Path Work - the beginning of the year (St Abb's Nature Reserve)

Winter can be a slow time of year for a path builder, especially those of us who work up in the mountains, as weather and daylight hours can make it difficult to even find the paths in the first place let alone dig into the hardened ground.  However, I've been pretty lucky these last few months to be able to find enough work to tie me over and pay my bills (though, to be fair, going on holiday half way through also didn't help).

The year started at the same location that last years ended, the National Trust for Scotland's St Abb's Nature Reserve.  This is a very beautiful place to work, whether it's the breathtaking views of the red cliffs along the coast or the gentle scenery around Mire Loch.  The weather was also milder then other places in Scotland, which helps, and even though we had less visible hours the time of year made the colours around us muted with pastel sunrises and pale blue skies.  Frustratingly difficult to capture on a camera, this had the added bonus of 'forcing' us to literally just enjoy it as it happened.

The first work that I carried out was maintenance work on the steps towards the lighthouse.  As these steps stood they were a little bit too large for people who normally use this path, causing them to deviate onto the sides, eroding at the surrounding vegetation.  The issue here is that the path goes directly over bedrock with very few sections that could be dug into.  

So out came the pinch bar, hammer, and chisel to carve out enough space the fit some more stones in.  These needed to be slotted in so that they wouldn't just slide off the bedrock below and then held into place with revetments and landscaping.  The angle of the slope meant that carrying or rolling the last of our quarry stones wasn't really an option, so instead they had to be winched up to a higher point and then rolled or slide back down to a section above the work point ready to be used.  Winching stones is definitely an all over body work out with added brain work to keep everyone safe, I would recommend it.

Whilst my colleagues worked on a section of the path further along I blocked a braid (an additional path line) which had formed from people choosing an easier route.  For this I placed a stone at the starting point and then landscaped away the line so that it would no longer register as a possible route when people looked at it.  The changes we made to this section would hopefully mean that people would no longer feel the need to choice an alternate route.

We then moved further around the path to a section just south of the Mire Loch.  Erosion of the surfacing had meant that the level of the path below the steps had dropped, increasing their height to an uncomfortable level and walkers were now using the sides of the path instead.  As before more steps were needed to make it a more comfortable walk and anchor bars added into the path to hold the surfacing in place, reducing the amount of surfacing lost in the future.  There's a fine balance between the number of steps you add to a path.  Too few and the general erosion that happens can make them uncomfortable to use in the long run, but too many and walkers are having to just walk up stairs - also an uncomfortable experience after awhile.  Each path is unique and each sections needs to be tweaked to fit the needs of the path and the walkers.

Then I went off to visit family and enjoy a cruise along the Norwegian coast, apparently missing some very cold weather.

Once I got back I helped work on the pipe culvert along the all access path which leads from the car park to Stanley Bay.  There is a dip in the path and water running off the road regularly pools there, causing a muddy section.  So we dug a trench across the path, added the pipe culvert, refilled the trench and then hid the two ends using the remaining stones we had left from our previous work before landscaping around the section.  We also raised the path here a little bit with surfacing and it should now hopefully be easier for everyone to use.

Our last work at the reserve was around Mire Loch.  This is a lovely little Loch, pretty easy to get around and full of wildlife.  It looked like the warm weather had tricked a number of the birds on the water, mainly Coots, into thinking it was spring and watching them get ready for the mating season was both lovely and a little sad.  Hopefully we won't get another March storm like last year which would destroy all their hard work so far.  

Slightly amusing was the Coots response to some of the hammering we had to do, which made a very similar sound to the calls they normally make.  Once they had gotten used to our presence they would call back every time we hammered away which, fortunately, we didn't have to do too often as it was beginning to make me feel a little guilty.

To begin with we worked on a section of the path that was on the north side of the Loch.  This section passed through a dip in the landscape, was quite muddy and a little bit difficult to walk through without wellies or sturdy walking boots.  There were stepping stones already in place but a more substantial feature was wanted.  As we didn't want to stop water flowing in this section it was decided that two cross drains would be put in.  Trenches were then dug up to these cross drains with landscaping, cobble and surfacing used to raise the path up producing a dry foot path but not blocking the movement of water through the area. 

Path erosion along a section of the east side of the path had meant that some tree roots had been exposed.  Damage to these roots could have a negative impact on the trees so we were asked to find some way of covering the roots and protecting them.  It was decided that we should raise the path up over the roots using left over wooden planks and stakes on the lower section of the path to hold the surfacing in place.  We also added 'steps', buried under the path, to act in a similar manner to the stone anchor bars we normally put in, reducing the amount of surfacing we would normally loss to gravity.  Once completed it ensured that the roots were protected and it also made that section of path a little bit easier for those walking on it.  Landscaping added to the lower side of the path ensure that the visual enjoyment of visitors wasn't affected by what would have been a very obvious addition to the path otherwise.

Lastly we moved around to the west side of the Loch.  A section of the path had a strong up-hill angle rather than a flat surface.  Not always an issue, in this case it seemed to be pushing walkers further down the slope towards the gorse bushes.  This was a pretty easy fix by cutting into the upper side of the path, using the turfs produced to raise and hold the lower side of the path, and then flattening out the section.  Thankfully this section actually produced some hard surfacing in its own right and we didn't have to dig any burrow pits to find additional material.  We'd already done a lot of digging over the last few days so it was good to get a bit of a break on that front.

All in all a pretty good start to the year.  The one thing that I always noticed during this time was the difference in temperature between St Abb's and where I live.  It's only a few hours drive and yet the temperature definitely drops as we drive home (usually at the Firth of Forth mark), but this made it a great place to work during the colder months and it was great to be able to get a proper feel of the place.  Definitely worth a visit if you're ever in that area.

Purchases at the Just V Show Scotland 2019

This time last year the 'Beast from the East' swept in and the Just V Show ended up having to be cancelled.  Thankfully that didn't happen this year and I was able to travel down to Glasgow to take a look.  The great thing about this show is that it doesn't just have stalls on vegetarian and vegan products, but a whole section on free from food as well.  This is perfect as, whilst I'm trying to go as plant based as possible, I also need to cut gluten from my diet (though thankfully not the gluten in oats, which I seek to be fine with).  I was mainly there on an information gathering mission, especially on companies I would like to buy from in the future, but I did purchase some products as well.

Shøre Seaweed is probably one of my favourite finds of the day, and I'd never even heard of them before.  They are a food company and all their products are made from seaweed sustainably harvested from the shores of Wick (Scotland).  I got the snack pack that included all of their snack flavours and a reusable bag (what's not to love), and so far I've enjoyed every flavour I've tried.  In the future I plan to bring my own snacks with me to save on waste and money, but this is definitely a product I'm going to keep an eye open for if I need to get something on the go. And it's vegan, gluten free, and full of nutrients (seaweeds amazing - I love seaweed).

I'm coming to the end of my shampoo bar now and I wanted to find other companies that I could buy from in the future.  There were a few and I've kept their details, but I didn't want to buy a whole lot at once so I went for some tester bars from Surya Luna Naturals.  The lovely lady I spoke to knew a lot about the products and what would be good for different skin and hair types.  Based on her advice I brought the Spiced Liquorice Root and Heather Rose.  Depending on how they go I might try their balms and soaps as well.  Based in Aberdeen all their products are made from plant oils and butters, and essential oils.  They are also responsible sourced and cruelty free, as well as using minimum and recyclable packaging.

I guess this is what this show is all about because I hadn't come across Memi Makeup before either. They have lovely looking eye shadows and lipsticks, but let's face it I don't need any of those at the moment.  However, I was needing a new mascara so went for the Volume Edition.  It looks like their Expert Liner has good reviews as well, but maybe next year once I've used up what I have already.  Based in the UK all their products are vegan and cruelty free.

Okay, so this is going to sound strange but Koko's Dairy Free Cheddar is the product I'm most excited about finding.  Ever since watching Jamie Oliver make a vegan lasagne on 'Jamie and Jimmy's Friday Night Feast' I've been trying to find it.  Unfortunately you only seem to be able to get it at Waitrose at the moment, nearest of which is no where near me, so when I saw it at the show I had to buy it.  Whilst it apparently melts really well I'm actually going to use it in my sandwiches instead of cheese (though I may make a veggie bake as well) which I will thoroughly enjoy while it lasts.

If you know me at all you'll know what I'm a beer lover, but I can't really drink it that often because of the gluten in it.  Enter Jubel Beer - yay!  UK based it's vegan, gluten free, naturally infused (whatever that means), and most importantly tastes really good.  At the moment you can only get it at Sainsbury's so it'll probably just be a beer I get now and then when I pass one of their stores.  Of course, the glass bottles means they're easy to recycle too. 

The next product is an interesting one and comes from a organisation called Hempen Co-operative.  This is a worker's co-operative which grows hemp in the UK organically to produce a variety of products and whose model is based on sustainability (in all areas) rather than profit.  When I was reading up on finding non drug based help with my many allergies I found some information about CBD being an anti-inflammatory as well as helping to support your immune system.  So when I saw this stall I went over to have a chat and based on the information try provided decided to start with the tea option as this is the mildest form to start off with and get my body used to it.  If it goes well and works I can move on to the full spectrum oil which I can buy online.

I've been using Dove Farm Freee products for quite a while now, mainly to make my own bread, and I really like them.  The recipes are easy to follow and they always give you alternatives in case you don't want to or can't use dairy or eggs, etc.  At the Just V Show they put on a number of cooking shows, such as making gluten free sponge cake and bread (which are the two I went to), and I'm glad I did as the information was pretty useful.  One thing I didn't 100% get before was that when you make the mixture for gluten free bread and rolls it's actually a batter rather than a dough, hence the reason you have to bake it in a pan rather being able to mould it.  I picked up their free recipe and information booklets and decided to buy their FREEE Seeded Bread Mix to try.  I don't think I'll get this mixture regularly, but it'll give me ideas for what I make in the future.

I have lunch boxes etc that I use all the time but I've been looking for a material lunch / snack container for a while to use when I want something less bulky.  When I saw this Re-Wrap-It it seemed perfect.  Easy to use as well as clean, it's also made in Scotland by inmates at Kilmarnock Prison who get to learn a new skill.  There were a lot of good designs but I decided to go for one that would show the dirt less as my work means I can rarely keep anything dirt free.

There was also a goodie bag available which came with some coupons, a packet of kitty treats (no idea what I'm going to do with that), some Fairy non-bio washing liquid (really not something I would normally chose but I'll use it), a fruit Yes! bar (I don't normally like these things but I'll try it), and a Love Beauty and Planet shampoo (which is going straight into my travel bag).  I have noticed Love Beauty and Planet products before but I tend to steer clear as they contain SLS which makes my skin itchy and the packing, whilst mostly recycles, is still plastic.  However, they are vegan and do have some good policies and goals in place, it's just not a product I will probably actively get in the future.

I also picked up some business cards from companies I didn't buy any products from this time around but would be interested in doing so in the future.  These were Organic J (an Aberdeenshire based company making organic, cruelty free, synthetic free products), Lucky Cloud (an Edinburgh based company that makes handmade, vegan, cruelty and SLS etc free products in recyclable packaging), and Carnies Soaperie (another Scottish based company, this time in Kirkintilloch, which produces plant based soaps and body care.  I'm particularly interested in the nettle line). 

So, all in all it was worth the trip and I got a lot more information then I was expecting.  I'm not sure if I'll make this a yearly thing, but it's given me ideas to move forward with.

Cruising in Norway - Part 1

As you saw in my previous blog about packing I went on a Hurtigruten Cruise with my Mum along the north coast of Norway for around 12 days.  I thought I would write a few blogs about what I actually got up to, but first I wanted to let you know a little bit more about the cruise itself.

Our cruise was the Northern Lights cruise as there was a guarantee that you would see the northern lights on your trip.  It's a 12 days trip from Bergen to Kirkenes and back again with lots of activities and, of course, lots of staring at the night sky for the Aurora Borealis.  The main thing to remember is that this isn't like a normal cruise with all the entertainment that is apparently usually expected (but who needs that with the scenery you get) and is more about getting to see a bit more of Norway.  The ships are also still working ships, ferrying mail and locals from one port to another, so expect a lot of stopping but with not a lot of time at each port and many of them will be visited at night while you sleep.  However, I actually preferred this and think that the usual type of cruises would be too much for me.

And now for the actual trip.

Day 1 was actually mainly a travel day with us flying from Bristol to Bergen where our ship (the MS Nordlys) was traveling from.  And yes I did say fly, unfortunately.  It's not a great aspect of the trip but I am going to work on my carbon footprint the rest of the year to counter act that.  When we landed in Bergen there was snow everywhere, even on the runway, and we were told on the coach to the ship that this was very usual for Bergen as the Gulf Stream also gives them the mild temperatures we get in the UK.  Made me very glad I had brought all of the thermals I did as it was looking like Norway was also experiencing a cold snap.  Once the bags were on the coach we didn't have to worry about them as they magically appeared at our room, and then it was just sorting out our belongings, a buffet dinner, and watching the health and safety video before just relaxing.  The first night on 

the cruise definitely lets you know that this is a working ship and I would definitely recommend ear plugs if you're on the lower two desks - lots of engine noise.  I'm not normally someone who can deal with ear plugs, but got used to them.

During Day 2 we travelled from Florø to Kristiansund.  The longest stop for us was at Ålesund, which is a beautiful town to walk around.  In the early 20th century there was a large fire which burnt down almost all the wooden buildings and everything was then rebuilt from scratch with the help of Kaiser Wilhelm (slightly ironically) who took vacations in the area.  Because of this almost all the buildings are in an Art Nouveau style that was popular at the time, with a Scandi twist.  

Snow boots were definitely needed but it wasn't as cold as we were expecting and I had to remove some layers pretty quickly.  One thing I definitely noticed during the whole trip was that even though it's cold, it's a dry cold and not the damp cold I'm used to here in Britain, so you don't need to layer up quite as much as you would otherwise expect.

Tonight we ate at the set table we had been given and met the six other people we would be spending the next nine dinners with.  Three of us (myself included) had eating requirements and we think that's why we were placed together, but I have to say we were very lucky with the people they choose to put us with who were a great laugh.  We probably became the noisy table with all the laughing we did, but we've made some great friends which we plan to  keep in touch with for a very long time.

Day 3 saw us travelling from Trondheim to Rørvik.  We had a particularly long stay at Trondheim (about six hours) and that allowed us to properly explore the town.  My Mum particularly wanted to see the cathedral as last time she was here she had damaged her knee and was in a lot of pain, so we did a walking route recommended on a map provided on the cruise ship.  

As it was Sunday none of the shops were open but that did mean we were able to amble around with ease, but also meant we only had around 20 minutes to check out the cathedral before the next service.  

Firstly we passed the statue of Olav Tryggsason, the viking King founder of Trondheim in the 900s.  Behind his foot is the head of a slave called Kark who murdered his master (and Olav's enemy who he had put a bounty on) King Haakon in the hopes of getting the reward.  However, this was not allowed for slave's to Olav cut off his head as well and put them together on stakes - lovely.  

The cathedral was very beautiful and the vaulted ceilings were absolutely amazing, the acoustics must be great.  The stain glass windows were also beautiful and it was interesting to see the Norse carvings on the structure similar to the Celtic ones we have in our churches here.  You're not allowed to take any photos inside the cathedral so you'll just have to take my word for it........or go yourself.

We then carried around to the Old Bridge with the red wooden structure and which has a bike lift we couldn't see because it was covered in snow.  From there you get a great view of The Wharves made up of wooden buildings right up against the river's edge.  

Then we took a left and ended up in the Bakklandet area, which is a place worth travelling to Trondheim to see in it's own right.  It must be irritating having so many people wonder past your home taking photos, but it is a lovely little section and, at this time of year, very quiet.

The 'Point of Interest' (a Hurtigruten Cruise term) for today was the Munkholmen island opposite Trondheim which has been used since Viking times (mainly for executions and to display severed heads - nice) and has been a monastery and a prison.  You can actually visit it during the less bitter months, but that wasn't something we were able to do this time.

After dinner we headed up to the open section on desk 7 to look at the sky for the norther lights.  Whilst there were some on display they didn't look anything more then just streaks of grey.  What was frustrating was that people would say to us 'You could see green colouring just 10 minutes ago'.  This just made us more adamant to see them the next time.

Day 4 was a day of not a lot of sleep as we travelled from Brønnøysund to Svolvӕr.  We got a call at around 2.00 am telling us that the northern lights had been spotted, so we quickly put all our warm clothing on and rushed upstairs.  As before, on day 3, we only really saw them as grey, cloud-like features so after a while we headed back to bed.  

Then at 7.00 am I dragged myself out of bed to see the globe which marks the crossing over the arctic circle.  It was pretty dark and so you couldn't really see it too well (and definitely not get a great photo of it), but I'm glad I made the effort to be conscious when we crossed over.  

Later at 10.00 am we had the ceremony to celebrate this crossing, which included having ice cold water with ice cubes poured down your back.  They got some amazing photos of people, but I actually didn't feel that it was as bad as I thought it was going to be and the cloudberry liquor more then made up for it.

My first expedition (this is the word the cruise uses, but I'm not entirely sure any of the trips can really be called that.  Still, it feels it feel like you're doing something exciting) was to go on an Arctic Coastal Walk at Bodø.  Bodø was an interesting place in itself, though not pretty, based on the fact that pretty much all of the buildings are from the 1950s after the town was destroyed during WWII during a Luftwaffe attack.  

However, the coastal walk was stunningly beautiful, especially in the cold and snowy setting.  The weather was particularly cold on this trip as the wind blowing in dropped the temperature by about 6 degrees when it was already -10.  Even the lovely ladies taking us on the guided walk said that this was much colder then expected with temperatures using being -2 degrees Celsius for this time of year.  

They talked about the geology of the land, the cold coral reef just off the shore (bits of which get washed up during storms and end up on the beach to be ground down into sand), Doggerland and the flood that covered it, and of course the Vikings as a few burials had been found in this area.  Very cold but worth it.

We then decided to go to our first 'Gathering with the Expedition Team', which was very informative and incredibly funny, and then watch the documentary they were putting on about the Norther Lights before I headed off for my second excursion which was to the Lofotpils Brewery in Svolvӕr.  This is a small, family started and run business, and the tour didn't take very long but was packed full of information and worth it.  

We also got to try a number of the beers they produced, which seems to basically be one of each style of beer, and my favourites were definitely the Pilsner and the IPA.  Unfortunately we couldn't buy any as it was after 8.00 pm, but if you're ever in that area I would see about getting a tour if I was you.

The last call of the day was a trip up Raftsundet to look at the Trollfjorden fjord, a very skinny fjord that they aren't able to travel up this time of year due to the dangers of avalanche and rock falls.  However, they did shine quite a strong light down the fjord to allow us to attempt to look down it as best we could.  During this time the expedition team talked us through some of the struggles the fishermen fishing in this location had, not with the fish which were apparently abundant, but with other people.  Such as a fight that took place between traditional fishermen and those with steam powered boats at the mouth of the fjord.

We also got to try some berry tea (with or without alcohol) and some of us who weren't vegetarian tried an interesting looking fish cake which looked like it had the same texture as tofu.  We did get to keep the enamel mug as well, so that has been added to my collection.

It was cloudy and snowy that night so we knew it was very unlikely we'd see Northern Lights that night or be woken up during the night to see some.  I have to say I was kind of glad about that, I needed the sleep.

Book Review: What Has Nature Ever Done for Us?

'What Has Nature Ever Done for Us?' is one of the many books that I had sitting in my mini library not being read, despite the fact that I really wanted to, partly because I didn't really have the time and partly because I had so many books to read.  But, I'm glad I decided to finally pull it out of the box all my books now sit in and give it a read.  

The author, Tony Juniper, is a British campaigner and environmentalist who advises on sustainability and was the Executive Director of Friends of the Earth.  However, if you think that the Friends of the Earth connection means that this book is going to be wishy washy, slightly hippy, and full of emotion instead of facts you'd be very wrong.  Instead, it is very to the point and full of researched data, coupled with information that Juniper has collected in his role as a sustainability adviser to many companies and governments.  All this whilst still being a very easy read.

The book itself looks at the services that nature has been and still is providing for us completely free of charge and which we completely take for granted.  In fact, these services are so taken for granted most of us don't even realise they are happening.  If put into actual financial terms it has been calculated that these services are worth twice the global GDP.  These services include bees pollinating our food, the recycling of nutrients and carbon capture in our soils, oxygen production in forests, birds protecting crops from 'pest' species, corals and mangroves protecting coastlines from storms, and the, as yet, untapped genetic codebook in the natural world which still have potential pharmaceutical uses.

However, the loss of these services would not just be a financial one with us having to actually pay to do the services ourselves, but there are also additional negative knock on effects which are far more important then the loss of finances.  Take, for example, the Indian vultures whose populations have been decimated by the use of the painkiller diclofenac in livestock which the vultures fed on.  The concentration that had accumulated in the vultures bodies has led to kidney failure in the birds and the loss of these birds meant that the free service they provided of removing carcasses from the landscape was gone.  The financial cost for this service to be done by humans is large and practically unattainable for many people in the area.  But the main knock on effect wasn't the finances but the rise in rabies related deaths in the human population.  With no vultures around to be the led consumers of the carcasses stray dogs began eating the meat and their population dramatically increased, along with the number of dogs carrying rabies and the number of dog bites in humans.  

Perhaps the most interesting part of this book was the way it looked at how our financial systems are run and the idea that pervades through them that nature and economy are separate issues and, of course, that we shouldn't allow one (nature) to affect the growth of the other (finances).  But, as Juniper points out, this is a false economy.  So many of our industries rely on these free services (fishing being the most obvious one) and destroying nature would have a serious negative impact on the global economy.  And yet, most of our economic advisers and ministers seem to be incapable of moving away from the old school idea we have of economy to include this crucial component.  Some companies are starting to realise the important steps they need to take, including M&S and Unilever, but we really need our Governments to take the next step too.  These services aren't limitless as we live in a closed system and losing them would be devastating.  

This is a great book and I would definitely recommend reading it (especially if you're a financial adviser).  The phrase 'but we just can't afford it' just isn't accurate now that we know just how much we rely on nature to keep us safe, healthy, and alive.  The fact is we can't afford to not put nature first.  I will end with Juniper's ending sentences (and my favourite in the book) which is 'The alternative is to carry on as we are now.  After all, what had nature ever done for us?'

Packing for a Cruise to Norway

Firstly I wanted to apologize for not putting up a post last weekend.  I know it's not a big deal, but I did promise myself that I would keep up this one post a week I've been managing.  My only excuse is that I was enjoying the feeling of floating on the Norwegian Sea without having to worry about getting anything specific done.  And now onto the post.

Almost a year ago now I was sitting with my parents and lazily said (after a commercial of course) that it would be interesting to go on a cruise just once at some point in my life, just to see what it was like.  What I didn't know was that my Mum had stored that thought away and later booked us on a cruise with Hurtigruten Cruises on their northern lights trip along the coast of Norway.

I have been to Norway before but that was a very, very long time ago and I couldn't remember what the weather had been like this time of year.  I looked at the weather forecast and it predicted predominantly clear skies, but very cold temperatures of below -10 degrees Celsius (which is actually pretty cold even for parts of Norway this time of year) so the main theme I went for was warmth.  Thankfully that's something I already own a number of items of.  There wasn't a lot of room so I wanted to be as precise as possible and this is what I ended up taking.

Mainly thermals, lots and lots of thermals.  To be precise I took 4 short sleeve thermal tops, 1 long sleeve thermal top, 2 thermal leggings, 1 pair of thermal trousers, 2 knee length thermal socks, 4 short thermal socks (and a few pairs of none thermal mainly for exercising in), thermal hat, thermal headband, and lastly a thermal buff.  For warmth I also packed my only Merino wool jumper (which I basically wore every day), my gillet (which I also basically wore every day), my puffer jacket, my good old Norwegian jumper that used to be my brother's, my old faithful 3-in-1 fleece and waterproof jacket, a wool scarf I've had since I was a child, a couple of non-thermal buffs to protect my face, Merino wool gloves, and waterproof gloves.  Also in the bag was my work out gear, a pair of jeans, a pair of walking trousers, a dress and tights for 'just in case', pajamas, a towel and flannel, a swimming customer, and a whole lot of underwear.

Shoes wise were my snow boots, my running shoes (which I forgot to photograph), and some ballet shoes.

Also coming along were some books for when the long nights drew in, obviously my diary, and my binoculars that come with me on every trip.

My wash bag was probably larger then it should have been, but with dry, sensitive skin and the medicine I'm taking at the moment I didn't really have much of a choice.  For that purpose I brought my Soap Friendly aloe vera soap, Palmer's body butter, night and day face oils, The Body Shop lip salve, and The Body Shop hand cream.  Suncream is also definitely a must for travelling in this part of the world, despite which my face still got a bit of sun.  It was also recommended that we bring ear plugs as the ship is a working ship and we would be able to hear the engine, especially when going into port during the night.  Also with me were my Lush Dirty tooth tabs, my safety razor, the Georganics charcoal dental floss, and Georganics bamboo tootbrush.

Lastly was a bag with some of the makeup I'm trying to use up.

Of course the big question is, did I use / wear all of it? And the answer, for the most part, is yes.  The temperature and activities I was doing on the trip changed regularly so having all the clothing items I had which would allow me to layer up or down depending was a great choice (even if I do say so myself).  As for things I didn't use. I didn't touch the makeup at all, but really who was I kidding, nor did I wear the 'just in case' dress, tights, and ballet slippers.  The towel also wasn't used, but I still think I would take it again.  Unfortunately I didn't get to use my swimming custom (more on that later), but would also bring that again later.  I also didn't use my body butter.  But that's not because I didn't need to, I actually really did, but because I was lazy and am now paying the price for it.

All in all I was probably warmer than I needed to be most of the time, which just proves 'There's no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing'.