Blog

WWOOFING

WWOOFing in the wild woods

My first ever WWOOFing experience may prove to be the most unique of all. When my host Chris Atkins stepped out of his forest-green land rover wearing a hand-crafted camouflage kilt at the Ledbury train station, I knew I was in for an interesting stay. After spending the month of August at Kendrick’s Cottage with…

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Travel

Pembrokeshire: my 24th summer

After a weekend in Conwy exploring castles with histories almost more exciting than Game of Thrones, the dream team of ‘Marilyn’ as dubbed by Val and Bry (aka Marita and Lyndsay) diverged for separate horizons. Although we’d each made separate plans and knew this moment would arrive, it was unsettling and strange to finally split…

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Gardening Travel

Mur Crusto and Snowdonia

June passed in a pleasant blur of calm days at Mur Crusto, interrupted by the hectic (though enjoyable) week in balmy Italy. I spent my days happily pottering in the garden, reading, and walking through Llangybi and surrounds. Over breakfast, I regularly battled two mischievous squirrels determined to eat all of the nuts left for…

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Travel

Grazie Padre: A week in Italy

15 – 21stJune This year, the IFADS conference was held in Bologna, Italy. It attracted PhD students and professors from all over the globe. Luckily for me, this included my incredible father, a finance professor at the University of Queensland. He’d flown over from Australia for a week in this ancient university city and it…

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Travel

5 things I love about Wales

1. It’s technically part of the UK but feels like a foreign country. Not only is there a different language, but the landscape is definitely other-worldly. It’s filled with gorgeous wilderness that slopes down to dunes and the sea, with a smattering of quaint towns and villages. Every time I go for a walk in…

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