Monika Rusiewicz
Operations Team Leader
Latest articles
Monika and Gnash’s Adventure along the Guernsey Coastal Path – A Four-Day Circuit around the Island.
As some of you are aware, I’m a big fan of a coastal walk, having previously walked a part of the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, Fife Coastal Path, and North Norfolk Coastal Path. When we added the Channel Islands to our portfolio last year, I knew immediately that either the Jersey or Guernsey Coastal Path would be at the top of the list of routes I would like to walk as my Familiarisation Trip this season. I was absolutely delighted to be given an opportunity to walk the Guernsey Coastal Path. This year, I was joined by my partner, Gnash. The Guernsey Coastal Path is a 38-mile circular route that loops around the island’s coastline, beginning and ending in St Peter Port. The route offers a mix of rugged cliffs, sandy beaches, sheltered bays, and an abundance of historic landmarks. Day 1: St Peter Port to Petit Bôt Bay After a delicious breakfast at our first night’s accommodation, we set off through the cobbled streets of St Peter Port towards the seafront. It was a clear and warm day, which made it ideal walking weather. Leaving the town and its marina behind, we continued down the South Esplanade towards Havelet Bay….
Monika’s Cross Border Adventure on St Cuthbert’s Way
Last summer, I was given the opportunity to walk St Cuthbert’s Way, which runs from Melrose in the Scottish Borders to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne in Northumberland. I was once again joined on this adventure by my sister, Aggie. The walk is named after the 7th century saint who began his religious life in Melrose before eventually becoming the Bishop of Lindisfarne. It links key locations associated with the life of St Cuthbert. Day 1: Melrose to Harestanes This morning, we made our way to Melrose Abbey, the official start of St Cuthbert’s Way. Today’s walk began with the steep climb out of Melrose towards the Eildon Hills. The Way runs between the Eildon Hills, where you can choose to climb either Eildon Hill North or Eildon Mid Hill, or simply continue along the path between them. Either way, you are rewarded with amazing views of the Scottish Borders. From here, we descended through woodland down to the pretty village of Bowden, before following the River Tweed round into Maxton, where we stopped to admire Maxton Kirk. From Maxton, we took a quiet country road for a short time before breaking off onto the old Roman Road, Dere Street,…
Monika and Aggie Explore the Norfolk Coast Path
I recently walked part of the Peddars Way and Norfolk Coast Path with my sister Aggie. It’s becoming a bit of a theme to do a coastal walk every time we get a chance to go on a Fam Trip, as I’ve previously done part of the Pembrokeshire Coast Path in Wales and the Fife Coastal Path in Scotland. I’ve never been to Norfolk before, so I thought why not explore a new area. We decided to walk the coastal section from Hunstanton to Cromer preceded with a day walking from Great Massingham to Hunstanton, just so we could get a taster of the Peddars Way. Day 1: Great Massingham to Hunstanton Today was going to be the longest day of our trip at just over 17 miles. After a hearty breakfast we set off from our accommodation in the pretty village of Great Massingham, which is located about a mile from the trail. Soon we were on the straight, grassy track along an old Roman Road, which occasionally just crossed quiet B roads. The track passed many pig farms and was lined either side with bushes full of blackberries, sloes, rosehips, sea buckthorns and loads more. Today’s walk was…
Our Fantastic Walk on the Fife Coast
I recently spent six days walking the Fife Coastal Path along with my sister Aggie. The route stretches from the Forth Bridge to the Tay Bridge. Having previously done long-distance paths in England and Wales, we decided it was now time to walk one in Scotland. I didn’t really know what to expect from this route, but I must admit I was positively surprised with the scenery. Day 1: North Queensferry to Burntisland We started our Scottish adventure from the small village of North Queensferry. We left our accommodation in glorious sunshine and headed for the iconic Forth Rail Bridge. The path goes beneath the railway bridge and heads towards Inverkeithing. We then went through the town centre before getting back onto the coastal path at St David’s Harbour where you get panoramic views of the Firth of Forth towards Edinburgh in the distance. Just past Dalgety Bay, we passed the ruins of St Bridget’s Kirk, a medieval church, dating back to the 12th century. The route then heads inland all the way into Aberdour. Past Aberdour the path goes next to the train line and only moves away from the railway just before Burntisland. As our accommodation was on…
Perfect Days on the Pembrokeshire Coast
In August I spent five days walking between Broad Haven and Newport on the Pembrokeshire Coast Path with my partner Gnash. Come and join us on our journey. Day 1: Broad Haven to Solva It was a cloudy start to our Pembrokeshire Coast Path adventure. The tide was in at Broad Haven beach and the sea was still. The day started with a small climb out of the village, followed by an easy walk to Newgale with a few gentle climbs. Within an hour the sun was shining and the temperature rising . Our walk took us past Newgale beach, known as the most impressive sandy beach in Pembrokeshire, stretching for over 2 miles. You have a choice here of either walking along the road or on the beach. We decided to take the walk down the beach and stopped for a few minutes there admiring the view. The coastal path then climbs up a steep hillside out of the village and goes up and down for about 4 miles, before easing off a bit heading towards the pretty village of Solva. Having arrived quite early, we decided to have a cold drink in the sunshine, before checking into our…