"Wandering the face of the Earth Wondering what our dreams might be worth"
Neil Peart 1991
I can't believe the weekend is finally here but as usual these things spring up out of nowhere and surprise you. Tomorrow we will watch Rush perform on the Snakes and Arrows tour at the MEN Arena Manchester. These tickets were booked eons ago and in the meantime the band have been touring constantly since June 13 where it all kicked off in Atlanta Georgia. On Monday following the Manchester gig it's time to take a flight to Amsterdam to follow the three piece across the North Sea to the Netherlands. Basing ourselves in Amsterdam we will take a short break sampling the hospitality of the dutch T.N.M.S members (a forum of Rush supporters) the culture of Amsterdam, the concert in Rotterdam, and of course lovely food and drink.
I spent today going through some photo files from the last trip because as I mentioned previously, I discovered that some restaurant reviews are missing. The first one to be added is for Shulas at the Swan and Dolphin and the link is on the right as usual. Also in the Favourite Links section is a new link to Alain Littayes excellent site. Alain is the Co-Author with DidierGhez of the Disneyland Paris "From sketch to reality" book and a theme park lover since he discovered Walt Disney World in 1975. The site is packed full of behind the scenes information from all the parks but what really caught my eye was his latest DLP entry regarding the opening date for ToT. This has now changed and looks like being Dec 22nd so today has been spent booking flights and hotels to organise this years Christmas break. which will begin on the 24th. Time to get those Dream Annual Passes renewed and more restaurants booked.
I took a look at the blog the other day and thought, where has that restaurant review from Catal gone; where is that video from EPCOT? That's the problem with this blog, every time you add something to the top something has to drop off the bottom into the archive. You could find them eventually if you keep clicking the "older posts" button or know the date and how to use the archive links over there on the right; but it was not an easy procedure.
So I have been housekeeping the blog for a couple of days and made some simple links that take you directly to the reviews and videos. Oddly I found some of the links could not be reached at all as they had a different address so that's been fixed. I also notice that some very recent reviews did not even make it onto the blog at all so I will fix that as soon as I can find the notes for the restaurants.
Over the last couple of days we have been reading reviews and deciding which restaurants are going onto the itinerary this time for the DL California trip and the Vegas Weekend. Catal was a great place to visit, despite being semi jetlagged, when we arrived last time so its the same again for the night we arrive. Jazz Kitchen perhaps in DTD for lunch and music the following day and then a drive out to Park Avenue in Stanton. Not too sure about the following days lunch but its Napa Rose that evening. In Vegas we're not fully decided but the shortlist is; Seablue at MGM, Lawrys, Olives at Bellagio, Emerils at MGM, Rosemarys Restaurant and one of the better restaurants at Wynn (problem is there's a few and they all look good).
Lastly a little teaser for the weekend at Vegas. Can't wait
The weeked we returned from Newquay, Kosheen took to the road again to promote the new album "Damage". This in itself was quite strange as the album was released all over Europe earlier in the year just before the previous tour. However due to frustrating legal reasons they could not release in the UK, though most people just imported a copy anyway. At the end of the last gig, in the smaller Academy 3, Sian announced they would be back in the autumn, so it was a real treat to have them for Academy seconds, this time in the larger hall 2. A longer set list, a much better support band called Rochelle and a stage with more room for the band and Sian to move all added up to an electric atmosphere. As usual a fantastic mix of songs, with more tracks now coming from the new album yet with room for all the classics. The band were as tight and polished as ever despite this being the opening show of the tour, with Sians voice being on top form and the better sound and acoustics of this larger room really helping us to hear Markees guitar playing with a clarity I had not heard on any previous show. Then again we were leaning on the monitors at the front of the stage.
It was a typical Kosheen crowd, excited and energetic giving back nothing but positive signals to the band throughout every song. Sian seems to lap up this energy and be totally inspired by it, always comfortable with her audience. My only criticsm is that after the Kokopelli tour we have lost the sight of Darren playing bass and now have him stuck at the rear of the stage on keyboard duties, which seems to detach him and the crowd from seeing his input into the music.
I'll leave you with the last video Kosheen produced earlier this year and the title track from the new album. Its time to go and start seriously planning the Amsterdam/Rotterdam trips where rock music will mix with culture and where unfortunately we will just miss Kosheen by a few days as they head into the European leg of this tour.
overkill directed by marcus sternberg: shot in argentina & bristol dec 2006
After the Newquay trip we are already missing the sight and smell of the sea. We had planned to do a little walking trip around Malham and the limestone paving, but the primeval urge to see the sea was too strong and we set off in the direction of Lytham St Annes. Our first spot is the dunes opposite the airport at Blackpool where our shoes soon fill with sand as we run down the hills as fast as possible in order to climb the next virgin sand hill. It's absolutely hilarious and good exercise as you seem to take two steps forward and three steps back as you sink up to your knees into the sugar sand. We then drove along the coast to Lytham and walked a little further. Newquay, however, it's not and by the time we got to Lytham the tide was so far out we may as well have been walking on the flats at Malham. In Newquay you know you can always stop in a beach side bar that's as continental, hip and cosmopolitan as anything in the South of France (as long as you avoid the town), here in Lytham a greasy spoon and a cup of weak tea seem to be the only things on offer. Oh well we can't be spoilt every week. Anyway loads to look forward to. Kosheen return to the Academy (Manchester) next week.
Another fine breakfast got us off to a good start today. We treated ourselves yesterday as we passed back through the town to some "Weird Fish" clothing. We want to tackle the headland at the other side of Fistral Beach before we go to lunch at the Windswept Cafe today. It's a little cooler today thanks to quite a strong wind that's blown up overnight, though it's still warm when the sun breaks through. This means it's a surfer's delight on the beach today with some good looking swells and surf starting to build. We have both really loved the hotel, the food (especially the food), the landscape and the walking here and will probably return. We walk all the way out onto this rather empty headland that has a house perched right down at the bottom, it looks occupied though the pool area seems to be in need of repair. It looks a great place for an Agatha Christie mystery.
By the time we have made our way all the way around and back again to Fistral beach its time for lunch at the Windswept Cafe. I go for the Tagine of Lamb which is lovely and tender and Jack has a superb "baked squash with feta cheese and crumble" really delicious. A bottle of Rioja helps the lunchtime drift by and then its time to head off back to meet the taxi at the hotel.
The flight is due to leave at around 4pm so by getting to the airport for 2.30pm we should have plenty of time. On arrival at St Mawgan International airport (tongue in cheek) we discover our plane won't be arriving until "possibly" 8.15pm AAARRRGGGHHH! It appears BMI Baby, a) don't possess a fleet of planes that are in working order and b) don't have a back up plan when a plane develops a fault. Next time I'll fly Air Southwest. We are give £3 each to buy sandwiches from the cafe and that's about it, you would think an airport that only has to handle planes no larger than a 737 would at least have the requisite number of chairs in its terminal; but even this seems to be too much to ask. The rest of the day is spent watching all the air southwest flights leave on time and drinking tea!
Anyway here are some links to all the fantastic parts of this holiday, not including BMI Baby, starting with a link to the gallery as the blog seems to be rather temperamental in allowing the pictures to be clickable and expandable.
Today we're going to make our way to Padstow and visit Rick Stein's Seafood Restaurant for lunch. We want to fit some walking in as well along the Southwest route for a couple of hours and the plan was to bus part way, walk and then rejoin a bus. However as its Sunday the buses only run every two hours from Newquay to Padstow so we'll have to look at an alternative on the way back. We've packed different shoes and Jackie has some leggings for the walk back in the small rucksack so fingers crossed the dress code is not over formal.
Looking across the bay at Padstow
The bus trip is prolonged to say the least, we could have flown home and half way back again in the time it takes to get to Padstow but eventually we arrive one and a half hours after leaving Newquay. Padstow is a small village made up of a lot of touristy shops, some pubs and tea shops and the harbour. The landscape here is very flat compared to the area around Newquay so its much less dramatic views. Across the estuary is the village of Rock which you can reach by ferry and which has the main beaches.
Inside Rick Steins Seafood Restaurant
After a wander around we go to the Seafood Restaurant and are seated in the main room. Jackie has Char- grilled Whole Dover Sole with Sea Salt and Lime (The sole is seasoned with sea salt and cooked un- skinned on a grill. It's served with a light butter and lime sauce.) This is the best fish dish ever Jackie says, the fish is full of flavour and the sauce is just zingy enough to cut through the quite rich tasting Dover Sole.
I have a starter of Salt and Pepper Squid Tempura with Coriander, Chili, Watercress and Beansprouts. This is absolutely divine, I had no idea beansprouts could taste so fresh. Forget the horrible greasy things served up in a Chinese restaurant or stuffed into a bag of pre packed salad, these are alive with freshness. Everything works beautifully together, my mouth is awash with flavours though Jackie declares the serious amounts of fresh chili in it are too much for her more delicate palate.
For main I have Casserole of Brill with Caramelised Shallots, Ham , Garlic and Wild Mushrooms. This is quite a rich almost winter style dish but its so beautiful and intense I just wish it would never end. We wash it all down with a crisp Entre Deux Mers ( a sauvignon from the Bordeaux region, a bin end too- excellent and good value) and finish with some equally divine desserts whose pastry is so thin and crisp the pastry chef deserves a michelin star of his own. Before we leave Jackie makes sure she asks the maitre d' for copies of today's menu (each menu is individually printed for the day)
A quick change into leggings and boots and its time to set off back
After coffees we plan on what to do next. The two hour bus service is a bit of a bore so we get a taxi to Watergate Bay (Where Jamie Oliver has his restaurant) and walk back to the hotel from there. It's quite a walk over some fantastic cliff tops. The only downside is that when we reach Newquay's outskirts we have to cut through the dismal town because the tide is in and we can't cross the beaches to the harbour.
Looking back towards Watergate Bay
The good news is that this long walk allows us to start to work up an appetite again, though its after nine before we venture into the restaurant at the Headland Hotel for dinner. Lobster Thermidor for me and for Jackie, Sea Bass. Then it's a walk around the hotel grounds and the headland stretching away into the blackness of the Atlantic Ocean trying to get some good evening pictures of the hotel.
After a good nights sleep listening to the sea washing against the rocks, a full breakfast in the restaurant sets us up for a mornings walking. We set off down the slope that leads directly down to Fistral Beach. A thick sea fog has descended and its quite eerie, you can only see about 20 or so yardds in front of us yet they are still surfers wandering around (presumably looking for the sea) the lifeguards are patrolling in there vans , calling out that the mist will lift in 30mins or so and not to go in the water until after that time. Halfway along the long beach we come across a group of a dozen or more surfers sat in a circle on the sand practicing with their "surf school" teacher. It's quite an amusing sight, especially as you can hardly see your hand in front of your face, let alone the sea. We finally come to the steps at the end of the beach that lead back up to the cliffs above. Nestled in this corner is a small wooden building on stilts which has a bistro/restaurant on the second floor "The Windswept Cafe" (Wetsuits Welcome), we will be having lunch here on our last day
The Windswept Cafe
We head back in the direction of the town, which in comparism to the harbour and the coastline is a truly depressing example of poor town planning, we quickly depart and climb back down to the beach. The tide is out so are able to walk around the headlands to reach Tolcarne Beach, a lovely expanse of white sands and traditional changing huts. There's a small restaurant and we call in for a drink and watch the sea and soak up some sun. Its hot today, hot enough for the water to be tempting. As it turns out as we walk back the way we came; our destination the New Harbour Restaurant, we have no choice but to take to the sea as the tide is coming and will reach the headlands before we can pass. Shoes removed we paddle around the headlands passing some worrying sites on the way!
Reginald Perrin anyone ?
Dont worry, the owner did return after a quick dip. Out in the sea a Navy Frigate? has appeared this morning and set anchor. It appears to have a team in this weekend's sea rowing races which we can see taking place out in the bay. Today it's the ladies' teams and we can hear the commentary as we walk back through the water nicely cooling down and working up an appetite for lunch. We are going to The New Harbour Restaurant which sits right on the harbour and had been recommended to us by a friend. We had booked in but on arrival appeared to be the only people having lunch so we grabbed a table right in the centre of the terrace on the harbour's edge. I ordered Fruits de Mer and Jackie the Moules Marinere (not technically correct as the mussels came with cream in the sauce, strictly speaking marinere does not contain cream just wine and shallots). My selection was a good plate full of Lobster, Mussels, Crab and a whole Mackerel. Both dishes were very good however I dislike restaurants that seem to make every other item an addition :Salad, Bread, Fries are all extra charges and how are you suppose to eat mussels without bread to dunk? Good wine and we were kept entertained by the ladies rowing and the five resident harbour seals that follow the boats around. Jackie insisted on purely sinful scones with Cornish clotted cream and strawberry jam as a dessert, will have to walk even further tomorrow to get rid of the calories.
I told you we should have set off earlier
We then returned to the Hotel and decided to work of some off those calories by trying the pools. After some time in the outdoor pool swimming and sunning ourselves we moved indoors to try the jacuzi and sauna. Then it was time for a shower and to dress for dinner.
Feeling totally fished out we decide to try the Cornish beef. Fillet Mignon for Jackie in a simple red wine sauce and Sirloin for me which came with a pepper sauce. Though tasty and cooked well I think its best to stick with the fish as I soon became bored with the dish. A steak has to be extra special for me to enjoy, think Shulas at the Swan and Dolphin WDW. A rather fruitless strawberry and rhubarb tart finished Jackies meal but left her wanting. I chose cheese (again) which is not going to do my figure much good but I have no sweet tooth and lots of red wine left.
We spent the morning of departure passing the time reading Kevins latest trip reports from his last trip. I should have known better than to find his departure story so amusing (well he shouldn't write such funny TRs.) Suffice to say we spent the same amount of time as the flight takes to get from Manchester to Newquay just sat on the tarmac at Manchester whilst a variety of people came on board thumbing through manuals the size of the Encyclopedia Britannia whilst sat on the floor outside the cockpit. Eventually the "technical problem" was solved (presumably they turned it off and turned it on again) and we were on our way. A strange flight (50mins)you climb to 28000ft get a drink and then descend, my first landing whilst still clutching a beer that had only been served to me a few minutes previously. Its a beautiful day and the taxi is waiting for us, driving us straight to the Headland Hotel. I forget until I see it just how much I miss the sea, it looks beautiful here. Check in and check out the room which looks directly out along the headland and has views of the sea on either side. I'm not convinced by the latest addition to the Headland Hotels grounds, a group of self catering cottages they have added, designed like a small village they seem to have the design qualities of a small council estate in the bright sunlight, perhaps they will look better in the dark. Unpack and go straight out and walk to the top of the headland, then follow the coastal path back around to the harbour to check out the restaurant we have booked for lunch tomorrow. (Can you see food is on the mind already)
Newquay Harbour
Return to the Hotel for a quick shower and dress for dinner. The Hotel gives a choice of two Dining Rooms , a slightly more formal restaurant or a brasserie. We opt for the first which has splendid views out over Fistral Beach where surfers are still out catching the late evening waves in the setting sun. Food is gorgeous and all produce is locally sourced from the area. Lobster Thermidor for Jackie which is served with scallops just to make sure your Newquay Shellfish experience starts off with a bang. I order scallops on a bed of spinach cooked in saffron butter to start and follow it with two lovely pieces of Turbot in a broth of asparagus, tomato and saffron potatoes. Both dishes are wonderful though I feel I have had a slight saffron overdose (must read the menus more carefully next time). All this is washed down with a crisp Macon Villages and I finish with an excessive amount of Cornish cheese whilst Jackie plumps for the profiteroles.
The Headland Hotel from Fistral Beach
Anyway all thoughts of the slight delay this morning are banished from our heads. Can't wait for the morning.
Quick update. Today we fly down from Manchester to Newquay. It's always been a dream to stay at the Headland Hotel so we will see if it lives up to expectations. Other things to look forward to are some good rambling down the South West coastal path to Padstow (Phew) though lunch at Rick Steins Seafood Restaurant should be ample reward; review to follow. Other recommendations have been the New Harbour Restaurant and The Windswept Cafe which sits on stilts at the other end of Fistral Beach. If your wondering about the picture, this is our faithful herd of cows in the field adjoining the garden which wakes us up every morning during the summer months, they are here this morning as I type and I just liked the picture. Ok we had better get Minky off to his holiday home and make sure I (lol) have finished packing.
Let's face it, there does seem to be a limit in Disneyland California as to how many places it's possible to eat in DLCA or Downtown Disney CA before the "I am an adult, not an alcoholic" raises its head. Why not look at the success they have had with the better eating venues in DLP ( can you imagine a Frenchman or for that matter anyone in any civilised country allowing you to beautiful food and then refusing you the delight of a matching glass of wine)
So based on that lets look at some initial options for the next Californian trip. I'm ruling out the Californian Adventure options, I was unimpressed by the Vineyard last time and it is not a place that entices me back in the winter months to its outdoor inadequately heated terraces. So I want to look further afield this year even though Catal and the Napa Rose are definites.
One restaurant has struck me as worth checking out, nothing certain yet, but I think its very high up on the list. It looks nicely independent, a bit quirky in a pulp fiction sort of way and just a short taxi drive away in Stanton.
The problem with blogs is that they either go wrong, become neglected or simply die under their own weight of information. This blog suffered all three. I'm going to try to update it however.
Whats been happening..
Health wise .. Not that great, things looked promising with the trip to Glasgow but surgery has been ruled out due to the location the surgeon would have to have been entering the brain. Put simply it's too near the hearing and vocal areas to take any risks so its a big no. On the plus side we now know where the problem is so in the future who knows.
Jackie and Markee music/guitars Kosheen
Music wise.. some great concerts over April and May with Kosheen rocking out the Academy Manchester, Marillion going down an absolute storm in Leeds with possibly the concert of the year so far and a fun gig by the Pet Shop Boys at the Apollo. Kosheen and Marillion return to the stage in September and November this year for more.
Holidays, as I mentioned, quite a lot to update including more California, two more trips to WDW Florida and DLP. I will include some fantastic restaurant reports as soon as I can.
The first priority has to be getting the video archives corrected so that they will play properly from this site regardless of what browser you're using. Hopefully the first trial of that will go up today.
Rush MEN Arena on the last tour
Future plans.. Quite a lot really now the house extension is finished.. Quick trip down (by air)to the Headland Hotel in Newquay for some fine food courtesy of Rick Stein (report to follow). Then finally Rush reappear on these shows to hopefully give us a concert to remember, this time however we will be following them over to Amsterdam for the gigs at Rotterdam Arena as well so another nice break there.
Spot of indulgence in November satisfying two of my loves (Disney and all things aviation). A trip back to Disneyland California followed by a stopover for a few more days on the way back in Vegas, timed to coincide with the Nellis AFB 60th anniversary air show http://aviationnation.org/ , can't wait as we've booked a suite at the MGM Signature so I'm not sure we will actually get out of the rooms. http://www.signaturemgmgrand.com/Suites/One-Bedroom.aspx
Currently having a great time with some software and my new scanner that's allowing me to restore my negatives back to their original quality. I noticed recently how all my prints before the advent of digital cameras were starting to get into a shocking condition, fading and rotting away in some cases; and it's slightly defeating the object if I just scan the print, no amount of digital trickery can get rid of the worst of the mess without adding its own layer of noise to the image.
This system allows me to simply feed in the original negatives and create new copies inside the computer. Im doing it at the most basic of resolutions to start with so bear with me, but its already interesting to see how things have changed for better or worse. Spaceship Earth I think looks so much better without the clutter of scaffolding supporting Mickeys arm surrounding it.
So here's the video from yesterday's event in Blackpool. The weather held for us and I think we can agree a great time was had by all. Thanks to Anne for organising again and thanks to all of us for turning up and making it a great occasion.
I have been wanting to use this music for a while because its high octane, making it easy to edit to, so I can get the results out fast. Its quite apt as well as it was quite a mission trying to get the names to the faces, especially for someone with my memory. Anyway I was all set to publish earlier and Jackie has just corrected all my mistakes.
If I have a roll on the floor laughing moment it has to be between Judy clinging on to the steeplechase for dear life and Steve (mapmans) well or ill timed wave (I laugh thinking of that now).
It's so nice to have met you all and we had such a lovely time, again, can't wait to do it all again.
This video has been a long time coming and for various reasons, initially illness has played a part in delaying it but on top of that I have been frustrated at every turn by my rendering and editing software giving me headaches of diabolical proportions.
In fact I think I have a slight idea now why at premieres of films, after the introductions have been made, the directors usually make a quick exit in the dark by a side door. I really hope I dont have to hear Franz Ferdinand again or struggle with this software.. Time for a major system upgrade I think. I can only assume that the amount of material I have thrown now at this particular package is a bit beyond its limits. Or maybe I just pressed the wrong button in my sleep..
