Sunsets & Swimming Holes

12.11.23 — Vermont

After meeting Mallory and Megan in Montreal, reuniting with everyone in Williston, and then heading up to Jay Peak with Maureen and Mallory, it was finally time for me to spend some quality time with Megan. As an old friend and a local expert (I discovered this last year when she put together an amazing plan in Vermont and New York), I was excited to see what she had in store!

With me connecting to work every day at a very early hour, I had a nap after I’d finished and then Megan arrived back home as I was getting up. She told me to pack my swimming trunks and a towel and off we went to a place called Bolton Falls. I assumed we weren’t off to Bolton, Greater Manchester, as that would be quite the journey with very little payoff…

Megan parked up in a little car park just off the road and then guided me down a little dirt path. This then opened out into a gorgeous little lake set at the foot of a series of little waterfalls, all surrounded by trees. It was a rather tranquil spot that the locals call a ‘swimming hole’, but I assumed we’d just be dipping our toes in.

The swimming hole was gorgeous but also quite cold.

It turned out that Megan had much more adventurous plans for the two of us. We were soon wading through the part of the pool that we’d figured was the shallowest, an observation helped by a dog that wandered through the water without any problem. Once on the other side, we scrambled up the rocks and to the top of the falls, which provided some amazing views out over the valley.

I still can’t get over how beautiful Vermont is.

Now at the top of the falls where the water pooled in a shallow basin before descending down the the lower pool where we’d begun our trek, Megan decided to take the plunge. She leapt right into the cold water after some motivation from me and the others who were hanging out down at the swimming hole. I eventually followed suite, but it took a lot of convincing: I was happy just paddling!

We stayed a while to watch some of the other visitors jump from a rocky ledge into another perfectly circular pool. We decided we fancied jumping in, but we weren’t up for the 5m dive that others were making and so returned to the base pool to try our luck there.

Once we’d found a spot we were comfortable with, the two of us joined hands and jumped right into the deepest park of the swimming hole. It was so much fun that we went for a second and third go, much to the bemusement of a couple who had also shown up for a dip.

I don’t think I’ve ever swum in such pretty surroundings.

When it was time to leave we ferried our things through the deep part of the pool by holding them over our head, a move which could have easily ended in disaster but luckily did not. We then dried off and got changed in and around the car – quite the challenge in a public car park!

From Bolton Falls we went for a meal in a nearby town to put an end to the day. We had some delicious bao and burgers accompanied by a glass of wine. It was a great chance to have a proper chat after so many days of running around all over Vermont.

We also took a little detour on the way home to drive past the house one of Maureen and Terry’s neighbours. Megan has assured me that they’d already have their halloween decorations up and that they always go big, and she wasn’t wrong!

The next day also saw me and Megan head out to spend the afternoon and evening together. She’d bought us tickets to ride the sunset cruise on The Spirit of Ethan Allen, a boat which I’d seen last year from the dock as it made its return from taking all those on board to see the last rays of sun over the Adirondack Mountains from Lake Champlain.

We cut it very fine, arriving and parking up just five minutes before the sailing time. We just about made it on board though, finding a cute little spot to sit down on the stern of the boat. Megan went to get drinks, I ordered some chicken nachos as a little snack, and off we went after a rather thorough safety briefing.

Looking back over Burlington made me appreciate just how small it really is.

A rather large tray of nachos then showed up, which we set about nibbling at as The Spirit of Ethan Allen powered out into the centre of the lake. We passed the lighthouse marking the entrance to the port, a series of sailboats out on the water, and a group of teenagers who were jumping off the same rock that Megan and I had spotted as we kayaked around the lake last year. It was all very, very beautiful.

Vermont, ladies and gentlemen.

After nearly two hours of sailing and some of the best sunset views one could wish for, the captain eventually turned us around and we headed back to Burlington. Once back home, Megan and I teamed up to make some food and then headed out to karaoke night with Megan II (Megan’s flatmate who is also called Megan) and Mallory. This was a short-lived affair though, as we we were all pretty tired and so headed back home nice and early.

These two nights I spent with Megan were an absolute blast. Once again she’d shown me some of the best and most beautiful parts of Vermont, but more than anything it was just lovely to spend some time together having a laugh and putting the world to rights.

There was still more to come before I left Vermont, but we were soon to be joined by another VIP. More on that in my next post!

Jay Peak

10.11.23 — Vermont

With my first couple of days in Vermont done, it was time for the leaf peeping (find our what that means in my last post) to really begin. With Megan at work, Mallory came over and joined me and Maureen what was to become one of the most picturesque days of the whole trip. Keep on reading for some cool views!

The three of us hopped into Maureen’s car and began our journey up to the north of Vermont, where the leaves were supposedly at ‘peak’, meaning the peak of their colourfulness. Maureen had decided we should head up to Jay Peak, a mountain found tucked just below the Canadian border.

Before we arrived, we’d some errands to run. Our first stop was to an unassuming roadside shop where we grabbed what both Maureen and Mallory agreed were the best maple syrup ice creams in the whole state. The locals call these ‘maple creemees’, a name I still find hilarious.

I’m no maple expert, but this was one good ice cream!

Heading further on down the road, we eventually stopped for some lunch at another roadside café. Having fallen in love with the amazing sandwiches that they have around the area last year, I grabbed myself a turkey and bacon concoction. I enjoyed this on a park bench below the hills just round the back of the café, where Maureen got chatting to some cyclists who were off to bike around the area. What a great spot for a bike ride!

Lunch over, we hit the road once more, determined to make it to Jay Peak in good time. That was until we passed by what looked to be a fabulous spot to take a photo of the mountains, so we parked up and inadvertently stumbled across a stone merchants specialising in outdoor construction. Whilst Maureen got chatting to the owner, me and Mallory snuck off to take some photos of the gorgeous surroundings…

I soon found that I’d walked quite a way off course, discovering first this cool chrome truck and then some abandoned farm hardware framed by the gorgeous autumnal forest on the mountainside. I headed back to the car and then we set off once more.

This wasn’t to be the last of our stops, though, as after driving for a while longer we suddenly found ourselves approaching a lake set amongst the hills and curves of the country roads. This was an opportunity we couldn’t let pass us by, and so once again we parked up and stepped out to find ourselves surrounded by one of the most impressive sights I’ve ever seen.

All around the lake could be seen the warm colours of the dense forest.

Naturally we weren’t the only people that had stopped to admire the views. We got chatting to some other people who’d stopped by, although I was particularly jealous of a couple of kayakers who had chosen the perfect spot to have a paddle around at this time of year.

You can just about see the two kayaks in this picture.

As we hopped back in the car and continued up the winding lanes between the foliage, all I could think of was the country classic ‘Take Me Home, Country Roads‘ by John Denver. I know he was from pretty much the other side of the US, but the sentiment of the song felt like a perfect fit as we trundled along without seeing another soul.

We eventually made it to Jay Peak, taking the car as far up the mountain as we could before we’d to park up and take a cable car for the rest of the journey. This was very much like me and Megan’s trip up Mount Mansfield last year, but this time we were blessed with much better weather – even if it was pretty chilly!

The colours in these photos look almost fake, but I promise they’re not.

After buying tickets for the tram ride (which is their name for the arial cable car) we waited for the next trip to the summit, which were running every half hour until 5pm. It was already 4pm when we hopped into one of the gondolas, so we were cutting it pretty fine!

The trip up was amazing. From our cabin we could see right across Vermont and were even able to get up close to the colourful treetops as we flew over them. Whilst not gawking at the sights, we got chatting to the operator who was aboard the huge gondola with us. He told us about the history of the tram and pointed out some of the key sights as we ascended into the heavens. I’d tell you all about them if I could, but with my memory there’s no chance!

Our gondola rumbled past the other one on its way down, our ears popped, and before we knew it we were at the top. We stepped back onto terra firma and followed the signs to the peak of Jay Peak, which opened out to some amazing views from the other side of the mountain.

I wish the guy who took this photo for us would have told me that I’d left my bag in shot…

After me and Mallory had a good snoop around, we came back to find Maureen chatting to the lad who’d offered to take the photo of the three of us. We then also got talking to a guy who’d been sat on his own admiring the views. He explained what we were seeing from our vantage point atop the mountain, which even included a thin white line which was the reflection from the waters of the Great Lakes. Pretty cool.

When we asked him how he knew so much, it turned out that he had worked on the mountain’s resort and even running the tram for many years. I couldn’t resist then asking him what would happen if we missed the last trip down the mountainside. He said that there was always one more trip after the advertised final one, just in case, which put all of our minds at ease.

He did also tell us the story of a group that missed even this last journey and got completely stranded, though. He’d volunteered to help this group, coordinating with local authorities to help guide the beleaguered tourists back to civilisation. I thought that the rescue would have involved a helicopter or something, but no: the poor souls had to make the hours-long trek down the mountain in the dark and on foot!

Sufficiently spooked by this story, we were very sure to be back on the tram for the 4:30pm descent, just thirty minutes after we’d arrived at the top. The descent was even more impressive, even if the tram operator this time said that the peak time for leaf peeping had been a week before our trip.

Once back at the car, we began our journey back to Williston. On the way, Maureen wanted to pay a visit to a relative’s grave, so me and Mallory allowed her some space as we went for a walk around the rest of the yard. I do love spending time in graveyards, for although they are a naturally sad space, I find them to be calm, pretty, and peaceful.

This cemetery was a particularly stunning place to be laid to rest.

Now back at Maureen and Terry’s place in Williston, Mallory headed back home and I settled down on the sofa to watch The Great British Bake Off with Maureen. It was a lovely relaxing end to a busy day of exploring the best that autumnal Vermont has to offer. Many thanks again to Maureen for taking me out to make some lovely memories and take some equally lovely photos!

Autumn in Williston

09.11.23 — Vermont

Our trip across the US border from Canada had taken us not into Vermont, the state we were headed to, but rather to New York State. Unfortunately this trip wouldn’t be seeing me visit New York City nor Buffalo as I did last year, so we’d to head east once we were on US soil.

This wasn’t before a celebratory stop to grab some snacks and milkshakes, though. Megan and Mallory took us to Stewart’s Shop, a magical place where we could have any ice cream flavour made into a huge milkshake that the guy at the counter left in the big cups they come out of the mixer in. I got an apple crumble one and it was divine!

With most of our daily calories now consumed, the three of us hopped back in the car and over to the border with Vermont, a trip which took us over the waters of the lovely Lake Champlain. As we crossed over, I began to catch a glimpse of what I’d come to see: the gorgeous autumnal colours that can be found across the northern US.

We then passed a sign which read “Leaf peepers: eyes on road”. I asked what a ‘leaf peeper’ was, and it turns out that it’s what the locals call the people that come to Vermont at this time of year to see the foliage in all its colourful glory. I was a leaf peeper!

When I further quizzed Megan about the sign, it turns out that people get so distracted by the colourful trees that there’s a rise in road accidents at this time of year. Megan wasn’t going to fall foul of such temptations, though, and we soon rocked up at her parents’ house in Williston, my home for the rest of my stay.

Leaf peepers: eyes on road.

It was wonderful to see Maureen and Terry again, and I’ve to thank them right off the block for hosting me in their lovely home. I unpacked my stuff, rested a bit after our weekend in Montreal, and then I was soon downstairs and helping Maureen prepare some potato salad for the arrival of all the guests who’d been invited over for an evening meal.

All of Megan’s friends who I’d met the year before then arrived and we all had a lovely catch up. Terry fired up the barbecue and made some delicious skewers and hot dogs, all of which we enjoyed in the unseasonal warm weather out on their back porch. It was an absolutely delightful evening!

The next day I was up bright and early for work, which thanks to the time difference meant that I was done by midday. This meant I could head back down to the garden and join Maureen for a chat over a lunch made of leftovers from the previous night’s barbecue.

Once she’d finished work, Megan came over with Mallory for the three of us to go on a little wander before we headed out for more evening activities. We took the family dog, Ellie, and walked up to the farm shop near their home as the sun began to slowly set.

Here’s the three girls on their way to the farm shop.

This turned out to be a very aesthetically pleasing trip, as we arrived to find the little wooden farm shop surrounded by pumpkins, squashes, and other seasonal produce. There were hundreds of pumpkins dotted around, amongst them these warty ones which it turns out they call ‘warty goblins’. Hilarious!

It was hard to take a bad photo when surrounded by such beautiful sights.

Once Megan finally managed to entice me inside the shop, I spent a while perusing the odd wares, from rock candy to maple sugar – the latter of which I picked up to take back to Madrid with me. I was also introduced to another little pick-me-up in the form of a tiny plastic straw full of honey, which I bought and chewed on as we walked home.

We’d also picked up an apple crumble (or ‘crisp’ as they call it) for the evening’s dessert, so we took that over from Maureen and Terry’s place and over to Breen and Aaron’s. They’d invited us over for a meal at theirs, a meal which would then be followed by an evening watching ‘The Bachelor’. In the end, I can’t decide if it was better or worse than ‘The Bachelorette’, which I was forced to watch last year whilst in Williston too!

I was enchanted by the autumn leaves in the afternoon sun.

The meal of turkey lasagne was absolutely delicious. It came accompanied by some garlic bread that Megan put a lot of love into making, as well as some cheese and homemade crackers that Breen had whipped up before we arrived. She’s a dab hand!

It was an evening of fun and giggles as we all gave a running commentary of our opinions of the decisions that the bachelor made during this first episode of the new season. I also particularly appreciated the company of Libby, Breen and Aaron’s dog, as well as their cat, whose name as far as I can work out is just ‘Cat’.

Full of food and tired after a long day, I then had a good night’s kip. This was just as well, as the next day we’d plenty to get up to: but I’ll leave that for next time!

Back to Montreal

04.11.23 — Montreal

As you can see, I’ve had a busy summer. Between trips to Japan and Asturias and then many visits from friends to my home in Madrid, I’d barely had chance to breathe during the main summer months from July to September. October also promised for a busy time, however, as I had another little (see: big) trip planned: I was heading back to the US!

Last year I went on a month-long galavant around North America, the entirety of which I documented here on my blog. This year I was going to be doing the same thing, albeit for just two weeks this time around. I was even starting off the same, with the (relatively) cheap and easy flight from Madrid to Canada…

The trip was a pretty smooth one, with the only inconveniences being a rather long and winding journey to the aeroplane in Madrid and then a very slow disembarkation in Montreal. This was as we’d been transferred off into a “PTV”, a curious thing which looks like a bus but which rises to the aeroplane door, lowers to ground level, and then rises back again upon arriving at the terminal. Through sheer coincidence the other day one of the YouTubers I watch, Tom Scott, did a video on these very contraptions. It’s worth a look!

The flight was still 8 hours, but after the 14 back from Japan, it felt like nothing.

Once I cleared the Canadian border I headed outside and waited for my lift, as Megan and Malory were both coming to pick me up! The three of us had arranged to spend a night in Montreal together, this time in a rather swankier hotel than where Megan and I stayed last year.

Reunited at last, the three of us had a great catch up and some laughs as we sped into Montreal proper and to the hotel. The city was hosting an important ice hockey game that evening, so the hotel’s car park was pretty busy when we arrived. We managed to grab a spot and headed straight for the room as Megan and Malory had checked in when they’d arrived earlier in the day.

With the evening wearing on, there was only one thing we really fancied doing: making the most of our bougie hotel. It was set across the tenth and top floor of an office building, providing great views along with a pool, sauna, and a rather fancy lobby. Changing into our swimming gear and grabbing a glass of wine for Megan, the three of us jumped in the pool and spent a while unwinding. It was a welcome rest after a long journey!

Now tired and hungry, we headed back to the hotel room in our white dressing gowns and then got changed in order to head out for some food. Being in Canada, there was only one dish that fit the bill: poutine! Megan researched a good local spot and the three of us headed a few blocks down the road.

We arrived at the restaurant absolutely ravenous and so naturally ordered way more food than we could handle. With eyes bigger than our bellies, we tucked into three different variants of poutine, with one of them being just the classic combination of chips, gravy, and cheese. To top it all off we grabbed some huge milkshakes for dessert. It was bliss, but we did have to practically roll back to the hotel…

The sun came out for a morning in the hotel.

The next day we didn’t really have much planned, with our only priority being to head back to the lovely bakery that me and Megan had discovered the year before. There we had some croissants and coffee for breakfast, not forgetting (well, almost forgetting) to pick up some divine olive bread to take back with us to Vermont.

Along the way we did run into a nice little surprise in the form of a Parisian metro entrance that had been brought over to Montreal. I remember studying these Art Nouveau icons back in my design classes, so we simply had to grab a pic. Do you catch the other sneaky art reference?

Art Nouveau meets The Creation of Adam.

Now back at the hotel, we packed our bags and loaded them into the car ready for our drive south and across the US-Canadian border. Like last time, Megan took me through a smaller backroad checkpoint, where once again I was asked to step out of the car as Megan and Malory could drive straight through.

This experience was rather pleasant, even if I did have to wait around as some Italians were sent back into Canada and told to return in a few hours when their online application should have been processed and approved. I thankfully suffered no hiccups, with the border control officer allowing me to head in without even paying for the border check as he couldn’t be bothered setting up the card reader. What a legend!

Now across the US border, I will leave the rest of the tale of what I got up to until my next post. It was only two weeks, but we packed plenty in, so prepare for a barrage of other posts outlining everything that we got up to…

Gijón, Madrid, Gijón

01.11.23 — Gijón

Now back in Madrid after a trip to Asturias with my parents, it was time for us to move into our new office at Erretres. This we realised in a hitch, moving all of our stuff over in record time and settling in right away. This was just like the first change in office I ever experienced whilst I was an intern there all those years ago!

On a more personal level, I set about some lifestyle changes now that my trips to Japan and Asturias were over. This meant joining the gym, restarting swimming, and doing my best to eat healthier. I’m still doing my best to do these three things as I write this blog post a couple of months later, so let’s see how this goes!

As the title of the blog post indicates, though, I wasn’t ready to sit still in Madrid for too long. For some context, I’ve been in the process of trying to get my British driving license exchanged for a Spanish one, but (and as is often the case with all bureaucracy here) I was struggling to get an appointment.

Looking around, I saw that the DGT (the Spanish equivalent of the DLVA or the DMV) had some appointments going in their Gijón office. With the city being my second home at this point (or is that third?), I grabbed a car share and headed up to visit Cami for a couple of days.

This odd tunnel was to be found at a rest stop along the way.

Once in Gijón, Cami and I spent a couple of very short days having lots of fun. In between the obligatory remote work, we managed to fit in a gym session, a movie night, some shopping, my visit to the DGT, and even a delicious homemade dinner made by Cami. It was a lovely, albeit way too short, trip!

Now back in Madrid, I’d another week at work before I was off on yet another little adventure – but more on that in my next blog post. Before I jetted off elsewhere, I wanted to make the most of the early autumnal weather here in the capital. That meant an afternoon with Sara wandering around Retiro, Madrid’s big central park.

This afternoon stroll in the warm light was followed by a cup of herbal tea sat on a terrace near the park’s lake. It was the perfect way to catch up and say goodbye before I headed off for two weeks of holiday elsewhere.

The next couple of days were then taken up with packing and sweating over the fact that I’d left said packing to the very last minute. I guess some things never change! More on all that very soon, though…