Cala San Pedro.. The Spanish Scoraig? | Almeria, España 2019

Situated in a secluded cove on the remote coast of Spain’s Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park, can be found the village of San Pedro.. 

Populated by a mix of hippies, seasonal travellers, and a small number of full-time off-grid residents, it can be accessed either by walking in several kilometres on the cliff path, or by boat from the nearest village, Las Negras. Sound familiar? Having spent a couple of summers in the remote community at Scoraig on Scotland’s rugged highland coast, and being in the area I just had to go and check it out..

Breaking the Silence! | Espania 2019

The sun is in my eyes! 👀

Discussion Time - Van life Philosophy

My recent article on 'why real work pays', lead on to this fruitful sit-down discussion with DT Moran about van life, the possibilities, and the philosophical connotations in general..

Why Real Work Pays

A quiet spot near Alicante that was ‘home’ for a few days.

Moving whilst staying still.. | Espania 2018

A few days ago.. camp looked a lot different..

Another day in some kind of paradise | Espania 2018

A nice fish!

Watching the world below us | Espania 2018

The new spot on a plateau near the Castillo

Setting up Camp | Thoughts on the Internet

I had a really wonderful day today. The more usual warm weather was back (it's been quite thundery since I arrived)..

Banos de Montemayor, Spain, Day III

Today has been a waiting day, as nothing was is due to happen until Friday when the replacement water pump arrives. So a good opportunity for a lie in and getting things in order in the van. It turns out the spot I have been parked at outside the garage was in the shade all day so no solar power to speak of to put some charge into my battery - thankfully they are very happy to let me hook up to the mains to power up and keep things working, also charging the battery for the evening when everything is locked up.

Also an opportunity to head out again and do a bit of exploring in the hills around the village. So after a good rest, and freshening up, I was feeling good and ready to go..

'Summer of (Family) Love' - A Film by Kirsten Dirksen

You may have come across Kirsten Dirksen before on Youtube, especially if you are regularly taking a look at the latest van living videos. Her posts on the 'tiny house movement' often come up alongside them because of the crossover with living in a smaller space, and the ties with simplicity and sustainability. Well her latest feature length documentary is well worth watching. Kirsten and her partner Nicholas Boullosa have filmed their experiences travelling and living in a 1981 VW Westfalia camper van for a summer with their three children. Here's the trailer:

Back on the Road - Scotland Tour 2013 - Living in a Hiace Camper Van

So I find myself back on the road again in the Scottish Highlands, heading up from Loch Ewe to Scoraig on Little Loch Broom.
How did I come to be here, where have I been, and what have I been doing since I last checked in with the blog? Well the answer is that I was carried away by one of life's most powerful forces - that of love..

I met and fell for a wonderful woman on the shores of Loch Ewe. We have experienced a lifetime of memories and joy in a couple of months, and I can only say that it's been the happiest and most fulfilling time of my life.

You just don't know what's going to happen when you head out there and travel freely with plenty of time and no definite agenda.


Daily life by Loch Ewe

Butt of Lewis to South Harris (yes) – Tour de Scotland 2013 – Living in a Hiace Camper Van

I awoke this morning to a wild and beautiful seascape. Gazing out into the north atlantic, I thought about all the fantastical creatures and vast and rich life that forever lived beneath the ocean waves.. but one can't daydream forever – it was time to roll out of there and explore what lay further south. I am always happy to arrive in a new location, but just as passionate about getting back on the road, and onward toward new and yet to be revealed experiences and sights, people, weather and location, all blended with my subjective present..

The engine blasted to life, and I was soon bouncing along the Lewis roads and back first towards Stornoway to get in touch with some friends back home, and pick up a few supplies I hadn't thought of. In this part of the world, even a Tesco carpark has its quirks and characters, ready to spring forth at any moment..

Still at Glencoe - Scotland Tour 2013 - Living in a Hiace Camper Van

Today has been a relaxing day at Glencoe again - I got mesmerised by the spell of the place, the river pool, mountains on every side and the great weather, and decided to stay on another night. So here I am after sitting by the embers of my campfire and taking it easy all evening.

I was out on my bike earlier today and took a ride down to the village where I chatted to the man in the shop - he'd been a soldier in N Ireland, so thats what started the conversation when he heard my accent. He was sharing tales of how well he could handle the whiskey and was a bit of a connoisseur by all counts! He reckoned that because the whiskey has been in the bottle for years, you need to add a drop or two of water to bring it to life again and enjoy the full flavour..

Well, I bought an ice cream and cycled down to the loch to relax. The Glencoe yacht club were out, so I spent a while watching the yachts weaving in and out, then suddenly all moving in sync, remarkably there were no collisions, though they were sailing so close I was expecting it. I had the ice-cream, and a mince and onion pie (in that order, well I didn't want it to melt), while relaxing in the sun. I'm well into the travelling spirit already..

Yachts on Loch Leven

Ardmore forest, Isle of Mull, to Red Squirrel campsite, Glencoe Village - Scotland Tour 2013 - Living in a Hiace Camper Van

Hi folks ~

Today has been a pretty relaxing day for me..

I set off about 11am from Ardmore wood on Mull with the destination of Glencoe in mind. It's a place I've visited many times before, but I've never taken this route before, and looking over the road atlas, it looked to be a good one.

I drove along the road from Tobermory to Salen - the thought crossed my mind that this is probably the busiest road on the island, and it had two lanes going in opposite directions, (well, as opposed to single track with passing places), but, after a while it returned to a single track road, albeit with a better surface.

I arrived at the ferry at Fishnish, doesn't that name make you hungry? It was a short crossing to Lochaline, but was as exilerating as most sea crossings are with the fresh breeze and sea spray, a double trailer of timber was taking up one side of the deck.

Last day of work in Belfast, and getting a few things sorted on the van

Hi folks,

So what have I been up to yesterday and today?

Well, yesterday was an amazing day here weather wise, and I couldn't have picked a better day to be without the van - it was booked in to have a CV boot replaced, and have a general once over before the trip. The CV boot replacement was going to be tricky to attempt alone because I'm not tuned in with how to remove the free wheeling hubs on the front axles.

So anyway, I was about on my bike all day in the sunshine, and enjoying the laid back atmosphere around the university area in Belfast. I had a good few hours to wait for the van and it couldn't have been a better way to spend it than cycling about, relaxing somewhere a while, then cruising off somewhere else. I checked out the tall ship 'Pelican' still moored in the harbour from the weekends maritime festival, and hung out a while near the Titanic centre, watching roller bladers.

The Pelican moored in Belfast Harbour

Planning my route & pictures from Skye last year

Today was a day to really begin thinking about the route I may take, and a rough timetable I may follow in Scotland. I've never been one to plan a detailed itinerary, and much of my motivation for this trip is to travel free - free to stop and spend as much time as I like at any beautiful or alluring location I may stumble upon.

That said, my philosophy on travel, and often in life too, is in having a rough framework planned out, and then to allow for plenty of flexibility within that. This way I'll get to cover the areas I'd like to see, and still have room for spontaneity.

I've got a month to do it in, well that's how long I've given myself for Scotland, so I'll not be in any hurry at all. I've checked out the ferry costs, and a single fare isn't too expensive, I'll not be coming back to Ireland for quite a while, not to live anyhow. I've already spent time with the big road atlas out and decided on a rough route to follow..

My loose framework route

Stage 1 of the journey will be around a week long and I'll cross on the ferry to Troon, then head up the coast, before heading inland and following Lough Lomond. I'll then head on up into the highlands and stay in different locations on the way, before reaching my first 'destination', Applecross.

On previous trips I've been up as far as the Isle of Skye, but have heard many tales about 'The Pass of the Cattle' and the views of the islands from the top and from the coastline at Applecross itself - so totally new territory will begin there for me..

More about my plans soon, but I'd love to share with you a few pictures from last years trip to Isle of Skye..


On the Cullin Ridge


My friend Liz taking it easy


My bedroom view from the van after 10:30 at night.


Stunning view at the top of the island

Looking through all these, im really looking forward to getting on the road...

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The Rain and the Sea

I woke up by the sea this morning, and the sounds outside, mingling with memories of a conversation with a friend, brought this story alive in my mind..

Two monks stood by the sea.
A light shower was falling.
One monk asked, 'When the rain falls on the sea, does it get less salty?'
His elder did not reply, but stood gazing out to sea.
The rain kept on falling on the sea..

Alone

“God has to nearly kill us sometimes, to teach us lessons.”
― John Muir

I discovered this video recently, and although its quite long (the entire season is in one video), its well worth watching start to finish if you're interested in the harsh reality of trying to survive alone in the wild. This gives one the chance to become more immersed in the adventurer's world as he struggles to survive, and find enough food, in an environment that we might expect to find  natural sustenance in abundance. Cooking my simple dinner on my propane stove that evening, just after watching this, I appreciated it more than ever, and considered the time, and hardships I may have had to endure to obtain my meal if I were in a survival situation..

90's New Age Travellers documentary

A reminder of what happened in the UK in the 90′s when more and more people started to form mobile communities:

Unless there are places to go, and move between, living in community on the road is going to lead to trouble. 

I think the main issue with the peace convoy was that it grew so large, and the vehicles became bigger and more elaborate. Where could there possibly be to park and live in a sustainable way with such a group on the road? Especially in the UK where the land is so overpopulated to begin with and almost all rural land is privately owned.

Its a very different story if you are a single person, or a couple travelling. Of course the economics of the situation are always questionable - even if those questions are only asked when a large community starts to cause problems for the existing settled communities. It was a fascinating time, looking back, and raised many questions for society about the meaning of freedom.

Thanks for visiting!

I'm really interested in your opinion on the subject - comment below..

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August Zen Sesshin

At the weekend I attended BMZCs August sesshin with Paul Haller, at Benburb priory near Armagh. I was unable to attend the whole retreat (from tues to Sunday) due to other commitments, but know from past experience that a weekend can be a great opportunity to settle the body/mind and reconnect with a deeper more connected way of living. Also I have the comfort of my own bed in the van each night, and the option to prepare my own meals when I prefer to.

I arrived on Friday evening and decided to give my full and best effort to the weekends sitting and walking meditation. There are two hours of zazen/kinhin (sitting/walking) and I endeavoured to be alert and present with all my energy. This is usually possible at the beginning of a retreat, before the body and mind rebel, and it becomes much more of a challenge over the following day.

I had an amazingly peaceful and restful nights sleeping Friday night, which is not always to be expected on sesshin. Often intense dreams and restlessness can be the case as one settles in. The first sit of Saturday was at 6:20am and the day proceeded to be a mix of times of clarity, times of sleepiness, troubles invading my mind, and the perception of time taking different shapes and forms at different periods of the day.

There is always the option to find encouragement through a personal encounter with the teacher (Dokusan) but previous experience has taught me that if I give my full attention to the morning dharma talk, and find inspiration and some feeling of the way on a deeper than words level from that, then simply making the best effort to sit with and through whatever bodily, emotional, mental weather I encounter, leads to a growing spaciousness and freedom after a day or so of storms coming and going.

So this was just what happened. Expanding the circle of acceptance to just bear witness to whatever arose, and even my judgements and reactions to it brought me through the dense woods into a peaceful forest clearing where birds sang and butterflies coloured the sun dappled greens and yellows of a warm breeze, the hints of dark clouds dispersing, nourishing the lushness with its gentle humidity.

Of course life is not perfect now, then, and never will be but it is ok to be alive and if you watch & listen carefully, you know, you just might enjoy it.

I was inspired to make these photos on Saturday night as I lay on my couch in the van on that humid evening listening to the Benburb crow colony, settling down for their night among the treetops, perched high above my house, side door open, listening to the life of the night..

A student doing some night walking meditation

View through my scarf curtain on the main house at Benburb Priory