Tibet

On Saturday Nick and I will fly out to Kathmandu to start our BIG trip. We're joining Red Spokes to cycle from Lhasa back to Kathmandu. But if we're flying to Kathmandu how do we get to Lhasa? As we're joining a tour we're allowed to fly into China from Nepal, which makes life a bit simpler than having to fly to Beijing and then get tot Tibet!

Its approximately 600miles and the map above gives my estimate of the route and the approximate positions of some of the really big passes in red (many over 5000m - eek!). I have also drawn in the detour to Everest basecamp and the Rongbuk monastery, though as its not marked on the map, that looks a bit wild!

We have a lot of kit - we need to deal with it being hot in Kathmandu (35 C) and maybe -15 C up on the Tibetan plateau! I'm not sure how we'll squeeze it all in and a bicycle (Bertie, Nick will rent one in Kathmandu) - currently I'm at 10kg stuff and 12kg bike!

Cafe Soya

We had a super trip to Cafe Soya in the Arcadian, with Kira - exceptionally tasty food, like the wontons above and the monk noodles below, and also the summer noodles!

Black Rock Desert Rocket Launch!

Bliss! For the first time in a week I have had a shower! I have been out in the Black Rock Desert with the rest of the team from HAB laanching rockets with the Rocket Mavericks, NASA and Sony. We had designed an experiment to collect and analyse microbes up in the stratosphere. Unfortunately, despite lots of planning and excitement, the rocket we were on plummeted to the earth without a proper parachute and so our air sample was expelled on impact and our little device was made into a paperweight!! Nevertheless, we have all had a fabulous time - even sneaking into the Fly Geyser and the Frogpond thermal spring for a wash! (the frogs were as big as my size 7 feet!!). We have a few days to go before we head home, hopefully we'll pop into NASA Ames to give a seminar.

NSCR Holland with Wampe

Cyanotyping for Black Rock

In a couple of weeks I am off to the Black Rock Desert for an amazing trip - to launch balloons and rockets that will contain a device we have made for sampling the air in the Stratosphere to try and detect microbes at 41km above the surface of the earth - above the ozone layer. We'll be sampling the air around the launch sites to check how many microbes are present at ground level and I wanted to record the plates by using what we'll have a lot of - sunshine. So I have used some agar dishes (one with bacteria on the right and one without on the left) as 'masks' on a cyanoprint. And you can really see the little bugs!! The cyanotyping takes advantage of the photochemical properties of iron hexacyanoferrate (which you might know as Prussian blue). I simply painted the light sensitive chemical on to some paper in the dark, left it to dry and then in the sunshine place the two dishes on top for 2 and a half minutes before washing in cold water to stop the process.

Olivetto and gardens

We had a super weekend in the new garden in Guildford, visiting Olivetto for dinner - very tasty pasta with porcini mushrooms and lots of yummy deserts. Then a trip to the Springwatch Fair to view the sun through special telescope (DO NOT try it at home!!). Then farewell to Dougal and Soazig again!

At the Hay Festival

We had a fabulous day at the Hay festival! We got up early and drove down so that we got there for elevenses (Bara Brith) and plenty of time to browse around the bookshops. I found a couple of 200 year old books!! Then after a light lunch we wandered back to the festival site for Marcus de Sautoy's talk about maths. Afterwards we did the Arts trail, doing some kirigami, seeing the amazon in 3D and even hearing opera in a shed! Then we heard Micheal Jacob's talk about the Andes, in a rather eccentric & eclectic manner before heading home again, fuelled by Welsh cakes.

sunny cycling

A heat wave! And so we went for a peddle down to Hatton, returning along the canal cycling up numerous locks, and past this one cooling the air with a little water spray.

Elephants on the South Bank

Fish Pie

We've had a fabulous weekend enjoying lots of really good food. Here is our fish pie - chocolate mousse topped with whipped cream with a hint of Talisker. We made some little moulds for fish shaped chocolates on the top!

Or may be we should have.....

Thom's tea bread

A recipe gleaned from a parents evening that S&J went to for their son Thom. Its very yummy with a nice sourness from the apple and a very clean taste.

25g porrige oats
55g brown suger
1 medium bramley apple core, peeled and grated
6 tbsp apple juice
4 tbsp olive oil
115g self raising flour
115g sultanas
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp mixed spice
1 medium egg beaten

Put oats, sugar, apple juice & olive oil into a bowl, mix and leave 15 mins. Then add the flour, sultanas, spice, baking powder & egg. Mix lightly, spoon into a loaf tin and bake at 180°C for 45min. Cool and then eat!

Hecticium is FIVE!!!

On Friday this week my blog will be five! I can hardly believe the time has gone by so quickly. So I have been thinking what I should make - may be these macaroons? (3 medium egg whites whisked with 60g caster sugar and then folded into 100g ground almonds and 140g icing sugar, baked at 140°C for 15min, and sandwiched together with butter icing).

Fragoline

I was in Rome last week for a couple of days for work, but we managed to get in some brilliant dinners, both near the Pantheon in the very centre on Rome. I discovered, thanks to our Italian hosts two new grape varieties - Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso and Greco di Tufo, a red and a white respectively. Both very yummy! And of course its already strawberry season in Italy so I had a lovely big bowl of the wild ones - the fragoline!

NESTA-NASA competition

(image from the NESTA website)

Do you know a budding you scientist doing their A levels? Would they like to win a trip to accompany us to NASA Ames and see a rocket launch in the Black Rock Desert in Nevada, and help us with our experiments? Go to the NESTA-NASA link here!

Santa Maria sopra Minerva

Harrogate continued

So we did indeed head off to Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal which is a world heritage site. We wandered down to the the ruined abbey sheltered in a beautiful sheltered valley. The abbey was built in 1132 and must have been a sight to see - even the ruins are enormous. Of course with the dissolution of the monasteries it came to an end, but there are still lots of buildings and beautiful tiles. A favourite spot was the cellarium, still with its beautiful vaulted ceiling. Walking along the river we saw myriad flowers - forget-me-nots, bluebells, wild garlic, cowslips. We went up to the surprise view at Anne Boleyn's seat and the temple of fame! Then of course some tasty chocolate cake overlooking the lake before retuning to the car and pottering through the hills to Brimham Rocks, where we tried out our bouldering skills. N then took me on a tour of the area up to Addingham and Ilkely and ending up at the Cow and Calf Rocks for a vast vista across the valley, liberally sprinkled with dry stone walls and emerald green fields in the first flush of spring grass. Back in Harrogate we went out for an early tea, hungry after our wanderings. We headed for the Chinese Royal Baths, where they had renovated the atrium to the Turkish baths for a restaurant. The setting was stunning and the food was pretty tasty too!

This morning we pottered into town for coffee and muffins for breakfast, checked out of the eccentric Majestic Hotel and then started our journey south. Near Wakefield we checked out Nostell Priory. I particularly liked the library and the butlers pantry - so well ordered! After rhubarb scones we pottered onto the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. It must be seven or eight years since I had been and it looked a bit different with a very modern and lovely visitor centre, but the Henry Moore sculptures were still resplendent in the country park. And there was this beautiful sheepie too. Having dodged the rain and hail successfully we headed home, for a rest!

Harrogate

We came up to Harrogate on Friday night for a little relaxing weekend. N had booked us into the Majestic Hotel and as we pulled up I tried to imagine what this enormous building had been before a hotel - a hospital perhaps when judged from the outside, or may be a huge retirement home when we got inside - but it had been built in 1900 as a spa hotel. Our room on the fourth floor looks out over the lawns towards the old royal baths, and has a lovely oldy worldy feel with a giant bathroom with white tiles with little pink flowers on them all. Dinner on Friday was in the hotel itself, the menu was a delight but the room we dined in was something like a school refectory and though all the elements of the courses were wonderful the execution and presentation were somewhat peculiar. N said it was like the chef had read some great books about cuisine but had never actually seen anything!

In the morning we went for a potter into Harrogate. Breakfast was had at Cocoa - free delicious danish pastries with every hot drink (strawberry tea for me) and good bacon butties! After a little browsing we decided to walk up to Harlow Carr, stopping at Cupcakes by Charley for blueberry cheesecake and chocolate orange cupcakes on the way. It was a super walk up Cold Bath Road (named after a spring with really cold water that was good for the eyes - I wonder if the Coldbath Road in Brum has the same claim to fame!). We past lots of beautiful houses and trees in blossom. At Harlow Carr it was Tulip Madness! We walked down to the lower garden, past the willow whale to see a drum band filling the air with fabulous music. Then up to the log maze and past the logness monster and back to the tulips at the front.

Back in town we found some lovely looking restaurants for dinner and managed to book a table at the fantastic Drum and Monkey fish restaurant in the Montpellier area. So with some time to spare before dinner we headed off to the jacuzzi and sauna for a little relaxation. There were a couple of weddings going on in the hotel so when we went down to the bar later the place was filled with men in kilts and ladies in pretty dresses!! We went into town early and had a drink in the Winter Gardens too - it must have been a grand place to visit at the turn of the last century! Then on to the restaurant. We were greeted by the smell of fantastic food and were shown into a cosy front room to eat at a marble topped old cast iron sewing table with the drum and monkey looking down at us from the window. What a choice of dishes, it was hard to choose! But eventually N went for Niddledale smoked trout and then Malaysian fish brochettes and I had croustade of fish mourney and then monk fish with lemon and capers. These were all delicious and N nearly booked a table for tonight too! We were just about the last to leave as we lingered over our glasses of wine, too full for desserts too!

This morning we have been to Betty's tea rooms for breakfast. Bircher muesli, croissants with smoked salmon or bacon and cheese and the raspberry macaroon above! Fantastic!! And as the rain as gone off, it was only a light shower anyway, we shall go out and explore Fountains Abbey, Brimham Rocks and Ilkely.

Webskins with Kira

For the first time my photos were exhibited at the University, at the recent Immunosenescence conference. They are pictures I took with Kira last autumn in Laura's garage, which had lots of great old spiders webs. Kira draped them over her arms, and they look just like stockings. They're really close up, so in the picture on the far right hand side you can just see the little hairs on Kira's arm and the wisps of the spider silk. Many thanks to Kira for including them in her exhibit, mounting and putting up the images.

Spring in Long Bennington

Out for a little potter through the village in the first warm sunshine of the year we saw lots of pretty flowers!

Edinburgh - day 8

We were up especially early this morning and after a quick muffiny breakfast we headed out of St Andrews, peddling surprisingly quickly up the hills. We reached Glenrothes by 11 and stopped in Kirkcauldy for lunch at Miss Maudes. Then a long slog round to the Forth Road Bridge, along a rather badly damaged sea wall where we had to carry the bikes over 2 meter holes! Over the bridge and into Queensferry for more cake and coffee before the last gasp into Edinburgh. 62 miles today and some 450 in total.

Getting close!

St Andrews - day 7

More sunshine this morning! We peddled out of Montrose and down to Arbroath for carrot cake and coffee. Over the hills and further south, with a bit of wind again. At Broughty Ferry we went into the Glass Pavillion for lunch. A super art deco place with live music in the evenings. We showed our driving licenses at the Port of Dundee entrance and took a short cut past lots of sheds, then up onto the Tay bridge by a lift! Around the coast on the otherside we went off road through the Tentmuir forest, where N spotted a red squirrel whereas I only saw some bunnies. Then a last push in to St Andrews for a very nice Thai tea. 54 miles.

Arbroath

Montrose - day 6

what a difference - brilliant sunshine greeted us as we left the youth hostel and pottered over the hills to Stonehaven. We met up with Auntie Kath at Mollies cafe for hot chocolate and coffee, then another quick uphill and a brief look at Dunnottar Castle. Then, saying bye to Auntie Kath, we peddled through the sunshine down to Inverbervie for jacket potatoes for a late lunch. We pottled over the hills and down the coastal path at Jonhshaven and into Montrose, arriving for once at a reasonable time! Staying at the lovely Links Hotel we enjoyed a really super dinner and the music drifting up from the folk and jazz club. 48 miles.

Dunnottar Castle

Aberdeen - day 5

The weather forecast was not good - 30mile an hour winds from the south and we were heading south, so they were in our faces all day! We set off from Rattray and headed in land and south, over a few small hills. Average speed about 5mph! We headed for Cruden Bay, hoping for a cafe but unfortunately there wasn't anything. Instead we bought some rowies and hot chocolate from the shoppie down by the harbour in Port Errol and sat outside, sheltering from the wind and rain. We peddled onwards to Newburgh, still no cafe, but at least the sun came out as we sat on a bench outside another shop for sandwiches. The wind was still mammothly strong and we battled to Aberdeen to the SYHA, 50miles.

To Rattray head - day 4

The weather wasn't quite so nice as last night as we squelched our way up the hill out of Cullen. Our first stop was Portsoy for rowies, from the local bakery, for breakfast down by the harbour. It was windy and wet but onwards we went and took refuge in The Coffee Pot Cafe in Banff. The owner did a fine line in sausage sandwiches (and also blackpudding sandwiches) and took pitty on us as we left giving us some lollipops to keep us going. We battled in to the wind up to Fraserburgh and spent only a few minutes looking round the harbour beofre ploughing on to Rattray Head where we were staying at the ecohostel, which is in the old lighthouse keepers house. Its was lovely, and we had it to ourselves - stoking up the fire and cooking up a lot of pasta. 52miles

Cullen - day 3

Setting off from Inverness we turned East and started our two days across the top. We pottered along next to the water and past Benromach and Glenmoranjie distilleries. We found a super place called the Loft for lunch (braised lamb shank) and as we came to Buckie the sun came out and we had a really good view out across the sea. The last leg was along a coastal path and then an old railway route over the viaduct into Cullen. We were booked into the Cullen Harbour Hostel and as we arrived they offered us some tea - roast pheasant no less! What a way to finish the day, watching the sun go down over the harbour. 68 miles

Inverness again - day 2

We slept like logs! But we up at 7.30 to have breakfast and set off again. Naomi from the hostel promised fewer hills and we bowled along to Golspie, where we had cupcakes in Poppies cafe. Past the Clynlish distillery. Onwards along the coast and past lichen clad trees. There were seals and lots of birds - oyster catchers, red shanks?, little waders, godwits and many more. For lunch we stopped in Tain, just past Glenmoranjie, at the SUnflower cafe, where they had haggis lasagne on the menu! THen in to the hills to Alness and a sneaky hop across the A9 bridge before heading on to the small roads through Culbokie and finally to Inverness. A massive 72 miles but in 10h so much better going than yesterday!

Helmsdale - still day 1

From Inverness we got a wee train up to WIck, passing by snow topped mountains and deer filled moors, even seeing a small heather fire. Quite strange as there was snow on the ground too. At Wick a Spanish woman asked which way to go with her bicycle to John O'Groats - very brave without a map! We pointed her north and set out south - into the wind. The sun was shining and though it was hard work we made good progress. And then the big hills began! The biggest had a 13% gradient and I made it up about halfway before having to push, quickly being over taken by a walker! Then we were rewarded with a full 4miles swooping downhill into Helmsdale and to a lovely little youth hostel in an old gymnasium with super high ceilings. In all 42 miles (including the 7 we did in Brum), arived at 8.20! SO the WIck to Helmsdale strtetch was 37miles in 5 & 1/2h!

Inverness

NSCR Wick to Edinburgh day 1

Last night we set off in the rain to New Street, being conscious of the new bike (Bertie) I locked him to Nick's bike on the train to
Crewe, using my new kryptonite gold standard lock. As we came to get off the lock wouldn't unlock but we lifted the bikes off the train together. The station master lent us a hack saw but we had to pay a visit to the fire station to get Dave, Phil and Chris to cut the lock off with an angle grinder as the key eventually fatigued and broke in the lock and there was no way to get it off, they even tried those pneumatic pliers which were damaged by the lock! Tough lock but not so the key! But we made it and got on the train to Inverness. It was freezing!! As the sun came up we saw a beautiful snow covered landscape and now we're in Inverness for a spot of breakfast before the next train to Wick.

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Vietnam & Cambodia February 2008

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Birthday treats!

Lovely birthday treats - including a home made carrot cake with vanilla frosting!

Eating out in Brum

Smoked haddock pasta at Red Peppers in the Mailbox - very yummy!



Extremely delicious ramen at Wagamama's with Sally!

Valentine's Day Cookies

We saw some cookies very much like these in Fortnum's when we were out for the Monopoly project a couple of weeks ago, so I thought I'd make some for today!

140 years of the periodic table

Catching up on reading Nature I spotted that it was 140 years since Dmitri Mendeleev came up with the first periodic table back in December. So to celebrate Nick and I have rustled up a simple sponge and decorated with icing for all the elements, though didn't quite have enough space for the lanthanides and actinides. It tastes very yummy!

Walking in the snow

What will they think of next?

Not sure this is a great idea - chocolate probiotic drinks?!!

New Years Eve Dinner - with the Mafia

For New Year's Eve we had Vicki, Seb and Adrian round for dinner in a Mafia style party - all dressed in black and looking very swish! And of course a Mafia inspired menu to go with it!


Homemade minestrone soup

This one was adapted from a soup book I have had for ages but haven't really used - shame on me! Its very yummy and well worth the effort.

1 smoked gammon (~1kg)
1 onion quartered
1 cellery stick roughly chopped
1 tsp black pepper corns
1 bayleaf
4 litres water

1 tbsp olive oil
2 celery sticks, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely copped
70g tomato puree
2 beef tomatoes, skinned, seeded and finely chopped

pasta made from 1 egg and strong white flour, shapped as orrichette

fresh parsley and parmesan to serve

Roast the gammon and onions in a 200C oven, then trim off the excess fat and boil with the peppercorns, onion and bayleaf for 2 hours, uncovered, topping up with the water as you go, especially as 4 litres proabaly won't fit in one pan. Then remove the meat from the stock, keep the meat and strain the stock through muslin. Put everything in the fridge overnight.


The following day skim off any fat from the stock and shred the meat, removing any chewy looking bits. Fry off the new celery and carrots in the olive oil for a couple of minutes before adding the meat, tomato puree and chopped tomatoes. Then add the stock and simmer for 20min. Add the pasta and simmer for another 30min or until cooked. Serve with parsley, parmesan and seasoning.



Rum marinaded Sirloin with roast potaotes and green beans

This was inspired by a recipe from The Kitchen of Light but we didn't have any vodka, so substituted white rum instead. We took a 1kg peice of beautiful matured sirloin and marinaded in for 3 days in 1tbsp coarse seasalt, 2 tbsp crushed black peppercorns, 3 tbsp chopped parsley, 1 tsp fresh thyme, 3 crushed garlic cloves, 100ml white rum and 70ml olive oil. It was roasted at 200C for about 50min (though 40 would proably have done for a rarer roast) and served with yummy roasted potatoes and crunchy green beans.



Bombino! A melon wrapped in black icing to look like a bomb!

Duck racing in Bottesford

Snowmen

Yesterday we were at Jean and Dick's for the annual Higgs Christmas party, and this is the Christmas cake decorated by Jess, Anna and Lucy.

Glass decorations

Beautiful fused glass decorations

Evolution round up

Well it's been an exciting year doing the evolution project. I have looked at all the ingredients that have been used and made this wordl - as you can see aubergine was the most popular ingredient and made it in to 7 of the 12 recipes, closely followed by garlic in 6 of them! And here's my idea of an evolutionary tree - the distances between the months represent the number of ingredients carried on and the branch lengths represent the number of additional ingredients!

Evolution December - Christmas cookies

For the final recipe in the evolution series I have made a great shift to Christmas cookies using a few of the ingredients from Dougal and Soazig's contribution. The recipe can be found on this earlier blog entry.

Bristol

On Friday we went down to Bristol so that I could make some more fused glass for an up coming Christmas fair. While it was 'cooking' we walked all round the city, up to the Christmas steps and Clifton and the suspension Bridge, finishing off in the Olive Shed for delicious tapas overlooking the river.

Evolution November - Afghan dish and Honey and oat bread

This month the evolution recipe comes from Dougal and Soazig over in Stavanger, Norway. They have revisited the aubergines in this Afghan dish and made some very tasty breads too!

Afghan dish

4-5 aubergines
1 onion
tomato paste
bouquet garni
4-5 garlic
cumin
Yogurt
mint, parsley
Cardamon

Grill the aubergines in oil (or in the oven - I like the latter better). Sauce: Put oil, onion in a pan and let the onion turn golden. Add the tomato paste. Let it cook for a while and add some water and the bouquet garni and the cumin. Let it cook until you get a thicker tomato sauce. In a bowl mix the yogurt with the garlic and the mint . Add salt and pepper (lots). In a dish put 1 layer of aubergines, 1 layer of yogurt, 1 layer of tomato sauce and do it twice more. Put in the oven for 20-25 min at 180°C. Serve with rice that has been in the oven for 10 min to dry it a little bit. Add Cardamon seeds.


Honey and Oat Bread

65g (2.oz) jumbo porridge oats
450g (1lb) strong plain white flour
2.5ml (1 tsp) salt
7g sachet (1 tsp) fast action dried yeast
30ml (2 tbsp) honey
30ml (2 tbsp) golden syrup
50g (2oz) butter
120ml (4fl oz) milk
120ml (4fl oz) water
75g (3oz) dried cranberries / or raisins
40g (1 oz) chopped walnuts milk, for glazing jumbo porridge oats, for sprinkling

1. Mill the oats. Add the flour, salt and yeast.
2. Place the honey, golden syrup, butter and milk in a saucepan and heat gently until the butter melts. Stir in the water. The mix should now be just warm; if necessary leave to cool.
3. Add the liquids to the dry ingredients and mix on minimum for 1 minute and 4 minutes on speed 1 to make a soft dough, which is smooth and elastic. Remove the Bowl with the dough inside, cover with oiled clear film and leave to rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, until doubled in size.
4. Lightly oil 2 baking sheets. Gently knock back the dough. Mix in the cranberries and walnuts. Transfer to a lightly floured surface, divide in two and shape into plump rounds. Place on the prepared baking sheets.
5. Cover with oiled clear film and leave in a warm place to rise, for about 30-40 minutes, until they have doubled in size. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6.
6. Brush with milk, slash across the top of each loaf and sprinkle with oats. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until risen and golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Alicante

This week I am working at the University of Alicante, last night I hot footed it down to the city to climb up to the castle. I just amde it as the sun painted the horizon red. On the way down I joined Anke, Cristoph and Alejandro for tapas after we all got a little lost! This was all after having a traditional lunch with my host at the university, so am feeling very full but delighted by all the tasty food, and kindness of strangers, again.

Evolution October - Rosemary Mushrooms, Prawn and Apple Quiche, Limy lentils and Seared Tuna and Thai Green Curry

The latest in the evolution experiment is from Laughing Magpie on Chattering Chough, what a splendid selection of recipes! They include something for everyone, and one of my all time favourites Prawn and Apple Quiche, pictured above!

A walk around Belton House in Linconshire

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Glass fusing in Bristol

Just a few examples of the glass I made at the Creative Glass Guild last weekend on their slumping and fusing weekend course - absolutely brilliant, and great fun with Vicki, and joining the boys for dinner in the evenings!

Evolution September - Prawn and lentil curry

This month I have been inspired by Wampe's ingredients and a recipe we've been enjoying from the Siansbury's magazine, a light coconut milk based curry with prawns. I would have liked bigger ones, but couldn't lay me hands on any!

200g big prwans, raw
a little oil
a thumb of ginger, grated
1 red chilli,chopped, medium strength as the coconut milk will counteract quite a lot of the chilli
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 teaspoon shrimp paste
200ml coconut milk, the lighter version works well too
1 400g tin cooked green lentils, drained and rinsed

In a wok heat the oil and then add the ginger, garlic, chilli and shrimp paste and fry for a couple of minutes without browning, add the prawns, lentils and coconut milk and simmer for about 5 min or until the prawns are cooked and everything is bubbling and hot. Then serve and enjoy! Very simple!!

Village Cafe

It was Charlie's birthday yesterday so we all met up in town for a wee trip to the Electric Cinema to see Away we go, splashing out and sitting on the sofas with a nice cup of tea or a bottle of beer! But first we went to the Village Cafe on Ladywell Walk opposite the Arcadian centre in Birmingham where they served me the best Mee Goreng I have had in years, the rest of the food was delicious too and such an authentic feeling place! Highly recommended!

Pitt Rivers Museum

A fleeting trip, on Thom's first birthday, to see the eclectic Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford, full of so many treasures, and even a cleft stick, though it wasn't on show, I found it in the catalogue! The wart medicine was fantastic - first find a black slug, then secretly rub it on your warts and then impale the slug on a thorn! Everything had gorgeous labels, another visit is a definite thing

A trip on the Metro

I took the Metro for the first time, up to Wolverhampton to the Art Museum to see their exhibit on Andy Warhol, which turned out to be not as interesting as the exhibits on Works on Paper and The Northern Ireland collection. On the way back I got off at Bilston to visit the Craft Gallery, which was brilliant. The travelling Playing with Fire contemporary exhibition was fabulous. Then to round things off I popped into the RBSA to see the Friends Autumn exhibition!

Tissington Trail

A quick blast along the Tissington Trail from Parsley Hay to Ashbourne and back, splendid countryside! Whilst having my lunch on a bench just outside Ashbourne Bet stopped for a chat, admiring my independent spirit, as she seemed to be staring into the face of an imminent loss of her partner at 73, we talked for a while and parted with a hug, I hope all goes well for her.

Lab Olympics Medal Shortbreads

Hadrian's Wall

Over the bank holiday weekend I dragged Nick off to the north of England to cycle Hadrian's cycleway route 72. Starting off from Ravenglass, on the coast of Cumbria, we first visited Glennaventa roman baths and then cycled to our first campsite, battling the wind but enjoying dinner in Seascale. Then off north, along the coast past Sellafield, I had no idea it was such a big complex, and the BNFL owned their own trains. Onwards we came through Whitehaven, past the coast to coast marker and along the Solway Coast to Silloth, stopping at a Roman museum along the way. After our second night of camping we came to the start of the wall at Bowness on Solway, making it to Carlisle and hitting 100miles, but peddling on to Haltwhistle, in the rain, for our final camping spot, and a fine dinner in Rowfoot. The last leg took us across the Northumerland National Park and via Vindolanda roman fort and acheaological site, before peaking at 225m, followed by a glorious 7mile downhill run. Finally we cycled in to Newcastle under a threatening sky, and celebrated with a wee drinkie by the river before the train home, after a mere 195miles.

Dougal Pu me on to mapmy ride - and here is the approximate elevation for our trip!