Backpacker Pete

Leaving London and headed for the North Pole and Vancouver.

2006-11-15T18:33:00.000-08:00

Milking, the old way!!!

2006-11-04T07:08:00.000-08:00

Katy, the barber!!!

2006-11-04T07:07:00.000-08:00

Fraenzi's brothers, Lucas (25) left and Marcus (18) right.

2006-11-04T07:05:00.000-08:00

Fraenzi's Mum, Katy.

2006-11-04T07:02:00.000-08:00

Fraenzi's Dad, Ernst.

2006-11-04T07:00:00.001-08:00

Fraenzi.

2006-11-04T07:00:00.000-08:00

Hightide at Nanoose Bay.

2006-11-04T06:58:00.000-08:00

Nanoose Bay, camping at the Bible Camp.

2006-11-04T06:57:00.000-08:00

Beautiful Switzerland.

2006-11-04T06:54:00.000-08:00

2006-11-03T17:36:00.000-08:00

25th. August 2006

I did some grocery shopping in the morning and then hiked the Rawdon Moor or the Billings as it is known locally during the afternoon. On the way back to Les's place I left the trail and hiked over the fields toward the airport and whiled away some time there watching the flights arrive and depart.

26th. August 2006 (Sabbath)

Relaxed most of the day and watched the rugby cup final match on the television.

27th. August 2006
28th. August 2006
29th. August 2006
30th. August 2006

Waiting for my flight to Vancouver tomorrow!!!

The moor with it's sheep grazing.

2006-11-02T14:20:00.000-08:00

Heading down to the parking lot, the Cow is on the far right

2006-11-02T14:19:00.000-08:00

The view across the valley from the moor.

2006-11-02T14:17:00.000-08:00

Ilkley Moor, where hasta bin sin I saw thee, on Ilkley Moor bahttat? (without your hat?)!!!

2006-11-02T14:14:00.000-08:00

2006-11-02T13:52:00.000-08:00

23rd. August 2006

After yesterdays long drive into the Dales I decided to take the day off and do a little shopping in stead. Only 8 more days and I will be flying out for Vancouver, the terrorism episode seems to have calmed down.

24th. August 2006

Today we went for a drive to Ilkley and it's famous song of the moors!!! After finding a parking spot in the town we started out for the moor. Bob was having some trouble with his leg so him and Les went back to the car and said that they would meet me later at the Cow and Calf (which is a big cliff overlooking a smaller rock) parking lot. I continued to hike up to the moor, until I found a muddy trail right up on the ridge above the valley. I started to hike along it to the Cow and Calf which was about 5 Km. away. The weather was good and I think that it was the best day that I had in England since I arrived back from Switzerland. It took me about 2 hours of hiking before I arrived up on the ridge overlooking the area of the Cow and Calf then I headed down and as I got closer I started to see people and new that I had found the right spot. The trail started to get wider as I got lower and there on my left were the two famous rocks on the famous moor above the famous town of Ilkley, and below that tthere was the parking lot with Les and Bob waiting for me as they munched on Hot Dogs!!!

A better shot of the left peak on which stands the Cross of Jesus.

2006-11-02T13:49:00.000-08:00

My home under the overpass in Ripon.

2006-11-02T07:24:00.000-08:00

The Castle Bolton.

2006-11-01T18:45:00.000-08:00

Aysgarth Falls.

2006-11-01T18:40:00.000-08:00

Lesley and Bob with the Cow and Calf in the background.

2006-11-01T18:32:00.000-08:00

2006-11-01T18:09:00.000-08:00

22nd. August 2006

Today we set out to see another old abbey, Bolton Abbey, but Bob missed the turn off and just kept on going up into the Dales again. Since there was no where to turn or park Bob drove on until we reached the village of Sedbergh in the North Dales close to the City of Richmond. We then travelled through some picturesque and very wild country. Soon we reached the village of Hawes but there was nowhere to park or even stop and had to keep on going, there were cars parked everywhere!!! I wanted to get some pictures of this wild countryside but that was impossible!!! Soon we reached Aysgarth Falls and found a private car park, so we mortgaged the car and stopped for a couple of hours!!! Here we visited the local Parish Church which was old and very interesting. Then I walked on to the falls and finally was able to take a photo. After eating lunch we continued on to Castle Bolton and from there took the road down Wharfdale to Grassington and on to Rawdon. The whole trip took 7 hours of driving with very little chance of seeing any thing. Going for a drive in England means just that, once you climb into your car you don't get out until you reach home again!!!

A prayer service inside the Cloister at Fountains Abbey.

2006-11-01T18:03:00.000-08:00

Our campsite just below the Pass.

2006-11-01T15:35:00.000-08:00

The Cross of Jesus is on the left peak, we camped below it.

2006-11-01T15:32:00.000-08:00

The Cross of Jesus.

2006-11-01T15:29:00.000-08:00

A Cross of Jesus at about 8000 ft.

2006-11-01T15:25:00.000-08:00

Fountains Abbey

2006-11-01T15:21:00.000-08:00

2006-11-01T15:06:00.000-08:00

21st. August 2006

After arriving back in Rawdon, Les informed me that her and Bob had taken two weeks off work out of their vacation time, she said that instead of going away they were going to take day trips around the Yorkshire Dales and see some of the sites. Today they suggested that they were going to an old Abbey dating back to the 11th and 12th. century, it was named Fountains Abbey. We left at 0900 and headed North up into the Dales. The Abbey is situated on thousands of acres and is managed by the National Trust as many of these historical sites are these days, it is well managed and looked after. The Abbey is in such good shape that there was a prayer service going on in the cloisters. After spending a nice day there we had lunch and hit the traffic again heading back to Rawdon!!

The Cross of Jesus on Santis Mountain.

2006-11-01T10:44:00.000-08:00

My Home away from Home.

2006-10-31T19:57:00.000-08:00

Rhine Falls

2006-10-31T19:47:00.000-08:00

2006-10-29T14:22:00.000-08:00

18th. August 2006

I went up to the town to get some groceries to last me over the weekend. I had to buy water too as the river was totally poluted. We had thunder, heavy rain again today but everything under the bridge remained dry and warm. A young girl said hello through the tent wall and I said Hi in return, then as she was walking away with her Dad I heard her say "well, Dad, i'll tell tha sumat fur nowt, I wunt be fund sleeping in a tent tonight".

19th. August 2006 (Sabbath)

When I awoke there was a smattering of blue sky poking through the overcast sky, so the storm was receding a little. But I didnt trust it to clear up entirely and I did not want to get my sleeping bag wet so I thought that I would give it another day!!!

20th August 2006

Today things looked much better and so I thought that I might try tro make Pately Bridge in the dales. I packed up and headed out to the bus depot. Looking at the timetables I was amazed to find that there was only one bus a week, on Thursdays, to Pately Bridge. There was a bus for Harrogate, however, so I hopped aboard that one. At least this was in the right direction for Rawdon and Les's place. By the time that we arrived in Harrogate it was raining again so I hopped another bus for the Leeds/Bradford Airport. From there it was just a short hike down to les's place where I arrived about 1300 in the pouring rain!!!

20th. August 2006

2006-10-29T08:47:00.000-08:00

16th. August 2006

Finally the day had come to be on my own again on the North Yorkshire Moors hiking hand in hand with my God and following Jesus. My brother, John, dropped me off in a village named Sleights and I began to hike through the Esk valley headed for Thirsk and the West. I headed for a village named Grosmont (pronounced "Growmont) then on to Egton Bridge and finally to Glaisdale, where I had heared that the old steam railway was in operation for the tourists. I thought that I might hitch a ride to Castleton before finding a campsite for the night. I enquired about the train at the station but was told that the train ran from Whitby to Glaisdale and so I was at the wrong end of the route!! However there was a diesel commuter train running in the direction that I wished to go. So I took it to another village named Battersby just beyond Castleton and started hiking again. It was late in the afternoon by the time that I arrived in Battersby and I started to look for somewhere to camp for the night. I headed South through Ingleby Greenhow and found my self in a rolling farming valley with green fields and trees scattered here and there. After about two hours of hiking I found and camped in a field beside a tall hedge on a country road.

17th. August 2002

I slept well!!! In the morning I found that it hadn't rained overnight but I could see that the weather was breaking and there was a very heavy dew which soaked every thing. It was 0600 so I ate breakfast, packed up and started hiking again headed for a village named Chop Gate where I arrived about noon, part of the hike was along the famous Cleveland Way in the Cleveland Hills it was beautiful with the hills above and the valley below as I hiked half way up the side of the Hills. It was a hard climb up a twisting lane untill I reached the road B1257 heading South towards the market town of Helmsley. Since there was more traffic on this road I tried, but failed, to hitch a ride and had to hike all the way to Chop Gate. I called into the pub in Chop Gate to ask them if there was a bus through to Helmsley from here and they answered in the affirmative. The one bus was due in about 30 minutes and so I waited across the road from the pub with hopes of catching it but it arrived late and passed me by!! Now I had to use the old thumb again if I wanted to make it to Helmsley by tonight. God was still with me. I stuck my thumb up and the first car stopped and took me all the way (about 30 Km.) to Helmsley. The weather was getting worse and it started to rain. In Helmsley I enquired in the rain for a bus to Thirsk and was told that there was one in a hour which gave me time to eat and catch it. I arrived in Thirsk with heavy rain and made a decision to move on to Ripon to camp as it was now late afternoon. In Ripon I let everyone alight before blocking the aisle with my two backpacks Etc. and getting off. A man was waiting for me to struggle off the bus when I alighted on the side walk. His name was Peter Sherwood and he had noticed the Canadian Flag on my backpack in the bus. He invited me into the local Public Library beside the bus depot to chat, he was starting a company named, goldenbackpackers.com which was an information web page for backpackers needing assistance with their travels. We chatted for a while and he obtained a local map of the town and showed me some area's that I might camp. After our chat I left him to find a camping spot in the area's that he had indicated as the rain had stopped for a little while but there was still a leaden sky overhead. After about a 10 minute hike I found an overpass crossing the river, it had a dry and dusty area underneath which was ideal for my tent and would keep me out of the incoming storm. After I had erected my tent the storm arrived and it thundered and rained with the wind blowing strongly under the overpass but I was toasty warm in my sleeping bag in the tent!!! As some of my friends reading this blog know that I am a born again Christian and I have been walking and talking to my God for nearly 3 months now, as we walked and talked together. The rain and wind lasted for 3 days and I remained warm and dry in my tent with the overpass shielding me. You draw your own conclusions!!!

2006-10-29T08:08:00.000-08:00

13 August 2006

I awoke to the wind blowing and the horizontal rain pattering on the windows!! I walked all around Whitby (my old home town) and saw very little changes from the last time that I had been there in the early eighties. I left Whitby over 50 years ago to sail the high seas and I don't think that any thing had changed since my childhood days. However I took some photo's to renew my memories of the place. All the people that I knew years ago had either died or moved away.

14th August 2006

Thank goodness that it is the last day of the Whitby Regatta tomorrow should be quieter with less people around to block the sidewalks and parked cars every where!! Again it was mainly an exercise day for me and I saw more of my old stomping grounds which brought back memories of years ago.

15th. August 2006

Same as yesterday, I am getting boored!! In the evening I walked up to two old friends of mine from my school days, Chris and Olga Dosser. We spent a pleasant 3 or 4 hours talking about our mutual friends from the old days and took out an old class photo and pointed out those whom had passed away or dissapeared and got all the local slander on those whom were still around!!

2006-10-01T10:27:00.000-07:00

11th. August 2006 (Friday)

The position of the airports was unchanged with lots of cancelled flights and line ups at all the terminals across Britain. I walked the moors up above Rawdon.

12th. August 2006 (Sabbath)

Arose at 0430 as Robert and Les were going to Whitby (my old home town) and they had to get an early start in order to beat the heavy traffic and get a parking spot. The Whitby Regatta was starting it's three day run today, the weather was blowing a gale and the rain was horizontal as we approached the coast!!! We arrived at 0600 and got the last parking spot, then,whilst Robert and Les ate breakfast, I walked around the pier looking for changes to the town but there were none, Later we walked back to Church Street to visit with my brother, John and his wife, Jean. Robert and Les left around noon to miss the traffic going back and left me to stay with John and Jean for a few days. From here I planned to hike the N. Yorkshire Moors to a little town named Thirsk which is situated close to the Yorkshire Dales and is the town that Heriot worked all his life as a Vet. Later he wrote 3 or 4 books about his life there named "The Lord God Made Them All" , "All Creatures Great and Small", "All Things Bright and Beautiful" and others. These books were later filmed and shown on television in a weekly series.

2006-09-26T15:09:00.000-07:00

8th.August 2006 (Tuesday)

I walked up to the Airport from Les's place to see how long it would take me on my day of departure for Heathrow to catch my Vancouver bound flight. It took me 40 mins. and this was without my backpack and other baggage so I will allow a hour to do it on the day. After that I went up on Rawdon Moor and explored all the paths up there. In England there are rights of way through all the farm lands every were that you wish to go, many of these rights of way have been there for centuries and are shown on many of the maps. These well worn hiking paths are now used for recreation but originally they were used to get from one village to another before the advent of powered vehicles. The weather had broken the day that I arrived in England and today was windy and wet!!!

9th. August 2002 (Wednesday)

Today I wakked around the surrounding villages and towns breathing in fumes from all the motor vehicles, I walked about 10 or 12 kilometers but the exercise that I had was probably balanced out by the fumes that I took into my bloodstream!!!

10th August 2006 (Thursday)

Today was exceptionally cold with a fresh cold wind blowing in from the moors so I decided to have a relaxing day and watched the television news. Some terrorists were arrested during the night and accused of planning to blow up 10 atlantic flights. All the Airports in Britain were closed down and new emergency security regulations were brought in. I thought about my flight to Vancouver but we still had 20 days for the authorities to get somthing sorted out before my flight left.

2006-09-24T17:22:00.000-07:00

5th. August 2006 (Sabbath)

Today I hiked into a local beauty spot named the Chevin Hills and continued down the steep bank into Otley again. From there I hiked back up the steep bank and followed the road around past the airport (Leeds/Bradford) and back to Rawdon again, a distance of 11 Km. In England there are no side walks beside the road which is crammed with automobiles and very dangerous to walk on not to mention the fumes from their exhausts.

6th. August 2006 (Sunday)

Today I went out into the dales to meet a distant cousan, Susan Wright, at their farm, Kirk Syke Farm outside of the village of Airton. This time I was able to keep up a conversation with her husband, Ken, about farming after my experience in Switzerland!!! They have a 150 head of dairy cows and live in the original house built in the 16th. century which has lots of history and some of the original equipment such as old keys and pots. When doing a little extension to the living room to make space for a wood stove Ken found an old bread baking oven which was hidden in the wall of the building. He fixed it up and now it is able to work as if it were new.

7th. August 2006 (Monday)

I booked my shuttle flight down to London Heathrow today. this will make it easier for me to move my baggage around as I leave from Heathrow for Vancouver on the 31st. August. Lesley and I went down to see her mother, Lucy, and her sister, Olive, came overto join us, they are both in their late eighties. I was thinking today that I would catch the bus over to Whitby, my childhood town on the coast where I was planning to start my hike over the North Yorkshire Moors through to the Dales. All the buses have been privatised in Britain now and it is difficult to travel any great distance without changing all the time, changing is difficult for me as I am carrying a big load plus the time that is lost due to waiting for another bus.

2006-09-24T15:06:00.000-07:00

2nd. August 2006 (Wednesday)

I packed my gear and left the campsite on the 0948 bus for Interlaken. Upon arrival at the train station I caught the 1030 train to Geneva Airport, via Bern, where I had to change trains. I arrived at the Airport at 1330 and started to look around. Geneva is a sleapy little airport which is surprising as so many of the worlds organizations are registered there. Here the language is mainly French of which I am able to speak a little, but now, after being amongst the Swiss german language for so long, Swiss German words began to creep into my limited French!!! The check-in desk for my flight to London did not open until 2000 and so I had some time to waste but I didn't mind as it was so nice to be away from that noisy campsite in Interlaken!!! Finally I arrived at the boarding lounge at around 2100. The plane was late to takeoff and we hit the runway at 2220 (British time) and arrived at London Stansted at 2330. After clearing into Britain I was picked up by my brother and we headed up to Yorkshire and my cousans place in Rawdon, Leeds. We arrived there, after being lost on the freeway a few times at 0330.

3rd. August 2006 (Thursday)

I didn't do much but lay around on my first day in Britain and the long drive up from Stansted. Later I had to go shopping for some vegan type groceries.

4th. August 2006 (Friday)

My brother and his wife came over to see us and I took this oportunity to have them drive me in to a local market town named Otley to buy some maps of the Yorkshire Dales and the North Yorkshire Moors where I planned to hike later on in my stay.

2006-09-24T09:27:00.000-07:00

31st August 2006 (Monday)

Hiked into Interlaken to use the internet and catch up with my email during the morning. In the afternoon I went hiking locally and found a beautiful, up hill, paved trail. It was not posted like the other trails that I had been on but it looked so good that I took it!!! The trail wound its way up and up and up!!! Finally, at about a thousand vertical feet, it faded away and there was the usual mountain trail, rocks and gravel, dissapearing into the timber. There were a few mountain farms and a restaurant higher up that it appeared to be heading for. Anyway, I thought as I turned around and headed back down to the valley floor, the trail had given me a great workout. I arrived back at the campsite beside the lake at 1700 just as it started to thunder and rain heavilly. I thought that the rain would give me a relatively quiet night as it drove the happy campers into their tents and silence but for the pattering of the rain on my tent. About 2000 a brass band started to play and chased away my silence!!! After that, some teenagers in a teepee went on shouting til 0100!!!

1st. August 2006 (Tuesday)

Today is the Swiss National day but nothing changed Except for the fire works display in the evening and it was not a public holiday. The campsite was wet and was becoming muddy with the cars and people moving around. I thought that this was what a ghetto must look like with all the campers packed in like sardines in a can!!! I hiked into Interlaken again and bought Fraenzi some fairwell flowers as I intend to leave for Geneva tomorrow. She has made me feel so welcome in Switzerland and, though she has a very busy schedule, she spent so much time translating and helping me generally throughout my stay. She was away at a Bible Camp until Saturday so I took the flowers up to Beatenberg by bus and left them there awaiting her return, Her room mate, Sonia, would appreciate them!!! When I arrived back at the campsite I paid my bill. I can't wait to get out of here in the morning.

2006-08-15T07:58:00.000-07:00

30th. July 2006

We had three French bikers come in last night and after erecting there tent they started to play football in the one meter space between the tents. The ball was bouncing off the tents but they didn't seem to care about anyones privacy or or comfort in the area. It was another hot and humid day and the swimming holes were plugged with wall to wall people. The French bikers left and a German couple came and took their place. I thought that they might be quieter as they started to erect their tent, opened the car doors and hatchback, then started to play the car C.D. player for all the listeners all around the campsite til midnight!!! As I was out walking earlier I had found a wild camping spot and was tempted to move to it but it was too late now as I will be leaving this asylam in two days. I find that the Germans who flock into Switzerland in the Summer are the problem. They have no respect for anyone as they are shouting at each other. Last night it sounded like a riot was starting at midnight.

31st July 2006

I walked into Interlaken to use the internet this morning. In the afternoon I went hiking locally in the afternoon and found a beautiful paved and steep trail going up the mountain so I took it. The trail was not posted and went up to 1000 ft. and then faded out to the usual gravel type trail. There was a restaurant and several farms up there so maybe that was where it was headed. anyway I had a good workout. It rained heavilly tonight and I thought that that would make them sit in their tents and be quiet but I was mistaken!!! Around 2030 a brass band started up and chased away the silence!!! Some teenagers were shouting until 0100.

2006-08-15T05:12:00.000-07:00

27th. July 2006

I awoke with the sun shining out of a clear blue sky and the temp was already starting to climb. Today, after breakfast, I hiked up the highway towards the city if Thun in search of some limestone caves which Fraenzi had mentioned to me. The caves were not posted very well and I had no map. I knew that there was a tunnel barring my way along the highway and being unable to find any more signs I dropped down to the lake shore trail. This ended at a cliff beside a ferry wharf for picking up and dropping off passengers. Here I found a well established paved trail zig zagging up the cliff to the highway beyond the tunnel. The caves, the sign on the highway said, were just another 15 mins up the highway from here. After arriving at the location of the caves there was another climb up the mountain above the highway. When I finally arrived at the caves entrance there was a sign asking for $20.00 to enter them!!! This was too expensive for me as I am not very excited about caves anyway so I passed. On the way back to the highway I found another nice trail which led me all the way back to the campsite. Every inch of the rocky lake shore had people soaking up the sun (togetherness). In the late afternoon it started to blow so hard that campers were parking their cars in front of their tents to stop them from blowing away.

28th July 2006

It was a dark an rainy day today so I hung around the campsite and read.

29th. July 2006

This was my Sabbath day so I hung around most of the day and read. I did, however, take the bus up to Thun City to see what it was like. It turned out to be a beautiful city and looked as though it had a lot of history, it also was very clean and all the gardens Etc. were filled with blooming flowers. It was something like the old town at Bern which I visited with Manuel. I went for a hike in the evening, after I returned to the campsite, looking for somewhere that I could camp wild as the noise was getting to me. I did not find anywhere as all the likely places are too steep to erect a tent. This site was getting to me more and more with bikers coming and going and causing a lot ofd noise, it is like camping in a bus or train station!!! It is not cheap either, I was paying about $22.00 per night when I could get a hostel for $28.00.

2006-08-15T02:25:00.000-07:00

25th. July 2006

I hiked up to Beatenberg this morning, the trail was steep and rough but I did it in 2 hours and 20 mins. The climb is about 2000 ft. vertical. When I arrived in Beatenberg I had lunch in a small park just below Fraenzi's Bible School. I thought that Fraenzi was away at a Bible Camp but I learned later that she was there!!! After lunch I caught the bus down the mountain to Interlaken an the campsite arriving at 1500. It started to rain and thunder with a strong wind at around 1600 for about 2 hours and would have been a good sleeping night except for the noise.

26th. July 2006

I went in to Interlaken to buy my train ticket to Geneva Airport where I am catching a flight to England next week. Whilst I was there I checked out my E-mail and there was confirmation from my Daughter, Kim, saying that she had booked my flight to Prince George after I arrive in Vancouver. on the 31st. of August. My Grand Daughter, Jenny, is to be wed on the 2nd. of September. But here in Switzerland I got soaked in a thunderstorm on my way back to the campsite!!! In the evening Fraenzi came down to see me for the last time we only had a few minutes together and then she was gone, I shall miss her.

2006-08-15T00:14:00.000-07:00

23rd. July 2006

I left at 0900 to hike the cliff face directly above the campsite. The trail was steep but in good condition. After about 90 mins of a steady upward climb, I came out at the top station of the gondola lift from Gindelwald. There was a restaurant there but I continued on and along the cliff face with a 2000 Ft. cliff above the ledge and a 1000 Ft drop off below!!! The ledge came out above the canyon which had been eroded away by the river which drains the icy water away from the glacier far above. The trail had been reasonably level to this point but now it became very rough with steps, rocks and roots as it started to fall into the timber. After gaining the timberline it became easier to handle until it, eventually, came out at the valley floor at about 1300 (or about 4 hours after starting out). When I arrived at the campsite I took a shower and washed some clothes hoping that it would not rain tonight so that the washing would dry and the tent would remain dry for my move tomorrow.

24th. July 2006

I packed up the tent and my sleeping bag and hiked the long steep hill up to the village at 0730 and arrived at the train station to catch the train down to Interlaken at about 0800. The first train for Interlaken left at 0840 and after arrival there was a bus No. 21 waiting which took me right to the Alpenblink campsite where I checked in and had the tent erected by 1030 after letting it dry out a little. The site for my tent was reasonably quiet and was in the shade of two trees. then in the late afternoon the German bikers arrived and the noise started!!! Germans don't talk to each other they shout AT each other and this went on until after midnight. This became the norm. and as some people left others moved in!!! I was thankful for the ear plugs that Yvonne had given me the first time that I arrived in Interlaken (thanks Yvonne!!) I had to try and sleep with them in and this was the norm. for me!!! Camping in Europe is much different to camping in Canada where you get some privacy and can relax. In Europe they stick their tents up side by side in a big field and it a little like sleeping in a ghetto. I guess that there is so little space and so many people wishing to use it that this situation exists. I looked on the trails for a wild site (which is illegal) to move to but with no luck, I would just have to grin and bear it!!!

2006-08-14T23:56:00.000-07:00

21st July 2006

Hiked up to Grindelwald again to get a few groceries to last me over the weekend, the hike up to the village is enough to keep a person healthy!!! I am moving to the Thunersee camp site on Monday so I transfered funds into my checking account through the internet and then went over and drew the funds out to pay my bill at the local campsite. We had a thunder storm in the evening with lots of rain

22nd July 2006

This being my Sabbath I went up to the local Protestant Church to pray and to read my bible. This Church is so beautiful and cool, the organist was practising her hymns for tomorrows service and everything was correct with flowers and other things that I felt at peace and relaxed. Following this I walked around locally for a couple of hours then went back to the campsite to relax. It rained and thundered for two hours in the evening again.

2006-08-14T07:03:00.000-07:00

19th. July 2006

Went up to the internet shop to answer my E-mail (they charge $20.00 per hour for the use of their computers) then went down to Interlaken to check out the next campsite on the lake at Thunersee. I saw one sign for the campsites but it was pointing diagonally across the road and I got lost. So, with the hot sun burning, and no breeze I decided to head back to Interlaken to have my packed lunch. I sat in the shade with a beautiful view of the Jungfrau and hang gliders landing in front of me every few minutes. After lunch I walked on to the train station and was back at the camp site by 1600 with 10 Km. on my pedometer. I never did see the campsite until I arrived there on the 24th. but later I wish that I had checked it out today!!!

20th. July 2006

Today I caught the 0905 bus back up to Gross Scheidegg, this time I took my packed lunch and the bus dropped me off at 6500 ft. I then started hiking up to the top of the chair lift coming up from Grindelwald at about 7000 Ft., that took me over 2 hours. From the lift station I continued on up to Bachalpsee, which is a lake on the backside of the mountain at about 7500 Ft. and about 3 hours of hiking. From here it is possible to hike to Interlaken over a mountain named Faulhorn and down a plateau but I took the long, winding, rough trail down to a village named Waldspitz at 6000 Ft. and back down to Grindelwald. I don't know which is easier, hiking up or hiking down. I came down from 7500 ft. to Grindelwald at 3500 Ft. or about 4000 Ft in one go, my knees were beginning to feel the strain, I had 21 Km. on the pedometer and I was hiking for 9 hours!!! But what a beautiful hike in the hot sunshine with an ever changing view.

Backpacker Pete

2006-08-14T06:10:00.000-07:00

17th. July 2006

My airmattress, which Fraenzi gave me is toast! I woke up this morning on the ground. I took a trip down to Interlaken to look for a foamy to sleep on. I couldn't find a camping type store so I decided to get groceries whilst I was down there. Right at the back of the supermarket there was a clothing store attached to the grocery store and I took a look through there and there was a camping type department attached, they had foamies for $25.00 so I bought one!!! I then caught the train back up the mountain to Grindelwald and was back at the campsite by about 1400. The temp. was hanging at 37 degrees during the rest of the afternoon so I took a cool shower and relaxed until it started to cool down. I am feeling in great shape and for anyone who is interested : My B.P. is 110/60 and my blood glucose is hanging around 4.2.

18th. July 2006

This morning I walked up the road from the village towards the saddle above Gross Scheidegg. About 1 1/2 Km. up the road I saw the sign for the trail and so I took it. The trail meandered up and up and up the mountain and I just stayed with it for about 3 hours until noon. Then I started to get hungry but all I had packed was my water and about 200 vertical metres before the top I had to start my long hike back, before I had a glucose reaction, to eat my vegan lunch!!! Since I had not planned on climbing a mountain when I set off I did not pack a lunch. It took me about 2 1/2 hours to get back down again and I did not have a reaction but I was fortunate!!! I plan to take the bus up on Thursday to hike the ridge and this time I will pack a lunch. I hiked for 7 hours today and about 1830 it came on to rain and thunder, tonight it rained heavilly until 2030 as it cooled down.

2006-08-14T03:18:00.000-07:00

15th. July 2006

It continued to rain a little through the night and the temp. cooled down to about 12/15. I slept good and awoke refreshed and with no cows to bring in for milking!!! I had breakfast and went up to the campsite office to pick up my bread which I had ordered the night before. I then hiked up the long hill to Grindelwald to check in with the tourist office for information about the trails and a map. After lunch I relaxed and read my bible as it was my Sabbath Day. With the clear blue sky and with no breeze the temp. soon rose up to 35 degrees again. The stores in Grindelwald were charging about 3 times it's worth for everything. I saw a Gucci lady's purse for $1100.00 but it was reduced to $880.00 for a quick sale!!! I miss Fraenzi and the farm already but I guess that all good things come to an end sometime!!! I hiked the local trail up to the glacier in the evening as it cooled down.

16th. July 2006

I phoned Fraenzi first thing in the morning to tell her that I had arrived in Grindelwald O.K. and told her that I was going to hike the trails from Kleine Scheidegg up above Grindelwald along the ridge to the Eiger and down to the valley again. It took me about 5 hours and with 15 Km. on my pedometer I arrived back at the village in the afternoon tired but feeling fit.

Backpacker Pete

2006-08-14T01:05:00.000-07:00

14th. July 2006

Fraenzi, Katy and I had breakfast together and, after saying goodbye to Ernst, they drove me down to the train station in Aardorf in time to catch the 0854 train to Winterthur where I changed for the Interlaken express. I arrived in Interlaken Ost at around noon and changed for the small train which took me up an Alpine valley to Grindelwald (at 3,500 Ft.) where I arrived at 1300. Now I was surrounded by 10,000 Ft. mountains every where I looked. This area is named the Jungfrau Region after a mountain in this area which is the highest mountain in Europe. Other mountains hung over Grindelwald named : Gross Scheidegg 6500 Ft., Wetterhorn 11,000Ft., Berglistock 11000 Ft., Shrechorn 13000 Ft., Lauteraahorn 13000 Ft., and the famous Eiger 13000 Ft., (a part of the peak split and fell into the valley yesterday) the Monch 13000 Ft., and finally the Jungfrau 13500 Ft. I set up my little tent right below these monsters with a clear blue sky and a temp. of 35 degrees with no breeze. I am now camping beside a roaring glacier river in a private campsite (costs CHF 15.20 per night). Later I hiked up the long hill to the village to get some groceries. After I got back, in the evening, it began to thunder and rain which cooled every thing down, this became the pattern for the next 10 days and makes for good sleeping weather!!!

Leaving the farm.

2006-08-14T00:12:00.000-07:00

13th. July 2006

We are having a barbeque for the local Church this evening so Ernst, Katy and I cleaned up the farm yard and the hay barn (in case it rained) until it sparkled!!! I am leaving for Grindelwald in the morning and this will be the last time that I see all these wonderful friends that I have made at Fraenzi's Church over the last six weeks. They have shown me around their beautiful country and bent over backwards to make me feel welcome amongst them. Earnst and Katy have shown me a lot and let me work on the farm for them, they are such nice people that I hate to leave. I cannot thank them enough and they will always be in my prayers as will the rest of the local community and followers of Jesus, Thankyou for everything!!! If any of you ever come to the West Coast of Canada you only have to contact me and my home will be your home for as long as you wish to stay.

2006-07-12T07:16:00.000-07:00

11th. July 2006

Helped Ernst with some fencing again today. We fenced an area of grazing meadow. In the afternoon we went over and watched the combine harvester as he cut the grain for feeding the cows.

12th. July 2006

We moved 5 heifers into the fenced meadow this morning. To move the heifers across the village of Ettenhausen on the paved roads we used a method that is used by all the farmers. Two long poles with line between them forming a rectangle, then the heifers are pursuaded to walk within the rectangle with one man in the front and one man behind carrying the long poles, the family car leads the procession with it's emergency lights flashing!!! We took them all the way to the fenced meadow and turned them loose.

2006-07-10T07:45:00.000-07:00

8th. July 2006 (Sabbath)

Ernst asked me if I wanted to go to Santis Berg a 10000 ft. high mountain about 60minutes away by car, I told him yes!!! He quit work at 1000 and we left a short while later, it rained again on the trip there and when we arrived the mountain was socked in with heavy cloud!!! The gondolar car was still operating and it was quite a sight to see it dissapear into the clouds. There was a cheese manufacturing operation at the base of the mountain and it was open to the public to watch the process as they read about what they were watching. But I didn't see the girl that punches the hole in the cheese!!! We then went over to the local Hotel to have lunch and whilst we were eating there was live entertainment happening with all the participants wearing Swiss (Apenzall) dress. The choir was a male group who sang and yodeled the cultural music of Switzerland. A brass band with the players also in Swiss dress and some ladies playing accordians for the background music. At 1500 the clouds seemed to be clraring away so we took a chance and caught the gondola car up the Mountain but by the time we arrived up there it was socked in again. I managed to get some photo's as it cleared here and there but they were not very good. Anyway it was a good day out and I thank Ernst for taking the time off to show me Santis Mountain and it filled in my Sabbath very nicely.

9th. July 2006 (Sunday)

Went to Church with Lucas today and after the service I walked back to Ettenhausen. Today we prayed for Katrina whon passed away on Tuesday from cancer, she was only 27 years old when her life was taken with this terrible desease. There was a good gospel band and singers in attendance for the service and afterwards theyput on a show ov gospel songs for those who stayed to watch them. I went hiking in the afternoon, I was out for two hours wandering around the woods. It's so nice to just wander around completely lost with no fear of meeting a bear!!! when it became time to go back I just walked down hill until I came out in the meadows surrounding Ettenhausen.

10th. July 2006 (Monday)

Time is passing too quickly and I still have to see lots more of this beautiful country and it's people, so I have decided to leave the farm next Friday and go to the Jungfrau region to do some more mountain hiking and relax for about ten days. Then I will continue on to Interlaken where there is a celebration like Canada day with fireworks at the end of the month. After that I am booked out for England and the Yorkshire Dales. To day I did the usual chores until noon and then Ernst started haying again and there was nothing for me because haying uses mechanical equipment instead of man power.

2006-07-07T02:21:00.000-07:00

1st July 2006 (Sabbath)

Rested today as it is my Sabbath and went hiking upin the woods.

2nd. July 2006(Sunday)

Went to Fraenzi's Church in the morning and she arrived back at 1300 from Beatenberg for a stay of two days. In the evening, with milking in progress, a cow (No. 11) broke water and started to deliver 2 calves, one a bull and the other a cow calve. I took a photo. the next morning after they had been cleaned up by their mother and were walking.

3rd. July 2006 (Monday)

Went shopping and then delivered some fresh honey to Fraenzi's aunts place which is located beyond Frauenfeld close to where Marcis serving his apprenticeship so we delivered some books to him also. In the evening when it was cooler we raked hay so that the machine could pick it up.

4th. July 2006 (Tuesday)

Worked in the morning and in the afternoon we had to take Grand-Father to the Frauenfeld Spital for attention to his injured foot and ankle. He had gotten this injury when he was poking around the muck raking system and it caught his foot and started to pull him under the floor. I managed to haul him out before he got a more serious injury. Fraenzi left at 1930 to go back to Beatenberg, I went with Ernst and Katty to listen to a concert given by Ernst's brass band. After the concert everyone stayed for a pot luck supper which, like the concert, was very good

5th. July 2006 (Wednesday)

I took a trip up to Zurich today to see a friend of mine, Haydn Hughes, whom I met in Port Hardy earlier this year. I looked around Zurich during the hot afternoon and took some photographs. Zurich is very large and, as in most of the towns, has much construction going on. It was very crowded with people and traffic and it was difficult to move around. It is the banking and insurance center of the world and everything is moving too fast for me. Haydn found me at 1715 standing under the huge clock in the Railway Station and we caught the shuttle train to his place in Urdorf. We ate a stirfry and watched the semi final soccer matchbetween France and Portugal, France won.

6th. July 2006 (Thursday)

I stayed overnight and we parted in the railway station again, him for work and me to return to Ettenhausen. He is planning to travel through Russia and Siberia to Japan to see his sister in November and I wished him all the best for his trip. As I meet more and more of the backpackers out there from whom I am receiving advice and help it becomes a little easier for me to get around.n When Haydn left my place in Port Hardy he tried to hitch hike to Naniamo and stood there on highway 19 from 1000 to 1600 before he finally got a ride, he informed me that this was the worst day of his whole trip to Canada!!!

7th. July 2006 (Friday)

Today it started to rain for the first time in the daytime that I have seen since I arrived in Switzerland. We have had rain in the form of thunder showers at night but it always cleared up before the morning sun came to warm every thing up for the day.

2006-07-01T02:49:00.000-07:00

26th. June 2006 (Monday)

Didn't do much work and after milking was finished Katty and Ernst took me out to see the local country side. After seeing much wonderful scenery from some of the small winding country lanes and roads we eventually ended up at a village named Appenzell which has a long cultural history and is famous for its local dress (and brandy, but we don't talk about that!!!) We ate lunch there and had desert at another place before returning home to receive Katty's strawberries (erdbeeren) from her sister's farm. Strawberries are big in Switzerland and much more sweeter than those we get in Canada (or in Port Hardy anyway). Every body loves them and eats them untill they see through strawberry shaded eyeballs.

27th. June 2006 (Tuesday)

Worked in the calf stalls this morning, they are wonderfull and want to play with you all the time. They are fed with a big dum-dum in a pail of milk. The contract bailer came today to bail hey for storage.

28th. June 2006 (Wednesday)

Worked on brushing the cows down today (A hair job!!!) and doctoring their hooves so that they can walk easier (A nail job!!!).

29th. June 2006 (Thursday)

Today I saw my first calf being born (the first baby of any creature that I have ever seen coming into this world of God's creation) but it was a breach baby (hindfirst) and did not survive. It was a cow (girl) and was very valuable to Katty and Ernst, I was very sad. Later, Ernst and I had to take its little body to the incinerator.

30th. June 2006 (Friday)

Today we started to cut our second batch of new hay as mulch for the silo's. The vet came earlier to check on some previous artificial inseminations and to give a sick cow a calcium injection. Whilst he was here he inseminated a cow also.

2006-07-01T01:46:00.000-07:00

18th. June 2006 (Sunday)

This was the Hurlimanns Sabbath and so all working on the farm stopped for the day with the exception of milking. I went to Church with Fraenzi's many friends and Philip, Maya and David their baby boy. Then in the evening (abend) the Hurlimanns and I wet over for tea at some friends of theirs Somit, who is Tibetten and speaks good english so that she is able to translate for me. ( This reminds me that every Sunday in Church someone is always available to translate for me) The Swiss are such nice people and are always willing to help you and make you feel welcome.

19th. June 2006 (Monday)

I started working for my keep on the farm today by pressure washing the stalls area and generally helped to feed the animals which were not out to pasture. The Hurlimanns are great people and Ernst and I have lots of fun together. They are always cheerful and happy and must have lots of patience to deal with me not knowing the ropes. They have about 50 head of milking cows, as well, there are some heifers coming along behind and calves in the stalls being weaned off milk onto hay. They also have a number of pets such as goats, rabbits, a donkey and two parrots, one of whom speaks. I understand now why Fraenzi has such a wonderful personality after growing up in this environment of love and Christianity.

20th. June 2006 (Tuesday)

Continued with the pressure washing and mended fences in the afternoon, then followed Ernst around like a lost kitten trying to be helpful!!!

21st. June 2006 (Wednesday)

Finished pressure washing the stalls and other general work.

22nd. June 2006 (Thursday)

We finished work at noon today and Ernst and Katty took me to see Technorama a kind of hands on museum based on various Physics and Magnetism projects. In the evening we attended Ernst and Katty's weekly prayer meeting. I gave my testament to them and it seemed to be well received.

23rd June 2006 (Friday)

This morning we helped a contractor drive piles as a retaining wall around Katty's garden. She has a beautiful garden containing both flowers and vegetables for the kitchen. Their herd of cows are taken out to the pastures every morning after milking and the return at noon when the hot weather is here. As it gets hotter they are left inthe relative cool of the stalls area and taken out for the cooler night in the pastures. After the morning milking the cows are fed their supplementary diets such as corn and manufactured feeds. This morning I went out to bring them home for milking, they all answered to my calling and started into the treck back to the stalls except one!!! She just stood there at the top of the hill in the sloping pasture. So, being the good cowboy that I am I went up the hill to get her to move, it was as though she was struck with a sudden deafness and she would not even turn her head as I called. Finally, as I approached her from her uphill side, puffing and panting from my climb, she turned her head and looked at me as if to say: I knew that you were coming up here to get me so I made you work for it, then bolted down the hill, out the gate, down the road, across the highway and into the stalls. There I was still at the top of the hill feeling silly!!!

24th June 2006 (Sabbath)

I arranged with the Hurlimanns that I could not work on my Sabbath. So today I packed a bag and hiked up into the woods where I relaxed and read my Bible for a while.

25th. June 2006 (Sunday)

Went to church with Katty where another lady kindly translated for me. The scripture is listed on the screen so thatI was able to read it from my own Bible in english.

2006-07-01T00:43:00.000-07:00

15th. June 2006 (Thursday)

We were up and ready to go at 0830 and we left for Hergiswil. when we arrived there a short while later every thing was quiet and peacefull with no traffic or people around and all the stores were closed. It reminded me of my arrival at Bern and as we found out later it was a Catholic public holiday for Hergiswil. This town, famous for it's glass blowing, is situated on Vierwoldstatter See or lake and it was here thatwe caught the shiff (ship) for Luzern at1100. At around 1030 the tourist office opened and we both bought a return ticket for the trip. The vessel did not leave until 1120 and so we layed around in the shade, played our harmonicas and watched the Catholic parade. The vessel called in at various little docks on the lake before it's arrival in Luzern 1 hour later. What a beautiful City with lots of history and very old but beautiful buildings and a great historic past. We ate pizza for lunch and arrived back in Hergiswill at 1500 and set off back to home in Ettenhausen. From here we took the freeway again for speed and we arrived home at 1800 , just as Fraenzi had predicted that we would. On the way we had to pass over the Zurichsee on bridges over a series of small islands or spits. What a wonderful tour Fraenzi had shown me and I will be forever grateful to her for her kindness.

16th June 2006 (Friday)

This being Fraenzi's last day at home before she left to go back to school we just relaxed on the farm with a shopping trip to buy her some new shoes. It was a sad day for me because after she goes back to school I may never see her again. Ernst showed me around the his pastures and the woods in the evening.

17th. June 2996 (Saturday)

I said good bye to Fraenzi as she left to go back to Beatenberg, Then Philip and Maya phoned to ask me if I wanted to go see the Castle Kyburg and it's museam, I agreed and a few minutes later we were on the way. The castle dates back to the 1200's and had lots of hands on exhibits. in the afternoon after lunch we went to see the Rhine falls in the North of Switzerland close to the border in Shafthausen. It took us all the afternoon to walk all around the falls and back in a blazing hot sun. On the way home we visited a quaint market town and it's public market at Stein Am Rhine. Finally Philip got me home at around 1900.

2006-06-30T11:21:00.000-07:00

13th. June 2006 (Tuesday)

My watch stopped during the night, it showed 0700 (but it was really 0930) when I got up to eat and start the day!!! Fraenzi was all fed and ready to go when I got to the car and she thought that I had slept in!!! After eating I packed up the tent and we started off for Lugano at 1030. We headed down the switch backs to the valley floor which we could see far below. At lugano we parked and looked around the stores in the centre of the town. We the entered and passed through a part of Italy to Luino where we had a swim in the lake. After our swim we continued on and passed back into Switzerland at alittle place named Idemini. We then climbed another Pass, the Simplon Pass at 6000ft. Here we hiked up, straight up, to a cross of Jesus standing high on the mountain above us.
At these altitudes it is very difficult to normalise your oxigen requirements after living at sea level for so long. Fraenzi was used to the high altitude hiking but I was not and I was exhausted whe we got up to the top and the cross. Again, we found another another camp site just below the pass and decided to stay there for the night. We lit a fire and settled in for the night with a full moon shining over us we could see the silver cross of Jesus shining down upon us.

14th. June 2006 (Wednesday)

From the campsite across far across the lake we could just make out the valley Verzasca this, Fraenzi informed me, was where we were headed this morning. After eating and packing up the campsite we headed down the switch backs to the valley below us. About a hour later we entered the Valley Verzasca and stopped for information at the dam where bungy jumping is often performed. The office was closed and so we continued up the valley towards Sonogno which is situated at the top end of the valley where the mountain river which forms the valley rises. This valley is particularly beautiful with small villages clinging to the mountain sides and with the clean clear river running between forming clear pools of water as it flows through the limestone rock. The people come from all around to swim and relax in these pool and lay in the sun beside them. We arrived in Sonogno at about 1000 and hiked up to a beautiful waterfall which flowed out to the river. After leaving Sonogno we we headed out to Locarno and ate spaghetti before heading into Italy again on the way to Domodossola. We passed in to Italy at a little village on the border and as we passed through some wonderful scenery we passed back into Switzerland again. This time we had to show identification whereas before we did not. The immigration Officer perused my passport then asked me to take my sunglasses and cap off and look directly at him (I thought that he was going to make me stay in Italy!!!) then he dissapeared for 10 minutes and upon his return, waved us through. Then up to the Simplon Pass wher we walked around in the snow and rocks for a while before heading down the other side to Brig. From Brig we continued on to the Grimsall Pass. Down the other side as we headed for the village of Giswil and on the way called in to see cheese being made, afterwards we bought some of it to taste on the way to Giswil. It was getting late to find a campsite so Fraenzi approached a farmer to see if he would allow us to camp in his field for the night. He was very nice and allowed us to stay so we gave him the reast iof the fresh Swiss cheese as a thankyou present. At about 2130, Fraenzi started yelling Peter, Peter, we've got a problem ( she was sleeping in the car about 20 meters away) I rushed out of the tent to see what was wrong and there she was giggling because the door of the car had slammed shut in the wind locking her keys inside!!! Her giggleing started me laughing and so neither of us could think of what to do about the problem at hand!!! One window was slightly open but Fraenzi could only get her arm up to her elbow throgh but no further. She suggested that we taped a tent peg to the end of a long stick, then she reached in with the stick and hooked the latch on the drivers side and click, the door opened with a big giggle from Fraenzi!!!

2006-06-29T10:31:00.000-07:00

10th. June 2006 (Sabbath)

I was up at 0600 to watch the milking and Ernst showed me around the working parts of the farm. Later, at breakfast, Fraenzi and her Mum made up a shopping list and we left to pick all the stuff for Lucas's birthday party which is to be held tomorrow. Fraenzi has an older brother named Lucas aged 25 and a younger brother named Marc aged 18 and they are very close to each other and follow Jesus as do their Mum and Dad. After shopping and lunch we went out to the pastures where the last of the first hay crop was being brought in for storage. After supper Fraenzi and I watch a slide show of her pictures taken after she left me in Port Hardy to go North to Whitehorse and Dawson City in the Yukon. I prayed for Fraenzi every day since we parted that day. Before she left I asked her not to hitch hike in the North as it is very dangerous for a lone female. She insisted that she would be O.K. She not only hitch hiked but she took a side trip into Stewart and Hyder AK. When she arrived in Whitehorse she E-mailed me and said that she had arrived O.K. Then she moved on towards Dawson City. After leaving Whitehorse she rented a canoe and paddled her way down the Yukon river, all alone, for 300 Km. to Dawson City!!!

11th. June 2006 (Sunday)

This morning we all went to Fraenzi's church in Aardorf close to Ettenhausen. When we returned home, people were just starting to arrive for Lucas's birthday party. I enjoyed it and the celebrations lasted in to the late evening and every one stayed for supper. After cleaning up it was close to Midnight and the cows had to be milked again at 0500!!!

12th. June 2006 (Monday)

Fraenzi and I packed up her Grand Parents Saab in the morning and left to see some more of Switzerland. After the relatively flat/hilly country of Ettenhausen we were slowly surrounded by high mountain peaks as we went South on the freeway at 130 Km. We left the freeway at 1100 to gas up at Heidyville (guess whom I was thinking about???) It cost us a Sw franc to use the washrooms too!!! After Heidyville we took the country road which parallels the freeway but has no traffic and you have time to look around at the beautiful scenery. We tried to vissit a Crystal Cave but it was closed. When we reached Via Mala at the foot of the San Bernadino mountain pass we stopped to take a hike up the winding river and back down the opposite bank to the car. Instead of using the mountain tunnel we decided to go over the Sanbernadino Pass. We travelled the hairpin bends all the way up to the pass at which is at 7000 ft. Here we stopped and hiked the rocks above timber and at 1730 after returning to the car began our ride down the other side of the mountain. Just below the peak we stopped and ate beside a rushing mountain stream we a wonderful view ofthe road below us. A little further down we found a quiet camping spot and decided to stay for the night. It was silent but for the birds singing and a rushing river. What a great first day.

My arrival in beautiful Switzerland

2006-06-20T04:42:00.000-07:00

4th June 2006 (Sunday)

Packed my bags and Ian drove me out to Stanstead Airport to catch my flight to Geneva at 1850 plus one hour to Swiss time so we left at 1750 and arrived at 2130. I caught the local train from the airport and arrived in downtown Geneva at about 2200. It was a hot and humid night and the nightclus and bars were in full swing with people and traffic every where. I was told by the City Hostel that the were only 5 minutes walk from the railway station if I turned left after exiting the station, they were talking about the front of the station (but did not say so) and I exited at the back of the station therefore my left was actually right!!! and I was already lost. After trudging around for 2 hours and asking anyone who would listen to my weak French for directions I finallfoud it at midnight and I was exhausted. After checking in, I was shown to a 3 bed dorm with a Kiwi sitting on his bunk. I took a shower then climbed into my bunk and as I was falling asleep the door opened and in came the third occupant and his friend whom slept on the floor. This was O.K. by me but then the third occupant started to snore in his drunken dreams!!! I couldn't sleep now so I got up, had another shower and left for the railway station to catch a train to Bern. Bye Geneva bin there-dun that!!!

5th. June 2006 (Monday)

My train left at 0730 and I arrived in Bern at 0900. I was amazed as I came out of the station it was like I had been deposited in a goast town!!! The sun was shining but there were no people around, no traffic, nothing, it turned out to be a public holiday. Bern was the cleanest and noiseless Capital City that I have ever seen!!! The public map outside the station sowed me where my friend lived so I hiked up to his apartment and rang the bell. A lady answered the call and she got Manuel out of bed and sent him down five flights of stairs to greet me. There was no elevator in his building so I had to hike up with all my baggage. He lived with two other young people whom are students at the local Bern University. He gave me his attic room to sleep in and I parked my baggage there, then Manuel and I went out to see the sites. We looked through the old town and the older town and looked inon the three bears after which Bern was named. People were starting to move around by this time and I noticed that the City is very clean and green, there wasn't a spot of garbage anywhere, and very friendly. Outside the Parliament Buildings there is a public square wher water fountains, like geysers, spring out of the pavement. All the people run across the square trying to miss the gushes of water, some even "in line skate" across!!! Manuel is a student of foreign languages at the Bern University, he was very gratious and really gave me a welcome to Switzerland.

6th June 2006 (Tuesday)

In the morning Manuel had an early class so I packed my bags and he showed me the way to the station, where to buy a ticket and then showed me to the right platform for the train to Interlaken. He carried my backpack for me and waited with me until the train arrived, what a nice person!! I arrived in Interlaken West at 0900, found a phone and telephoned my next friend, Yvonne. She told me which bus to catch, but I was just in time to miss it!!! and I had to wait for the next one. She is a nurse and when I arrived at the hospital she was there waiting for me. She took me over to her apartment which was in the professional building next door to the hospital (spital, is the Swiss name for it). She welcomed me and took me out to see the sites of Interlaken. This is an all year round resort for the younger sport enthusiasts. It has bungy jumping, rafting and hang gliding in Summer to mention a few of the activities and of course skiing an other winter sports in Winter. Beatenberg where I was to meet Fraenzi is high up on the mountain side above Interlaken. I took the bus up to meet her in the afternoon and she was still the same Fraenzi that I had known in Port Hardy nearly a year ago, content, relaxed and still giggling like she used to. We hiked that evening for a couple of hours on the mountain trails above her school getting caught up with all the news since she had flown home in September.

7th June 2006 (Wednesday)

I went hiking around Interlaken in the morning and when I got back Yvonnehad made a pot of veggy soup. I did a bag wash after my lunch but had to use the building drier to dry it. It is a beautifull sunny day without a cloud in the sky and all the surrounding mountains can be seen clearly. What a beautifull country Switzerland is!!!

8th. June 2006 (Thursday)

This morning Yvonne, who had been off sick, had to return to work. I took another walk into and around Interlaken. I bought Yvonne a flower in a pot for her plants collection as a token of my appreciation for her friendship and kindness in letting me stay with her. Fraenzi had booked me a room at the school for the night so that we could hike the Neiderhorn first thing in the morning so I packed my bags once more and headed up the mountain to Beatenberg. Beatenberg is a beautifull village nestled into the mountainside high up the mountain and overlooking a lake named Thunersee.

9th. June 2006 (Friday)

This morning Fraenzi and I left her school at 0845 and hgiked to the base of the Neiderhorn Mountain to catch the Gondola Car. The lift landed us at around the 5000 Ft. level then we hiked from there up to the peak that stood at around 7000 ft. All of the hike was above timber line and we had a beautiful view of the surrounding area for miles with a clear blue sky and sunshine all the way up. We took many photographs of the alpine valley farms the birds and the flowers. I prayed, silently, for all of Gods creation, His gift to us, laid out there before us. We had lunch up at the peak and then started down again on the long trail that would eventually bring us down to Beatenberg. As we approached timberline again we started to see mountain flowers an the birds could be heard singing as we approached their environment. We took a detour to look at a quiet mountain stream which had now dried up after the mountain snow melt. It was so quiet there that we played our harmonica's together to the sounds of the birds singing in the surounding trees. We arrived back in Beatenberg at 1530 and had been hiking for 7 1/2 hours, my pedometer showed 15 Kilometers. We left Beatenberg with Fraenzi's room mate, Sonia, and had a hair raising ride down the twisty mountain road to Interlaken to catch the 1900 train to Ettenhausen about 4 hrs. away. In Ettenhausen we were met by Fraenzi's mum and dad (Ernst and Katty) 2 of the nicest people that I have ever met, they welcomed me like a long lost (older) son

31st, May 2006

2006-06-03T06:38:00.000-07:00

Packed up my baggage and prepared to catch the Sky train to Vancouver after the rush hour had finished at 0830. Lawrence had been a great help to me for arranging my accomodation whilst I had been in the Vancouver area, and he was so helpful with any questions I asked him, I will be forever gratefull to him for his friendship. The trip to Vancouver was very quick and easy and the skytrain is such a valuable asset to the city. I arrived at around 0920 and picked up the Airport shuttle bus which dropped us in the vicinity of Robson and Granville to await the arrival of the Airporter coach. I arrived at the Airport at approximately 1030 but found that I could not check in for the flight untill 1630. When the baggage check-in opened I got rid of my bags and had a meal to pass away the time. Going through security was a bit of a hassle as I could not go through normal channels because of my pacemaker!! Security asked me to take off my coat, belt and shoes to be screened as a guard frisked me down physically. We boarded the plane at 2015 and took off for London about 30 minutes later. As we flew over the pole it was daylight all night. The service was good and, because I am a Vegan, I received two meals. As we approached London I put my watch forward 8 hours to approximately 1330 G.M.T. Ian (my nephew) and his wife Sue were at the entrance and in no time we entered the M25 to the M1 and the North to Nottinghamshire. On the way we picked up their kids (at Gran-ma's home in Luton) and continued up the M1 to Ian and Sue's home where we arrived at around 2100 after 23 hours of travelling time for me.

1st June (Travelling)

2nd. June 2006

After a good nights sleep which ridded me of jet-lag I awoke at 0800 (U.K. time) to a beautifull sunny day and took a short walk to get my body back to normal. Later in the morning the five of us walked the nature trails among the lakes and river on reclaimed lands from the industrial era. These trails and the park have brought back many of the local animals and birds from the past, some of them were close to extinction. It is a win-win situation for every body and the wildlife too!!! They keep a fellow moving here in Nottingham and in the afternoon we went in to Darbyshire to do a 3 1/4 mile hike on marked trails through the English country side. During the trip we saw an old hermits home carved out of the sandstone cliffs in about 1100 A.D. and the last ruins of an Abbey from about the same period. This was the ending of my first day in Europe!!!

In Surrey B.C. 30th. May 2006

2006-05-30T15:06:00.000-07:00

Fraenzi phoned me on Thursday (25th. May) morning and she was excited as I am for my arrival in Switzerland. I can hardly wait to see her again!!!

I am now staying in Surrey B.C. with a friend of mine, Lawrence. I left home with my friend, Elaine, frome my church at around 1430 on Friday 26th May to pick up Robert, her husband, from his work place at Nimpkish Logging Camp close to Woss. With us in the car was Katie, a beautiful First Nations lady from our SDA native outreach church in Port Hardy. We were into Nimpkish Camp at 1530 just as Robert clocked out for the weekend. With Robert on board we once again hit the highway 19 heading for Campbell River where we stopped to eat. After we had eaten we, once again, headed for the Highway 19 at 1830 and, as we entered the Freeway, a cooling hose in the engine blew and the engine over-heated!!! It was only a pin hole and with the help of some old pieces of rubber, which Elaine found in the ditch, and some tape we sealed it and continued on towards the Island Bible Camp at Nanoose Bay. We arrived there, late, but caught the end of the first sermon by our President of the B.C. Chapter, Pastor Gordon Pifher. I spent some time setting up my tent before the Sabbath was upon us. The new tent went up with no problems and I placed my air mattress and sleeping bag inside. Then it rained, then it started to blow!!! but every thing was O.K. the tent stayed upright and the new sleeping bag was toasty warm so I slept through it all!!!

The 27th. May 2006 Saturday :
I awakened at 0600, the storm had abated and it was misty. I had breakfast in the tent then washed up for the first Sabbath sermon given by our new Port Hardy Pastor Richard Allison which he named "Morning Manna". Following Sabbath School and Devine Worship we all attended a pot-luck lunch in the eating area which was excellent. Around noon the Sun made it's appearance and everything warmed up and dried out. The rest otf the day was spent in services and sermons from the three speakers. We returned for a pot-luck supper following which we listened to the talent of Vancouver Island sing. My favourite "Creation" was sung by the group from the Port Hardy Church and also I enjoyed listening to April, Kim and Merryl as they sang a medley of songs. This portion of the Camp Meeting was followed by "Sabbath Vespers" and the Sabbath of our Lord was complete.

The 28th. May Sunday :
I awakend at 0600 again, had breakfast and packed up my camping gear and gave the pancake breakfast a miss. The service ended at 1030 then every one broke up to go home. I got a ride with Robert and Elaine again (thanks for your kindness Elaine and Robert,) to Nanaimo and my friend Mae whom I had contacted, earlier, she kindly allowed me to stay overnight with her. We had a vegan lunch together and later, she invited Phylis and Robert (Captain Osborne, Mae's partner) to a Vegan supper, cooked by Phylis!!! She is a good cook and enjoys a glass of wine whilst she is cooking!!!

29th. May 2006 Monday :

Mae drove me to the bus depot in time to connect with the 1030 ferry to Horshoe Bay. The bus from the ferry arrived in Vancouver at 1300 and I crossed the road to catch the Sky Train out to Surrey where my friend, Lawrence, was waiting for me. My friend, from the Hospitality Club, Robert, dropped over in the evening to chat and to make supper for him and Lawrence (they are not Vegans so I didn't join them.) Robert is a hiking and backpacking guide and a great person to know.

30th. May 2006 :

Phoned Fraenzi this morning, we chatted for a while and she told me that it is snowing today in Switzerland!!! She is still excited!!! Later in the morning Lawrence and I went out for a walk and later, I walked up to St Helen's Park to look at the old family home. Our home and the others were still there but the area's around have changed. Now there are lots of Apartment Blocks grown up in the area and Hjorth Road and Ferguson are all 4 lane highways!!!

Getting exited!!

2006-05-22T12:34:00.000-07:00

On Friday the 26th. May, just 4 more days, I am attending a Bible Camp Meeting in Nanoose Bay which runs until the 29th., since this is on the way to Vancouver, I will travel on to the city to, hopefully, stay with a friend from the Hospitality Club for two nights, the 29th. and 30th. My flight to London leaves at 8.30 P.M. on the 31st. where my nephew will pick me up and take me to his home in Nottingham to get rid of my jet lag!! On the 4th of June (a Sunday) I fly to Geneva to start my European adventure. After Geneva I go to Bern and on to Interlaken to meet up with Fraenzi. I stay in Bern for one night with a friend from the Hospitality Club and three nights with another friend from the Club in Interlaken. I have given my house keys to Lisa, my beautifull neighbour, (sorry Lisa!!!) and arranged with her to re-boot my computer once in a while so that I can access it more easilly whilst I am travelling. Sooooo, have a great Summer every one and, as Elizabeth would say as she planted seeds in to the ground in April, "See you in the fall"!!!

Davy and Charlene.

2006-05-10T11:29:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I had a French couple, Davy and Charlene, contact me through the hospitalityclub.org. They asked if they could stay with me on their way down to Vancouver from the Yukon where they had been working on the dog teams throughout the Winter. They informed me that they would be arriving on the ferry Wednesday May 3rd. They have turned out to be wonderful friends and Davy turned out to be a computer whiz and we cleaned up my computer so that, now, my computer is faster with more space on my hard drives and has a new security system in it. Charlene helped me to brush up on my French and we spoke in a kind of half English and half French language. In August, on my way back North to London from the Med. they have invited me to visit them as I travel up the West Coast of France. This morning, sadly, they had to leave and I shall miss their company, Bon Voyage Davy and Charlene I hope to see you again soon.
I also heared from my Italian friend today, Stefano and I are working on a meeting in Bergamo in July. It will be nice to visit this beautifull part of Italy and to meet Stefano again.

Backpacker Pete

2006-05-01T15:51:00.000-07:00

Backpacker Pete
It's the first of May today, only 30 days until I leave on my European Adventure!!!...Had my 30ft. sloop, "Windsong", put back in the water late on Friday afternoon (the 28th April). It was raining hard and, after being up on dry land for 6 months, the motor wouldn't start. I managed to get a tow over to the fisherman's dock just before everyone quit work for the weekend. I went down to see her on Sunday (yesterday) and there was water on the cabin sole, the battery was dead and the bilge pump wouldn't work so I had to hand pump her until she was dry then I checked the pump but it still didn't work and proved to be faulty. Then I had to hook up the new pump (a spare that I keep handy for just such occasions) and this one worked O.K. The motor had gotten water in the carb. and she wouldn't start or even fire. Today I threw some methyl hydrate into the gasoline tank and slowly, very slowly , she started to splutter a little and eventually ran. I guess that this is what happens to a person who owns a hole in the water into which he throws money!!!

Backpacker Pete

2006-04-26T20:01:00.000-07:00

B.C. Ferries released their upcoming schedule for the Summer period yesterday (25th. April). It appears that the "Queen of Prince Rupert" will only run two days a week to and from Port Hardy on Saturdays and Wednesdays. This is a great loss to the tourism of Port Hardy as it's aconomy relies mainly on the ferries for it's livelyhood. The "Queen of Prince Rupert" will also service the Queen Charlotte Islands with three trips a week.

Backpacker Pete

2006-04-18T06:40:00.000-07:00

I have finally recovered my old Home Page and I can now be found at : www3/telus.net/public/9595 part of it is still under construction but you can get information about my home, where I am located and other details, enjoy!!!

2006-03-29T17:19:00.000-08:00

Today I received an E-mail from Stefano which was forwarded from Fraenzi. He is looking forward to our meeting again in Italy. When I didn't receive an answer to my E-mail I thought that he was probably away travelling also. It will be nice to meet again when I am in Italy.

Hill-Billy Backpackerpete in Port Hardy.

2006-03-25T07:35:00.000-08:00

I am a member of : www.hospitalityclub.org and as a member of this organization you can ask, myself and other members for information such as : Accomodation, about their country, what to do whilst you are there Etc. If you wish to contact me, my E-mail address is available at their website also.

Further to the sinking of the B.C. ferry "Queen of the North"

2006-03-25T07:18:00.000-08:00

Although the R.C.M.P. are still investigating the dissapearance of the two people missing in my last blog posting ; it now appears probable that they went down with the ship. A submersable vehical will be sent down within the next few days to search the accomodation. She now lays on the bottom at three to four hundred metres (1200 - 1400 feet) below the surface. My prayers go out to the lost couple.

B.C. Ferry "Queen of the North" sinks.

2006-03-22T15:12:00.000-08:00

The B.C. Ferry "Queen of the North" hit a rock and sank off Gil Island in the Northern portion of the Inside Passage, South of Hartley Bay at around 1.00 A.M. this morning. Approximately 100 Passengers and crew all abandoned safely with very few injuries and no deaths, although two people were thought to be missing, it was questionable if they boarded the ferry in Prince Rupert or not. All were headed to Port Hardy in gale force winds and rough seas. Shortly after she sank the winds abated and the seas went down. The "Queen of the North" will be sorely missed as she was our only connection with the North Coast. In Summer she completed her run every other day to the North and South and was a great tourist attaction as she cruised through the beautiful scenery of the Inside Passage.
I now have all my equipment together and a brand new passport to show security!!! My friend, Fraenzi, in Switzerland phoned me yesterday to help me arrange some of the places that we could visit together. I have still not heard from other friends in France and Italy, but there are still two months to go before I start my Adventures in Europe.

Hill-Billy Backpackerpete in Port Hardy.

2006-03-20T18:36:00.000-08:00

Backpacker Pete

2006-03-13T08:42:00.000-08:00

Backpacker Pete
On Februry 27th. I had a pacemaker placed in my chest because my heart beat was becoming too low when I relaxed. I think this was because I walk so much and when my body relaxes I would have a beat of less than 40 beats per minute (20 beats when sleeping) whereas now it is set to 60 beats minimum per minute.
I also have had trouble obtaining my camping equipment which is on it's way from from Ontario!! This problem, however, has now been solved and my equipment should arrive this week. My new passport should arrive this week, also, so then I will be all set to leave for Europe.

Hill-Willy Fraenzi in her 1951 Rover Sedan

2006-02-24T15:47:00.000-08:00

Hill-Billy Backpacker Pete's Blog

2006-02-19T08:51:00.000-08:00

Backpacker Pete

Hill-Billy Backpacker Pete (Tip-toe through the Tulips!!)!

Megumi and I in Port Hardy

2006-02-18T05:29:00.000-08:00

Megumi and I in Port Hardy.

Hill-Billy Backpacker Pete's Blog.

2006-02-13T10:48:00.000-08:00

From June 06 to September 06 I intend to backpack Western Europe. I will visit: Britain, France, Switzerland, Italy, Southern France, Spain and Portugal. So those interested in my progress watch this blog as it developes. Catcha later.
I arrive in London on June 1st and will spend a couple of days in England staying with my nephew to rid myself of jetlag and buy some stuff like maps etc. before I start my European Adventure in France. I plan to camp as much as possible with an occasional stop in a Hostel to do laundry and get a shower.
I have a friend in Switzerland, (Hill-Willy) Fraenzi, and hope to meet her at Beatenberg near Interlaken. If she has any spare time off from her studies maybe we can see some of her beautiful country together. I understand that the area around Interlaken is very beautiful and that there are many hiking trails to hike with pretty scenery and a good view of the Alps to the South. So watch for my photo's which I will be posting from time to time as I travel from place to place.