Bank Holiday Part 1

It really was a bank holiday week of two parts. First half marred by wet weather so we did away days. Second half was fine and sparked a long weekend in Romsey.



The bikes got another airing as we did part of the Family Cycleway in the Forest of Dean. 

got a bit muddy!

but then came refreshments :)

It was also the weekend of the Saul Canal Fest. canal boats and associated hardware of all shapes n sizes:

With a centre piece flotilla of restored lifeboats spanning the 1900's 

And ending with a day trip to Kelmscott Manor the Cotswold retreat of William Morris, his family and his friend and colleague Dante Gabriel Rossetti, the Pre-Raphaelite artist.

Dropping Like Flies

Guruji

BKS Iyengar

Caroline Gooding

Disability rights lawyer and campaigner who helped introduce groundbreaking legislation.

Dickie Attenborough

Actor, Director, Philanthropist

Goodnight Pinkie

Mancunian Way

Just got back from Manchester, a friends 60th, amongst the hightlights were:

Visit to the Manchester Peoples History Museum

Anyone who has ever campaigned
will recognise one of these :)

Well worth a visit if your up there. Great exhibitions, workspaces, cafe et al.

It celebrates some unsung heroes/heroins who fought against the odds to make life that little bit more bearable for working folk.

It was also great to see such a marvellous facility housed in such a wonderful, modern, well equiped and spacious venue

Trouble is, these days, many exhibits from the past I recognise from my youth.

They have an unbelievable collection of banners, many showing great skill, expertise and patience in their making.

Manchesters Chinese Quarter

Sporting an amazing arch it's a concentration of eateries - the biggest problem is choosing which one to eat at! After much indecision Marilyn plumped for The Little Yang Sing which proved a great choice :-p

Goodnight Vietnam

Robin Williams

a prodigious talent

and another one, and another one
bights the dust

Mutual Exchange

First half of this glorious week was spent in Carlisle with Sis revisiting some old haunts, when we could tear ourselves away from the garden :)

After such a dry spell the water at Aira Force was low enough to allow you to sit on the rocks in the middle of the fall and watch the water tumble around you.

Views from Jeans garden

Second half was spent down here between Gloucester, Dewston cave gardens:

and Bristol. After lunch and a walk along Bristol dockside, including the Tai Festival and great childrens water play area:

great bit of street art :)

+ an interlude from Bristol Samba -

then it was off to the Hip for a revival of 'Singin in the Rain:

memorable performances from Stephane Anelli as Cosmo and Vicky Binns as Lina (of the amazing voice) Lamont + 12,000 litres of water on stage (amazingly dried away by the energetic stage hands during the interval !!).

Finishing with lunch n a pint by the river Severn at Awre as we watched the sun go down - doesn't get much better than that :)

Kernow

Just had Rascal down to Cornwall for a long weekend at the wonderful Newperran Holiday Park. The weather was good to us so we toured the locality, taking in, amongst other things -

Blue Reef Newquay:

Poppy Cottage, Veryan:

... with some pretty amazing wildlife:

Life can be a beach :)

Goodnight Vienna

It's been a while, about 40 years actually (you could still park your car at the side of the road), since I passed through Vienna last. Was on a road trip, didn't stop long and didn't leave a lasting impression beyond it being expensive. This time we stayed a week and I certainly changed my mind. The architecture is just stunning in design and volume. Every apartment block being so individual, though our first hotel did stand out a bit ...

Hotel Kopling is part of the Kopling Foundation, an early social reformer and trades union organiser, the hotels are accessible and affordable and somewhat colourful - Marilyn was attending an international conference there.

Mid week we decamped to a more bohemian area and the Austria Trends Hotel in the Favoutienstrasse - can well recommend for friendliness, value for money and room size. Must also mention the integrated transport system of bus/tram/u-bahn et al and the pricing system of one price for one journey in the city - thought Prague was pretty well organised but Vienna outshines :) 

saintly Karl :)

You can tour the city ring by taking the tram #1 to the river Wien, hop off and down to the artificial beach riverside + cheap drinks with the students, then back on tram #2 - knocks the spots off the official city tours ;)















The centre is currently wall to wall Amadeus - love the statue and floral tribute ..








Wonderful parks and grand houses ..

Belvedere:

Schoenbrunn:

Also did an interesting twist on the mirrored 'selfie'

Then it was off in the steps of Orson Wells in search of the Third Man :)

"So what if half a dozen of those small dots
down there stopped moving?"

At the base of the ferris wheel is an exhibition, inside old carriages, of significant periods in the parks development, including:

in its heyday

its destruction in the war

To escape the bustle of the city there are some quiet leafy walks (or cycle/nordic walk/skate - boarding whatever) along the Donauinsel, a long island twix river and canal - also home to the annual Donnauinselfest. 






Also on the bank, in Uno City, is a tall TV tower. Protruding from the top is a platform to which I quiped it would make a great bungee jump. Read the blue banner on the side and, yes, that's exactly what it is!





Vienna had an amazing street market, the Nachtmarkt, two lanes, about quater of a mile long, with food, spices n drinks from all over the world at really descent prices - the colours and smells are just divine. Whilst Vienna is not a leader in veggie food it is getting better and there are some notable eateries. As well as those in the Nachtmarkt, just off and up some steps leading through a passage is Nice Rice to be highly commended for its soup and mango lassi. Yamm has a very different concept, an incredible veggie buffet where you pay by weight of food. Finally within the student area of the inner Museumplatz, opposite the School of Architecture is Corbaci - food to die for - esp spinach dumplings in melted goats cheese sauce and apple strudle spring rolls in a divine custard :-p

The courtyard area was strewn with plastic recliners where singles/couples/foursomes can sit/lounge/lay and chillax.

... but all good things must come to an end, so it was goodnight Vienna - until the next time.

.... and on return the garden had burst into life

and Wimbledon was on :)

Cummon Andy !