tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28060743572961711962024-02-19T08:06:28.437-08:00Within the Walled GardenA house with a walled garden, softened by hedges and a new wisteria. I live surrounded by auction finds, other treasures, stores of food, stocks of wine, too many clothes, walls of books and pictures... and rooms filled with comfort and activities. I share all this with DJ and the cat. I paint, I cook, I travel and I walk. Read more on my blog...Withinthewalledgarden.blogspot.com
Gillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13664987657318776594noreply@blogger.comBlogger358125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2806074357296171196.post-25132117206272275852015-08-06T09:06:00.002-07:002015-08-06T09:18:15.880-07:00A NEW VINTAGE LARDER<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It all started when I spotted a vintage larder in Addison's very last auction sale. It was lovely but too small for my needs. So I checked out ebay and lo and behold, there was one just the right size in Scarborough and I measured up carefully and decided it would fit in the back of the car. It had been in the same family for sixty three years.</div>
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So I bought it and we had a drive out to fetch it.</div>
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At home, food had previously been stored in the original built in larder so it was all moved into boxes...</div>
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So that the old larder could be washed and painted...</div>
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and then filled with the china and cookware ...<br />
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which had been at the bottom of the old pine dresser...<br />
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which had to be moved to make way for the Scarborough larder...<br />
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The Scarborough larder was brought home and deposited in the yard to be scrubbed and whitewashed. Sixty three years in the same family had not done it any favours!The inside was then painted white and the shelves lined with "contact". The outside was painted cream.<br />
The doors were all removed and the hinges taken off and dunked in paint stripper for the night. Then it was allowed in the house. Gradually it was reassembled...<br />
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lined...<br />
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and filled...<br />
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The drop down counter was repaired and glazed doors re-aligned...<br />
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It sounds as if we had a great time doing it up but we both agreed that if we had known what was involved we wouldn't have started! It was only at the end when it looked like it does now that we were happy with it all.<br />
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To complete the cycle, the old pine dresser is on ebay to find a new home and all we have to do is remember where everything is.<br />
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Cheers Gillian</div>
Gillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13664987657318776594noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2806074357296171196.post-12623940163160954132015-07-04T09:21:00.000-07:002015-07-04T09:24:25.542-07:00New Socks Walk To Whitby<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The fine weather continued and so we took the camper to Sandsend. The tide was on its way out and Whitby beckoned. Its a good couple of miles so we strode off across the sand.<br />
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I wore my new socks and old plimsolls. It is now impossible to buy a pair of Rod Laver Adidas tennis shoes. So comfy! About halfway there I took a pic of Sandsend behind us...<br />
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...and then Whitby in front of us.<br />
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It doesn't look so far but it took us a while. I search the pebbles for interesting rocks as we go, and so I drift from tide-line to cliff scree.<br />
As we approached Whitby there were more and more people, dogs, boats and school groups. The beach huts were partly opened and deckchairs were on the sand.<br />
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We sat on the prom to eat some cockles and mussels while we watched the woman harness up the donkeys.<br />
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It was warm and tiring enough to catch a bus back to Sandsend.<br />
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The fine days recently have also found us out and about with my sister and her husband, who were visiting. We took the beautiful A66 across to Cumria and headed for peaceful Ullswater. We caught the steamer from Pooley Bridge to Glenridding and then back again for lunch. The pub garden had a riverside table for us and we ate lovely food while watching the ducklings and cygnets learn that humans can mean "food".<br />
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There are some truly lovely places to visit around here and the weather has seen us try a few of them...ice-creams with your coffee at Archers, pretty Summerhill waterfall at Bowlees, beers on the village green at Heighington. I hope we get some more good summer weather soon.<br />
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Cheers for now<br />
Gillian<br />
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Gillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13664987657318776594noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2806074357296171196.post-41113162823827746182015-06-21T05:02:00.001-07:002015-06-21T05:02:58.812-07:00I LOVE JIGSAWS<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I saw a jigsaw of the city of Barcelona when we were there recently. It had layers of maps and models of buildings and was really attractive.<br />
I love jigsaws so when we got back I "googled" one of London. Amazon obliged.<br />
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The joiner was working on the upstairs cloakroom and so I got him to cut me a piece of ply to fit the jigsaw which was an unusual shape and would need to be carted around during its assembly.<br />
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The first layer was a map and story of London in 1666, the year of The Great Fire.<br />
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The second layer was much more complicated and was made of foam rubber covered with a paper picture layer of the streets in the present day. Some pieces were shaped to fit corners and bridges and buildings.<br />
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The models of the buildings were to fit into the spaces in the foam! Like this section of Canary Wharf.<br />
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And the last part was very satisfying. Positioning the the buildings to show the skyline.<br />
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The completed jigsaw sits well on the board and has pride of lace on the sideboard for a while. It will get dismantled and passed round the family next.<br />
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The board was an off-cut from the floor of the new cloakroom on the top floor which is all finished now and waiting for some carpet on Tuesday.<br />
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I came home from Art Class with a picture of York...or mostly York and some invented bits.<br />
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It looks quite good in the new cloakroom!<br />
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All this is just in time for Summer guests, the first of whom arrive within the week.<br />
Cheers Gillian</div>
Gillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13664987657318776594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2806074357296171196.post-78383518221371980152015-06-08T13:00:00.000-07:002015-06-08T14:11:46.192-07:00WALES IN A WEEK<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I have been to Wales on three brief occasions. Long ago I went to St Davids with a geology field trip from university. Many years later I went to Aberaeron with the family on a trip back from Oz, and then a few years ago, I went to Bodelwyddan, in north Wales with DJ for a "short break".<br />
This time I saw all three in a week. Not only was I surprised and thrilled by all the lovely scenery and pretty places we went through but shocked to realise how big Wales really is when you are driving round it in a motorhome at a fairly leisurely pace.<br />
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We started in St Davids, camping at Caerfai Bay. Mick and Diz had joined us and it was a very splendid view from the top of the cliff. It was also a bit windy.<br />
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It got windier. And then a lot windier still...terribly windy and raining...and then raining sideways and whipping up a storm. It did that for 24 hours non stop. Many tents got destroyed including Mick and Diz's lovely campervan tent on the right. It was a tragic way to start a holiday.<br />
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The next morning with the wind still blowing strong gusts, we walked the cliff path to the city, passing the old ruins of St Non's chapel as well as the new Retreat.<br />
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The Cathedral is at the bottom of a valley and hard to find without signposts. It does not stand high and beckoning from the top of a hill but still has been found by many pilgrims over the centuries. A funeral was taking place the day we were there and we viewed from a distance.<br />
The place (seems strange to call it a city when it is so small!) is very pretty and we returned along the cliff path the next day in slightly better weather. Gusty breezes rather than winds...<br />
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A brave artist painting "en plein air". Such different conditions from those experienced by <a href="http://helentilstonpainter.blogspot.co.uk/">Helen</a> and her fellow artists in Florida.<br />
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He has to have his easel secured by ropes and how he manages to cart all his gear across the cliff tops to get to this wonderful view is amazing. He was cheerful and busy so we reluctantly left him to it.<br />
In town there was a studio belonging to an artist called <a href="http://tonykitchell.co.uk/sobrenos.php">Tony Kitchell</a> who used a similar palette and technique so it may have been him. There was a sign on the door saying "back in two minutes" !!!<br />
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The Pembrokeshire Coast Path takes you along some magnificent cliffs and the geological processes have left amazing features. The cliffs are often baked, metamorphic slates and have been twisted and folded into remarkable shapes...<br />
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...And colours.<br />
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We moved north along the coast.<br />
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And into the hillier north to stay at Betws y Coed and from there visited Mount Snowdon...<br />
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...up and into the clouds we went on the little train. BUT we will have to go back if we want a view from the top.<br />
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We passed the slate mines at Llanberis...<br />
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And watched the water at the Swallow Falls...<br />
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Smiled at the smallest house in Wales...<br />
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And admired the castle at Conwy.<br />
We are home now. The washing has been done, the campervan cleaned , the kitchen painted and the art room tidied up. Tomorrow is a visit to the dentist!<br />
and another blanket is on the knitting needles.<br />
Billy is glad to be home. I miss him when we are away but he has a great cattery to go to and is safe and well looked after.<br />
I hope real summer comes soon.<br />
Cheers for now<br />
Gillian<br />
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Gillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13664987657318776594noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2806074357296171196.post-66179271289873702642015-05-27T12:34:00.000-07:002015-05-27T12:37:41.848-07:00Wheelie Bin Tidy Up<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We have two large wheelie bins and a small courtyard to put them in and the yard also performs as a garden, car-park and cat refuge.<br />
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The first attempt to enhance the bins was a stick-on strip of camouflage. You can, of course, ignore camouflage and make them stand out with stick on sheets out of this world like <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Brilliant-Wheelie-Camouflage-Sticker-Attractive/dp/B002OROIZ0"> cottage gardens</a> .<br />
Some people stick their numbers on them but no-one around here seems to be interested in bin-theft and we can rely on our bin being back there after the bin-men have been.<br />
Eventually these green (not "green") stickers go blue and anyway we have just spent a jolly hour or so ripping out the ivy that is invading the decades old, privet hedge. Having it as a camouflage on the bin seems inappropriate to say the least.<br />
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The next attempt at enhancement involved the willow screen. So natural looking! So easily it disintegrates! True, that it took a couple of years to disintegrate but the gradual decomposition, starting at the base (it's upside down in the pic) and fragmentation meant that repairs and sweep-ups were continuous.<br />
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So this is the present solution. Note that I speak with little future conviction. Here's why.<br />
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It arrives like this. The instructions are wordless. There is an inconsistency in the number of screws reported to be needed and those provided. It wavers in the wind and there are two bits of everything because we have ordered the DOUBLE, to fit two bins. Is there a left and right?<br />
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It's a two person job. One has to hold it and the other has to wield the electric screw driver. Someone has to have read and absorbed the diagrams. Someone has to know where to put the 39 screws used so far. It's a good idea if your brick paving is fairly level...<br />
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It's really great when you find that the bin fits even if you have it the wrong way round.<br />
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Then you join it to the other side so that the recycling bin can go in there too. it is really great to have a screw driver gun. They put screws in, in a jiffy and take them out pretty quickly if they have put in the wrong screw or put the right screw in the wrong place.<br />
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Eventually it all looks like this and the other stuff is off to the skips.<br />
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Because the old stuff <b>did </b>fit in the Meriva to go to the skips I won £5!<br />
The new wheelie bin screen has already been rained on and has coped well.<br />
Cheers for now,<br />
Gillian</div>
Gillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13664987657318776594noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2806074357296171196.post-49177605577719024022015-05-24T03:34:00.000-07:002015-05-24T10:09:28.972-07:00FLYING TO LONDON TO SEE THE QUEEN! IN A DRAGON RAPIDE<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The Imperial War Museum at Duxford has a marvellous collection of old battle planes from the earliest days. DJ is admiring one of the last flying B-17s but sadly it is only used for display flights.<br />
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We were due to fly in this...A De Havillande Dragon Rapide on a sight-seeing tour over London. The plane seats eight. Plenty of room for us all!!! No moving about, Please! No air-conditioning, no flight attendant, no toilet and the lucky woman in the front seat got to shout any messages to or from the pilot. Only an hour there and back so off we go.<br />
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We climbed quickly over the fields and headed south. The plane is so small that we all got a window seat and could keep an eye on the altitude, the passing scenery and the engines.<br />
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We came in over the Thames downstream and flew over the Olympic venues...<br />
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The Millenium Dome, the Isle of Dogs and The Thames Barrier.<br />
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Then, moving upstream towards the centre of town we hovered over Buckingham Palace (right in the middle of the pic), Green Park and St James Park and then turned to view all the amazing new structures that have appeared on the scene recently. The Queen may have been at home but if so she was busy and didn't come out to wave. We all spent a lot of time looking down and pointing. It's possible others on the ground may well have been looking up and pointing too.<br />
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This is the Shard across the river from the Walkie Talkie and others. I have a<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_buildings_and_structures_in_London#Tallest_buildings_and_structures"> link</a> here if you want to check your knowledge of the skyscrapers.<br />
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We swung back and forward over the river...So much to see. Pretty difficult to talk because of the noise level so there was a bit of nudging and pointing all the time.<br />
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We went out of London westwards towards Heathrow airspace and then swung north.<br />
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And then eventually headed home over the M25<br />
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Because there was to be a big Air Show this weekend, lots of pilots were out practising their routines and stunts. We shared a lunch table with the pilot of this Curtiss Hawk. He finished his gammon steak in yorkshire pudding and then took off to do some incredible stunts, low flying and rolls.<br />
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Another pilot was learning how to fly a Spitfire. I gathered he was a trained stunt instructor but had not flown a Spitfire before.<br />
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And I'm pretty sure this is the last flying Bristol Blenheim rehearsing its flight.<br />
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A great day out! The weather held, the flight was superb and the show was great.<br />
Cheers Gillian</div>
Gillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13664987657318776594noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2806074357296171196.post-71501828417328841102015-05-13T12:45:00.000-07:002015-05-13T12:47:06.225-07:00BARCELONA BONANZA<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
After a lovely stay in Tossa we caught the bus to Barcelona for a few days of sight seeing and urban culture. I find Barcelona to be an incredibly noisy and busy city and this impression was enhanced by the location of our hotel on the Gran Via.<br />
But this makes it super easy to get around. Some small change, a ten-trip metro ticket and a good map held the right way up are all you need. No! not quite true...comfy shoes, a walking tour marked out, a secure bag and a sense of direction are all very helpful.<br />
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The Palace of Music of Catalonia is one of the most highly decorated Art Nouveau style buildings...<br />
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...with exquisite decorations and ornaments. All signs and notices are written firstly in Catalan, followed by Spanish and then any other. I find the Catalan written form to show a strong relationship with French and DJ says that its spoken pattern is quite Spanish but the words aren't quite as his ear expects.<br />
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Bullfighting is now banned in Catalonia but continues in the rest of Spain. The Arenas has been transformed into an amazing shopping centre but...<br />
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La Monumental still stands as a museum of bullfighting and is mostly unspoiled and splendid artifacts are simply displayed.<br />
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So much more expensive to sit in the shade!<br />
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The last time the bulls would be in the shade!<br />
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We ate Spanish, Italian and Chinese food while we were there and forsook the expensive hotel breakfast for the fresh juice and stuffed croissants of the cafe on the corner. They also welcomed us back to watch the second half of the football (Barcelona v Juventus) with coffee and brandy for less than 5euros.<br />
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We found the Santa Caterina Market and bought tomatoes and grapes for far more than 5euros !<br />
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And we left the hams in the shop.<br />
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Last but not least we went on a tour of the Sagrada Familia. We had a wonderful guide and were shown around the best bits. Unfortunately the lifts were not operating that afternoon and nor was my camera. A particular shame because the sensibly pragmatic Spanish allow all people to take photos of everything and use flash whenever necessary. In many ways it was better because I was able to listen and look and so learned much more.<br />
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The weather was great for ambling around town and mild enough to eat out on the pavement in the evening.<br />
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But there is so much more to see and the cable cars to ride and the musical fountains to enjoy so we shall return. The fountains played to pop music and were not as majestic as they had been before.<br />
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Plenty more to see and do and interiors of buildings and galleries to experience.<br />
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Cheers for now<br />
Gillian<br />
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Gillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13664987657318776594noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2806074357296171196.post-32636170243682367922015-05-10T08:57:00.001-07:002015-05-10T09:50:51.901-07:00TOSSA DE MAR<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Last year we visited Tossa de Mar on the Costa Brava as part of a tour. This year we returned to enjoy more of it and stay in a delightful hotel we had noticed down on the beach.<br />
Tossa is an old fishing town and much of the Mediaeval section remains within the old walls which provided protection from pirates. We walked around the narrow streets and along the cliff-top path and drank cold wine on the terrace of the bar near the top.<br />
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.The weather was kind to us and we scrambled the rocks and walked all the lanes<br />
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The beach was just beyond the hotel which could be easily found by using the two palm trees to guide us home.<br />
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The hotel had originally been built as a holiday house for a wealthy family and was designed by Antoni de Falguera but is now a small<a href="http://www.hotelesdante.com/es/hotel-diana-tossa-de-mar"> hotel</a> .<br />
The windows are marvellous and the lead lighting inside is brilliant.<br />
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The winter sitting room has an immense marble fireplace...<br />
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...and the afternoon tea room has a wonderful ceiling.<br />
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Our own room had lovely views out to sea and of the terrace where we spent some time.<br />
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All the decor has been maintained and the gargoyles still function but it didn't rain to demonstrate.<br />
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It can get very crowded and we were there for the Mayday holiday but the rest of the time it was mostly well behaved school visits and we had no trouble sauntering around.<br />
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Tossa is a fair way from Barcelona Airport, but once the bus has reached the outskirts of that sprawling city you are almost there. Girona is a handier landing place but we were stopping in Barcelona as well. It is a really lovely town. Places to eat abound, the views are magnificent and the lanes are treasure troves of shops. The "Old Section" is quaint and there are very few English pubs, bars and cafes. In fact the commonest "foreign" languages on signs are French and Russian.<br />
There's a patch of blue sky outside right now so I hope the spring weather is well on its way in.<br />
Cheers for now<br />
Gillian</div>
Gillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13664987657318776594noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2806074357296171196.post-91763851446047852852015-03-04T12:46:00.000-08:002015-03-04T12:50:06.322-08:00PALETTE KNIVES AND PAINTING KNIVES<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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These are painting knives. They are bent in the middle so that your fingers, knuckles and wrists don't smudge the paint. The flat ones are palette knives and they are used for mixing blodges of paint on your palette.<br />
Palette knife sounds a bit more arty-farty but they aren't useful in real life cos your finger bits and sleeves get covered in paint. I find painting knives good for everything.<br />
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The triangular ended one is the best. It can be used for lots of shapes, spreads and lines and your index finger can control the blade's angle.<br />
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This is a painting that was going all right but remains unfinished and will probably be over-painted. This is a common happening chez nous. The unwanted painting provides a grandly textured surface for the next effort and bets can be placed on the results.<br />
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This is The Ship Inn at Saltburn. Or was or could be. It has been adulterated with added pen work and has no real eye-light-focus. Perhaps a coble pulled up alongside would add to the composition. The cliffs are a bit wonky.<br />
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This is the next exercise: now starting to use the painting knife without any other applicators (brush, finger,nib). A photo of St James the Less in Teesdale was used as inspiration. It is mightily stormy and may benefit from some lighter glazing. Once again it uses painting knife to apply but also to scrape and scratch the paint to make grasses and twigs.<br />
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This is on a larger canvas and was an exercise in showing rocks and boulders on the hills in Teesdale. A photo from our teacher was used as a starter. Teesdale-Shmeesdale. Mine, as it often does, ended up looking like Oz. This could easily be part of the Bungle Bungles in Western Australia! But once again I claim single utensil...the lovely triangular painting knife.<br />
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Lindisfarne crops up often and I came home from this lesson with a smile on my face. Someone else who has been going to classes for as long as I have said.."That's really lovely. I like that a lot." Thank you Margaret if you ever read this. We all say good things to one another in class, but it's mostly about a lovely colour, or the "sky" or a smaller section. Not often does the whole picture gets the thumbs up. Once again a total painting knife job on a 12 by 16 inch canvas board. I'm so happy I'm planning to go really big next time. Really brave with colour and using a new board with no old painting to provide teeth for the knife.<br />
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I didn't go bigger. I just printed this one bigger to show off how pleased I am with it. But I did use a new board and so... One step at a time. I'll vary the palette next time or go bigger.<br />
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I have no room for them all and I have no desire to offer them for sale so they shall be gifts. Let me know if there is one that pleases you.<br />
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Cheers Gillian<br />
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Gillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13664987657318776594noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2806074357296171196.post-28438740347909899462015-02-08T08:21:00.002-08:002015-02-08T10:02:52.040-08:00Sunny Days in Weardale<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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There is still quite a bit of patchy snow in Weardale, particularly in the shadier and unused spots, like the churchyard.<br />
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The churchyard is also now home to the fossil tree trunk although it was orginally found in one of the quarries a bit further north, near Edmundbyers.<br />
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We walked through the town and down to the Wear river and followed the path alongside it, past the footbridge and up to the stepping stones.<br />
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The ford to the left of the stones is now generally closed. It was on satnavs and more than one truck has been overcome by the current after faithfully following the instructions. A couple and their dog nipped nimbly across the stones but DJ and I decided that we didn't need to cross to the other side today!<br />
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Then we took the van back down through Frosterley into Bollihope and parked up for a coffee and apple pie and a read of the Sunday papers. Hope you are all having lovely sunny Sundays.<br />
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<span id="goog_1890901080"></span><span id="goog_1890901081"></span>Cheers to all<br />
Gillian</div>
Gillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13664987657318776594noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2806074357296171196.post-40915621317773745702015-01-15T07:22:00.000-08:002015-01-15T07:30:17.306-08:00KEEPING BUSY and FIGHTING OFF THE LURGY<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hello All and Happy New Year!<br />
We have had a great time this season and eaten and drunk and visited our fill. It has become cold and the ground was white for the first time the night before last but it has all gone now.<br />
The quieter times of the New Year have seen some projects started and others finished.<br />
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My sister gave me a pack of wallpaper samples in my xmas pressie and I've spent many happy hours enhancing and embellishing them and cutting them into useful cards and bookmarks. In fact she will receive some for her birthday in a couple of weeks. I made her a set of cardlets and kept some for myself'</div>
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I was so pleased with them that I sent off for more free wallpaper samples from some of the suppliers and now eagerly await the post.</div>
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I also finished knitting the log cabin blanket and it is now being mattress-stitched together. I knit a few blankets so this one will be a gift for my brother. His birthday is in March and it will be handy in his new campervan.</div>
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Amongst lots of other lovely items, I received these letters from my SIL and have gessoed and lightly sanded them ready for painting and decorating. I'm waiting for a good idea to happen because I don't really want them to look like I got them at Next. Something wow but easy.</div>
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Painting classes started again yesterday and I came home with this one.</div>
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It's supposed to resemble The Wain Stones looking towards Cold Moor. I'm enjoying using the acrylics now and the painting knife more than a brush. I feel less precious about painting over stuff and starting again. I have started to use new colours and metallics.</div>
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I did this recently too.</div>
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It started off as a bit of Tees river bank but ended up as a bit of Oz, so I popped some cockatoos up in the branches and made it into a billabong.</div>
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This is Hedgerow with Berries and it catches my eye every time I see it. I'm not sure if it's finished. Will more paint improve it or wreck it?</div>
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Still doing the 5:2 diet most of the time. I don't lose much weight. I have a sweet tooth. DJ is doing better and is pleased. </div>
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It has made us more aware of wht we eat and how much. Even when dJ was ill with the lurgy he was still happy to eat all I gave him. Now we are both better we want to stay that way.</div>
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This turned up on facebook recently and I decided to make a batch....</div>
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...of these ingredients into...</div>
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In two weeks time I can extract the juice and use it to dose myself against all ills.</div>
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This link will tell you more...<a href="http://mountainroseblog.com/fire-cider/">http://mountainroseblog.com/fire-cider/</a></div>
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Cheers Gillian</div>
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Gillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13664987657318776594noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2806074357296171196.post-41748439119942713872014-12-07T05:52:00.001-08:002014-12-08T14:10:09.774-08:00OUR STREET...The 2014 Xmas Card<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Much of the urban north-east of England was developed alongside the Industrial Revolution. Railways and coal mines were the major employers of the average bloke. Our street is a "railway street". Houses for the engine drivers down one side and the stokers down the other. The manager and deputy had larger three storey houses at this end of the terraces. Colliery towns were similar.<br />
One of the pitman painters from Spennymoor was called Norman Cornish. He died this year. This is Bishop's Close, Spennymoor...a railway and coal town...painted by Norman.<br />
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At the end of the road are the railway wagons carrying the coal from the colliery. It looks very similar to our street. The railways tended to have a generic architectural style.<br />
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<span style="text-align: left;">The railways and collieries are long gone from the end of our street and the wasteland has recently been developed into a shopping centre. But I felt that I could recreate a winter scene.</span></div>
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The photo was flipped and traced and...<br />
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dry point etched onto an acetate sheet which was inked and printed down at the Bishop Auckland Townhall using the Tom McGuinness (another pitman painter) press.<br />
I left out the cars and there were no people about which simplified things.<br />
I watercoloured the first print.<br />
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It worked quite well so I printed another and developed a snow scene on it.<br />
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This has become our xmas card for this year. It went off to the printers up the road. They "enhanced" the colour a bit and brightened it up....<br />
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People up and down the street love it and so do I but of course our own house is not in it. It is behind the hedge on the front left.<br />
So I wish you all a merry xmas. The snow is supposedly on its way and the temperatures are dropping so the street may soon look just like this.<br />
Cheers Gillian</div>
Gillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13664987657318776594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2806074357296171196.post-1427432500005446822014-11-02T12:03:00.003-08:002014-11-02T12:56:40.586-08:00Brugge and Battlefields...Lest We Forget<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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So! We stopped where everyone else does and took a pic of the Belfry. I climbed it when I was eleven or twelve and we were on a family holiday so I didn't join the long queue to climb it again. 366 steps! This time we had arrived in the evening and it was raining. We walked in the rain and visited the bar under the awning for a drink while we looked up the canal at the famous view of the Belfry.<br />
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It is a beautiful city and we were thrilled to be able to walk around and see everything with such ease. The next day the sun came out and the city started to fill up. Apparently day-trippers regularly cross the channel and spill into Brugge for a few hours. All of a sudden it seemed like we were sharing the city with the rest of the world.<br />
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We retreated into quieter places. We had already "done" the chocolatier and bought some very expensive chocolate.<br />
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and so after a guided walking tour of the main sites we settled down to a Moules Frites lunch at a cafe near the swans and the convent of the begging nuns. We battled the crowds for a while, listened to some drummers in the square and had a coffee.<br />
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In the evening we returned to catch the towers lit up. Many of the day-trippers had gone home but the main square was still full of folks. The Belfry does tilt by about a metre at the top but in the opposite direction to how it looks here!<br />
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On the last morning we went on a canal boat. It was early and there were only a few of us on it so the low bridges loomed even lower as our boat rode higher in the water. Everyone else ducked for this bridge but I was busy lining up the pic and only just missed knocking myself out when I looked up. There were a few gasps from the others as the bridge slid past.<br />
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On Friday 31st october, Jeremy Banning accompanied us around the battlefields, cemeteries and tunnelling sites of Ypres Salient. He is an expert on the Tunnellers, the geology and geomorphology and an engineer. He has worked and is working on documentaries, TV shows and books. He was our guide.<br />
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This was an area held by the British and their allies against the Germans and their allies, during WW1.<br />
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The battles were continuous for four years in this area and the more determined and named assaults were instrumental in gaining and losing advantages and territory. Passchendaele is such a name and an amazing Museum has been built to give an experience of the trenches and dug-outs to visitors.<br />
Many, many thousands were killed. Some are buried with acknowledgement of who they are. Others are buried. Most are not buried. Their remains too shattered or never found. Memorials to them stand high and all their names are inscribed somewhere.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnHCL4voP5TYIk5Mhc9KSAuM34J7oKhR2p-FnyGd2QLBk1YRNrFLT5l-eW7dllmujyFhDi4d-Pf4n5waXefu-YwLx8Nx58pm0A5NqSVDzInbXqoH-fzEDmreFl4ovaMMOoodfdYDnYh6k/s1600/P1070411.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnHCL4voP5TYIk5Mhc9KSAuM34J7oKhR2p-FnyGd2QLBk1YRNrFLT5l-eW7dllmujyFhDi4d-Pf4n5waXefu-YwLx8Nx58pm0A5NqSVDzInbXqoH-fzEDmreFl4ovaMMOoodfdYDnYh6k/s1600/P1070411.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"> </a>Some cemeteries like this one at Tyne Cot are very large and others just take up a small part of a farmer's field, but every one is beautifully looked after.<br />
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Tunnelling deep under the ground was one of the battle tactics of this and other areas. Massive mines were blown up from deep under the enemies' lines by both sides. Giant craters remain where hundreds and even thousands of men were obliterated in seconds.<br />
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Much of the area has been returned to agriculture...sheep and cattle graze, brussel's sprouts and potatoes are grown...<br />
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...but there are still some places like Hill 60, where the remains of war are untouched and the grass and trees grow silently there.<br />
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At sunset, the "Last Post" is sounded at 20.00 at The Menin Gate on the outskirts of Ypres City. We were there.<br />
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As were thousands of others...<br />
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...Every day, every week, every year, in all weathers.<br />
Lest We Forget<br />
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<br />
Cheers Gillian</div>
Gillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13664987657318776594noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2806074357296171196.post-2259540396299461582014-10-09T11:45:00.000-07:002014-10-09T11:46:05.743-07:00CARCASSONNE<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It was a few weeks ago now but the trip to Carcassonne was wonderful. We caught a glimpse of the walled city above the trees as we drove in from Collioure in the south-west of France.<br />
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We were booked into the Mercure at Carcassonne and it must be the closest hotel to the gates to the old city.<br />
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It was a Sunday and the whole city was having an "Open Day" because of a famous anniversary whose fame is now forgotten. It was free entry and so everyone within cooee was there or making an effort to get there.<br />
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We walked around the walls and through the small streets and alleyways inside. Great restoration work has been done. The view of these tiled roofs attracted me.<br />
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And snippets of the outer town from the windows were lovely too...<br />
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After dinner at the hotel we returned for a walk to see the lights.<br />
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And indulged in a selfie...<br />
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Cheers<br />
Gillian</div>
Gillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13664987657318776594noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2806074357296171196.post-45225827827207371882014-10-01T11:39:00.000-07:002014-10-01T12:24:13.106-07:00ANDORRA AND A DOOR<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
...Then we travelled north to Andorra. The land became more elevated and rugged.<br />
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We arrived just south of the town of Soldeu and stayed in an out of season ski resort hotel. That's our balcony, second from the left in the middle....<br />
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....and here it is from the inside.<br />
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It was a lovely hotel. It suffered from being off season and the staff were a bit casual about our arrival but they cheered up when the Andorran Government Minister's daughter arrived for her wedding in one of the RRs owned by the hotel owner. Andorra is making a great effort to encourage tourists in the summer to help to balance out the immense income provided by the Ski Tourism and the Duty Free Trade. On our way over the Pyrenees northwards to France we were faced by a steady stream of traffic heading up the hills to fill their fuel tanks and then their boots with the cheaper supplies.<br />
As you can see, there is a chair lift to the top of the piste, which goes up the mountain just outside our hotel. Then you just ski back down!<br />
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Just up the road were telecabins and they were working on the weekends in the summer to provide access for sight-seers like us, downhill-mountain bikers and golfers.<br />
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We had a great time driving round the mountains and visiting pretty towns, monasteries, "Pyrenees" the department store and the "Melting Clock" statue donated to Andorra by Dali.<br />
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It stands quietly on a bridge in the centre of Andorra La Vella. You can walk up to it, touch it, feel it and appreciate it at close range.<br />
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We drove on to France but I have to show you what we have done to the front door when we came home and I shall show you Carcassonne later.<br />
We have had a screen door added to the front door. You Ozzies will wonder how we have coped without one. There have been quite a few wasps and bluebottles this summer and we have decided that Billy is to be an indoor cat now that he is "Billy-Eight-Lives".<br />
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It does blur the door from the front a bit but it is much better than DJ expected and just as I had hoped.<br />
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As you can see, it is a bit of a puzzle to Billy.<br />
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But he has worked it out. He still can't understand what the mesh is made of and why he can't get through it , but it allows us to have the fresh air into the house and I have always loved to have the door open.<br />
I hope this continues to go well. Billy is coping well with being an indoor cat and I am more relaxed too.<br />
We have spent a couple of days trimming the yard and hanging the tomatoes in the shed...<br />
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It is impossible to grow and ripen tomatoes outdoors in the northeast of England. These have been outside in a lovely warm summer but they still need to go on ripening in the shed for a while. Next year our plan is to grow them in a poly-house on wheels so that it can be dragged around the sunshine patches in the courtyard!<br />
Soon more news on Carcassonne. It was the highlight of the tour for me...<br />
Cheers Gillian<br />
<br /></div>
Gillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13664987657318776594noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2806074357296171196.post-11390704316592155772014-09-28T04:46:00.000-07:002014-09-28T04:47:37.092-07:00Catalonia, Carcassonne and Andorra<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We're just back from touring the Pyrenees and surrounding areas! Some great sites, terrific weather and amazing places.<br />
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We flew into and out of Barcelona from Newcastle, which is very handy for us. We only had a short time in the city and will return for a longer visit soon.<br />
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The Basilica of the Sagrada Familia is a favourite tourist site and really needs to be booked ahead. The queue both times we went there was snaking all the way around the block and people were expecting to be there for hours.<br />
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Other examples of Gaudi's design can be found all around town and other modernist artists and architects are well represented.<br />
We visited the market and ambled down the Ramblas. This enabled us to pay an extortionate price for paella and beers for lunch at one of the cafes together with all the other tourists.<br />
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Our hotel at the Placa Espanya was well placed for the metro and local sight-seeing and the musical fountains played at night.<br />
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Then we travelled north to Andorra.<br />
Cheers Gillian</div>
Gillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13664987657318776594noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2806074357296171196.post-10373925444565833892014-09-14T06:57:00.001-07:002014-09-14T06:58:18.222-07:00A Railway Ride on the SETTLE To CARLISLE Line<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We drove over to Kirkby Stephen to catch a ride on the<a href="http://www.settle-carlisle.co.uk/"> Settle to Carlisle Line.</a><br />
There was quite a chilly wind on the top of the Pennines. The second station to the south is Dent.<br />
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All the stations are very pretty with picture postcard buildings and structures.<br />
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Behind the station at Horton is Ingleborough, the second highest of The Three Peaks in the Yorkshire Dales NP.<br />
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It is 723m above sea level and spent most of the day with its peak covered by a tablecloth of cloud.<br />
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The <a href="http://settlestationwatertower.blogspot.co.uk/">old water tower</a> outside Settle Station has been transformed into a unique and fascinating home. It was the subject of one of the episodes of "Grand Designs" on TV a few months or more ago. Wonderful to see it completed and so handsomely too.<br />
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We travelled south on the "Freddie Truman" but on our return we missed the name of the train in our desire to get a seat! A whole bus trip/day-out group had joined us on the station platform and we knew there would only be two carriages.<br />
We were very relieved to reach Kirkby Stephen and even more relieved when the train stopped so that we could disembark. It hadn't stopped at any of the other stations along the way and we wondered if were on an unplanned trip to Carlisle. Not really the sort of adventure you want on a Sunday if your car is at Kirkby Stephen.<br />
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The Ribble flows through Settle and a house on the banks looks lovely. There was one for sale and I shall look it up soon and assess its appeal and value, but like many old and pretty places....parking is lousy.<br />
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Cheers Gillian</div>
Gillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13664987657318776594noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2806074357296171196.post-15419990644798051772014-08-22T13:14:00.002-07:002014-08-22T13:24:13.537-07:00DRYPOINT ETCHING ON PERSPEX<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This is my latest "hobby". I love it. I saw it advertised in our local free paper, "The Bishop Press" and rang up to book in straight away. The sessions are run at the Town hall once a month. Downstairs is a gallery and art studio/work space. It houses the printing press donated by Tom McGuinness, one of the "Pitman Painters".<br />
He donated much to the local community. His press is for general use, some signed prints are for sale at a reasonable price at the library and I have even admired some magnificent paintings on the wall at the local GP's surgery. The receptionist simply said..."Oh Yes, Tom was a great friend of the Doctor".<br />
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This intaglio etching is a style of scratching on plexiglass with a steel pointed scriber...<br />
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The sheets I have used so far are 11x15cm. Not too big and ,therefore, easy to scratch away at with the scriber. It is considered artistic to scratch in different directions and with different strengths so that the scrapes have a rough or smooth edge and a variety of depth to hold the ink....<br />
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First effort shows from top to bottom...<br />
*not enough ink wiped on and off the surface<br />
*too much ink left on the plate<br />
*maybe JUST RIGHT<br />
It's a bit like the three bears and their porridge.<br />
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I inked this plate (on the left) with mixed inks. The two prints on the right are made with cotton buds applying the ink and lots of old phone book pages and cheap paper towel removing and blending it.<br />
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Here's another one done the same way in a few different colours.<br />
I side placed the above prints on the sheet of paper so that I could fold them as cards, then I centre placed this one below.<br />
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I've started on another one using one of my own photos of Low Barns which is a wild life sanctuary near here. Here are the three stages I've done so far.<br />
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On the left is the photo, centre is the textural-tracing, right is the scratching/etching...as yet not complete. I'll see how it prints next month. It's only on once a month.<br />
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The other innovation chez nous is ...........A pressure cooker.<br />
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It came yesterday and I have already advanced from boiling potatoes to steaming gammon and making grand rice pudding. It is not to be a nine day wonder. Apart from it's own cooking benefits it will also reduce the cost of gas used in this house. I've never had one before so I'm sure you will hear more about it as I go.<br />
Cheers<br />
Gillian<br />
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Gillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13664987657318776594noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2806074357296171196.post-66383094130859544802014-08-02T07:22:00.000-07:002014-08-02T07:26:16.617-07:00July Was A Busy Time<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
After the trip to Masham we settled in at home for a couple of sets of visitors. My sister and her husband brought Mum up to stay with a friend and undertook necessary work on the student rental house that they own.<br />
Then the Great Granddaughter was brought north by her parents.<br />
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Outings to the usual places prepared her for the future. Fish and Chips from the Almighty Cod at Seaton Carew and Jersey ice cream from Archers.<br />
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I got to rock her in the rain while the chips were eaten.<br />
After that we headed to the Midlands to visit friends and then down to Lancing to visit relatives and new kittens. Fortunately the weather was fine and we we had BBQs at Goring Gap and at the campsite.<br />
Then on to stay in Mudeford with sister and husband again.<br />
There was an Arts Festival on and I'd submitted some pictures.<br />
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They hung happily amongst the others enjoying their outing and then they all got packed up to come home. My art tutor warned me that black frames don't sell!!! The few pictures that sold seemed to be photos and animals. Traditional watercolours and scenery seem to be out of fashion. And my art tutor was right. My pictures looked quite sombre amongst their brighter companions.<br />
A new allotment was also on the visiting list.<br />
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DJ checked out the shed and...<br />
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Both he and T looked carefully for Raspberries.</div>
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We took a big bag of fresh veggies home and at the bottom was thus little fellow sitting with his legs crossed.</div>
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We stopped and camped overnight in Whatstandwell and then went up in the cable car to The Heights of Abraham.</div>
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Great views, a cavern to look round and some lovely fossils were the best bits and the cable car was super.</div>
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Then on home to pick up Billy who was so surprised to see us that he must have thought we were never coming back.</div>
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His first birthday is tomorrow.</div>
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Cheers for now,</div>
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Gillian</div>
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Gillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13664987657318776594noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2806074357296171196.post-16597777359062695652014-07-10T11:15:00.001-07:002014-07-10T11:20:38.137-07:00The Grand Depart and the Grand De-Party! at Masham.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Last weekend was spent at Masham in Yorkshire. We parked the campervan for a couple of nights at The Old Station Campsite. This was on the route of the Tour de France and allowed us to get really close. After a wander round town on the Saturday morning, to view the artwork and sculptures...<br />
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....we settled at the side of the A6108.<br />
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We set up the table and a couple of chairs, newspapers, quiche and salad and wine, just across the road, from the gate to the campsite......and waited. Eventually they all arrived at once.<br />
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They were only an arms length away. They seemed to pass in a blur, it was all so fast.<br />
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It was VERY exciting and a giant cheer must have followed them along their miles of this stage of the ride.<br />
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We all cheered till the last ones went by. It wasn't long!<br />
On our return home, My sister and BIL had been to stay and we wrapped up some paintings for them to take back to the Mudeford Arts Festival.<br />
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I've bought some frames from Ezeframe on the internet. They are black floater frames...meant for canvases to drop into. The pics on the sides here are in their frames and the large one in the middle and the two others are waiting for their frames.<br />
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This is the latest and is from a lesson in a painting magazine. Very effective and it will be framed the same way.<br />
Life is lovely and busy at the moment. Lots of visitors. More tomorrow including the new great-grand-daughter. Visited the pick-your-own farm today and six jars of jam have been made and "tons" of frozen peas and broad beans are in the freezer.<br />
Cheers for now<br />
Gillian<br />
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Gillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13664987657318776594noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2806074357296171196.post-23353930820793760722014-06-20T09:28:00.002-07:002014-06-20T09:33:13.602-07:00Hamsterley Forest, Just Right For A Barbecue<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It was such a lovely evening on Wednesday that we hopped in the Van and went up to Hamsterley Forest for a BBQ.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpgJS79SE5fGj21Xjbnl3ndWlnEU_fxWIqwqg5hnygqirbOgldKCGD1fEkVRLiLN86_1LW_BzKTXw54yC_w4b07wJtypE2JCL4dXBafwRUqfwcbepL2kjHLATm_v3PSitogSvmei7LDX4/s1600/Burnhouse+Lane+018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpgJS79SE5fGj21Xjbnl3ndWlnEU_fxWIqwqg5hnygqirbOgldKCGD1fEkVRLiLN86_1LW_BzKTXw54yC_w4b07wJtypE2JCL4dXBafwRUqfwcbepL2kjHLATm_v3PSitogSvmei7LDX4/s1600/Burnhouse+Lane+018.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
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It was nearly empty. The air was still. The Bedburn Beck rippled by and we sat and read our books while the burgers cooked.<br />
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On Thursday we walked along Burnhouse lane...our regular walk and so much had grown since last week.<br />
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Today we took off for the Bowes Museum at Barnie to see the Hockney prints and caught the Coalminer-Painters' exhibit as well. Wonderful stuff!<br />
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It's still fine and we toyed with the idea of another barbie but the breeze has come up and it is a bit cooler this evening.<br />
Cheers for now<br />
Gillian</div>
Gillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13664987657318776594noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2806074357296171196.post-14519603077617540022014-06-12T10:11:00.004-07:002014-06-12T10:13:57.086-07:00A Fetching Etching and The Pilgrim Way At The End Of The Day (Lindisfarne)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've had a lovely arty-farty week. My usual painting class on Wednesday was based on a photograph of "The Pilgrim Way at Lindisfarne" taken by our teacher<a href="https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=paul+dillon+artist+darlington&rlz=1C1CHNU_en-gbGB422GB422&espv=2&tbm=isch&imgil=YANPz7jbzYRbkM%253A"> Paul Dillon</a>. We all enjoyed this one and here is my unfinished piece.<br />
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I still have to paint in the sinking sun. Definitely a make or break moment and all could be lost with a careless wipe of the paintbrush.<br />
Then this morning I did an etching workshop at the <a href="http://www.bishopaucklandtownhall.org.uk/bath/usp.nsf/pws/BATH+-+BATH+McGuiness+Gallery">Tom McGuinness Gallery</a> at the Bishop Auckland Town Hall. Simple dry point on acetate sheet and then inked and printed on Tom's own enormous printing press, now owned by the Town Hall.<br />
I felt like Goldilocks. The first was too inky, the second was not inky enough but the third one was just right!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPPJDRpfmR2c9PES5M67r2M33c1mPUnp1TdSQ6Wr0Z52NHnk_4ZkCB8rsa-aqcncdTIaqoPLopfzrGy6o6wuqWknYgpNkorjfb8sqtpkVegaP0HEi-RRfXjIsk6PVzu1qGlrRozvglauY/s1600/first+etching+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPPJDRpfmR2c9PES5M67r2M33c1mPUnp1TdSQ6Wr0Z52NHnk_4ZkCB8rsa-aqcncdTIaqoPLopfzrGy6o6wuqWknYgpNkorjfb8sqtpkVegaP0HEi-RRfXjIsk6PVzu1qGlrRozvglauY/s1600/first+etching+001.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
Here is the best one in close-up. I am hoping to tint or wash the finished products and produce a set of "fine" cards. The ink is not waterproof so I'll have to be smart with the washes.<br />
So here is is my first etching..."Cow Parsley in the Field"<br />
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Cheers for now<br />
Gillian</div>
Gillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13664987657318776594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2806074357296171196.post-14438169135030928392014-06-08T10:55:00.001-07:002014-06-08T10:55:57.440-07:00TOMMY at Seaham Harbour<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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We went over to Seaham Harbour today to check out the improvements to the old dock area. It has been refurbished into a marina and there are some lovely new buildings, housing the rebuilt <a href="http://www.seaham.gov.uk/Core/Seaham-Town-Council/Pages/George_Elmy_Lifeboat_4.aspx">George Elmy Lifeboat</a> which capsized at the mouth of the harbour after a rescue at sea. All crew were lost and four of the five rescued fishermen died too. There is a cafe, toilets carparks and lots of new stuff.<br />
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After this we followed the people over to the seafront where <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mission11.01?fref=nf">"Tommy"</a> is situated.</div>
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Tommy is very big.</div>
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And is loved by young and old.</div>
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Loved so much that the people of Seaham Harbour (and all those of us who love the place) are trying to buy the statue so that it can remain there permanently. It is extremely moving and very detailed.</div>
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The head is modelled using contour sheets and wire thread for the moustache.</div>
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The veins are shown on the hands and the weariness mixed with relief shows on his face as the hour reaches 11.01am on the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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On a day like this we think... "why don't we live in Seaham Harbour?"...A couple of the houses in the far left of this pic are for sale! We shall return for a closer look.</div>
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Cheers for now</div>
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Gillian</div>
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Gillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13664987657318776594noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2806074357296171196.post-65639331240158591602014-05-31T12:39:00.002-07:002014-06-02T10:56:52.694-07:00Low Barns Wildlife Reserve... What a Lovely find!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We've been to <a href="http://www.durhamwt.co.uk/low-barns/">Low Barns</a> a couple of times in the last few weeks. It belongs to the Durham Wildlife Trust and it is a great renovation of an old industrial site. There is a lake surrounded by a path and green growth is thriving beyond belief.<br />
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We took the camper the second time and parked it under the trees. It looks quite cute peeking out there. The picnic site has a "hide" where you can watch the cheekier birds. All the tits and lots of finches and a robin and a wren call by. The blue tits have a blue head and are small and fly away before you can point your camera. The coal tits have a striped black and white head and are too fast to photograph well, but I tried.<br />
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And the great tits are bigger and more common...usually.<br />
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Because of the mild and moist weather everything is growing well.<br />
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This is an enormous patch of "weeds". But what is a weed? I've always considered it an unwanted plant. These aren't really unwanted even though they are nettles and such. They are all an important part of this environment<br />
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Behind them are the trees that create the ecosystems that suit all the birds.</div>
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Behind all these trees is a billabong or oxbow lake. This is a part of the river's path, left stranded when the river changed course in a flood. The river in question is the Wear, shown below, which skirts the northern edge of the reserve.</div>
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The blossoms have been fabulous...</div>
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...and there will be lots of conkers later this year if these horse chestnut candles are anything to go by...</div>
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...and the may and hawthorn blossoms are everywhere.</div>
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Wherever you provide an environment which is food rich you get these two...</div>
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The reserve makes some revenue from parking, from a cafe, from the sale of charcoal which they make on site and from memberships.</div>
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If you live in the north-east this place is very well worth a visit. It is a mile and a half, on a dry, gravel path, around the lake. There are a few hides to stop in on the way and people are friendly and very informative. I'm too impatient to be a twitcher myself but they were patient enough to tell me that the tall birds in the trees that looked like cormorants with a white chest were in fact juvenile cormorants and their chests would turn black next year...</div>
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We shall return</div>
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Cheers Gillian</div>
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Gillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13664987657318776594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2806074357296171196.post-39274265290977888722014-05-24T12:07:00.000-07:002014-06-02T10:58:22.824-07:00Mallorca All Inclusive Food and Rest After We Got There<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We made the mistake of flying to Mallorca on a Thursday. That's when all the Hens and Bucks go for their four day weekends. Our fellow passengers had been drinking since they got to the airport at 7am. They continued until we got to Palma later that day!!!<br />
We set off across the island to the Calas/Coves on the eastern side of the island.<br />
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This is the view from our balcony overlooking the Calas de Mallorca.</div>
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And this is the view looking up from the beach.</div>
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Most of the days were sunny and we sunbathed on the grassed terraces or at the poolside. Sunday was Market day at Felanitx and we caught the bus over to see the market...</div>
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...which winds through the streets to the marketplace at the top of the hill. On our way we visited the grand church of San Miguel....</div>
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...easily identified by the statue of the archangel over the door...</div>
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...The church was full of splendid statues and frescoes. Further along we found the "Lace-makers and Embroiderers" of Mallorca. They had set themselves up at long tables under gazebos and were stitching and pinning away. Each table had the name of the town they were from. It seemed to be an annual trip.</div>
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It started to rain and we headed off to catch the bus back. The rest of the day was very wet but we settled down on our balcony to read "I Am Pilgrim" by Terry Hayes and "A Delicate Truth" by John Le Carre. </div>
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Another day out was to The Caves of Drach. Well worth it. Chamber Music played live from a boat rowed across the smooth underground lake was such a novelty.</div>
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The caves were full of stalactites and stalagmites, pillars, curtains and deep pools.</div>
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The weather became sunny again but the wind kept the waves up and prevented us from taking a catamaran ride to PortoChristo.This pic shows the small landing jutting out from the cliff which the landing gangplank must rest on.</div>
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They didn't stand a chance!!!</div>
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And gave up and went away. We took the bus up the coast to PortoChristo. A lovely town and harbour. We had grilled sardines for lunch and picked out a grand, old but friendly hotel for the next visit. </div>
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We spent some time watching the surfers take advantage of the waves which were rolling in from the east, and of course we ate. Lots of salads, fish and desserts. DJ is well tanned but I am less so. Plenty more time yet.</div>
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Cheers Gillian</div>
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Gillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13664987657318776594noreply@blogger.com1