We rose slightly later today to an overcast sky heralding rain. However, the clouds broke after precipitation just for a short while. After our delightful and brilliant excursion yesterday, we decided to approach today at an easier pace.
We first headed for the hairdresser whom the girls had recommended to Maria: Holly @ Lyster Hair Design. Arriving in Banbury Road we found it to be a hive of havoc and industry, and any available parking appeared to have dissolved. With time ticking closer towards Maria's 11am rendezvous we completed a circuit of this Circus Maximus, and once again Maria's Parking Fairy directed us to a vacant parking spot: right next to Lysters! So, with purpose in her step, Maria ventured into the hairdresser's, whilst I maintained vigil with the car as parking was valid for 30 minutes only.
I wasn't sure whether I was amused or alarmed at the lack of available parking, as drivers appeared to park anywhere and anyhow to secure a spot. Non-parking areas, driveways and pedestrian accesses were fair game for these errant consumers. Albeit, Maria exited the cosmetologists with aire of relief and joy at having her locks lopped - the first since the 8th March!
Dismissing breakfast at our hotel, we drove into Oxford to have brunch at a greasy-spoon, 'St Giles', as recommended by Eileen and Helen. The fare on offer was of a high cholesterol content - but, cooked with fresh produce providing a delicious repast. Breakfast consisted of: Sausage and egg on bruschetta, fresh orange juice and a hot chocolate (Maria)
'House' breakfast: eggs, bacon (to die for), sausages and baked beans (for self propulsion); fresh orange juice and black coffee (Michael). We also threw in a serve of chips for good measure!
As we did have a full day yesterday, Maria has resigned herself to some earned rest so we return to the hotel and whereby I would continue into Oxford by the Red Bus in due course.
The day has improved weather-wise with the sun gleaming, so I don our trusty backpack, my hat, camera and set forth! Walking 
round to Banbury Road to the Sightseeing bus stop #16, the traffic is in full flow and chaotic - completely different from yesterday's Bank Holiday. The bus arrives and upon boarding I am pleasantly surprised to find my short journey accompanied by a 'live' guide whose name is Allan. Allan's repertoire of Oxford's history is informative and entertaining, his anecdotes are applauded by the genuine laughs from the passengers. Whenever the bus stops for traffic or lights, our guide fills these pauses 
with local trivia.
The bus finally arrives at my destination: stop # 4, Oxford Castle. We have seen and stayed in many castles during our journey so far, and many of those which have been impressive have been off the main roads, devoid of visitors and entry is gratis for all and one to enjoy. However, this is not the case with Oxford's 
castle. Regrettably, the remnants of this once imposing edifice has been consolidated to a precinct of income generation. Oh, well, bills do have to be paid...?
Leaving the castle precinct, I make my way towards Carfax Tower and which is considered to be the centre of the city. The name Carfax is derived from the French, carrefour or crossroads, and is located at the junction of St Aldates, Cornmarket, Queen and High Streets, Oxford. The tower is all that remains of the 13th century St Martin's Church and is now owned by the Oxford City Council. Standing at 74 feet high the viewing 
platform provides the visitor with a 360 degree vista of Oxford city and its array of towers.
Leaving Carfax I make my way to the old Bodleian Library and grounds. This precinct is an amazing collection of architecture and stained glass windows which reflect their surroundings. The magnitude of these remarkable buildings can be gauged by the 
expressions of the visitors. Heads looking upwards, with outstretched hands pointing and mouths agape.
Making my way to St Mary's Cathedral where its tower is available to visitors. The Cathedral is a testament to past benefactors and scholars with epitaphs dating from 1609! The architecture reflects Renaissance and Gothic styles with large 
stained glass windows. Paying the nominal fee of 2 pounds, I make the long a restrictive climb to the tower's viewing platform. If I was amazed at the view from Carfax, I was taken aback by the vista from St Mary's. This vantage point gave a birds-eye-view over the Bodleian and adjoining colleges.
My thirst for heights being slated, I return to ground level and continue my walk onto Catte Street, heading towards 
Cornmarket Street and the Covered Market.
The streets are full of tourists standing in groups peering over their maps of Oxford. Buskers ply their trade and filling the air with strumming and piping. Finally, I reach the Market which is an adventure in itself. This is an amazing collection of purveyors offering a variety of fresh produce under one roof. 
Passing a green grocer who displayed a selection of berries, so handing over the required payment I purchased a punnet of English strawberries and cherries. This fine purchase should make a handsome breakfast.
Saying farewell to this purveyor I make my way towards Broad Street to catch the red bus for home. The day started out with rain and concluded with sunshine and a memo
rable walking tour.
For dinner we went back in to the city to the Bangkok House, a Thai restaurant recommended by the lass at reception of the Linton Lodge. Nice, but not a touch on the Thai Orchid that we found the other day. We both agree that the tastes have been a little too 'westernised' (i.e. lots deep fried, and sweetened). We begin with a mixed starter and continue with mains - duck with 
cashew nuts, sweet and sour king prawns and mosamun curry all with steamed jasmine rice. Our deep fried banana with coconut served with caramel ice cream just continued the theme - nice enough if you were hungry, but not really authentic. Service however was good. By the time we get back to the Lodge after taking a few night shots it is after 11 pm. We are finding it hard to get used to ending the days so late!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
A quieter day in Oxford....
Monday, May 25, 2009
Oxford - City of the dreaming spires
This morning is a little overcast with the weather forecast for 23°C and possible showers. After a nice but over-priced breakfast - £12.95 per person and everything was in bain maries with only fried or poached eggs cooked to order, we first caught up with Gen on Skype where I asked her to post some summer stuff to us. The only light top I have is the one I wore from Sydney!
Then it was in to town to get the CitySightseeing Oxford red bus! It did not take long for us to realise that the city, like many other university towns, exudes a beat that is very contagious. There are people everywhere - students, tourists and locals. Mind you, the fact that it is the Monday of a Bank Holiday weekend and a beautiful sunny day at that probably influences it
a little!
Ah, Oxford the city of yellow limestone buildings, learning and - Morse. The first impression this city affords the visitor is a vibrant tremor which ripples throughout the city. Unlike other university cities we have visited the university IS Oxford city, impressed throughout like a perpetual signature. Apart from the
hussle and bustle, there is certain element of calmness which made us feel very much at ease. We take one full route of the bus tour, soaking up the information and trivia that is thrown at us at every twist and turn of the bus. The commentary, while taped, is very thorough and a good mix of historic fact and interesting anecdote.
We had arranged to meet Elaine and Helen who we first met on the Isle of Islay in Scotland. They live here and have invited to spend a day with them in this, their home town. Despite the public holiday, the Parking Fairy is on duty and we get a parking space nice and clos
e to the bus stop for the bus. We only have time for a once around before we go off to meet the girls. As we alight, we organise a swap for a two day pass, having decided to spend another night in Oxford. Thankfully the hotel has a vacancy and we can even keep the room we are now in.
We meet Helen and Elaine for a drink at the Eagle and Child pub (known locally as the Bird and Baby pub) - parking right outside! It's where Tolkein, CS Lewis and that crowd used to hang out. Helen came outside - they were a little worried they might not recognise us, until they saw the hat walk past - thank god we went back for it in Shannon! It was great to
see the girls again and Helen tells us that it was here that 'The Inklings' - a group of Oxford writers met to test out their writings including The Lord of the Rings and the Narnia books.
After our drink Helen offered to take us on an 'insiders' tour of some of the Oxford University sights. As she works for the University, Helen could walk us in to a number of colleges that we could not have otherwise seen. From the pub we walked down Broad Street where we pass by Blackfriars Hall for graduate students - mostly in the area of theology. But our first venture into the world of the academically privileged came at Balliol
College. When first you walk through the gate and in to the manicured lawns, beautifully kept gardens and stunning (absolutely stunning) buildings you walk from the hustle and bustle outside into a place of peace. The contrast is amazing. Exeter College has recently undergone a restoration project - and the new stone, while lighter in colour, are just as well made as the older stone. Hertford College while closed to the public 
was open to us thanks to Helen's pass. And students being students, ignored the 'Please keep off the grass' sign!
The architecture in Oxford is just amazing. The colleges, having successfully turned out model citizens, were often bequeathed funds for the construction of new buildings, meaning that as time has passed, these colleges have grown not only in size, but also
in grandeur. And they are truly beautiful. At first, we were horrified to be shown graffiti on the quadrangel walls of these hallowed halls - but they commemorate wins at the Head of the River and are actually done in chalk (although they are still clearly visible from 5 and 6 years ago).
The Bodleian Library is the most amazing space. From its awe-
inspiring exterior to the dignified quiet of the Divinity School that commands awe, respect and q-u-i-e-t. There are ceiling rosettes that recognize the contributions of library benefactors. It is just amazing. Students can't gain access into this cathedrals of libraries until they sign (they used to have to recite) the Pledge:
“I hereby undertake not to remove from the Library, or to mark, deface, or injure in any way, any volume, document, or other object belonging to it or in its custody; not to bring into the Library or kindle therein any fire or flame, and not to smoke in the Library; and I promise to obey all rules of the Library.”
We leave the colleges for a time and walk under the Bridge of Sighs modelled on the famous Venetian example before we squeeze (ok, a slight exaggeration) down St Helens Passage, winding our way through tiny back lanes to the Turf Tavern for lunch. With such a beautiful day at their disposal, it seems half the local population has found their way to this
tavern that would never be found by tourists. This is a special place for Michael as this is the tavern that is the setting for many of the Inspector Morse episodes. Helen had a BLT for lunch while Elaine, Michael and I had salmon and Brie fishcakes. We all washed it down with Appletiser - a sparkling non-alcoholic apple juice and soda drink.
Our appetites well sated, we stroll
down passed Trinity College with its impressive wrought gates allowing a glimpse into a very privileged world while at the same time keeping the outside world well and truly at an arms length.
There are lots of students walking and cycling in formal dress with different coloured flowers in their lapels. Helen explains that even though it is only Week 7, student exams are underway.
Students all sit their exams in the Examination Schools Building and in full academic dress. Can you imagine that - not only is there the stress of the exams, but they have to get kitted up in the penguin suit! And the flower in their lapel denotes the year of their examination - white for first year exams, pink for the centre years and red for final (usually 3rd) year exams.
"Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing – absolutely nothing – half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats." - Ratty talking to Mole, from Kenneth Grahame's classic: "The Wind In The Willows.
The girls were giving us the quintessential Oxford experience so they then took us punting on the Cherwell River from The Cherwell Boathouse. Before we headed out Helen bought us Pims - when quizzed if this was a real English tradition, she laughed and said it is far more local than that - it is quite an Oxford drink! You should have seen the drama it took to get me in to the boat. There was a huge step down from the jetty to the boat, and it was in to something that moved further away from you as you got in, unsteadily. But evetually I was in, as was everyone else and we were off with Helen punting leisurely down the river.
About a mile down the river, Elaine took over and we continued on our merry way. At the turn for home, Michael took over and the girls could not believe what a natural he was. Must say, my man did look good as he stood above us and calmly poled us the whole way back to the docks. At one point we passed another punt where the woman punting was standing on the other end of the boat. I asked Helen if you could punt from either end and she commented (almost derisively) that that was the Cambridge way to punt - ah yes, university rivallry is alive and well!
Ha ha, if getting in was a drama, you should
have seen me trying to step up out of that moving boat! But with lots of encouragement and ingenious (if not inelegant) moves, out I got. What a fantastic afternoon on the river with the ducks, oh, and the occasional other boat!
So to finish the day, we went a little way out of the City to a pub restaurant called The Trout Inn. This was another of Morse's favourite hangouts. It is located on the Isis river - part of the headwaters of the Thames River. They too are very busy and the girls tell us that it is busy - especially on weekends. The menu is varied and interesting. Helen and I begin with Mojitos - hers was a Royale (with champagne) and mine was a Raspberry Mojito with raspberry coulis and fres
h raspberries - gosh, it went so well with lime! (Kamala and Carol - you gotta try it! That is, if you can get raspberries, he he he!) For starters we all shared Box Baked Camembert with Onion Jam and Breads and Greek Mezze with Taramasalata, Hummus, Tzatziki, Feta and Flat Breads.
Mains were:
Chargrilled Lamb Rump with Chorizo, Onions, Peas and Rosemary Potatoes (Michael and Helen)
Spit Chicken with Roast Garlic and Lemon Thyme Mayonnaise (Maria)
Spit Chicken Mushroom Forestiere (Elaine)
Desserts:
Plum and Apple Crumble (Michael)
Marshmallow Cheesecake with red fruits (Maria and Elaine)
Gosh the food was great, the setting fantastic and the company the best!!
As we said goodbye to Helen and Elaine outside the pub after 10:30 pm we did so in the raucous company of a peacock perched high on one of the chimney pots!
How cool - here we are in Oxford and as I type the blog, Inspector Morse is on TV - and it is set in Oxford! And the episode (The Wench is Dead) is about the boatmen - wow, we did that today!!!! And finally just before midnight, the showers predicted this morning have finally started! What a FANTASTIC day - thanks ever so much Elaine and Helen - and we are holding you to your promise to come and spend some time with us in Oz.
Then it was in to town to get the CitySightseeing Oxford red bus! It did not take long for us to realise that the city, like many other university towns, exudes a beat that is very contagious. There are people everywhere - students, tourists and locals. Mind you, the fact that it is the Monday of a Bank Holiday weekend and a beautiful sunny day at that probably influences it
a little!Ah, Oxford the city of yellow limestone buildings, learning and - Morse. The first impression this city affords the visitor is a vibrant tremor which ripples throughout the city. Unlike other university cities we have visited the university IS Oxford city, impressed throughout like a perpetual signature. Apart from the
hussle and bustle, there is certain element of calmness which made us feel very much at ease. We take one full route of the bus tour, soaking up the information and trivia that is thrown at us at every twist and turn of the bus. The commentary, while taped, is very thorough and a good mix of historic fact and interesting anecdote.We had arranged to meet Elaine and Helen who we first met on the Isle of Islay in Scotland. They live here and have invited to spend a day with them in this, their home town. Despite the public holiday, the Parking Fairy is on duty and we get a parking space nice and clos
e to the bus stop for the bus. We only have time for a once around before we go off to meet the girls. As we alight, we organise a swap for a two day pass, having decided to spend another night in Oxford. Thankfully the hotel has a vacancy and we can even keep the room we are now in.We meet Helen and Elaine for a drink at the Eagle and Child pub (known locally as the Bird and Baby pub) - parking right outside! It's where Tolkein, CS Lewis and that crowd used to hang out. Helen came outside - they were a little worried they might not recognise us, until they saw the hat walk past - thank god we went back for it in Shannon! It was great to
see the girls again and Helen tells us that it was here that 'The Inklings' - a group of Oxford writers met to test out their writings including The Lord of the Rings and the Narnia books.After our drink Helen offered to take us on an 'insiders' tour of some of the Oxford University sights. As she works for the University, Helen could walk us in to a number of colleges that we could not have otherwise seen. From the pub we walked down Broad Street where we pass by Blackfriars Hall for graduate students - mostly in the area of theology. But our first venture into the world of the academically privileged came at Balliol
College. When first you walk through the gate and in to the manicured lawns, beautifully kept gardens and stunning (absolutely stunning) buildings you walk from the hustle and bustle outside into a place of peace. The contrast is amazing. Exeter College has recently undergone a restoration project - and the new stone, while lighter in colour, are just as well made as the older stone. Hertford College while closed to the public 
was open to us thanks to Helen's pass. And students being students, ignored the 'Please keep off the grass' sign!The architecture in Oxford is just amazing. The colleges, having successfully turned out model citizens, were often bequeathed funds for the construction of new buildings, meaning that as time has passed, these colleges have grown not only in size, but also
in grandeur. And they are truly beautiful. At first, we were horrified to be shown graffiti on the quadrangel walls of these hallowed halls - but they commemorate wins at the Head of the River and are actually done in chalk (although they are still clearly visible from 5 and 6 years ago).The Bodleian Library is the most amazing space. From its awe-
inspiring exterior to the dignified quiet of the Divinity School that commands awe, respect and q-u-i-e-t. There are ceiling rosettes that recognize the contributions of library benefactors. It is just amazing. Students can't gain access into this cathedrals of libraries until they sign (they used to have to recite) the Pledge:“I hereby undertake not to remove from the Library, or to mark, deface, or injure in any way, any volume, document, or other object belonging to it or in its custody; not to bring into the Library or kindle therein any fire or flame, and not to smoke in the Library; and I promise to obey all rules of the Library.”
We leave the colleges for a time and walk under the Bridge of Sighs modelled on the famous Venetian example before we squeeze (ok, a slight exaggeration) down St Helens Passage, winding our way through tiny back lanes to the Turf Tavern for lunch. With such a beautiful day at their disposal, it seems half the local population has found their way to this
tavern that would never be found by tourists. This is a special place for Michael as this is the tavern that is the setting for many of the Inspector Morse episodes. Helen had a BLT for lunch while Elaine, Michael and I had salmon and Brie fishcakes. We all washed it down with Appletiser - a sparkling non-alcoholic apple juice and soda drink.Our appetites well sated, we stroll
down passed Trinity College with its impressive wrought gates allowing a glimpse into a very privileged world while at the same time keeping the outside world well and truly at an arms length.There are lots of students walking and cycling in formal dress with different coloured flowers in their lapels. Helen explains that even though it is only Week 7, student exams are underway.
Students all sit their exams in the Examination Schools Building and in full academic dress. Can you imagine that - not only is there the stress of the exams, but they have to get kitted up in the penguin suit! And the flower in their lapel denotes the year of their examination - white for first year exams, pink for the centre years and red for final (usually 3rd) year exams."Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing – absolutely nothing – half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats." - Ratty talking to Mole, from Kenneth Grahame's classic: "The Wind In The Willows.
The girls were giving us the quintessential Oxford experience so they then took us punting on the Cherwell River from The Cherwell Boathouse. Before we headed out Helen bought us Pims - when quizzed if this was a real English tradition, she laughed and said it is far more local than that - it is quite an Oxford drink! You should have seen the drama it took to get me in to the boat. There was a huge step down from the jetty to the boat, and it was in to something that moved further away from you as you got in, unsteadily. But evetually I was in, as was everyone else and we were off with Helen punting leisurely down the river.
About a mile down the river, Elaine took over and we continued on our merry way. At the turn for home, Michael took over and the girls could not believe what a natural he was. Must say, my man did look good as he stood above us and calmly poled us the whole way back to the docks. At one point we passed another punt where the woman punting was standing on the other end of the boat. I asked Helen if you could punt from either end and she commented (almost derisively) that that was the Cambridge way to punt - ah yes, university rivallry is alive and well!
Ha ha, if getting in was a drama, you should
have seen me trying to step up out of that moving boat! But with lots of encouragement and ingenious (if not inelegant) moves, out I got. What a fantastic afternoon on the river with the ducks, oh, and the occasional other boat!So to finish the day, we went a little way out of the City to a pub restaurant called The Trout Inn. This was another of Morse's favourite hangouts. It is located on the Isis river - part of the headwaters of the Thames River. They too are very busy and the girls tell us that it is busy - especially on weekends. The menu is varied and interesting. Helen and I begin with Mojitos - hers was a Royale (with champagne) and mine was a Raspberry Mojito with raspberry coulis and fres
h raspberries - gosh, it went so well with lime! (Kamala and Carol - you gotta try it! That is, if you can get raspberries, he he he!) For starters we all shared Box Baked Camembert with Onion Jam and Breads and Greek Mezze with Taramasalata, Hummus, Tzatziki, Feta and Flat Breads.Mains were:
Chargrilled Lamb Rump with Chorizo, Onions, Peas and Rosemary Potatoes (Michael and Helen)
Spit Chicken with Roast Garlic and Lemon Thyme Mayonnaise (Maria)
Spit Chicken Mushroom Forestiere (Elaine)
Desserts:
Plum and Apple Crumble (Michael)
Marshmallow Cheesecake with red fruits (Maria and Elaine)
Gosh the food was great, the setting fantastic and the company the best!!
As we said goodbye to Helen and Elaine outside the pub after 10:30 pm we did so in the raucous company of a peacock perched high on one of the chimney pots!
How cool - here we are in Oxford and as I type the blog, Inspector Morse is on TV - and it is set in Oxford! And the episode (The Wench is Dead) is about the boatmen - wow, we did that today!!!! And finally just before midnight, the showers predicted this morning have finally started! What a FANTASTIC day - thanks ever so much Elaine and Helen - and we are holding you to your promise to come and spend some time with us in Oz.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Where the witch met Wedgewood
After a great night last night we slept very soundly. Lots of families staying in the hotel, so it was awake to the noise of littlies this morning. Breakfast this morning was - interesting! Self service cold buffet - boxed cereals, bread for toasting, croissants, packet cheeses, butter and jam, orange juice and coffee. Lots of families with young babies running around - not our idea of a relaxing breakfast. Still, it is included in the room rate so no real complaints!! And there would have been nothing to stop us having six or seven helpings if we so wished.
Michael has known for years the story of Molly Leigh, the witch
of Burslem. And now, here we were right in the area. So after breakfast off we went to visit the graveyard of St John's Church of England. Graves are normally aligned east-west but her grave lies north-south - the only one in the cemetery to do so. After her burial, she was supposedly seen large as day in her cottage. So the pastor who 
buried her worried that being a witch, she could get out of her grave! So they dug her up and re-aligned the grave! Andn this time, they put in her pet raven for good measure - alive! This poor unfortunate woman was most probably rather eccentric following the tormenting by local townsfolk as she was reportedly very ugly.
When we finally find the Church, there is a man taking the children's Sunday School outdoors in the beautiful sun. He explains that the Church gets lots of visitors to visit the grave (something he finds bemusing) and that one day some years ago, the church warden received a phone call saying that people had been chipping away at the grave, stealing pieces and selling them on eBay! In fact, the phone call went something like "Hey Pastor, I have just seen a piece of Molly Leighs grave for sale on eBay!" Some people will stop at nothing. He goes on to tell us that they then concreted over the parts that might be easily broken off. So the grave looks fairly uninteresting even if it does attract a lot of attention at Halloween.
So once we had left poor Molly to rest in peace it was over to the Royal Doulton outlet shop. Now I am not sure what it is about the china and glassware industry at the moment, but Spode is in administration with a huge fire sale of their factory stock taking place. The last day is today, but as the sale has been going on since January, I decide that there probably isn't too much of interest left. And in January 2009, Wedgewood also appointed receivers.
The Doulton Shop was wonderful. We bought quite a bit of stuff - plates, figures, wine decanters and for the princely sum of £20 we can have the whole lot shipped home by courier - it will probably be there is less than a week! I was hoping to find the matching teapot for our fine china dinner set, but it is a discountinued pattern and the only piece that have left is a covered sugar bowl, which we already have. And this was literally the only piece they had!
From there we drove back to the Wedgewood Visitor Centre
and Factory. This is a truly amazing place. We begin in the museum where you could easily spend half a day. There was so much to see. Items to touch, voices from the past talking about processes and successes to listen to, drawers to open and explore. Then there was the amazing collection of china that dated back to the early 1700s right through to the present day - some of the most amazing and beautiful pieces we have ever seen! No photos allowed - they want you to buy the book! 
And then we went in to the Wedgewood Visitor Centre proper that is attached to the factory. As well as an extensive museum collection of its own, there was a film on the life and work of Josiah Wedgewood and then more amazing pieces on display including all the special one-off commissions that were still in the ownership of the family or the company. But the highlight was going in to the open plan hall where all the processes involved in the making of Wedgewood pieces are demonstrated by factory artisans. And you can throw your own piece of Jasperware, paint a hand made flower or make your own Wedgewood jewe
lery. These people were so friendly and eager to have a conversation, explaining in detail all they do. To see the speed with which a carnation blossom was made, or watch the very steady hand of the lady painting the burnished gold on to a miniature plate was amazing.
We then took a quick drive through the centre of Stoke-on-Trent
although everything was very quiet as it is the Sunday of a bank holiday weekend here. Stoke Minster was beautiful from the outside (it was closed) and Michael found Josiah Wedgewood's grave. It is set in beautiful and evocative grounds. The rest of Stoke however is looking quite depressed - any wonder when local factories that have been in operation for over 300 years are being closed down by some economist from the US.
Off to Oxford with Kate doing the navigating now. Very well I might add. Even when we decide to take a little detour to have a look at some of the architecture, she keeps her cool and in a calm and never exasperated
voice just recalculates the route to get us back to the roads leading toward Oxford. We have the option of missing tolls (that will be handy in Europe) and even changing the route ourselves to get off the motorways.
We get to Oxford at 6:45 pm with the sun still high in the sky on a day that got to 22°C. Look out Europe, here comes summer - for goodness sake, someone remember to tell the Irish!!! It is so warm that I change into a summer top for the first time literally since we left Sydney on 13th December last year. Tomorrow we are meeting up with a couple of girls we met on the Isle of Islay in Scotland. But tonight, we are craving some asian flavours - coriander, chilli, ginger and lime. So we ask the receptionist for a recommendation and she suggests one in town. However when we get there it is closed - thankfully I had looked on the web as well and had another couple to try - we plugged the address of one into Kate and drove across town to the Thai Orchid Restaurant.
Our waiter was Pheng - very attentive and pleasant and when we mentioned the blog asked for the address straight away - that was a first. The menu has an extensive r
ange of food and after some discussion we ended up with:
Entrees
Beef satay (strips of beef marinated in spices, grilled on charcoal and served with a lightly spiced peanut sauce) Michael
Thai Orchid mixed starters (a selection of authentic Thai starters with various sauces) Maria
Mains - we shared:
Pla Yang (Fresh sea bass marinated in lemongrass, lime leaves and
fresh herbs)
Ga Yang (Chicken marinated in soy sauce, garlic, fresh chilli, coriander and fresh herbs and barbequed over charcoal. Served with chilli sauce)
Larb Gai (Minced chicken, fresh herbs, chilli and lime juice)
Khao Soway (Steamed rice)
Desserts - we both had Khanom - a sweet from the trolley - Banana Parfait - thick chunks of fresh banana, light layers of
sponge cakes and lightly whipped unsweetened cream crowned by a halo of spun sugar. Michael added fresh fruit salad to his and I stole a piece of his mango - mmm, it helped to soothe the palate.
The meal was so delicious - it is these fresh flavours of Asia that we miss every once in a while. That Larb was the best we have ever tasted and boy, did it pack a punch! Certainly cleared the sinuses as well. Thank goodness for that mango!
Postscript
For the first time in ages we have had a good look at our blog statistics and are blown away by the visitor numbers and hits. To date, we have had a total of 2837 individual visitors to the site with a total (of a staggering) 9184 hits! Wowee. Never expected it to be so popular! We are still averaging about 20 new visitors each day and have some wierd spikes where we have got 70 - 100 new visitors in one day. And that doesn't include all of you who check it out regularly.
Michael has known for years the story of Molly Leigh, the witch
of Burslem. And now, here we were right in the area. So after breakfast off we went to visit the graveyard of St John's Church of England. Graves are normally aligned east-west but her grave lies north-south - the only one in the cemetery to do so. After her burial, she was supposedly seen large as day in her cottage. So the pastor who 
buried her worried that being a witch, she could get out of her grave! So they dug her up and re-aligned the grave! Andn this time, they put in her pet raven for good measure - alive! This poor unfortunate woman was most probably rather eccentric following the tormenting by local townsfolk as she was reportedly very ugly.When we finally find the Church, there is a man taking the children's Sunday School outdoors in the beautiful sun. He explains that the Church gets lots of visitors to visit the grave (something he finds bemusing) and that one day some years ago, the church warden received a phone call saying that people had been chipping away at the grave, stealing pieces and selling them on eBay! In fact, the phone call went something like "Hey Pastor, I have just seen a piece of Molly Leighs grave for sale on eBay!" Some people will stop at nothing. He goes on to tell us that they then concreted over the parts that might be easily broken off. So the grave looks fairly uninteresting even if it does attract a lot of attention at Halloween.
So once we had left poor Molly to rest in peace it was over to the Royal Doulton outlet shop. Now I am not sure what it is about the china and glassware industry at the moment, but Spode is in administration with a huge fire sale of their factory stock taking place. The last day is today, but as the sale has been going on since January, I decide that there probably isn't too much of interest left. And in January 2009, Wedgewood also appointed receivers.
The Doulton Shop was wonderful. We bought quite a bit of stuff - plates, figures, wine decanters and for the princely sum of £20 we can have the whole lot shipped home by courier - it will probably be there is less than a week! I was hoping to find the matching teapot for our fine china dinner set, but it is a discountinued pattern and the only piece that have left is a covered sugar bowl, which we already have. And this was literally the only piece they had!
From there we drove back to the Wedgewood Visitor Centre
and Factory. This is a truly amazing place. We begin in the museum where you could easily spend half a day. There was so much to see. Items to touch, voices from the past talking about processes and successes to listen to, drawers to open and explore. Then there was the amazing collection of china that dated back to the early 1700s right through to the present day - some of the most amazing and beautiful pieces we have ever seen! No photos allowed - they want you to buy the book! 
And then we went in to the Wedgewood Visitor Centre proper that is attached to the factory. As well as an extensive museum collection of its own, there was a film on the life and work of Josiah Wedgewood and then more amazing pieces on display including all the special one-off commissions that were still in the ownership of the family or the company. But the highlight was going in to the open plan hall where all the processes involved in the making of Wedgewood pieces are demonstrated by factory artisans. And you can throw your own piece of Jasperware, paint a hand made flower or make your own Wedgewood jewe
lery. These people were so friendly and eager to have a conversation, explaining in detail all they do. To see the speed with which a carnation blossom was made, or watch the very steady hand of the lady painting the burnished gold on to a miniature plate was amazing.We then took a quick drive through the centre of Stoke-on-Trent
although everything was very quiet as it is the Sunday of a bank holiday weekend here. Stoke Minster was beautiful from the outside (it was closed) and Michael found Josiah Wedgewood's grave. It is set in beautiful and evocative grounds. The rest of Stoke however is looking quite depressed - any wonder when local factories that have been in operation for over 300 years are being closed down by some economist from the US. Off to Oxford with Kate doing the navigating now. Very well I might add. Even when we decide to take a little detour to have a look at some of the architecture, she keeps her cool and in a calm and never exasperated
voice just recalculates the route to get us back to the roads leading toward Oxford. We have the option of missing tolls (that will be handy in Europe) and even changing the route ourselves to get off the motorways.We get to Oxford at 6:45 pm with the sun still high in the sky on a day that got to 22°C. Look out Europe, here comes summer - for goodness sake, someone remember to tell the Irish!!! It is so warm that I change into a summer top for the first time literally since we left Sydney on 13th December last year. Tomorrow we are meeting up with a couple of girls we met on the Isle of Islay in Scotland. But tonight, we are craving some asian flavours - coriander, chilli, ginger and lime. So we ask the receptionist for a recommendation and she suggests one in town. However when we get there it is closed - thankfully I had looked on the web as well and had another couple to try - we plugged the address of one into Kate and drove across town to the Thai Orchid Restaurant.
Our waiter was Pheng - very attentive and pleasant and when we mentioned the blog asked for the address straight away - that was a first. The menu has an extensive r
ange of food and after some discussion we ended up with:Entrees
Beef satay (strips of beef marinated in spices, grilled on charcoal and served with a lightly spiced peanut sauce) Michael
Thai Orchid mixed starters (a selection of authentic Thai starters with various sauces) Maria
Mains - we shared:
Pla Yang (Fresh sea bass marinated in lemongrass, lime leaves and
fresh herbs)Ga Yang (Chicken marinated in soy sauce, garlic, fresh chilli, coriander and fresh herbs and barbequed over charcoal. Served with chilli sauce)
Larb Gai (Minced chicken, fresh herbs, chilli and lime juice)
Khao Soway (Steamed rice)
Desserts - we both had Khanom - a sweet from the trolley - Banana Parfait - thick chunks of fresh banana, light layers of
sponge cakes and lightly whipped unsweetened cream crowned by a halo of spun sugar. Michael added fresh fruit salad to his and I stole a piece of his mango - mmm, it helped to soothe the palate.The meal was so delicious - it is these fresh flavours of Asia that we miss every once in a while. That Larb was the best we have ever tasted and boy, did it pack a punch! Certainly cleared the sinuses as well. Thank goodness for that mango!
Postscript
For the first time in ages we have had a good look at our blog statistics and are blown away by the visitor numbers and hits. To date, we have had a total of 2837 individual visitors to the site with a total (of a staggering) 9184 hits! Wowee. Never expected it to be so popular! We are still averaging about 20 new visitors each day and have some wierd spikes where we have got 70 - 100 new visitors in one day. And that doesn't include all of you who check it out regularly.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Doing the Duck - Liverpool style
Is it a Yellow Submarine? Or a little yellow duckie? 
No, its The Yellow Duckmarine - a tour bus with a difference!
Today broke a beautiful sunny day with the forecast of a brighter day and 18°C. So we are off to do a tour cruise that leaves from the famous Albert Dock, Merseyside. We got here just before 10 am and as the next duck tour that we can get seats on leaves at 11:35 am, breakfast sounds good. Starbucks for juice, breakfast paninis and coffee and the chance to browse through Beatles books while we eat. Then it is off to take a swim!!
The Yellow Duckmarine is a former amphibious army truck and the one we travelled in was used in the D-Day landings at Normandy - this impressed Michael tremendously! The steps up into it are impossibly steep and as we drive off to the crashing of gears, this battle weary old girl groans - but keeps going. We begin with a road tour through Liverpool past many of the City's
famous sites. Our tour guide, Chris, has a wonderfully Liverpool irreverent slant on most things and warns that his jokes get worse, not better. Still, with a full load of 22 people, it is a change to the open topped bus tour - every bit as fun, perhaps even more so. We are certainly seeing the same attractions as the bus but in a different light.
We complete the obligatory tour that includes the three graces, the two
Cathedrals, the Liver buildings, (Q. Where does a Liver Bird come from? A. An egg - and the jokes didn't get better!), the Chinatown Arch, many of the Beatles hangouts and most of the 22 pubs owned by Mr Cain of Cain's Brewery that Chris seems to have very personal knowledge of! At the Christ Church Catedral, the four bells are officially named Matthew, Mark, Luke and John but are known locally as Paul, Ringo, George and the largest one is John!
Then we head back to the docks where our driver John tells us that we all need to scream loudly as we barrel on down the ramp and into the water. Thankfully it is a good group on board and so, screaming, hands a-flapping we startle more than one on-looker before we collapse into giggles once we splash down. The duck (less than gracefully) swims around the South Docks - via Wapping and Queens Docks to Coburg Dock before travelling back to circle the Albert Dock before driving straight out of the water in front of the Albert Dock buildings.
Now if driving in was a laugh, picture this - a
group of 22 various tourist from different nationalities and different age groups plus an exuberant guide and a hapless driver all emerging from the water loudly singing "We're all sitting in a yellow duckmarine" to the tune of the yellow submarine - over and over and over. What a blast. We even got applause from the dockside audience!
So with a great morning under our belt and our mood matching
the warm sunny day we head off to Stoke-on-Trent. 'Kate' is connected and puts us very directly right on the doorstep of the Holiday Inn Express Hotel. Next stop is the closest Tesco Plus to stock up on some necessities such as sparkling water, soap, rechargeable batteries and try to get (unsuccessfully) a case for Kate. We will have to go find a Currys store.
But we did manage to buy a beautiful bunch of tulips for Muriel and Dennis who we are dining with tonight. We managed to chat briefly to Mick this afternoon and let him know we were visiting his sister. He gave us the news that their oldest brother is in hospital after a heart attack and as he could not get on to Muriel, could we pass on the news in case she has not heard. Gee, what terrible news to bring someone.
Again, Kate is employed and gets us safely and without incident to Muriel and Dennis' home - a short minute drive from where we are staying. Muriel has heard the family news about her brother so I do not enter the house with bad tidings (phew). Muriel is lovely and very welcoming. Dennis arrives soon after we do - he has done a dash to the supermarket. You know they have not aged a day since we first met them back in Australia some years ago. But my, how you can see the family resemblance between her and Mick!
Muriel explains that she has invited some good friends who they
dine with often over for dinner. Before long, Muriel and Derek arrive, followed not long after by Bridget and John. We begin with glasses of wine (and coffee for Michael) in the dying rays of the day's sunlight in the sun room. Muriel soon dictates that we move into the dining room where we are served a veritable feast that was absolutely delicious. Beef and sausage hot pot with jacket potatoes, peas, beans, broccoli, lashings of gravy and plenty of bread - some garlic. Washed down with generous helpings of red or white wine and lemonade. The conversation was lively as we all discussed the perfect and not so perfect holidays and things we must try to see.
And then, well, then came dessert - OMG how lucky can I be - Rhubarb Crumble with clotted cream, pouring cream and/or custard, strawberries and hazelnut roulade. I had the Crumble and custard while Michael went with the roulade and strawberries. It was absolutely as though we had died and gone to food heaven. Muriel is a fantastic cook and the servings were enormous more than generous!
Following dinner we all adjourned to the parlour where came whisky, lemonade, coffee and chocolates. Gosh, talk about hospitality! And it was here that we solved the current disgrace that is the abuse of privileges by members of parliament. Why is it that people are out to get the 'most for me' all the time? We also spoke about corporate greed and what it is doing to industries that have been in operation locally for hundreds of years - like Spode and Wedgewood. And Michael got some more information on the grave of the so-called witch of Burslem, Molly Lee and we will go find her final resting place tomorrow.
It is 11:30 pm before we say our goodbyes after inviting one and sundry to take the plunge and come visit us in Queensland. The goodbyes are more friendly and warm than the hellos and we can very honestly say we have had the lovliest night. Thank you so much Muriel and Dennis for making us feel such a part of your family.
No, its The Yellow Duckmarine - a tour bus with a difference!
Today broke a beautiful sunny day with the forecast of a brighter day and 18°C. So we are off to do a tour cruise that leaves from the famous Albert Dock, Merseyside. We got here just before 10 am and as the next duck tour that we can get seats on leaves at 11:35 am, breakfast sounds good. Starbucks for juice, breakfast paninis and coffee and the chance to browse through Beatles books while we eat. Then it is off to take a swim!!
The Yellow Duckmarine is a former amphibious army truck and the one we travelled in was used in the D-Day landings at Normandy - this impressed Michael tremendously! The steps up into it are impossibly steep and as we drive off to the crashing of gears, this battle weary old girl groans - but keeps going. We begin with a road tour through Liverpool past many of the City's
famous sites. Our tour guide, Chris, has a wonderfully Liverpool irreverent slant on most things and warns that his jokes get worse, not better. Still, with a full load of 22 people, it is a change to the open topped bus tour - every bit as fun, perhaps even more so. We are certainly seeing the same attractions as the bus but in a different light.We complete the obligatory tour that includes the three graces, the two
Cathedrals, the Liver buildings, (Q. Where does a Liver Bird come from? A. An egg - and the jokes didn't get better!), the Chinatown Arch, many of the Beatles hangouts and most of the 22 pubs owned by Mr Cain of Cain's Brewery that Chris seems to have very personal knowledge of! At the Christ Church Catedral, the four bells are officially named Matthew, Mark, Luke and John but are known locally as Paul, Ringo, George and the largest one is John!
Then we head back to the docks where our driver John tells us that we all need to scream loudly as we barrel on down the ramp and into the water. Thankfully it is a good group on board and so, screaming, hands a-flapping we startle more than one on-looker before we collapse into giggles once we splash down. The duck (less than gracefully) swims around the South Docks - via Wapping and Queens Docks to Coburg Dock before travelling back to circle the Albert Dock before driving straight out of the water in front of the Albert Dock buildings.
Now if driving in was a laugh, picture this - a
group of 22 various tourist from different nationalities and different age groups plus an exuberant guide and a hapless driver all emerging from the water loudly singing "We're all sitting in a yellow duckmarine" to the tune of the yellow submarine - over and over and over. What a blast. We even got applause from the dockside audience! So with a great morning under our belt and our mood matching
the warm sunny day we head off to Stoke-on-Trent. 'Kate' is connected and puts us very directly right on the doorstep of the Holiday Inn Express Hotel. Next stop is the closest Tesco Plus to stock up on some necessities such as sparkling water, soap, rechargeable batteries and try to get (unsuccessfully) a case for Kate. We will have to go find a Currys store.But we did manage to buy a beautiful bunch of tulips for Muriel and Dennis who we are dining with tonight. We managed to chat briefly to Mick this afternoon and let him know we were visiting his sister. He gave us the news that their oldest brother is in hospital after a heart attack and as he could not get on to Muriel, could we pass on the news in case she has not heard. Gee, what terrible news to bring someone.
Again, Kate is employed and gets us safely and without incident to Muriel and Dennis' home - a short minute drive from where we are staying. Muriel has heard the family news about her brother so I do not enter the house with bad tidings (phew). Muriel is lovely and very welcoming. Dennis arrives soon after we do - he has done a dash to the supermarket. You know they have not aged a day since we first met them back in Australia some years ago. But my, how you can see the family resemblance between her and Mick!
Muriel explains that she has invited some good friends who they
dine with often over for dinner. Before long, Muriel and Derek arrive, followed not long after by Bridget and John. We begin with glasses of wine (and coffee for Michael) in the dying rays of the day's sunlight in the sun room. Muriel soon dictates that we move into the dining room where we are served a veritable feast that was absolutely delicious. Beef and sausage hot pot with jacket potatoes, peas, beans, broccoli, lashings of gravy and plenty of bread - some garlic. Washed down with generous helpings of red or white wine and lemonade. The conversation was lively as we all discussed the perfect and not so perfect holidays and things we must try to see.And then, well, then came dessert - OMG how lucky can I be - Rhubarb Crumble with clotted cream, pouring cream and/or custard, strawberries and hazelnut roulade. I had the Crumble and custard while Michael went with the roulade and strawberries. It was absolutely as though we had died and gone to food heaven. Muriel is a fantastic cook and the servings were enormous more than generous!
Following dinner we all adjourned to the parlour where came whisky, lemonade, coffee and chocolates. Gosh, talk about hospitality! And it was here that we solved the current disgrace that is the abuse of privileges by members of parliament. Why is it that people are out to get the 'most for me' all the time? We also spoke about corporate greed and what it is doing to industries that have been in operation locally for hundreds of years - like Spode and Wedgewood. And Michael got some more information on the grave of the so-called witch of Burslem, Molly Lee and we will go find her final resting place tomorrow.
It is 11:30 pm before we say our goodbyes after inviting one and sundry to take the plunge and come visit us in Queensland. The goodbyes are more friendly and warm than the hellos and we can very honestly say we have had the lovliest night. Thank you so much Muriel and Dennis for making us feel such a part of your family.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Liverpool MkII
Hooray. Hurrah! 
We are now the proud owners of a TomTom GO 730 - 31 countries - UK and Ireland, Western Europe and Eastern Europe.
As I sit here typing, it sits proudly beside me plugged into the PC receiving its first full charge.
When we set the defaults it does not present me with the option for 'home' in Australia, so Bracknell it is for the moment!
And although I will still use Earth Google to get an advance of our route wherever I can, and we can still use our beloved Atlas to navigate across the countries, this will no doubt come in very handy for finding our way to specific addresses - especially in the capital or large cities (on reflection I wish we had had it for Madrid!)
Very quiet day - Michael took a stroll to an ATM cos we had almost no sterlin
g currency. He washed, I slept.
We are appalled that many intersections here do not have any pedestrian crossing facilities - even really major ones. We were waiting to turn right at this intersection (twice) and saw about 15 people take their lives into their hands to get across.
Tonight we went down to the local Cinema to see Angels and Demons. Again, we got lost en-route - thanks to the road being blocked and the diversion running into a massive industrial estate. Backtracked (twice) and we eventually found it. As soon as we had got our tickets for the 8 pm show (although we had left the apartment intending to go to the 6:15 pm show) we went into Currys, an electrical and electronics store where we picked up our latest 'baby' for £269. We could have bought cheaper versions, but this one has all the European countries loaded - so for the time being we will not need to purchase any add-ons.
Then it was across the road to Frankie & Benny's. Predictable but great food and we knew we could be through in the hour we had before the movie started. We started with a Mozzarella Cheese Garlic Pizza followed by:
Finest strip sirloin steak (served with a whole oven baked tomato, flat mushroom, spicy onion rings, coleslaw and herb potatoes) Michael. This was ordered rare as they "will not cook it blue" but luckily was delivered to the table very blue indeed!
New York Chicken (grilled fresh chicken breast topped with crispy bacon and Monterey Jack cheese, smothered in our famous BBQ sauce. Served with spicy onion rings, corn on the cob and herb potatoes) Maria
We also caught up by phone with Mick's sister Muriel who has invited us for dinner tomorrow night with them in Stoke-on-Trent, only an hour from Liverpool. We shall be able to put Tom (or Kate as the voice is named) to the test for the first time.
So then it was off to the movies. Angels and Demons was written before, and is the prequel to, The Da Vinci Code. We saw an interview with Ron Howard (director) an
d Tom Hanks on TV the other day where they talked about some of the challenges they had because they get no support from the Vatican for these movies. It was a little disappointing after the Da Vinci Code and at one point Michael even fell asleep (hmm, like mother, like son!!). But even though it did not quite have the bang of the Da Vinci Code, the Angels and Demons story is still thought provoking and the movie keeps the plot moving along. Funny though, I did pick up on one statement where I don't agree the church does enough. The head of the Swiss Guards challenges Prof. Robert Langdon (Hanks' character) with "My church ... feeds the poor. What does yours do?" Hmmm - shall we start a discussion on that note? Maybe we had better not!
Back to the unit without event. At least we could have plugged in Kate if we needed to!
We are now the proud owners of a TomTom GO 730 - 31 countries - UK and Ireland, Western Europe and Eastern Europe.
As I sit here typing, it sits proudly beside me plugged into the PC receiving its first full charge.
When we set the defaults it does not present me with the option for 'home' in Australia, so Bracknell it is for the moment!
And although I will still use Earth Google to get an advance of our route wherever I can, and we can still use our beloved Atlas to navigate across the countries, this will no doubt come in very handy for finding our way to specific addresses - especially in the capital or large cities (on reflection I wish we had had it for Madrid!)
Very quiet day - Michael took a stroll to an ATM cos we had almost no sterlin
g currency. He washed, I slept.We are appalled that many intersections here do not have any pedestrian crossing facilities - even really major ones. We were waiting to turn right at this intersection (twice) and saw about 15 people take their lives into their hands to get across.
Tonight we went down to the local Cinema to see Angels and Demons. Again, we got lost en-route - thanks to the road being blocked and the diversion running into a massive industrial estate. Backtracked (twice) and we eventually found it. As soon as we had got our tickets for the 8 pm show (although we had left the apartment intending to go to the 6:15 pm show) we went into Currys, an electrical and electronics store where we picked up our latest 'baby' for £269. We could have bought cheaper versions, but this one has all the European countries loaded - so for the time being we will not need to purchase any add-ons.
Then it was across the road to Frankie & Benny's. Predictable but great food and we knew we could be through in the hour we had before the movie started. We started with a Mozzarella Cheese Garlic Pizza followed by:
Finest strip sirloin steak (served with a whole oven baked tomato, flat mushroom, spicy onion rings, coleslaw and herb potatoes) Michael. This was ordered rare as they "will not cook it blue" but luckily was delivered to the table very blue indeed!
New York Chicken (grilled fresh chicken breast topped with crispy bacon and Monterey Jack cheese, smothered in our famous BBQ sauce. Served with spicy onion rings, corn on the cob and herb potatoes) Maria
We also caught up by phone with Mick's sister Muriel who has invited us for dinner tomorrow night with them in Stoke-on-Trent, only an hour from Liverpool. We shall be able to put Tom (or Kate as the voice is named) to the test for the first time.
So then it was off to the movies. Angels and Demons was written before, and is the prequel to, The Da Vinci Code. We saw an interview with Ron Howard (director) an
d Tom Hanks on TV the other day where they talked about some of the challenges they had because they get no support from the Vatican for these movies. It was a little disappointing after the Da Vinci Code and at one point Michael even fell asleep (hmm, like mother, like son!!). But even though it did not quite have the bang of the Da Vinci Code, the Angels and Demons story is still thought provoking and the movie keeps the plot moving along. Funny though, I did pick up on one statement where I don't agree the church does enough. The head of the Swiss Guards challenges Prof. Robert Langdon (Hanks' character) with "My church ... feeds the poor. What does yours do?" Hmmm - shall we start a discussion on that note? Maybe we had better not!Back to the unit without event. At least we could have plugged in Kate if we needed to!
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