Gullible's Travels
Monday, May 28, 2007
A Weekend in the Cotswolds
This weekend was a long weekend in the UK as today is a Bank Holiday (public holiday). Mary and I worked at home Friday and made a fast getaway to The Lamb Inn, Great Rissington in the hyper-cute Cotswolds. We joined usual suspects Bob&Lynn who had gone up Thursday and had just done a 17 mile walk around Bourton-on-the-Water with 100 of Lynn's work colleagues.
John&Andrea, formerly in St Albans, have recently relocated to Cranham, 25 miles down the road, so they joined us for dinner at the Lamb where we were on a "bed and evening meal" deal. The pub's "signature dish" is a slow roast half leg of lamb that just falls off the bone.
Saturday was a gentle 8 mile walk into BOTW and round in a big circle. It was a beautiful sunny morning and the countryside round there is delightful with gentle rolling hills and all the Cotswold stone houses. We ended up back at the Lamb for another fine meal - eaten very slowly by me.
Sunday was over to J&A's via the farmers' market in Bourton for a short walk to the Black Horse for a pint of local ale (except me - boo!) After lunch we headed back to London so we could get up early today and crack on with odd jobs about the house and garden. ¶ Permanent link: 6:07 PM 3 comments
This weekend was a long weekend in the UK as today is a Bank Holiday (public holiday). Mary and I worked at home Friday and made a fast getaway to The Lamb Inn, Great Rissington in the hyper-cute Cotswolds. We joined usual suspects Bob&Lynn who had gone up Thursday and had just done a 17 mile walk around Bourton-on-the-Water with 100 of Lynn's work colleagues.
John&Andrea, formerly in St Albans, have recently relocated to Cranham, 25 miles down the road, so they joined us for dinner at the Lamb where we were on a "bed and evening meal" deal. The pub's "signature dish" is a slow roast half leg of lamb that just falls off the bone.
Saturday was a gentle 8 mile walk into BOTW and round in a big circle. It was a beautiful sunny morning and the countryside round there is delightful with gentle rolling hills and all the Cotswold stone houses. We ended up back at the Lamb for another fine meal - eaten very slowly by me.
Sunday was over to J&A's via the farmers' market in Bourton for a short walk to the Black Horse for a pint of local ale (except me - boo!) After lunch we headed back to London so we could get up early today and crack on with odd jobs about the house and garden. ¶ Permanent link: 6:07 PM 3 comments
Saturday, January 06, 2007
Health and Beauty
We had a good last day for May and Duncan's visit on Tuesday. We took them to Simpson's in the Strand for dinner and then saw Porgy and Bess at the Savoy - an excellent production.
Wednesday we dropped them off at Heathrow and headed straight to Grayshott Spa for four days of detox and relaxing. My project decided on the cost-saving idea of making all contractors take a mandatory three week break: good for them but not for us. So we decided to make use of the enforced down time and take some time out.
The Health part consists of not eating so much and only drinking a glass of wine a night instead of a bottle a night. Mary has gone completely dry for a few days. Though when I say dry that is not counting the gallons of water; it may be good for you but it don't 'alf make you pee a lot.
Also we are getting up at 7:15 every morning for the pre-breakfast power walk through some lovely NT countryside which will make the Monday morning alarm less of a shock.
Not sure how much it is doing for my "beauty" but is is very pleasant to have various massages and scrubs and being forced to lie about doing Su Doku and crosswords. Do I really have to go back to work Monday?
We had a good last day for May and Duncan's visit on Tuesday. We took them to Simpson's in the Strand for dinner and then saw Porgy and Bess at the Savoy - an excellent production.
Wednesday we dropped them off at Heathrow and headed straight to Grayshott Spa for four days of detox and relaxing. My project decided on the cost-saving idea of making all contractors take a mandatory three week break: good for them but not for us. So we decided to make use of the enforced down time and take some time out.
The Health part consists of not eating so much and only drinking a glass of wine a night instead of a bottle a night. Mary has gone completely dry for a few days. Though when I say dry that is not counting the gallons of water; it may be good for you but it don't 'alf make you pee a lot.
Also we are getting up at 7:15 every morning for the pre-breakfast power walk through some lovely NT countryside which will make the Monday morning alarm less of a shock.
Not sure how much it is doing for my "beauty" but is is very pleasant to have various massages and scrubs and being forced to lie about doing Su Doku and crosswords. Do I really have to go back to work Monday?
Labels: leisure, restaurants
¶ Permanent link: 10:55 AM 1 comments
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Happy New Year 2007
A Happy New Year to all my readers.
We had a pretty good NYE. Six of us went to Albannach on Trafalgar Square for a gala dinner with ring side view of the revellers outside. The food and wine was excellent as were the band, apart from we were sat next to them and had to ask to be moved to enable conversation to resume.
Me and Mary's mum, May
The restaurant showed the fireworks on a big screen and they looked pretty darned spectacular.
We got a taxi in OK but the return journey was a little more problematical. After booking we discovered that most of north of the river was due to be closed to traffic. No problem: get the tube to Waterloo and get the taxi to pick us up there.
Unfortunately the crowds were such that the police were restricting access to Charing Cross Station. We had a chat with the constable on the barrier and explained that we had not one but two registered disabled with us. They let us through and, as luck would have it, a Waterloo East train was due in about 5 minutes.
Then the taxi driver phoned to say that he could only get as close as Lambeth Bridge and could we get there. No chance with May's conditions! When we got to Waterloo there was only one train showing, leaving for Wandsworth Town in 10 minutes - another result!
So we got home about 2:15 am. A little later than intended but May coped incredibly well under the circumstances. Next time we will arrange something closer to home. That is if we are not in South Africa for Christmas as we hope; we are planning a trip there for this time 2007/8.
Live Long and Prosper :-)
A Happy New Year to all my readers.
We had a pretty good NYE. Six of us went to Albannach on Trafalgar Square for a gala dinner with ring side view of the revellers outside. The food and wine was excellent as were the band, apart from we were sat next to them and had to ask to be moved to enable conversation to resume.
Me and Mary's mum, May
The restaurant showed the fireworks on a big screen and they looked pretty darned spectacular.
We got a taxi in OK but the return journey was a little more problematical. After booking we discovered that most of north of the river was due to be closed to traffic. No problem: get the tube to Waterloo and get the taxi to pick us up there.
Unfortunately the crowds were such that the police were restricting access to Charing Cross Station. We had a chat with the constable on the barrier and explained that we had not one but two registered disabled with us. They let us through and, as luck would have it, a Waterloo East train was due in about 5 minutes.
Then the taxi driver phoned to say that he could only get as close as Lambeth Bridge and could we get there. No chance with May's conditions! When we got to Waterloo there was only one train showing, leaving for Wandsworth Town in 10 minutes - another result!
So we got home about 2:15 am. A little later than intended but May coped incredibly well under the circumstances. Next time we will arrange something closer to home. That is if we are not in South Africa for Christmas as we hope; we are planning a trip there for this time 2007/8.
Live Long and Prosper :-)
Labels: leisure, restaurants, travel
¶ Permanent link: 3:51 PM 4 comments
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Visitors from Elgin
This weekend we had Ros&Craig from Elgin (see"Elgin Itinerary") staying with us for the weekend. We decided to do a Young's Brewery tour after the success of the last one (see "Piss up in a brewery"). We were joined by another friend, Paul, who is a big Young's fan. He plans to have a drink in every single Young's pub and has managed well over a hundred so far.
The tour was even better than last time, the guide knew his stuff and kept the facts, figures and anecdotes coming. At the end of the tour we retired to the Brewery Tap for a tasting. Last time we were served a pint (or two halves). This time the guide said, "Ok we'll sample all the keg beers then move on to the bottles".
The tasting glasses were about a third of a pint and we sampled the ordinary (bitter), the special (best bitter), waggledance (a honey beer), St George's (seasonal summer ale), stout (a dark beer) and double chocolate (a dark, sweet beer with, you guessed it, chocolate). Then on to the bottles: a lager, Ramrod, and finally Old Nick - a barley wine at 8 percent - not advisable for a long drinking session!
A most excellent tour after which we had to retire to the garden and the sun-loungers for a little siesta.
Sunday we took our guests on a walking tour of the local environs: along the Thames path, over Wandle creek, lunch at 'Ghillies on the River', a circuit of Wandsworth park and back home for a quick turn-around and out again into central London.
We queued up for two and a half hours to get into the Comedy Store to see the Comedy Store Players (including Eddie Izzard) do a two hour set of 'improv'. It was OK but I think I would have preferred standup comedy. An Italian meal after and home by midnight. Then Monday go into work to recover from the weekend. ¶ Permanent link: 8:17 AM 2 comments
This weekend we had Ros&Craig from Elgin (see"Elgin Itinerary") staying with us for the weekend. We decided to do a Young's Brewery tour after the success of the last one (see "Piss up in a brewery"). We were joined by another friend, Paul, who is a big Young's fan. He plans to have a drink in every single Young's pub and has managed well over a hundred so far.
The tour was even better than last time, the guide knew his stuff and kept the facts, figures and anecdotes coming. At the end of the tour we retired to the Brewery Tap for a tasting. Last time we were served a pint (or two halves). This time the guide said, "Ok we'll sample all the keg beers then move on to the bottles".
The tasting glasses were about a third of a pint and we sampled the ordinary (bitter), the special (best bitter), waggledance (a honey beer), St George's (seasonal summer ale), stout (a dark beer) and double chocolate (a dark, sweet beer with, you guessed it, chocolate). Then on to the bottles: a lager, Ramrod, and finally Old Nick - a barley wine at 8 percent - not advisable for a long drinking session!
A most excellent tour after which we had to retire to the garden and the sun-loungers for a little siesta.
Sunday we took our guests on a walking tour of the local environs: along the Thames path, over Wandle creek, lunch at 'Ghillies on the River', a circuit of Wandsworth park and back home for a quick turn-around and out again into central London.
We queued up for two and a half hours to get into the Comedy Store to see the Comedy Store Players (including Eddie Izzard) do a two hour set of 'improv'. It was OK but I think I would have preferred standup comedy. An Italian meal after and home by midnight. Then Monday go into work to recover from the weekend. ¶ Permanent link: 8:17 AM 2 comments
