I'm sure I've blogged about this before...
I was quite excited when I read (and blogged) a while ago about the fact they were making films of 'The Dark Is Rising' sequence...
And I've just seen the short of 'The Seeker' - which is incredibly American, and so not what the books were like at all. From the short I'm really struggling to see what they got from the source material. I know they have to update it but still....
So disappointing.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Good but not Great 'Black Sheep'
Went to see Black Sheep this afternoon - not at all scary but somewhat gory in places. I thought it was good - not great. Didn't really blow me away, and I can't see it would greatly appeal to British audiences as so much of it is very NZ humour/jokes.
And that was the bit I liked - my particular fave (for those who have seen it) is Experience's rant to Tucker about colonial oppression and genetic engineering - brilliant. The burning mint sauce was a nice touch as well!
Lots of references - men turning into sheep was very much like An American Werewolf in London. Good film tho.
And that was the bit I liked - my particular fave (for those who have seen it) is Experience's rant to Tucker about colonial oppression and genetic engineering - brilliant. The burning mint sauce was a nice touch as well!
Lots of references - men turning into sheep was very much like An American Werewolf in London. Good film tho.
The return of the beasty....
And this time it jumped!! Took me a while to find it, but luckily I did. So it was out the window straight away.
But is it the same beasty...??
Saturday, October 13, 2007
I would walk 500 miles....
Oh ok - only about 96 really...
So read on for brief synopses of the days - but our photos tell the real story...
So read on for brief synopses of the days - but our photos tell the real story...
Day 1: Milngavie to Drymen, 12 miles
Not a very interesting day this one. It was pretty urban for most of it - although it was also really cold! Luckily when we got to Drymen there was an outdoor shop open so I nipped in and bought another fleece :-).
We dropped our bags off with Travel-Lite, the company who were shipping them from B&B to B&B and headed off walking around 9.30. En-route we stopped off at the Glengoyne Distillery and did the tour. It was right on the West Highland Way so it would have been a crime to not visit it really! And so began the walker's love affair with whisky... Yum!
We dropped our bags off with Travel-Lite, the company who were shipping them from B&B to B&B and headed off walking around 9.30. En-route we stopped off at the Glengoyne Distillery and did the tour. It was right on the West Highland Way so it would have been a crime to not visit it really! And so began the walker's love affair with whisky... Yum!
Day 1: Brilliant sign, Glengoyne Distillery
Day 1: Brilliant sign, Glengoyne Distillery
Originally uploaded by Megan Shields.
Kevin agreed to pose by this sign - you have to admit it was a great opportunity!!
Day 2: Drymen to Rowardennan, 14 miles
The walking started to get a bit more interesting today. It was up and around Conic Hill and then we headed off along the shores of Loch Lomond. Which reminded me a lot of Lake Taupo - so it was a bit like walking at home!
Had a lovely lunch at Balmaha, and then headed off for the second stretch. Which was loads of up hill and down dale, so we were knackered by the end of the day. Unfortunately for me, Craig and Julia our B&B was one mile away from where Kevin and Owen were staying - also the only place for dinner so we had to walk an extra 2 miles to get food...
Kevin and Owen were upgraded at their hotel and ended up in this fantastic chalet, with Sky TV, big huge bedrooms and plasma tv's as well. After our extra one mile walk we weren't best pleased... The actual hotel was pretty dire tho with bog-standard pub grub so our experience wasn't one of the highlights of the trip - did get to use our headtorches on the walk back home - there weren't any streetlights!
Had a lovely lunch at Balmaha, and then headed off for the second stretch. Which was loads of up hill and down dale, so we were knackered by the end of the day. Unfortunately for me, Craig and Julia our B&B was one mile away from where Kevin and Owen were staying - also the only place for dinner so we had to walk an extra 2 miles to get food...
Kevin and Owen were upgraded at their hotel and ended up in this fantastic chalet, with Sky TV, big huge bedrooms and plasma tv's as well. After our extra one mile walk we weren't best pleased... The actual hotel was pretty dire tho with bog-standard pub grub so our experience wasn't one of the highlights of the trip - did get to use our headtorches on the walk back home - there weren't any streetlights!
Day 2: Getting ready to start for the second day
Day 2: Getting ready to start for the second day
Originally uploaded by Megan Shields.
Getting ready to start walking in Drymen.
Day 3: Rowardennan to Inverarnan, 14 miles
According to the various guides to the walk we had, this day was supposed to have been the roughest and the hardest of the walk, and I guess had it been wet it might have been. There was a lot of up and down, and climbing over rocks and tree routes, but on the whole it was ok. This was my first day walking with one of Julia's walking poles as my left knee was pretty painful - so Craig and I tended to be found bringing up the rear on many of the downhill sections!
It was also the day that we finally left Loch Lomond behind us. As lovely as it was, two days of walking beside the lake was a bit dull - and we were getting a bit bitten by the midgies!
We had the strangest lunch at the Inversnaid Hotel - admittedly it was the end of the season, but it was just odd. Our waiter we nicknamed Igor as he lurched from room to room. We had to sit in the posh dining room to eat our bar food - baked potatoes etc. It was a bit like the hotel out of The Shining - very weird! And reading some of the reviews of it, I don't think we're the only people who found it strange... It looks fantastic from its website but it really wasn't.
It was also the day that we finally left Loch Lomond behind us. As lovely as it was, two days of walking beside the lake was a bit dull - and we were getting a bit bitten by the midgies!
We had the strangest lunch at the Inversnaid Hotel - admittedly it was the end of the season, but it was just odd. Our waiter we nicknamed Igor as he lurched from room to room. We had to sit in the posh dining room to eat our bar food - baked potatoes etc. It was a bit like the hotel out of The Shining - very weird! And reading some of the reviews of it, I don't think we're the only people who found it strange... It looks fantastic from its website but it really wasn't.
Day 3: Self timer of the crew!
Day 3: Self timer of the crew!
Originally uploaded by Megan Shields.
Craig looking a bit fed up - we were being midgie attacked!
Day 4: Inverarnan to Tyndrum, 14 miles
An absolutely beautiful days walking today - it was a lovely misty morning, which gradually burnt off - giving many photo opportunities, and just some stunning scenery to walk through. If you haven't already check out my photos on Flickr...
We dropped down to the village of Crianlarich for lunch - bit of an error as it was a steep downhill, but luckily we found a slightly less uphill route back.
It was the first time we got a real sense of all the different people doing the Way, as for the first time a lot of the route was out in the open so we could see people behind and ahead.
Our B&B was horrible in Tyndrum - luckily there was a great fish & chip shop where we ate at. Then it was back to the horrid pub while Kevin and Craig played 'the arrows' while we all sampled many types of whisky...
We dropped down to the village of Crianlarich for lunch - bit of an error as it was a steep downhill, but luckily we found a slightly less uphill route back.
It was the first time we got a real sense of all the different people doing the Way, as for the first time a lot of the route was out in the open so we could see people behind and ahead.
Our B&B was horrible in Tyndrum - luckily there was a great fish & chip shop where we ate at. Then it was back to the horrid pub while Kevin and Craig played 'the arrows' while we all sampled many types of whisky...
Day 4: The WHW sign with tree...
Day 3: The WHW sign with tree...
Originally uploaded by Megan Shields.
WHW marker with tree in the mist. (One of Kevin's shots)
Day 5: Tryndrum to Inveroran, 9.25 miles
This was a lovely, easy, short day of walking which was great. We stopped for lunch at the Bridge of Orchy - got there before 12 so had to wait for the bar to open before we could get our food! Then it was a hop, skip & a jump over the hill and down the other side to the Inveroran Hotel. It was weird to be at the hotel by about 2.30 and having finished our walking for the day.
This was a great place to stay - nothing else around, fantastic walkers bar (bring on the whisky), and beautiful views.
For some reason I had pictured the Bridge of Orchy to be an imposing bridge - but it really wasn't!
The boys went to the bar but Julia and I strolled out down to the Loch and took some more lovely photos - again (if you haven't already) check out my Flickr account....
This was a great place to stay - nothing else around, fantastic walkers bar (bring on the whisky), and beautiful views.
For some reason I had pictured the Bridge of Orchy to be an imposing bridge - but it really wasn't!
The boys went to the bar but Julia and I strolled out down to the Loch and took some more lovely photos - again (if you haven't already) check out my Flickr account....
Day 5: Outside the Inveroran Hotel
Day 5: Outside the Inveroran Hotel
Originally uploaded by Megan Shields.
Spot the sign to the Bar on the far wall behind me...
Day 5: The boys relax in the Walkers Bar
Day 5: The boys relax in the Walkers Bar (2)
Originally uploaded by Megan Shields.
The post walk pint :-).
Day 5: Signs at the Bridge of Orchy
Day 5: Signs at the Bridge of Orchy
Originally uploaded by Megan Shields.
Note the sign to the walkers!
Day 6: Inveroran to Kings House, 9.5 miles
Another short day this one - we were at King's House just after 2pm. But what a walk this was. Across Rannoch Moor which was just so stunningly beautiful. So wild and remote, and the colours were just fantastic as well.
I spent a lot of this walk hanging back from the others and just walking by myself, and I got a real feel of the solitude and desolateness of the place. I absolutely loved it. This can be one of the hardest stretches of the walk as there is no shelter so if the weather comes in you just have to walk through it, but we were pretty lucky. It was the first day we saw rain (out came the waterproofs), but it just added to the atmosphere - it was just fab.
Then the rain came in, we got to the hotel and had a great afternoon partaking of the bitter in the Climber's Bar. Much recommended!
I spent a lot of this walk hanging back from the others and just walking by myself, and I got a real feel of the solitude and desolateness of the place. I absolutely loved it. This can be one of the hardest stretches of the walk as there is no shelter so if the weather comes in you just have to walk through it, but we were pretty lucky. It was the first day we saw rain (out came the waterproofs), but it just added to the atmosphere - it was just fab.
Then the rain came in, we got to the hotel and had a great afternoon partaking of the bitter in the Climber's Bar. Much recommended!
Day 7: Kings House to Kinlochleven, 9 miles
3rd short day in a row and we were all getting a bit bored of the short walks. Much discussion about weather we should have done an 18 miler instead of three 9 miles, but having said that, by the time we got to Kinlochleven and had had lunch we were all pretty tired!
LOTS of rain in the morning as we walked steadily uphill for what felt like a long, long time. Real Scottish weather! Then it was the down the other side of the hill into Kinlochleven - a very small town. It used to have an aluminium smelter there (bizarrely) and is now reinventing itself as an ice-climbing destination. Very picturesque, but very quiet. It seemed like there weren't any people around - very Stepford Wives-ish.
And after lunch the rain had gone and the sun was shining again...
LOTS of rain in the morning as we walked steadily uphill for what felt like a long, long time. Real Scottish weather! Then it was the down the other side of the hill into Kinlochleven - a very small town. It used to have an aluminium smelter there (bizarrely) and is now reinventing itself as an ice-climbing destination. Very picturesque, but very quiet. It seemed like there weren't any people around - very Stepford Wives-ish.
And after lunch the rain had gone and the sun was shining again...
Day 7: WHW sign at Kinlochleven (again)
Day 7: WHW sign at Kinlochleven (again)
Originally uploaded by Megan Shields.
WHW sign in Kinlochleven.
Day 8: Kinlochleven to Fort William, 14 miles
And so for the last day of walking we were back to a 14 miler, but again the scenery on this stretch was just lovely. Different again from what we'd been walking through as we climbed up to one Glen, walked through it, then up and over to Glen Nevis and along that. One lovely stretch through forest which was beautiful in a different way.
And we finally saw Ben Nevis! Which just towered over everything else around it.
The final stretch to the end was along the road and seemed to take a long time - but we did finally get to the magical sign marking the end of the West Highland Way! We were very happy and very proud. And headed straight off to find a pub to enjoy a well deserved pint :-).
And we finally saw Ben Nevis! Which just towered over everything else around it.
The final stretch to the end was along the road and seemed to take a long time - but we did finally get to the magical sign marking the end of the West Highland Way! We were very happy and very proud. And headed straight off to find a pub to enjoy a well deserved pint :-).
Sunday, October 07, 2007
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