Barbados Diary: Day 1

Waking up to the sound of the sea washing up on the beach, whilst the sun tries to shine through the thin curtains must be one of the most relaxing ways to be awoken. It certainly was for us. Paradise, pure!

Breakfast of cereal, fresh fruit (of course mostly exotic), plus some local pastries and banana bread set us up for a lovely morning on the beach. The local wildlife also quite liked the breakfast, and if you left your tale unoccupied whilst fetching more food, you would come back to find birds eating up your leftovers.

 

Lying under the palms (actually this day they were almond trees - they may be smaller than coconuts, but still hurt when they fall on you) watching the sun move across the sky, the people in the water and our room about 30m above us, we devoured the pages of our books feeling fully relaxed.

The temperature here was great. Never did it go below 20 degrees Celsius (meaning you didn't get cold at night, even with the window open) and during the day it reached about 28 degrees. Perfect for drying off after a swim in the warm waters for the Caribbean. Of course, this being near the equator, a sun lotion is required most of the time, as the sun burns your skin pretty quickly. But even I survived intact, applying the cream whenever we went out.

Once the hunger pangs started occurring, it was our sign that we had to move onto to something else. Returning to our room, showering and picking up cameras and guide books, we went out to get a bus to the capital - Bridgetown (or B'town as the signposts suggested).

We were told there are three types of buses in Barbados. The official, state run ones (blue school-bus size, with yellow stripe down middle), private company ones (yellow school-bus size, with blue stripe down middle), and the minibuses which are all privately owned (and white in colour). They all cost the same and so we got on the first one that came along, which happened to be a little white minibus.

More people climbed on board at every stop, with few disembarking, until we realised there were more people than seats inside.Some people were sitting on other's laps, feet, and the floor. The speed of acceleration and braking even out-did the Colombian buses. We found out later these are nicknamed the suicide/kamikaze buses.

However, after about an hour and a half we arrived at our destination (well, actually it was the non-state bus depot just outside of the centre), and made our way in the midday sun to the centre of town.

Looking at our Lonely Planet, we decided to take one of their recommended spots to eat lunch, called the Balcony Restaurant, found on the first floor of a department store called Cave Shephard. We were the only non-locals eating here, and apart from the slight chaos in filling your plate and finding a table to sit at, we enjoyed it very much. The food was very tasty, the servers friendly, and the price was very reasonable for the quality and quantity provided. We tried some of the local specialities including a bit of flying fish, which was very tasty.

After the late lunch we spent the rest of the day looking around Bridgetown, taking in the sights, the harbour and the old buildings, before getting back to the bus depot and taking a yellow bus back to the hotel (only took 45 minutes).

Seeing as we had filled ourselves at lunchtime, we decided that an evening dinner would be too much, so instead we went to a small mall down the road and had some home made ice cream and cakes.

Back at the hotel, leaving the balcony door slightly ajar, we then headed off for bed so that we could make full use of the next day. Listening to the waves lap onto the shore and the turning of the roof fan made sure we relaxed into the dreams which were in fact reality.

Barbados Diary: Day 0

Swimsuits? Check.
Sun lotion? Check.
Summarized and categorised list of all places to visit, eat at and what to do, nicely assimilated from multiple reliable sources on the internet and typed up onto crisp new sheets of A4 paper? Check.

We were ready for our holiday!

Having arrived at Gatwick Airport with plenty of time, we had a look around the shops, grabbed a bite to eat and sat in the main area reading whilst awaiting the gate announcement.

This duly came, and we made our way (after leaving the finished magazines on a chair so someone else could enjoy them before they get recycled) towards the appropriate gate feeling quite smug.

You see, normally when we travel somewhere else we feel envious at each gate we pass which states a better destination than our own. This time it was our time to be the enviable, no gate could match ours, and we watched the other people going past it saying to themselves "I wish I was going there".

 

 

No, that's not me in the background...

The waiting area filled up, people came by in their posh frocks - too many to all be in first class. Lucky for us we weren't too shabby either, as the dress code was one of the many aspects read up on in advance.

Time for boarding. Goodbye surprisingly sunny London, you'll feel a lot colder when we return.

The flight was like most transatlantic flights, although our first with BA. The TV screens in the chairs seemed smaller than those of Delta, and didn't have any games on offer for inflight entertainment. However they did have the films.

We needn't have worried about the flight being full, as ever other row seemed to be empty, so plenty of space to spread out if you so wished (right, Olga?).

Four films finished, and we came into Bridgetown Airport just after sunset, so we saw the lights on the island, but alas not the coastline. That would have to wait until the following day.

Oh yes !

Getting off the plane brought back memories of the Barranquilla climate (being roughly the same latitude this isn't surprising), however, even Olga had to admit it - this was Barranquilla, but comfortable :)

Queuing for the immigration desks there were some lovely colourful posters along the walls, next to signs saying "no photography". I duly acted like an ignorant tourist, and got the following shot:

Ignorance is bliss

Leaving the airport we needed a taxi to our hotel, and so what did we do? You got it, joined another queue. This is all quite the norm for us English folk, but seemed to be beyond the people of a more continental / merkelesque origin, who couldn't believe you couldn't get in the first cab if you pushed hard enough. Luckily there was security on hand, and the queue moved forward in it's defined manner. Oh, colonial remnants :)

Getting to the hotel took about 20 minutes going through roads with palm trees all over the place, the hint of rum in the air, and always smiling faces.

Coconut Court, Hastings, Barbados. Our home for the next week.

After checking out the very comfortable room and unpacking our things, we then started to plan the next day. Except, where did all those meticulously researched and typed up notes go?

If anyone reading a What Digital Camera magazine found on a chair at Gatwick is planning to go to Barbados, I highly recommend you take out the collection of A4 pages used as a page marker and keep them safely with you on your trip.

We finally relaxed to sleep to the sound of the sea lapping up against the shore 30 foot below us, and the roof fan slowly turning around.

Barbados Diary: Introduction

It's been a very long time, and excuses have grown thin (how do they do that? Can I copy that idea and patent it?) but here's a bit of expansion into the diary genre.

A well-deserved holiday was in order to finally relax and disconnect, and after a bit of deal-searching, link-foraging and bargain bashing, we found a great offer to Barbados.

As such (and in case I forget in a couple of month's time) I decided to put up a day by day account to look back on when you're stuck at home surrounded by snow and getting the winter blues.

Enjoy!

Having a feast with Jamie

Last weekend saw Jamie Oliver get together with other chefs, plus a selection of bands and musicians to deliver The Big Feastival, in Kingham, Oxfordshire.

Live music, food stalls, cookery classes - what was there not to like?

It was a lovely sunny day, a few clouds in the sky, and a bit of a breeze, perfect for being outside all afternoon/evening.

The only downside of this being on a farm, was that as it had rained the previous day, there were still patches of mud around - not much good when you're wearing sandals. D'oh!

The food stalls ranged from Brindian, to a paelleria, churros, BBQ, vegetarian, goat's milk ice-cream, pizzas, fishdogs - basically anything you could think of. And all cooked to the standards of the restaurants most of the top chefs work for/own.

The music was good, but it was the food we were there for. And the pinnacle of the day was of course the final cookery demonstration done by Jamie and his teacher: Gennaro Contaldo.

The 'show' was superb. Funny all the way through (they had been behind the scenes drinking for most of the day), the food smelled amazing, and everyone learned something from it.

Of course there was a downside to the day. Walking home from the train station saw Olga twist her ankle. Although she could walk back home without any pain, at about 3.30am it really started hurting, which meant that after an ibuprofin and an ice-pack, we set off to the JR Hospital A&E.

 Despite the 4 hour expected wait time, we were actually in and out (after having x-rays and bandages done) within two hours, so well done nurses (who were also in pretty good moods considering the time of the Sunday morning). Olga was of course happy it was just a sprain (and I think the drugs had started to kick in by then too).

To see all the photos from the festival click here.

Life's a beach

On the back of the Olympic success story, we finally managed to find time to visit a place we've neglected for quite a while. Yes, that's right, the Guiri was going back to Valencia!

Apparently Valencia was the most popular place to be at this time, as flights were nearly non-existent (or 5 times the normal price), which meant we took an alternative route, flying from Birmingham to Alicante.

 

Arriving in Alicante in the evening with 30 degrees Celsius was a pleasant change from the British weather we had just been experiencing. Dropping off the bags, we headed out for a dinner of tapas and a stroll along the waterfront.

The next day saw the thermometer go up and up whilst we tried to cool down on the beach (or rather, in the sea). There's nothing quite like it, and we only got out of the water when we saw how wrinkled our fingers had become.

Lunch saw the first paella of the trip, with gazpacho for starters and flan for dessert. Just enough to whet the appetite for Valencia, which is where we headed on the train.

In Valencia we invaded the apartment of Sylvia who was kind to us throughout our stay. Just a stone's throw away from the centre, this was great for meeting up with friends plus going to the beach.

Of course the beach was also visited here, but alas we couldn't venture further afield due to the shortness of our trip and the amount of things we wanted to do.

So, in no order whatsoever, here are the great friends we were able to meet up with again: Silvie, Gloria (& Abdon), Pepe, Ana, Miquel, Martha, Jordi, Gema (& Victor, Alejandra, Claudia), Fernando, Valeria (& Iker), Bruno, and Albakra (& Sofia, Albert, Alicia).

We had an amazing arroz negro made by Gloria, paella de mariscos, paelle con costilla, all sorts of amazing montaditos, pumpkin ice-cream and much much more (and could still fit into our swimming attire).

But all good things must come to an end, and as such, a week after our arrival we headed off by train to Barcelona to catch our plane back home.

So was it worth it? Of course it was! It brought back many good memories, we caught up with news from all the people we met, did some shopping, beach and sea, and of course enjoyed the sun. Next time we will have to try and meet up with those who weren't available.

To see the full album of photos, click here.

Hasta luego !

Olgui's Pink Birthday

That time of the year has come around again. Yes, it was celebrations all round as Olgui celebrated another candle appearing on her cake.

This year we met up in All Bar One with friends for a pink-themed party. Some people went all out, others had to search high and low for anything in this colour.

With Elena, Clea, Monika, Gianina, Eva, Andreia and Mar, the place got pretty busy (and lively).

We actually only noticed the torrential downpour at midnight when we left to go our separate ways, but nothing a quick run couldn't fix.

 

Here's to another year of a wiser and more mature (like the wine, not the cheese) Olgui :)

Ali, Marilyn, and Cryptic Tea

Before the end of the first quarter of 2012, the delightful Ali decided to pay us another visit. Although we couldn't guarantee the weather, it actually turned out okay in the end.

Friday night saw us visit Pierre Victoire's restaurant and have an amazing French meal. This was followed by a meet up with the girls (it was actually 3 guys to about 20 girls, so we weren't complaining).

We got up early on Saturday to get the train down to London (or is that up?) where we headed towards Oxford Street. Not for any shopping, mind, but rather to visit the Getty Images exhibition of Marilyn Monroe. There were photos of her during filming, plus private photos shopping, visiting London and relaxing. Also on show were the costumes from some of her plays, photos of which you will see below.

After the exhibition, we went down Regent Street so the girls could do some shopping in the big stores. After a light snack for lunch, it was off to the theatre to see Absent Friends, which was very enjoyable.

Of course the hunger came back after we  came out of the theatre, so we went to St Martin on the Fields for a spot of afternoon tea in the crypt which was very atmospheric (and quite tasty too).

On returning home we unwound on the sofa watching the latest episode of Inspector Montalbano. What a full day !

Sunday was not quite so early, but as the sun came out we headed off to Witney where after walking around for a bit we returned to the Hollybush for our Sunday Lunch. What a meal it was! This place is definitely worth a visit if you find yourself in Witney one day.

After all that, it was time to say goodbye to Ali as on Monday morning she left for Mainz again. I'm sure it won't be her last visit though, so better get planning already...

You can see the rest of the photos here...

Oxfordshire Cycle Trip #2

Yesterday afternoon the sun was out, and after a light shower had gone away, it was perfect timing for getting out on the bike again and enjoying the fresh air.

Unfortunately this time the internet had just stopped working at home, so I was not able to plan any routes. Instead I just head off towards Islip and from there took any roads that looked interesting. Of course there were some hills along the way, yet again I was caught out by a long slow climbing hill, which once around a corner, turned into a very steep hill.

This time though, the only moments needed to stop were to check where I was (although this doesn't help when the phone signal is also lower than one bar). After passing some nice villages with funny names like Noke, and woodland on both sides of the road, I decided it might be time to head back towards home before I get too lost (and didn't really fancy going back up some of those hills I had just descended).

At this point I realised that I was in fact pretty close to Headington, so the return route was going down the Headington Hill, passing the mosque, and then through St. Clements and between the university buildings until hitting the usual Oxford Road back to Kidlington.

So here's the map for those interested:

View Larger Map

After a relaxing shower a siesta of a couple of hours was in order, and I awoke nice and fresh in time for a Madras and an Old Crafty Hen whilst watching the latest installment of Inspector Montalbano.

Now it's just started snowing...c'est la vie...

It's all about the double drop

On Sunday we set off towards Witney in order to claim the spoils of the Oxford Ale Trail (see earlier post).

The day started out lovely and sunny, and it really was a nice day to go out on a local trip. After meeting up with Diego, Hannah and Francesco, we caught the bus across the Oxfordshire fields, passing through some really typical little villages, and arrived at our destination in good time.

 

The Wychwood brewery was a little difficult to find (we should have followed our noses) but we made it in time for the grand tour. This consisted of being given a swift half before entering the premises (point to not - we didn't pay for the half, so I remain free from having ever bought a half pint). We were then shown around the different areas of the brewery, explained how the process takes place, what (and why) ingredients are used, and what the difference is between the various hops. We were then explained about the famous "double-drop" method, used by Brakspeare, before being taken back to the tasting room.

 

We tried the draught Hobgoblin first, then the bottled version (which tasted much fizzier and stronger in comparison). We then tried the draught version again, this time noticing that it seemed to taste like water. This is the reason why if you start on the bottles, you have to keep doing them for the rest of the night. Next up was a paler ale, which was quite refreshing. We then went on to the 6.75% ABV bitter, which was surprisingly very tasty (but I wouldn't want to have to drink a pint of it). In order to take away this taste so that we could go back to some of the more 'normal' ales, we had a mouthful of the Ginger Beer, which was very tasty indeed.

  

We then continued to finish up the bottles and pitchers that were started for our tasting, until we were called away by the ladyfolk for dinner. This was taken at the Hollybush, which was recommended by a local couple who were also on the tour. We had a delicious meal, with extremely friendly staff and good ambiance. Definitely a place to come back to!

If you are wondering where the photos from the brewery are - there are none. I had my hands full with all that beer...

Cheers !

Science and Technology Roundup

After the fallen snow of recent times (I kept on saying we would get the proper winter in February...) one ends up reading a bit more of the news. This has actually led to me being impressed by a few things I've found recently.

Google's search algorithm has been used for a much better purpose - to find molecular links that would work better for medicine. This seems such an amazing use of an until now controversial bit of maths, and if you think more along these lines, you should be able to do a lot more investigation in a chemical model. In fact, think a bit further, and you can probably use it for physics too.

3D printers. I never thought much of them. If someone had invented a printer that could produce any object, then surely it would change the whole world around. Well, they do exist, and they have been recently used to do something miraculous. Instead of having to go through a lot of microsurgical reconstruction, not being able to talk or swallow for a good few days, a new jaw was printed for this 83 year old, and she was using it just like normal within a day. Think about this a moment. Something printed, from your computer, and replacing a part of your body you use for many daily tasks...very impressive!

Sometimes technology can also go wrong. We all know what bad things can happen when you end up losing control of vehicles and other potentially dangerous objects. This time it was a lot less damaging. Those captions that appear at the bottom of the screen when someone is being interviewed. When these system get things wrong, they can also cause a few chuckles, like here, where a young girl was labelled as a recovering alcoholic...

And to leave you with an interesting link. Ever feel like your eyes are tired and hurting, and the screen too bright in the evenings? Well, that's because the ambient light changes in tone through the day and especially at night, when it's all artificial. Try this program on your computer to change your display to be more natural to the surrounding light. Great idea !

Here's hoping for many more good scientific advancements...

Kung Hei Fat Choi

Last Sunday marked the end of Chinese New Year celebrations in London for the year of the dragon. Tens of thousands of people descended on London (well, those that didn't already live there) to see the festivities around Chinatown, Shaftesbury Avenue and Trafalgar Square.

The procession went around Chinatown, with the streets packed with crowds vying for a spot to see the dancers and musicians go by. Once they finished the route, people headed off towards Trafalgar Square to see the main stage for the firecrackers, dragon dances and other shows.

The main event was scheduled to start at 12 o'clock (midday), but as people started arriving from Chinatown, it was obvious that if you hadn't got there by 11.40, you weren't going to get a spot where you could see anything.

Luckily we managed to get spots on the stairs, which were elevated from the main floor and the many heads. It must be said that the weather was freezing, definitely below zero, and felt like about -5. Everyone tried to keep themselves warm and busy whilst waiting for the clock to strike 12, and on the dot the presenters came onto the stage.

They then started to introduce the festival committee, which consisted of about 15 people from the UK and China, each with relatively long titles. As each one was introduced, they came to the front of the stage and started to thank every one of the others standing up there with them ,never missing their titles as well.

Once everyone realised that we were in for a long wait before we would actually see anything, people started to leave the area. Not only had they introduced themselves, but then they had to do the painting of the dragon eyes, each minister at a time...

By the time the dragon dances started ,people had been waiting in the freezing cold for over an hour. As you can imagine, they weren't too pleased (those that had stayed - many had already left by now).

The dragon dances were very colourful and skilled, and were great to watch, it was just a pity that the day was let down by the amount of waiting before seeing anything. Next time maybe they will do an introduction between each show, so that at least people can see something before they got frozen and had to leave for home.