House and pet-sitting

So, if I’ve been quiet for a while it’s because of these furry menaces, demanding all of my attention!

The musical-half and I are currently house-sitting in a little rural village in The Limousin, France, for an expat couple who are back in the uk for a few weeks. We have chickens, sheep and dogs to keep alive! For three weeks!! I must say, it’s a lot more pressure than I expected, being responsible for other people’s tiny creatures. I’m managing about three hours of design work a day in-between walkies, feeding, cleaning and such.

This was an experiment in lifestyle for us, as Chester travels with his music, and I need Internet for my work, looking after people’s homes seemed perfect… And it kind of is really, I just need to work out how to get some more hours of work in in a day!

Well must dash… Time for walkies!

Blois, Blois, Blois

We are in Blois today (Incase you didn’t pick up on the hint in the title). It’s raining, freezing and although I’ve found a cafe with Wifi, there is no plug socket, so work is a bit tricky! Despite my Blois-sey attitude (get it!), it’s a very beautiful city, sitting on the banks of the Loire river, and if your mood is more amiable and excitable than mine is today I hear that the royal chateau is a fantastic place to visit … I wonder if they have a plug socket I can use?

The Charlie Hebdo slogan is very prominent in Blois

Going Gluten Free in Galloway

We were lucky enough to spend this New Years Eve in an Idyllic little village in South West Scotland, called Twynholm. Bordering the Galloway forest, we took the opportunity to unwind and enjoy a couple days hiking … and eating, the most amazing Gluten-Free grub I’ve ever had! I’ve eaten many a dubious GF meal in my time, and The Star Inn in Twynholm is the biggest breath of fresh air, so much so that the dinner-table conversation became centred around whether or not someone would eventually make a gluten-free version of master chef… ‘because this guy should totally go on it!’.

After stuffing ourselves silly, the walking was pretty good too. We headed up Craigairie Fell, the lowly county top of Wigtownshire, on a very blustery, rainy New Years Day… It was worth it, for total rule of the hill. We didn’t see a single person, and got to enjoy the views all to ourselves. Another great walk, (but a bit more strenuous) to try is ‘Merrick’, you’ll need to get up early in the winter to hit this one though, which after staying in The Star’s fantastic B&B accommodation we had no absolutely intention of doing!

Check out The Star hotel

I like big rocks and I cannot lie! – The Great Stone of Fourstones

The Great Stone of Fourstones

This fantastic piece of glacial deposit on the moorlands of Tathem Fells in Yorkshire was kindly accessorized with a glamorous stone staircase by unknown ancient mammals. The other three stones remain mysteriously absent, possibly used for local building projects… or a Henge? Well worth bringing a picnic to if you’re in the area.

Sunday 12th Oct 2014 – Keswick, Cumbria, UK

En-Route to Skiddaw Fell

Hi all! Just thought we’d keep you posted on our adventures. We have been in Cumbria, UK this weekend, enjoying one last hurrah in the semi-decent autumn weather.

We enjoyed beautiful autumn sunshine on our hike up Skiddaw Fell, looking back every so often toward Keswick, nestled on the edge of Derwent Water, glistening in the rays… The hike down was somewhat less pleasant however, if you have weak knees or hips I’d really not suggest the long, steep, rocky path down to Latrigg, one of us still can’t walk properly… not telling which one!

We always enjoy a great plate of fish & chips upstairs at ‘The Old Keswickian’ after our hikes in the area. They even do poached fish for us Gluten Free folks!

About Us

Hello! Amity & Chester here.

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As we are now full-time, freelance traveling companions, and personalised holiday dream-makers, we thought we should probably get in with all this blog business! Chester is a musician and Amity is a Graphic Designer. We travel together all over Europe doing what we do, but also running our own small personalised tour business, Native Knowledge Tours. We give people the opportunity to travel freely in Europe without having to worry about all the complicated route planning, hotel booking, driving, and arguing over directions! As we do this sort of thing as a lifestyle anyway, our prices are not as much as most companies that offer tours, and we set out to work within people’s budgets first and foremost, not to dictate costs!

This is what we love to do! We want to share our experiences and photographs of Europe with you … We hope you like our blog!

Us at Finsthwaite Heights, Nr Newby Bridge, Cumbria