This time in five weeks I will be in Paris. Here it is approaching midday Saturday, but there it will be more like midnight Friday. I hope I will be sleeping soundly after a busy day exploring the streets of Paris -and that I am not lying in bed wide awake jetlagged.
This time in six weeks I will have started walking the Chemin from Cluny.
But for now I am sitting in this Beautiful Spot in the sunshine. I can see Ashhurst nestled on the plain at the end of the gorge I began from, and I can see Woodville through at the other end. Across from me on the other side of the gorge, the hills are covered with gently moving wind turbines. The sound of cicadas is loud in the air, and just a few birds can be heard singing.
I've typed this on my iPod Touch for practice. I'll blog it later and add photos when I get home.
Sent from my iPod
I composed this at Windy Point on the "Notes" app on my iPod Touch, then sent it to email- just to see what would happen- though I knew I had no wifi up there. As soon as I arrived home within wifi range, the e-mail clearly sent itself. So that was a good lesson learned: I can compose e-mails and they will sit there until I am in wifi reach, then send themselves....
All these photos of Windy Point have been posted to the blog back at home. There's no camera on my old iPod Touch, so for photos I have to wait until I find a computer where I can download photos from my camera- hence there won't be heaps of photos posted en route on the Chemin...
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| Sign for Windy Lookout- it's a very brief diversion off the track |
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| Looking down over Woodville and towards the hill country of the eastern part of the Tararua region. |
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| Looking back towards Ashhurst on the Manawatu Plains. |
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| Wind turbines on the hills on the other side of the river. |
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| The comfy seat where I sat and composed the blog post on my iPod Touch. I nearly left my camera behind here! |
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| I always love seeing this cabbage tree on the lookout, and enjoy seeing what kind of cloudy skies will figure behind it in a photo! |
What beautiful scenery! And I am so glad for you that you have been able to prepare and text and get it posted! We will get some news from you!
ReplyDeleteMichèle
Hopefully you will- though I think I pass through many very small French villages, so not sure how often I will find free wifi!
ReplyDeleteWell done Margaret, lovely photos and blog, I knew someone as savvy as you will be able to tweak the old iPod to store and send a blog without being tied to the internet during composing and saving, and send it instantly once an internet connection is found. Played around with the newer iPod Touch but the photos are too fuzzy yet. As you are used to the iPod Apps you can easily migrate to smartphone, with 3G switched off it is not expensive to use. I use a cheap non-Apple smartphone with a 5mp camera and it takes beautiful photos even with low light. The problem with the iPhone on the road is the non-availability of removable SIM cards, cannot carry a spare battery, and has to use the iTunes with an unlocked phone for direct transfers. It is also an expensive phone.
ReplyDeleteI use free Dropbox to synch my iPod with my other computers, I use iBooks to store my spreadsheets of addresses, flight schedules, personal info, maps etc, I convert them to pdf form first and use iTunes to tranfer from my computer to the iPod. All newspapers have the Apps, there is a good translator and conversion tool, there is the EasyWriter where you can email your blog. Though it lacks a GPS it has Maps, weather,and other travel apps, even Google earth. Photo and video archives, even PhotoshopExpress
Spain has more than 65% smartphone users now, and could approach 85% as the older dumb phones are replaced, France should be the same. Sorry for this long message. Have fun. Joe
Grandpa Joe, I looked at getting a smart phone, but I am doing this trip on a tight budget so can't quite get one yet. I have found the iPod Touch does me pretty well, and I have downloaded quite a few apps that I have been using at home via home wireless. You have obviously got it all very well organised, way beyond what I am doing! Margaret
ReplyDeleteMargaret,
DeleteYou are too modest, you have put more information for us to enjoy than many on the forum! It is befitting that there is a teacher on the Camino who is sharing her experiences, we will be following your blog irrespective of the technology used. Your test blog and photos far surpasses many with better equipment. I am not very well organised but have savvy grandkids to help out the many hiccups. I have to try to keep up with the newer gadgets which are proliferating and getting cheaper by the day. The Apps I mentioned are the free ones and most will work on the older iPod even when off-line.
Enjoy your forthcoming trip. Joe
Trip is getting awfully close Joe. I have a long walk planned for tomorrow, but next week I really do have to get out in the garden- time is running out!
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