The story of Sir Alexander Carew’s leather jerkin – at Antony in Cornwall

Venture into the library at Antony, the Cornish country house owned by the National Trust and you’ll be struck by the full-length portrait of Sir Alexander Carew, ancestor of the Carew-Pole family who still live here. Dressed in in a splendid red ensemble with heeled white leather boots topped by a buff leather jerkin, Sir Alexander looks very much the dandy of his day.

Sir Alexander Carew's leather jerkin at Antony

Portrait of Sir Alexander Carew at Antony

During the civil war, in 1642, Sir Alexander was Governor of Drake’s Island in Plymouth harbour, close to the Antony estates. The island held a strategic position opposite the town and despite having sworn his allegiance to the Parliamentarians, Sir Alexander planned to deliver it to Royalist forces who were then besieging Exeter. But before he could put the plan into action, the plot was discovered and he was taken to London, tried and executed by the Parliamentarians.

If you look in the alcove to the left of the painting, you’ll see the very same leather jerkin on display that was worn in the portrait. Apparently it was rescued from the stables where it was being cut up to mend a harness. To the right you may see a charming framed photograph of Sir Alexander’s descendent, Sir Richard Carew Pole’s son wearing a copy of the outfit for fancy dress.

In those days, being on the right side at the right time in the English civil war could preserve your family estates to pass down the next generation, but choosing the wrong side could cost you your life – sadly Sir Alexander Carew got it wrong.

Read the full story of our weekend in Cornwall – Cliff Walks and Country Houses in Cornwall (and a bit of Devon)

Visitor resources

Antony, near Torpoint in Cornwall is owned by the National Trust – please see their website for opening times.
We recommend the Dorling Kindersley Top 10 guide to Devon and Cornwall if you are visiting for a short time
Compare prices and book hotels in Tavistock through Hotels Combined

More things to enjoy in Devon and Cornwall

Hunting the Ash-black slug on Dartmoor – in Devon
A visit to Padstow and a walk through the dunes to St Enodoc
Walking on Exmoor and staying at Catsheys luxury B&B – in Devon

www.flickr.com heatheronhertravels’ Cornwall photoset

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com – Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

You’ll also find our sister blog with tips on how to build a successful travel blog at My Blogging Journey

Don’t miss out – subscribe to Heather on her travels

The mountain clothing you’ll need for treking the Tour de Mont Blanc

Forgive me if you’re a seasoned long distance walker who already has all the gear to set off on a mountain trek like the Tour de Mont Blanc. If you’re an occasional walker like me, however, you may find it useful to know which pieces of mountain clothing are worth the investment and which will only get worn once or twice.

Having walked part of the Tour de Mont Blanc two years running, I had a much better idea this second year of what I should pack for my trek in the mountains. Bearing in mind that you’ll need to carry everything with you (no Sherpas in the Alps), the trick is to take just the right things and no more. Here are the things that earned their keep in my backpack;

Essential clothing for walking the Tour de Mont Blanc

Walking Boots – It goes without saying that you’ll need a comfortable pair of walking boots with good ankle support. So long as you’ve worn these in and are sure they won’t give you any trouble, this could be all the footwear that you need while you’re up on the mountain trails, although when you come down to the valley you might want some lightweight trainer style shoes. All the refuges that we stayed at provided slippers or plastic clogs to wear inside the refuge. If not you can pad around in your…

Walking socks – I always treat myself to a couple of new pairs for a trip like this. I found 2 pairs was enough for the 3 days we were walking, I might stretch it to 3 if I was doing the whole 12 day trail but the trick is not to over-pack but to rinse out and dry overnight if they’re getting too smelly. I also had some lightweight cotton socks for wearing in the refuge at night. And of course for the changeable mountain weather you’ll need a good…

Waterproof Jacket – Mine was a rather fetching cream Gore Tex jacket which I got from Ellis Brigham who specialise in mountain and outdoor clothing including womens waterproof jackets like mine. It packed up quite small but was substantial enough to keep off the morning and evening chill when you get up to altitude. I loved the cream colour, although my husband urged me to choose a more practical colour and I’ve found that you can easily wash it when it gets grubby. My jacket has plenty of zip pockets and a hood with visor that zips away into the neck when not in use. My last waterproof jacket saw me through a trip into the rain-forest of Ecuador 3 years ago and has been earning it’s keep ever since, so I have high hopes that this new one will last me a few years until I can finish the whole Tour de Mont Blanc.

I hope you enjoy the video below about what to wear for a walk in the Mountains on the Tour de Mont Blanc

If you can’t see the video above, please view it on my blog

Walking trousers – I took one pair of walking trousers, also from Ellis Brigham that were made of a quick-drying, lightweight fabric with a comfortable waist and zips on the legs to make them into shorts. I wore the same pair every day, only changing on arrival at the mountain huts in the evening. You should avoid heavy cotton trousers or (God forbid) jeans what will mark you out as a fair-weather walker,  leave you soggy if there’s any rain and take ages to dry. Like my jacket, the trousers had lots of useful pockets for lip salve, maps and cameras. And on your top half you’ll need…

Walking t-shirts – I walked in a stretchy running t-shirt that I already owned, but if you’re buying anything specially, look for the lightweight, quick-drying fabric or specially treated Merino wool that is ideal for walking as it wicks away sweat and keeps you cool. I did alternate with a running vest but it’s probably preferable to wear t-shirts that cover your shoulders to avoid any painful sunburn if the sun is out, or you’ll spend all your time slapping on the sun cream. Of course if you’re not so lucky with the weather and it pours with rain you’ll need some…

Waterproof trousers – on both my trips, these were the least used item in my backpack, but then we were walking in August and were blessed with sunshine for most of the time. I did, however, hear tales of walkers who had bad weather for several days in a row and in this case your waterproof trousers will keep you comfortable and dry. Unless you do a lot of walking, I personally wouldn’t invest a lot of money in waterproof trousers, but would buy something inexpensive that will pack up small, but still do the job of keeping you dry.

Clothes to wear in the mountain huts on the Tour de Mont Blanc

When you arrive at your mountain refuge, the etiquette is to remove your boots at the door and you will normally be offered some slippers or plastic clogs to wear inside. Typically you would shower before dinner (if the refuge has a shower – some of the more remote ones don’t) and then change into your refuge wear which for me was….

Stretchy running trousers – these were comfortable, quick to dry and could double up for walking if necessary and I also wore a…

Lightweight cotton t-shirt that I kept just for the refuge and only put on after I had showered, so it didn’t get too sweaty.

My refuge outfit doubled up as pyjamas as I discovered that the sleeping arrangements were mostly communal with men and women sleeping together, sometimes in large dorms, so it was a bit pointless to pack your pretty nightwear. To keep warm I also had…

2 fleece tops – One was a zip front mid-weight fleece that I also wore when walking if I was cold, the other a lightweight long sleeve fleece t-shirt that would go over  a short sleeve t-shirt. I found last year that I under-estimated how cold it could be in the evening at altitude in the mountain refuges, so I found that 2 fleeces that could be layered kept me cosy.

You can see the contents of my rucksack laid on the bed in the photo above and the list of what I packed below (bearing in mind that we were only walking for 3 days, rather than the whole 12 day tour)

Clothing

Walking boots, 1 pair Walking trousers, 1 pair jogging bottoms, 2 quick drying t-shirts, 1 light cotton t-shirt, 1 long sleeve fleece t-shirt, 1 mid weight zip front fleece, 2 pairs walking socks, 1 pair light cotton socks, 1 pair waterproof trousers, sunhat, underwear

Other stuff

TMB walking guide, TMB map, miniature medical kit, small size toiletries, tissues, wet wipes, suncream, camping towel, silk sheet sleeping bag, camera, video recorder, audio recorder, mobile, enough cash for our whole walk, walking poles.

My thanks to Ellis Brigham for providing some of the clothing I used for this year’s walk. I highly recommend them for mountain and outdoor clothing, with shops in the UK and an online store. You can follow them on Twitter @ellis_brigham and on the Ellis Brigham Facebook Page with Videos on Youtube and on the Ellis Brigham blog.

More tales from the Tour de Mont Blanc

What I packed for my mini Tour de Mont Blanc 2010 – video
My second year on the Tour de Mont Blanc – video diary 2011
Tour de Mont Blanc 2011 Day 2 – Col de Balme to Champex

www.flickr.com heatheronhertravels’ France – Tour de Mont Blanc 2011 photoset

 

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com – Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

You’ll also find our sister blog with tips on how to build a successful travel blog at My Blogging Journey

Don’t miss out – subscribe to Heather on her travels

A weekend by the coast in San Diego

If you only have a few days to visit the San Diego area with your family, this article from Vacation Home Rentals will give you a taste of the beach, natural coastline and the experience of the San Diego zoo.

Last fall my daughter and I headed to San Diego for a short break and a friend’s wedding – although we only had 3 days in the area, we decided to make the most of the time and see as much as possible. Arriving at San Diego International Airport in the late afternoon, we got a rental car and headed straight to the beach. After a long and tiring flight, swimming in the Pacific was the first thing on our vacation checklist.

Our first destination was a two-mile urban beach, the North Mission Beach. It has everything you would expect from a typical Southern California beach, but for someone coming from the east coast, the warmth of the water which was almost 70ºF was a surprise. The paved boardwalk allowed us to wander along, taking in the beach scene – from volleyball players on the sand, rollerbladers wearing next to nothing, to bicyclists and skateboarders showing off their moves. We shopped for souvenirs in the little stores until late in the afternoon and then watched the sun setting over the ocean.

Tired out from the travel and sea air, we checked into our San Diego vacation rental that was close to everything we wanted to see with a full size kitchen so that we could have the flexibility to eat out or eat in. The next day, we woke up refreshed and ready to see more of what San Diego has to offer.

My daughter had never been to a zoo, so I agreed that we could go to the San Diego zoo. Dubbed as one the world’s largest zoo, it would take more than a day to see everything. In the Flamingo lagoon, we were able to survey the flamboyant colors of the flamingos from the elevated walkway along the lagoon, enabling us welcomed to observe their behavior close-up. There was also a rainforest aviary housing a collection of more than 200 birds of different species with all the sights and sounds of a real Southeast Asian jungle environment. The best part of the zoo was Elephant Odyssey where my daughter enjoyed exploring the remnants of extinct animals and prehistoric fossil evidence. Nothing beats our experience being stepped down by an elephant as we went into a tunnel passage that goes under part of the elephant exhibit. Our first zoo experience was amazing – although I had my doubts about zoos, we both ended up loving it.

While visiting San Diego, we also visited a nature-protected area of Torrey Pines State Park. Basically a bluff rising from the Pacific ocean, along the trail were sandstone canyons and there were arches and alcoves on the beach. The high road led us to the coastal wilderness of pine trees. Although a local hiker told us that the area is usually dry and brown, we found wild flowers covering the cliffs. We finally reached Yucca point where we were confronted by the magnificent view of the ocean. We had our share of relaxing feel, enjoyed the breeze and inviting smell of pine cones in the park. Of course, we should not miss our purpose of coming in San Diego.

After our adventure, we headed back to our rental and changed our clothes from nature-friendly to black-tie ready for my friend’s wedding at the Thursday Club. It was a beautiful ceremony; the perfect conclusion to a great weekend away. The next day we were heading back to the airport, but next time we hope to able to stay for longer than just a weekend.

Photo credits: Mission beach by Kevin H., Elephant Odyssey by Cynr, Flamingo lagoon by r3v|| cls, Wild flowers by christopherallisonphotography.com, and Torrey Pines reserve by Jason Pratt

This article was brought to you by  Vacation Home Rentals - for your vacation rental in the San Diego area.

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com – Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

You’ll also find our sister blog with tips on how to build a successful travel blog at My Blogging Journey

Don’t miss out – subscribe to Heather on her travels

Next Page »