We have decided to make some changes to the rear garden as we were not please with the lawn, or rather expanse of moss and mare’s tail, and we wanted to make it more practical and inviting for entertaining in. So a few weeks ago a friend came over and helped me dig up all of the turf, prune and move a small tree and lay weed suppressing membrane in preparation for covering with shingle and paving stones.
On Wednesday the supplies were delivered by lorry and a pallet load was dropped off at the side of the road. We being in a mid terrace house I had to barrow the load around to the back in a series of increasingly weary journeys.
This weekend was lovely weather so we got out and as I laid the paving slabs the girls started painting the furniture in a wonderful shade of lavender.
The quantity of slate shingle we ordered only covered a third of the garden, so while I went off in my car to pick up another third we arranged for Sue’s mum to pick up the last third in her car (neither of our cars could have coped with a full load).
Returning together I then had another series of journeys with the wheel barrow and I could cover the rest of the space in plum coloured slate that complemented the furniture.
The next day started with more barrow journeys, this time taking the rubbish from the garden to the car, and from there onto the allotment and the dump as required.
After I returned I help the girls finish painting the furniture and we could relax with a drink in the garden – not on the chairs, as they were still wet.
It is looking good, but we still have the fences to paint and the boarder to replant, the deck to reseal, the shed to treat… …so now I go to work for a rest…
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
More of wot I have heard…
Barton Hollow by The Civil Wars
Folk-Country-Americana is one of those categories that seems to be made up for artists that don’t quite fit into the traditional mould or by fans who want to distinguish their newly found favourites from what went before in a ‘look what we found’ sort of way. But this band, or more correctly – duo, do draw on many styles that cross boundaries. They have a pared down sound that draws you into an intimate relationship with the songs in a way that I like – it is an album for people who like to ‘listen’ to the songs.
Folk-Country-Americana is one of those categories that seems to be made up for artists that don’t quite fit into the traditional mould or by fans who want to distinguish their newly found favourites from what went before in a ‘look what we found’ sort of way. But this band, or more correctly – duo, do draw on many styles that cross boundaries. They have a pared down sound that draws you into an intimate relationship with the songs in a way that I like – it is an album for people who like to ‘listen’ to the songs.
More of wot I have read…
The Day Aberystwyth Stood Still by Malcolm Pryce
As to be expected from the title and the dustcover description this is a light and somewhat silly adventure that mixes the pulp fiction of detective stories with sci-fi conspiracy theories and gives them all a flavour of Welsh-ness.
‘In the latest instalment of Malcolm Pryce’s Louie Knight Mysteries, Wales’s answer to Philip Marlowe faces and axe-wielding rabbit-hugger, a green-eyed beauty who answers to the name Miaow, and a case that is out of this world.
It is May in Aberystwyth, and mayoral election campaign – culminating in the traditional boxing match between candidates – is underway. Sospan the ice-cream seller waits in his hut for souls brave enough to try his latest mind-expanding new flavour, and Louis Knight, Aberystwyth’s only Private Detective, receives a visit from a mysterious stranger called Raspiwtin asking him to track down a dead man.
Twenty-five years ago Iestyn Probert was hanged for his part in the notorious raid on the Coliseum cinema, but shortly afterwards he was seen, apparently alaive and well, boarding a bus to Aberaeron. Did he miraculously evade the hangman’s noose? Or could there really be substance to the rumours that he was resuscitated by aliens?
Now, as strange lights are spotted in the sky above Aberystwyth and a farmer claims to have had a close encounter with a lustful extraterrestrial, Iestyn Probert has been sighted once again. But what does Raspiwtin want with him? And why does Louie’s investigation arouse unwelcome interest from a shadowy government body and a dark-suited man in a black 1947 Buick?’
As to be expected from the title and the dustcover description this is a light and somewhat silly adventure that mixes the pulp fiction of detective stories with sci-fi conspiracy theories and gives them all a flavour of Welsh-ness.
‘In the latest instalment of Malcolm Pryce’s Louie Knight Mysteries, Wales’s answer to Philip Marlowe faces and axe-wielding rabbit-hugger, a green-eyed beauty who answers to the name Miaow, and a case that is out of this world.
It is May in Aberystwyth, and mayoral election campaign – culminating in the traditional boxing match between candidates – is underway. Sospan the ice-cream seller waits in his hut for souls brave enough to try his latest mind-expanding new flavour, and Louis Knight, Aberystwyth’s only Private Detective, receives a visit from a mysterious stranger called Raspiwtin asking him to track down a dead man.
Twenty-five years ago Iestyn Probert was hanged for his part in the notorious raid on the Coliseum cinema, but shortly afterwards he was seen, apparently alaive and well, boarding a bus to Aberaeron. Did he miraculously evade the hangman’s noose? Or could there really be substance to the rumours that he was resuscitated by aliens?
Now, as strange lights are spotted in the sky above Aberystwyth and a farmer claims to have had a close encounter with a lustful extraterrestrial, Iestyn Probert has been sighted once again. But what does Raspiwtin want with him? And why does Louie’s investigation arouse unwelcome interest from a shadowy government body and a dark-suited man in a black 1947 Buick?’
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
More of wot I have heard…
As well as the trip to Iceland I got a load of other nice gifts for my birthday. I got a few bottles of wine, chocolate, clothes – including a nice woollen jumper that looked very Icelandic and that I wore constantly for several days in a row. In addition I was given money which I used to buy loads of stuff off my Amazon wish list including books (to be reviewed after reading) and several albums…
The Chronicles of a Bohemian Teenager by Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly
This is an album of intense, angst ridden and occasionally angry sounding music that is full of youthful vigour.
The Glamoury by Emily Portman
This artist has a fragile and haunting voice that perfectly suits the melancholic and typically dark folk songs on this album – ‘Stick, Stock’ is a particular favourite.
Beta Male Fairytales by Ben’s Brother
You might know this band from their quirky song ‘Stuttering’ and if you liked that then you will like the offbeat album of troubled and hopeful songs with the lead singer’s distinctive voice that sounds like it is breaking with emotion.
Middle of Everywhere by Pokey La Farge and The South City Three
This is Old Time American Deep South Roots music in a riverboat soul style, with plenty of banjo, harmonica and even the occasional washboard is real cotton-picking good old fashioned fun. It looks like this band was born out of time.
Field Songs by William Elliott Whitmore
In a gentler folk style, this album harks back to American Roots heritage and this artist’s mature and rugged voice belays his more youthful appearance. Occasionally mournful and introspective many of the songs also have a sense of hope and positivity about them and all have an honesty and authenticity rooting them in middle America.
Making Waves by Megan Henwood
This artist’s star is on the rise with the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk award recently. We saw her at Towersey and were impressed with her effortless and crystal clear voice, singing folk style music with a modern interpretation she expresses personal and powerful lyrics with a gentle yet assured manner. ‘What Elliott Said’ is a particular favourite track of mine.
Sunshine and Other Misfortunes by The Candle Thieves
I heard of this duo second hand when we saw another group at the local folk club and they sang one of their songs, ‘Sharks and Bears’. I was so impressed I went on the web and found them to hear what the original song sounded like. Channelling the spirits of Eels and Sufjan Stevens they have a gentle pop like tunes that are at odds with darker edgy lyrics.
kmvt by ahab
This UK group sings four part harmony on songs that have an Americana / alt-country feel about them on this EP which was created to satisfy the demand of a growing fan base that included supporters such as BBC Radio 2’s ‘Whispering’ Bob Harris.
Kaputt by Destroyer
This Canadian Indie Pop band have been around for ten years now, but I have not heard of them until recently, and then it was a one-off track and I have not heard of them since. However it was good enough for me to go and search them out and try out samples of their album Kaputt, which impressed me enough to buy it. They have a full sounding group that uses brass alongside synth instruments with a slightly retro feel to it.
Volume One by She & Him
As is often the case with my music I came to this duo back to front with their second album first. I was charmed by Zooey’s upbeat sunny voice that acts to a delightful counterpoint to the quirky bittersweet lyrics. I was not aware that Zooey Deschanel was an actress until she cropped up in a few movies and most recently in the sitcom New Girl. M Ward I had heard more of through listing to the Seattle radio station KEXP where he features often on their playlist.
Metals by Feist
Another collection of bittersweet songs brought to life by a haunting angelic voice must say something about my tastes of music at the moment; I also have other work by the Canadian Leslie Feist.
Dermot O’Leary Presents the Saturday Sessions by various artists
Dermot O’Leary is a BBC Radio 2 presenter who has various artists on his Saturday show who perform either their own songs or covers in a cut-down acoustic style with some surprising results (the Ting Tings doing an version of Dub Be Good To Me, or Ellie Goulding’s interpretation of Jolene, and Cerys Matthews brings a tear to the eye with Love Me Tender)..
Netherbow by Saltfishforty
Another act we saw at Towersey where they blew us away with their energy and enthusiasm. It is hard to believe on two people can make that much noise. Part of a Scottish night they represented the far north, hailing as they do from Orkney, needless to say that meant much of their songs were incomprehensible to us southern Sassenachs. Very traditional.
The Chronicles of a Bohemian Teenager by Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly
This is an album of intense, angst ridden and occasionally angry sounding music that is full of youthful vigour.
The Glamoury by Emily Portman
This artist has a fragile and haunting voice that perfectly suits the melancholic and typically dark folk songs on this album – ‘Stick, Stock’ is a particular favourite.
Beta Male Fairytales by Ben’s Brother
You might know this band from their quirky song ‘Stuttering’ and if you liked that then you will like the offbeat album of troubled and hopeful songs with the lead singer’s distinctive voice that sounds like it is breaking with emotion.
Middle of Everywhere by Pokey La Farge and The South City Three
This is Old Time American Deep South Roots music in a riverboat soul style, with plenty of banjo, harmonica and even the occasional washboard is real cotton-picking good old fashioned fun. It looks like this band was born out of time.
Field Songs by William Elliott Whitmore
In a gentler folk style, this album harks back to American Roots heritage and this artist’s mature and rugged voice belays his more youthful appearance. Occasionally mournful and introspective many of the songs also have a sense of hope and positivity about them and all have an honesty and authenticity rooting them in middle America.
Making Waves by Megan Henwood
This artist’s star is on the rise with the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk award recently. We saw her at Towersey and were impressed with her effortless and crystal clear voice, singing folk style music with a modern interpretation she expresses personal and powerful lyrics with a gentle yet assured manner. ‘What Elliott Said’ is a particular favourite track of mine.
Sunshine and Other Misfortunes by The Candle Thieves
I heard of this duo second hand when we saw another group at the local folk club and they sang one of their songs, ‘Sharks and Bears’. I was so impressed I went on the web and found them to hear what the original song sounded like. Channelling the spirits of Eels and Sufjan Stevens they have a gentle pop like tunes that are at odds with darker edgy lyrics.
kmvt by ahab
This UK group sings four part harmony on songs that have an Americana / alt-country feel about them on this EP which was created to satisfy the demand of a growing fan base that included supporters such as BBC Radio 2’s ‘Whispering’ Bob Harris.
Kaputt by Destroyer
This Canadian Indie Pop band have been around for ten years now, but I have not heard of them until recently, and then it was a one-off track and I have not heard of them since. However it was good enough for me to go and search them out and try out samples of their album Kaputt, which impressed me enough to buy it. They have a full sounding group that uses brass alongside synth instruments with a slightly retro feel to it.
Volume One by She & Him
As is often the case with my music I came to this duo back to front with their second album first. I was charmed by Zooey’s upbeat sunny voice that acts to a delightful counterpoint to the quirky bittersweet lyrics. I was not aware that Zooey Deschanel was an actress until she cropped up in a few movies and most recently in the sitcom New Girl. M Ward I had heard more of through listing to the Seattle radio station KEXP where he features often on their playlist.
Metals by Feist
Another collection of bittersweet songs brought to life by a haunting angelic voice must say something about my tastes of music at the moment; I also have other work by the Canadian Leslie Feist.
Dermot O’Leary Presents the Saturday Sessions by various artists
Dermot O’Leary is a BBC Radio 2 presenter who has various artists on his Saturday show who perform either their own songs or covers in a cut-down acoustic style with some surprising results (the Ting Tings doing an version of Dub Be Good To Me, or Ellie Goulding’s interpretation of Jolene, and Cerys Matthews brings a tear to the eye with Love Me Tender)..
Netherbow by Saltfishforty
Another act we saw at Towersey where they blew us away with their energy and enthusiasm. It is hard to believe on two people can make that much noise. Part of a Scottish night they represented the far north, hailing as they do from Orkney, needless to say that meant much of their songs were incomprehensible to us southern Sassenachs. Very traditional.
Oral French…
My experience last year in France on the castle building trip was fun, but it brought home to me how much I was missing by not being able to communicate. I bought a self teach audio course which I have gone through and now I have started a night class. It is quite basic, but then I have so poor a grasp of languages that this is necessary. I feel that it is going slowly but even so with everything else I haven’t really been putting the time into it. Hopefully something will click as I carry on. We are planning to visit France during the summer when my folks come over, and I might get another trip to the castle too, so let’s see how it goes.
In Search of the Northern Lights…
Iceland
For my birthday this year we went for a short break in Iceland (the country, not the frozen food supermarket), where I wanted to track down the Northern Lights.
It had been a dream of mine for some time and when we saw a comedy drama on the television across Christmas where a family went to Northern Scandinavia and one of the characters wanted to see the lights, the dream was triggered again. It was boosted when we talked to some people we know who mentioned they had seen them in Iceland and were bowled over by them, then heard the news that this season was going to be one of the best for a decade due to the increased sun spot activity, all this meant I started to look again in earnest.
We started looking soon after Christmas to see if there was any last minute deals before New Year, there were, but at what a price. It seems the Scandinavia is much more expensive to get to than Iceland, so we looked there and eventually found a deal for my birthday weekend.
A couple of weeks before we went there were reports of the lights being seen in the north of the UK, so strong was the activity, so we were hopeful. Then the weather closed in and a cold snap was forecasted for the UK across that weekend. We checked the reports in Iceland and were surprised to find it warmer there, but also overcast and wet – not good news.
Reykjavik
We flew into Iceland on the late flight on the Friday after work and eventually got to our hotel in Reykjavik in the early hours of Saturday. The hotel was bright and clean and nicely laid out in a minimalist style.
Hotel Klettur - The hotel’s name is derived from the rock that is on the first floor of the hotel and bursts out through the wall. The hotel’s look and interior gets its inspiration from Icelandic nature, especially the Icelandic rocks.
Icelandic folktales are filled with stories about elves that live in rocks around the island. While working on roads and house building, many road builders and workers have had to make drastic changes to their plans because they could not move big rocks that where blocking their way. There is a strong believe that the elves living in the rocks are the cause.
The origin of the elves in Iceland (álfar in Icelandic) goes back to Germanic paganism and mythology. They were originally a race of minor gods associated with nature and fertility.
Elves are usually invisible, but can be seen if they feel like it. They can be helpful and kind to those who do them no harm, and repay favours with favours. On the other hand, they can also be malicious and take revenge if harmed.
On the first floor of Hótel Klettur there is a rock breaking through the wall and even if it is not known for sure, one can imagine that this was done to keep the elves in the rock happy. The rock beside the hotel could also well be an entrance to the home of the elves on the first floor. Therefore the first floor has, in part, a theme connected to the elves.
After the continental breakfast we ventured out into the grey morning which dawned late (they use the same times zone as the UK but are further West, so the day is shifted an hour or more later).
As it did not look like a day to be spent outdoors we bought a tourist card that gave us access to many of the museums, galleries and other attractions and set off in search of culture.
The National Museum was first and it was truly amazing with a great collection of material. The outside of many of the buildings in the city seemed to grey and drab, but the inside of this and many others was a delightful contrast being so bright, airy and colourful. We guess this is a practical consideration due to the weather.
Our next stop was the Settlement Museum where we walked around the foundations of a Viking long house and saw novel interactive displays of life and conditions in the early days.
At the Reykjavik Art Museum we were surprised by the two main exhibitions, the Erro Posters were colourful, anarchic and bizarre but the NO exhibition by Santiago Sierra was quite shocking, his videos of poor, underprivileged people he paid to perform demeaning acts in the name of art included prostitutes and drug addicts paid to have their backs tattooed, dark complexion natives of a South American city paid to have their hair bleached blonde, and in one room, with a caution at the entrance, a series of men paid to be filmed masturbating. An important political / economic message he made, but I am not sure it is art.
The Culture House had interesting displays of early stories and Saga material and the building was interesting, but it was a limited space and one section of the display was only in Icelandic (I guess that was the point of it to protect their culture).
The Hallgrimskirkja Church is a grand affair that dominates the town with its modernist steeple pointing heavenward while paying tribute to the volcanic countryside in its architecture.
The one museum we did give a miss was the Phallological (penis) Museum where one patron even donated his own member (post-mortem) to the exhibition
We returned to the hotel to check with reception as we were booked on the excursion to search for the Northern Lights and despite the overcast skies we were assured that it would be going ahead.
The bus picked us up, along with most of the hotel residents – some of who missed out the previous night as it had been cancelled, and we went off all enthusiastically only to wait for a while at the bus station. Several other busses turned up all full of people and eventually they set off into the dark night. A long time later we arrived at a remote car park next to a blustery seaside and we got out staring at the sky along with the many other busloads of tourists. It wasn’t looking hopeful and we thought it might all be cancelled until we started to see gaps in the scudding clouds where the stars were visible. Eventually a rumour went around and we congregated in one area where people were pointing up at the sky. I set up my tripod and camera and took some test shots.
Now, if you imagined (as we did) that you would see a spectacular show of bright luminous green and red ribbons tracing through the sky you could be forgiven for being a bit disappointed, as it turns out your eyes are, not surprisingly, poor in dim light, and the Northern Lights look more like sinuous clouds snaking to and fro across the darkness all grey but with only a hint of that magical colouring. On the camera with a long exposure the colours are there as vivid and bright as we expected. It is still an amazing experience and one that moved many of the crowd to gasps and cheers for the two half an hour or so events we witnessed that night.
It was another long night and we returned in the early hours, cold and tired to our hotel. Luckily though as we found out that not only was the night before a write-off but it looked like the next night was going the same way. I also found out at my camera club that I go to that another member went to Iceland on the same weekend as us and failed to see them at all.
The next day was a gem, clear blue skies and a contrast to the snowy, wintery conditions that were battering mainland Europe and giving England its first snow of the season. So we walked our socks off, first up to the Perlan that sits on top of a hill and gives a wonderful panoramic view across the city and surrounding land. The Perlan (or Pearl) also hosts the Saga Museum, an interactive waxwork display of early settlement history in a converted water storage tank.
Afterwards we walked down towards the water front passing the unusual shaped Hateigskirkja Church until we got to the Hofdi House where Reagan and Gorbachev held their summit that signalled the end of the cold war. It is a lovely French colonial house, but unfortunately closed that day.
Walking down the coast path towards the Historic Midtown and Harbour we passed the beautiful Sun Voyager boat sculpture and stopped to admire the Harpa Concert Hall (where Kiri te Kanawa was due to play). We walked through the bustling Kolaportid flea market where you can try exotic Icelandic foods or buy cheap(er) clothes and other tat.
We were thinking what to do with the rest of our day when the thought it would be quite nice to go out to the Blue Lagoon, a large artificial salt water lake heated be a nearby geothermal power station, and sit there in the hot water as the sun set. So we scurried over to the Tourist Centre and booked a trip, went back to our hotel and relaxed as we waited for the bus to pick us up. Unfortunately there was a problem and it couldn’t come so we were contacted and offered a different (more expensive) trip that was running later. It was all a bit fraught and I made a snap decision to go. We had to go back down to the Tourist Centre, pay the difference and wait at a different hotel for the new bus. It would mean we wouldn’t get there until after sunset, but hey it could still be fun, we might get back too late to want to go out to eat as we had had two late nights already, but they did have a good restaurant at the Blue Lagoon. Sue was not happy and that upset me too, so when we took the bus and it stopped at the bus station where we had to transfer, the air was getting distinctly colder. At the Blue Lagoon it was pitch black and a cold wind was howling across the water whipping up a small swell and throwing salt spray into our faces. It took a re-boot of our humour and a couple of glasses of (not cheap) wine before we could laugh at our situation. The restaurant was fully booked so we survived on our duty free brandy and chocolate that evening.
Our flight was the next day and we were quite tired out so we relaxed in a nearby café until the bus came to take us to the airport. There we found out the flight the day before was cancelled due to the conditions at Heathrow, so there were people stranded who wanted to get back urgently, also there was a problem with the normal plane and they only had the small one available. The airline was offering a night in a hotel, a meal and financial compensation which sealed the deal and Sue sighed in relief when we stayed over as she really didn’t want to fly in a small plane in the inclement weather outside.
We stayed in Keflavik at the Flughotel and ate in the hotel restaurant, finishing off our brandy and chocolate in our room as well. We even ventured out again along the coast and chanced our arm at looking for the lights, but it was too overcast and the town’s background glow and that from the nearly full moon made it impossible. So we retired for the night and took the early flight back in the morning with no further trouble.
We did not get to enjoy the food in Iceland as apart from the Hotel on the last night (which was only serving a set buffet) the only restaurant we did get to for an evening meal was horribly understaffed with only one harassed girl to serve and one cook at the Potturinn og Pannan (Pot and Pan)
We did however find some great cafes during our day trips out such as the fun and youthful Laundromat where the young and painfully trendy hung out eating burgers and swilling local beer
The Café Loki looked out at the big church and had an authentic selection of Icelandic fair including the scary rotted shark, and the more tempting fish pate on rye bread, however we opted for a beer and a cake there.
At the Stofan Kaffihus we relaxed for a while in the comfy surroundings that looked like someone’s front room. It had a great ambiance and décor and attracted a lovely disparate group of people, the mothers who lunch, guys hunched over their laptops, an old couple having a quiet snack, and us having another beer and a sandwich and a cake.
We did have a good time over all, and even if it did not all go smoothly it was still fun. I do like Iceland a lot and I would seriously consider going back during the summer so that we can get out beyond the city and see some of the striking scenery. We will let you know if we do.
For my birthday this year we went for a short break in Iceland (the country, not the frozen food supermarket), where I wanted to track down the Northern Lights.
It had been a dream of mine for some time and when we saw a comedy drama on the television across Christmas where a family went to Northern Scandinavia and one of the characters wanted to see the lights, the dream was triggered again. It was boosted when we talked to some people we know who mentioned they had seen them in Iceland and were bowled over by them, then heard the news that this season was going to be one of the best for a decade due to the increased sun spot activity, all this meant I started to look again in earnest.
We started looking soon after Christmas to see if there was any last minute deals before New Year, there were, but at what a price. It seems the Scandinavia is much more expensive to get to than Iceland, so we looked there and eventually found a deal for my birthday weekend.
A couple of weeks before we went there were reports of the lights being seen in the north of the UK, so strong was the activity, so we were hopeful. Then the weather closed in and a cold snap was forecasted for the UK across that weekend. We checked the reports in Iceland and were surprised to find it warmer there, but also overcast and wet – not good news.
Reykjavik
We flew into Iceland on the late flight on the Friday after work and eventually got to our hotel in Reykjavik in the early hours of Saturday. The hotel was bright and clean and nicely laid out in a minimalist style.
Hotel Klettur - The hotel’s name is derived from the rock that is on the first floor of the hotel and bursts out through the wall. The hotel’s look and interior gets its inspiration from Icelandic nature, especially the Icelandic rocks.
Icelandic folktales are filled with stories about elves that live in rocks around the island. While working on roads and house building, many road builders and workers have had to make drastic changes to their plans because they could not move big rocks that where blocking their way. There is a strong believe that the elves living in the rocks are the cause.
The origin of the elves in Iceland (álfar in Icelandic) goes back to Germanic paganism and mythology. They were originally a race of minor gods associated with nature and fertility.
Elves are usually invisible, but can be seen if they feel like it. They can be helpful and kind to those who do them no harm, and repay favours with favours. On the other hand, they can also be malicious and take revenge if harmed.
On the first floor of Hótel Klettur there is a rock breaking through the wall and even if it is not known for sure, one can imagine that this was done to keep the elves in the rock happy. The rock beside the hotel could also well be an entrance to the home of the elves on the first floor. Therefore the first floor has, in part, a theme connected to the elves.
After the continental breakfast we ventured out into the grey morning which dawned late (they use the same times zone as the UK but are further West, so the day is shifted an hour or more later).
As it did not look like a day to be spent outdoors we bought a tourist card that gave us access to many of the museums, galleries and other attractions and set off in search of culture.
The National Museum was first and it was truly amazing with a great collection of material. The outside of many of the buildings in the city seemed to grey and drab, but the inside of this and many others was a delightful contrast being so bright, airy and colourful. We guess this is a practical consideration due to the weather.
Our next stop was the Settlement Museum where we walked around the foundations of a Viking long house and saw novel interactive displays of life and conditions in the early days.
At the Reykjavik Art Museum we were surprised by the two main exhibitions, the Erro Posters were colourful, anarchic and bizarre but the NO exhibition by Santiago Sierra was quite shocking, his videos of poor, underprivileged people he paid to perform demeaning acts in the name of art included prostitutes and drug addicts paid to have their backs tattooed, dark complexion natives of a South American city paid to have their hair bleached blonde, and in one room, with a caution at the entrance, a series of men paid to be filmed masturbating. An important political / economic message he made, but I am not sure it is art.
The Culture House had interesting displays of early stories and Saga material and the building was interesting, but it was a limited space and one section of the display was only in Icelandic (I guess that was the point of it to protect their culture).
The Hallgrimskirkja Church is a grand affair that dominates the town with its modernist steeple pointing heavenward while paying tribute to the volcanic countryside in its architecture.
The one museum we did give a miss was the Phallological (penis) Museum where one patron even donated his own member (post-mortem) to the exhibition
We returned to the hotel to check with reception as we were booked on the excursion to search for the Northern Lights and despite the overcast skies we were assured that it would be going ahead.
The bus picked us up, along with most of the hotel residents – some of who missed out the previous night as it had been cancelled, and we went off all enthusiastically only to wait for a while at the bus station. Several other busses turned up all full of people and eventually they set off into the dark night. A long time later we arrived at a remote car park next to a blustery seaside and we got out staring at the sky along with the many other busloads of tourists. It wasn’t looking hopeful and we thought it might all be cancelled until we started to see gaps in the scudding clouds where the stars were visible. Eventually a rumour went around and we congregated in one area where people were pointing up at the sky. I set up my tripod and camera and took some test shots.
Now, if you imagined (as we did) that you would see a spectacular show of bright luminous green and red ribbons tracing through the sky you could be forgiven for being a bit disappointed, as it turns out your eyes are, not surprisingly, poor in dim light, and the Northern Lights look more like sinuous clouds snaking to and fro across the darkness all grey but with only a hint of that magical colouring. On the camera with a long exposure the colours are there as vivid and bright as we expected. It is still an amazing experience and one that moved many of the crowd to gasps and cheers for the two half an hour or so events we witnessed that night.
It was another long night and we returned in the early hours, cold and tired to our hotel. Luckily though as we found out that not only was the night before a write-off but it looked like the next night was going the same way. I also found out at my camera club that I go to that another member went to Iceland on the same weekend as us and failed to see them at all.
The next day was a gem, clear blue skies and a contrast to the snowy, wintery conditions that were battering mainland Europe and giving England its first snow of the season. So we walked our socks off, first up to the Perlan that sits on top of a hill and gives a wonderful panoramic view across the city and surrounding land. The Perlan (or Pearl) also hosts the Saga Museum, an interactive waxwork display of early settlement history in a converted water storage tank.
Afterwards we walked down towards the water front passing the unusual shaped Hateigskirkja Church until we got to the Hofdi House where Reagan and Gorbachev held their summit that signalled the end of the cold war. It is a lovely French colonial house, but unfortunately closed that day.
Walking down the coast path towards the Historic Midtown and Harbour we passed the beautiful Sun Voyager boat sculpture and stopped to admire the Harpa Concert Hall (where Kiri te Kanawa was due to play). We walked through the bustling Kolaportid flea market where you can try exotic Icelandic foods or buy cheap(er) clothes and other tat.
We were thinking what to do with the rest of our day when the thought it would be quite nice to go out to the Blue Lagoon, a large artificial salt water lake heated be a nearby geothermal power station, and sit there in the hot water as the sun set. So we scurried over to the Tourist Centre and booked a trip, went back to our hotel and relaxed as we waited for the bus to pick us up. Unfortunately there was a problem and it couldn’t come so we were contacted and offered a different (more expensive) trip that was running later. It was all a bit fraught and I made a snap decision to go. We had to go back down to the Tourist Centre, pay the difference and wait at a different hotel for the new bus. It would mean we wouldn’t get there until after sunset, but hey it could still be fun, we might get back too late to want to go out to eat as we had had two late nights already, but they did have a good restaurant at the Blue Lagoon. Sue was not happy and that upset me too, so when we took the bus and it stopped at the bus station where we had to transfer, the air was getting distinctly colder. At the Blue Lagoon it was pitch black and a cold wind was howling across the water whipping up a small swell and throwing salt spray into our faces. It took a re-boot of our humour and a couple of glasses of (not cheap) wine before we could laugh at our situation. The restaurant was fully booked so we survived on our duty free brandy and chocolate that evening.
Our flight was the next day and we were quite tired out so we relaxed in a nearby café until the bus came to take us to the airport. There we found out the flight the day before was cancelled due to the conditions at Heathrow, so there were people stranded who wanted to get back urgently, also there was a problem with the normal plane and they only had the small one available. The airline was offering a night in a hotel, a meal and financial compensation which sealed the deal and Sue sighed in relief when we stayed over as she really didn’t want to fly in a small plane in the inclement weather outside.
We stayed in Keflavik at the Flughotel and ate in the hotel restaurant, finishing off our brandy and chocolate in our room as well. We even ventured out again along the coast and chanced our arm at looking for the lights, but it was too overcast and the town’s background glow and that from the nearly full moon made it impossible. So we retired for the night and took the early flight back in the morning with no further trouble.
We did not get to enjoy the food in Iceland as apart from the Hotel on the last night (which was only serving a set buffet) the only restaurant we did get to for an evening meal was horribly understaffed with only one harassed girl to serve and one cook at the Potturinn og Pannan (Pot and Pan)
We did however find some great cafes during our day trips out such as the fun and youthful Laundromat where the young and painfully trendy hung out eating burgers and swilling local beer
The Café Loki looked out at the big church and had an authentic selection of Icelandic fair including the scary rotted shark, and the more tempting fish pate on rye bread, however we opted for a beer and a cake there.
At the Stofan Kaffihus we relaxed for a while in the comfy surroundings that looked like someone’s front room. It had a great ambiance and décor and attracted a lovely disparate group of people, the mothers who lunch, guys hunched over their laptops, an old couple having a quiet snack, and us having another beer and a sandwich and a cake.
We did have a good time over all, and even if it did not all go smoothly it was still fun. I do like Iceland a lot and I would seriously consider going back during the summer so that we can get out beyond the city and see some of the striking scenery. We will let you know if we do.
More of wot I have read…
Boneshaker by Cherie Priest
This was a gift from friends who share an interest in the steam-punk genre. It has a cute premise and makes references to period details without detracting from what is a simple adventure yarn. There is nothing to complicated going on here and to rolls along at a good clip, however I wasn’t totally engaged throughout and I thought it could do with more. This writer has released some more books which carry on the theme and they may add more to the interesting world she has created. It seems that this story is to be soon made into a film by Hammer, so that might be fun.
‘In the early days of the Civil War, rumours of gold in the frozen Klondike brought hordes of newcomers to the Pacific Northwest. Anxious to compete, Russian prospectors commissioned inventor Leviticus Blue to create a great machine that could mine through Alaska’s ice. Thus was Dr. Blue’s Incredible Bone-Shaking Drill Engine born.
But on its first test run the Boneshaker went terribly awry, destroying several blocks of downtown Seattle and unearthing a subterranean vein of blight gas that turned anyone who breathed it into the living dead.
Now it is sixteen years later, and a wall has been built to enclose the devastated and toxic city. Just beyond it lives Blue’s widow, Briar Wilkes. Life is hard with a ruined reputation and a teenage boy to support, but she and Ezekiel are managing. Until Ezekiel undertakes a secret crusade to rewrite history.
His quest will take him under the wall and into a city teeming with ravenous undead, air pirates, criminal overloards, and heavily armed refugees. And only Briar can bring him out alive.’
The Court of the Air by Stephen Hunt
Another gift from the same friends who gave me Boneshaker, this though takes place in an alternative world that bears more than a passing resemblance to Victorian Britain. There are many subtle and many obvious satirical jabs at our world as it was then and is now. There is a lot going on in this story and it is very full and occasionally confusing, but the pace is kept up and the story trips along quite well. This is another author who has gone on to add to the world he has created.
‘When streetwise Molly Templer witnesses a brutal murder at the brothel she has recently been apprenticed to, her first instinct is to scurry back to the poorhouse where she grew up. But there she finds her fellow orphans butchered, and it slowly dawns on her that she was the real target of the attack.
Oliver Brooks has led a sheltered existence in the backwater home of his merchant uncle. But when he is framed for his only relative’s murder he is forced to flee for his life, accompanied by an agent of the mysterious Court of the Air.
Molly and Oliver each carry secrets in their blood – secrets that will either get them killed or save the world from an ancient terror. Thrown into the company of outlaws, thieves and spies as they flee their ruthless enemies, the two orphans are also aided by indomitable friends in this endlessly inventive tale full of drama, intrigue and adventure.’
This was a gift from friends who share an interest in the steam-punk genre. It has a cute premise and makes references to period details without detracting from what is a simple adventure yarn. There is nothing to complicated going on here and to rolls along at a good clip, however I wasn’t totally engaged throughout and I thought it could do with more. This writer has released some more books which carry on the theme and they may add more to the interesting world she has created. It seems that this story is to be soon made into a film by Hammer, so that might be fun.
‘In the early days of the Civil War, rumours of gold in the frozen Klondike brought hordes of newcomers to the Pacific Northwest. Anxious to compete, Russian prospectors commissioned inventor Leviticus Blue to create a great machine that could mine through Alaska’s ice. Thus was Dr. Blue’s Incredible Bone-Shaking Drill Engine born.
But on its first test run the Boneshaker went terribly awry, destroying several blocks of downtown Seattle and unearthing a subterranean vein of blight gas that turned anyone who breathed it into the living dead.
Now it is sixteen years later, and a wall has been built to enclose the devastated and toxic city. Just beyond it lives Blue’s widow, Briar Wilkes. Life is hard with a ruined reputation and a teenage boy to support, but she and Ezekiel are managing. Until Ezekiel undertakes a secret crusade to rewrite history.
His quest will take him under the wall and into a city teeming with ravenous undead, air pirates, criminal overloards, and heavily armed refugees. And only Briar can bring him out alive.’
The Court of the Air by Stephen Hunt
Another gift from the same friends who gave me Boneshaker, this though takes place in an alternative world that bears more than a passing resemblance to Victorian Britain. There are many subtle and many obvious satirical jabs at our world as it was then and is now. There is a lot going on in this story and it is very full and occasionally confusing, but the pace is kept up and the story trips along quite well. This is another author who has gone on to add to the world he has created.
‘When streetwise Molly Templer witnesses a brutal murder at the brothel she has recently been apprenticed to, her first instinct is to scurry back to the poorhouse where she grew up. But there she finds her fellow orphans butchered, and it slowly dawns on her that she was the real target of the attack.
Oliver Brooks has led a sheltered existence in the backwater home of his merchant uncle. But when he is framed for his only relative’s murder he is forced to flee for his life, accompanied by an agent of the mysterious Court of the Air.
Molly and Oliver each carry secrets in their blood – secrets that will either get them killed or save the world from an ancient terror. Thrown into the company of outlaws, thieves and spies as they flee their ruthless enemies, the two orphans are also aided by indomitable friends in this endlessly inventive tale full of drama, intrigue and adventure.’
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Probably the best Christmas album ever...
For the last few years it has been a ritual of ours to put on Christmas music as we decorate the tree and house and the XFM charity album It's a Cool Cool Christmas is the one that gets the most airplay at our place. It is an alternative album with a mixture of traditional and original tracks all versions of which I doubt you would have heard before, and certainly won't hear playing in the shops continuously.
Highlights for me are Grandaddy singing 'Alan Parsons in a Winter Wonderland', Eels 'Everything's Gonna Be Cool This Christmas' with the immotal line 'Baby Jesus... ...born to Rock!'. Belle & Sebastian's version of 'O Come, O Come Emmanuel' is sublime, The Flaming Lips pretenting to be Tom Waits in 'White Christmas' is great fun.
All in all it is a very uplifting and enjoyable album... ...probably the best Christmas Album ever - tell me what you think is the best?
Highlights for me are Grandaddy singing 'Alan Parsons in a Winter Wonderland', Eels 'Everything's Gonna Be Cool This Christmas' with the immotal line 'Baby Jesus... ...born to Rock!'. Belle & Sebastian's version of 'O Come, O Come Emmanuel' is sublime, The Flaming Lips pretenting to be Tom Waits in 'White Christmas' is great fun.
All in all it is a very uplifting and enjoyable album... ...probably the best Christmas Album ever - tell me what you think is the best?
Thursday, December 15, 2011
A Christmas Sing-A-Long…
We went up to my uncle’s place where he and a few neighbours have an annual carolling evening. Many musically minded members of the Aldbury Morris turn up and join the classically trained cellist and violinist from next door and we all provide lusty voices to traditional Christmas carols with throats lubricated with liquid beverages before enjoying a pot-luck meal and catching up with everyone.
It is a most enjoyable affair and imbues us with plenty of Christmas spirit, setting us up nicely for the coming festivities.
More of wot I have read…
Breathless by Dean Koontz
A few miles away, Camillia Rivers, a local veterinarian, begins to unravel the threads of a puzzle that will bring all the forces of a government in peril to her door.
At a nearby farm, long-estranged identical twins come together to begin a descent into darkness… In Las Vegas, a specialist in chaos theory probes the boundaries of the unknowable… On a Seattle golf course, two men make matter-of-fact arrangements for murder… Along a highway by the sea, a vagrant scarred by the past begins a trek toward his destiny…’
Tuesday, December 06, 2011
More of wot I have seen…
James Bell of The Reverenzas was at the Dorking Folk Club, on his own as his band mates could not make it due to illness. It was an opportunity for him to throw himself fully into his music, and boy he did that with abandon. He is a high energy performer with a rare talent and a charismatic personality. His rendition of Wuthering Heights was a blast.
More of wot I have read…
Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger
This is a strangely disturbing book where the symbolism of the twins looms large making you question identity, family bonds, individuality, love, desire, compulsion and life and death. I found it a quite captivating, if periodically uncomfortable, read that makes you question elements of human passion.
‘Dearest E,
I told you I would let you know – so here it is – goodbye. I try to imagine what it would feel like if it was you – but it’s impossible to conjure the world without you, even though we’ve been apart so long. I didn’t leave you anything. You got to live my life. That’s enough. Instead I’m experimenting – I’ve left the whole lot to the twins. I hope they’ll enjoy it. Don’t worry, it will be okay. Say goodbye to Jack for me. Love, despite everything, E.
Julia and Valentina Poole are normal American teenagers – normal, at least, for identical ‘mirror’ twins who have no interest in college or jobs or possibly anything outside their cosy suburban home. But everything changes when they receive notice that an aunt whom they didn’t know existed has died and left them her flat in an apartment block overlooking Highgate Cemetery in London. They feel that at last their own lives can begin… …but have no idea that they have been summoned into a tangle of fraying lives, from the obsessive-compulsive crossword setter who lives above them to their aunt’s mysterious and elusive lover who lives below them, and even to their aunt herself, who never got over her estrangement from the twins’ mother – and who can’t even seem to quite leave her flat…’
This is a strangely disturbing book where the symbolism of the twins looms large making you question identity, family bonds, individuality, love, desire, compulsion and life and death. I found it a quite captivating, if periodically uncomfortable, read that makes you question elements of human passion.
‘Dearest E,
I told you I would let you know – so here it is – goodbye. I try to imagine what it would feel like if it was you – but it’s impossible to conjure the world without you, even though we’ve been apart so long. I didn’t leave you anything. You got to live my life. That’s enough. Instead I’m experimenting – I’ve left the whole lot to the twins. I hope they’ll enjoy it. Don’t worry, it will be okay. Say goodbye to Jack for me. Love, despite everything, E.
Julia and Valentina Poole are normal American teenagers – normal, at least, for identical ‘mirror’ twins who have no interest in college or jobs or possibly anything outside their cosy suburban home. But everything changes when they receive notice that an aunt whom they didn’t know existed has died and left them her flat in an apartment block overlooking Highgate Cemetery in London. They feel that at last their own lives can begin… …but have no idea that they have been summoned into a tangle of fraying lives, from the obsessive-compulsive crossword setter who lives above them to their aunt’s mysterious and elusive lover who lives below them, and even to their aunt herself, who never got over her estrangement from the twins’ mother – and who can’t even seem to quite leave her flat…’
A Cotswold Treat…
Good friends of ours treated us to a holiday in the picturesque Cotswold village of Broadway in the grand Lygon Arms hotel that has a long and interesting history. At this time of year the town is gearing up for Christmas and has a nice picture postcard atmosphere about it as we strolled about the street enjoying the festive sights and sounds.
Needless to say we also enjoyed our time together over a series of mouth-watering meals washed down by liberal liquid refreshments.
We had an outing to Stratford-upon-Avon and walked around the streets busy with tourists eager to absorb some of the Shakespearean culture.
On our way home we stopped off at the imposing and stately Blenheim Palace to see how the other half live in ostentatious gilt and silken grandeur.
Needless to say we also enjoyed our time together over a series of mouth-watering meals washed down by liberal liquid refreshments.
We had an outing to Stratford-upon-Avon and walked around the streets busy with tourists eager to absorb some of the Shakespearean culture.
On our way home we stopped off at the imposing and stately Blenheim Palace to see how the other half live in ostentatious gilt and silken grandeur.
More of wot I have heard…
Get on with it Live by Chumbawamba
A live album recorded during their 2006 UK tour with many songs that they performed during the concert we saw in Shoreham-by-Sea.
Joy to the World by Pink Martini
A seasonal holiday inspired album with artist and songs from around the world in different languages with interpretations on this period of the year that are grounded in different cultures and backgrounds. It is a musically interesting and exciting album of many parts.
Laura Marling free CD from the Observer
A nice freebie collection of tracks from this accomplished folk artist.
A live album recorded during their 2006 UK tour with many songs that they performed during the concert we saw in Shoreham-by-Sea.
Joy to the World by Pink Martini
A seasonal holiday inspired album with artist and songs from around the world in different languages with interpretations on this period of the year that are grounded in different cultures and backgrounds. It is a musically interesting and exciting album of many parts.
Laura Marling free CD from the Observer
A nice freebie collection of tracks from this accomplished folk artist.
More of wot I have seen…
We went to see Chumbawamba perform at the intimate Ropertackle Arts Centre in Shoreham-by-Sea.
We had dinner before at the charming Chambers Bistro before going along to the small venue where we mingled with an eclectic mix of people who had come to watch this talented and amusingly entertaining band perform their songs that have strong political messages and pointed lyrics. The band is part of a folk collective called No Masters.
We had dinner before at the charming Chambers Bistro before going along to the small venue where we mingled with an eclectic mix of people who had come to watch this talented and amusingly entertaining band perform their songs that have strong political messages and pointed lyrics. The band is part of a folk collective called No Masters.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
More of wot I have seen…
This last weekend we saw Adrian Edmondson & the Bad Shepherds at the Union Chapel supported by Samantha Crain and Wreckless Eric.
The Bad Shepherds thing is to take punk songs, and songs of that period, and set them to folk music (Nouvelles Vagues do a similar thing but set to café/lounge music). The fiddler and pipe player were absolutely awesome talents and Adrian is no slouch on the mandolin either.
The first warm up act was a young woman from Oklahoma, Sam Crain, who played guitar and sang lovely songs. Wreckless Eric, though, was not our cup of tea – a little too punk and rough and ready.
The venue was fabulous, a great looking church in a square layout with an amazing ceiling. The only agrivation was that it was out in Islington/Highbury which meant that we had to drive through the West End to get home and even at that time of night it was heaving adding time and stress to the journey.
The Bad Shepherds thing is to take punk songs, and songs of that period, and set them to folk music (Nouvelles Vagues do a similar thing but set to café/lounge music). The fiddler and pipe player were absolutely awesome talents and Adrian is no slouch on the mandolin either.
The first warm up act was a young woman from Oklahoma, Sam Crain, who played guitar and sang lovely songs. Wreckless Eric, though, was not our cup of tea – a little too punk and rough and ready.
The venue was fabulous, a great looking church in a square layout with an amazing ceiling. The only agrivation was that it was out in Islington/Highbury which meant that we had to drive through the West End to get home and even at that time of night it was heaving adding time and stress to the journey.
Do you remember when…?
We went to the occasional reunion of a company Sue and I first met. GP Elliott was a small engineering company that was later swallowed up by a bigger one and moved from South Wimbledon to Essex. It had one of the best working atmospheres of any I have worked at with a superb social scene that resulted in many couples getting together and people staying friends all this time, even after 15 years since it moved on.
It was at a pub that was the old local, and seems not to have changed in the intervening time. Much of the night was spent reminiscing and trying to recall names of past employees and listening to rumours and stories of where they all are now.
It was at a pub that was the old local, and seems not to have changed in the intervening time. Much of the night was spent reminiscing and trying to recall names of past employees and listening to rumours and stories of where they all are now.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
More of wot I have read…
Chasing the Dime by Michael Connelly
I have read a couple of other books by this author with a detective called Harry Bosch in them. This has a different protagonist but is a similar gritty style to it. What is surprising is that in the short time since it was released (2002) just how old fashioned it seems now as technology moves ever onward.
‘Henry Pierce has just moved in to a new apartment but the first time he checks his phone messages he discovers that someone had the number before him. The messages are for a woman named Lilly – and she is in some kind of serious trouble.
Pierce is inexorably drawn into Lilly’s world, a night-time world of escort services, websites, sex and secret identities. Every step Pierce takes leads him to abandon his own orderly life in a frantic race to save the life of a woman he has never met, as he is faced with a decision that could cost him everything.’
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