A Maltese birthday

Linda is a year older than last year, but of course I am not allowed to mention her age. However, as usual she did not want to celebrate in the UK, so I had been tasked with finding a location. It was a difficult task, first identifying somewhere we haven͛t been within flying distance for a weekend and then arranging it. I had to of course first visit alone to check out the location was suitable.

So on Wednesday we left home and went to Gatwick airport as we were staying overnight at the Hilton, prior to our early morning flight. We had to check in around 6am and we were on time, so then it was through fast track security and to the lounge, bacon rolls and coffee all round.

Our flight to Malta was on time, it took just over 3 hours to get there. We were through passport control very quickly, (probably take longer post Brexit if we are even allowed to go there) and then collect our bags and out into the warm sunshine! We had a transfer to our room, it was now around 1pm (Malta is an hour ahead of UK) and we were able to check in. As usual I had managed to get a good deal and we had a junior suite. Linda was very impressed with this, it had a large bed, although without Mara in the middle, any bed is large and a separate sitting area. There was a small balcony.

We unpacked and then decided to go for a walk and see the town of Sliema. We had a wander around, looking around at the lights, the shops and I introduced Linda to her first coffee shop – French Affair, which did scrumptious cakes, so she tried one. We had a look at the shopping centre and there was a display which did special face cream, Linda started talking to them and then trying different creams, good thing she didn’t have any money as at €300 a jar, I would have wanted it to a bit more for that price than just make her skin smoother. When she had finished there we had to do some more walking to compensate for the shared cake. We walked around the area, Linda did pop into Marks and Spencers, but surprisingly didn’t buy anything.

We walked for a couple of miles and then found another coffee shop, Busybee, which was very apt after Graham’s sermon on Sunday about busyness and bees. We stopped for a coffee and as there was no terrace had to sit inside. After, enjoying our break we had to walk all the way back to the

hotel. We stopped at the supermarket on route to get a few necessities like water and fruit.

After relaxing and sorting out our final bits we went for another walk along the seafront and around the shops. We walked over 12 miles on our first day – the target has been set.

Friday was Linda͛s birthday so she got to chose what we were going to do, but then decided to leave it to me – so we went walking! It was a public holiday in Malta to celebrate the immaculate conception and the Catholic Churches were open. It was quite busy. We walked down town to the boat terminal so we could get the boat  across to Valetta. Linda hadn’t been on the boat before so she didn’t know about the big hill in Valetta when we docked, and I didn’t tell her as I did not want to ruin the surprise!

It wasn’t just one hill, but several as the city is built on a limestone ridge, and there is only one way from the bottom up. We finally reached the top of the hill and then walked to the entrance to the city. From there we walked back down the main street to the north end. We stopped at Caffe  Cordina which had been there since 1837, the service was so slow, I am sure some of the customers had been there just as long. We did try the Maltese delicacy a ͚honey ring͛ which is a circle shaped pastry filled with marmalade, honey and spices – very nice. We then walked down hill to the Fort and because we had walked down hill, we had to walk all the way back up to the entrance again!

We then visited the Waterfront, which was at the bottom of the harbour and we could see the ͚ three cities͛ and we had a walk around the harbour area looking at the decorations. After this we had to walk up the hill, via the Victoria Gate and steps to the top and we were back in the central part. It was quite hot so we decided to take the ferry back to Sliema, after walking back down the hill to the other side.

Our next stop was French Affaire so Linda could have her birthday cake, it was her choice. We then wandered back to the hotel and I was going for a run, I did offer for Linda  to come too, but her words were "I am not running up and down hills!” – so I went out on my own and did a four mile run along the seafront to the next town San Julien and back.

We went out for an evening meal, Linda chose the restaurant and it was an Italian one so she could have pasta, I had a nice seafood risotto. We then went for a walk as Linda wanted to see where I had run during the afternoon, which meant a couple of miles walk. However, on checking Google maps I found a short cut back of just 1K – so she was happy with that. The streets are very quiet here, not many people out and about.

Saturday͛s weather was meant to be wet, but it never materialised and was dry all day. We got the ferry into Valetta and walked up the hill to the bus station. We then got on a bus to Mdina, the ancient capital of Malta, another walled city. It took about half an hour on the bus and it was an interesting drive. We arrived at the city and had a walk round, it was rather windy and so we had to put our gilets on! It was a small city and we walked all the way around the ways, past St Paul͛s cathedral. It is thought that Publius (Roman Governor) was resident here when Paul, unfortunately got shipwrecked here. We did keep our eyes out for any snakes.

The name was originally Malet meaning ‘place of shelter’ from 1000BC but the Romans changed the name to Melita. In the 9^th century the Arabs changed the name to Mdina, the Arabic meaning for walled city. The Knights of St John moved the capital to Valletta when they built their city. They were a naval force and wanted to be near the sea. The Cathedral was rebuilt in 1697 at the original was destroyed in an earthquake. The two towers have a sculpture of a serpent and fire to represent Paul’s first two incidents on arrival in Malta.

We found a nice coffee shop, which had an outside balcony and so we could sit and admire the views. We then walked to Rabat to have a look at the Christmas markets. We took the long way round, which included a nice hill for Linda and then arrived, however the markets are only open during the evening so we just looked at empty stalls, even Linda didn’t manage to buy anything. We stopped for another coffee and I had a traditional coffee, which is coffee with spices and was very nice. We then walked back to the main walled area to catch a bus back to Valetta.

We got off the bus just outside Valetta so we could look at the shops and then I saw we could walk back to Sliema through the back streets, only a couple of miles! The shops were good, but we didn’t buy anything and so wandered slowly back, up and down the streets till we reached the harbour area. It was then a slow walk back to our hotel and a rest.

In the evening we popped out for a meal and a small walk, needed to make sure we hit out 12 miles, which we did. There were people out running and their form was terrible, I kept saying to Linda see those arms not moving terrible…. Linda watched La La Land which was a load of rubbish, not sure how it won all those Oscars, I fell asleep I was so bored!

On Sunday we were going to go on a boat trip, but it was slightly windy and so to avoid any shipwreck scenes we took the bus, We got the bus into Valetta and then to Marsaxlokk, a fishing village in the South. There was a market there which we had a look around. It was a fish market where you could buy fresh fish and watch them cut the heads of and descaled them – interesting. There was also clothes and different types of food. We managed to buy some bees wax which you can use on your face for €3 a definite improvement from €300, I was so generous to Linda I bought her two jars. Hopefully it will be a good investment. The weather was warm, so we we walked around in our t-shirts laughing at the Essex  snowy scenes on Facebook. It was if the world has ended, we wondered if there would be any Essex to come back to. There was a Costa in the village so we had a coffee while waiting for the bus. A bus came, it had no sign to say where it was going, but people were getting on it so Linda did and rushed to the back because she wanted a seat, but we didn’t know where it was going. I just had to buy a ticket and hope it was going in the right direction – fortunately it was.

It did the long route back to Valetta and was crowded so you couldn’t see much. Back in Valetta I found some more hills to walk down and if you go down, then of course you have to go …… however, not quite yet.

We got the ferry across to the  Three Cities and had a look around there, there were fascinating old buildings with hundreds of modern yachts moored in front of them. It was very scenic but also looked crowded #noroom. We then caught the ferry back and guess what yes we had to walk up some more hills and steps.

We then decided to walk back to Valetta for the exercise, we were slightly down on our miles. It was only about 3 miles back and we made it. We finally got back to the hotel around 7pm, we had been out for over 10 hours. Unfortunately we were both just under the 12 miles so I did some intervals sprints  in the hotel room to get it over 12 miles and succeeded. Linda did the same.

We had to pack our bags, and on Monday we left at 9am for our trip back to the airport and England…snowy weather here we come.

Over four days Linda did  101689 steps and walked 46.91 miles, I did 102437 steps and covered 54.35 miles.

You can see some photos here 

Máa Saláma Muscat

Friday is their holy day, so it was quite busy around the hotel as most guests appeared to be in breakfast. We spent the day by the pool, which again was busier than normal. 

It was still warm but the wind had dropped. In the afternoon we had signed up for a Yoga class, we had never been before, I stayed for about 30 mins, before I got bored, not really flexible to do some of the moves, much easier just to go for a run. Linda liked it and stayed to the end and then chatted to the instructor. It was a Kripalu style yoga comprising an infusion of Kundalini, Yin, Therapeutic and Vinyasa practices. 

We escaped again for dinner, climbing over the rocks and walking along the street. The locals were playing cricket in the sand.  We stopped at the cafe for a shake and a snack. I had Arabic kebab, which I think was a spicy sausage in a wrap, Linda had chicken in a wrap. It was nice and then we had a walk along the promenade. Suddenly there was a sand storm as the wind whipped the sand up off the beach, even interrupted play at the cricket.

We clambered over the rocks back to the hotel, Linda didn’t fall over this time. We then found out they needed to do some work to our room, so we were being moved. We have been upgraded again, now to a suite, which is made up of three rooms, a lounge area, a bedroom and a bathroom area, which even has a bath in it. We still have a balcony. 

Its very nice, but probably too big. We had to pack all our bits up and move them across, a lot of hassle for 2 nights.

On Saturday we had a nice breakfast and then went by the pool. Linda is a bit sun burnt and so wanted to stay under the shade, however that didn’t last long as she went fro a swim in the sea and then in the pool - and came out even redder. Every day she has complained of getting salty water in her face which stung her eyes, I did point out the easy way to avoid it was not swimming in the sea, but as usual she ignored me and went back in there.

In the afternoon as it was getting hot, we moved to the long pool and the shade. We had a swim in there and then relaxed on the seats to dry off.  We decided to go for a walk and wandered into the public beach area, over the rocks and to the shops. It was not so misty today and we could see the mountains and the town. 

Back at the hotel I decided to go for a last run, so back over the rocks and onto the promenade. I ran about 3.5 miles in total, turning round at the halfway point. It was cool today about 34 degrees. I did stop for a cold drink on the way back as had done 3 miles and needed cooling down. The beach was easy to run on, but there was also a bridleway down the side - strangely I didn’t see anyone else running, although there were a few walkers. I was very sweaty when I got back and my clothes were soaked.

As it was our last night we went to the restaurant and had a meal. I had the Arabic mixed grill which was very tasty and Linda had a pasta dish. Then it was back to our room to do the online food shopping for delivery when we arrive back and packed our cases.

We were up at 0430 to get ready for the airport.  Our transport was meant to turn up at 0530, despite phoning them to chase it, it never turned up. Fortunately the hotel car was going to the airport to pick some clients up and offered to take us. It's only a 20 minute drive so we arrived just in time, checked in, cleared immigration and then off to the lounge for some coffee and food - not as luxurious as Heathrow.

We finally boarded, sat back and enjoyed our flight back home. We were the only two people in first class and so had the whole cabin to ourselves and an air steward each. 

You can see some photos here.

Fifty Not Out

Finally reached a half century, it's been hard work getting there, hitting a few sixes and fours as well as as taking opportunities for singles. However, to avoid all the excitement we are away, Linda did say Happy Birthday and that's as far as it goes. No time for a run this morning as we were going on a half day tour. It was up at 7am for breakfast and the food was great again, takes ages to have breakfast as so much to chose from! We had to be ready for 9am and we were. It is hot again today, what a surprise. Sama was our guide and the first stop was the Mosque. Until 1970 the country was known as Muscat and Oman and only became Sultanate of Oman then when the current ruler took over from his father. He unified the country and brought together Muscat and the Interiors

Linda had to cover up to go into the mosque, long trousers, shirt and head scarf. She didn’t have to hide her face and could still talk, as our guide found out. It was very hot in the long clothes.

The Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque is famous for its carpet, the second largest hand-loomed carpet in the world (largest is in Abu Dhabi mosque). The mosque was built in 1995 and was a gift from the Sultan Qaboos to the nation to mark the 30th year of his reign.  It took six years to build and has five minuets. The tallest is 91 metres high, exactly the same as Mount Arafat in Saudi Arabia.

Under Islam the women can pray in mosque or at home, so most stay at home. They have a separate prayer room and we had to take off our shoes, fortunately I had put clean socks on that morning. There is only room for 751 people and they stand close together. The carpet in their prayer hall comes from Scotland, marble from Italy, bricks India, lights from Turkey and lightbulbs from Paris. I did test Linda back at the hotel to see how much she remembered - but not allowed to reveal the results. The under 10's are not allowed in.

The reasons they stand shoulder to shoulder is  so there is no room for the devil between them. There is a separate area for washing and you always do the right arm or leg first.

In the men’s prayer hall the large Persian carpet is magnificent. Its took 600 Iranian women four years to make. It weighed 21 tonnes to had to be transported in 57 pieces and put together in the mosque. It is around 75 x 60 metre  and has 1,700,000,000 knots.

The Chandelier in the male hall was made in Germany by an Austrian company. It weights  8 tonnes and has 1222 lamps. There is a room above and they reach down to change the bulbs, although I was reminded of the sketch from Only Fools and Horses where Del and Rodders change the light bulbs…. There is real gold on the wall. There is a place for the Imam to speak from at the Friday midday service.

We then went to the information centre and had a chat with some of the leaders. It was interesting their stance on women, although I didn’t agree. The religious leader knew the Bible better than I knew the Koran.  He discussed ‘salat’ which is prayer and the fact they do it five times a day, in Arabic prayer means communication and needs complete attention, which is why men and woman are separated so they are not distracted at this important time of prayer. 

It does make sense and their commitment to prayer is something the church could learn from. It also interesting how the Koran says one thing and different cultures interpret it in a variety of ways. They even gave you real Omani coffee and dates, my first taste, it was different as it has cardamom in it.

Our next stop was the fish market  and it stank, the heat doesn’t help. They are moving to a new one with air conditioning by the end of the year. They had many species of fish including baby shark  and tuna. We didn’t stay long!

After this we went to a Museum and Linda knows how much I love a museum, if I could run as fast as I cover a museum I would be running in the World Championships! It was called Bait Al-Baranda and  depicts the History of Muscat through interactive exhibits from geology to ancient life, Maritime, Folk art to the achievements of Muscat today - really interesting…..but Linda seemed to enjoy, by the amount of time she took.

Muscat is famous for the Mutrah souq so this was next. It is an absorbing labyrinth of narrow, perfume-laden alleyways packed with colourful little shops stacked high with tubs of frankincense and bukhoor, old silver khanjars, Bedu jewellery and other exotic paraphernalia – one of the few markets in the world where it’s possible to buy gold, frankincense and myrrh all under a single roof. I had a good tactic, I looked after the money and Linda wandered around the shops, the traders were talking to her, showing all their wares and inviting her to buy - but she didn’t have any money so couldn’t. Actually she didn’t find anything she wanted.

After this we stopped for coffee and I had Omani coffee, not very good, it was instant coffee with spices thrown in - very disappointing! 

Our final stop was the old town.  The old city of Muscat is separated from the rest of modern Muscat by coastal mountains. The city is protected by a wall with round towers, built in 1625, on the western and southern sides. The Gulf of Oman and the surrounding mountains form a natural boundary to the east and north. Until the mid-20th century, the gates were closed three hours after dusk. The king’s palace is there, but he stays elsewhere and also a couple of old forts, Linda took some pictures.

Then it was back to the hotel and rest. It was a good tour and very informative. According to my Lonely Planet guide ‘Qahwa’. ( Arabic coffee) is  difficult to find outside homes and government buildings - I would agree!

In the afternoon we sat by the pool and then went to our Yoga session. However, we waited at the health centre and no one turned up, we found out later it was held elsewhere but no one told us. We went for a swim instead. I did some running on the beach using the two rocky barriers as the track. It was hard work, although I did get a few strange looks!

When we came back to the room, there was a birthday cake from the hotel, very nice touch. It was made of chocolate, it was tasty, but someone liked the chocolate more than me.

In the evening we went for a meal in the restaurant, Linda had a nice gnocchi pasta and I had an Arabic dish, King fish hata, which was a local fish on a bed of coucous with a spicy sauce - very nice. We both had a desert so more running needed tomorrow.

Thursday was a relaxing day by the pool. We had a late breakfast, sat on our balcony and then wandered down to the beach and the pool. Linda went swimming while I sat and used the computer.

We sat by the pool for about five hours and then decided to go for a walk. Our mobiles don’t work here, so no calls or texts to disturb us, unless it's iMessage. There are rocks which identify the beach area of the hotel, but if you climb over them you end up in the public area and the streets. 

We went for a walk along the promenade and actually saw people running! We saw a coffee shop, not quite Starbucks more like a kebab shop, they didn't do Omani coffee just instant so I had a mint and lemon milk shake and Linda had a banana one. We also shared a warm chicken wrap and it was nice, plus it was a tenth of the price of a coffee at the hotel. The Omani drive through system is the cars  drive  up to the front, toot their horns and the waiter runs to see what they want.

We then had a wandered around the area and said hello to some locals, before going back to the hotel. There  is the long way round or the short way across the rocks, Linda didn't want to go all the way round so we climbed back across the rocks. Linda decided not to follow in my footsteps but go her own way and managed to chose the only two rocks that moved and stumbled and banged her leg. It's probably a good illustration for a sermon. She was ok and clambered back. 

In the evening I did a flying 30's running session on the beach, running up and down fast, Linda could have joined in but decided to watch instead! It was still 37 degrees and humid, it was also dark but great fun, with the waves providing a background noise.

You can see some photos here of the hotel and grounds

This link will show you photos of Muscat and the tour

Holiday of a lifetime

Hot and humid Muscat in Oman, here we come, a place we had never been before.

We left home just after 2pm on Sunday and drove the Heathrow T5.  We were doing fine till we reached just before the M40 and then it took nearly as long from there to the airport. However, we finally arrived and parked the car in the long stay car park. 

Our flight was at 19.55 but we wanted to be there early as we were flying first class and to have time to enjoy the terminal. First class check in was in its own area, behind screens from the main airport and was very quick. They have their own security area, so you do not have to join the main crowds and just wander through on your own, directly into the lounge.

Linda was liking this luxury and it takes away all the stress of the airport conveyor belt. We went to the exclusive Concorde room and sat there and drank coffee. It was pretty good stuff. Linda decided to have a free treatment in the spa area.

There was a separate dining area, so as we were hungry we had dinner. It was fine dining, the food was very fancy and nicely laid out - but not very substantial or filling, fortunately we will get fed on the plane later.

It was soon time to wander to the gate, we did have to join the riff raft for this part, but once we boarded the plane, we turned left, they turned right.

We had our window seats, or suites as they are called in first. The good thing was they are very spacious so I couldn’t see Linda, more importantly I was too far away from her to talk to me - asking questions like are you asleep.

We had some drinks bought round and Linda managed to knock hers all over the floor - you can take the girl out of Southend - but you can’t take Sarfend out of the girl as they say!  The air hostess was very nice to her and said they would find her another seat - down the back perhaps = but no opposite me!

The plane was soon taking off and it was just under 8 hours to Muscat, Oman. It is very posh in first class, although I didn’t see anyone famous - in fact the plane was half full as this is not the time to go to Oman, its too hot. However, thats why I got such a good deal on the flight and hotel!

The air stewardesses bring your assorted nuts round on a plate warmed, not in a packet and you can have your food when you would like it. I had a meze platter  followed by burger and sweet potato fries. 

It was then getting late - so  the air stewardess asked if I wanted the bed made up. You get PJ’s and slippers on this flight so I went and changed and when I came back the seat bed was made up.  It was very comfortable and I had a few hours sleep.

Breakfast was served just before we landed.

Oman is about 3 hours ahead and hot, as we found out when we got off the plane! It is in the late 30’s/early 40’s and quite humid. However, once you get used to it, it is not too bad. It was kind of misty too.

We had booked onward transportation to the hotel and our driver was there to guide us through purchasing a visa, immigration and collecting our luggage - all arrived safely. It was then onto our 5 star hotel,  The Chedi, about 20 minutes drive.

Amazingly the first places we saw were Mcdonalds, Costa and KFC.

The deal we had meant we could check in straight away, and even had an upgrade to a room with a balcony as it was my birthday. It is the quiet season for them. It has 3 swimming pools and a healthy club. Behind the hotel are the majestic Al Hajar Mountains and the beach leads down to the  Gulf of Oman. Of course it also has wi-fi very important these days. We have a mini bar in our room and all the non-alcoholic drinks are free, and they replace them daily, even more exciting it has a Nespresso machine. There is an old relic called a kettle to make tea.

The room is enormous and has his and hers sinks, as well as a power shower. The balcony looks towards the sea but it is too hot to sit outside for long.

Linda decided she had jet lag and went to sleep. Once I had finished testing the Nespresso machine I went for a recce around the 21 acres of hotel, as well as venturing out into the local village.

I then came back and did some reading till Linda woke up. We then went down to the swimming pool on the beach, I was sensible and covered up - Linda not so in the pool and had a nice pattern from her swimsuit. It was very pleasant sitting on the chairs, looking out to sea. I went for a paddle in the water, but Linda went swimming in the sea in the direction of Iran.

We are near a Mosque so can hear the call to Salat five times a day. There are a lot of Mosques here but that is similar to a lot of churches in some areas of UK. 

Linda wanted to have a walk off site, so we found the local supermarket and bought some food for our tea. We then walked back in the heat. It is fine walking in the heat, but you do need to have a shower when you come back to the room. 

Everywhere has air conditioning - including the room, which is ok, but I find the room cold and keep going outside to warm up - Linda prefers the cold.

On Tuesday I was up early and went for a run. Linda did think about it - but then turned over and went back to sleep, and was still sleeping when I got back. I decided to be sensible and keep to the main roads, so ran 2.5K one way, turned round and ran back. It was hard sweaty work but felt better at the end. Strangely I didn’t see anyone else running, perhaps they go out earlier.

Once Linda was up we went for breakfast, there was loads food in the buffet around four work stations. We filled up nicely with pancakes, bread, fruit, yoghurt’s - won’t need to eat till tonight. The only downside there was a lady who kept making phone calls on the table next to use and talking loudly. It was more annoying than anything. Then when she wasn’t talking on the phone she was watching videos with the sound turned up. I like to have my breakfast, read the paper and enjoy my coffee in quiet.

The temperature here doesn’t really change at all, it goes down a few degrees in the evening and overnight, but not much more. It stays hot all the time, although by the pool you get a pleasant sea breeze.

We decided to go for a walk after breakfast and it took about 30 minutes to walk to the shopping mall. Thats another thing here you don’t see many people walking! Taxi’s kept bibbing us to see if we wanted a lift, but we were happy to walk. We found the air conditioned mall and had a wander around, it wasn’t much different from Lakeside, all the same shops just the prices were in Omani Rial (OR). 

There was a Starbucks there so we stopped for coffee, didn’t taste much different from the UK! I did have a look around to see if anyone served proper Arabic coffee - but most of the places were like Starbucks or offered instant.

We then wandered back to the hotel and spent the afternoon by the pool, enjoying the sunshine and the water. Linda went swimming but I did some work on the computer and reading.

You should be able to see some photos here 

Steps to heaven (or so it felt like) - the GU36

It was an early start Saturday morning to get to Gatwick airport, but on the bright side no DART charges and we arrived at the South Terminal just after 6.30am, parked the car and checked in. Linda's hand luggage was selected for an extra security check, so a slight delay and then onto Starbucks for breakfast.

The plane was delayed evidently the back door wouldn't shut properly, couldn't see the problem providing someone held it shut for the journey, the delay was longer than the flight. We had good seats down the front but the journey was only about 35 minutes and then we landed in Guernsey around 9.45am

We waited for our luggage and then caught the number 95 bus into St Peters Port which took about 20 minutes. The fare was £1 and you can go anywhere in the Island for £1. We then decided to walk to our hotel, which was at the top of a hill, this was a slight mistake as we were halfway there when the heavens opened and we got soaked, our cases were soaked and there was nowhere to shelter. Our friend Daniel was with us, who was also running and he got wet as well.

We arrived at the four star Duke of Richmond hotel looking like drowned rats. Daniel was lucky his room was ready, but ours wasn't. After a quick dry out we left our luggage there and the three of us went back into town, the rain had stopped fortunately. It was downhill back to the port area and as we were hungry we found a restaurant for lunch.

After carb loading for tomorrow we went for a walk, first finding the starting area, where we had to be just after 6am and then walked around the port, past the Castle Cornet and back into town. The sun was shining which helped dry us out.

We then found a quicker way back to the hotel and our room was ready. I found that some of my clothes were wet so I ended up hanging them up around the room.  I got my backpack and clothes ready for the morning. The hotel was really good they left us cake and a good luck card in our room and we could have breakfast delivered at our room at 5am.

On Sunday the alarm went off at 4.45am, the moment of truth is here will the training pay off, will I finish, will any of my injuries play up, the great unknown. Breakfast was delivered just after 5am and I had toast and a croissant with my coffee. I then put all my running gear on and met Daniel in the lobby. Linda was marshalling so she had to come along too.

It was going to be a lovely day, the sun was shining, no wind, so I put plenty of suntan lotion on.   We had a 10 minute walk to the start position at Liberation monument, we checked in and got our race numbers, I was 18. The briefing was at 6.45am and then at 7am we were off. The first mile along the promenade was easy and we reached the Aquarium after about 1/2m and then it went down hill from there - or uphill I should say. The next 16 miles were torture, I had expected it to be tough, but it surpassed my  expectations, it was really hard. There were steps up to the cliff, then you would get to the top and run a few hundred yards and then it was steps down to the bottom again.  The first check point was 8 miles, normally an hour and 15 minute run, it took 2 hours. I had allowed 4 hours for the first 16 miles, thinking I would have some spare time, I didn't - I had about 2 minutes to spare.

The scenery was great and really beautiful, someone said there were over 300 steps, others said we had climbed the equivalent of Snowdon, someones Fitbit recorded 790 flights of steps - all I know there were a lot. The first checkpoint was just water and a few jelly babies and at the bottom of a hill and then to carry on, up some steps, it was fortunate they weren't playing Steps music '5,6,7,8...' It was quite difficult as some areas were really steep and muddy, but the views tremendous.

Linda was helping out marshalling and was at the second checkpoint. A local was very helpful as she said its only three miles to the next village and mainly flat - she lied or her definition of flat doesn't include steps. We reached checkpoint 2 after 4 hours and Linda was there to greet me. I had a rest, cup of coffee, some food and an ice cream. We rested for about 20 minutes and then it was off again. It was now mainly flat following the costal path for the next 20 miles around the island. 

Looking on the bright side, I did save the £1 bus fare by running.  It was now sunny, no shade or wind, the hottest day of the year so far - typical, a short shower would have been welcome! We made checkpoint 3 which was at mile 25 and then it was a push for home. We had a walk run strategy which was getting us through. Daniel stayed with me all the way round and chatted to me through difficult points.

Linda was at the finish helping with the medals and timing. I arrived after 8 hours 58 minutes and 21 seconds - which was under my target of 9 hours so I was pleased, although we had to run the last 1/2 mile quickly. I was 47th out 59 finishers. I had an average of 15.12 per mile, but this does include stops at checkpoints.  There had been 65 starters, most DNF dropped out at checkpoint 2 after all those steps. I had my medal and finishers t-shirt and just sat down - exhausted. 

I then had to wait for Linda as she was helping the organiser and so went to get a cold drink. Linda was finished just after 5pm and then it was a walk back to the hotel - up a hill!

A great race, really enjoyable, I wouldn't do it again mainly because I have done it but I would recommend it to others. The winner only took 5 hours 34 (not even a course record - amazing!).

The hotel was really good, offered us complimentary drinks, fruit and ice cream on our return - which we enjoyed. I had a refreshing shower and relaxed. In the evening we wandered back down to the town and went to The Boathouse for a fish dinner.

I came I saw I conquered #GU36.

On Monday Daniel was going home, so we had a late breakfast, although I was awake at 5am. My calves are hurting today, but only when I walk downhill. We had a wander into town as Linda wanted to go to Marks and Spencer's, but fortunately she didn't buy anything there (although she did in other shops). We then had a coffee and relaxed, it was sunny and hot. We caught the lunchtime boat to Herm, a 20 minute ride on a calm sea. The first thing we saw at Herm was steps up to the main village - fortunately it was only about 1/2 mile. Herm is only about a mile wide so we walked to the top of the hill, and then down again to the other side, had an ice cream and sat on the beach. 

It was relaxing just sitting on the beach, well until I needed to get up again. We walked back to the harbour and caught the boat to Guernsey. It was slightly windy going back but not enough to make the sea rough. 

We had a meal in the town before wandering back to the hotel and relaxing in the room for the evening and doing some packing.

On Tuesday we had to be up early as we had a morning flight. We had breakfast at 7am and checked by 07.50 for the 1/2 mile walk down to the bus stop, completed in 9 minutes. We had a few minutes to wait for the bus and then on to the airport. There were no queues at checkin or at security so we sailed through - and then relaxed in the lounge area.

We were soon home - although the luggage took as long as the flight to arrive at the carousel

You can see some photos here