Potfest

Working through Bloggers Block.

2010-07-14T16:12:00.000-07:00

Too much has happened this past month - it all came together in a rush, and there didn't seem time enough between events to blog it properly. So in the Cox way I just kept putting it off, and now of course I've forgotten most of it. So here goes the very edited highlights.
The Potfest trip to Hohr-Grenzhausen was wonderful - the car was packed up to the gunnels and we sailed out on the Hull ferry to Rotterdam at sunset, and met up on board with Hannah McAndrew and the Geordie boys, Andrew and Michael from Northumbrian Craft Pottery - in the bar of course - and the tone was set for the trip.

The drive next day from Rotterdam to Hohr-Grenzhausen went smoothly, and we arranged a rendezvous and coffee en route with Pollie and Garry Uttley from Derbyshire, all arriving in H. G. by early afternoon. We met up with Tim Huckstepp and Clare Wakefield, who had done the Dover/ Calais route from Kent, at the magnificent Westerwald Ceramics Museum in Hohr-Grenzhausen. This town has it all - set in beautiful rolling countryside it has 2 ceramics colleges, a world class ceramics museum and gallery space, it's the home of New Ceramics magazine and has small workshops, large disused ceramics factory spaces, alongside all the normal facilities of a small town - bars, restaurants, supermarkets, shops - and lots of really friendly potters who live and work here - it's quite simply pottery heaven.

Inside the Westerwald Ceramics Museum

Hannah obligingly giving some scale to this wonderful textural piece.

As the Potfest potters were representing the UK as guest country at the potters market, the town put us all up for the duration of our stay and looked after us really well. I'm just including a few images of our time here and being really cheeky by putting a link in to Hannah's blog as she has written much better than I could hope to do about the whole trip.

The plan was to throw an English tea party as well as exhibiting our work in the market, so Thursday morning saw us all hard at work in one of the old factory units just off the main square

Geoff and Andrew making good use of the loading bay

Hannah poised for slip-trailing action

Tim plating up and making like a waiter ..... and by the morning of the market the table was ready, set...go!

Part of our finished table - much admired and appreciated over the weekend.

After all the hard work came the rewards

Andrew perfecting his "best behaviour "drinking skills - note the posh little finger.

David, Hannah and Clare in pensive mood with a selection of aperitifs before the potters meal on Saturday night ...... so much choice, so little time .....

...and by Sunday night when we'd survived two swelteringly hot days, a thunderstorm, re-packed the cars and vans, we were entertained royally yet again by our hosts. Many thanks to all in H.G. - you gave us a simply wonderful time.

Potfest Scotland comes to Stirling

2010-06-01T17:30:00.000-07:00

The new Potfest venue of the mart at Stirling seems to have been a great success. The old mart at Perth had reached the end of its life and was due for demolition – so a transfer to the new building at Stirling was necessary. Set in the rural outskirts of Stirling, with a backdrop of the Scottish hills it feels like we’ve landed in cattle mart heaven

light, bright, clean, wi-fi, restaurant and deli on site

- this is definitely the way forward! Previous customers from the Perth area travelled down to see us and new customers from the Stirling area were in evidence too. I think it should soon build back to what it was in Perth. This was our first proper show of the year and it was good to see lots of old friends again, and some new faces, emerging from potter winter isolation.

Catching up:

2010-06-01T17:15:00.000-07:00

Writing this from the wifi hotspot that is Scottish Potfest in the cattle mart at Sterling – good to know the Scottish cows are computer savvy!
The week between my last walk in Wales and the Scottish Potfest have been non-stop potting . I’m in crisis management mode as the Potfest trip to the ceramic market at Hohr- Grenzhausen, and Earth & Fire at Rufford are looming and the week lying on a beach in Crete that is imminent now seems a trip too far. Perhaps I could concoct a virtual display to put on my stand at Rufford, and just take orders.
Some of the pots out of the electric kiln and this weeks soda firing:

Best laid plans ....

2010-05-20T07:20:00.000-07:00

The weather has changed for the worse and takers for a ten mile walk along the coast in heavy rain and gusty wind are non-existent. I have a lie in, and a pub lunch for 17 at the Ship Inn down on the beach front at Tresaith seems to be today's preferred option all round.

By late afternoon the weather has cleared up and we descend onto the beach for paddling, crabbing, rock-climbing and photo-shoots. The waterfall that cascades down onto the beach was impressive with this morning's rainfall - if somewhat muddy looking

I think the week has been a great success - mostly good weather, beautiful walks, excellent company, good in-house catering ( have put on 4lbs in spite of the exercise ) all washed down with 47 bottles of wine ( we didn't count the beer, cider and spirits ). Hope to return to carry on with the coast path south of Cardigan into Pembrokeshire. Thanks everyone.

Cheers!

Thursday - Mrs Overall & St Dogmael

2010-05-20T06:36:00.000-07:00

Didn't really plan on a proper walk today as I thought Geoff and I could just reconnoitre some beaches and coves along tomorrow's proposed route between Cardigan and Newport - but we started the day, excitingly enough, in the nearby Army surplus store in Sarnau. Geoff is here modelling my new workshop overalls bought for the princely sum of £5. I now seem to be an employee of S&F Motors Ltd and my name is Chris Emery according to my labels. Shame you didn't leave me a crab sandwich, or some loose change in the pockets Chris.

We drove on past Cardigan along some really narrow lanes to the coast at Moylgrove

Just a short walk around the headland were huge cliffs, a sea stack and caves and the path wending its way along the cliff tops towards Newport looked a really good prospect for tomorrow' walk.

On the way back to Tresaith we called in at St Dogmael's just outside Cardigan and spent a couple of hours in the village there looking around the ruined abbey, the churchyard and the visitor's centre

I'm still seeking inspiration for my Potfest competition piece for " Shrines, altars and markers" this year at the shows and the old graveyard there threw up some interesting ideas.

We finished the day doing some rock-climbing on the beach at Tresaith with Ben

Wednesday - Best walk of the week - 9.5 miles

2010-05-19T14:17:00.000-07:00

Today's plan was an early start - Geoff would drive us and drop us off in Newquay - and hopefully we would walk back along the coastal path to Llangrannog, where as many of us as possible would meet up for a late lunch. It was another beautiful sunny day, and I was joined by Jan and Sammi from California and Peter, my London cousin's husband. Geoff is hobbling around with a swollen knee, and is now only good for chauffeur and ice-cream buying duties.

We left Newquay, climbing the hill up above the fish factory - fast - to get away from the fishy odour much beloved by the thousands of seagulls who were milling around there hopefully - further along the coast out in the bay we spotted four dolphins, dutifully ticked off in my Chief I-Spy book of things Christine needs to see on her holidays - which just leaves me missing the hardest thing to spot this week - fresh crab sandwiches.

Dropping down to Cwmtydu cove about 4 miles into the walk I saw our car in the car park - Geoff had been sculpting in the car while he waited to see us pass by. I don't really know of anyone else who takes 2 rolls of chicken wire and wire snips on holiday with them.

The cliff top scenery was superb on this stretch

and the path had been specially constructed impressively half way down the cliffs.

Llangrannog and lunch were just around the next headland

On Llangrannog beach cousin Cathy was waving - it's quite hard to spot her amongst the holidaymakers - and if I hadn't had to change out of my walking boots into my comfier trainers eight miles into the walk we would have made it in time for lunch at 1-30.

As it was we were 5 minutes late and they'd started on the fish and chips without us - family - huh!

Running, skiving and bouncing

2010-05-18T14:39:00.000-07:00

There wasn't much enthusiasm for a whole day's walk today - too many tired legs after yesterday's exertions - with the exception of Marathon Man of course. Mike ran to Newquay, twelve miles up the coast, and we drove there to pick him up at 11am to meet up for coffee with some of the others in Aberaeron six miles further on.

Low tide at Newquay

Mike looked remarkably fresh as he ran down to the harbour to meet us, but was mortified to see he'd taken 2 minutes longer than on Sunday - nothing to do with all the food and booze consumed of course. Next stop was Aberaeron for coffee and a wander round the very pretty town with its many coloured Georgian houses.

Drove home for a late lunch followed by a short stroll along the coastal path to Aberporth

and back to the house just in time for the afternoon trampolining session

Not tempted to join in !

Bryn Berwyn and the Ceredigion coastal path

2010-05-17T15:03:00.000-07:00

If it's May this must be my Welsh walking week. I'm not half way through the year yet and I'm suffering from walk lag - staggering around not altogether sure where I am - a bit like jet-lag but without the volcanic ash. In truth this week was booked as an extended family holiday with my cousins from around the globe as a repeat of one we did two years ago, staying in the same house on the mid Wales coast at Tresaith, just north of Cardigan. This year there are 3 cousins, assorted spouses, children and grand-children - 17 of us in all - so lots of walking companions for the week.

Our home for the week - Bryn Berwyn

The beach at Tresaith.

Sunday : A walk from the house to Llangrannog further up the coast and back ( approx 8 miles )

A lovely sunny day - with only the Californian contingent feeling the cold!

Impressive coastal scenery on the way there and quiet country lanes on the way back

The first of the week's many ice-creams as we valiantly try and work our way through all the flavours

Monday : A 20 minute drive to our nearest town of Cardigan to do a bit of shopping, search out some internet connections, then a walk back along the coast to Tresaith ( 11 miles)

Favourite shop of the week - Yum Yum sweetie shop. Jars and Jars and Jars to die for. Sweetie heaven

Sunny again, but with a cold wind. The walk followed the estuary and Poppit sands out of Cardigan but then took us inland for a long way before rejoining the coast at Mwnt Bay

Johnny gained a friend who walked with us as far as Mwnt.

Cousin Mike from Palo Alto, California - this was just a stroll in the park for him - he's an ultra-marathon man and is in training for his next 100 mile run in a few weeks time.

This will probably be our only sighting of marine life this week - one more than was spotted on the whole coastline of the Isle of Man. We were due to meet up with some of the others in Aberporth mid afternoon, but the cold wind had put paid to paddling and sand-castles and by the time we got there the beach was deserted and even more tragically - the pub was shut. Geoff was spotted on a bench like a solitary Dylan Thomas figure and together we walked back the last mile and a half to the house.

Earl Thomas and the Kings of Rhythm

2010-05-02T16:39:00.000-07:00

I have just had the most wonderful evening out - at the unlikely venue of Penrith's Leisure centre, one-time scene of my dismal attempts at badminton, bowling, swimming and aerobics - but tonight transformed into a pumping music venue featuring the San Diego genius of Earl Thomas and the Kings of Rhythm.

For tonight only we had our own Otis and Ike - blues, rock, soul and funk - a world class act in Penrith, sandwiched between gigs at The Sage, the BBC, one of only 8 venues in the UK, and I was lucky enough to be there. Many thanks boys - you made an old lady very happy - and congratulations to Eden Arts - how are you going to top that one!

More info @ http://www.earlthomasmusic.com/

Rant of the Day - Medicine for the soul

2010-04-21T02:18:00.000-07:00

Cumbria Institute of the Arts has a long history in Carlisle which began with the establishment of a ‘Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts’ in October 1822 with the purpose of encouraging young artists. Over the intervening years it has metamorphosed many times - The Academy of Arts in 1823 - The Carlisle School of Art in 1854, and in 1950 it was renamed as the Carlisle College of Art that in turn became Cumbria College of Art and Design, then Cumbria Institute of the Arts. The Institute was the only specialist institute of the arts in the North-West of England and one of only a small number of such institutions in the country. It's present reincarnation is as part of the University of Cumbria.

Over my 20 + years in Cumbria I have studied there on various courses, been an artist practioner on a AA2A placement, taken part as a "stakeholder" in various consultations, bought supplies at the art shop, used its printing facilities, attended performances and diploma shows, met and mentored students through my involvement with Potfest and had numerous drinks and lunches in its canteen - but my over-riding passion for the place was for its wonderful arts library. As an inspirational place to further new directions it was second to none. I'd start with the bare bones of an idea maybe seeded by browsing the contemporary craft magazines from around the globe, then research it through the sculpture shelves, the ceramics section, take it up through the textile magazines, develop it through browsing the just published section - a whole delight of artistic exploration was there to be delved into. Sadly no longer.........apparently over summer it was closed down and all its contents moved - no staff or student consultation - to another campus in the centre of Carlisle

"The suggestion proposed that an expansion of accommodation for practitioner courses should take place at Brampton Road, in the space which was previously occupied by the library. A relocation of the library to close proximity to other learning facilities was deemed to be the best solution, given all the circumstances.
Because of the urgency in securing agreement from senior management colleagues and implementing decisions and arranging to have the necessary work carried out before students return this month it has been necessary for senior managers to make executive decisions in relation to the library
Library stock from Brampton Road has now been moved to Fusehill Street and the reserve store at Milbourne Street. The most popular 20% of stock used by faculty students is available in the new Arts library at Fusehill Street and will be available to students on a seven days a week basis. The reserve stock at Milbourne Street is available for browsing on four days each week and arrangements are in place for fast ordering and delivery to an LISS pick-up location for reserve stock.

Charles Mitchell, Dean of the Faculty of the Arts, said: "We realise the importance of having a good library which is accessible for all our students. By relocating the Brampton Road library to the centre of Carlisle, we believe the student experience will be enhanced. "

Believe all you want Charles - but deep down you should be ashamed, very ashamed of presiding over the dismantling of one of the best inspirational art collections in the north-west.
"The true university these days is a collection of books." - Thomas Carlyle

"Make thy books thy companions. Let thy cases and shelves be thy pleasure grounds and gardens." - Judah ibn-Tibbon (12th century)

"It is, however, not to the museum, or the lecture-room, or the drawing-school, but to the library, that we must go for the completion of our humanity. It is books that bear from age to age the intellectual wealth of the world. "- Owen Meredith, English poet and statesman, 1831-91

"Medicine for the soul." - - Inscription over the door of the Library at Thebes

"Drinking up 20% of your medicine probably isn't as effective as having access to 100% of it" - Christine Cox

The Way of the Gull - Day 7 - Laxey to Douglas - 9.5 miles

2010-04-16T12:54:00.000-07:00

The weather feels like it's due for a change, we're on main roads for a fair distance today, and the most populated part of the island looms - we fortify ourselves with gargantuan Full English breakfasts and by 9-15 we are ready to face our final stage.

Word of the Day - "gull-esterol" - the ingesting of excessive amounts of full english breakfasts to fuel ramblage. After said breakfast, the dietary cholesterol is absorbed from the intestine and stored in the liver where it is pickled in the alcohol resident there and rendered safe.

Flower tub in Laxey

We leave Laxey by the main road as the tide is full in and the alternative route is impassable. We pass by Garwick Bay, and Baldrine, up over Clay Head ( should definitely have got a picture of that signpost ) and into the Ballannette Conservation Wetlands area

We took a slight detour further on to visit the Old Kirk Lonan - the church by the shore - dedicated to St Onan, or Adamnan, an Irish saint who was the Abbot of Iona in 679. The walls date back to the 12th century but the site is a lot older ( dating back to the 5th century ) - wonderfully tranquil.

After another road section we then take a track down to Port Groudle where Brian wanted to show us Seal Rocks - the site of a derelict Victorian extravaganza where tourists were transported in to see sealions, polar bears and bear cubs ( reputedly fed on freshly baked bread and treacle )

I'm not normally a fan of walking on railway lines but Brian assured us that, now restored, it's only operational on Wednesday evenings and weekends.

The sea-lions pool

A walkway was constructed over the chasm ( now long gone ) which gave access to the polar bear cave

( far right behind the concrete wall ) - I think we nearly saw a polar bear - but maybe it was just a

gull-impse of something else. While we're on the subject of animals I have to mention that I was promised basking sharks and Manx cats - neither of which have materialised. After the excitement of animal husbandry, Victorian style, we dropped down into the bay, only then to have to flog up the other side towards the main road again. The path wandered back to the cliff top just before Onchan and once more we were level with the gulls as they swooped and dived around us, as we made our way slightly precariously past the ends of people's gardens perched on the cliff edge. Rounding the corner at Onchan, the whole of Douglas Bay opened up in front of us and we were welcomed in by the Manx equivalent of the Hollywood sign :

Liz and Douglas

After the best cup of coffee all week we left Geoff and Brian to catch the tram back to Laxey and retrieve the cars and Liz and I set off to walk round the bay.

To demonstrate we'd gone full circle I felt the need to go right back up to our start point, and at the far end of town I asked directions from a passer-by as the best way back up to Marine Drive:

"Across the bridge and up the steps" she said ....

"...but it's a long walk "

That kept me smiling all the way back up there

Many thanks to my April walking companions: Brian, for his car logistic expertise, his maps and his GPS, to Liz for finding and booking us 2 really good B& B's ( Rowany Cottier at Port Erin, and the Heathers at Ramsey ) and for my long suffering husband - whose hips and knees will probably never be the same again.

The Way of the Gull - Day 6 - Ramsey to Laxey - 13 miles

2010-04-16T07:32:00.000-07:00

..." an interesting mix of cliff and glen, meadow and lane ...the walking is rocky in places and demands care. The footpath makes and descends 1200 ft. in 3 visits to sea level from the coastal plateau. The gradients are so easy that they mostly pass unnoticed.." - my italics!

We started from the Queen's Pier in Ramsey -

one dilapidated structure in the midst of another 4!
A good coastal footpath contoured the hillside out of the town and on up to Maughold Head

The view from the top

Brian up on his plinth
The path then dropped down to Maughold village where, in the churchyard, there is an important collection of ancient stones - 44 pieces, crosses and slabs dating from the 6-12th centuries - and these we duly perused.

The next section was mainly on lanes for some time until we desended into the deep valley of Glen Cornaa - always looking out for the unmanned railway crossings of the Manx electric railway. Although the carriages with leather seats and tassels look quaint, and the open-sided wooden slat seats carriages look like something you'd find in the wilds of Bolivia transporting bowler-hatted women taking chickens to market, if you don't keep your wits about you, no doubt you'll be mown down mercilessly. Luckily you can hear one coming as they rattle rather a lot.

The beach at the end of the glen, Port Cornaa, was a timely snack stop before continuing along the road for the next section towards Dhoon Glen. The main advantage of the Manx electric railway is that it has small stations along the route and some of them have cafes. After struggling up a long hill, on finding this one open it seemed churlish not to offer them our trade.

Word of the day : gull-uttony - the incessant devouring of cakes at every conceivable opportunity.

Replete we staggered down the rest of the road into Laxey, with it's small interesting harbour and long sandy beach

We were just in time to catch the last tram back to Ramsey - a bone-rattling good ride .....if slightly cold ( as we'd opted for the tourist trap of the Bolivian carriages )

The Way of the Gull - Day 5 - Jurby Head to Ramsey - 15 miles

2010-04-15T11:22:00.000-07:00

We started the day by a sewage station inland fron Jurby head. It was an omen. The tide was in and we were up on the soft sand and shingle. It was a case of head down and just stumble along. I passed the time on by seeing what I could find of interest on the high water mark. How sad am I?

After about an hour we could cut off inland and follow a track behind the dunes through the Cronk y Bing Nature Reserve - which leads us nicely into :
The Book of the Day - "Gull-ible's Travels" - never believe what you read in the guide books
(the scale in the land of Brobdingnag is approx 12:1, judging from Gulliver estimating a man's step being 10 yards )

........" Here begins the Cronk y Bing Nature Resrve and it is possible to leave the sand and walk on a grassy shelf. Jump the stream at the outlet of the Lhen Trench, a man made drainage channel..."

Sorry - what was that again?...Jump the stream?
Am I missing something here? - my pole-vaulting stick maybe. This trench was over a foot deep, over ten feet wide and travelling at about 30 knots with a temperature of minus 25.

Actually the day did improve once our feet had thawed out. A short beach section then gave way to a wonderful heathland walk at the back of the dunes - just like walking on a luxurious carpet after the pebbly beach

and soon the Point of Ayre lighthouse came into view

After lunch, Twix on the rocks, we walked on a rough track at the back of the beach for a short while
before reverting to the beach.
We think this is the remnants of part of an old pier - or part of Gullible's bed.

As the tide retreated, the going got easier as we ventured further down the beach

The weary plod homewards - Ramsey is just visible in the background

Where we've come from today. The lighthouse is way back beyond the far headland,

and our start point was at least 20 Brobdingnag jumps back from that

Wonderful sunset in Ramsey harbour, unfortunately not much appreciated at the time as we were staggering round the streets on a Sunday night looking for somewhere that was open and would feed us.... the Chinese meal was delicious.

The Way of the Gull - Day 4 - Peel to Jurby Head - 14 miles

2010-04-15T09:38:00.000-07:00

Liz and I were deposited in Peel to shop for kippers to post home, as some judicious car shuffling was going on today. Geoff and Brian duly joined us for coffee on Peel promenade and today's walk commenced at around 10-30am.

The rock has changed here from slate to red sandstone and the cliffs look very different

- but today according to the guide book we are mainly following a disused railway track slightly inland.

2 examples of strange things spotted at the side of the track :

The track finishes short of Kirk Michael and the path goes down onto the beach for a short section - quite heavy going over the pebbles, but easier further along as the tide was out and the sand was firmer there. A seal bobbed alongside us for most of the way.

Just before Kirkmichael we regained the old railway track, followed it through the village then dropped back onto the coast further along

Although flat, the beach stretches are some of the most tiring to walk - tomorrow's long beach section is starting to worry us as the tide will be in, driving us up onto the shingle areas.

This probably won't be the only wreck on the beach tomorrow

The Way of the Gull - Day 3 - Port Erin to Peel - 14.5 miles

2010-04-15T07:29:00.000-07:00

The guidebook said of today :"A mountain section over the Carnanes, with 3 summits - Bradda Hill, Lhiattee ny Beinee and Cronk ny Arrey Laa, each one higher, wilder and more remote than its predecessor. The western side of each hill plunges in sheer cliffs to the sea giving views to which I cannot do justice"

Word of the day : stru-gull - the inability to breathe and move your limbs in a cohesive fashion whilst whimpering and crawling at a snail's pace in upland geography.

We started, in a masochistic sort of a way in preparation for the day's walk by ascending the spiral staircase to get to the top of Milner Tower, on the edge of Port Erin bay - probably a mistake as it gave us a panoramic view of the mountains we had to get over today.

Open pastures, wild moorland, and then the mist started to sweep in

Sometimes I think these sculptors can get a bit too precious about cairns

But at least that's the first peak ticked off

The good thing about the mist was that you couldn't see how big the next one was - the descent was quite steep

right back down to sea level at Fleshwick Bay, then steeply back up the other side gasping to the summit of Lhiattee ny Beinee, where on a good day you can see the Lancashire hills to the east, the Irish mountains to the west and the Welsh mountains to the south. We could barely make out each other as we set off for the third peak - no energy left for cairn building amongst the remnants of the packed lunch when we got there

Geoff and Brian on the third summit - it's all downhill from now, with promise of a cafe at the bottom in Niarbyl Bay

The weather improved as we descended towards Peel, and the promised view of the Mountains of Mourne in Ireland materialised.

But best laid plans and all that - the day ended in tragedy as we took a wrong path and missed our afternoon tea stop in the Bay, but I gamely managed a smile for the camera just before the final descent into Peel. Our starting point this morning is behind the hill next to my right shoulder. It felt like a really long way today!

The very welcome sight of Peel harbour

and its castle ...and our car.......

The Way of the Gull - Day 2 - Castletown to Port Erin - 13.3 miles

2010-04-14T09:39:00.000-07:00

Overcast, misty and coolish as we drove to Castletown

to carry on where we'd left off yesterday. After leaving the town behind us we followed the path at sea level past a water-filled disused limestone quarry, with large lime kilns on the rocks, unusual rock formations:

and onto the Scarlett Point Nature Reserve. As we were passing a notice that said Radio Ham tower, a face popped up over the wall and we were invited inside to view the surroundings. Ronnie has taken over maintenance of the tower and was currently up a ladder doing some DIY weather-proofing when he heard us passing.The tower is his radio base and has 2 webcams on the top giving panoramas of this part of the coast http://www.scarlettpoint.com/

Ronnie up in the tower.
The weather improved as we skirted the low level coast and walked into Port St Mary with its Victorian raised walkway above the beach

The day just got better and better as we discovered a great cafe for lunch, next to the art-framing shop and this gave us today's :

Word of the Day ( verb ) - to " oooooooooo-gull " - to gaze longingly and droolingly at the array of cakes contained within, knowing that you still have another 7 miles to go and can't possibly indulge without really regretting it later on.

After lunch we wandered on into the National Trust area of Public Ramblage beyond Port St Mary - the area of the Chasms - great rifts in the earth caused by severe earth movements, and the Sugarloaf - the island's finest sea stack.

Bay Stacka with the Sugarloaf

Gazing into the abyss

A beautiful cliff-top path led us to the Sound - the turbulent water channel between the main island and the Calf of Man, it's smaller offspring. Brian was the first to spot the seal colony languishing on the rocks over there

and they probably spotted us in the Sound cafe eating scones ( as we now didn't have too far to go and so could indulge )

Bradda Head and the Milner Tower came into view next, meaning we were almost home to Port Erin

As usual the evenings were spent investigating transport issues

The Way of the Gull - Day 1 - Douglas to Castletown - 15.75 miles

2010-04-14T08:20:00.000-07:00

Word of the day ( verb ) - to "Goo-Gull" - to wade through lots of brown stuff in order to find what you're looking for.

Bright sunny day, full English to start, then a drive to Douglas dropping a car at Castletown, and we were off:

Our start point was the gateway to the Marine Drive - in the guidebook ... " the impressive facade is merely a hollow memorial to man's grand intentions to run a tramway" - hope our walk has a better outcome.

Wonderful coastal views, remote bays and coves, wheeling gulls, and down into Port Soderick with its cave of rare spiders ( featured on Channel 4 apparently)

Geoff emerging from said cave - hopefully spiders still intact.
Beautiful Port Soderick Glen, with its stream and picnic places, country lanes, bridle paths, narrow coastal paths - today had it all, travelling through magnificent scenery, skylarks, birdsong, Santon Head clifftops

- then we hit the mud and the day started to go downhill. A combination of last week's heavy rain and a farmer probably dischuffed with a footpath on his land didn't turn out to be a good combination .....

and where cows had gone to lead the way - we had to try and follow - up over our boot-tops.

The day further spiralled as our path suddenly finished in a large fence surrounding the now enlarged Ronaldsway airport. This came as a salutary lesson to always read the whole day's route through first, rather than on a need to know basis, as there was a note at the end saying this part of the footpath was now closed due to extremely, extremely low flying aircraft. The mile and a half detour on the main road at the end of a hot tiring day seemed a little harsh.

Walking "The Way of the Gull" - but hopefully not as flat-footed

2010-04-14T04:52:00.000-07:00

A chance winter browsing through the walking section in Penrith library alerted me to the Raad Ny Foillan
( Manx for The Way of the Gull ) - a 95 mile footpath around the coastline of the Isle of Man. Although born and bred in Lancashire, to my shame I have never set foot on the island off it's coast - so this is now to be remedied. Geoff is coming on this walk, as is my cousin Liz and her husband Brian, who has been delegated logistics - shuffling 2 cars so we have one at the start and end of each day's walking.

Tuesday April 6th : Set off from home mid-morning to catch the early afternoon ferry from Heysham near Morecambe, calling in on route for coffee at Nigel Edmondson's, and to leave him boxes of Potfest fliers to distribute at the Harrogate Craft trade fair. By the time the ferry left port the weather had deteriorated, it was very windy, raining, there was quite a heavy swell, and for the next 4 hours we needed sea-legs as well as walking legs.

Uninspiring first view of Douglas harbour - through the rain.

Our base for the first 4 days is to be at Port Erin on the south-west coast - where we'll meet up with Liz and Brian - they came over on an earlier Sea-Cat and have been wandering the cold bleak streets of Douglas for the past 2 hours. By the time we were driving through the Manx countryside though the rain had cleared and it was all looking good. There wasn't much time to see Port Erin as we were straight into the B& B, then out for dinner as everywhere seems to close before eight.

Back down to earth - there's a workshop to scrub up

2010-04-14T03:37:00.000-07:00

After unpacking, filling the washing machine, and regaling the nearest and dearest with tales of intrepid adventures, it's down to earth with a bang as it's only 2 days till our Easter Open studio. Geoff had made a valiant start but hadn't dare venture into my tip.

Actually this is my workshop area when I'd had 2 days on it - a great improvement!
We find that having an open event is a great incentive to get the place tidied up, sort out old stock, and re-organise the gallery area - and we managed all of that - just. The weather was fairly cool over the weekend, but quite a few braved it, some did some rakuing, bought some pots, talked the talk, and we gave out some Potfest fliers - so result - a good time was had by all.

Tidy display area.

On Monday evening we wistfully gazed at our clean workshop space,

( just dying to get in there and mess it all up again ) closed the door on it for a week as it was time for April's walk.

Last Day in Petra / homeward bound

2010-04-04T08:04:00.000-07:00

It was still dark when the alarm went off at 5-45am. We had packing to do as our room has to be vacated after breakfast.

We plan to leave all our stuff in the luggage room here, have a full day in Petra, return and shower and tidy ourselves up by late afternoon in the hotel's pool complex, have a leisurely dinner, catch up on some blogging, then our driver is booked for 10pm tonight to get us to Amman airport for our 3-30am flight back to the UK, via Istanbul. This is only possible as we are the only 2 people on this tour. Usually we would have had to leave for Amman after breakfast for other people to catch earlier flights - thus depriving us of our extra treasured day in Petra. In contrast to yesterday's downpours, the day dawns sunny and warm and by 8-45 we are in a taxi heading for the site. We had a leisurely walk down the Siq, still just as magical the second time around.

We headed upwards to see the High Place of Sacrifice before the temperature got too hot

and en route we became acquainted with 2 ladies currently working in Switzerland who were afraid of heights - they coped remarkably well - as did Pollie!

near the top of the High Place.

We then retraced our steps down, and went past the Theatre

then on to the Royal Tombs - where Pollie was nearly sick as a tourist did a handstand right on the cliff edge in front of the Palace Tomb ( probably seeking his moment of fame in the style of "where's Matt" - on You Tube ) This being our last day we were in the market for a bit of retail therapy, looking for gifts for our nearest and dearest, and the Arab bazaar is never far way, even in the ruins of Petra. This stall is in the doorway of the Palace Tomb:

but our heart and our money went out to the 32 year old widowed mother of 10, who entertained us royally with cups of tea and good humour while we succumbed to her jewellery.

As she's on the lookout for a husband I've sent her Matt's photo !

After a quick lunch of sweets and water we set out up the 800 steps leading up to the Monastery,

Our first view of the impressive Monastery, high up on the plateau above the main site.

It's breathtaking! People were pointing up at the top of the building - at the very moment we had arrived a young man had scaled the edifice and was standing right on the top of it :

We watched with our hearts in our mouths as he jumped from column to column

Wondering if it was a daily event staged for the tourists we were proved wrong as, on his descent, he seemed embarassed at the clapping and adulation he'd earned and quickly took his place with his group of friends just behind us

It seemed we were getting treat piled upon treat - what are the odds of being in that place just as he demonstrated his joie de vivre in that unique way? We were definitely on a high. A short stroll above the Monastery took us

to see the view over the edge.

Pollie decided this was near enough to the edge - but the view was spectacular :

After the exhilaration of the really high parts of Petra we slowly made our way back down in the heat of late afternoon, had a last visit to the museum shop, and then reluctantly started to make our way out.

Pollie went native on me and decided to ride from the Siq entrance back towards town -

I worked on the premise that 4 legs are good, but my own 2 are a lot more manageable - they've stood me in good stead for this wonderful trip and hopefully they'll see me through the rest of this walking year.

* I would like to thank On the Go Tours and Petra Moon agency for the professionalism of the organisation of this memorable trip - Eid, our walking guide, for his patience in answering our endless questions, and in getting us safely to our destination ...and of course Pollie, whose marvellous company made the whole trip

unforgettable.

2010-04-03T03:13:00.000-07:00

Saturday : We wake to a grey, drizzly, cold morning – Lake District weather has caught up with us. Unfortunately we wake rather later than planned due to an alarm-setters malfunction and I have to rush down to reception to reschedule our driver and today’s guide to Petra. Once that’s done we get wet again going to graze the gargantuan buffet, and get even wetter going back to our room to repack the daysacks. Perhaps a four star could run to an umberella for every room. By 9-30 we were safely delivered into the hands of Joseph, our own tour guide to the site of Petra - and so began, courtesy of Petra’s own Jack-the-lad with cousins in every stall on site, our magical tour of the rose-red city.

As visual artists we both find it difficult to assimilate lots of historical data, we'd much rather take things slowly and just look – we carefully explained this to Joseph who quite understood, agreed that that was the way to go – then told us it all anyway, at breakneck speed, with the occasional dig to the arm to make sure we were still with him, followed by an Americanised “ you got that?” to make sure it had all sunk in. Judicious dodging of the larger tour groups meant we got some good relatively empty pics of that magical walk down the Siq to the Treasury.

We couldn’t stop the ear to ear grinning as we finally realised we were actually there in Petra. The morning passed very quickly as we were whisked past the major sites along the route – Siq, Treasury, Street of Facades, Theatre, Museum, etc – knowing that we had a full day there by ourselves tomorrow to do it more at our own pace.

By early afternoon the weather had really closed in, and now on our own we decided to leave the High Place, and the Monastery till tomorrow as the clouds were too low to have seen anything from up there anyway. At three-ish, thoroughly drenched, cold and tired we started to make our way back through the Siq – only to be met by a torrent of water rushing down from the town.

The Dunkirk spirit emerged as tourists battled the elements and sloshed their way back up through the worst floods for sixteen years.

The underfloor heating was put to very good use when we finally got back to our hotel, and by next morning most things had dried out enough to put back on.

Last day's walk into Petra

2010-03-31T15:37:00.000-07:00

Friday - We wake at 6 am listening for Haroun driving away to Petra to pick up our entry passes - as today is the day we finally walk in. However by the time we're up, washed, dressed and packed ready for the day Haroun still seems to be comatose in his bedding by the vehicle. Khalif has prepared our breakfast and our packed lunches by the time Haroun surfaces and drives off to the visitor centre. Jordanian clocks went forward by an hour last night, so we put the lie -in down to mismanagement rather than too late a night round the camp fire.

View from our tent
Just around the rocks from us is a large Bedouin encampment and although we saw donkeys and goats there yesterday, this morning they have been joined by a herd of camels.

We were just leaving the camp at 8-15 when Haroun returned with our Petra passes, and then we were off! The walk to Little Petra took around an hour - past irrigated fields growing barley,

past the first obelisk carvings,

the new water treatment plant serving the major industry that is Petra, and the town of Wadi Musa with all its hotels. The sight of mass tourism with the coaches, tour groups, cafes and bazaars at Little Petra was unnerving after our time in a virtually uninhabited landscape with minimal human contact.

A few hundred yards before the entrance to the Siq at Little Petra was this large expanse of open ground - ideal parking and camping space for the large caravans of traders and their camels who frequented the trade routes managed by the Nabateans.

Walking into Little Petra

After an hour at Little Petra we left the tour groups behind as we continued our walk to the main site past the remains of Beilah - a village settlement dating back to the ninth & tenth centuries BC, which was excavated in the 1960's by British archaeologist Crystal Bennett.

Reconstructions of some of the village houses.
From there we followed a good sandy track on to a plateau at the back of the main Petra site - and after a lunch stop at the top of the valley ..........

we were ready for the final march in!

Our first view of the huge scale of the whole Petra central site

Hot, dusty and tired but after 5 day's trekking, we'd made it.

Eid gave us a short tour of the central area, we had a quick look into the museum on site, then it was time to part company as he was due to meet up with his next tour group in Amman later on tonight. He saw us safely to our hotel just out above Wadi Musa town, then left us eager for the next day's walk with a guide in through the "front" door of Petra - down the world famous Siq to the Treasury building - as yet unseen by us.

It seems a little ungrateful at this juncture to mention that we have had a hotel upgrade, but wish we hadn’t. Originally we should have been in a 3 star down in the town of Wadi Musa, close by the entrance to Petra, but we are now checking in to our 4 star, beautifully reconstructed stone village resort of the Beit Zaman – it is situated about 8 kms out of town, and once there we feel somewhat isolated – there go the evening strolls around the bazaars and the café culture. After a decidely cool, un-4 star -like soak in the bath for aching bones we negotiated our way from our stone village house to the restaurant area - it is now cold and drizzling – not ideal weather for wandering round a large site hunter-gathering for your dinner. We have our latest night out for days and make it past the 8-30pm benchmark.

2010-03-30T15:43:00.000-07:00

Thursday - the alarm goes off at 5am and it's barely light. By 5-30 we're up, packed and ready for breakfast. There are swathes of mist drifting below us in the valleys and it's still quite cold.

Quick hint for campers : when sleeping on a sloping hillside perilously close to the edge of a massive drop - it's not a good idea to just pop your rolled up sleeping bag outside the tent door while you attend to putting your boots on. Luckily Pollie stopped the inevitable and I now look forward to another warm snuggly night rather than a miserable cold one wrapped in a towel. After feasting on omelettes we were walking out of camp by 6-30am. We passed by another Bedouin camp as we headed down into the valley bottom way below. Very pleasant walking as it's still cool due to the mist, even as we struggle up the far side of this massive valley.

Our tents are somewhere way back up in the mist as we reach the dry wadi in the valley bottom - and slowly climb up to the escarpment at the other side of the valley. Pollie is not too happy on the top as the path follows the edge of the cliff very closely and it's quite a way down. We follow the escarpment for miles, seeing 5 eagles and 2 goat-herders along the way - one is playing a pipe and we hear the music very faintly carrying on the wind - the other herder we see on some rocks across the valley and we hear him bellowing at some misdemeanour by the goats.

Further along the route, although still quite some distance from Petra ,we start to see traces of the Nabatean civilisation - here an original piece of stone terracing probably dating back nine thousand years. All over this plateau are settlements, terracing, shards, flints,and fragments from the Nabatean culture.

The tents are pitched at the foot of these rocks on the flat plain in front. We reach them at about 2-15pm - it's been a long hard day. Over tea Eid expresses his concern at our route via the Monastery into Petra as there is an awkward section he feels might unnerve Pollie as it is very exposed above a drop. Luckily I have with me my book of walks in Jordan and we plan another route in from Little Petra and Beidah down through one of the 3 valleys avoiding the awkward section. A Plan B is usually viable! We've come this far together to fail at the last hurdle, and we plan to walk up to the Monastery area on one of our other days in Petra.

The campsite was in a wonderful setting, backed by a high canyon and I wandered around taking photos for an hour before dinner.

2010-03-29T15:50:00.000-07:00

Wednesday: We woke at 6am - yesterday's breeze has disappeared and even so early in the day it is very, very hot. Eid is concerned that the first 2 hours of todays walk, steeply uphill on very rough, stony ground might jeopardize our ability to do tomorrow's really long walk. He strongly recommends that we take the 4WD to Mansourah and carry on today's walk from there. Although I am desperate to walk all the way into Petra I am mindful of the scorn I heap on visitors to the Lake District who take no heed of weather conditions and advice, and risk their own safety and that of those who have to rescue them. We break down camp and load up into the 4WD.

After being dropped off in Mansourah - a mere 15 minutes by 4WD, we gain some new friends who walk with us some way.

We climb steadily for about an hour to reach a gently undulating path overlooking ancient copper mining sites. The temperature is in the top 80's and still rising.

The rest of today's path is gently undulating - a wide unsurfaced 4WD track made for the archaeologists who frequent this area - a repository of ancient civilizations. Saw hardly a soul again when we were up high in the mountains, just an occasional goat-herder, and a couple of Bedouin tents

We reach our destination by early afternoon - but Eid has received some bad news by phone - the weather is forecast to change and heavy rain is expected. If this happens we may have to move camp as the 4WD would not be able to negotiate the earth tracks if they were turned to mud. It could also jeopardize our next 2 days walking as we will be going through canyons liable to flooding. Fingers crossed the good weather holds out! Just before dinner Eid tells us about a natural spring higher up the valley and we treat ourselves to a wash and new hairdo.

Our wonderfully remote campsite - perched on top of the escarpment

In bed by 7 again as tomorrow is one of our longest walks.

2010-03-27T12:22:00.000-07:00

Tuesday : It was very windy in the night and the patio furniture trundled around outside clanking all night. Pollie slept through it all. Did I have a good night's sleep - I tried my best! It was still very breezy and cloudy in the morning but after a hearty breakfast we set out warily at 9-15 en route for our first camping night. However next door to the hotel was the Wadi Dana shop stocking locally produced items for our perusal. We stocked up on essential items ( 2 necklaces ) and finally left Dana village at 10-15.

Our route took us up above the village and over a shoulder to the next valley, through a Mediterranean - type landscape. As this is spring and there has been a little rain all the spring flowers are out, but in a miniature version of their british counterparts. We travelled through many landscapes today - and by mid morning the temperature was in the 80's - there was some slow difficult walking down a high sandstone slope, through a stony, sandy wadi where we had our packed lunch, traversing a dusty clay slope which brought us up over a ridge where an immense landscape opened up in front of us - sandy ridges leading down to wadis.

The only people we saw all day were three shepherds out with the goats and sheep -

when we'd passed by the last lone shepherd we heard the strains of pipe music carried up to us on the wind. We finally spotted our campsite at 4-15 and the pace picked back up and we rolled in to be greeted by cups of hot, sweet Bedouin tea. Our tents had mattresses and our main rucksacs and sleeping bags had been transported for us, but trying to get ourselves organised for tomorrow's walking, recovering from today's hike ( 18 kms - 6 hours ) and dressing for dinner meant one of the three had to give. Luckily by the time Haroun and Khalif had prepared dinner it was dark and we ate a wonderful meal by camp firelight and moonlight.

Knackered we were tucked up in our tents by 7pm - I've not been to bed that early since I was 9.

2010-03-26T11:51:00.000-07:00

Monday: Up at 6, repacked the day sack & rucksack, had an early breakfast and we were walking by 8-15. It was quite breezy but sunny and hot walking along the sandy floor of the dry wadi.

The terrain changed constantly throughout the day. We stopped at a bedouin tent for tea,

later ate our packed lunch in the shade of a juniper tree, walked up a good track passing a few other trekking groups who were walking down from Dana to Feynan. By 2 the temperature was really hot and we had the steepest part of the walk up to Dana. Finally got there at around 3-45 walking in through the old ruined village to the Dana Guest House - our home for the night

- hot showers, comfy beds, a magnificent view over the whole valley we'd been walking up all day.

The place only has 9 bedrooms, was full tonight and we met some really interesting people over dinner. Lights and electricity meant I could catch up on the blog and recharge camera, phone and computer batteries, not to mention my own. Don't know what state my legs will be in in the morning. Hard day tomorrow, and 3 nights camping looms. I fear sartorial elegance may nosedive.

2010-03-26T11:23:00.000-07:00

Sunday: As the lift down for breakfast was a long time coming we took the stairwell down, the door closed behind us on our floor, annd of course all the doors out to other floors were locked. A caretaker let us out sometime afterwards and we had breakfast. On trying to get back to our room we took the wrong lift and ended up in the underground car park.

Omens in Amman. Finally safely back down at reception with our luggage Mr Bassam introduced us to our guide for the trek - Eid, who has wonderful English and is a delightful, distinguished 55 year old. We drove out through central modern Amman but didn't see any old characterful sights. After about 40 minutes we got our first glimpse of the Dead Sea and we reached the Dead Sea Spa Hotel around 10-30am.

Much floating and mud annointing took place. The dead sea mud has to dry on you for around 10 minutes for its therapeutic qualities to work their magic.

Should have left it on longer maybe! We rinsed, showered, swam in the pool, sunlounged till one then had a huge buffet - all in the name of serious training for the trekking starting tomorrow. We travelled through very differing landscapes after the Dead Sea - towering cliffs, flat plains where strong winds swirled the sand around into dunes then we turned east back towards the mountains past a dusty rock strewn landscape where I spied the first camel - as Pollie was asleep at the time. Mr Bassam left us at the Feynan Lodge reception, as we had to transfer to a 4WD to get us up to Feynan Eco Lodge . We'll see him again in Petra as he'll be driving us back to the airport. We checked in at the Lodge around 4pm, dumped our bags and got ready for the Sunset walk with Mohammed, one of the Lodge's guides.

We were accompanied by his small nephew and friends,

and called back at his brothers tent for sweet Bedouin tea.

The ladies were amazed by Pollie's bright red lipstick, and my dyed red hair which is apparently, in Bedouin terms, a sure sign of a woman looking for a new husband. Probably best to wear a hat tomorrow then. The lodge only has electric light in the bathrooms, and everywhere else is candle lit- after an excellent vegetarian dinner, we stargazed briefly from the roof, then made our way through the gloom to bed. It was 9pm. Early start tomorrow on our trek.

Setting off for Petra

2010-03-26T10:53:00.000-07:00

Friday:

Left home mid afternoon for a Manchester treat - an evening with Cirque de Soleil in their large tent by the Trafford Centre - a performance based very loosely on resurrecting Icarus after his ill-fated plummet to earth, and getting him airborne again. It was magical, with the grace and skill of the performers taking your breath away. Not to be re-enacted though Geoff while I'm away, without the use of a safety net.

Saturday: Left to meet Pollie & Garry at Manchester airport at 8-30am for a mid-morning flight to Amman. Checked the bags in OK then all went off for coffee.

Just as we were saying our fond farewells Geoff saw that in the side pocket of my rucksac I had my torch - I had forgotten it was my pride and joy gadget torch with lots of useful things concealed in the handle - knives, files, corkscrews,spanners etc.He confiscated it before security did. In the same pocket was my other recent acquisition, my hand held battery powered fan - ideal for cooling you down on those hot uphill treks. I was demonstrating its attributes when the fans disintegrated and it fell to bits in the arrivals hall. Both husbands bid their farewells and left us sweeping up the pieces. The first leg of the flight to Istanbul was delayed, which meant that on landing we had 5 mins to make our connection to Amman. Turkish timekeeping meant that we made the flight and had a further 30 minutes on the runway. We were met at the airport by a very efficient member of the On the Go team who got our visas , shepherded us through the airport and introduced us to Mr Bassam, our driver who delivered us safely, exhausted to overnight in the Toledo hotel in central Amman. He arranged to pick us up at 9 in the morning. Nice hotel, comfy beds, slept well.

Mines, Shrines and Packing my Bags

2010-03-18T09:12:00.000-07:00

Geoff's brother and his wife came for a couple of days, so there was catching up to do, eating, drinking and putting the world to rights. On Monday we all went out for a walk calling at Honister slate mine first of all to pick up some pieces of slate for some tenuous plan of mine to incorporate it into sculptural pieces. However the rest of the week has intervened in this plan, the slate is still in the back of the car and I know for a fact that by the time I get back from Petra all knowledge of what I had in mind will have vanished ( recurring theme this - see blog Feb 13th )

Tuesday saw us lurking in a local churchyard seeking out photo opportunities to illustrate a press release on this year's competition theme of "Shrines, Altars and Markers". As it was my camera Geoff had to be the poser

And very nice he looked too. Wednesday was taken up with glazing for a last firing before my trip, and the third or fourth reincarnation of packing my bags. Luckily it seems to be cooling down a bit in Petra, and next week's forecast is for mostly the low 70's F - still positively tropical for a Cumbrian though.
Today has been a Cumbrian grey day with rain - hopefully the last I'll see for 10 days. Below are some of this weeks large tea bowls:

Printers, pots and Pete's in the money

2010-03-14T17:46:00.000-07:00

Monday - had the final session at the printers and hopefully this years fliers are now on the presses! Fitted in some throwing this afternoon and finally finished boxing up the pots for the NPA Rufford exhibition. On Tuesday - after checking up on the current temperatures in Petra - 94F is quite hot to trot 12 - 15 miles a day, I rushed into Carlisle to buy cooler, baggier clothing. Wednesday saw me venturing out with the Penrith Ramblers who were walking my local fells, and I had a wonderful clear, sunny day's training on the hills overlooking Ullswater.

Eat your heart out Pollie -this knocks spots off your treadmill. No pots made today as the evening was taken up with a Rural Women's meeting hosted by Elaine & Holly at Upfront Gallery - lots of good chat and carrot cake as well. There goes the training schedule. Thursday I took the Rufford pots to Nigel Edmondson's at Levens as he is down at Pollie and Garry's this weekend, and Garry is delivering the pots for me while Pollie and I perspire our way around Jordan . We have started to phone each other to compare packing lists. Later in the week as I collected my Jordanian dinar from the Post Office in Penrith - I was suprised to see Potfest regular Peter Ballan staring back at me from the front of the note - an uncanny likeness to the Sheikh of Araby. Fond memories of Potfest every time I buy a camel. Not long now!

Petra planning, Derbyshire hospitality, and John Maltby envy.

2010-03-06T09:49:00.000-08:00

More snow, more cold but then on Tuesday we ventured down into tropical middle England for a couple of days with Pollie & Garry Uttley in Derbyshire. Lists had to be compiled of essential items to pack for our trek to Petra, ( not long to go now!), strategies needed to be planned for the Potfest trip to Hohr-Grenzhausen in June, and in between wonderful meals and copious amounts of wine we still managed to fit in visits to Gallery Top in Rowsley near Matlock ( great John Maltby exhibition ) and the Harley Gallery at Welbeck near Worksop. Garry had planned a walk from the village of Youlgreave on Thursday, and whilst there we visited Jack Blackburn who has been bringing pots over from France for many years. His house is like a potters treasure trove - see some of his delights at Rufford again this year.

Just setting off for the walk - the message in the back of the car in front states "They've escaped ".
That's about right.
The day was stunning - bright sunshine and not too cold if you kept moving. As a training session for the Petra trek, the exercise was probably negated by the quantities of food consumed. What the hell - you're a long time dead. Thanks P & G.

Snow, fliers, Manchester and a present from Potfest

2010-03-01T14:35:00.000-08:00

Sunday : After the wonderful weather on Saturday the return of the snow came as an unpleasant reality check. I had been envisaging an early spring return into the vegetable garden but three inches of snow has put the seed planting on hold. We spent a good deal of time on Sunday scuttling around the house rounding up pots for tomorrow's photo-shoot at Upfront gallery. We plan to hijack unsuspecting cafe customers and photograph them holding pots, for the front cover of this years fliers. We've heard this is how David Bailey works.

Monday : Met our photographer and graphic designer Malcolm Farrar at Upfront and shooting began. Staff, family and unwitting customers were all roped in and Malcolm soon had some really good images. By soup time it was all done and dusted.

The rest of the working week was very uneventful - just more throwing, glazing and firing - see images -- then as a treat Lucie and I had the weekend with family over in Manchester - big city life - shops, restaurants - people rather than sheep to talk to - enough to turn a girl's head - but there was a kiln at home to unload and Lucie has to teach for a living so we returned on Sunday to our rural retreat.

Potfest treated me to a new camera and I'm dying to try it out but I know that once I get it out of the box and start to wade through the manual everything else will be on hold so I'm not giving in to that till I've sorted out the pots for Rufford. This last image shows a large porcelain pot 14" diameter that I thought was a definite goer - till I went to lift it out of the kiln only to discover that the glaze had gone right through the bottom of the pot and it now has its own attached plinth. Time to get the camera out of the box I think.

Photographed masterfully thus disguising its deformity.

Busy week. Tea (bowls) and Biscuits

2010-02-20T06:53:00.000-08:00

Monday we had a trip over to Newcastle for the day, and a look around the Biscuit factory gallery and the Baltic while we waited for Matt's flight to arrive in from Geneva. Hardy souls these north-easterners - I didn't get warm all day. Nice to see a lot of Potfest potters work in the Biscuit Factory - the Baltic was a disappointment again - have yet to see anything I admire in there, I even struggle to find something to buy in their bookshop. The rest of the week has been split between workshop time and admin - Geoff is trying to firm up details of the Potfesters trip to the Hohr-Grenzhausen potters market in May, whilst also trying to resolve the fliers for both shows, and I've been making tea bowls till they come out of my ears, but failing miserably to produce any larger sculptural pieces that I'm happy with. Pollie Uttley ( fellow potter and co-walker on my next trip to Petra ) has gone into serious training and is now up to five miles a day on the treadmill - Garry's probably installed it next to her workbench so she can pot at the same time. This is a worrying development as I now feel I have to train as well - as I don't want to be last one out in the desert at night. So as today, Saturday, dawned a staggeringly brilliant day in the Lake District Geoff and I took the morning off to go walking

View of Blencathra from the end of St Johns in the Vale

Luckily finished the walk in a better state than this sheep

Some of this week's production:

Throwing to keep warm

2010-02-13T10:04:00.000-08:00

Thrashing our way through all the waiting emails and phone messages wasn't enough to keep us warm on our return - I'm really missing the Tenerife sunshine. By Tuesday I was ready to take on the workshop again and ventured out there only to be confronted by some strange pots that after three weeks absence I've no idea why I made - always a danger when you're ideas led rather than making stock items. I biscuit-fired them anyway on Wednesday along with some more porcelain teabowls, as my memory may kick back in in the future and their part in my masterplan will be revealed. I had a good play trying to recreate the volcanic rocks and textures of the Canaries by loosely wedging black clay, porcelain, terracotta, vermiculite, glass and 2 different paperclays together - I won't progress this any further till I have seen whether it survives a firing.

Some of this week's production. I only have about 3 weeks actual making time now to get new work out for the NPA exhibition at Rufford, an open studio at home at Easter and the Scottish Potfest - so time in the workshop is a priority. Matt's due home for a few days this week from France, so the other

priority is getting the fliers and posters resolved for the shows. Another priority is to get planning my April walk around the coastline of the Isle of Man - perhaps I need some time management skills to prioritise my priorities - maybe I'll just open a bottle of red .....

Friday - going with the flow

2010-02-07T07:00:00.000-08:00

Our last day's walking started with a glimpse of Mt Teide above the clouds, but unfortunately the road up to it is still closed - so it's plan B again - a walk described as "easy", linking the 3 villages of Arona, Ifronche and Adeje up in the mountains.

Spotted these troughs of volcanic stone, which reminded me of Wendy Lawrence's crater glazed pieces.
The landscapes were very varied again:

from dry eroded gullies, to vast barrancos ( one named comfortingly El Barranco del Infierno )

through wonderful smelling Canarian pine forests, and over lava flows.

We were up very high, which gave us wonderful views down to the south west coast

but which unfortunately meant that at the end of the day, with legs already groaning we were faced with a very steep descent down an old pilgrim track down the mountain to Adeje where hopefully we wouldn't miss the last bus back.

Geoff at the start of the path down - village way below.

Really hard going as the bad weather had washed out a lot of the stones and there was loose rock

everywhere. Lower down the path followed a lava flow and the going underfoot got even tougher.

Views on the way down

The only thing holding me up when we finally reached the bottom was my sticks. We staggered through town, slumped onto the bus, and made a mental note not to try any of the hard walks in the book.

Home tomorrow.

January / February walks done - next one in March, my nine day trek into Petra. More training needed I think, as although no animals were harmed in this production, many plasters and a large tube of embrocation bit the dust.

This was the nearest we ever got to Mt Teide - maybe another year!

Thursday

2010-02-07T06:08:00.000-08:00

The one bus a day into the Teide national Park has been cancelled today due to landslides and stones on the road - we hadn’t realised how severe the weather damage had been – beaches washed away, landslips, paths destroyed, esplanades damaged, but they are still running one bus to half way up the mountain at Vilaflor. So we got on, not daring to look back as we left Las Americas ( very thankfully ) behind in case we were turned to pillars of salt.

Today's very varied landscapes

We had a brilliant day's walking up to the lunar landscape rocks, saw the snow-covered top of Teide in the sunshine and on the way back the bus dropped us off in the neighbouring resort of Los Cristianos ( slightly better ) where we had dinner - thus putting off the time we had to spend in our hotel. We managed to be out from 7-30am till 9-30 pm. Thankfully the passports had arrived in the post during the day.

Wednesday - Los passeportes, Los Americas and the loss of will to live

2010-02-07T06:00:00.000-08:00

Early breakfast, early trek to the bus station with our packs and three and a half hours later we are searching Las Americas for our hotel booked yesterday on the internet. Against a backdrop of magnificent mountain ridges and volcanic plugs there has been built the eyesore abomination that is Playa Las Americas.

Coming down into town we passed Wigan Pier, Hyde Park Corner, The Cheshire Cat, the Manchester United bar, numerous branches of Macdonalds and Burger kings There are so many tacky shops, dubious looking bars and restaurants that there can't be enough money in the whole world to keep them all going. It's our vision of hell. About two hundred yards short of our hotel I suddenly realised we hadn't picked up our passports from reception at the last hotel, now three and a half hours away back across the island by bus. The only asset our hotel has is the main guy in reception who phoned our last hotel up for us and we arranged for them to post them by fast delivery, hopefully arriving tomorrow. They faxed copies of our passports so we could book in - then we went to walk the town.

For dinner we thought we'd try out Gordon Ramsay's, but at 6.95 euros for a three course meal ( free drink included ) we deduced it probably wasn't that Gordon Ramsay.

I hadn't realised I'd subscribed to the hotel's in house music entertainment, but it came anyway, courtesy of the Sound of Cream nightclub two hundred yards away down the road. Even inserting earplugs till they almost met in the middle failed to quiet the din of nonstop techno. We slept .......occasionally

Tuesday

2010-02-07T05:24:00.000-08:00

The rucksacks are packed and we've planned an early start in order to have a long day up in the Teide National Park. Up at 7am, breakfast by 7-45, and down to the bus station for the bus to El Portillo only to be told that the journey has been cancelled due to bad weather. Although it's misty up on Teide it looks no worse than earlier in the week - but when the mist clears for a moment we see quite a lot of snow on the peak. We return to the hotel, Geoff does some Potfest planning and I go down to the internet shop to suss out and book a hotel on the S.W. coast at Las Playas de Americas for our last 3 nights - the weather is often better in the S.West and we're hoping to get into the Teide National Park from that side. At 12 we head off out along the coast for a walk as the weather is now sunny at coast level though still very grey and misty up high. We redo the first day's walk, tag some more on the end and then reverse it back to Puerto.

Precarious steps, followed by a scramble down a rock face to get to the beach

View back towards Puerta de la Cruz

Passed by a large herd of goats just off the coast path

Our first proper view of Mt Teide, snow covered at dusk.

Monday

2010-02-07T05:08:00.000-08:00

Change of plan. Decide to base ourselves back in Puerto de la Cruz for the next 2 nights in the hope of seeing something of the Anaga peninsula in the east of the island. Much more rain.

Checked back in to the Oratava, then caught the bus to Santa Cruz, the old capital of the island for a bit of sightseeing as walking was really out of the question with the cloud level so low. Both major museums were shut, we got totally drenched through twice, and the only saving grace were some good sculptures in the town.

The mists lifted momentarily and we glimpsed some impressive ridges running down from the Anaga peninsula to the sea. Maybe another day!

Sunday

2010-02-07T04:52:00.000-08:00

Woke to pouring rain and thunderstorms.

After breakfast the hotel's interior courtyard was flooded and we'd retreated upstairs to the solar room to catch up on emails and do some Potfest planning. By lunchtime the rain had more or less stopped and we set off up the hill at the back of Garachico on an old stone track to find the volcano that had destroyed the town in the 18th century.

Got as far as San Juan del Reparo before the weather closed in again, glimpsed the Garachico volcano,

and got really good views back to the town as we made our way back down. Have decided to base our next few days in Las Playas del Americas on the S.W.coast in the hope of better weather - and forays into the Teide National Park

Saturday

2010-02-07T03:28:00.000-08:00

Saturday - checked out of our hostel, moved into our hotel, ate breakfast in town, then walked to the bus stop and waited for the bus to Buenavista, and waited............. and waited. Finally arrived in Buenavista where they were preparing for some sort of carnival, the town was festooned in ribbons and huge palm leaves were tied to all the lampposts.

Walked all through town looking for accommodation but there was only a big golf hotel undergoing a complete refurb - shut for the duration - and we were duly ushered off the premises by a security guard (not the first time that's happened to the Coxes)

Our walk started about 15 minutes out of town, a steep path snaking up a dry gully. Mid-afternoon I called a halt as it was obvious we were going to run out of time, not to mention steam, before reaching the Teno plateau still way above us.

Volcanic pipes in the cliff face

Walked all the way back through town again and waited for another bus back to Garachico. Ho hum

Friday

2010-02-07T03:03:00.000-08:00

Arrived in Garachico to find the Tourist Info shut - so wandered the streets in search of lodgings. After dismissing the only 3 hotels in town as rather expensive we booked into a one star hostel that was interesting to say the least.

With the money we saved on this one I have now booked us into one of the others for the next two nights. Geoff thought this one was fine - we had our own patio - ie:- the roof,

but the 55yd.trek to the loo down a flight of outside concrete stairs was its main drawback. Explored the town - an old port destroyed by a lava flow in the 18th century. The main gate into the port is now in the middle of town rather down at the waters edge where it was originally before the volcano obliterated the town.

We then walked up the coast a bit - and I saw my first cactus crop.

Thursday

2010-01-30T14:23:00.000-08:00

Hot sunny start to our last day in Puerto. Mt Teide visible for the first half hour of our trip up to Oratava to see the town architecture, the balconied houses and the Museum of Spanish American Crafts.

By early afternoon the weather had closed right in again with quite heavy rain and low cloud. Travelling west by bus tomorrow, hoping to find accommodation in Garachico, with plans to walk on the Teno peninsula.

Wednesday

2010-01-30T14:16:00.000-08:00

Brighter by the sea but still very low cloud inland so we're walking along the coast in the opposite direction to Sunday's walk - west towards Icod. Started the walk with a good drenching when the sea wall we were walking along got breached by a tsunami. Good job we're Cumbrians and used to a bit of damp. Speeding up the walking pace soon dried us out.
The Rambla del Castro path winds along the coast past several dramatic black sand beaches,

past the ruined Fortin de San Fernando

to the old estate lands of del Castro. Returning to Puerto in late afternoon the cloud cleared for twenty minutes and we got our first glimpse of Mt Teide in the distance

Tuesday

2010-01-30T14:05:00.000-08:00

Tuesday - Information gathering and exploring around town today as the cloud level is very low again. Did the tourist info, Archaeological Museum and 2 botanical gardens. The Jardin Botanico in Puerto was outstanding

Monday

2010-01-30T13:59:00.000-08:00

Overcast - still haven't seen Mt Teide. Heading off up into the hills today into the mist to walk in the Oratava Valley above Aguamansa. We missed the right place to get off the bus, hadn't taken enough clothing and it was absolutely freezing above 1000 feet. We got completely lost and walked for miles and miles through forest. Not the best of days. I have a life threatening blister and Geoff seems to have dislocated both hips. Hot baths and linament called for.

Sunday

2010-01-28T11:28:00.000-08:00

Minimal sun, overcast but still warm. Short walk along the coast took us through banana plantations and past some stunning coastal views. Our picnic furthered the cause of scientific research when we discovered lizards like to eat chorizo salami and banana skins. Rather than returning by bus we decided to find our own route back. Needless to say we had to retreat from an overgrown barranco on our shortcut, but that led us past a wonderful sculptors studio - he must have been away on a siesta but we peeped around anyway. Found one of his bronzes in town later on that night

Saturday

2010-01-28T11:09:00.000-08:00

A 3am start from manchester to Liverpool airport meant we were landing on Tenerife by 10-30am - met by 33C heat and brilliant sunshine - a far cry from Cumbrian weather. By 3-30 we'd travelled by bus to Puerto de la Cruz on the north coast of the island, checked into our hotel and started our first wanderings around to get our bearings, and of course the sun had disappeared. Black sand seems wrong on so many counts but our first foray onto the beach showed us landscape hand-wedged from lots of different clays,with boulders thrown in for good measure then fired by the kiln god .The whole place looks like the product of an overfired anagama.Clinker meets cinder toffee. Just the place for potters on holiday.

Where's the week gone?

2010-01-17T07:25:00.000-08:00

One of those god-awful weeks where you look back on it and know you've been doing stuff all week but there's nothing memorable to report. Geoff's been computer-bound most days, getting out final invoices and setting up a group for the Pens potters in LinkedIn so they can all talk to each other on pot and show-related matters. I got the first glaze-firing of the year out of the kiln on Friday - nothing drop-dead gorgeous but a few steady teabowls that will go in the box for Rufford or Hohr-Grenzhausen in June

After three and a half weeks of snow I finally got back behind the wheel today and managed to drive myself into Penrith. Thank god for the thaw ..... I was getting stir-crazy

The Road less travelled .........

2010-01-10T05:03:00.000-08:00

A welcome appearance by a man in a small lorry with a shovel and a cargo of grit meant that we finally got the car out on Friday and ventured gingerly into Keswick. The first mile along our country lanes was quite hairy as I'm not a great fan of going sideways in a car, but we survived the trip, replenished food supplies and I purchased new walking boots and trousers for my 2010 project. I'll be 60 this year, and not being a great one for parties I'm treating myself to a week off every month throughout the year to go walking. The highlight will probably be the 9 day trek into Petra in March - most months are a lot more mundane - some aren't even planned yet. The downside is that 4 weeks work has to squeeze into 3 every month.
The Potfest website has been updated with all of this year's exhibitors - we're currently deciding on the competition theme for the 2 shows, and planning the fliers and posters. I've managed to get into the workshop most mornings this week and am slowly getting back into the swing of making.
Some of this week's production drying out - could have been more but .....

The road less travelled .......... spot which doorway has had the heaviest traffic - the workshop on the left or the log and coalstore on the right

No contest.... toasty warm by the fire, or freezing in the workshop.
Disappointment of the week was not getting into the free Soda-firing workshop at La Meridiana centre in Tuscany in April, and finally getting to meet Canadian potters Tony & Sheila Clennell who are running a course there the week after. Best laid plans and all that .....

Polar bears, penguins and grizzlies

2010-01-02T09:54:00.000-08:00

Another three inches of snow last night - this necessitates having to run from the house to the workshop before snow blindness sets in, and this morning I think I saw a polar bear and some penguins sheltering behind one of the sheds. Its probably only a matter of hours now before Geoff will be wandering around with the axe shouting "Here's Johnny". I'm reasonably sure Cumbria have sold off all their snow ploughs on Ebay and have substituted them in the name of economy with one man, a wheelbarrow and a small shovel.
I'm undergoing workshop aversion therapy at the moment, whereby I force myself to go in there most mornings and hang around doing clearing up jobs till the muse strikes. Unfortunately I think my work ethic must only kick in at a higher temperature than we're experiencing presently.
The Park places are all allocated and I think we're in for a cracking show come summer. Applications to exhibit were way up on last year which meant disappointing a lot of people - but having a regular turnover of over twenty percent ensures a fresh look each year. 2010 will see exhibitors from Denmark and the USA for the first time. Hopefully I'll have finished the website images by the start of next week and you'll all be able to see who'll be there.
Just off to trap some dinner for the grizzly.

Resolutely into the new decade

2010-01-01T16:16:00.000-08:00

I'm full of good intentions to keep you posted as to the goings on at Potfest and Cox HQ throughout 2010 - so here goes.

The run up to Christmas and the new year have been interesting. We've been snowed in since Dec.19th. and although we're only half a mile off one of the main roads in the region, I think our car's in till the spring thaw comes around. Cumbria seems to be economising on grit this year.

We walked out several miles to pick up our turkey a few days before Christmas and have been eating it ever since, as no-one else has made it through the snow to get here to help us dispose of it.

Beautiful sunny days made for lots of walks from the house but then eight days mail finally got through and now we're back in Potfest mode with a vengeance as the space allocation is under way for the Park. Geoff has application forms spread out all over the house and I'm hunkered down with the computer trying to get the website updated.

My year has started well with an acceptance to exhibit at Rufford in June - how great to be able to do a show where someone else has to do all the worrying. Happy New Year everybody!

Day 22 - Final day in India

2009-02-25T08:58:00.000-08:00

Checked out of the Ginger with all our luggage following behind in its own people carrier - it trailed us round Delhi for the rest of the day. We had been going to attend a pottery demo at the Habitat Centre, by one of the visiting potters from the Terracotta exhibition, but instead we had the morning at the Crafts Museum - highly recommended by Kevin and the 2 Nigels who'd been previously. It has outside exhibits, like vernacular village buildings, carts etc

Strange looking pottery - must be the genie in the jar - textiles, furniture, sculptures and carvings are inside the museum area, and there is further outside area where craftsmen are demonstrating and selling.

Here the lady is singing the painting to Nigel - you had to have been there!
The whole museum was magical - I could have sketched a whole week away in there, but we were booked in to go to a friend of Pollie's for a late lunch. Anuradah was instrumental in the 2 year planning and execution of the Terracotta camp at Sanskriti and last night's Terracotta exhibition. As well as all that to contend with, her daughter had just got married, with all the planning and catering that entails, and now she had offered to do a cookery demo and lunch for 13. She lives in one of Delhi's leafy suburbs, in a very nice house furnished with lots of pots and paintings.

The demo was fascinating, lunch was delicious, but at 5 we had to take our leave for the airport - a convoy of taxis, luggage, memories, and images, we drove through the less salubrious areas of Delhi - the holiday all but over.

" This is indeed India! the land of dreams and romance, of fabulous wealth and fabulous poverty, of splendor and rags, of palaces and hovels, of famine and pestilence, of genii and giants and Aladdin lamps, of tigers and elephants, the cobra and the jungle, the country of a hundred nations and a hundred tongues, of a thousand religions and two million gods, cradle of the human race, birthplace of human speech, mother of history, grandmother of legend, great-grandmother of tradition, whose yesterdays bear date with the mouldering antiquities of the rest of the nations -the one sole country under the sun that is endowed with an imperishable interest for alien prince and alien peasant, for lettered and ignorant, wise and fool, rich and poor, bond and free, the one land that all men desire to see, and having seen once, by even a glimpse, would not give that glimpse for the shows of all the rest of the globe combined. "
Mark Twain
..........................................................................
I can't begin to thank Pollie and Garry for the amount of work that has gone into organising this trip. Their enthusiasm for India has, I think, rubbed off on us all - and I am eternally grateful for the chance to experience the past 3 weeks, and to have spent it in such good company. Thank you all. xxx

Day 21 - The missing Bazaar and the Terracotta Exhibition

2009-02-25T07:59:00.000-08:00

Another free day to wander Delhi at will. Pollie and Garry were going to one of the bazaars to see a trader they've bought ethnic jewellery from before, so we tagged along to see how it's done. I ended up buying some strange sort of sewing contraption from an insistent street trader who kept repeatedly sewing the front of his own shirt to show me how it worked. I'm sure when I get home I'll wonder how I ever managed without one. I also bought some old necklaces, primarily of course to cover up the holes in my shirts from demonstrating how my sewing kit works. We then set off, on Pollie's recommendation, to see Sadar Bazaar -a mainly wholesale bazaar, very untouristy, stocking eveything the world would probably need if they could only find the place. Unfortunately we never did. Instead we walked for miles through the least salubrious areas of central Delhi, before resorting to a Tuk Tuk to take us back to the spice market so that at least we would know where we were. He saw us coming and drove us the extremely long way round - normally this wouldn't have mattered much but we were on a very tight schedule as we had to leave the hotel at 5pm to attend the opening at the Habitat Centre of the Terracotta Exhibition. (1000 pieces in all from Indian artists and invited guests from around the world.) Paul, Katherine and Francoise were exhibiting pieces they'd made at the Sanskriti camp and also pieces they'd sent previously ( unfortunately Paul had suffered quite a few breakages in transit )

We had all scrubbed up quite well, and didn't feel too out of place midst the Delhi art glitterati.

A Ray Meeker ceramic sculpture at the Habitat Centre.

The evening started with speeches and awards. Ray Meeker and his wife Deborah Smith from Golden Bridge Pottery at Pondicherry, S.India were honoured for their contributions to Indian ceramics, and finally the exhibition was opened. It was very well attended and quite a lot of the work was sold. We circulated, ate nibbles and drank. Anju who doesn't normally work in terracotta was showing some lovely intricately slip trailed plates - my overall favourites of the show were some pieces by a Swiss potter who's work we'd previously seen at the St Sulpice show in Paris.

Late supper - excellent day.

Day 20 - Around Old Delhi with Anju

2009-02-25T04:35:00.000-08:00

Anju collected us at the hotel ( minus Nig 2 and Kevin who had decided to go it alone ) and we started with India's largest mosque, the Jami Masjid.

Cover up decency was the order of the day - can I just point out however that I really haven't put on all that much weight - I have my rucksack on under here.
We then walked along one of the main wide boulevards Chadni Chowk to visit a Sikh temple, which I found to be much more interesting. The Sikh temples ( Gurdwaras ) are open to people of all religions, and are generally open 24 hours a day. They offer shelter and food to any one in need, provide care for the sick, elderly and handicapped and are centres for promoting culture and health. The Sikh scriptures are recited or sung and sermons are delivered. The Langar in a Sikh Gurdwara is the community kitchen and every Sikh is expected to take part in the running of the kitchen. He may pay towards the expenses, bring provisions or personally contribute his labour, by cleaning utensils, fetching water or fuel, or taking a hand in the cooking or distributing the food. Anju took us all around the various parts of the temple and in the main bread-making and cooking area Margaret proved a dab hand at flipping the naans. It seemed so different from the exclusion we had felt at the mosque.
The rest of the day we were led through the different bazaars of Old Delhi -

very narrow lanes with hardly any natural light - and very interesting wiring!
Kinari Bazaar specialises in tinsel accessories for weddings

Khari Baoli is the biggest spice market in Asia, and you get the aroma from 2 streets away. One street away and I started sneezing, as the cumulative effect of pepper, cumin, mustard seed, garam masala, cloves et al got too much for my overwhelmed olefactory system.
We must have walked miles today - but it was all endlessly fascinating. I don't think The Lanes in Carlisle will ever do it for me again. Anju had given us the whole whistle-stop experience of Old Delhi, and had given us the confidence to dip in and out on our own now. The whole day has been remarkably hassle-free.

Day 19 - Jaipur to Delhi

2009-02-25T03:54:00.000-08:00

Left Jaipur for the drive back to Delhi - our base for the last 3 days of the holiday. We went out past the Amber Fort again, scene of yesterday's first ascent. Elephant rush hour was in full snarl up again. We made the outskirts of Delhi by 2-ish and called back in at Sanskriti Kendra, where our idyll had begun. We were hoping to catch up with UK potters Katherine Winfrey and Paul Young , and Francoise Dufayard from France (well known Potfesters all ) who had been out at Sanskriti for a 10 day terracotta workshop, but their work finished and being fired, they had taken off for a couple of days to Amritsar to see the Golden Temple. We caught up with the Tamil Nadu potters, and saw the elephants they had built now fired - and they were just starting to fire another small kiln load of pots.

Our coach driver, Mahaveer, is leaving us in Delhi, and just before we left Sanskriti we took some group photos and presented him with a cricket bat and ball, for services above and beyond the call of duty. His unruffled demeanour amidst all the chaos of the Indian roads has been truly admirable, he was a very valuable addition to our cricket team and as Dustin Hoffman would say .... an excellent driver! Unfortunately his friend Rajkumar, who had travelled with us as back up and tax payer as we crossed from state to state, had had to leave us in Jaipur, as there had been a death in the family. They were both valuable additions to our party - we were probably not what they were used to escorting around India, but they coped with us very well.

Presentations over we drove into central Delhi - hardly scary at all now after the delights of driving in Jaipur. Our last home in India is the Ginger Hotel, next to New Delhi Railway station. This is part of a chain of Ginger Hotels, probably loosely based on an Indian Travellodge, that are now scattered all over India - very upmarket backpacking at a very reasonable price - I can't recommend them highly enough. The rooms were very clean and had everything you could need - clean big bed, hot hot shower, TV and tea making facilities. The location next to the Metro and main station meant that getting around Delhi was very easy. Our room on the 5th floor overlooked a sort of goods yard, where 24 hr activity took place - high tec TVs were trundled around on pull carts, men rushed around with enormous bundles of stuff on their heads - not a fork lift truck to be seen anywhere. The evenings adrenaline rush took place on the 15 minute ride right into central Delhi where we were meeting up with a friend of Pollie's, Anju, who had helped with hotel choices and bookings for all of us. Anju is a potter and keen quilt maker who also will be exhibiting some pieces in the terracotta exhibition that we will be going to see in 2 days time. Over dinner she offered to show us the sights of Old Delhi tomorrow - an opportunity too good to miss!

Day 18 - Northern Ramblers and rooftop R & R

2009-02-25T03:10:00.000-08:00

Another free day loomed so the Northern chapter of the Ramblers Association ( Cox's and 2 Nigels ) had decided on an early start to return to the Amber Fort to stroll further the ramparts and hill paths. We left the hotel by taxi around 8-30am to get some walking done before it got too hot. Our taxi driver spoke excellent English, as he has a sister in Coventry, and we were amazed that he only used his horn once on the whole journey. The only crash of the trip happened today when we had to pull up sharply to avoid a cow in the road, and one of the two motor bikes that had been inches from our bumper thumped into the back of us. They both looked accusingly at each other, passed by on either side of the car and sped off through the traffic. What would have sparked a massive attack of road rage in the UK was nonchalently shrugged off and we carried on. We had mistimed our arrival at the fort and unfortunately encountered elephant rush hour. Apparently most tourists come here in the early morning to avoid the heat of the day, and the pathway up looked like elephant gridlock on the M25.

We narrowly avoided being squished against the wall whilst walking up the cobbled pathway, but once we were above the elephant drop off zone we had the whole area to ourselves. We took the quiet track up to Jaigur Fort, situated on top of the ridge above the Amber Fort.

We thought we were miles from anywhere but when we got up to the top there was a restaurant and 2 shops in the fort, and a back road to bring up coaches. However it was still early and we more or less had the place to ourselves. We were given a comprehensive tour of the fort area by an army guide - the fort is linked to the Amber Fort below by a series of narrow passageways - but most impressive were the wonderful views from the top.

View from the top

Where we started from - top left is where we walked to

We got back to Jaipur by lunchtime and just chilled out for the rest of the day - sunbathing and reading in the rooftop garden.

Day 17 - Bike Tours, Bartering, Block-printing & Bedspreads

2009-02-25T01:20:00.000-08:00

The morning was ours to do with as we wished. The ladies hit central Jaipur's Fab India store, accompanied by some men worried as to the condition of the diminishing pile of rupees. Fab India is the home of mix and match, good quality Indian clothing, barter free, hassle free - a haven of calm retail therapy in the maelstrom of Jaipur. We could all now feature in our own Bollywood epic. Most returned to the hotel for a rest - Pollie and I went to sort out tonight's restaurant, find a bank, and barter our way through a jewellery store. We took a bicycle rickshaw for the first time this holiday - Pollie bartered the fare way down, then took pity on the driver huffing and puffing his way through the carbon monoxide fumes of Jaipur, dragging two fat lasses behind him - and upped his fare past his original asking price.
After lunch the coach took us out to Saganeer. For some reason I'd imagined a small craft village, specialising in paper-making, fabric block-printing and pottery - but in actual fact the sprawl of Jaipur had engulfed the area and it was now just a suburb of small factories and manufacturers outlets - no less interesting for that though.
We were given explanations of all the processes involved in the production of the paper-making, printed textiles and the production of the Jaipur pottery and invited to take part and "have a go"

A new career beckons for Edmondson sahib

We declined the jobs in the pottery as our knees weren't up to it.
We then repaired to the factory shop to be plied with masala chai (wonderful sweet tea with ginger and spices), be assailed with the all products for sale, and so began the bartering process.
We finished up with 2 bedcovers at a very reasonable price ( I think! )

In the evening we tuktuked back into Jaipur, for the daily whiteknuckle ride, and I had the best vegetarian thali ever at Dak Prakash.

Day 16 p.m. Lumbering up to the Amber Fort

2009-02-24T13:58:00.000-08:00

In the heat of a Jaipur afternoon we drove 20 minutes out from the centre to the Amber Fort. The massive ramparts are some way up the hill above the road, following the contours of a natural ridge. The choice is either walk up the steep incline, or go on elephant back.

Eddie & Margaret, Jo and Rog take the easy way.

The 16th century fort is built on earlier 11th century foundations and is very impressive
View from the ramparts

The Sheesh Mahal is wonderfully ornate, and the roof is embedded with tiny mirrors - when one candle is lit in here the ceiling transforms into a starlit sky. Conservationists are appalled however at the installation of a Cafe Coffee Day within the walls - akin to opening a Macdonalds outlet in the west wing of Buckingham Palace - but the toilets here got our vote as "the best in all India" - so some modernisation really is a good thing ( and I have to say the coffee was good as well )
On the way back into Jaipur we stopped off at Sagar Lake, just to take photos of the floating palace

The day ended with beer and sweeties up on the roof, then a hair-raising Tuk-Tuk drive, in the dark, into central Jaipur to have dinner at the "Copper Chimney."

Day 16 a.m. - The City Palace and the stairway to the stars.

2009-02-24T11:00:00.000-08:00

Our coach drove us right into the centre Jaipur, back in the thick of things again - traffic, noise, dust, chaos, crowds - and we started the day at the City Palace Museum. We all agreed it was good to see a Palace with things still in it rather than just an empty shell.

Decorated doorway in the City Palace

The most famous exhibits are the 2 giant silver urns, listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest silver objects in the world, that were commissioned by Madho Singh the second, so he could carry sacred water from the Ganges with him when he went to Edward VII's coronation - being wise of course not to trust the water in London - a nice ironical twist for English tourists who now come here and daren't drink the water.
We then walked down the road a couple of hundred yards to see the Jantar Mantar - the largest and best preserved of the 5 observatories built by Sawai Jai Singh II in the 18th century - this assortment of astronomical instuments on a monumental scale is the most wonderful sculpture park. The 16 giant instruments all have a different purpose. The Samrat Yantra - a 75 ft sundial - forecasts the crop prospects for the year, and looks for all the world like a stairway to the stars

Rashivalaya Yantra comprises 12 pieces, each part representing a sign of the zodiac and facing a different angle and constellation. This is used by astrologers to make accurate horoscopes.

The Jai Prakash Yantra comprises 2 sunken hemispheres and maps out the heavens - it's thought to have been designed by Jai Singh himself to verify the accuracy of the other instruments

Others determine the position of stars and planets at any time of the day or night, can plot the sun's arc from horizon to zenith as well as its altitude, can measure the angle of stars and planets from the equator, and can calculate Jaipur's local time to an accuracy of 20 seconds. Some of the instruments are still used to forecast how hot the summer months will be, the expected date of arrival, length and intensity of the monsoon and the possibilty of floods and famine. As an un-scientist all this complexity is way beyond me, but as an artist I found the whole layout staggeringly beautiful - it just knocks your socks off!

On the way back through the city we came across these jacketed goats - we think they'd probably just looted the shop behind the bus

Day 15 - Rushing into Rajasthan

2009-02-24T09:36:00.000-08:00

Waved goodbye to the Atithi Hotel for a second time and headed off for Jaipur, calling in en route at Fatepur Sikri, another Mughal Palace complex. We had to run the usual gauntlet of desperate market traders at the palace. The Mumbai bombings seem to have hit the tourist industry very hard here, and times being hard make the pursuit of sales relentless. Unfortunately there are only so many chess-sets, necklaces, Taj Mahals in a snowstorm dome that you need.

This is a huge site - a whole Mughal walled city, and here is the pool associated with the legendary court musician Tamsen, who it was said could light oil lamps with the magic of his voice - it overlooks the vast Pachisi Court which is the size of a football pitch and is a place where the ladies of the harem used to play a game that was an early version of ludo. The emperor must have had one huge harem if they needed that all that space just for shaking a double six.

Waiting my turn for the dice.

Two more hours in the coach took us past lots of villages specialising in stone-carving - with the workshops and factories opening right out onto the road .......

and the ox carts trundling goods along the road have been superceded by camel carts. We must be in Rajasthan. Our base for the next few days are the Omni Vas apartments, about 20 minutes outside Jaipur city centre, in the quiet, leafy suburbs - they are clean, spacious apartments and come with a wonderful roof terrace, just soon proved to be ideal for drinking Kingfisher as the sun goes down.

Day 14 - Valentines Day & an Indian wedding

2009-02-24T08:40:00.000-08:00

Got my first ever Hindi Valentines Day card and hung it up in the coach window all day

We're on our way to Jaipur now, but are stopping tonight in Agra, as we missed out on Agra Fort last time we were there. It was early afternoon when we arrived at the Fort, along with half the Indian sub-continent, and it was our hottest day yet. The fort was built in the 16 century, and its imposing ramparts form a crescent along the banks of the R. Yamuna. Inside the walls are an extensive complex of court buildings built in different styles. My favourites are always the most ramshackle, delapidated bits of the monuments - visually much more interesting to me than the pristine parts.

Inside Agra Fort - Taj Mahal in the background ( ramshackle part in front )

At the hotel tonight we had no choice about dinner - they were mass catering a large wedding feast in the garden at the back at the hotel, so it was feast or famine - delicious! Later in true northern tradition of not wanting to miss out on anything we gatecrashed the wedding.

The groom arrives ........ full report later from our nuptials correspondent Pollie Uttley .........

Day 13 - Numb bums in transit

2009-02-20T09:52:00.000-08:00

Left Khajuraho, via Orchha on the way back to Agra to tick off Agra Fort before getting to Jaipur. Visiting Orchha briefly again just reinforced how much we all liked the place - we lunched overlooking the river. The only highlight of the rest of today's trip was seeing a pig with a large collar made of two pieces of wood sticking out horizontally - to prevent it from getting through hedges and onto the road. We are thinking of ordering one for Harrison, made just wider than most shop doorways - to impede his retail mania. After Khaj. we were glad to return to the Tamsen at Agra, and were treated to a free concert of Indian singers and musicians playing 11 specially selected songs from Bollywood performed by tutors from the local university.

Day 12 - Tiger hunting - and the Day of the Jackal

2009-02-20T09:14:00.000-08:00

The hunting party rose at 5am to spot tigers in the Panna Tiger Reserve, about a 25 minute bone-crunching, swerving, bouncing, juddering endurance jeep ride from Khajuraho. I spent the rest of the day trying to re-adjust my internal organs and re-align my vertebrate in the correct sequence. A safari holiday has now overtaken a cruise ship holiday at the top of my "Avoid at all costs" list.

Garry hypnotises a tiger

We knew before we went that we weren't going to see any tigers - the locals had all given us pitying, knowing looks when we told them where we were going today - but when I saw that the guide wasn't carrying tranquilliser darts for emergencies, and we actually picked up hitch-hikers out walking in the park then I really realised we weren't going to see any. Actually I blame Pollie, as organiser, for blatantly forgetting to reserve us any. However there were creatures in abundance - deer, antelope, one mongoose, a skeleton of something dragged suspiciously close to the roadside so we could spot it, one domestic elephant brought in to devour industrial quantities of bananas for the photo opportunity, and some of our party, who had probably paid Pollie a back-hander, saw 2 jackals.

Beasts feeding at the watering hole

By 10am we were all safaried out, and bruised and battered we returned for a late breakfast in town.

On the way back to town we passed by a village pottery and were treated to a throwing demo Indian style.

Some of us had recovered sufficiently from the rigours of tiger hunting by late afternoon to partake of a shopping safari, and we bagged some stuff. Evening meal was at a Swiss-Indian restaurant - curries and rosti - a marriage made in heaven!

Day 11 - Khajuraho Temples

2009-02-20T08:31:00.000-08:00

Last night's rain freshened the humid atmosphere and today is glorious again. We walked through town to the Western Temples - in Nigel's words " a storyboard for the Kama Sutra" - superb temples - a World Heritage site, set in lush gardens.

Feeling slightly jaded today and find myself more interested in the various monkey troupes in the trees rather than the stunning carvings on display.

The bird life we've seen on this trip has been amazing - great swathes of green parrots, eagles, vultures and today in the park a breathtaking Indian jay - like a flying sari - irridescent blues.

Indian green parrot.
Geoff spent ages at the site, then later we wandered down to the old village escorted by two young men who really, really didn't want paying to guide us around, just wanted to practice their English, so of course by the time they'd finished with us we'd donated to the school, paid for a photo opportunity with the local potter, bought some stuff at the local emporium and tipped them for their trouble - babes in the wood or what!