Day 6: In the rain on Rannoch Moor
Originally uploaded by Megan Shields.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
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
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Tiki touring in Dorset...
So the weekend before I headed off to Scotland I went down to Dorset with Nicola to do a one day glass blowing course at the Dorset Rural Skills Centre. Nicola has a car so we had a lovely day on Saturday making our way there.
The last time I was in Dorset (I think) was New Years in 1996 and it was absolutely freezing! It was the coldest winter, we had a house booked which didn't have central heating and generally it was miserable.
This time I was muchly impressed with the county and would love to go back...
We drove down to Poole and took the chain link ferry over to Studland Beach. This is all owned by the National Trust and is a lovely piece of coast. We had been considering going to Lulworth Cove, but we went for Tyneham Village instead, which was just fascinating. The beaches around Tyneham were being used by the military during WWII, and in November 1943 the villagers were told they would have to leave. They fully expected to return after the war, but the land was compulsorily purchased and they were never able to go back. It was very sad, and very eerie - you can only get to the village on the days that the MoD are not using the land around it.
After Tyneham Village I went and had a look around Corfe Castle. Aside from the scaffolding it was great! It was deliberately destroyed in the 1600s, and the ruins are amazing - lots of fab photo opportunities :-). As well as the couple below I've posted lots on Flickr so take a look.
The last time I was in Dorset (I think) was New Years in 1996 and it was absolutely freezing! It was the coldest winter, we had a house booked which didn't have central heating and generally it was miserable.
This time I was muchly impressed with the county and would love to go back...
We drove down to Poole and took the chain link ferry over to Studland Beach. This is all owned by the National Trust and is a lovely piece of coast. We had been considering going to Lulworth Cove, but we went for Tyneham Village instead, which was just fascinating. The beaches around Tyneham were being used by the military during WWII, and in November 1943 the villagers were told they would have to leave. They fully expected to return after the war, but the land was compulsorily purchased and they were never able to go back. It was very sad, and very eerie - you can only get to the village on the days that the MoD are not using the land around it.
After Tyneham Village I went and had a look around Corfe Castle. Aside from the scaffolding it was great! It was deliberately destroyed in the 1600s, and the ruins are amazing - lots of fab photo opportunities :-). As well as the couple below I've posted lots on Flickr so take a look.
Glass blowing - or glass mangling...
I was terrible!! Had a great time doing it, but I was rubbish! Nicola was much much better than me... Once I've got my pieces back I'll take some pictures and post them for everyone's amusement!
It is much harder than it looks - and our tutor Emsie made it look very easy indeed. I got so frustrated as it seemed so simple, and I just couldn't do it. Nicola took much more time than me however and I think that will be reflected in her pieces vs mine... It involves a lot of multi-tasking, which I had always thought I was ok at - little did I know! It felt like trying to pat your head and rub your stomach at the same time...
Ah well - I won't be giving up my day job just yet. But now I do understand why hand blown glass is so much more expensive.
It is much harder than it looks - and our tutor Emsie made it look very easy indeed. I got so frustrated as it seemed so simple, and I just couldn't do it. Nicola took much more time than me however and I think that will be reflected in her pieces vs mine... It involves a lot of multi-tasking, which I had always thought I was ok at - little did I know! It felt like trying to pat your head and rub your stomach at the same time...
Ah well - I won't be giving up my day job just yet. But now I do understand why hand blown glass is so much more expensive.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Back later...
Well I was hoping to get this up-to-date before heading off on my epic West Highland Way trek, but that ain't gonna happen... So I'll be back around the 6th/7th!
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Fab sculptures
I've been enjoying these Klaus Weber sculptures at Southbank - the industrial material looks like scoria, and where they've got water coming out of is very entertaining! The vomiting man is one of my particular favourites!
Klaus Weber sculptures - Southbank
Klaus Weber sculptures - Southbank (2)
Originally uploaded by Megan Shields.
Note the vomiting man on the far right...
The perils of being a single gal...
Scary beasty of Lovelace Gardens
Originally uploaded by Megan Shields.
The latest beasty I've had to deal with in my lounge... This one freaked me out!
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Flight of the Conchords - on the Beeb
So am sat here watching a special before the series of Flight of the Conchords starts next week. Very funny - very reminiscent of The Front Lawn. Very NZ as well - will be interesting to see how it goes down - but I'm liking it :-).
Holiday blogging resumed soon!
Holiday blogging resumed soon!
Monday, September 17, 2007
And there's more...
I've updated a bit more - see below. Sorry for the delays - but I'm getting there!
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Oh yes - I've been on holiday....
But just haven't updated my blog for ages... Been a busy bee (doing not much) since I got back. But I am now starting to - read on!
I've added my photos to Flickr so check them out - and I'll keep updating this over the next few days...
I've added my photos to Flickr so check them out - and I'll keep updating this over the next few days...
Saturday, September 01, 2007
Where unforgettable moments happen every night...
The strapline of the Grand Ole Opry - and our show certainly had a couple! The thing I hadn't really realised was that the show was broadcast live. The acts got to do two songs each and in-between the compere would do the radio adverts for whichever company was sponsoring that section. And the ads really were like ads from the 1920s - very funny.
We didn't have any huge names (I've just noticed that Charlie Pride was on this weekend...), although we had a couple of old guys who had been in the Country Music Hall of Fame for a wee while - Jimmy Dickens and Porter Wagoner. We also had Legacy Five - a fundamentalist christian group. I won't link to their site... But they had a huge contingent of fans who just went crazy when they came on. Very odd to listen to happy clappy songs about the Book of Revelations and how we have to make sure we're on the right side of the dirt when the Lord comes down...
The finale was Jimmy Wayne - who also turned out to be on the Lord's side. While that is not a bad thing I just wasn't expecting so much Christian music at the Grand Ole Opry...
And my holiday was ended with the lovely experience of being upgraded on the flight home the next day. Brilliant!
We didn't have any huge names (I've just noticed that Charlie Pride was on this weekend...), although we had a couple of old guys who had been in the Country Music Hall of Fame for a wee while - Jimmy Dickens and Porter Wagoner. We also had Legacy Five - a fundamentalist christian group. I won't link to their site... But they had a huge contingent of fans who just went crazy when they came on. Very odd to listen to happy clappy songs about the Book of Revelations and how we have to make sure we're on the right side of the dirt when the Lord comes down...
The finale was Jimmy Wayne - who also turned out to be on the Lord's side. While that is not a bad thing I just wasn't expecting so much Christian music at the Grand Ole Opry...
And my holiday was ended with the lovely experience of being upgraded on the flight home the next day. Brilliant!
Friday, August 31, 2007
And time for a little bit of country...
Saturday Fleur and I sadly headed back to Nashville for my last night in the US of A. We stayed at the Gaylord Opry - an absolutely enormous hotel which apparently is similar to the ones in Las Vegas. It came complete with a river inside of it, (with its own little boat...), and huge gardens - all inside. It was handily situated very close to the Grand Old Opry and Opryland Mall - where I managed to spend a few more of my hard earned pennies before we headed off to the show :-).
Gaylord Opry Hotel
Gaylord Opry Hotel (1)
Originally uploaded by Megan Shields.
This is all inside - all under the roof of the Atrium.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Monday afternoon - time for a new state!
So on Monday afternoon my friend Fleur drove up from Bowling Green, Kentucky to pick me up. We had very vague plans - just that she would pick me up between 4.30 - 5.00 at the Museum. Fortunately it did all work and we found each other!
And so began a fab 5 days where I just hung out with Fleur, David, James and Alice. It was just lovely - bit of shopping, bit of sightseeing, lots of drinking coffee and chewing the fat - what more could you want from a holiday! Particular highlight was going to Glasgow, Kentucky (gave us much amusement!).
On Tuesday I went with Fleur to one of her bookgroups - the book was The Case of the Missing Books, and pretty universally was panned by everyone. So that isn't a recommendation from me!
Fleur and David were fantastic hosts, and it was lovely to finally meet her children! I'd seen Fleur when she was pregnant with James, but never met him until now!
And now Fleur is also blogging :-).
And so began a fab 5 days where I just hung out with Fleur, David, James and Alice. It was just lovely - bit of shopping, bit of sightseeing, lots of drinking coffee and chewing the fat - what more could you want from a holiday! Particular highlight was going to Glasgow, Kentucky (gave us much amusement!).
On Tuesday I went with Fleur to one of her bookgroups - the book was The Case of the Missing Books, and pretty universally was panned by everyone. So that isn't a recommendation from me!
Fleur and David were fantastic hosts, and it was lovely to finally meet her children! I'd seen Fleur when she was pregnant with James, but never met him until now!
And now Fleur is also blogging :-).
Fleur highland dancing in Glasgow (Kentucky)
Fleur highland dancing in Glasgow (Kentucky) (2)
Originally uploaded by Megan Shields.
Fleur bravely dancing in Glasgow...!!
Fleur and Alice in Bowling Green
Fleur and Alice in Bowling Green
Originally uploaded by Megan Shields.
Fleur and Alice - Alice wearing her new pink dress, bought on one of our shopping trips!
Monday, August 27, 2007
Bus travel US style...
On Monday morning it was up bright and early to catch my first every Greyhound bus from Memphis to Nashville.
They have a 'first come first served' approach so somewhat predictably I was worried about not getting on the bus! Being second in the queue meant I didn't have any worries on that score! But it was pretty full by the time we pulled out. Somewhat amazingly we were 40 minutes late leaving as we had waited for a connecting service to come in - not something I recall them doing in NZ!
Best bit though was sitting at the bus station in Jackson, listening to Johnny and June Cash singing Jackson :-).
Four hours later and I was in Nashville - home of country music!
They have a 'first come first served' approach so somewhat predictably I was worried about not getting on the bus! Being second in the queue meant I didn't have any worries on that score! But it was pretty full by the time we pulled out. Somewhat amazingly we were 40 minutes late leaving as we had waited for a connecting service to come in - not something I recall them doing in NZ!
Best bit though was sitting at the bus station in Jackson, listening to Johnny and June Cash singing Jackson :-).
Four hours later and I was in Nashville - home of country music!
Sing Me Back Home...
Monday afternoon was spent at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum - fortunately located just down the road from the bus station!
Very different from the Memphis music stories, but really interesting - lots of Johnny Cash stuff which was cool. And the Hall of Fame was really interesting to see who had made it. Nothing about alt-country tho - no Wilco or anything like that! Thats not country!! Sadly this museum didn't have quite as much music to listen to as the others I'd been to, so at times it seemed a bit static, but it was still so interesting.
Very different from the Memphis music stories, but really interesting - lots of Johnny Cash stuff which was cool. And the Hall of Fame was really interesting to see who had made it. Nothing about alt-country tho - no Wilco or anything like that! Thats not country!! Sadly this museum didn't have quite as much music to listen to as the others I'd been to, so at times it seemed a bit static, but it was still so interesting.
Sing me back home
Sing me back home
Originally uploaded by Megan Shields.
The start of the journey through country music...
Sunday, August 26, 2007
History of a different sort...
Sunday was a much slower day than Saturday - Memphis doesn't really get going early on a Sunday! I wandered around for a while but it was sooooo hot I just went and found airconditioned places that I could cool down in!
I had my second breakfast at the Arcade Restaurant - very hobbit like but it was worth it! A quintessential American cafe - where the waitress called me honey and walked around with a coffee pot topping everyone up - brilliant!
Then it was off to the National Civil Rights Museum, housed in what was the Lorraine Motel where Martin Luthor King was assassinated. Very very good - but very very dense. There was just so much to read I couldn't take it all in. I was in there at 1.45 and had to be down at the ferry by 5pm and I didn't get through it all. And then to find out at the end that the 'second half' of the museum was over the road! I just couldn't take any more in at that point - I'll have to go back another time and finish it :-).
Very moving though to be where MLK was killed, and to realise just how Memphis was really in the middle of the civil rights movement. And to have reinforced yet again just how the music was so intertwined in it all as well.
I had my second breakfast at the Arcade Restaurant - very hobbit like but it was worth it! A quintessential American cafe - where the waitress called me honey and walked around with a coffee pot topping everyone up - brilliant!
Then it was off to the National Civil Rights Museum, housed in what was the Lorraine Motel where Martin Luthor King was assassinated. Very very good - but very very dense. There was just so much to read I couldn't take it all in. I was in there at 1.45 and had to be down at the ferry by 5pm and I didn't get through it all. And then to find out at the end that the 'second half' of the museum was over the road! I just couldn't take any more in at that point - I'll have to go back another time and finish it :-).
Very moving though to be where MLK was killed, and to realise just how Memphis was really in the middle of the civil rights movement. And to have reinforced yet again just how the music was so intertwined in it all as well.
The Mighty Mississippi
Couldn't not go to Memphis and not go on the mighty Mississippi!! And on a paddle steamer of course :-).
Interesting tour guide - it would be fair to say he was on the right side of conservative... A few quite extreme statements made - especially about hard labour and the 'non' rights of criminals, and how perhaps hard labour should be brought back in... He ended the talk with the incredibly graphic retelling of the story of the Sultana tragedy - complete with descriptions of body parts floating in the river, blood and gore etc etc... Made it all a bit more entertaining!
There were also lots of dead fish around where the boats were parked up - apparently due to the lack of oxygen in the water... I wasn't convinced.
Interesting tour guide - it would be fair to say he was on the right side of conservative... A few quite extreme statements made - especially about hard labour and the 'non' rights of criminals, and how perhaps hard labour should be brought back in... He ended the talk with the incredibly graphic retelling of the story of the Sultana tragedy - complete with descriptions of body parts floating in the river, blood and gore etc etc... Made it all a bit more entertaining!
There were also lots of dead fish around where the boats were parked up - apparently due to the lack of oxygen in the water... I wasn't convinced.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
First stop - Gracelands!
Saturday started off with a stroll down to the Memphis Rock'N'Soul Museum to get their free shuttle out to Gracelands...
Which actually wasn't as over-the-top as I was expecting. Given the excesses of the life styles of the rich and famous today, the house and the decor on the whole seemed pretty low key. I did like the Jungle Room tho - its not everyone who has green shagpile carpet on their ceiling!! Plus the gold seatbelts in the Lisa Marie were a nice touch as well...
Most fascinating was the floral tributes to The King - I was there a week after 'Elvis Week' so there were still loads from all over the world. Just amazing to see them all. It was relatively quiet there tho - I did hear stories of people queuing for 48 hours the previous week to ensure they could walk past the grave on the actual anniversary of his death...
There was also some fantastic tat in the gift shops as well!! I managed to restrain myself (just...). I was really tempted my a t-shirt that read 'Elvis has left the building' but they didn't have any nice girly ones...
Which actually wasn't as over-the-top as I was expecting. Given the excesses of the life styles of the rich and famous today, the house and the decor on the whole seemed pretty low key. I did like the Jungle Room tho - its not everyone who has green shagpile carpet on their ceiling!! Plus the gold seatbelts in the Lisa Marie were a nice touch as well...
Most fascinating was the floral tributes to The King - I was there a week after 'Elvis Week' so there were still loads from all over the world. Just amazing to see them all. It was relatively quiet there tho - I did hear stories of people queuing for 48 hours the previous week to ensure they could walk past the grave on the actual anniversary of his death...
There was also some fantastic tat in the gift shops as well!! I managed to restrain myself (just...). I was really tempted my a t-shirt that read 'Elvis has left the building' but they didn't have any nice girly ones...
Next stop - Sun Studios...
After leaving Gracelands the next stop on my musical tour of Memphis was Sun Studios - home to Elvis (originally), and various other biggies - including Johnny Cash :-). This was great - really tiny. We were taken upstairs to a room full of various bits of memorabilia, and then down into the studio itself, which is still used for recording today. It really was like standing in a bit of living history.
Third stop - 'The Beat Starts Here'...
I hadn't planned to go to the Memphis Rock'N'Soul Museum but it was where I had to pick the shuttle up in the morning to get out to Gracelands and I thought it looked quite good. Then I read about it in the guidebook and it rated it so I thought I'd take a look.
I spent AGES in here. It was an audio tour (the Americans seem very fond of these...), but the best bit was all the way around the museum were 'jukeboxes' where you could enter the number of a song and listen to it - and each jukebox had about 10-15 options to choose from, so you could get a real feel for the music you had just been reading about. Very very cool.
I spent AGES in here. It was an audio tour (the Americans seem very fond of these...), but the best bit was all the way around the museum were 'jukeboxes' where you could enter the number of a song and listen to it - and each jukebox had about 10-15 options to choose from, so you could get a real feel for the music you had just been reading about. Very very cool.
Fourth stop - the real thing!
After exhausting myself doing the touristy thing all day I took myself out for dinner on Saturday night down to Beale Street. Beale Street was just fantastic - I felt quite sorry for myself in that I wasn't with anyone, as you could have a great time out there. The street is pedestrianised, with loads of the bars and clubs selling beer out on the street. There are various stages set up down alleys and in parks where people play for free, plus of course there are all of the bars which also have live music.
After dinner I just wandered around for a while listening to a band playing on a stage at the WC Handy Park. I was quite worried about going into a bar by myself, but as I was steeling myself to do that I walked past an alleyway with a stage at the end of it that had a great blues band playing there. So I got myself a beer from a street seller, parked myself on a picnic bench and listened to some great music for the next couple of hours! It just got better after they were joined by their female vocalist as well - lots of 'My man done me wrong' type of blues. Fantastic!!
And of course I was bought a beer by a random guy because I was from NZ and the 60 year old blues guitarist from the band hit on me... Great night!
After dinner I just wandered around for a while listening to a band playing on a stage at the WC Handy Park. I was quite worried about going into a bar by myself, but as I was steeling myself to do that I walked past an alleyway with a stage at the end of it that had a great blues band playing there. So I got myself a beer from a street seller, parked myself on a picnic bench and listened to some great music for the next couple of hours! It just got better after they were joined by their female vocalist as well - lots of 'My man done me wrong' type of blues. Fantastic!!
And of course I was bought a beer by a random guy because I was from NZ and the 60 year old blues guitarist from the band hit on me... Great night!
Friday, August 24, 2007
London - Chicago - Memphis...
Very long day this one - almost as bad as flying back to NZ!! Flight left at 8am, which necessitated a 4.45am taxi pick up for me - of course I had loads of time left after check in, but that suits me just fine...
I had a few hours connection in Chicago before getting my next flight to Memphis. Immigration was ok - first time I've been fingerprinted and retina scanned mind... Customs was ok - although he amused himself laughing at the fact that I described myself as a librarian (I just find it easier than trying to explain what I do...) while reading a book about stolen books... (The Case of the Missing Books by Ian Sansom - I wouldn't recommend it. It was rubbish!).
By the time I finally got to bed I'd been up about 22 hours and wasn't sure at that point if I was coming or going! But I was together enough to notice that it was much much warmer in Memphis than it had been in London :-).
I had a few hours connection in Chicago before getting my next flight to Memphis. Immigration was ok - first time I've been fingerprinted and retina scanned mind... Customs was ok - although he amused himself laughing at the fact that I described myself as a librarian (I just find it easier than trying to explain what I do...) while reading a book about stolen books... (The Case of the Missing Books by Ian Sansom - I wouldn't recommend it. It was rubbish!).
By the time I finally got to bed I'd been up about 22 hours and wasn't sure at that point if I was coming or going! But I was together enough to notice that it was much much warmer in Memphis than it had been in London :-).
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Jiggery-pokery, jumbo jets and fighter pilots..
Oh - and a 15.3 mile walk as well...
Julia and I headed off to walk from Berwick to Eastbourne on Saturday. My usual faultless train organising slipped a bit however, so for the first time had to get in a taxi to get to the start of the walk... Most unlike me!
The first half of the walk was a bit underwhelming - some nice bits, but nothing too amazing. Although it was interesting to walk past the Arlington Reservoir at the start and see that it looked quite full - couldn't help but wonder what its level had been last year - drought vs the wet summer we've had... It picked up once we'd sighted The Long Man of Wilmington however, and we did get to walk through a corn field that was very remniscent of The X-Files! We had lunch in Jevington at the Eight Bells pub - whose innkeeper in the 1780s was a well known smuggler, James Pettit - known as 'Jevington Jigg' who used to store the contraband in the pub (and the rectory....). Very nice it was too! Also the first time we saw signs about Foot & Mouth as well - including buckets of disinfectant by fields to scrub your shoes with before going across it...
Walking along the South Downs Way after lunch we missed the turn off so decided to do the long version of the walk and stretch it out to Beachy Head (which I'd never been to). As we walked towards it we were a bit suprised at how many people there were (and also why there were so many helicopters flying around...) and then realised it was the Eastbourne Airbourne show on... We'd missed the bulk of it, but did get to see the Jumbo fly past - and it is something to see a Jumbo fly low over cliffs and then fly at a 45 deg angle to skim the cliffs. Very very cool. But what was as good was the fighter plane that did fab fast things and then finished by spiralling in a corkscrew up into the clouds. Very very stylish - is it possible to have a crush on an unseen pilot??
A very long day, but a very good one! More photos on Flickr as well...
Julia and I headed off to walk from Berwick to Eastbourne on Saturday. My usual faultless train organising slipped a bit however, so for the first time had to get in a taxi to get to the start of the walk... Most unlike me!
The first half of the walk was a bit underwhelming - some nice bits, but nothing too amazing. Although it was interesting to walk past the Arlington Reservoir at the start and see that it looked quite full - couldn't help but wonder what its level had been last year - drought vs the wet summer we've had... It picked up once we'd sighted The Long Man of Wilmington however, and we did get to walk through a corn field that was very remniscent of The X-Files! We had lunch in Jevington at the Eight Bells pub - whose innkeeper in the 1780s was a well known smuggler, James Pettit - known as 'Jevington Jigg' who used to store the contraband in the pub (and the rectory....). Very nice it was too! Also the first time we saw signs about Foot & Mouth as well - including buckets of disinfectant by fields to scrub your shoes with before going across it...
Walking along the South Downs Way after lunch we missed the turn off so decided to do the long version of the walk and stretch it out to Beachy Head (which I'd never been to). As we walked towards it we were a bit suprised at how many people there were (and also why there were so many helicopters flying around...) and then realised it was the Eastbourne Airbourne show on... We'd missed the bulk of it, but did get to see the Jumbo fly past - and it is something to see a Jumbo fly low over cliffs and then fly at a 45 deg angle to skim the cliffs. Very very cool. But what was as good was the fighter plane that did fab fast things and then finished by spiralling in a corkscrew up into the clouds. Very very stylish - is it possible to have a crush on an unseen pilot??
A very long day, but a very good one! More photos on Flickr as well...
View from the South Downs
View from the South Downs
Originally uploaded by Megan Shields.
The water you can see in the distance here is the Arlington Reservoir which we passed at the start of the walk..
Friday, August 17, 2007
West Highland Way - maps
I've had a couple of requests for maps of the route - these may or may not be enough to satisfy those who are interested, but check out the links anyhow...
West Highland Way 1
West Highland Way 2
West Highland Way 1
West Highland Way 2
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Yes - 92 miles...
Or 95 depending on what website you look at. From 28 Sept me, Julia, Craig, Owen and Kevin will be walking the long distance path the West Highland Way - from Glasgow to Fort William. Can't wait - it will be fantastic!!
And our distance walking home is anywhere between 6.5miles to 9miles - hard to tell with the Thames as it curves around so much...
And our distance walking home is anywhere between 6.5miles to 9miles - hard to tell with the Thames as it curves around so much...
Sunday, August 12, 2007
How We Are
On Sunday my 'art-i-ness' continued as I headed off to Tate Britain with Mhairi, Nicola and Jackie to see How We Are.
The original plan was to picnic in Victoria Tower Gardens (after paying homage to the statue of Emmeline Pankhurst...) en route to the gallery, but as it decided to rain shortly before said picnic we sat on a bench and ate our lunch instead. As Jackie said it was a bit like having a picnic at a bus station - although we were looking at the Thames!
The exhibition was really good, but very intense. A lot of photos to look at, quite a few small ones and lots of people to navigate around. I was exhausted by the end of the afternoon - even a reviving hot chocolate couldn't pick me up!
The original plan was to picnic in Victoria Tower Gardens (after paying homage to the statue of Emmeline Pankhurst...) en route to the gallery, but as it decided to rain shortly before said picnic we sat on a bench and ate our lunch instead. As Jackie said it was a bit like having a picnic at a bus station - although we were looking at the Thames!
The exhibition was really good, but very intense. A lot of photos to look at, quite a few small ones and lots of people to navigate around. I was exhausted by the end of the afternoon - even a reviving hot chocolate couldn't pick me up!
Friday, August 10, 2007
"Sups & Wine"
And so another meeting of the South West London 'Sups & Wine' club met... really just an excuse to eat food and drink wine of course! But this was the first one to be held at Julia's new place, and as summer seemed to have temporarily arrived in London we were able to sit outside and use her new garden furniture!
And I got to take some photos with my new phone :-)
And I got to take some photos with my new phone :-)
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Walking home - twice now...
And so our training for the West Highland Way has begun.... Julia, Owen, me and Kevin have started walking home once a week in preparation for the 92mile marathon walk that is rapidly approaching...
Still at least this time we have a week to do it, with B&Bs booked all the way along!!
And before I tackle that I'm off to Memphis, Nashville and Bowling Green to see Fleur - yay!!
Still at least this time we have a week to do it, with B&Bs booked all the way along!!
And before I tackle that I'm off to Memphis, Nashville and Bowling Green to see Fleur - yay!!
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Black Comedy
Mhairi and I went to see a friend from work in the play Black Comedy - very funny! Another very British 'farce' - along the lines of Lady Be Good so there seems to be a bit of a theme emerging there! Steve is a member of the South London Theatre and is about to audition for the panto Aladdin - could be my first panto!
Monday, August 06, 2007
Summer Exhibition - and a Kiwi debate...
On Saturday I met up Daphne, Pete, Olivia and Steve to go the Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy. We had been reliably informed by another friend that there was a portrait of Daphne there so we thought that was of an excuse to go!
The exhibition is enormous - not over space, but just so many pictures, prints, photos crammed on all of the walls - it was hard to take them all in. We did find the print of Daphne - by Julian Opie - and we did all agree that it looked like her. If we'd had a spare £5,000 we could have bought a copy of it as well :-).
Prior to going to the exhibition we had all made a wee pilgramage to Kiwifruits and stocked up on some essential NZ items - including a multipack of Twisties, Rashuns and Cheezels. Which kicked off a debate on which item is the top snack of choice. My vote is always for Twisties although there was some dissension in the ranks on that. I think 2 year old Olivia had the best approach - eat them all happily while sharing them around (sometimes forcibly as she didn't seem to want to take no for an answer on the odd occasion!) with all of the adults - bless!
The exhibition is enormous - not over space, but just so many pictures, prints, photos crammed on all of the walls - it was hard to take them all in. We did find the print of Daphne - by Julian Opie - and we did all agree that it looked like her. If we'd had a spare £5,000 we could have bought a copy of it as well :-).
Prior to going to the exhibition we had all made a wee pilgramage to Kiwifruits and stocked up on some essential NZ items - including a multipack of Twisties, Rashuns and Cheezels. Which kicked off a debate on which item is the top snack of choice. My vote is always for Twisties although there was some dissension in the ranks on that. I think 2 year old Olivia had the best approach - eat them all happily while sharing them around (sometimes forcibly as she didn't seem to want to take no for an answer on the odd occasion!) with all of the adults - bless!
Sunday, August 05, 2007
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Portraiture...
So today I took myself off to the National Portrait Gallery to see the BP Portrait Award. I've been before and really enjoy it - and as usual when I go to the gallery, I wonder why I don't go more often...
My fave painting was Jose Escofet by Miriam Escofet - so incredibly lifelike it was more like a photo - of an older man (the artist's father) and I just thought it was amazing. One I thought was interesting as well was called 'Commuter' where the painter had made sketches of someone on a tube, taken photos of him on his phone and then painted his portrait. Not too sure about the moral/ethical issues with that... Wondering how I would feel if I happened upon a painting of myself in a gallery that I had had no say in at all...
My fave painting was Jose Escofet by Miriam Escofet - so incredibly lifelike it was more like a photo - of an older man (the artist's father) and I just thought it was amazing. One I thought was interesting as well was called 'Commuter' where the painter had made sketches of someone on a tube, taken photos of him on his phone and then painted his portrait. Not too sure about the moral/ethical issues with that... Wondering how I would feel if I happened upon a painting of myself in a gallery that I had had no say in at all...
Saturday, July 28, 2007
New toy...
I'm now the proud owner of a funky new phone - very cool Sony Ericsson K810i - which I'm still working out how to use! I should transfer my old Vodafone number to it next week, so until then I'm still only playing with it...
But I'm sure having the camera on it will enable me to take (and blog) many more photos!
Weird getting used to a new phone - especially when I've been Nokia since my bag was stolen about 15months ago, but I'm sure in a few weeks I'll hardly remember what my Nokia was like!
But I'm sure having the camera on it will enable me to take (and blog) many more photos!
Weird getting used to a new phone - especially when I've been Nokia since my bag was stolen about 15months ago, but I'm sure in a few weeks I'll hardly remember what my Nokia was like!
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Lady Be Good...
No - not what I tell myself every day...
I went to see Lady Be Good with a bunch of friends from work - it is the first time I've ever done the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre and I really enjoyed it. I struggled with enthusiasm during the day - I've never gone to them before cos I've never trusted the weather, and the year I live dangerously we have the worst and wettest July since records began...
So I was well prepared with my walking jacket on, my picnic blanket to sit on and my fleece to keep my legs and hands warm and it was great! The musical was originally performed in 1924 with Fred Astaire and his sister Adele playing the brother and sister of the story - it was really well done, very fluffy, very funny, with beautiful frocks and dancing.
So I was pleased I trusted the BBC forecast and did go - roll on Macbeth in August!
I went to see Lady Be Good with a bunch of friends from work - it is the first time I've ever done the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre and I really enjoyed it. I struggled with enthusiasm during the day - I've never gone to them before cos I've never trusted the weather, and the year I live dangerously we have the worst and wettest July since records began...
So I was well prepared with my walking jacket on, my picnic blanket to sit on and my fleece to keep my legs and hands warm and it was great! The musical was originally performed in 1924 with Fred Astaire and his sister Adele playing the brother and sister of the story - it was really well done, very fluffy, very funny, with beautiful frocks and dancing.
So I was pleased I trusted the BBC forecast and did go - roll on Macbeth in August!
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Sam and Phil Goff
Myself and Phil Goff
Originally uploaded by enetheru_2006.
And here is Sam, snapped with Phil Goff while attending the Youth Parliament in Wellington - go Sam!!
Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows...
finally came out on Saturday! Well technically it was on sale at one minute past midnight, but I'm not quite that much of a geek...
Frustratingly I had to help Julia move in to her new flat first, so couldn't dive into it until about 4pm, but had it all finished by 2pm today :-).
Loved it - cried a few times, but thought it was great. I think it finished things really well - and while some things didn't happen that I wanted to, but on the whole it was worth giving up my weekend to it!
Frustratingly I had to help Julia move in to her new flat first, so couldn't dive into it until about 4pm, but had it all finished by 2pm today :-).
Loved it - cried a few times, but thought it was great. I think it finished things really well - and while some things didn't happen that I wanted to, but on the whole it was worth giving up my weekend to it!
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Harry Potter & The Order of the Phoenix...
So Tuesday the HP geeks (me, Maya and Steve) toddled off to see the latest HP film - which was great! Possibly the best one (excluding the first one of course which holds a special place just cos it is the first one...). And Maya and Steve were even more geeky than I was about the story :-)
Monday, July 16, 2007
And Julia buys her flat...
So on Monday Julia completed on her house so we just had to go round and have a look, and toast it with some champagne... :-).
Oh - and I had to go to the dentist to have my teeth scraped and polished which is just unnatural.... Although they did feel much better afterwards!
Oh - and I had to go to the dentist to have my teeth scraped and polished which is just unnatural.... Although they did feel much better afterwards!
Opening the door to the new flat...
Opening the door to the new flat...
Originally uploaded by Megan Shields.
The door from the street...
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Sunday night - must be the Guillemots
Sunday I was off to see The Guillemots who were playing at Somerset House as part of the summer series there. Despite being worried it was going to rain amazingly it didn't and the show was pretty good. They're possibly not the best band to carry an outdoor venue, but they played Trains to Brazil which is just one of my fave songs at the mo :-).
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Walking again...
So for the first time in ages Julia and I went out for a walk. This one was Petersfield to Liss - 11.1m. It is one I'd done a couple of years ago when training for Trailwalker, but Julia had never done it.
The walk was famous with the Trailwalker group as the pub had had such fine food, and again it didn't disappoint. Although I was pleased that the huge hill I remembered happening just after lunch was actually before it! The Shoulder of Mutton hill is not a very nice one to walk up!
Everything seemed very lush, and there were loads of butterflies around - I'm sure that is unusual for July and was a reflection of the enormous amount of rain we've been having over the last 6 weeks. This time last year the ground would have been parched and rock hard... summer?
A couple of photos below, but more on my Flickr account so check them out :-)
The walk was famous with the Trailwalker group as the pub had had such fine food, and again it didn't disappoint. Although I was pleased that the huge hill I remembered happening just after lunch was actually before it! The Shoulder of Mutton hill is not a very nice one to walk up!
Everything seemed very lush, and there were loads of butterflies around - I'm sure that is unusual for July and was a reflection of the enormous amount of rain we've been having over the last 6 weeks. This time last year the ground would have been parched and rock hard... summer?
A couple of photos below, but more on my Flickr account so check them out :-)
The view from almost at the top!
The view from almost at the top!
Originally uploaded by Megan Shields.
Gave us a chance to rest as I took the photo!
Trying to get a decent shot of the Shoulder of Mutton hill - steep!
Trying to get a decent shot of the Shoulder of Mutton hill - steep!
Originally uploaded by Megan Shields.
This was taken trying to show how steep the hill is!
Monday, July 09, 2007
Commuting NZ style...
Commuting NZ style...
Originally uploaded by Megan Shields.
Couldn't resist posting this one of Adrian on the train in Welly...
Sunday, July 08, 2007
Tour de France starts in London
It was a super sport Sunday in London as as well as the Wimbledon men's finals, it was also the start of the Tour de France. Julia and I toddled off to Craig's place to watch the bikes - he doesn't live far from the start at Greenwich.
They were amazing, but went past in a flash! Didn't even have time to take a photo! They looked like a shoal of fish swimming past - colours were amazing.
After that we headed off to Greenwich and had lunch - then watched this amazing street theatre - which I'm assuming was French but they seemed to be singing in Italian! Looked very cool tho!
They were amazing, but went past in a flash! Didn't even have time to take a photo! They looked like a shoal of fish swimming past - colours were amazing.
After that we headed off to Greenwich and had lunch - then watched this amazing street theatre - which I'm assuming was French but they seemed to be singing in Italian! Looked very cool tho!
Friday, July 06, 2007
Hampton Court Palace Flower Show
No stopping yet!
Friday (another day off work for me...) Steve and I went along to the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show which was great. Given the torrential rain we'd had all week the gardens looked remarkably fresh and we didn't get any rain either which was great. The Festival of Roses was a bit disappointing - they didn't seem to have lasted too long, but the rest of it was good. Including some rather stunning garden statues...
No photos from this year however.
Friday (another day off work for me...) Steve and I went along to the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show which was great. Given the torrential rain we'd had all week the gardens looked remarkably fresh and we didn't get any rain either which was great. The Festival of Roses was a bit disappointing - they didn't seem to have lasted too long, but the rest of it was good. Including some rather stunning garden statues...
No photos from this year however.
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Maya turns 21...
No rest for the wicked... well there was a bit of a rest for me luckily. We had originally planned to meet at 11.45 but due to being somewhat under the weather I pushed that back to 1pm...
Maya, Chris and I had a lovely afternoon at the London Zoo which was great. We got to see the gorillas and we spent ages in the reptile house so Maya could admire all the snakes... Watching the tiger (looks just like Lenny!) was also a highlight for me :-).
Then we toddled off to Saltyard for a highly delicious dinner and bubbles to round off the day. Then I had to take my slightly worse for wear body back home...
Maya, Chris and I had a lovely afternoon at the London Zoo which was great. We got to see the gorillas and we spent ages in the reptile house so Maya could admire all the snakes... Watching the tiger (looks just like Lenny!) was also a highlight for me :-).
Then we toddled off to Saltyard for a highly delicious dinner and bubbles to round off the day. Then I had to take my slightly worse for wear body back home...
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
Knowledge stuff...
Wednesday was our annual Knowledge Community Day which I helped to organise. The morning was usual work stuff - presentations etc, but in the afternoon we went to the Oasis Children's Venture to do some gardening and wall painting. Great fun despite the odd torrential downpour! I was in the painting team (check out a couple of the photos below) and had a good time turning a brick wall white so they could come along and cover it in graffiti...
Sobering to realise that for the kids who use the centre, that is their backyard - that is where they get to run around and let off steam. Makes you realise how spoilt we are back in Godzone.
Then in the evening it was our summer party... Fortunately I took many more photos than I featured in! Great night - although I really shouldn't have had the margaritas I had...
Sobering to realise that for the kids who use the centre, that is their backyard - that is where they get to run around and let off steam. Makes you realise how spoilt we are back in Godzone.
Then in the evening it was our summer party... Fortunately I took many more photos than I featured in! Great night - although I really shouldn't have had the margaritas I had...
Hard at work during the rain...
Hard at work during the rain...
Originally uploaded by Megan Shields.
Hard at work painting under the trees during a downpour...
Monday, July 02, 2007
The Hold Steady...
aka as the most "boysiest' band I've been to in a long time...
The Hold Steady get rave reviews when they play here, but it really was a very male oriented audience. I went with Divya and I'd say we were one of the few 'girl couples' there - as opposed to girls who were there with their blokes...
And they were really good - but didn't light my fire as much as I thought they would. Perhaps it was also due to it being a Monday night gig at Shepherd's Bush - never a good time, but I just couldn't love them as much as I knew I was meant to. I'm sure all the boys would disagree with me tho!!
The Hold Steady get rave reviews when they play here, but it really was a very male oriented audience. I went with Divya and I'd say we were one of the few 'girl couples' there - as opposed to girls who were there with their blokes...
And they were really good - but didn't light my fire as much as I thought they would. Perhaps it was also due to it being a Monday night gig at Shepherd's Bush - never a good time, but I just couldn't love them as much as I knew I was meant to. I'm sure all the boys would disagree with me tho!!
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