Brimham Rocks

Brimham Rocks is one of my favourite places to visit. It's so much fun, I love climbing and it is a pro not being held back by harnesses and stuff it feels a lot more dangerous and like you're really accomplishing something by being one step away from an accident.

some of the rocks

Though since the last time I was there I think I've lost most of my ability to scale the rock piles, it was just about impossible for me to get up most of the rocks, no more squeezing into the little spaces and hoisting myself up. I did manage to get to the top of one though and the view was fantastic. It reminded me of Roseberry Topping in the Yorkshire Moors, when you are up at the top you can just see everything all the way around and its so quiet and calm. The countryside really is a beautiful place.

We (everyone except Mum, William and Joel) went with another family the McKennas who we are friends with. The weather was glorious and it was a fun day out together. Everyone I think suffered a little sunburn by the end of the day though, none of us realised how hot it actually was. Red faces and arms the next day!

Picnic Panorama

Thanks dad for the photos, I left my phone in the car so I could go climbing without fear of smashing it but as a consequence couldn't take any of my own.

Chatting

James on top

It was fun going around it, we stopped for a picnic lunch and then made another round afterwards. We stopped for ice creams at the gift shop and then as we were finishing and about to move on got distracted by a yellow helicopter seeming to be looking as if it was going to land so we hung around to see what had happened.

As it turns out a girl had fallen of some rocks and bounced down them, they had to call in the air ambulance (yellow helicopter), a regular ambulance and a responder unit. She looked alive as they brought her out so hopefully they managed to help her and she will be okay now. I wasn't so keen on climbing particularly high after that.

I think we must have hung around for about an hour watching all the proceedings, it was interesting but I did feel a twinge of guilt for having spent so long watching what would be to the girl's family a horrifying experience.

I tried looking to see if the incident had been published anywhere, I couldn't find an article for this occasion but it seems to happen fairly regularly there are lot of video clips and photos around of other times it has happened.

It was really nice seeing everybody again and catching up with them. Then we had more catch ups to make when we got home.

We got some new missionaries in our ward and one of them was here before about a year ago so it was nice to see him and laugh about things! Of course we asked him about his drivers license (his old one had a funny picture on it) he told us he had lost it. So everyone was a bit disappointed, Louisa did tell him though that we like it because he looks like the kid Russell from UP on it which I'm not sure he found as funny as we did.

But he is here until the end of his mission now he only has five weeks left so plenty of time to find the lost license.

Week 7: Tuscany

Sunday:

Beach day! We arrived at the beach at around 10.30 then Alessandra Stefano and Bea went grocery shopping whilst me and Fede stayed on the beach. They got back around 12.30 and we had a picnic. The sea is wonderful, not clear but warm and the waves are huge and powerful it's great fun to swim in. We stayed until 4.30pm and then went to see a friend of theirs who they had met in the supermarket. 

The beach

Cucumber for the sun burn!

Monday:

Another day on the beach. By this point I have rather bad sunburn on my shoulders and back, despite wearing factor 50 sun cream. The sea is nice huge waves to jump over and when it is calm it is great to swim in. 

Tuesday:

It threw it down with rain so we went to visit some mines. Il Parco archeominerario di San Silvestro. It was good fun. We got a guides walk through tour through one mine and then on a train through the second. It was very interesting. We also went to look round the village of Bolgheri and found an olive tree planted in 1720. 

The mine train

Inside the mine

The guide

The olive tree

Wednesday:

Still raining. We stayed in the house all morning it rained so much and then in the afternoon went round Marina Castagneto. Took ice creams and ate them inside the restaurant because it began raining heavily again. Went to the beach on the evening to watch the sun set. 

Thursday:

Went to an archaeological park in Baratti on the gulf. It was very interesting all roman remains of temples and streets and Etruscan houses. We also went to Necropolis to see some burial tombs of the Etruscan tribes (pre roman) that were dug up. Then we spent the afternoon on the beach. 

Pirate ship in the gulf

Foundations of temple A had a secret underground passage 

Remains of the baths

On the Roman road

Me and Fede on too of an Etruscan but

The castle

Etruscan burial tomb

Sarcophagi

Friday:

Last full day in Tuscany so we spent it on the beach. We stayed for the morning then spent the noon hours back at the house because the sun gets too hot and then went back for the afternoon. We made friends with the adjacent people who have a cute little dog called Pino! Went our for dinner at a pizzeria. 

Saturday: 

Packed up to come back to Rovescala. Went home via a terracotta shop - Tuscany is known for making terracotta. They bought a sundial and Fede chose a beware the cat sign. I picked up some little starfish. Hopefully they will make it back in one piece. As soon as we got home it started raining. Also thunder and lightning.