Page 17 of 34

Cumbria 27.9.20

28 September 2020 / admin

Aira Waterfall Ullswater 27.9.20

There are (of course) more reasons for visiting the Lake District apart from the excellent food which is available. So today we seek to combine some of these. Our first destination is the Aira Waterfall on the edge of Ullswater. We wander up and over the bridge and back down the other side – not the sunniest day possible.

The Struggle 27.9.20 Copyright J Whitbread

One of my personal reasons for visiting the area is to take the TT over some of the “challenging” passes which exist. So heading south from Ullswater we head up and over the Kirkstone Pass – a gradient of 1 in 4 reaching an altitude of 1489ft. It is a major A road (unlike some of the other passes we will be seeing) and is therefore relatively easy. Heading towards our intended destination we descend into Ambleside using the “Struggle”. In all honesty doing it all southbound is probably too easy – but it happens to fit our journey today. This is definitely one of the less scary passes to cover.

Drunken Duck Menu 27.9.20 Copyright J Whitbread

Our dining destination is not quite as fancy as yesterday as we are heading to the Drunken Duck at Barngates, Ambleside. As with most of dining destinations this can be recommended – after the driving this morning a decent lunch is most welcome. Being a Sunday we naturally have the Sunday roast.

And once back at the lodge there is a nice hot tub to use.

Cumbria 26.9.20

27 September 2020 / admin

Castlerigg Stone Circle 26.9.20

Given the time of year to find that it is a little grey and potentially damp this morning is no surprise. However our first visit this morning is Castlerigg Stone Circle which Wikipedia reports as having been erected in about 3200BC with around 40 stones making the circle. The reasons for construction and subsequent uses are unknown but given the size of the boulders no doubt a lot of manual labour was involved.

The stones were scheduled under an Act of 1882 and the site was the first to have a formal agreement between landowner and the State who became responsible for the stones but not the land and that duty has since been passed to English Heritage as the appropriate authority.

Our route is then south along the western edge of Thirlmere, rather than the main road with our destination being Forest Side Hotel in Grasmere where we enjoy an excellent lunch. We must return here one day.

Taster Forest Side 26.9.20 Copyright J M Whitbread

Grasmere is famous for many things including gingerbread so Jackie joins a not short queue (despite the rain). We are later able to decide that neither of us is actually that keen on gingerbread.

Cumbria 25.9.20

26 September 2020 / admin

Lodge Penrith 25.9.20 copyright J Whitbread

Late 2020 and most of the year has been lost to covid. At the moment the restrictions are limited and we have a week booked (Friday to Friday) at hot tub equipped caravan near Penrith with the intention of spending the week sampling some of the culinary and physical delights of the Lake District. Penrith is a little further from the area we usually visit – but we have never really been to the Northern end of the Lakes so this will be a little different.

The lodge is not available until 4pm and with past experience of the M6 we set off in plenty of time – indeed for once the traffic is not as difficult as it might have been – although I rather think we used the M6 Toll road to avoid some of the worst of the traffic which can occur.

So it is hardly a surprise when we arrive at the check in point (in the pub) well over an hour ahead of the magic opening time. Obviously in such circumstances we all hope for early access – but inevitably with the extra cleaning now mandated it is only a few minutes early that we are allowed to roll in.

View from Lodge 25.9.20 Copyright J Whitbread

This is a very nice upmarket establishment with peacocks wandering around between the lodges.

In the evening we dined at Allium at Askham Hall. The food was excellent but the sommelier seemed to think that trying to get Jackie to drink a reisling wine was a good idea and thereafter it did not go so well. There are things she does not like and that is one of them as she complains they all smell of petrol. As I am driving I am not drinking very much!

Cuba 11.2.20

12 February 2020 / admin

Turkeys Cuba 11-2-20

The itinerary today is to take a first look at the tobacco industry – at source – with a tobacco farm. Around the edge of the tobacco fields there are a number of turkeys looking for sustenance and the owner has a collection of other animals in a small petting zoo.

Tobacco in the wild 11-2-20

Tobacco has long been a major industry and clearly remained important at the time of our visit despite the constant preaching against smoking in most places. The plants grow quickly and reach maturity for harvesting in around three months – so more than one crop a year. The tobacco is dried and fermented in bohio where the leaves typically are left for three months before being sprayed to impart some sweetness and then allowed to remain for a further three months to ensure the right flavour is achieved.

Bohio tobacco drying 11-2-20

By this stage I think we have all been infused with the smell of tobacco. They did demonstrate how to roll a cigar but I have to report that the photographs are poor due to the light levels.

Soroa Orchid Gardens 11-2-20

We move onto the Soroa Orchid Garden which we wander around before reaching the waterfall which enabled me to identify just where we were through a reverse search as all memory of the orchid garden had deserted me!

Soroa Waterfall 11-2-20

I am also convinced that first thing this morning we visited a tobacco factory in Vinales itself – but I do not seem to have any photographic record of this and it is possible that photography was not permitted within the factory itself.

A slight disclaimer, this has been written over 6 years after the journey concerned so is very much based around the photographs taken on the day.

Cuba 10.2.20

11 February 2020 / admin

Cuba Scenery 10-2-20

We remain in the west of the island. The hotel we stayed in had some wonderful views and also a rather nice area in which to sit looking out over the view – with the countryside stretching into the distance.

Keep it Moovin’ 10-2-20

Looking just a little out of place at the time was the bullock cart but I wonder how many of these have been resurrected in more recent times to provide transport for countryside residents?

Caves Cueva del Indio 10-2-20

I have visited caves in many places and I cannot get decent photographs no matter how I try. Entering the caves here requires navigating a lot of steps up (outside) and then down (inside). Leaving the cave system is by boat which is a lot easier but dark – hence no photographs.

Prehistoric Mural 10–2-20

Whilst known as the prehistoric mural, that relates to the subject matter as it was painted by Leovigildo González Morillo commencing in 1961. It adorns a cliff face in the area and looks more impressive than my photo can convey I fear. We stay in the same hotel overnight as we have further visits to make in the Vinales area.

A slight disclaimer, this has been written over 6 years after the journey concerned so is very much based around the photographs taken on the day.

Cuba 9.2.20

10 February 2020 / admin

Chicken Vinales 9-2-20

Vinales Area

We leave Havana and head west this morning to visit the UNESCO World Heritage area of Vinales which was designated in 1990 to ensure preservation of the typical Cuban housing and local arts and crafts, alongside the landscape. Looking at my photographs I seem to have spent a lot of time trying to get a decent chicken picture. I fear I failed completely. There were however chicken everywhere as I remember.

Village Washday 9-2-20

I am not sure if every day is wash day but we were certainly there on a day when there seemed to be a lot of washing being dried – but given the temperature that does not seem unreasonable – all the buildings seemed to be adorned at least partially with such items!

View Western Cuba 9-2-20

Lunch was taken above the village and was an uphill walk. The view certainly looked more impressive than my photograph, however this is down into the valley and protected scenic area.

Cafetal Buenvista Coffee Farm ruins 9-2-20

Cafetal Buenavista Coffee Farm

The coffee farm dates back to 1801 commenced by French refugees from Haiti. The production of coffee has much reduced in Cuba – with many of the plantations failing during the 2007/8 economic difficulties and then the imposition of US trade restrictions. At the time of our visit the site was supported by visitors but what might have happened since is unknown.

Cafetal Buenavista Coffee Grinding 9-2-20

Despite what Bing tried to tell me this is NOT a water pump – it has been restored and it was used to grind the coffee beans.

Vultures 9-2-20

Our presence also managed to disturb some of the local wildlife as we could see it circling above.

Turkey Vulture 9-2-20

Earlier in the day I did manage to capture some wildlife in a tree. According to Bing this is a Turkey Vulture from its distinctive red cap to its head.

A slight disclaimer, this has been written over 6 years after the journey concerned so is very much based around the photographs taken on the day.

Cuba 8.2.20

9 February 2020 / admin

Cuba Gardens 8-2-20

National Botanical Garden of Cuba

Our first visit this morning is to the extensive National Botanical Garden of Cuba which is about 15 miles south of Havana so easy enough to reach.

Cacti Cuba 8-2-20

The weather has hardly improved over yesterday, although it is at least dry for the visit which is nice. Amongst the other photos I seem to have a lot of pictures of cacti of all descriptions.

More Garden Cuba 8-2-20

We are rather out of season for some of the more colourful displays it seems but these places are always interesting to wander around.

Hemingway House 8-2-20

Hemingway’s House

Our next destination today is Finca Vigia where Ernest Hemmingway lived from 1939 to 1960. For the first part of this he was with Martha Gelhorn as they both had been involved in covering the Spanish Civil War and this is where his book of the war – For Whom the Bell Tolls – was written. In 1960 the revolution inevitably led to many changes in the country. Hemingway was initially close to the new government but he left the island before his property was expropriated by the new Government. He never returned before his death in 1961.

Hemingway’s writing desk 8-2-20

At the time of our visit it appeared to be responsibly maintained and was being visited by large numbers, although without a tourist industry it may well have deteriorated.

Internal Hemingway House 8-2-20

Cojimar

Our final stop today is the fishing village of Cojimar where Hemingway lived initially before buy the house we have just visited and it is where he kept his fishing boat. The sea front is dominated by a Spanish built fort (1649).

Cojimar Cuba 8-2-20

I would like to think that for most of his time in Cuba Hemingway was a happy man – obviously he was getting older but no doubt able to enjoy a few libations and a lot of fishing.

A slight disclaimer, this has been written over 6 years after the journey concerned so is very much based around the photographs taken on the day.

Cuba 7.2.20

8 February 2020 / admin

It is Friday and we are in Cuba, somewhere we had hoped to visit and at the time of the trip it was relatively easy to visit and there were none of the limitations which have subsequently appeared. We flew out the previous day and having reached the hotel we merely wanted to try and get some proper sleep.

Havana is having a grey and wet day – little tropical sunshine here – but that is not our real reason for visiting – it is the architecture and some of the history.

We get to see the old and new side by side, the buildings which are falling apart and awaiting attention as well as those in good order. 2020 marked almost a high point in the Cuban economy and although we are unlikely to return subsequent events have driven the economy near collapse with Trump engineering regime change in Venezuela on which Cuba was dependent for oil supplies – so I doubt if it is as tidy these days. Limited press reports are that there is virtually no fuel for vehicles and power cuts are regularly experienced.

Like many other places public art is respected and there are obviously newish statues as well as older ones around the city.

A slight disclaimer, this has been written about 6 years after the journey concerned so is very much based around the photographs taken on the day.

Morocco 18.11.19

19 November 2019 / admin

Modern aerial 18.11.19

The last day of the group holiday is a tour of Essaouira which I will admit I struggle both to say and spell! The oddest sight was possibly the heavily disguised communications tower (above). I am not sure what it is intended to achieve.

Essaouira 18.11.19

The town is principally a fishing port and the harbour still has a very large number of boats bringing in the catch which is then readily available in the local market.

Fish Essaouira 18.11.19

Inevitably being a port fortifications were needed

Essaouira Fort 18.11.19

You can see from the pictures that it was a nice day. We were looking forward to staying on a few more days after the rest of the tour party departed to enable a few quiet days of relaxation in the sunshine. Somehow the authorities had other idea and we ensured more or less constant rain throughout the extension. Most disappointing. I liked the town – but would have preferred better weather.

It seemed a long way through near desert to return to Marrakech to catch the plane taking about three hours or so. Then once at the airport our flight is subjected to additional checks which do not apply to other travellers plus they do not do the entire flight – so if you had turned up at the last minute you would not have been tested. No-one could actually explain why it was necessary or what it was designed to achieve so utterly pointless.

We returned home on 22 November.

Morocco 17.11.19

18 November 2019 / admin

Goat in tree 17.11.19

Initially on leaving Taroudant we head west to reach the coast near Agadir then we turn north (the alternative is the Atlantic Ocean) and head along the coast for some time. Eventually the road turns inland and we get to see the famous tree climbing goats.

More goats in tree 17.11.19

I will be honest and admit that I am slightly cynical about these tree climbing goats. I accept that the landscape is pretty bare and that there is not a lot of food to be scavenged by the goats. During our short stop many photos were taken (me included) but I still query the ability of the goats to actually get into the tree in the first place. There were one or two branches but I am far from convinced that the goats simply find a way of clambering up. However it is a noted tourist stop and maybe, just maybe some of the goats do manage the ascent to feed themselves. The shepherd seems to do well out of it!

Tajines 17.11.19

Along the way we stop for lunch and a wander around a local market which despite the sparsity of vegetation is well supplied with meat and vegetables, bread, tajines, plus animals for sale.

We head onward to our final stopping point on the holiday Essaouira where we stay in a rather nice riad – a step up from the one in Marrakech.