Globetrotters meeting on 1st February by Padmassana
David Abram was up first and gave us a very interesting talk on Trekking in Corsica. David has spent long periods in Corsica in order to research his Trailblazer guidebook. He told us that the cheapest way to get there is to take a No-Frills cheap flight to either Marseilles or Nice and then take a ferry across to the island. David first showed us the easier coastal walks; we saw the azure seas and waves crashing on to rocky headlands. The main route for Trekking/walking on Corsica is the GR20, which winds its way 170 Km across the islands roof. The route has an altitude change of 19,000 Metres. David explained that although his photos of the route looked daunting to all but experienced mountaineers, including parts where it was necessary to use cables and ladders, most reasonably fit people can manage the route. The GR20 route is for the most part well marked with waypoints. It is divided into 16 stages, which most of the 17,000 people who do the walk each year complete in around 12 days. David finished up with some Corsican music and some of his favourite photos of Corsica. In next month’s e-news we are lucky enough to have one of David’s stories about his time in Corsica – look out for it!
After the interval our second speaker was Peter Nasmyth whose talk was entitled Caucasus adventure. Peter kicked off with photos of snow-capped peaks like Mt Elbrus and hilltop churches, lit by the intermittent electricity supply. This region has many surprises for the visitor; it’s a place where the locals drink toasts to Stalin (he was a Georgian) and to Adolf Hitler (he fought the communists). Other surprises were a bubbling carbonated lake, surrounded by red mineral covered rocks. Tblisi is the Georgian capital, we saw old areas where balconies over hang the streets and a tower block that was once the best hotel in town, but is now a home to many refugees from the wars in neighbouring countries like Ossetia and Chechnya. Peter’s photos of the local people included traditional dress that has built in bullet holders and knives in the waistband of trousers. The Caucasus is an area where it is possible to go heli-skiing, by renting a helicopter and heading up into the mountains, very popular with German skiers. Peter finished by telling us about his charity, which helps the local children, who are bright and well educated, but have little to channel their energies into. Peter also helped establish Prosperos bookshop. The first English language cafe bookshop, which according to Peter sells the best coffee in the Caucasus.
Coming up: Saturday 1st March
Leslie Downer – “Sadayakko and her amazing journey around the World.” Sadayakko was a geisha and Japan's first actress. In 1900 she enchanted audiences around the World from san Francisco, New York, London, fin-de-siecle Paris, Vienna and St. Petersburg. Part II of Leslie's geisha adventures. Geoff Roy – “Great Wall of China” is the longest man-made structure on Earth- stretching from the Yellow Sea to Tibet (6,700kms.) Geoff's talk covers walking on restored, as well as un-restored sections of “wild wall”
London meetings are held at The Church of Scotland, Crown Court, behind the Fortune Theatre in Covent Garden at 2.30pm the first Saturday of each month. There is no London meeting in August, but we will be back in September. For more information, you can contact the Globetrotters Info line on +44 (0) 20 8674 6229, , or register for email updates at at our website (click here)