I had hoped to spend six weeks this summer traversing half the Alpine chain but family circumstances conspired and I am now off to do something shorter,  broadly following the route of the GR5 from.Lake Geneva to the med.  I am taking a break from blogging for a month.

It is a good time to thank everyone who has contributed to or helped parkswatch over the last year.  Without that help and support this blog would not be possible.  I am just sorry that I have only had time to write about half the issues that have been suggested to me and have a store of telling photos waiting to be used.

And my thanks and appreciation too to the staff and board members at the Cairngorms National Park Authority who, despite all the criticisms on this blog, have kept communicating with me unlike those at the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park where the Chief Executive has any email I send intercepted.