Archive | June, 2015

It’s Tough Up North ? 

13 Jun

Set off to undiscovered , highly recommended county – Yorkshire – North as it became. Maybe it was the total,Azure skies; the topsy-turvy ,local roads. Found our base, the Black Bull Park, behind Pub of same nomenclature.

First impressions are highly favourable.Easy walk in to Pickering; posh charity shops seemed to compete with the Tea shops.There were some enticing pubs,resisted, I must say. Loveable town.

Visited St.Peter  & Paul’s’  Parish Church, for its Frescoes, rediscovered in the 19th Century , by a Vicar, whose first instinct was to recover them – disturbing the flock? – However, they are now viewable and only add to this site of Ancient Worship.

  

 Headline in the local paper -” 16 fox cubs found in a barn “.Birmingham Mail  equivalent might read ” 16 Illegal Immigrants ….”

Although  I have travelled extenisevly in Europe, etc ;I am a naïf when it comes to this part of the country; learning as I go. Sitting outside, enjoying Chicken Pirri Pirri, roasted by. Babara, in the Bus’s oven –  –  never used it before – – muey bien. And we used the local Coop. 

PS. We looked in on the railway station ( yes RAILWAY not that annoying version TRAIN ) and I was beholden to the glorious and unexpected vision ( then I suppose all visions are unexpected) of the greatest steam locomotive ever designed, built and operated in the world: SIR NIGEl GRESLEY, world record holder – such a beautiful ,piece of engineering.Made my day, being an inveterate train spotter,unashamedly , of 55 years, or so,ago!
  Thursday,11th June.North Yorkshire Moors Railway fro Pickering to Whitby. A journey through forest and moorland, in beautifully refurbished coaches, pulled by a diesel locomotive ,then a steam engine.The views were as glorious as the weather; we spotted Roe Deer along the way.

Whitby was sunny and along the Eske Estuary and the sea front, very bracing.Typical English  seaside, along the front, but the back streets were full of interest – 200 listed buildings in the town.

A Fish & Chips lunch was called for;easily obtainable, Whitby still has a fishing fleet, and eaten by the waterfront, very filling and enjoyable. We broke our journey on the way back and visited the NYMR engine sheds at Grosmont.Our final stretch of the journey was pulled by the ” The Green  Knight” – lovely loco. 

    The weather still blessed us and all the necessary ingredients for a BBQ, were obtained at Lidl.Treated ourselves to a taxi back to the Black Bull Campsite – it had been a hot, dusty and memorable day.

 By way of a contrast, most of Friday was spent making a couple of walks in the Great North Yorkshire Forest.Known locally, as the Dalby Forest.Only five miles, or so, from Pickering. Very well organised and separate walks and bike trails.Dalby Forest is situated on the southern slopes of the North York Moors National Park. The southern part of the forest is divided by a number of valleys creating a ‘Rigg and Dale’ landscape whilst to the north the forest sits on the upland plateau.  

 

More, sunny weather,lunchtime picnic by the lake. Tranquility.

We had reserved a table at The Black Bull Inn, for dinner;”serving probably the biggest Yorkshire a Puddings in Yorkshire”.We put this claim to the test and Barbara managed to finish hers,not me. A local ,60s Cover band was playing, under the name of “Something Nasty in the Woodshed”; I usually enjoy pub bands, but this lot were poor….the lead singer was so fat, he had to sit down, when singing ,with such a flat delivery that would make a dial-up tone, melodious.The lead guitarist took about four minutes between each song,  to either re-tune ,or change his instrument, so any one momentum was lost; we quickly finished our drinks and escaped.

A memorable , short break and very friendly people – we shall be back.

HEALTH CHECK

Whilst away, received a phone call from Good Hope Hospital, confirming two appointments – a pre op and a “procedure” – to take place in the next two weeks.The procedure on 1st July, requires anaesthetic, but should be overnight only: almost a year to the day, since the major surgery.

So, by way of compensation, I booked the Ferry to Dunkirk, for Sunday,5 th July! Croatia Ahoy!

Courage is never to let your actions be influenced by your fears. ~Arthur Koestler

   
 

Time to Catch Up….Or Forget How!

5 Jun

A month or more on from the Camino; better catch up with myself, or I shall forget how to write .

Withdrawal symptoms,if that’s the right term,at first,once over the relief of completing the Walk and returning home.But after a few days they diminished as real time tasks, like the greenhouse, garden & allotment became practical solutions.

Then a momentous moment when baby Martha was born . 

 

And there were the almost consecutive birthdays of parents,Tom & Vickee,followed closely by older brother, Jude. 

 Very special cake,created by Hannah.

Time then to go for a trip in the “Bus”, as the motorhome is known; so down to Wells in Somerset, where we found a very Special Cathedral and Bishop’s Garden to explore – greeted by a Pilgrim!  

 

There was also a Farmers’ Market together withCraft Stalls, that amounted to one of the best I have ever seen,here or abroad.Wells is wealthy place, still, and it’s waters still flow from the original source in the Garden, a place of religious practice,since before and including Roman times. 

 We were camped close by the famous Wookey Hole Caves and we walked there one evening, not to go spelunking, but to try the local and only Pub.What a mish- mash that was – stripped down Gastro pub type tables in one area, then the remaining space, festooned with New Age bric a brac, but very badly done. Although the cider was good , the food etc, was very over priced. I felt as though the place was on its uppers.

Must mention the visit of my brother Matt, over from Holland; he and I enjoyed watching the Cricket, together and enjoying suitable liquid accompaniment.

It did not take long for the idea of another Camino to formulate -The Camino Ingles,119 Km in length, from Ferrol to Santiago de Compostela – and in what seemed no time at all, Mac, brother in law, Roger and old friend. Dermot , were signed up.Flights are  booked for the end of September and I have managed to reserve all necessary accommodation, with the help of Booking.Com and a telephone call to one establishment, made by my clever, daughter in law Nelly, in Spanish, whilst she, Dan and our two  nephews were with us, last week-end.During which Dan did the 8.2 Sutton  Fun Run ( now known, as the Great Midlands Run), in 59 minutes.Well done Dan! A really chilly, damp moring for runners and spectators, alike. 

 

Looking to next month for a Bus trip to Croatia, after ax wedding in Gloucestershire and negotiating an appointment with my Urology Consultant, for the annual review of the surgery undertaken last July. What a year it has been and so fortunate to have been so well treated by our great National Health Service and so well looked after by Barbara and the family.

Babs and I put on our walking gear, yesterday and re- visited an 11 mile walk for Henley- In-Arden to Stratford Upon Avon, mainly along the Canal, in welcome sunshine; that’s the first  “proper” walk since the last Camino and the new boots felt really good, too. The only minor problem  I  encountered , was being stung by the canal side, fortunately , Barbara was on hand to pull out the black sting from the side  of my head; it ached for a while, as far down as my jawbone! Nevertheless ….