32 Comments
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Lisa Cunningham DeLauney's avatar

I love the collages and photos - what a fest for the eyes and creative spirit!

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Feasts and Fables's avatar

Thank you so much for joining us at the table, Lisa … feast on!

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Susie Mawhinney's avatar

Another wonderful romp through your weekly round-up Barry, your photos are out of this world, Asturias you say, I've just checked that for distance - its only a nine hour drive from here! I feel a summer hike coming up! Have a great weekend, don't wish your life away too often!

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Feasts and Fables's avatar

Aw, thank you … if you do decide on Northern Spain we would love to share our memories and remembrances of places we loved. The Cares Gorge hike is truly spectacular. Have a wonderful weekend too, Susie.

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Harriet Mason's avatar

Love all of this, it feels so soothing to read, thank you!

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Feasts and Fables's avatar

Ah, now that’s a lovely reaction … soothing is perfect, just what we hope for!

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Caroline Osella's avatar

Always love the eclecticism of a bread crumb trail! Here's to the lack of niche and to the new things you bring!

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Feasts and Fables's avatar

Aw, that’s so uplifting … I often (silently) rail against the notion that we all have to paint ourselves into a well-defined corner that fits with the way the algorithms have been designed. Non-niche is my secret vibe. Thank you for the encouragement to stay elusively broad!

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Harriet Mason's avatar

Here's to non-niche-ing. May there be more of it :)

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Feasts and Fables's avatar

Ah yes! Proudly hard-to-pin-downable’!

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Matt Inwood's avatar

Liking the sound of 'intentional living'.

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Feasts and Fables's avatar

Post-smallholding … a smaller place (replace the land with a terrace), a town with medical, restaurants, a river, regular market … railway nearby, flattish for the bikes … still France, we suspect. It’s good to set markers for these things, making it all the more likely they’ll happen. X

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Matt Inwood's avatar

Well, that all sounds like another kind of wonderful!

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Feasts and Fables's avatar

💛🇫🇷💛

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Caroline Osella's avatar

We're looking in the Dax / Pau kind of area for exactly that kind of situation. Spent a month last year touring around there, enough to fall in love with Dax and the river walks, lovely town, great surrounding villages etc. And, the municipal hot spring pool. More research planned this autumn.

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Feasts and Fables's avatar

I’ll be cycling a little south of Pau, staying in Navarrenx after St Jean de Luz. Looking forward to exploring.

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Caroline Osella's avatar

Beautiful area, looking forward to hearing about it.

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Feasts and Fables's avatar

And interested to hear about your explorations in the Autumn.

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Jill CampbellMason's avatar

It's such fun to travel virtually with you when I'm a bit overheated, and tired from weeding and planting in the back yard! Old has a challenge keeping up with the spring, but that challenge is more welcome than no challenge at all. The change to colors is delicious.

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Feasts and Fables's avatar

Lovely to have you travel with us, Jill. Thank you.

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Sharron Bassano's avatar

So much wonderful inspiration here in all these fragments, Barrie. Thanks for always pointing me in interesting directions. Let me offer just one bit of serious advice - Avoid rural Scotland in July and August. The midges will eat you alive. Trust me on this. I know Scotland like a native. You do not want to make thus mistake.

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Feasts and Fables's avatar

As a Scot by birth, and a magnet for things that go bite in the night I have checked the itinerary twice and I am delighted to note that I will be South of the border on 28 May! I fully anticipate other bugs finding me and breaching the anti insect ointments and potions but that’s life!

Thanks so much for following the breadcrumb trails, Sharron!

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Jill CampbellMason's avatar

Also avoid Canada in late may. Same flying/biting Noseeums ( that's what we call them in Michigan

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Feasts and Fables's avatar

Eek!!

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Emily Charlotte Powell's avatar

This is an absolute feast for the eyes. What gorgeous photos. Loving this very much Barrie and JoJo 💛✨

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Feasts and Fables's avatar

Thank you SO much, Emily 💛

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Emily Charlotte Powell's avatar

The photos you share are always wonderful, but the ones from Asturias are spectacular 💛💛💛

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Feasts and Fables's avatar

We absolutely loved it there 🏔️

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Pamela Leavey's avatar

A lovely offering of photography and links to read! Always a pleasure to receive the Encouragement Files weekly newsletter!

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Feasts and Fables's avatar

Thank you, thank you!! 🙏

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Mark Diacono's avatar

I'm only a few paragraphs into the bikepacking adventure and already very grateful for this latest edition - thank you

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Feasts and Fables's avatar

Ah, we’ve just pedalled back to our wee farm from the railway station and reading that warms our hearts. Thank you, Mark.

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