Eternal Inspiration: The Royal Forest of Dean

In November last year my partner and I decided to mark 11 years together by taking a weekend trip to the Forest of Dean. Over two days we did three walks and took hundreds of photographs, the photographs and memories made in that short time have inspired a series of drawings that I am still in the process of making.

This wasn't my first trip to the forest however, it is a place that is so special to me that it is hard to describe. My mum and dad would take me to the Forest of Dean which sits close by the English/Welsh border when I was just a tot. On a visit when I was two we brought home a puppy springer spaniel named Valentine, my parents even looked at moving there permanently. When my parents separated when I was seven my dad continued to take me and my brother to the forest, alongside my step-family. We camped and took bike rides along the trails, my memories from visiting with my whole family became muddled with new memories with my step-family. Despite the emotional upheaval and the hurt I felt during a difficult time the forest remained the same. I could still remember the trees, solid and steadfast, magical and sometimes unnerving. The river still twisted through the land the same way, the rapids by Symonds Yat unchanged. The air smelled like coal smoke and leaf litter in decay, as it always did.

Ancient and Mystical Trees In The Forest Of Dean 

Ferns, Moss and Leaf Litter At The Forest Of Dean

In later years I visited the forest on my own. I'm not sure what it is about the place but whenever I return I feel like I'm home. It's quiet and inspirational, not just to me. J.K. Rowling grew up in a village just outside the Forest of Dean, it is said to have inspired the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts, not only that but Harry and Hermione camp in the Forest of Dean in the seventh book; The Deathly Hallows. J.R.R. Tolkien is also said to have based Middle-earth on the area in The Lord of the Rings. The enchanting quality that the forest possesses has seduced me and I can only imagine that as long as the trees are still standing that I'll continue to draw them. 

Is there a particular place in the world that you find very inspiring? Perhaps you've used somewhere that you have visited several times in your work, or maybe the place that inspires you most is right on your doorstep? Let me know in the comments below and tell me of any places that you think I'd be inspired by too. 

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The End Of The Road

We waved goodbye to Pokhara and made our way back to Kathmandu by bus. The journey was long but I made sure to take notice of the landscape as we passed. As we left the verdant green countryside behind the air became heavier, dustier and the roads were clogged with slow moving traffic. We had a couple of days to kill until our flight on July 22nd which we spent walking between each of the many souvenir shops buying a myriad of colourful felted coasters, vegan soaps, rucksacks made of hemp and soft scarves. Kathmandu was just as vibrant as it had been when we first arrived a few weeks ago, it was so strange to think that home was just a short couple of days away.

A Chipmunk In The Garden Of Dreams, Nepal

Lillies In The Garden Of Dreams In Kathmandu, Nepal

We ate our last helping of Nepalese fired momo's at a local restaurant and treated ourselves to our 'last supper' at Fire and Ice, the amazing pizzeria we had found when we first arrived. Our last activity of travelling was a couple of hours spent at the Garden of Dreams; a pristine garden filled with lily-ponds, fountains and mischievous chipmunks.

An Urn In The Garden Of Dreams In Kathmandu, Nepal

Chipmunk In The Garden Of Dreams In Kathmandu, Nepal

Our clothes were worn, frayed and stained. Our hair long and unruly, mine hadn't been cut in all the time we'd been away while Craig had only had two haircuts in 11 months and would be returning home with a beard. We'd started our journey in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil after a huge 12 hour delay not knowing where we'd be travelling to or how. We made up the trip as we went and learned the hard way how winging it can cause unforeseen problems but also how exciting an unplanned itinerary made our adventure. Over just under 11 months we'd travelled to 21 countries (22 if you count our 12 hour delay at a hotel in Germany) and experienced all the highs and all the lows that are associated with long term travel.

Not every moment will be one that we'll add to the photo album; being eaten alive by mosquitos and bed bugs, the sleepless nights in a hostel with somebody snoring in the bed next door, the instant noodle dinners to save money and the 36 hour coach ride from the tip of Argentina to Chile. But alongside those moments were seeing Machu Picchu and finishing the most challenging trek of our lives in Peru, finally travelling India by train and having a week of adventures in New York City with family. 

We left our hotel in Kathmandu at 6am and arrived in London at 5pm, both our mums ran towards us as we walked through the arrivals gate. As we got in the car to drive home to Hampshire it felt almost like we'd never left, so quickly does your life get 'back to normal' that the previous months felt like a hazy blur. When we went backpacking for the first time in 2011 for eight months we always knew that we'd go again. We had to. When you're a traveller you'll never 'get it out of your system'. Even with the low moments you always want to see and experience more. As I write this, my final backpacking post we've been home for nearly six months, and although we have other goals in mind like owning our first home together our travelling days are certainly not behind us. We may not travel in the same way again, on one long backpacking trip but we will always want to put adventure and exploration at the centre of our lives because it is what makes us who we are. 

One Of The Last Photographs Of Us From Our Trip In Kathmandu, Nepal

So, now we've reached the 'end of the road' I just want to say a big thank you to those that have followed along with our adventure. That very first post I wrote back in September 2016 while sitting in our Rio de Janeiro apartment sure feels like a lifetime ago. If you've been reading since then, have left me a comment or pressed that little red heart then thank you so much, I'm sending you so much love. 

If you enjoyed reading then please click the heart at the bottom, share or better still leave me a comment, I love reading them. ❤️

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Pokhara, Nepal

We bundled into a taxi early in the morning with the two ladies from China that we had met and the extremely cute toddler that they were travelling with. The journey down the hill from Bandipur was so much more comfortable by car, we reached the town of Dunre and sped off heading north to Pokhara. The roads although still muddy and bumpy were a lot easier to handle in a comfy seat, we chatted and took a little nap, the journey took a couple of hours which is at least half the time it would have taken by bus. Once we reached the town of Pokhara we all walked to a street bursting with hotels, the one we had booked was modern and quite fancy compared to what we were used to. Pokhara is the base for many hikers as several loop walks begin and end in the busy town, it is right on the doorstep of the famous Annapurna mountain range. After checking in we walked into town and realised straight away how much of a tourist hub it is, there were cafés, bars and restaurants alongside souvenir shops, bookshops and outlets selling hiking gear. We wandered along to the shore of Phewa Lake, a huge body of water framed by mountains. There were children swimming in the water, people out in row boats splashing around with their paddles and small groups sat eating picnics on the grass. As we walked along the waters edge we felt like we were seeing a different side to Nepal, here was a bustling town filled with concrete hotels and shops but surrounded by wondrous natural beauty. The clouds were hiding the snowcapped peaks of Annapurna but we knew they were there somewhere, lurking behind white, standing proud over the town. 

Checking Out The Views From Sarangkot in Pokhara, Nepal

Rocks On Sheet Metal Is A Quick Building Method, Pokhara, Nepal

The next day we decided to go for a row on the lake. Somehow whenever Craig and I decide to embark upon such an activity we always end up in an argument, I'm not sure if it's a power struggle or if we're both just extremely stubborn but we ended up in a tiff out on the water. Luckily once we got into a rowing rhythm our crossed words lifted and we found ourselves having fun. The heat was quite intense as the suns rays bounced off the reflective surface and onto our skin. We rowed for an hour, racing the clock to get back in time. An afternoon drink in a lakeside bar cooled us off before having a look in some of the many bookshops which were selling a wide selection of maps, stationery, handmade papers as well as books. I ended up buying a stack of things justifying it by saying that we were at the end of the trip therefore a few souvenirs were in order. in the evening we went to nearby Café Concerto, an Italian restaurant where we had a wonderful meal overlooking the street and lakeside trees. 

A Hairpin Bend in Pokhara, Nepal

With such lovely surroundings in the hotel we decided to relax for the day, we ventured out to the bookstore again to pick up another map souvenir and I decided to test out the new handmade paper that I had bought by making a small drawing of a leaf while sat on the sunny balcony, colourful prayer flags adorning the hotel opposite kept catching my eye.  

Maybe My Rowing Technique Was What Started The Argument? 

Craig Rowing In Pokhara, Nepal

We'd had a lot of lazy days since arriving in India and then Nepal, possibly because we'd travelled so adventurously for the first eight months through South and Central America, squeezing in everything that we could manage in short spaces of time. With that flight home booked I wanted to make sure that we actually saw a bit more of Nepal so that we wouldn't leave regretting the fact that we stayed close to the hotel the whole time. With that in mind we took a bus to the International Mountain Museum to learn all about the Himalaya, the king of all the mountain ranges in the world. We wouldn't be doing any treks on this trip due to a lack of funds, time and energy so we at least wanted to learn a bit more about the area from an educational point of view. The mountain museum was excellent, sat in its own pretty grounds with a model of a snowcapped peak big enough to climb. The highlight of the museum was reading about each of the 15 highest peaks in the world and how and when they were first summited, having read Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer and been enthralled by it I find the subject of mountaineering especially in the Himalaya to be fascinating. We saw an interpretation of what a yeti looks like as they have been supposedly spotted in the area and chuckled at its weird furry face. We negotiated for a taxi to take us to a viewpoint that overlooks Phewa Lake called Sarangkot which was on the other side of town. The drive up was pretty and full of hairpin bends, we stopped at one viewpoint and got hassled a little by local children before driving to a second point where the view of the town and lake was stunning. In the distance there were groups of paragliders slowing descending from the top point of the hill we were on. In the evening we went for momo's which were delicious.

Phewa Lake Seen From Sarangkot in Pokhara, Nepal

Paragliding Is Popular In Pokhara, Nepal

Our last couple of days in Pokhara were spent walking by the lake, souvenir shopping and eating. We managed to pick up some little bottles of local booze for Craig to gift to his mates, one bottle in particular cost barely anything, we joked that it probably tasted like window cleaner. Another shop sold antiquities, it was like an Aladdin's Cave of curiosities, we bought a pair of Tingsha cymbals for our buddhist friend Lee and had a chat with the friendly shopkeeper about Nepalese politics. When we left Pokhara early in the morning we finally glimpsed the Annapurna mountains which had been hiding for all the time that we were in town, the white snowcapped peaks were like a beacon in the morning sun with the famous Fishtail peak at the centre. How we wished that we could get out in to the hills to see the mountains up close, it wasn't to be this time but we could only hope that one day we would be able to return to Nepal and go hiking to see the highest mountains in the world up close ourselves. 

Our Final Photo in Pokhara with Phewa Lake Behind Us, Nepal  

Have you been to Pokhara? If so, what did you think and did you manage to take on a trek? Let me know in the comments below. 

If you enjoyed reading then please click the heart at the bottom, share or better still leave me a comment, I love reading them. ❤️

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