Halloween 2011

Halloween 2011, a set on Flickr.

Monday night saw Halloween roll around again.

We don't go to costume parties, we don't get any kids trick or treating, we don't decorate the house... apart from pumpkins.

Two pumpkins this year - one small and one large. The flesh isn't good for much but I do save the pips and roast them to eat later.

It really is just about carving pumpkins. This year there was the traditional jack'o'lantern and a more ambitious attempt of a a cat watching a bat.

They were lit every night until the smaller one started to rot and the candles ran out.

My Irish experience - day 1

Last Friday I was out of my bed at half past four to begin my trip to Ireland. A short cab ride through the rain-washed streets of London took me to City Airport, just as the sun was thinking about rising. By the time I landed in Dublin a few hours later the sky was blue and the sun was shining; a perfect start to my short break.

I collected my hire car (a very nice Fiat Panda) and bunny-hopped through the car park as I got the hang of the fact that the gear stick wasn't where I expected it to be and that the pedals were at a slightly different elevation. I then left the environs of Dublin and headed north-west towards Enniskillen. The road soon turned from dual carriage way to a rural main road - the sat-nav was in charge and took me through some lovely countryside. I stopped by a loch soon after crossing into Northern Ireland to switch my phone's data capabilities back on. Data roaming may be capped but I still didn't want any large bills.

The journey only took a couple of hours and I arrived in Enniskillen far too early to check into my hotel. I took a trip round the castle which had some exhibitions on local history and also housed the regimental museum of the Inniskilling Dragoons. There was a brief moment of panic outside the museum where I had to reassure myself that the currency of Northern Ireland is sterling... of course it is as it is part of the UK - but they have their own banknotes.

I did a bit more driving around waiting for check-in time and found myself on a scenic drive. I stopped at Topped Mountain which was advertising a view-point. That isn't a mountain, I thought to myself, it's a hill. So I decided to go up. I haven't seen the movie "The man who went up a hill and came down a mountain" but that seems like an apt title for my experience. Out of breath, soaking wet (a heavy shower appeared from nowhere) and not wearing the best shoes. The view was worth it though.

It was finally check-in time, but the next problem was finding the hotel. There is a time to stop listening to the sat-nav and use your eyes as I drove past the place three times before I found it:

Sat-nav: Arriving at destination on left

Nat: No, we aren't

The room was fabulous. We have a king size bed at home and this was even bigger. There was a lovely sofa, a 32-inch TV and a balcony door. After popping to the convenient Tesco for some lunch, shoe polish and more books (I'd nearly finished the one I'd brought with me) I met up with a couple of friends in the evening for dinner. We had a very Irish curry (!).

It was off to bed early to make sure we were in good form for our journey to the wedding we were all attending the next day.

Happy Halloween

"From ghoulies to ghosties and long-leggety beasties

And things that go bump in the night,

Good Lord, deliver us!"

Halloween is a contraction of All Hallows Eve, the night before All Saints Day (November 1st). Ancient tradition maintained that on this night the spirits of the deceased would roam the earth looking for new bodies to inhabit - this is the origin of Halloween costumes and the 'trick' of trick or treating. It was believed that by dressing in outlandish costume and causing chaos the spirits would be driven away.

Whatever you do tonight watch out for things going bump! Happy Halloween.

Holiday in Norfolk - Day 6

Back to Great Yarmouth today to do the tourist bit (for more on today's trip see the Occasional Tourist). We took a ride along the promenade in a horse and cart (sure beats walking) and then we visited the Sea Life Centre. Highlight of the visit must have been the four penguins and the shark tank (complete with walkway underwater).

We had lunch on the promenade attended by a flock of starlings and took a brief visit to the Scroby Sands Windfarm Visitor Centre.

This offshore windfarm has thirty turbines... each as tall as six double decker buses and with blades that are the size of a jumbo jet's wings.

In the afternoon my mother and I took a trip to the Hemby "Mega Maze" - or should that be "Mega Maize"?! This is a maze cut into a field of corn (maize). We managed to find our way out not once but twice! Maps are given out for a £1 deposit in a sealed envelope and your deposit is returned if the envelope is unopened.  How you use a map of a maze if you are lost I'm not sure... I wondered if when opened the envelope simply said "Ha! Ha!". We didn't open ours!

Holiday in Norfolk - Day 5, Part 2

We drove to a restaurant by one of the nearby Broads (you could see our local wind turbine on the far side from the restaurant). The nature of countryside roads meant a lengthy cross country trip instead of a few miles as the crow flies.

Filby Bridge Restaurant is not to be missed if you are in the Great Yarmouth area. An idyllic setting by the water the atmosphere is unhurried and the food is absolutely superb.

 

Looking out of the water just before sunset

 

Restaurant by night

Going home my mother decided rather than return the way we had come to take the 'alternative route'. This elicited gloomy prophecies of round trips to Norfolk from my father... and indeed we did take a few 'diversions' on our way. "Don't worry" said my mother at one point (after nearly taking us down a cul-de-sac, "I'll get us home". "Which home?" asked my father, "back to Kent?".

Holiday in Nofolk - Day 5, Part 1

This morning we took a trip to the beach. We were hoping to see some of the local seals but we were probably a bit late arriving. We did spend an enjoyable couple of hours paddling in the sea and getting sand in our shoes.

It's a steep climb up the sand dunes from the car park

Waves crashing (well sort of) on the shore

Seagull keeping an eye on proceedings

Breakwater burried in the drifting sand

Looking towards Great Yarmouth

Top of the dunes

Holiday in Norfolk - Day 4

The objective for day four was a trip on the Broads. To accomplish this we drove to nearby (ish) Wroxham... via a slight detour when we missed the turning as the sign pointed the other way - I knew I should take my SatNav!

We booked places on a cruise boat (small altercation between parents as to whether we should self drive or cruise) and then after a small wait we were off down the broads and back for an hour and a half... for full details of the trip see the Occasional Tourist.

On the way back we stopped for a pub lunch in Potter Heigham (famous for its quaint bridge over the broads).

In the afternoon I took a day trip down to Suffolk. I was curious to see how my job in Lowestoft was progressing... and delighted to see it looking much further along finished than the previous time I had visited.

I had decided to cook dinner for the family in the evening, which necessitated a trip to the supermarket. The SatNav and I had a little disagreement at this point - for when it took me 15 miles to the nearest Sainsbury's in North Walsham apparently I could actualy have gone back to Great Yarmouth (which would probably have been quicker). Ah well, never trust a computer.

Holiday in Norfolk - Day 3, Part 2

After the incident of the washing machine and the flood we took a trip up the coast to Cromer. Here we found a town which doesn't seem to have changed a great deal since a day trip to the beach twenty years ago!

We parked the car at the high point on the Cliffs and then walked gradually down the hill into the town. Here we wandered around, bought some lunch, and then walked back up the cliffs again.

 

In the afternoon I took a trip to nearby  Horsey Windpump. This is a beautiful windmill which worked as a drainage pump for the Broads. The views from the top are quite stunning as is the surrounding area of the Broads.