Daytrip to Windsor and Eton part I

Hop on a train at Waterloo and just under an hour later you're at Windsor and Eton riverside station. The day I went I wandered straight over the little bridge separating the college town of Eton from the castle town of Windsor. There was a conspicuous lack of students in tailcoats and stripey trousers that day. It was probably a school holiday and I was actually relieved. Wandering the streets Eton somehow gave me the feeling of sneaking around a film set and hoping nobody would chuck me out for trespassing. If I for a moment forgot where I was, a sign would appear to remind me.
The buildings of Eton are varied and obviously very old, the oldest being from 1420! I think it would be a good idea to either buy a guide book or take one of the bustrips offered to get a bit more information about the buildings and architecture.
Picture courtesy of www.etoncollege.com
For anyone with a penchanct for colourful socks this is the place for you! I saw a sign in one of the local shops selling the Eton uniform that said there were 110 different designs today.

Walking along memory lane....story of a daytrip.

A heron by Richmond Bridge
Recently I wandered across Richmond bridge to St Margarets side and walked along the river towards Twickenham. It's nice to see everyone lying in the sun on the other side and I realise that one thing I probably never appreciated, or even noticed, walking along here as a child , was the beauty of peace! For someone who doesn't really crave isolation and country living, this is the perfect combination. A step away from the shopping joys of Richmond there you are - listening to wood pigeons coo, swans snarl, water lapping and the satisfied murmurs coming from people lazing in the sun or wandering along the river. I love it.
And I like that the relatively short walk to Twickenham can be as brief or long, as eventful or uneventful as you want to make it.
Marble Hill House
Marble Hill park is so inviting with it's long green lawns. Perfect for a picnic and I remember playing in the adventure playground there when I was little. But what I loved most was going to see Shakespeare in the park with the beautiful Marble Hill House as a back drop. Marble Hill house was built as a house for the mistress of King George II. Now that's not a bad incentive for being the other woman!! The house is open to the public and there is of course a cafe!!
Ham HouseHammertons Ferry
Across the river from Marble Hill House you can see another large house partially hidden behind some trees. This is Ham House. A 400 year old house with beautiful gardens open to the public. Just between Marble hill House and Ham house you come to Hammertons Ferry. This ferry has been operating here since 1908 and today, as then, you can let yourself be ferried from one beautiful side of the river to another.
If you carry on past Marble hill park you come to Orleans House Gallery. They have several exhibitions every year in the main house and the adjacent Stables Gallery. And, inevitably, a cafe!
There is, on the whole, never a great problem finding somewhere to eat or drink along the river. Just carry on past Orleans house you will come to the White Swan pub where you can sit in their garden right on the riverfront and enjoy the sun and watch the life on the river.

If you wander on a little bit more you can sit at The Barmy Arms pub. I used to love this pub when I was a kid because of the upsidedown pub sign and the reversed his and hers pictures on the loos. It is unfortunately not nearly as nice as I remembered (no fun loo signs!) but you can't knock a shandy in the sun there anyway! Eel Pie Island
You can also look across to Eel Pie Island, once home to the notorious Eel Pie Island Hotel and dancehall. This place was famous in the 60's for concerts with the likes of David Bowie, the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, The Who, the Yardbirds..... After closing in the late sixties it was taken over and turned into what became the UK's largest hippie colony. It burnt down in 1971.
From the Barmy Arms you can wander up the lane into Twickenham, stopping for an ice cream on the way, and either do some more shopping or get the bus back into Richmond.
Richmond is the last stop on the district line. From Richmond to Twickenham, (or back) you can take any of these buses - 33, R68, R70, 290 or 490

Battersea Park

When you see this you know you´re nearly there. What´s missing?!!

I remember as a very young child being taken to Battersea Park, to the funfair, I also remember seeing my first flasher there!! The funfair in the park was closed in 1977 after a 1972 accident on the rollercoaster, killing five children and injuring 13 others, understandably led to a severe decline in visitors. Flashers, unfortunately, probably still enjoy the park.
Today I went back to Battersea Park.
It´s a lovely park to visit, nice walks, enough cafes and icecream vans. There´s a little lake where you can rent a pedal boat and it´s even got a childrens zoo.Funny moustache monkey at the zoo.
Battersea Park is also the home to the Nipponzan Myohoji Buddhist Order of Japan! They erected a peace pagoda in the park in 1984 and are in charge of it´s upkeep. It is a beautifully peaceful place and I love the story behind how it came to be just there.There is an art gallery in the park and there´s a lovely walk along the river between Chelsea Bridge and Albert Bridge. Playgrounds for kids as well. All in all a great place for all the family in the middle of London. You can get to Battersea Park by the Southern Line from Victoria to Battersea Park then walk. All in all about 20 mins.

Not what it seems....

Last autumn I was in Siena. After a while I started noticing what I thought was the famous statue of Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, suckling on the she wolf. I finally asked someone why this famous symbol of Rome was spread all over Siena.
It turns out that this wasn´t the famous sons of Mars at all! It was his grandsons.
Story has it that Romulus and Remus had a falling out that ended with Remus being slain by his brother. Remus´ sons, Senius and Aschius, ran away taking the statue of the she wolf from the Apollo temple with them.
Their journey ended up in what is now known as, you guessed it, Siena!
I was also told one thing that should help to differentiate between the statues you see in Rome and those in Siena. The wolf in Rome will always be looking over it´s shoulder whereas the one in Siena is looking forward. According to the, Sienese, person who told me this story this is because the Romans are always looking to their past and the Sienese to the future!
If nothing else this should be an encouragement for everyone to go and visit Rome and Siena to check this for themselves, as if you need an excuse!

Ask Rhona for hotels.

Just thought I would let you know that I have travel agent access to a hotel booking system with hundreds of hotels around the world!
If anyone needs help booking a hotel rest assured that I will do my very best to find you a hotel that suits your needs and budget. Romantic weekend, dirty weekend, very wet weekend with friends or just for work - let me know.
For a price (I am cheap but there are limits to how many bottles of wine I should drink) I will aslo throw in a mini guide to where you´re going based on your wishlist!
Or are you stuck abroad and just need help? Mail me or phone me and I will be your friend in need :-)
References galore!
Bon Voyage!

The tears of Christ and orange cake

I needed to buy a nice, not too expensive, red wine for easter so I phoned Lene from Kraftbyraa.
She suggested Vesevus Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio 2008. I didn't just get a wine suggestion though, I got a whole story! Story has it that when Lucifer was thrown out of heaven he landed on earth creating what is now called the bay of Naples. He had nicked a piece of heaven as he left and, you guessed it, that is now Naples!! Christ wept as he realised his loss and where his tears fell to earth the first grapevines grew. Lacryma Christi means Christ's tears and is one the oldest wines from Italys Campania region.
Did I mention that it was DELICIOUS!!
All day before dinner I had been thinking that I wanted to make an orange cake. But I wanted a really compact and juicy orange cake. So after googling for a good while I found a perfect recipe on a this food blog
I think this is one of the greatest cakes I've eaten for ages and ages and unfortunately for my waistline I just want to make it again straight away.
Here's the recipe
For the cake -
2 large oranges
115g butter
340g sugar
2 eggs
190g flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
50 grams shredded coconut
Put the oranges in a pan of cold water and bring to the boil. Pour off the water and repeat twice more. When the oranges have been boiled three times remove any pips and then mince the oranges, peel and all, in a food processor (if you haven't got one you can use a hand blender and if you haven't got a hand blender you can chop and chop and chop..)
Mix the butter, eggs and sugar well and then add the orange pulp and mix in. Blend in the flour and coconut. Put in a greased 22cm cake tin and bake for 45min at 180° or until a tester comes out clean.
While the cake is in the oven make the syrup -
Mix these things in a small saucepan.
Zest of one orange
160ml orange juice
80ml water
225gm sugar
Bring everything to the boil and let boil for 3-4 minutes.
When the cake is finished leave to cool slightly on a rack ,transfer to a deep cake dish and pour the syrup over it. Decorate with orange slices, zest or whatever you want! EAT AND ENJOY, but preferably while still warm.
P.S for all the coconut haters out there, you can't taste coconut at all really, I think it just makes the consistency great and helps keep the cake juicy.