Learn some binomials with a story: The lost padlock key

Free illustrations of Locker

On a warm December evening after a stunning day out and about in Abel Tasman, New Zealand, I was in my dormitory, searching for my key high and low. Pockets, rucksack, bum bag. It was nowhere to be found.  I had been kayaking and hiking so that key could have ended up anywhere. Even deep down in the Tasman sea for all I knew. Inside the locker were my tablet, documents, valuables, and other bits and pieces I needed for travelling.

As it happens, this was terrible timing indeed. Shortly before Christmas Day, I was staying at a youth hostel in a little city on NZ’s south island. A bus taking me to the ferry terminal was due early in the morning and I needed to have everything packed to leave the hostel bright and early. Well, not ideal but then again, nothing a locksmith can’t fix, I told myself. However expensive the after-hours service may be.

I went down to the reception desk to explain the situation and inquire about locksmiths in Nelson. A young girl was in charge. The rest of the staff had left for the day. Continue reading “Learn some binomials with a story: The lost padlock key”

Favourite places in the UK – Cornwall and the South West Coast Path (SWCP)

Many moons ago, I had the first glimpse of this stunning region as an Inter-rail pass holder. The philosophy of Inter-rail travelling at the time, and probably still now, was to visit as many places as possible within the validity period. Far from ideal as I see things now, but back then it was thrilling to be moving fast across countries, probably missing amazing spots along the way but undoubtedly gaining a sense of adventure and broad horizons. During a short stay in Penzance (Cornwall), I discovered the South West coast path and was totally captivated by it. This sparked a  desire to return to Cornwall with more time and preparation to walk some stretches of the Cornish section of the SWCP long-distance trail.

Continue reading “Favourite places in the UK – Cornwall and the South West Coast Path (SWCP)”

English on the move: New Zealand

ON A SCALE OF 1 TO 10,

THIS TRIP TURNED OUT TO BE AN 11! 

What follows is a compilation of the pictures and comments I posted on Facebook while travelling around New Zealand. I hope it served some of you to learn a bit of vocabulary against the backdrop of this fascinating country. And for non-Facebook members, here it goes again.

 

Continue reading “English on the move: New Zealand”

Off to Kiwiland!

The Antipodes, pronounced [ænˈtɪpədiːz]: Magical word that evokes a world of contrast and adventure. For us, living in Spain, that would be The Land of the Long White Cloud, translated from the Maori Aotearoa;  in other words, New Zealand, also known as Kiwiland, name which derives from the kiwi, a native flightless bird, which is a national symbol of New Zealand. 

The following map shows highlighted the area equivalent to Spain on the opposite side of the world:

https://www.antipodas.net/antipodaspais/espana/ Continue reading “Off to Kiwiland!”