UNKNOWN SPAIN

Unknown, that is, to the Brits who seek the sun in the south.

We flew to Bilbao which built it's prosperity on trade, industry and shipbuilding and has the reputation of a working city. It appears that the famous museum was built as compensation for closing the shipyards. It is a truly beautiful building with hardly a straight line in sight. The exhibits are uncompromisingly modern and large, with a each one of the four artists' exhibits spread across several large rooms. Great for their egos.

There is a pleasant old quarter and the inner city looked clean, prosperous and modern.

We then headed for the Posada del Valle (hotel) run by a British couple, and with this stupendous view from its dining room. They provided us with advice and maps for walks that took us into the Picos mountains and by the gorgeous coast of spectacular cliffs and wide sandy beaches.

Four days later and we stayed in Oviedo, a large town with a pedestrianised old quarter surrounded by a ring road replete with fans of Alonso's driving. The Fine Arts museum rambles over two floors and numerous rooms. It owns three amazing paintings by Joaquin Sorolla - never heard of him? Apparently he was a post impressionist at the turn of the 20th century at a time when the modernists came into fashion. Not heard of Oviedo? Well Woody Allen thinks it a great place and, as a result, they have a life size sculpture of him in one of the central streets.

We were amazed to find this bar that is full of East African memorabilia - photos, tickets, etc - dating back to before my times (i.e. stone age) in a tasteful zebra style decor.


At our next stop we decided to tackle the 13 mile out-and-return Cares Gorge walk. It is carved into side of the gorge and as such is relatively level but the slopes and warmth make it an arduous day's outing for us. The views are so spectacular that it is an absolute must for walkers. Hopefully the pictures speak for themselves. The "green view" shows the highest point, Naranjo, in the mountains and the cutting on the left of the next picture is the track with some walkers on it (click on the image for a bigger view).





We also walked along the coast and visited several resort towns - Suances, Comillas and the lovely Ribadesella, each with its distinctive character.


In the latter there were several large old houses which had been built by locals - known as los Indianos - who had migrated to Cuba and in later life returned and built them with their wealth. This one is now a hotel:

I could write much more but the pictures in flikr tell a broader tale.



This picture is of a horrejo, or grain store, of which there are many dotted about. The older ones are centenarians and built of very heavy timbers and set on stone "toadstools" to keep out rats and birds. A lot now seem to be used as garden sheds and are often high enough to double up as car ports.

One striking aspect of the coastal area is the amount of property that is tied into touristic activity. In some places every building is either a hotel, holiday flats, tourist shop, second home etc and there is little sign of other economic activity than farming or fishing. It was quiet in September but is obviously saturated by Spanish holidaymakers in peak months. Shame, but at least there are few "foreigners" present and so they are probably not being overwhelmed by incomers.

WINCHESTER HILL

We recently had an excursion to Winchester Hill walking over to the hill depicted above and then down into the valley it overlooks.

The Hill was originally the site of Bronze Age burial mounds, dating back between 4,500 and 3,500 years ago. No-bad. If our ancients had had slaves and a convenient supply of sandstone they might instead have built pyramids, temples etc there instead, like their ancient Egyptian contemporaries.

A fort was built over some of the mounds 2,500 years ago and a later settlement on the site had a single defensive bank and ditch enclosing huts and is thought to have been that of a Celtic chieftain. The bank/ditch is just visible in the first picture as well as the one below.

We did the walk a week after the great rain of 20 July (i.e. 20/07/2007) and found ourselves wading through one of the flooded paths but this did not spoil an enjoyable day out.

The church has no connection with the hill but I like its original design.

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US HOLIDAY (Part 2)

(Hopefully I will not be stymied by Blogger regarding the number of photos I upload.)

On the evening of Independence Day we joined Gordon, Diana and many others on the roof of their block of flats to watch the fireworks. The photo shows one of scores of rockets (and Washington Monument to the left) that were on view at any given time across the horizon. Although they were some distance away the sheer scale of activity was amazing. The ones set off on the White House lawn were closer at hand but we could not hear the accompanying orchestral music.


On another day we took the metro to the Zoo station and did a green walk around three sides of Georgetown, starting at Rock Creek Park and continuing along the C&O Canal.


We also walked round the houses of the rich and famous who have lived there. The photo shows a house that was once an Inn that Thomas Jefferson used to stay in - it looks very much the shape of an old English pub. Georgetown was a thriving port long before DC was built and its affluence is reflected in the number of large but old houses. Its feel reminded us of an upmarket version of Balmain in Sydney. You know you have made it when you can buy a place in Georgetown. That is why they have not troubled to have a Metro station, with some inconvenience to tourists, chauffeurs and others.

This picture shows some small and twee-looking terraced housing which was once the accommodation of freed slaves. One doubts very much that they looked anything like this for its original occupants. Still, in our local paper a converted barn was recently advertised for £1 m. Hold on to an old shack, do it up and you never know what it will be worth in due course.


As always it was good to see Gordon and Diana again and enjoy their urban lifestyle for a couple of weeks. We ate out more than over the rest of the year combined and this is a pleasure given the quality and cheapness of the food. It was so hot that I always wore shorts during the day time (sorry no pics). DC is very walkable and public transport is cheap and good in the inner core. We had a very varied visit this time and even after this fifth one we have not yet visited all the sites. And we only hit the Mall on two occasions, to extend our wardrobes and Barbara's shoe collection.

Here's to the next one!
(The photos here are mine and on Part 1 largely Gordon and Barbara's.)

US HOLIDAY (Part 1)

Guess where we went on our recent holiday - here is a clue:


The visit was to celebrate Gordon's birthday and to experience 4th July celebrations. We also spent a lot of time walking round the city in the high 90s F and feel we have a good idea of our way round the centre, Georgetown and areas west.

All Gordon wanted for a present was an iPhone and it went on sale at 4pm on his birthday. How could the 2 events be conjoined? First by a strategy to work out where the shop queues would be shortest on a Friday evening preceding a holiday weekend; then queuing for over two hours with similarly inspired ...ummm...fana...umm...enthusiasts. But then shock, horror it would not work, help-lines were permanently engaged, memories of broken toys at Christmas came to mind... Anyway three days later and all was well.



Our Ross Noble CD was received with more circumspection.


The 4th July parade was quite an international affair featuring school and military bands, batten twirlers, dancers from central american countries and even what looked like 17th century British soldiers (!?!), and not to mention a reminder that the girls all like men in be-medalled uniforms. Having seen arrangements for security for London parades those for DC seemed incredibly lax. No barriers between pavement and road, and leisure cyclists riding back and fro beside the paraders. And this in the military HQ of the US.








































Gordon later took a shine to this vehicle but was not impressed at the offered trade in value of his *Ph*ne for part exchange. OOps, Blogger is playing up. The caption should read "This photo was taken with the *Ph*n*."


The following weekend we weaved our way through the byways of Maryland past Sugarloaf Mountain and on to Harpers Ferry. We stayed at a retro B&B that was very well done up in Victorian style:



HF is a former industrial town at the confluence of the rivers Potomac and Shenandoah at which an ill fated uprising took place which historians believe sparked the Revolution. It is now a museum town run as a National Park with lovely scenery and interesting re-enactments.














We assumed that this house had incorporated a smaller one (unpainted shape) which extended further to the side where there is a low stone wall:


(Part 2 to follow)

GARDEN TALES

Being round the house a lot at this time of they year one is much more aware of what the animals are up to. Unfortunately two sad tales follow.

Whilst we were away earlier this year a pair of robins decided to set up home in a flower box under the porch. However, our toings and froings disturbed them and they abandoned the two eggs that the female had laid. Soon after another, or perhaps the same, pair decided to do the same but on a shelf in the loggia (a covered area, open on one side) at the back of the house. We saw them frequently flying in with moss or dry grass to make a nest and not long after mother robin laid a pair of eggs. They too abandoned them, presumably because it is also an area that we often pass by. Barbara decided to take the nest out so that they would get the message that the shelf was not a good choice for a nest. Unfortunately, another two eggs were then laid in the spot where the nest had been and the robins did not stay. We think that mother robin just had to lay the eggs and did so in the spot she knew. Here is the end result but in the nest they built earlier (and outside the loggia).

The eggs are about the size of my thumbnail.



The second story is more of a mystery. We have a bird box for blue tits with a special steep roof to discourage squirrels from looking in. Quite early on in the egg laying season some tits appeared to be nesting there but than a squirrel thought it would be fun to enlarge the entrance and climb in. So no blue tits this year. And the squirrel moved on to other high jinks.
The box is a tight squeeze for a squirrel but to our surprise a few weeks later one was perched uncomfortably on the top next to the trunk whilst another was moving around inside the box. It appeared that the one outside was on a vigil because it was there for some hours and that the other one might be giving birth. Over the next few days the squirrel inside seemed to be doing a lot of wriggling around and at one stage both her(?) head and tail were sticking out of the port hole! There was no sign of the other one.



A few days later and it was clear that she had left the box. I peered inside and there is a scattering of leaves on the floor but nothing else.

Presumably mum squirrel thought better of the accommodation, and dad has done a runner.

WILMINGTON MAN (?)

Long time no blog. We have just been a tad busy.

We recently had a walk around the famous man (click on the picture for a bigger image). Apparently for many years he was marked out in the form of depressed lines so that he was only visible when sidelit or it had been snowing.

And then tourism person or similar thought - Aaaah! - and had his outline made in bricks and painted white. Job done, ancient legacy violated but lots of visitors can come to see him all year round. But wait a minute, where are his masculine credentials?? And isn't he holding the sticks in a rather twee fashion?

Nevertheless it is a very pleasant walk on the South Downs and along the Cuckmere River.

OCTAGONS

I have long been interested in structures with an octagonal footprint. Until a couple of years ago the only ones I had seen were at garden centres and the like, and I rather fancied making one with a peaked roof and an oak frame. The geometry of the frame was what particularly caught my fancy, but the challenge of designing and making an octagonal building also appealed to me.

Last summer we came across pigeon lofts built on a grander scale like this one in Surrey. It is a bit decrepit outside and no longer used by pigeons. Apparently when they were fashionable on large estates one could only build them with Council permission. The pigeons were seen as an alternative source of fresh meat. And in Surrey.... their poo was used as a basis for saltpetre which was used in making gunpowder.

There is a joke somewhere here.

Looking inside the building this is what one sees of the roof. Very interesting. The walls are covered in a row after row of little cubby holes where the pigeons would roost. In taking this picture I had to be very careful of where I was standing and leaning: pigeon lofts are not congenial or hygienic places to linger in.


In looking for photos for this note I came across this one of a charming shelter in a village green somewhere in the Cotswolds.




















It's roof is even more elaborate.




My "dream" will not happen unfortunately because I cannot think of a sensible place to put one in the garden

FORTIETH ANNIVERSARY

It has been a long time since my previous post, with good reason. We have been celebrating!

Early in February we had a sampler snow holiday trying for the first time to do cross country skiing, snow shoeing, tobogganning, ice skating and curling. The weather at first was mild and wet so we tried the first activity when there was hard ice on the ground and water on top. Not easy, but we were not the two in the party who acquired a broken collar bone and a torn leg ligament from day one. But bruises on our posteriors, yes. The group we were in was a mix of ages from 15 to OAP age but was very cohesive, and we enjoyed the delights of Kandersteg cuisine together in the evenings.

Because of the shortage of flights (half term week!) we had to get up at 2.30am to return home and when we returned we had an email from the boys asking when we would be free some afternoon through to the following morning. In our state of acute sleep deprivation we were baffled at this. Delightfully, this was to go to Trevor Nunn's production of Porgy and Bess at the Savoy Theatre and to stay overnight in a Mayfair hotel. This production has an excellent and large cast with great singing voices and dancing skills, Gershwin's music is sublime and the whole was as tightly run as you could hope for. A terrific night out.

We also enjoyed staying up town and took the opportunity to visit Apsley House, home of the the Duke of Wellington. I had no idea that Portugal and France were so grateful for his defeats of Napoleon. Apparently the Portuguese King and his entourage were so wary of Napoleon that they handed over their army to Wellington's command - and then left their country poste- haste.

Wellington's wife considered him the most honest man in a corrupt era, but we noted that he took masterpieces from the Portuguese and French Royal art collections for his own house. Our gain is their loss.

One other gem. There was a portrait of a royal's illegitimate daughter. Because of her illegitimacy she was not allowed to marry (sins of the father visited on the daughter!). So she was packed off to a nunnery for women of similar social standing. Words fail.

PLUSES and minuses

Since retiring

I no longer:
- wear a raincoat or suit and tie; plain black shoes
- walk 3/4 mile every week day
- devote 11 hours a day to my employers
- spend hours at long meetings

but I now:
- travel long haul much more (blame our sons)
- shop during the week
- feel much fitter, playing badminton twice a week and often walking five miles or so
- play better badminton
- have a blog, take and edit digital photos, ditto videos, have a flikr site
- read books even when not on holiday
- wash, iron, clean a bit, cook a bit
- do more gardening and more DIY
- have more projects, at least three of which are incomplete at any given time (e.g. digitise family snaps)
- have less income and lower expenditure
- spend more time at home, and with my best mate (my wife)
- regard a visit to London as an occasional stimulating activity
- know more about our local community and its issues
- do some volunteering


and enjoy every minute of it! (almost)

Boxing Day 2006

It was a relatively quiet Christmas for us apart from Boxing Day when the family assembled at Domus Turpinus Hamptonium. After a splendid meal provided by Ellie using a recipe she was given by the Maharaja of Somewhere we ventured out into the mild air to watch skaters at Hampton Court.

Most of these were happy to pay £10 for the privilege of tentatively skating around with a mass of other people in between standing at the side and telling their friends how exciting/frightening/packed it was and blocking the view of genuine spectators - like ourselves.

Once we had enjoyed watching the masochists and calmed down one of our hyperventilating number (blue trousers) we retreated to the Domus for a tasteful game of Them and Us.



















For those of you who are strangely not familiar with this game we split into two teams - men and women. I see that you are catching on already. The provocative element of the game is that double points are scored for answering questions about the failings and foibles of one's own sex, or exhibiting knowledge of the other sexes specialisms (e.g. men revealing some of their (rare) boorish habits or showing how much they know about fashion. Both teams focused on the provocative!

This game, accompanied by suitable libations, proved be very raucous and competitive. Nathalie kept score in in a manner that would please an Australian umpire, but despite this disadvantage James' knowledge of Supermarkets and Boy Bands helped the Men's team to pip the Women on the rails, after trailing behind for much of the game.

I will not repeat the unnecessary controversy sparked by the result. Unfortunately I forgot to suggest to James that he should get out more.

Andrew provided an interactive Top Gear type DVD game which sought answers to obscure questions about even more obscure motor vehicles that few of us - other than Andrew and James - could answer. Nevertheless, we were punished heavily in each round of the game by being demoted to "ownership" of a lesser vehicle. Thinks, should one watch more of certain TV progs?

( N.B. Fortunately I have been able to report the procedings of this memorable day very frankly, in the knowledge that none of the other participants are likely to remember enough of it to contradict me.)