So near and yet so far….

…is my main complaint about Brockholes, Preston’s fantastic, award-winning nature reserve. Although it is situated very close to the outskirts of Preston, unless you have a car it is really, really difficult to get to. The nearest bus stop leaves people with quite a cross-country trek to actually reach the reserve entrance. Preston Bus/Stagecoach Buses PLEASE take note!

Apart from this problem for non-drivers such as myself, I can’t praise Brockholes too highly; the chance to visit with my car-owning daughter and grandsons was a lovely opportunity. The visitor centre actually floats on the main lake [no, I really can’t get my head around that, either]. Walking among the very solid, heavy-looking buildings, on the concrete[?] base [trying not to wonder if we’re going to sink] it’s so wonderful to  actually be in the middle of the lake surrounded by wildfowl. During our visit, a swan was swimming right by the cafe terrace poking its beak through the railings in the hope of  ice-cream. A heron flew close by us over the water, too. What a privilege. In another area we watched coots both in and out of the water and also spotted some tufted ducks.

The ice-cream loving swan. Apologies for the blurry photo.

We looked round the visitor centre, where younger grandson enjoyed crawling into some tempting exploration tunnels, looking at pictures of wildlife we may spot and then having a game of hawks and adders [a fun variation of noughts and crosses]. There is a great amount of information and literature available alongside an extensive programme of events throughout the year. If only I could get there more easily 😦

Further afield there are seemingly endless walking trails with the occasional bird-hide, many smaller water areas and reed beds, and an inviting [yes, even to a 60-year-old] adventure play area. We, however, decided to explore the woodland area leading to the banks of the River Ribble. We saw countless molehills [and a lovely wooden statue of Mr Mole himself] and played a great game of push-small-boys-into-mud.

Information about bitterns which had been spotted there, the knowledge that deer often roamed the area and the lure of the silent bird-hides [which weren’t a place to take noisy boys!] made me yearn to return on my own with my binoculars. Not having any transport of my own due to disability, this seems as though it will continue to be an unfulfilled dream. However, with an of-season car park charge of £3, rising to £5 in Summer, and no entrance fee, I will continue to take every chance I get to visit with whoever is heading that way!

http://www.brockholes.org/

Of Abernethy, Beaches, Cairngorms and Duvets.

Firstly, may I wish you all a:

Sorry – the content of this particular post should be much less cringeworthy from here on.

So, from the title and picture, I hope you have guessed I greeted 2019 up in Scotland: the Cairngorms to be specific. Way back in Summer, when I was giving absolutely no thought whatsoever to late December, I saw an advert in a magazine I get, Woman Alive, for a New Year break at a Christian-run activity centre in Scotland. If you read of my exploits in Northumberland, back in August, you can imagine how much I fancied going anywhere like that ever again – leaky showers, uncomfortable beds, chips and pizza on the menu most days…..not a welcome thought. And yet, God has His way of nagging; he also likes the last laugh I have discovered. And so, I ended up booking for this 4-night break in a place I’d never ever intended visiting and wondering how much I could stomach a menu of haggis pizza. Well, not to put too fine a point on it – I LOVED IT 🙂 It was more like a lovely country house break [apart from the bunk beds, but I did have a room to myself – almost].

[Please don’t tell them I sneaked in an extra guest]

To give you an idea of where the place is, these pics might help?

When I did book, I hadn’t realised just how far up north the place is, but they were happy to collect me from Aviemore station which made it very convenient. I arrived half way through the evening meetings they have, called The Mix, which are a mixture of daft games, information about the next day’s activities [Latvian Logistics*], prayer and worship and teaching. The games involved all types of things – bashing each other’s trays with a newspaper, getting a ping-pong ball moved with a straw and … duvet covers:

In this game, we had to guess what sport the person inside the cover was miming; Anta, who is the amazing co-ordinator from *Latvia, had some very good suggestions for sports to mime; my guesses weren’t very good at all 😦

The theme of the teaching over the 4 nights was Overlooked Bible Characters. We learned about Barabbas, Bathsheba, the kings Hezekiah and Omri, and lastly Barnabas.

The speaker for the event, Gavin, was a wealth of knowledge – it’s amazing what you can learn from the lesser-known characters; each one has their story which is still relevant today.

Ok, so did I join in any activities? Yes – though nothing too strenuous I must confess. I went on a walk round Loch Morlich, which has the highest beach in the UK we were informed. It’s a beautiful beach, but much as I love swimming I wasn’t tempted this time [though there was one brave woman having a dip. brrrr]. I also tried my hand at archery [small bow, nice close targets, but I was still amazed I hit them]. There is a lovely swimming pool, which I DID test, loads of walks in the grounds and surrounding woods and photo opportunities at every turn. For the more adventurous, they have a dry ski slope, a climbing wall, a zip-wire, kayaking, an assault course, bushcraft….far more than you could fit into one short break. I, personally, did enjoy the walk into the local village, Nethybridge. Just over a mile of lovely scenery with a wonderful cafe, Nethy House, at the end of it. You can also walk by the River Nethy [which I did] and in Summer there’s an osprey centre not far away too. I am very tempted to try to return in warmer weather. A swim in the loch and the chance to see ospreys sounds magical.

I did actually see a large flock of bramblings [a lady who was also watching told me what they were] and I might have seen a crossbill but can’t be certain. It’s certainly a good place for bird-watching.

Now, as for the programme of events. Each evening they put up lists of what activities are available the next day [these are also explained in the Latvian Logistics] as many have limited spaces available. These are charged separately but all good value IMHO. You are totally free to have a go or just do your own thing, there’s no pressure whatsoever. On the Sunday morning [30th] those who wanted to were given lifts to the local church in Nethybridge. It was a lovely little church which we packed to the rafters. During the service we sang Happy Birthday to a young man who had turned 10 that day and he was informed that 261 people were singing to him.

After that it was back for a lovely dinner and then I went on the walk round Loch Morlich. It’s easy to forget just how dark areas like that can get – we finished our walk in twilight but already it was getting a little scary. Living in even a small town you just presume there’ll be street lights etc. Total dark wilderness is something else indeed.

Every evening there’s cakes laid on around 4.30, tea is around 6.30 and after The Mix they give you more cakes at 9ish. There’s also a tuck shop if you get peckish each evening and a permanent help-yourself fruit selection, not to mention all the tea and coffee you could want. They cater for gluten-free diets, vegetarians, dairy free, and this particular weekend there was even one guest who was allergic to tap water – yes, they catered for her in their cooking too.

New Year’s Eve morning was when I did my Robin Hood thing, though braver ones then went to do some crate-climbing. I decided a nice sit down with my book and a brew was in order. I actually spent a lot of time sitting in a chair I ‘adopted’ with brews and books – very nice indeed.

New Year’s Eve itself saw a really nice meal followed by The Mix and then a Ceilidh in the sports hall. I did do one dance but the great outdoors was tantalising, even in the cold. There’s something addictive about the taste of pure fresh air! One very important tradition at Abernethy, apparently, is having a game of Knights, Cavaliers and Horses. It’s ridiculous, quite athletic and – to my way of thinking – more fun to watch than play 🙂 Go Google it. Half way through the dancing we were given chips [in case we hadn’t eaten enough] and then there was hot chocolate and shortbread just after midnight, followed by fireworks on the front lawn.

Next morning was very lazy; late breakfasts and many sleepy people lolling around [though some keen ones were off to do various energetic things again. ] That afternoon there was a crazy Hootenanny involving team games and gingerbread houses, but I decided to walk into Nethybridge  and, yes, I went to the amazing cafe there. I was actually surprised it was open on New Year’s Day but  was so glad it was. Feeling as though I’d eaten rather too many cakes recently, I opted for a cheese scone and it was utterly delicious. So much so, I went back the next day half way through my walk by the river to double check the standards hadn’t slipped!

That evening it was Gala Buffet night. The food had been really good all through, but this was something else. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever been to such a spread in my life. There was hot carved meat with all the trimmings, piles of home-made bread and nibbles, salads, pastries and a huge array of cakes and puddings. They invite loads of extra guests for this annual event and the place was packed. To us Brits, Jan 1st is, if anything, time to recover from New Year’s Eve and grumble about the telly, but up in Scotland it’s like the biggest day of the year.

[I was too busy being amazed to take many photos, sorry]

The final day, 2nd Jan, most people left to return home but I had decided to stay another night. Train fares were silly on the 2nd – probably cos it’s still a bank holiday in Scotland. There were about 15 of us staying on so I didn’t quite have the whole place to myself but it was nice to hear the peace and quiet. Loads of children had been for New Year and, although it was lovely to see them all having so much fun, it was easier to read quietly when most had gone home. This day I had decided to sped walking more. I started by going up into the forest a bit and then headed down into the village again to explore the trails by the river. Up til now the temperature had actually been very mild, but today it had dropped sharply. Worrying my nose might fall off with frostbite I took refuge in the Nethy House cafe again – I like my nose! On the way back up to the house for the last time I took some photos to try to show the space and beauty everywhere:

And..I even took a selfie!!!

Thank you so much to all the staff and team at Abernethy, I certainly hope to be back sometime in the not-too-distant future.

nethybridge

https://www.womanalive.co.uk/

https://www.visitscotland.com/info/towns-villages/loch-morlich-p315691

https://www.visitscotland.com/info/see-do/rspb-scotland-loch-garten-osprey-centre-p253771

https://www.nethyhouse.co.uk/

https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/brambling

Prayers are answered – patience may be required.

Image from https://bit.ly/2PZxMZe

For many, many years now I have had a deep longing to visit Galilee. I think it may have been kindled by a verse from a hymn we used to sing at school, Dear Lord and Father of Mankind:

Oh Sabbath rest by Galilee,

Oh calm of hills above

Where Jesus knelt to share with thee, the silence of eternity

Interpreted by love.

Whether or not this was what sparked my dream, I have finally been shown by God that I can now go [many obstacles always presented themselves previously]. And look where I will be sharing this silence of eternity…

Image from https://www.cmj-israel.org/beit-bracha

The guest house is run by the CMJ and overlooks the lake from this  wonderful terrace. I have booked 4 nights next November and am so excited.

The name of the place is Beit Bracha [House of Blessing] and it is sited in Migdal, near Tiberias. It is believed that Mary Magdalene came from here and I have discovered there is LOADS of archaeology from the 1st century to see. History nut that I am, this is amazingly awesome, as is God 🙂

These pictures are from the historical site, which includes a synagogue [where Jesus more than likely taught!], a market place, a wharf and a mansion. Can you imagine how amazing this will be? To see and maybe touch [when officials aren’t looking, perhaps] all these stones from this point in history? I am squeaking with excitement!!!

 

Images from https://www.go-telaviv.com/migdal-israel.html

From what I have read, this stone, above, is actually the most important artefact to be uncovered – it is the oldest known depiction of the 2nd Temple and its menorah. I’m sure I’ll have loads to tell you about it when I get home again.

Meanwhile, for more information, try some of these links:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Migdal,_Israel

https://www.cmj.org.uk/

http://www.magdala.org/visit/archaeological-park/synagogue/

The Titanic Hotel, Liverpool -a great hotel but with a few small leaks.

My daughter and I had decided to treat ourselves to a show in Liverpool last Friday [9th November] and, with one thing leading to another, we ended up booking ourselves B&B at the Titanic Hotel and planned a shopping spree the day after. Normally, we go for Premier Inn or similar accommodation, but we had decided to really push the boat out [‘scuse the pun] and go for a top-class hotel.

The actual building is a beautifully converted old warehouse right by the dockside, and many of the original features have been kept. There is also a wonderful selection of White Star Line artefacts which all add to the atmosphere. The staff were very friendly and helpful; we were given our keycards and the basics concerning the bar, restaurant and breakfast were explained.

From the first picture above, you will see that the corridors are spacious, with low-level lighting. Although this adds to the  feeling of being in an old building, it made finding the swipe pad on the door very difficult. I am quite sure that anybody with visual impairment would find it nigh-on impossible to use without assistance. Some sort of good light is very much needed for the actual doorways, I feel. Another strange thing we noticed on the corridor was that most of the rooms had empty bottles lined up outside waiting to be collected. Not only did this give an untidy impression overall, they were still there a good few hours later – not something I would expect in the corridor of a luxury hotel.

The room itself was lovely and spacious, a good range of hot drinks-making facilities was provided with some cookies and both still and sparkling water. The toiletries, soft furnishings and decor were beautiful and the furniture and beds very comfortable indeed. The TV had many functions – from viewing hotel info, seeing transport details and a good range of music playlists. We listened to Bon Jovi and Abba while we relaxed, there aren’t many artistes my daughter and I agree on!

We did, however, notice a strange smell occasionally – something like bad drains perhaps. As we were in the middle of an industrial area of the docklands we thought it might be due to that – it was strange but not overwhelming so we didn’t complain. I decided to relax in the shower – it was one of those rainfall types and I do love them. It was powerful and very roomy but I found that no matter how I turned the temperature control it seemed to make no difference whatsoever. Also, the original handle must have been broken off, as it had been replaced by a large screw! The shampoo etc, as I mentioned before, were really nice, though, and the towels lovely and fluffy 🙂

We hadn’t paid the extra for a dockside view, so couldn’t complain that we overlooked the carpark and some buildings next door, but the filthy state of the windows was not good.

I appreciate they cannot help it when birds do what birds do, but the smears and fingerprints were definitely within their power to clean up; just another instance of lack of attention to detail.

Downstairs in the bar area we had a snack and drink. My onion soup was absolutely wonderful and I really enjoyed my speciality tea. Prices are high but we did expect that in a place of this calibre. Service was attentive and unobtrusive and the ambience was peaceful and relaxing. They specialise in rums, I have never seen such a selection. Some were up to £30 a shot; I tried a much lower-priced one as a nightcap which was delicious.

We slept really well and were ready for breakfast the next day [yes, a few drinks had been consumed the night before 😉 ] The range of food on offer was good – plenty of fruits, cereals, juices, yoghurts and then all the usual hot selection plus freshly made omelettes and a pancake machine. I do not eat pork, though, so was hoping to find something by way of a vegetarian alternative. There was a hot-dish marked ‘vegan’ but, alas, it was empty. Perhaps I was expected to ask for these options but I made do with the eggs, hash browns, tomatoes and toast – followed by a couple of lovely pastries.

Check-out is not til 11, which we really appreciated, and I had booked to use the spa pool in the morning. It is £20 for up to 2 hours [there are treatments available too, for an extra charge]. The pool is very warm with a Jacuzzi end and a couple of ‘experience’ showers plus generous space to sit on the ledges around the edge. It is in the hotel basement and all towels, robes and flip-flops are provided so you only need to take your cossie. [I had hoped to buy a new one, but hadn’t had chance, so my old faithful holiday one had to do] There is also a steam room, sauna and sanarium [I wasn’t sure what that was and didn’t investigate] alongside plenty of loungers beside the hydrotherapy pool.

I really enjoyed the facilities, but was surprised that there didn’t seem to be any hairdryers provided in the changing room afterwards. I had also struggled to use the lockers – they are secured by entering your choice of 4-digit number but the first 2 lockers I tried were out of order so I ended up asking a receptionist to help me. She struggled a little, too, and said that the keypads weren’t really very good at all. I also found that the locks on both my shower cubicle and changing room did not fit properly, thus leading to a certain amount of unease as I showered and dressed. I hadn’t taken my camera down to the spa, so you’ll have to look at the pictures from their website:

http://www.titanichotelliverpool.com/mayabluewellness/hydrotherapy-pool

All-in-all, we did enjoy our stay, but I’m not sure I would go back in a hurry. It’s sad that these small details spoilt the overall experience of what is a very nice hotel indeed.

http://www.titanichotelliverpool.com/

The Great German Bake Off – Cologne Week

Oh yes…….the Germans certainly know how to bake! If this photo of a shop window doesn’t make your mouth water, how about this one of some French toast [or eggy-bread to us commoners!] with fruit….

Or maybe this glorious Apfelstrudel…..

and this delicious cheese omelette was to die for!

You will notice that even this came with a gigantic slice of toast – they really can’t help themselves. I was beset, bewitched and besotted with glorious breads, cakes and pastries everywhere I went in Cologne recently. It really appears they can’t stop cooking no matter what they are doing…..

OK, I am hoping none of my food came from a naked man in a sauna, but I didn’t ask – just in case.

So, this is just a small section of the old town [Altstadt], with cafes marked – If I knew how to I would also have added all the restaurants, bakeries, beer houses, supermarkets… it’s like a foodie heaven.

Alas, I digress. The reason I was in Cologne was for a much more boring reason – an academic conference on the Dative case. I did attend, honestly, but – ok – I skipped the final day’s talks to shop and sight see; a day well spent I reckon.

I didn’t know much about Cologne apart from that it had a cathedral and my mum always had bottles of 4711 eau-de-cologne, which I was sometimes allowed to have a small splash from if I’d been good. [And, of course, that was all the time ?!?!?!] So, you may think I am dim, but I wasn’t really sure if 4711 did actually come from Cologne. Well, Brussels sprouts don’t grow in Brussels. I know, I’ve been! Anyway, I now know for sure.

This beautiful building IS no 4711, Cologne. It’s the flagship and origin of the aforementioned scent. Inside is a veritable palace in honour of cologne [with a small-case ‘c’] and there is this lovely tapestry depicting how the number came about.

When Napoleonic forces had conquered the city, an order was given to number every single building consecutively – the place where a small scented-water industry was based became number 4711 and that, dear readers, is how the name came about.

I loved this chandelier – it is made of empty cologne bottles, and it is HUGE!

Sadly, because of cabin baggage restrictions I couldn’t buy anything for myself from there, but I did go shopping HERE……..

Yep, good old Woolies 🙂 🙂 :). It’s not quite like I remember it, but it was wonderful to mooch about there,and a rather nice jumper and pair of boots did just happen to land in my shopping basket I don’t mind admitting.

http://blog.steve-calvert.co.uk/2018/08/04/woolworths-germany/

Another place I found, which I adored, [though hung on to my Euros] was this pick and weigh[t] vintage clothes shop:

There are also all the usual shops, including a rather strange Primark:

So, tearing myself away from the retail delights, I carried on to the cathedral, Hohenzollern Bridge and other such attractions. I felt a little sorry for the magnificent cathedral. It has the most delicate stonework, it was the highest building in the world for a while and it has wonderful stained glass windows, but it did feel a little unloved.

On the outside it seemed to be begging for a thorough clean, and although I felt it deserved to be set in a beautiful garden or similar location, it was right next to a very busy train station and was besieged on all sides by concrete.

Behind it is a wonderful, yet rather ugly, modernistic museum, and this particular sculpture [?] sort of insults it, I feel:

It’s a pile of concrete blocks with a small slit in the centre through which you can get a very narrow view of the cathedral. I don’t know who decided to put it there, but I hope they’re ashamed of themselves!

On the slopes down towards the river I spied this group of tourists in a segue convoy – that DID look fun 🙂

Please don’t get me wrong, though,there are some lovely parts of the city, both old and modern. By the river near the cathedral and Old Town I found this lovely water feature. From what I understood, it seems to have been made in honour of a visit by Pope Benedict for Children’s day. It was lovely, and there were quite a few children playing round it, so it serves its purpose admirably.

There were also a few Roman remains: the first picture is the ancient North gate, the second is, according to the sign, a sewer.

There were almost as many churches as bakeries: [these are just a sample]

 

There were statues, the Hohenzollern bridge [covered in padlocks – am I the only one who doesn’t find this romantic?], colourful houses and colourful trees:

There were buskers,

…amazing views from what they call the Triangle [despite it being a decidedly oval shape to my thinking] 

…a sculpture of a fairy story – apparently gnomes used to do all the city inhabitants’ house-work at night until one lady decided to stay up late and catch them. They vanished…if you should find a few, send them to me, please.

…a rather perilously-perched cormorant by the river….

…a couple of academic geese-type birds at the University…

…a tongue twister of a street named after a beloved writer and media personality…

…a wonderful rice barn in a folk heritage museum…

…. and a few hats in a glass case in a street, of course.

I stayed in a place I found on AirBnB, and very comfortable it was, too – I even had a friendly key ring during my stay!

Yes, Cologne has some beautiful areas and is definitely worth a visit, but you do need to work [and walk] hard to discover it all. The ‘concreteness’ of the place was summed up by my first view of the city – I had to change from a train to a bus here to get to the centre [and returning it was about 6am, pitch dark!]  Nice.

Tempus is Fugit-ing

Where does the time go? It barely seems like yesterday I was telling you about my long-awaited break at Thurnham Hall, between Lancaster and Glasson Dock, yet it’s already almost a month ago. The weather wasn’t the best, wasn’t the worst, but the tranquility and feeling of freedom was wonderful.

https://www.diamondresortsandhotels.com/Resorts/Thurnham-Hall

I tried to go with no real plans and no actual aims or ambitions other than to relax and, hopefully, catch up on some reading and watch a few dvds . Well, dear reader, I pretty much did all of that! I also visited a priest-hole, had a couple of lovely walks and bus rides, lazed, swam and even….brace yourself……went to the gym a couple of times!

The Hall is absolutely steeped in history; there is mention of a manor house there in the Domesday Book and it has played its part in many of England’s wars, rivalries and tempestuous chapters. I won’t attempt to list the events it has seen here, but the link below will give you a pretty good picture:

https://thurnhamhall.com/history/

One of the night porters is also a local historian, and he gives fascinating talks on Wednesday evenings – he is truly the fount of all Thurnham-related knowledge. I was also blessed by a chance chat with one of the staff which led to me being lent a key to the Priest-Hole suite – the pictures don’t really do it justice, but I hope they give you an idea. [Yes, it was vacant – I didn’t break-in while they were having dinner downstairs!]

The stained glass windows in the main reception hall looked, to my untrained eye, to be antiques but they were actually created by one of the last family members – she must have been very skilled indeed.

As for the surrounding area – Glasson Dock is a lovely little place which I haven’t visited for ages, so to discover it was only just over 2 miles away was the incentive for a walk! It’s famous for its SmokeHouse,

http://www.lancastersmokehouse.co.uk/about_us

but is also a haven on the coast where the Lancaster Canal runs into a large basin and is, therefore, a popular place for leisure boats as well as having rather more workman-like ships, too. [And the eagle-eyed among you may even spot that one was not very seaworthy at all!]

 

Another day, the weather wasn’t as kind, so I decided to do a round trip on the bus which passes the hall gates – it heads to Knott End, takes a 30 minute break there, then returns to Lancaster. I love trundling along through little country lanes, as I’m sure I’ve mentioned before. What did surprise me, at Knott End, was bumping into L S Lowry! I knew he used to paint along the coast where I grew up by Lytham and St Annes, but I didn’t know he also liked painting at Knott End. This rather lovely sculpture-tribute to him is by the slipway and seemed very aptly placed.

https://abritandasoutherner.com/knott-end/

So, a few days where I didn’t think I’d even leave the grounds turned into a most delightful tour of the area known to those of us who hail from the Fylde Coast as ‘Over-Wyre’. We regard it a little suspiciously, and it is, indeed, a very different, slower-paced area yet full of wild beauty.

Oh, and for the afternoon when my grandsons came up with the family for a visit – I found the perfect spots :-

Thurnham Hall – I will definitely, I pray, be returning for yet more ‘ME’ time in the near future. After all, with a bath like this at the end of a lovely day, I’d be daft not to.

A Little ‘Me’ Time

No, I haven’t inherited a fortune – I’m off to Thurnham Hall, near Lancaster, for a few days of peace and quiet. The Lord gifted me a timeshare when I was at my lowest point ever, right after being attacked, and it has been such a blessing – and continues to be.  Doesn’t it look divine?  It’s Jacobean and has a wonderful atmosphere blending the old and the modern tastefully – I can’t wait!

I’ve made myself a healthy eating plan, packed swimming and gym clothes and intend [weather permitting – this IS England, after all] to explore the extensive grounds too.

 

I’m back in a few days, hopefully fitter, relaxed and with a tale or two to tell. In the meantime, have a look at the website if it sounds like something you’d enjoy. Hasta Lluego, or Tara duck, as we say in Lancashire 🙂

 

https://www.diamondresortsandhotels.com/Resorts/Thurnham-Hall

Where Money [Almost] Grows on Trees

We all know that money doesn’t grow on trees – don’t we? We found this tree, though -well lots of other people had also, obviously, found it too – which might suggest otherwise. The big sign is a clue to what it is – a Money Tree!! Sadly, it doesn’t give up its coins easily, in fact people hammer them in so hard they are almost impossible to remove [and we did try, lol]

So, where is this amazing piece of wood? It’s part way up the first side of the walk round Ingleton Falls, North Yorkshire. If you look at the map, follow the River Twiss to roughly the 3rd tree drawn alongside it, and the Money Tree is thereabouts.

I went to the falls last Wednesday [8th August] with my friend and 2 children and it was a typically British not-sure-what-to-do weather day. We had sun, wind, heat, cold, rain….yup the British Summer, as we know it, is back . Actually, I wouldn’t recommend going on a very hot day [although most of the walk is shaded by trees] because it’s HARD WORK! The guide leaflet reckons 2½ to 4 hours; it took us a good 5 and we were utterly jiggered at the end. The girls did have loads of fun, especially at the parts where you can get down to the riverside and paddle, but, despite their running up steps and down paths which we adults were creeping along,  even they were exhausted and fell asleep in the car on the way home. A great way to get exercise AND wear the kids out!

There is one important tip I feel I must share with you before leaving you with a plethora of photographs: there is a little refreshment cabin near where it says Pecca Falls on the map. Here, the tea, coffee and ice-cream are very reasonably priced. When you get to the mid-way point there is an ice cream van which charges a fair bit more, and by the time you get to the other refreshments [near Beezley Falls] the prices are roughly double. There are, however, toilets at this second stop, which were much-needed by the time we got there.  There is also a small picnic area [though the entire trail begs you to stop and rest and maybe have a butty* or 2].

So, to sum up, it’s a great day out [£15 for parking and entrance for a family] and there is a children’s trail too – they do pencil rubbings at special points on the way and get a prize at the end. If your dog is energetic and has reasonably long legs then it’s a great walk for them too [some of the trail goes though farmland where they must be kept on a lead]. If you suffer from arthritic knees, need a buggy for your child/ren or are generally not very fit and active then maybe find somewhere less steep for your day out. I’m no athlete; I struggled and managed with lots of rests but it is very steep in places. The views, however, are amazing; I will leave you with a selection. [They should be thumbnails to click for a bigger version ?!?]

 

*For Southerners etc: Butty = Sandwich!

http://www.ingletonwaterfallstrail.co.uk/

https://where2walk.co.uk/yorkshire_dales/ingleton-waterfalls-walk/

We Owe So Much to those Clever Uzbeks

…but you may not actually want to thank some of them!

Today, August 7th 2018, is celebrated by a Google Doodle as it is Ibn Sina’s 1038th birthday. Woooo – that’s a LOT of candles!! ‘But, who on earth was Ibn Sina?’, most people would probably ask. Until my visit to Uzbekistan earlier this year, I would have asked that too. However, having had the pleasure of Sanjar’s detailed stories of the great and good [and a few not-so-good] people in Uzbek history, I now know exactly who this amazing person was.

These rather wonky pictures are of the frontage to the Afrasiab** museum in Samarkand; it commemorates many of the great scientists and thinkers who once lived in this region. Among them, though I couldn’t tell you who’s who, is Ibn Sina who is regarded as the founder of medicine*.  Also featured here, somewhere, is the founder of geometry [yup, you may wish to join me in throwing old cabbages at him!] [Here I copy and paste, unashamedly, from Wikipedia]

The word algebra comes from the Arabic الجبر (al-jabr lit. “the reunion of broken parts”) from the title of the book Ilm al-jabr wa’l-muḳābala by the Persian mathematician and astronomer al-Khwarizmi.

So, it’s all his fault we suffered during maths lessons – now you know.

Clever stuff……..

Another remarkable personality from the region is Ulugh Beg***.

He was an Amir who preferred studying astronomy to the tedious business of ruling his country. He built an amazing observatory which was only [re-] discovered in 1908 but, thankfully, is now preserved for posterity.

The top of the observatory

Incidentally, this character is also one of the founders of the study of trigonometry – form an orderly queue with those cabbages, please.

More clever [astronomical] stuff……the first is the view down the tunnel-thing, the 2nd is a picture of the ramp-style design to move the clever thingummy, and the 3rd is a cross-section of how it originally would have looked.

So, whenever you visit the doctor, or struggle to help your kids with their maths homework, or think how amazingly clever Brian May and Brian Cox must be….remember…it’s all down to the remarkable Uzbeks.

 *Also known as Ibn Cina or Avicenna. One theory is that the etymology of the actual word, medicine, is derived from his name

**https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afrasiab_Museum_of_Samarkand

***https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulugh_Beg

Back from Northumberland, with an afternoon’s chilling, Uzbek style

Allendale, where we went for the personal challenge week of the NCS Challenge, is unspeakably beautiful. Rolling fells and hills all around, rivers gurgling through the scenery, farmland and traditional stone-built pubs…..it’s England at its best. We were lucky [?] to be there during one of the hottest weeks they’d ever had, so no ‘rain stopped play’ for us.

https://www.visitnorthumberland.com/allendale

A 12-mile fell walk, bushcraft and problem-solving, and very stuffy bedrooms, however, were not quite the way most of us would have spent our time. Swimming and jumping into a river full of waterfalls and natural stone slides was a welcome treat though. However, I had a panic attack; a mixture of heat, lack of sleep and feeling really claustrophobic in diving gear, safety helmet and buoyancy vest all combined to cause this. I did manage to at least get in the water and slide down a couple of small rocks, so all was not lost, but it challenged me as to whether I was really up to this type of adventure. For images of the type of thing we were doing [though not actual pictures of our group] try this link:-

https://bit.ly/2KQXwDN

I survived the week, though had to swap with another leader for the mining trip – apparently it was extremely tight in places and I just knew I wasn’t up to that – discretion…valour etc etc.

This last few days we were living in Student Halls in Preston having workshops about Storytelling, Public Speaking and Enterprise. The young people I was mentoring were amazing; part of our role was to visit a care centre for dementia sufferers and they all managed brilliantly. Most were very apprehensive, not to say scared silly, but they all came away feeling they wanted to help do something for this centre and spread awareness among their own age-group to help break down barriers.

http://www.ncsthechallenge.org/

For me, despite feeling so proud of them, I had a panic attack, followed by a fall on some stairs, followed by a small nosebleed, followed by what I felt was a real threat/assault/challenge to my own personal faith. All this was on the same day. That night I resigned in floods of tears. So many conflicting feelings: wanting to finish the 4 weeks with my team, not wanting to let the other staff down, not wanting to go against my personal faith…..I was in a personal hell. However, after loads of love, listening, hugs and reassurance I un-resigned and finished the week.

Our staff team went to chill with much-needed beer etc at Level in the Guildhall, Preston and then I wearily caught the bus home. I fell asleep on the bus and went 4 stops past my own 😦 However, it was a lovely evening and I [almost] enjoyed the walk back to my flat.

https://levelpreston.co.uk/

Today, I’m having an Uzbek afternoon. I’m drinking some of the green tea I brought back – it has hints of flowers, mint and – well – relaxation a-plenty.

I am also cooking the traditional Uzbek dish, Plov. This recipe was given to us in our welcome packs when we first arrived.

Yes, there are a few spelling mistakes and strange word choices – but think! How well could you write a recipe for Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding in Uzbek?

And……..an hour or so later….looking good 🙂