Wish we were there at the same time!

I returned home the other night to a message from a friend saying she and her husband were going to book flights to Cape Town for a winter holiday and that she'd love to meet up while I am there with another friend. Great idea. I rang back, but it is a case of bad timing. They fly back the night we fly out, so we'll be on planes that pass in the night. In the air at the same time, but unfortuantely unable to meet up in Camps Bay and have a sundowner together.

Jervaulx Abbey - a haven for wild flowers or is it just overgrown?

Jervaulx Abbey, is in Yorkshire and was founded in the twelfth century and plundered during the dissolution of the monasteries in the sixteenth century.

It is described by the Jervaulx Abbey website as having “ crumbling walls........ heavily clad in diverse vegetation” http://www.jervaulxabbey.com/home.php . Others would describe it as a ruin which is very overgrown with weeds. The truth is somewhere in between the two.

Although the abbey is ruined, it is possible to get a feel for how splendid it must once have been. On a warm summer evening and with the right sort of light and the sun setting in the right direction, this would be an atmospheric setting to get some great photographs. On a very cold and windy day (the day I was there with two friends), it feels less romantic.

Unless you have a special interest in ruined abbeys, it isn’t worth going out of your way for, but is worth a look if you are passing by.

The Bowes Museum

The Bowes Museum is in the town of Barnard Castle in County Durham. It is the legacy of John Bowes and his wife Josephine Benoite. They wanted to bring art to the masses and this purpose built Museum is thanks to them, so it is said that the building was not completed until after their death. A friend described the style of the building as French Municipal, which sums it up really; it wouldn’t look out of place in a town square in France, so is a little incongruous in a typical English market town.

The artefacts cover European furniture, ceramics and paintings from the Middle Ages to the nineteenth century. It includes paintings by Caneletto ,Goya and many others and Recoco furniture.

The highlight of Bowes is the Silver Swan. It is a 240 year old clockwork swan covered in silver leaf, which moves as smoothly as if it was alive and eats a fish. You can see it in action at 2:00pm every afternoon and also by clicking on this link http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/check/england/realmedia/insideout/northeast/090114_io_north_east_swan?size=16x9&bgc=C0C0C0&nbram=1&bbram=1&nbwm=1&bbwm=1

There are also temporary exhibitions. It is good to see that the museum promotes local artists from the present day as well as having fine art from the past. It isn’t all serious fine art and at the moment there is an exhibition called ‘Toys Tales’ which is all about children’s television characters.

The Museum has a rather odd and unenforced photography policy. To take a photograph, you pay extra, but can’t use a flash, they don’t do anything to people who ignore the rule though, so what is the point?

The swan is the fun part of the visit for anyone and there is much else to see that will please you even if you just have a passing interest in fine art.

The Old Lodge, Staindrop, near Barnard Castle

The Old Lodge is a great venue for a holiday in the countryside with friends or family. It is a few miles from the village of Staindrop and reached by a single track road. Being well away from street lights means it is possible get excellent views of the stars on a clear night. The property has four bedrooms on three floors. Most of the rooms are extremely large and well proportioned. The only ‘small’ room is on the top floor and only seems small in comparison to other rooms in the house. In fact it is probably as big as a double room in an average family home.

We found the layout ideal. Everyone can be together while meals are being cooked, but there is enough room for people to find a quite space. On the ground floor there is a large living room with kitchen, eating and sitting areas. It has a huge open grate fire and logs are supplied. The downstairs bedroom and en-suite are a good size. On the first floor there is a huge bedroom and family bathroom with roll-top bath. On the top floor another huge bedroom, a smaller bedroom and shower room. Outside there are outbuildings, a games room, a pleasant sitting area and a stream running through the garden. The Old Lodge is built up on a mound, so the grounds are not very even, which could present problems for people who are unsteady on their feet.

The furnishings and equipment add a homely feel. The crockery, pans, sheets and floor coverings are all high quality. As mentioned in a previous post, there are also nice touches like an ipod docking station and printer.

An added bonus is that the property is over 600 years old, so has lots of character, such as thick walls, leaded windows and some stone floors. It is part of the Raby Castle Estate and has previously served as a look-out tower and hunting lodge. It was restored in 1991 by the 11th Lord Barnard. Rentals can be arranged through various agencies, we used Cottages4You.

A lovely Sunday

We had a late and leisurly breakfast buffet done by me with lots of assistance. The only criticism was that there was no maple syrup for the pancakes.

Afterwards some of us went for a moderate walk into Staindrop follwed by a pint, others stayed at the Old Lodge relaxed.

It hasn't rained on us and was nice and sunny this morning. The good thing about going away at this time of year is that there are no high expectations of good weather. That it has been warm for the time of year and sunny has been a bonus.

Those of us who went for the walk enjoyed a drink in the The Wheatsheaf. Not many people in there, but it seems to be a hub of community activity judging by the trophys and notices about local groups. On the way back the women walked briskly and were home well before the blokes.

We have had a lazy afternoon and evening enjoying a rib of beef and all the trimmings. The chefs for this task excel at roast beef and did us proud. A good end to an enjoyable weekend.

A weekend in the countryside

The Old Lodge

The Bowes Museum

High Force

During the summer a friend had the excellent idea of a group of us hiring somewhere in the countryside for a few days and now here we (seven of us) are. We are staying at The Old Lodge in Staindrop, which is near Barnard Castle in County Durham. The Old Lodge dates from the 14th Century and feels like a rather grand home, not a holiday let. Careful attention has been paid to every detail. Not only do we have wireless Internet access, but nice little touches like a wireless printer and Bose docking station for our ipods. I will do a separate post, soon about our wonderful base for the weekend.

We arrived on Friday and toasted the beginning of our long weekend with some fizz. We ate an excellent fish pie and washed it down with white wine, followed by more wine and conversation. We teased the person who has organised the weekend for suggesting we bring two bottles of wine each and we will continue to do so. It is fair to say that we went over our suggested four glass ration on Friday, but we didn't stay up that late or drink that much, even so I felt decidedly 'fragile' this morning. The breakfast buffet task, which was allocated to me was completed, but took great effort.

Today we split into two groups, the hikers and strollers/ gallery goers. I opted to stroll. We did a short walk to High Force, which is a waterfall on land owned by the Raby Castle estate. We had to pay to park and walk on the trail and were surprised that they didn't extract money for us to have a pee as well. Times must be hard for the aristocracy. We were amused by the many signs on the trail with detailed instructions about what we could and could not do. Basically they were saying if you kill or injure yourself, its your fault.

Later we went to the Bowes Museum (more detail about this in a later post). It is a palatial setting with many fine art works. We loved the clockwork silver swan which moved around so smoothly it looked as though it was computer generated.

We then went into Barnard Castle, an archetypal English market town. We had a lovely traditional lunch at a cafe.

After eating we decided to call into a gallery I had spotted on our way to the Cafe called Mouncey Fine Art. We were delighted with the impressive range range of ceramics and paintings. I purchased a humorous dog by Marie Prett and was tempted to buy a piece by Christine Cummings (another dog). We came back to the Lodge and met up with the hikers. We shared stories of our day and decided on a name for my ceramic dog. He will be called Barnard.

We have had an enjoyable evening in. Delicious Jambalaya, great choice of music, stimulating conversation and good fun.

A day trip to Whistler

Whistler is best known as a ski resort, but offers all year round outdoor activity options. In 2010 it will be the venue for many of the Winter Olympics activities. It can be visited in a day from Vancouver. Be warned, this allows little time to experience much of Whistler, but it hardly matters in many respects as the main purpose of the day trip is to take in the scenery. To get more of a feel for what Whistler has to offer as a resort requires a few days.

There are lots of trip options, train, coach, plane or a mixture of the three. I think the train option is s a must for part of the journey. We decided on train and coach. This allowed for stop offs on the way back and meant we could see things we didn’t see on the way to Whistler. There are two classes of travel on the train, the more expensive option means you are in a carriage with larger windows. As the best view is on the open observation deck, the posh seats are in my view not worth the extra money.

The views from the train are of mountains and forest. They offer many photo opportunities. But the highlight of the trip is to take a sea plane ride over the mountains. This is well worth doing as the views are awesome. We got the big sell for the sea plane trip on our way to the train. It was all quite comic. The guide had very long curly hair and he described the trip with such energy and enthusiasm that his hair was flying all over the place. He was good entertainment value, but best enjoyed in small doses. The seaplane he was so enthusiastic about deserved the hard sell.

Vancouver, great beaches and more

Vancouver has a lot going for it. The setting is gorgeous, beaches, mountains, marinas, a lovely park and well planned high rise developments. It has big city attractions and lots to do, yet is fairly compact. The high rise mid town gives a feel of being in a very large city. Apparently the film industry use Vancouver for lots of shots that are supposedly in New York.

We stayed at The Sutton Place, which is well located in the centre of town. The hotel is well run and has good facilities. The styling okay, but a little fussy and old fashioned.
View from room at Sutton Place


Marina






There are a few surprises for the visitor. Sales of alcohol are strictly regulated and heavily taxed. It can only be sold in designated shops, so it isn’t a case of popping into the supermarket and getting a bottle. In fact there was a wine store next to our hotel, but it was noticeable that to buy alcohol in general, you had to make an effort. In conversation with a wine merchant, I discovered the taxation of alcohol is a major reason why Canada manages to have low taxation on income, but to fund socialised healthcare.

The other surprise was a very visible drugs problem in Eastside. What is so striking is the concentration of people in this part of town who live on the streets. The city has a strategy in place to tackle its drugs problem, but judging by what we saw, it has some way to go.

If you can ride a bike, then it is well worth hiring one form one from of the cycle hire companies near Stanley Park. The park has a cycle path round its perimeter, much of which is by the seawall. It is an easy route and is fairly flat, so the views are more likely to take you breath than the cylcling.

Capilano Suspension Bridge is a little out of town, but easy to get to. It is a good option for people with children, but felt a bit tame and like a theme park. Genuine outdoorsy type and adrenaline junkies would probably be disappointed by this attraction.

Food and drinks are strong themes on Granville Island. It has a brewery and impressive food market. It’s an easy walk from the city centre. The food highlight of the Vancouver was a meal at Le Crocodile, which is downtown. The food has a strong Alsation influence and the service is good, if a little formal. I got a disapproving look from the wine waiter for getting my emphasis wrong when I ordered a bottle of Nuit St Georges. It is the last place you’d expect to leave without paying, but that is just what we did. The waiter was given a cash tip and card, but forgot to swipe the card. They’d lightened up a little by this point and we were so busy discussing the origins of the restaurant, the fabulous food and the excellent choice of art on the walls, that no one realised. We did realised later and the bill was paid the following morning.


The beach scene in Vancouver is outstanding and the visitor is spoilt for choice because there are beaches in all directions. Kitsilano (also referred to as Kits) is a little away from the centre in a residential part of Vancouver. Tree trunks are scattered across the beach to rest against, there is a shower as you leave the beach and a couple of places to eat. A short walk away there are a range of neighbourhood shops and more restaurant options. This is an interesting option if you want to get a bit of a feel for what the city is like away from the main tourist spots. Closer to the city, in fact just a 20 minute walk from downtown, is English Bay Beach and Sunset Beach. This is a great spot for an afternoon because there are lots of places to eat and drink just across from the beach. There are sometimes street entertainers in this area, which makes for a lively atmosphere. We were lucky to catch a memorable sunset from here, long after the sun had gone the orange red glow lit up the sky.


View from Stanley Park seawall

Secluded beach, Stanley Park

Unusual building overlooking English Bay Beach

A memorable sunset from English Bay Beach

Seattle - liveable and beautiful

It isn’t hard to see why Seattle is regarded as one of America’s most liveable cities. After being there for a very short time I thought to myself, I could easily live here. It has a wide range of restaurants, bars, varied cultural attractions, is safe and reasonably easy to find your way around. It is surrounded by Eliot Bay, Puget Sound, Lake Washington and Lake Union and is close to Mount Rainier and the Olympic Mountain Range. On the downside it rains a lot. The people seem to take great pride in where they live, but not in a boastful way, they are laid back and easy. What seems to be the prevailing attitude was summed by the response from the hotel concierge to an inquiry about dress codes in restaurants. The response, “Don’t worry, this is the West Coast”.

The smart Sheraton with its twin towers was a great place to relax in comfort and style. Some people would find it all a bit impersonal, but we really liked it. We were on the 22nd floor; the room was well appointed and had some nice personal touches such as Dale Chihuly prints on the wall. The location in the centre of town was excellent. The only drawback was the pool and Jacuzzi were undergoing maintenance.

If I had to chose one thing that made me feel like I could live in Seattle it was the abundance of fantastic food shops. Market Place lives up to its’ name, you name the food and you can be sure you’ll be spoilt for choice by a stall selling it, in this part of town. It made me want to do a big food shop and go home and cook.

It was some consolation that the restaurant scene was so good. The first night was a Pan Asian fusion adventure. When restaurants present themselves as doing fusion food I'm very weary, fearing the ego of the chef is way ahead of their talent and that they’ll create something which is daft and tasteless. Not the case at Ginger Spice, where the food was good quality and well executed. All the meals in Seattle were good, but this was the best.

The most famous building in Seattle must be the Space Needle. It is inevitably very touristy, but worth going up there and watching the sunset. A less well know building, but one that is worth a visit is the Smith Tower. You get good views from the top of here too, but if nothing else go into the foyer and admire the grand marble entrance. Look out for the brass post box, it is linked to and gathers mail from all the 35 floors of the building. It was a little sad to see that not all grand old buildings had been maintained. The main railway station’s once great architectural features are in need of loving renovation and largely hidden behind boards.

Bainbridge Island is a commuter Island, which is an easy ferry trip. It offers a good way to spend a few hours, but isn’t Seattle’s Sausalito (see earlier post).

Some parts of Seattle have beaches and you can still enjoy the waterside views in the areas with no beaches at a cafe or public areas such as the Sculpture Park.

This part of the world isn’t known for its wine, but that is because they don’t produce it in big enough qualities. What a pity that is, because it is really rather good.

In just a few days one can only do a few things. There are enough things which weren’t included and enough onward destinations to make Seattle a city which deserves to be on the list of places to visit again.

From San Francisco to Seattle in Chugga Boom

Getting out of San Francisco

The coastal route from San Francisco to Seattle is a drive of just over 900 miles. It offers a diverse range of towns, spectacular scenery and a chance to taste a slice of small town America. Although there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy the coast, much of the road is slightly inland, so it isn’t a case of driving along and having a view of the ocean the whole time. The most difficult bit of the trip is getting out of San Francisco. I drew the short straw and was the designated driver for that part of the trip. My first time driving an automatic and an unfamiliar city was a combination I found somewhat challenging and I did worse than a nervous learner driver on a bad day. Driving across Golden Gate Bridge was a relief and my driving improved.

The car was a Chrysler PT Cruiser. I have always thought they look like a cross between a London Taxi and Chugga Boom (the car driven by the Ant Hill Mob in the cartoon series Whacky Races). The car served its purpose, but I wouldn’t want to drive one of these strange vehicles on a regular basis.

We broke the trip down into five legs. This allowed us to take several short stop-offs on the way to each over night destination and arrive at them in the late afternoon to early evening. There were certain attractions that we didn’t have the time to fully appreciate, such as the coastal wilderness of Point Reyes National Seashore or the redwood forests. Enjoying the hiking and photography opportunities required a couple of extra days that we did not have.







The north California coast
The prettiest village of the whole trip was Elk, it has a population of a couple of hundred people. The village is dotted with clapper board houses which have picket fences and the main street has a lovely old church. Take the cars away and it could be a village from a century earlier. Mendocino is just as pretty, but larger with more facilities. It has an arty independent feel to it and apparently is home to some artists and writers. Both Mendocino and Elk are built on cliffs which provide good views of the ocean and they have accommodation options for the tourist.

Our first overnight stop was something of a contrast to Elk and Mendocino. Fort Bragg wasn’t arty or particularly pretty and in places felt a bit more like wild west, than west coast. On the edges of the town there are a series of drive-ins, motels and supermarkets. We opted for a standard motel. We did a bit of exploring and soon got talking to the friendly locals, but there wasn’t much doing, so we decided to eat at a diner attached to the motel, called TWs. We didn’t have high expectations, just to get some basic food in clean surroundings. TWs failed even to meet the low standards we had set. The place needed a deep clean. The most off putting thing was the staff uniforms which were covered in dried-on food. Looking back on it we must have been hungry and tired to have eaten there.
A typical seascape view



Mendocino

Fort Bragg

From California to Oregon

North of Fort Bragg is the tiny village of Westport, it has a small motel which gets some good reviews. There is nothing there really, but I understand it is a great place to have a sunset picnic on the beach. Another option for a place to spend the night in this area, is the Howard Creek Ranch Inn. This place looks full of character and charm, but has varied reviews. Reading between the lines of the reviews, I think it is a case of going with realistic expectations.

Beyond Westport the scenery is a combination of redwoods and seascapes. The beaches on this stretch of the coast are spectacular and have lots of rocky outcrops. Many of the towns on the immediate route lack charm and are ugly, but one town that is worth spending some time in is Eureka. We made the right choice in choosing Brookings as the next overnight stop. I’d recommend the Best Western Beachfront Inn. As the name suggests it overlooks the ocean. It is just across from a decent restaurant called the Smugglers Cove and short walk from a pretty harbour.

The Oregon coast

Driving north from Brookings there is a good stretch where you have a view of the ocean as you are driving along. The beaches are good to walk on and have lots of interesting rock formations. Bandon is a small seaside town which offers a good lunch stop. There is a choice of places to eat. We opted for fish and chips at a tiny little kiosk, which was doing a roaring trade. The owner periodically popped her head out of the window to see if people were enjoying their lunch.

Further north the coast changes totally and there are vast windswept sand dunes. The road comes inland a little on this stretch of the highway and it isn’t possible to see the dunes as you are driving along. Eel Creek is a good stop to experience the dunes. The sea is miles away and we were the only people on the dunes, had it not been for the nearby forres it would have felt like being in the middle of the desert. Walking around is hard work because of the very soft sand, the wind and the steep dunes. Well worth the effort though and quite surreal.

Our next overnight stop was Florence which is one of the larger towns along this part of the coast. It has lots of historic buildings and good range of shops. It was a good option for an overnight stay. North of here there are plenty of places to stop off and enjoy a happy hour or two. Yachats is a tiny coastal village which has a pleasant sleepy feel about it. Newport is a larger town, which we would have stopped at if we’d had more time. We made the mistake of stopping at Seal Rock, which is a pile of tourist nonsense. We didn't see many seals, but did see lots of tacky souvenirs. Rockaway beach made for a good rest stop with its long white sand beaches.

Me on the windswepts sand dunes


Rockaway Beach

A night in Astoria
The final overnight stop before Seattle was Astoria. We stayed at the Holiday Inn and were delighted with the size of the room and the view. The town has a new development by the waterfront front and we had a satisfying meal at a recently opened wine bar and restaurant. In conversation with the waiter we found out that he was soon to visit London so gave him some bar and restaurant recommendations. On the way back we went to a local bar. On walking in it was obvious this wasn’t a regular haunt for tourists, but we were not made to feel out of place. A guy came over to us and to our amusement said “Gee you two stick out like two sore thumbs, where are you from?” We engaged in conversation and he insisted on buying us a drink. He seemed pleased that we had done what most tourists don’t do and go into a local bar. It was a fitting end to our last night in a small west coast town. The following morning we were on our way back to a big city, Seattle.