, managed to bring on vertigo at times - not helped by K slamming her feet on the safety bar for a laugh, which by the way is not fixed in place and leaves a gap large enough for even K to slip through if she wasn't careful. One activity we didn't do was the mountain bike path which was very impressive. At 650m you ca...

I look like such a Dad here. Of all the poses I could have chosen, a willow tree just doesn't do justice to the backdrop. Do you like my parachute? I packed everything. There was quite a gale up there, hence my expression, if you'll allow me that excuse.