Day 3–Up the Airy Mountain The day dawned drizzly and cold, but the weather didn’t dampen our spirits. Our group was buzzing with nervous energy. Day 3 was considered to be the most physically gruelling, the most personally challenging, and we were ready to get on with it. Some in our group had come primarily…
Author: Valerie Mutton
Climb Every Mountain: The Salkantay Inca Trail to Machu Picchu Part 3–The Trek, Days 1 and 2
Day 1–Trepidacious Trekkers I was so nervous that I didn’t sleep much the night before. Nagging self-doubt about my ability to manage such a strenuous trek kept me awake. We were picked up in a van from various hotels, and our group slowly came together. My first impression of the group as each boarded the…
Climb Every Mountain: The Salkantay Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, Part 2–Cusco
We flew into Lima on Air Canada Rouge and stayed at the airport hotel (Costa del Sol Wyndham) as we had arrived at about 1 a.m. and most flights to Cusco leave later in the morning. Then, after a good sleep and breakfast, we caught a short flight to Cusco, where, on good advice, we…
Climb Every Mountain: The Salkantay Inca Trail to Machu Picchu–Part 1, Preparing for the trip
If you’ve ever uttered the words “Bucket List” or “Carpe Diem” and then settled back into your armchair, this blog is for you, my friend. For those of us over fifty, it can be daunting to get out of our comfort zones–or, less charitably, out of our ruts, even if we want to travel. In…
Seoul Searching: Six Superb Sights to See
Isn’t that the corniest title ever for a blog post? Steve went to Seoul on a business trip, and when he asked if I’d like to come along, it took me about a nanosecond to say yes. This was my first trip to Asia, and I have to say that I fell in love with…
Austin, Texas: It’s Not That Weird
The city’s motto is “Keep Austin Weird.” But I didn’t find it that weird. I had a very pleasant time exploring the city while Steve was presenting at a conference. I’ll tell you about some fun things to do in Austin, and the one thing I did think was weird (but you have to read…
Five Fantastic Experiences in Dublin
Steve’s business trip took him to Ireland, so I went along. Dublin is a wonderful city, friendly, easy to navigate on foot, and chock-a-block with pubs. What more could you ask for in a destination? Here are our top picks for great experiences while in Dublin: Kilmainham Gaol: The tour was excellent. The starting point…
Grand Day at the Grand Canyon
You know you’ve got to get out of Vegas for the day when you catch yourself humming “My Heart Will Go On.” It’s the first symptom of VOS, otherwise known as Vegas Overstimulation Syndrome. When the incessant thumping of Rihanna and Katy Perry songs throughout the hotel–everywhere, even in the bathrooms, even at the pool–is…
Dr. Strange-town or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Las Vegas
I’m sure I’m not the first to say that Las Vegas is a very strange place. It is an amazing, exciting, vibrant place to be, and you can have a great time there, but you do have to learn how to consciously overlook the Ick Factor. By which I mean that on your way to…
What I Learned About Life From Parasailing
I’m 52, both of my parents are deceased, and my kids have moved away to go to university. This is, in fact, the Betty Crocker recipe for an existential crisis. In case you are having trouble finding it, it is also cross-referenced under ‘midlife crisis’ (which I believe is the vegan equivalent). And so it…
Mexico for a Moping Mom
So, somehow I ended up in Mexico. Well, I know how, sort of. Steve was supposed to be going on a business trip to India for two weeks right at the start of us being empty-nesters. Our daughter has been in university for going on four years, and I’ve just barely gotten used to it–…
Secrets St. James, Montego Bay
After a particularly trying winter of 2015, which piled stress on top of sadness on top of grief, with weeks of minus-35-degree Celsius weather thrown in for good measure, I needed a break. I’m not normally one for restful vacations in warm places. I get bored easily on beaches and feel restless from lack of…
Great Tapas in A Coruña, Spain
A short walk from the waterfront puts you right in A Coruña’s old town, adjacent to the expansive town square, the Plaza de Maria Pita. The cobbled streets of the old town are chock-a-block with restaurants, which don’t really get busy until later in the evening. Tapas bars abound, and they are busy earlier. It seems a…
About Us
Hadrianswallmoments.com are Valerie Mutton, a lawyer-turned-writer, and Steve Rees, who works in the computer industry and is an avid photographer. We’re active travellers and we’re here to inspire other ‘over fifties’ like us to live your adventure travel dreams . About the name: Twenty-two years ago, on our first trip to the UK, Steve wanted to…
A Coruña: Spain’s Hidden Jewel
Steve and I spent a glorious week in A Coruña, Spain. Steve was there for work and I came along as the trip overlapped my birthday and Spain seemed the perfect place to celebrate it. The view above is from our beautiful seafront room at the Hotel Melia Maria Pita. I would highly recommend the…