Christmas Diary - Winter 2008
Photo Album - Flickr - York Christmas 2008
-:- (Map)
-:- (4* & 5*)
Photo Album - Flickr - Devon Christmas 2008
-:- (Map)
-:- (4* & 5*)
Wed 17th Dec:
Mum and I set off by train from St David's station to meet Helen and Laura at Paddington. Because David, who dropped us off, is recognized at St David's station, we get upgraded to first class seats - very nice! I have '1,000 Unforgettable Senior Moments', a birthday present to me this year, to read on the journey, which gives me plenty of laughs.
Helen and Laura text me at Paddington to say their flight has been delayed due to severe weather conditions. Their plane has had to be de-iced at Stuttgart airport. We just miss the 8pm train from Kings Cross (was this because Mum had to go to the toilet?). That gives us time to visit Platform 9 & 3/4 at Kings Cross, from where Harry Potter traveled. We catch the 9pm train to York, and have a 3-course meal and wine courtesy of Dad and Tesco's. It's a very pleasant train journey which gives us time to chat. We stop to take photos by the splendid station clock of York Railway station. We're in our hotel rooms by just before midnight, and decide to stay up those few extra minutes to see in Mum's birthday.
Thu 18th Dec:
After full English breakfasts all round, we plan to spend the rest of the morning on a walk tour around York. I'd downloaded a 'Best of York' guided tour from www.walktalktour.com only the night before, and have it on my mp3 player. This tour takes us around all the main sights of York, as can be seen from the tour description which I've copied below.
After completing the morning walk we look for a place for a lunch snack and discover a little bakery with cafe area named Baker's Oven at one end of The Shambles (visible in a photo). We eat a mix of jacket potatoes and sausage rolls, washed down with hot chocolate drinks, which sets us up nicely for our afternoon visit to The Castle Museum. Here we see Victorian streets, old house interiors from various periods, our old washing machine, and memorabilia from times past. Helen scores a hat-trick for England (see photos). Eventually we're 'thrown out' of the museum (well, it was closing time).
We wander around York for a while but we're tired so decide to go to La Piazza early where we have a table booked for Mum's birthday dinner. We have a lovely meal here, and return to our room early for tea and biscuits in our room.
Walk Tour: The Best of York:
The tour starts at St Helen’s Square, beside the famous Betty’s English tea shop. See the Mansion House, Assembly Rooms and York Art Gallery which illustrate York’s prestigious past. Hear of intrigue at King’s Manor, see more of York’s rich history in the Museum Gardens and Yorkshire Museum. Cross the Ouse via Lendel Bridge and learn about Rowntree’s confectionery empire. Walk back over the Ouse Bridge and discover what made Clifford’s Tower infamous and where Dick Turpin ended his days. Uncover the remains of Viking York and the Jorvik Centre. Admire the ancient Merchant Adventurers’ Hall and the Shambles, one of Europe’s oldest medieval streets; hear its own tale of martyrdom. Visit ancient Holy Trinity Church before scaling the walls at Monk Bar. Finish your tour at the magnificent York Minster.
Fri 19th Dec:
After yet more full English breakfasts, our plan for the rest of the morning is to visit the National Railway Museum. It's lovely to wander around the grand old steam trains and carriages of a time when the railways reigned supreme. Everything from the glorious luxury of the royal bathroom coaches to the lack of roof and the hard wood benches of the third class carriages.
We're not that hungry come lunchtime so we grab a cake and tea at the National Railway Museum cafe before departing for York Minster. The weather has taken a turn for the worst and now there is a strong wind driving rain into our faces. As there are 275 steps to climb to reach the top of the tower of York Minster, Mum settles on a seat to wait upon our return. It's a long and winding haul up all those steps, traversing a narrow channel along the roof before entering an even narrower passage (how would American tourists manage this?) for the last spiral. Of course it's blowing a gale up on the tower and so we check out the views as best we can. We have to have The Shambles pointed out to us, as visibility isn't wonderful. We're soon looking to descend again into the shelter of The Minster, which seems more difficult than the ascent, at least for me it is. The Minster looks lovely. We hear a story of St Nicholas told by a guide, how he had 3 bags of gold as dowry for 3 daughters of a townsman without means (see photo). The last of these 3 bags apparently delivered via the chimney, as the window has become barred, hence the story of Santa Claus we have today. Helen and I spot a green flexi bear fridge magnet (don't worry, it's quite cool!) in The Minster shop, which Helen buys for me for Christmas - thanks Helen!
We decide to return to our hotel room for tea before venturing forth for an evening meal. After considering various options for dinner we settle upon Jade Garden Chinese Restaurant which had received good reviews and was close by. This as it happens this turns out to be a wise choice as the restaurant is lovely and the food delicious. I get to try Lychee for the first time - really nice!
Sat 20th Dec:
A travel day for us, as we have to get back to Exeter via London. We're booked on the 11am out of York. We pop into Marks and Spencer food hall to purchase some sandwiches and drinks for our journey. We're seated around a table on the train which makes for a pleasant and comfortable journey. We reach Kings Cross in good time and make the short dash on the underground to Paddington in plenty of time for our 14:10 train to Exeter. This is a busy train, but we have seats and are quite comfortable. David, Christine and family are at St David's station to meet us, as they've driven down with Mum's car, our transport from here. After brief greetings I drive Helen and Laura around to Riki and John's where Helen and Laura will spend the next couple of nights.
I sort some of my York photos during the evening.Sun 21st Dec:
Helen and Laura will spend the day at Riki and John's, where there is to be a big family gathering.
I have household chores such as washing, ironing, shopping, and a slow-cooker meal (Lamb Tagine) to prepare.
Mon 22nd Dec:
I pick up Helen and Laura from Riki and John's at 10am. I'd forgotten the raclette items during yesterday's shop, so after inviting Mum over for Lamb Tagine lunch (simmering nicely in the slow cooker) it's a quick dash to Tesco for Helen, Laura and myself.
The Lamb Tagine on a bed of pillau rice, a favourite dish of mine, goes down well. In the afternoon we watch some of our holiday videos from Greece in 2007. Mum departs home with Jaffa around 4pm and we agree to come across later. Dips and salad are planned for the evening.
Tue 23rd Dec:
We speak with David and Christine in the morning. We decide to go down to Dawlish for a walk. I choose to drive down the coastal section overlooking Powderham where I hope we might spot some deer, and we prove to be very lucky. There is a herd of male fallow (I think) deer very close to the road, and we have a superb sighting of these, one of the best along here I've ever had. Helen shoots some excellent video footage. Whilst we're there David, Christine and family draw up in their car and join us for a time. We then drive onto Dawlish.
We park at the top of Dawlish town and walk down through the park in the direction of the sea. It's a rather grey overcast day but the walk is pleasant and it's nice to get some fresh air. David and Helen choose to walk out on the breakwater, a little too far, and get a dunking (see photos). It would seem that this kind of exhibitionism is something that runs in the family according to stories told from further afield! Thank goodness a few of us are more sensible!
A quick walk around Woolworths (it may be the last chance we'll get, with all stores closing in the new year). The end of an institution, which seems a little sad. Who'll provide escalator rides for us in the future? We then find a bakery and buy some pasties and sausage rolls to eat in the park. This provides us with the light snack we need, but lacks a little in comfort.
Now we're fed we decide to continue the walk along by the beach which had previously been cut short by a need to address our hunger. We climb the cliff walk to take in the grand view out over Dawlish and along the coast.
After the walk we set off for Mum's where we plan to have a meal together. We settle upon having a Chinese takeaway, and choose a restaurant that provides a home delivery service, which makes for a hassle-free way of obtaining a meal. The old bottle of Camel Trail wine from 1998 I open but find that it's a peculiar orange colour, and not fit for drinking. Ah well, valuable lesson learned: drink wine sooner rather than later!
Wed 24th Dec:
We organize badminton courts for this morning for which David and family will join us at Clifton Hill Sports Centre. It's very quiet with very few other people about. I guess most people are otherwise occupied on Christmas Eve, but thankfully I've got most things organized by this time. The badminton is fun, with David as competitive as ever, and Christine too. Christine does the most splendid slide across the floor on her knees in a vain and desperate attempt to hit back the shuttle, achieving only scorched knees for her endeavours. I was both impressed and amused!
We go our separate ways after the badminton play. Helen, Laura and I settle for a KFC in Sidwell Street, as we're long overdue one of these, having missed our usual service station stop through having traveled by rail. We're headed for town anyway, as Helen needs to pick up some video tapes for her camcorder. We come upon a stall selling delightful looking sweets in the Guildhall Shopping Precinct, and of course we fail miserably to resist (see photo of our colourful selection).
We have a dips meal in the evening, with David and family planning to join us later. David brings up The Krank's Christmas DVD which we watch together in the evening. This is fun.
Thu 25th Dec:
We plan to cook Christmas lunch at our place, so Mum and Jaffa will be coming over later. The vegetables are prepared early, chicken is in the oven by 9:30, and Helen works on the homemade cranberry sauce which we're attempting for the first time. Mid morning, after Mum has arrived, we break for a cup of tea and to open our presents. Helen has given me a lovely candle and replenished my depleted stocks of Ritter Sport chocolate with some interesting flavours of her choosing, and Laura has made up a lovely poster of our Lake District holiday this year which now hangs on my door, and made me a plaster-cast bear (see photos).
I open a bottle of champagne for us to have with our Christmas lunch. Everything turns out perfect, with everything cooked to perfection, only the parsnips could have been a little more crispy. We eat ourselves full, and more.
Later that evening we go over to Mum's and watch a DVD together. Helen would like to watch Shakespeare in Love, an old favourite of hers, but I appear to have taken it back home and left it there. We settle upon Johnny English, which is good fun and we all have a good laugh.
Fri 26th Dec:
We're invited down to David and Christine's today. We pack our raclette making bits and pieces and set off mid morning. Christine has prepared a buffet style lunch for us all. It's a nice relaxing time with all of us sitting around chatting, eating and drinking.
In the afternoon Christine turns out Boggle and a number of us play this. By evening time we start the raclette meal, placing the various ingredients on plates and in bowls. This makes for a nice variety of meal that everyone seems to enjoy.
Later that evening David wires up a laptop to his television screen and we view some Lake District and Cornwall holiday photos together.
We decide that it's been too long since we read some Tintin, so we turn out The Secrets of the Unicorn and I read this once again in bed to Helen and Laura. We're soon laughing aloud at the story, especially the mishaps of Captain Haddock. It's just like old times!
Sat 27th Dec:
Helen, Laura and I decide we need some fresh air and exercise after all the lassitude of Christmas. I explain that I've a circular bicycle route around Exeter and we decide upon doing that. After wrapping up warm, checking tyre pressures, and putting on helmets (some rather reluctantly!) we're ready to go. The day is cold and there's still frost and ice about, so we're careful how we go. The sun is shining and it's a beautiful day, and the cycling is fun.
We get to the quay and feel we could do with a bite to eat. We explore a cafe down on the quay, but find that a jacket potato is £7.50, which seems a lot. Laura has a stomach pain so we settle upon heading home by the most direct route and having a piazza lunch.
That evening we go to the Vue cinema where we meet up with David, Christine and their family, to watch Inkheart. This is a new fantasy film, about a Silver Tongue who can read characters from books into life. After the film we walk across town to the Cafe Rouge restaurant where we meet up with Sue, Mike and Becky for an evening meal. This is a most enjoyable evening, with excellent food and good service (see photos).
Sun 28th Dec:
Helen, Laura, Mum and I decide upon going for a Dartmoor walk today. We prepare some Christmas chicken sandwiches for lunch and I pack the tea making kit into the car. It's a cold and frosty morning, but beautiful with it. The sun shines and skies are clear. After a quick comfort stop at Chagford, we soon arrive at Fernworthy Reservoir car park.
The frost lingers all day long, and the ground underfoot is mostly frozen, which means we're clear of the mud, mostly. There is mud in places, and Mum manages to collect a boot full. The wind is icy, and we have to shelter from this to be comfortable eating lunch. There's a frozen stream running across a grass field that we have to cross. The water can be seen running under the ice. It's a bit tricky to cross, but we all manage safely. The sun cuts shafts of light acutely shining through the perpendicular pine trees. Back at the car I set the kettle going, joined by a robin amused by our proceedings, which Helen manages to snap (see photos).
We're still quite early, so I drive out across the moor. We stop at Postbridge to take a look at the clapper bridge, but Helen and Laura take some coaxing to give up the nice warm car. Dartmoor looks lovely as we head off home via Dartmeet.
I'd planned a wok meal (duck in spicy orange sauce) as a meal for some time over the Christmas holidays, and we elect to do this for tonight. We collect all we need from my place on passing home then drive around to Mum's. Helen works on the duck and Laura and I prepare the sauce and rice. As usual, the old team performs well, even remembering to double the sauce (good thinking Laura!), and we have a delicious meal for our supper.
That evening we're searching Mum's DVD for something to watch when Laura says she'd like to watch Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954). I explain that this is an old musical typical of its day and might appear a bit dated today, but Laura says that's ok so we settle down to watch this. It's probably one of the most politically incorrect films I've watched in a long time, talking of acquiring wives in the same breath as purchasing stores. But I suppose this is indicative of just how it was and how much things have changed during these last 50 years or so. It's easy to forget just how different things were for women of earlier times, and once we get over the shock of this, it's enjoyable to watch with some excellent tunes, if a little sobering. Even the basic premise of the film is highly suspect (I'll leave you to do your research if you're on interested in knowing more).
Mon 29th Dec:
Sue and Mike have invited the whole family (or at least as much as there is in Exeter) around to their place for supper. This leaves the rest of the day for us to occupy as we like. We're quite tired from all our holiday exploits so choose to have a quiet day. Helen and Laura would like to do Tesco shopping for a few 'essential' supplies to take back with them to Germany, which we do in the morning. We plan to have an English pie for lunch and hit upon the idea of doing this the homemade way, so we have to research pastry making before our shop. This'll provide us with a good way to use up our Christmas chicken. We invite Mum around to join us for lunch. The meal turns out really well and we jointly produce a very tasty pie, of quite some size. I think Helen will be making English pies for Can when she gets back to Germany.
Mum decides to return home early in the afternoon, as Jaffa will be left there in the evening. As Mum has some Heroes chocolates which were absent from Tesco, Mum offers to drop these around on her way to Sue and Mike's in the evening. We've some quiet time to spend how we like, and settle down to watch Mum's the Word DVD, a Rowan Atkinson comedy that's a lot of fun.
Sue has prepared some lovely hot dishes for our evening meal, with a little help from Becky, as Sue has been working. We eat, drink and chat, as people do over the Christmas holidays, and generally enjoy ourselves.
I attempt some Tintin but am tired and stall after just a few pages, so Helen has to finish Red Rackham's Treasure by her own steam.
Tue 30th Dec:
This is the day Helen and Laura return to Germany. We set off at 7am, breaking for a quick snack breakfast (tea and bun) at a motorway service station. We arrive at Heathrow Terminal 5 too early, at around 11:00 (Helen and Laura's flight is at 1:40). We explore a little of Terminal 5, but it's not that inviting a place. The eating choices are better the other side of check-in, so Helen tells me, so we decided that she and Laura should go through the gate at 12:00 and I'll begin my drive home at that time. The goodbyes are always the worst part of the holidays, and this time proves no exception. We've had such fun together, done wonderful things, and seen some lovely sights, but of course the 2 weeks have flown far too fast. I shall be missing Helen and Laura once again!
And all that in just two weeks! Think what we might have done had we more time.
