A Tale of derring-do

Addy woke early that morning. The wind had disturbed him, though the usual mechanical sound of a cable car was strangely absent. The day warming him up nicely and the thought of a tasty lizard for his breakfast on his mind.

   Meanwhile 700 meters below three intrepid hikers had arrived at Table Mountain to discover a rather quieter scene than expected. Very few people, no queues and weather conditions preventing the cable car from running. “It may open later” they were told.

    Exchanging looks of uncertainty they quickly decide to ‘go for it’ and hope that the cable car would be operating by the time they planned to come back down after walking up.

   At first the path was straight up! Steep steps and rocks for half an hour meant pausing for breath and to admire the view became easier once the narrow contour path was reached leading to Platteklip Gorge, a zigzag path upwards to their destiny.

   This path was unusually busy today and Addy had been surprised at all the walkers passing him by, only to be further confused when they appeared going back past him a short time later. How was he going to find something to eat with all this commotion and noise going on.

   Indeed as Gill, Steve and Bill (the intrepid three) slowly climbed the mountain they too witnessed the amount of activity, though mostly it was people coming down having already reached the top only to discover that they had to walk back down again.

   The signs didn’t look good for our three trekkers and the prospect of a return hike, which meant conserving energy for later, was on their minds. Also the day was heating up and rest and water stops were slowing their progress.

   Addy however was enjoying the warmth and basking in one sunny patch of ground after another was fun, especially as there seemed less disruption now.

  Something that hadn’t gone unnoticed by those still climbing. Definitely less people descending, maybe the cable car was running. A concerted listen for any sound didn’t confirm anything.

   However just then there was a sound from Gill, startled she stumbled to her left to regain her footing and balance as her right hand avoided grabbing young Addy. Shocked, everything froze! Addy dead still, his 18” of curled chequered scales, distinctive of puff adders, clear to see. No one moving, then everyone did. Addy slowly made his way to a shady crevice as Gill recovered her composure and spoke of how she had heard a hiss just as she was about to put her hand down on a ledge with chequered markings. It was a close call. Addy still hadn’t found his breakfast and three people still hadn’t reached the table top, but they were nearly there !

   Very soon the top was reached and people were spotted who couldn’t possibly have walked up Table Mountain. Spirits lifted - the cable car was in fact operating, but it was a short window of possibility, as no sooner had welcome and necessary refreshments been administered to our triumphant three, than the weather turned misty, cloudy and windy in rapid succession. “Everyone leave the mountain immediately” the announcement said and the cable car filled up with descending visitors, some more relaxed than others and some with photographic evidence and tales of an encounter with a dangerous snake !

Made it, just !

And the view, briefly.

Puff Addy

For the record > it was a 3 hour climb up and 5 minutes to get back down again. (Approximately) 1500 calories shed compared with 150 Rand lighter for the cost of the rotating cable car ride.

Cape Town (with chips)

As a working title this jokingly implies that whenever we ate out in South Africa it came with a side order of chips. I could have easily called it Cape Town 'The Cappuccino Connection', but that would have required a long winded explanation informing you that to get on the internet involved various coffee shops and numerous cappuccinos in order to use their free wifi connection. Get it ?
Titles aside three months escaping the English winter certainly worked even if Cape Town was suffering the worst drought on record. More on that... later.
With so much going on (not to mention flat renovations) with friends visiting and a few trips away, here are the main Titles and some photography evidence.

   1. WEST COAST NATIONAL PARK & PATERNOSTER   

   2. TWO WEEK HOLIDAY with friends   

   3. ARNISTON & MONTAGU   

These will be postings on our 'Trips' pages (coming soon) along with a gallery of photos (click here).
Map below as guide to trips.

Let's get some flat photos out the way first:

   BEFORE   

   and AFTER   

Bathroom > (left) old bath - (right) now a walk-in shower.

More at: http://mandbtrips1.blogspot.co.uk/

2017 - that was …

OR, Extra tales from SE Asia.

Just a few photos that didn't quite make it into our SE Asia trips blog.

Somehow we missed including a photo of Colin and Kyoko.
(Left): Kyoko is holding Pink, but only just, as Nut and Chip try to upstage us !

Vietnamese Menu

The number of interesting spellings on Vietnamese menus was a constant source of amusement. Add Fred banana, Muchrooms and Juice of Toad to this picture below  ?

Wonderful Vietnamese egg coffees, served Sapa style

(Left): Very weird photo taken by Margaret at Angkor Wat Park.
She put an effect on it - 'Richtone HDR' - with her phone and it turned out like this - it looks 3D ?
Or least ways, it appears so on my computer… spooky !

Garden Watch 2017

What a difference two months makes to one hydrangea –

Scorched by frost in May

Now in flower - July

Northern Lights

Very soon we are off to Lapland to hopefully see the Northern Lights.
Exactly eight years ago we went to Iceland in a previous attempt to see them without much luck. Plenty of snow and ice though, as this picture reminds us.

ICELAND 2009. Gullfoss (Golden Falls) waterfall.

2016 - that was

Thought we'd post a final blog by way of a summing up of 2016 - it's been a funny ol' year!

The highlight was probably Vietnam way back in March. Keeping up with Scott and Issie since has involved seeing them either side of the Rio Olympics and following their travels across and back into Asia these last three months.
It has been a year for us in which other holidays didn't quite come off as hoped. Italy, Ireland and Cornwall all made it to an advanced stage of planning that sadly didn't happen this year. Gone, but not forgotten, that's for sure.

We're left therefore to tell you of a couple of trips that did…
Margaret went over to Cape Town in November to see her mum and the rest of the family there. She wasn't gone long, but had enough time to catch up: discover garden centres with lovely restaurants, find new beaches, go to a school play and walk 5k for charity.

Throughout The Color Run for charity everyone got showered in multi coloured powder.

A cleaner pastime - lunch at the garden centre.

While Margaret was away I kept out of mischief by finally getting around to doing my version of the London Underground 'Tube Challenge'. Click this link for my lowdown on the 'TRIP OUT ON THE TUBE'.

That's it 2016 - and no mention of the 'B' word or the 'T' word - bet you're glad of that 😊

Hurley Holiday - July 2016

Having made our minds up to have week off in July the big question was whether to go away to some warmer and sunnier climes, where they may not speak our language but offered something new if a little of the unknown - or - to stay in England, take our chances with the weather, relax and hope for the best in familiar and reliable surroundings. In other words: should we Leave or Remain ?
After weighing up the various pros and cons, dismissing the false predictions of the weather forecasters, the risk of airport or ferry delays and other such works-to-rule, not to speak of the economic costs - we voted to Remain !
Spend a week at the van and be 'Brits at home on holiday' - we 'd become Hurley villagers for a week and see how they (and us) like it !

If you are reading this just the week after you will know how we lucked-out, with the temperamental English weather impersonating summer, it simply couldn't have been better. Unlike our trip to Vietnam in March, it was shorts, sandals, suncream and blue skies, all the way.
Crucially other items needed dusting off following a prolonged period of inactivity:- deck-chair, large shade umbrella, picnic utensils, beach-mat, cooler box & ice trays and naturally the barbecue.
We lazied around but also gardened, went to Henley, paddled in the Thames, walked to Marlow, cycled and bought a huge parasol. Some photographic evidence is offered below:

Humble Hurley Abodes

Cycle Day Out  

The Thames path south of Goring.

We spent one day cycling the Thames path from Wallingford all the way back to our van. We cycled to Maidenhead Station - caught the train to Cholsey - cycled to Wallingford and then followed the path back to Sonning. We left the Thames here and took the narrow roads back to Hurley. Approximately 32 miles of cycling, minus occasional narrow pathways, steep hills, locks and bridges, were we had to walk.
See map below

The colourful lock at Sonning.

Parasol purchase

… And at the Henley Festival

Signing off now. Yours, Flight Lieutenant Mike 'Margaret' Sharp. Chocks away ginger !

Garden Watch. 2016

After a few years of January flooding down at the van, this last winter we were spared. As a result of this and following the Hurley Diet of sun and rain our garden is finally looking the part.

Beautiful white Peonies.

We had severely cut back the lilac tree last Autumn, which has recovered nicely. The flower beds are filling in, the laurel hedging is growing daily, the salix trees have never looked so colourful and currently the peonies are striking.

June 2016. Big improvement from previous years. And mole-free… see: http://mandbtales1.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/hurley-declaration.html

Plus we have had Blue Tits nesting in the bird box we put up on the back fence. Where we have been able to watch them, from the window of our living room, constantly darting in and out voraciously feeding. Our family have now fledged and flown, but we did catch them 'at it'. See Margaret's picture below.

Bird box, success.

BIKE RIDE

HOI AN to HUE on the back of a motorbike

We'd been told all about the company 'Le Family Riders' who organise trips on motorbikes out of Hue in central Vietnam. The one day trip via the Hai Van Pass (as featured in the now 8 year old 'Top Gear' - Vietnam Special*) was near the top of our 'to do' list. It proved to be possibly our best experience and highly recommended. 

* Despite the years since this programme was broadcast, Jeremy Clackson, in contrast to his current falling star status in the UK, is regarded as some sort of demigod in this part of Vietnam. They sing his praises and give thanks to the fact that everyone visiting this area wants 'to do' the 'Top Gear' Ocean Cloud Pass - "a deserted ribbon of perfection - one of the best coast roads in the world". The PR has been welcomed, certainly by 'Le Family Riders'.

This day trip can be done in either direction. As we were in Hoi An we were collected from our hotel at 9 o'clock (on the dot) by Mr Thang and his son Dung. Our luggage we strapped on the back. Helmets were supplied and we climbed aboard to ride pillion on a journey we'll never forget.

See our map for a guide of the route and check out some of the numerous videos posted on YouTube by loads of fellow riders (links will appear at the end). They do capture it and bring it all back.

On yer bike

Marble Mountain > Danang > through the mad traffic to the airport, to collect some left luggage, we'd left when we arrived the previous Sunday, a good example of 'Le Family Riders' going out of their way to go the extra mile. Something that would continue all day, as they really looked after us.

Along the deserted waterfront at Danang and on to the 'Hai Van Pass'. Most of the local traffic goes via a tunnel under the mountains, so apart from a few trucks, one full of pigs, the pass was mostly clear and ideal for motorbikes with opportunities to pull over and admire the scenery as we made our way up the switch back road.

A little wind swept on top

Lunch with a view

After pausing at the top for views that showed the sun increasingly breaking through the clouds, lunch called and what a lunch too. A restaurant on stilts on the Lang Co bay lagoon called 'Son Hai' and a table full of fresh seafood, which was delicious, with a view to match.

Fed and watered it was back on the bikes as the narrow road skirted the lagoon, we sat back (not literally!) to enjoy the ride. A visit to Elephant Springs and a chance to swim, which we side stepped, so soon after lunch and because the waters looked more chilly than inviting.

Via a fishing community before finally engaging the late afternoon traffic into Hue. Darting in and out of all the other road users a small posse of orange bibbed 'Family Riders' pulled into town, veering off to various hotel destinations. 

Le Poseurs !  Mr Thang, Margaret, Bill and Dung.

We sat with Mr Thang and Dung one last time in our hotel lobby. Thanked them for their company on a brilliant day out and wished them all the success in the future. Vowing to return some other day for a different trip. Truth was, I'd have happily done the whole thing all over again the very next day. 

Cost was $58 (U.S.) per person - door to door. Food and drink was included, as was Marble Mountain and the Springs. Book online at www.lefamilyriders.com  You can mention us, but Clarkson will probably get you greater nods of approval. 

Our best view.  (There's those jackets again)

Links to other 'Hai Van Pass' videos as promised:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDZGSerol6Y  (this one is long, but very good - music soundtrack)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZLhWGukmok  (arty, black and white video, in the rain - music is The Doors "Riders on the Storm")

www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiPUdYu8YBc  (short video, but sweet)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=plB2ZURRjfc  (these people are on bicycles - the music is Mumford & Sons "Hopeless Wanderer")
www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jOFuCCwKXg  (another ride but no music just natural sound - 11min video) 

Lumiere London

Aquarium. In a Telephone Box

A fantastic Light festival came to London over the weekend in the shape of Lumiere London. Produced by Artichoke the 30 Light Works were on for four evenings, illuminating the city from 6.30pm to 10.30pm.
With a variety of amazing installations from different artists, and with Regent Street and Piccadilly closed to traffic, London was transformed and taken over by thousands of people enjoying the FREE show in a great atmosphere of wonder and happily just getting out in the city.

If you look carefully at the Aquarium (right) you'll see the pay phone dialling box (top left).

Called 1.8 London. This enormous net sculpture floated above Oxford Circus. 

Luminéoles above Regent Street.

Garden of Light, Leicester Square.

Margaret by the Garden of Light.

We didn't see everything and this is just a selection of the many shifting and changing light displays and of all the photos we took. 

Margaret had taken videos and animated sound bites of 'Keyframes' dancing all over a building, bird boxes in the 'Sanctuary' and 'Lightbenches'. Some of these files were pretty large, which I couldn't reduce, so I decided against loading them.

However I have placed one of the smaller files at the very end - more as an experiment to see - no sound I'm afraid but the Luminéoles do float back and forth to give you some idea. 

The Light of the Spirit.
On the West Front of Westminster Abbey, were kaleidoscopic illuminations by Patrice Warrener.

December 2015

All our very best wishes

We back… jammin'

It's nearly four years since we last made any Jam, due mostly to the yearly bounty of plums from my garden no longer being available. But this year having picked loads of blackberries while out cycling around Hurley, we then came by a windfall of apples. So we put the two together and present for 2015 our double batch of M&B jam.

Batch 1: Blackberry & Apple. 

Batch 2: Apple & Blackberry

The second batch was named differently for no better reason other than it had more apples than blackberries compared to the first batch.

Both are labelled 'Phoney Jam'. Geddit ?