Suburban Lush

Glencoe

You may have noticed over there on the left that I've been reading "Glencoe" by John Prebble. This was not just for fun - it was research. You see, I had a trip to Glencoe planned, and being the immense nerd that I am I was finding out about the famous massacre at Glencoe before visiting the place itself.

This was yet another hiking weekend - the Scottish Highlands are a beautiful place to walk, full of gorgeous valleys and high hills. And the leader of the weekend had chosen Glencoe, the most famous of the Highland valleys. Not only stunning gorgeous but with an interesting (and bloody) history.

The story of the massacre is one of politics and betrayal and well worth reading but instead of telling you about it I am simply going to rabbit on about the gorgeous hiking we did, with gorgeous sunny (very un-Scottish) weather and pints at the pub.

We started off early on Friday morning, catching the ferry from Larne to Troon and driving up to Arrochar. We stopped there for our first walk - up Ben Arthur, also known as The Cobbler. The walk starts with steep switchbacks, a shock to the legs after a morning of travelling. The path eventually flattens out somewhat, giving you a chance to catch your breath and enjoy the view back down Loch Long and up towards the three summits of The Cobbler. The final ascent is steep and long, and we had amazing views from the summit. Some were even brave enough to tackle the famous Eye and reach the true summit.

Then it was back down to the cars for the final leg of the journey to our hostel Kinlochlevin. 

We arrived for a quick unpack and shower before heading out for a pint. Most had dinner at the hostel, but a few of us headed to the local Tailrace inn for our meal. A delicious steak and ale pie and a pint of local beer hit the spot before meeting up with the others for a few pints at the hostel bar. 

The plan for Saturday was to climb Bidean Nam Bian, the highest mountain in Argyll and Glencoe at 3773ft. This was a hard walk, but immensely rewarding. Steep uphill climbs, almost vertical scree slopes, over 9 hours long, completely and utterly breathtaking views, and an incredible sense of satisfaction. Again starting with immediate uphill, the track eventually flattened out in The Lost Valley - unseen from below, this was the place where the clansmen of Glencoe hid rustled cattle from their rightful owners. After the respite of The Lost Valley, it was a steep climb and scramble to the top. No point rushing - take plenty of time to turn around and enjoy the views spreading out below as you ascend. The day was hot and we took our lunch at the saddle before tackling the final climb along a ridge to the summit of Bidean Nam Bian. Then down and around, scrambling desperately down an almost vertical scree slope, some on their feet and some on their bottoms before rejoining the well-defined path. Constant descent, most of it excruciatingly steep, reminded us how far we'd climbed.

We didn't get back to the hostel until quite late. Once showered we ordered dinner. I couldn't resist - haggis, neeps and tatties with whisky cream sauce. Surprisingly delicious!

Then, after a few pints, we headed to a pub to check out a local band and have a few more drinks.

We'd booked the ferry back to Belfast for late on Sunday, which meant we had all day to amuse ourselves. Rather than go for another walk we decided on a leisurely day out: visiting the Scottish National Trust information centre at Glencoe where they have an excellent exhibition on the history of the area, and popping in to little towns to check out the local sights.

It was a fantastic weekend, and I'm already itching to return.

Monday Morning Roundup

Food, walking and laziness. It's been hectic over here!

Over a week ago I cooked dinner for John and completed the second of 4 installments of the Weekly Food Challenge. But I have finally found my camera cord, so this time you get pics, as well! I'd gone to the markets and picked up some lovely plump and juicy steaks. So, what to accompany them. Well, I went for a simple rocket salad, and The Pioneer Woman's caprese salad. Simple and elegant, this salad goes with anything. Ripe market tomatoes, creamy mozzarella (the good kind - don't skimp on this!), aromatic basil leaves, and the simplest of dressing. As well as being dead easy to assemble, it also looks amazing. Check it out:

Caprese salad (makes 2 generous side portions)

• 3 ripe tomatoes
• 12 oz fresh mozzarella
• fresh basil leaves
• balsamic reduction
• olive oil
• sale & pepper to taste

Slice the tomatoes and mozzarella. Layer artistically in a nice dish. Tuck in basil leaves. Drizzle over the olive oil and balsamic reduction. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

If you are lucky (and lazy) it is usually possible to buy balsamic reduction pre-made. But if not, it is easy peasy to make. Simply place balsamic vinegar in a pot and bring to a boil over medium-low heat. Cook for 10 to 20 minutes, or until balsamic has reduced to a thick glaze. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Balsamic reduction is one of those awesome things to have around, so go ahead and make a whole heap - it keeps for quite some time in the fridge. I drizzle mine over salads and pizzas, or to marinade meat.

Next up was desert. Strawberries are luscious and plump at the moment, so I figured I'd give this strawberry cake a go. Sometimes dishes take my fancy despite the fact that I haven't read the description through. This was one of those dishes. And it was delicious, according to John. I wasn't quite such a fan, mostly because I had failed to read that "those strawberries turn into puddles of jam". Which is all well and good if you like jam, but I don't. Or, well, more specifically I like jam only when it comes served with clotted cream and scones. But if you like jam, as John does, then this cake is for you. I didn't fiddle with the recipe at all, so go on over to Smitten Kitchen and check it out.

You might wonder what else have I been up to, other than cooking and eating. First off, I am currently jobless, my temping position having ended. This isn't a terrible thing, as the job was pretty dire. So I've had a week off, which has meant catching up with friends and family. No complaints there.

I've been out hiking as well. Because we are insane, my hiking group decided to do a challenge. It was in two parts. The first part started at midnight and took in 3 peaks before breakfast. I don't know much about the second part because I was too lazy to do it. Friday night saw a group of us congregating in Donard Park, where we had a BBQ before driving around to Bloody Bridge carpark where we donned backpacks, head torches and glowsticks before starting up Bloody Bridge river and over Slieve Donard. Then down Slieve Donard and over Slieve Commedagh, Corrag and Bernagh as the sun came up. The plan was to see the sunrise at the top of Bernagh, but we were a little late and it was foggy. Still, we carried on down to Meelmore where our support crew and cooks extraordinaire had set up shop and were cooking up a storm - blueberry muffins, bacon and sausage baps, tea, coffee, and fruit for the health-conscious (I did not have any fruit, and I maintain that there were plenty of healthy blueberries in the muffins). Most of us had previously decided that the overnight walk was enough for us, but a handful carried on to complete the second half of the challenge.

Rathlin Recki

I had another early morning on Saturday, again for hiking. When my alarm went off at 6:30 I wondered why on earth I do this for fun. Particularly since it was raining. Despite my pessimistic thoughts I dragged myself out of bed and into my hiking gear. I was off to Rathlin Island.

I had friends from NZ staying with me, but they had arrived rather unexpectedly and I had already committed myself to doing the hike. Fortunately they were keen to check out the Causeway Coast, and so were able to drop me off at Ballycastle on their way, where I was meeting up with 2 walking friends and catching the ferry. We arrived early, and the five of us (two kiwis and three intrepid hikers) stopped at a cafe for a bite of breakfast. While the others ate bacon and eggs I stuck with peppermint tea - from where we were sitting we had a great view of the bay, and the rolling swell and crashing waves did not bode well for my stomach's survival during the crossing.

It was pouring with rain by the time we were ready to board, and we had donned full waterproof gear. The ferry ride is 45 minutes, and somehow I managed it without being sick. I was delighted! By the time we arrived on the island the rain had stopped, and we headed up the road.

'Recki' is short for reconnoiter. Basically we were scoping out the island for an official group walk in a couple of weeks, figuring out which trails to take, how long the walk would be, and what sort of terrain it would be over. What this really means is that we didn't exactly know where we were going (far better to wander around lost with a group of three rather than on an official walk and in front of 30 others) but we had our trusty map. The route was mostly road-based, with a couple of off-road scouting missions.

Rathlin Island is beautifuland wild, with plenty of wildlife to see. We were even lucky enough to catch sight of a seal. We walked, chatted, and figured out the route, sheltering in an old ruined building for lunch. By mid afternoon we'd seen it all and were soaked through, so stopped at the pub where we had a cup of tea before catching the ferry back home.

It was a good day, and I'm looking forward to going back for the official walk in a few weeks. And hopefully the seas will be calmer.

Walking in the Lake District

I was woken by my alarm at a horrendous time on the morning of the Royal wedding. Not for wedding festivities, but to be picked up by a friend for the 6 1/2 hour journey to the Lake District. A group of us from the walking club were going, and we were due to meet on the ferry at 6am - far to early for me. I'd been nervous about the crossing, but fortunately it was calm and we made it from Belfast to Stranraerwithout incident.

Even Dianne and I survived and didn't have to make use of our gifts:

 

 

Then it was the long car journey from Stranraer to Keswick. There were 29 of us going, and approximately 4 people per car. We had CB radios - meet team "rubber duckie"

 

 

Team Rubber Duckie had prepared well

  
- magazines, chips, chocolate, candy, coke - and before too long we were all in sugar induced high spirits.

We arrived in Keswick mid afternoon and, with some difficulty, found our hostel.

We unpacked, made the beds, and then made our plans for the afternoon. Some of the group were keen to hike that afternoon, but being ladies of leisure (and knowing there'd be plenty more hiking that weekend) a few of us headed into Keswick itself for a look around. A lovely little town, filled with hiking shops (in other words, perfect for us!) Keswick was having a street party to celebrate the wedding. We joined in by having a Pimms before heading to the nearest cafe for tea and scones. Delicious!

Dinner that evening was at a pub in Keswick (smoked fish cakes with wedges for me!) after a couple of pints in the sunshine. Then back to the hostel and into bed for an early night.

We were up bright and early on Saturday morning, pleased to discover that not only was the sun shining, but that the hostel was going to provide us with a full cooked breakfast. We gorged ourselves, sorted out lunch, packed up our things and headed out to climb the highest mountain in England: Scafell Pike. The walk up Scafell pike is a long and constant ascent, but the path is well marked so it was possible for us to walk at our own pace. A few girls and I (dubbed C-team) went with the slow-and-steady method, pacing ourselves, taking many 30 second mini breaks, but not stopping for any real lenth of time. On and on we walked, up hill and over boulders. The first glimpse of the summit spurned us on and, after the final scramble, we reached the summit. The wind was blowing hard and we took a quick picture on the very top and then stopped to look around for the others in our group. Suddenly it dawned on us: we were the first to the top! Delighted, we celebrated by finding a sheltered spot and having some much deserved lunch while we waited for the rest of our group.

It was rather cold up at the summit so before too long we started back down, a few of us going ahead. We began by going back the way we came for a bit, and then turned off for a different (and longer) route which took us past some gorgeous lakes before rejoining the original path not far from thecarpark. As we were the first ones to start back we were also the first ones to arrive at the car and, inevitably, the first ones to arrive at the pub. We sat on the grass outside, ordered drinks (pints of cider with a dash of blackcurrant syrup - delicious!), waited for the others and enjoyed the sunshine. Before long we were all there, and enjoying a few hard-earned drinks. Then it was back to the hostel for dinner (local sausages and mashed potatoes - yummy!). Not long after eating we were back at the pub, where we stayed until closing time.

 
Sunday morning started off slowly as many of the group nursed hangovers. A fried breakfast put most of us right again, and we were off for yet another walk: Helvellyn. This is one of the most popular routes in the Lakes. We drove from the hostel to the village of Glenridding where we parked our cars. And then it was up, up, up. We stopped for elevenses at around 1:30, before carrying on along Striding Edge to the summit. Striding Edge is a high and sharp ridge path, not for the faint-hearted, but loads of fun. The wind at the summit was gale-force, but we stopped for a quick lunch anyway before the scramble down and along Swirral Edge. 

Sunday night was quiet, with dinner at the pub (whole locally caught trout with chips) and a couple of pints before an early bedtime. And then it was Monday. We spent the morning in Keswick before starting the long journey home.

It was a fantastic weekend: great weather, great walks, great friends, great craic.

 

 

Boa Island and Lusty Beg

The thing about being part of a hiking group is that there are loads of group events, both official and unofficial. And inevitably there are some scandals and some romances. A group of us were away last weekend to celebrate one of the romances: the marriage of Jim and Wendy.

They chose to get married on lovely Lusty Beg island in County Fermanagh. Seeing as it is a good couple hours away from Belfast, a group of us hired a house on Boa Island for the weekend, and headed down there on the Friday night after work. A few friends had gotten there before us and had already fired up the BBQ so we got straight into the food and beers. It was an entertaining evening to say the least, best illustrated with photos:

Yes, she is sitting on a lawnmower.

And yes, that is two pool cue and a BBQ lid.

I think we invented a new game . . .

Yeah, I don't know what is happening here either. And yes, that is a man in a bathrobe and slippers.

Despite the obvious excessive alcohol, the next day a few of us managed a short walk before we had to start getting ready for the wedding. I'd forgotten how pretty Northern Ireland can be:

Back at the house we prettied up, before heading to the evening 'do of the wedding. It was a gorgeous occasion, and Jim and Wendy were as happy as can be. We danced the night away:

John, Wendy & I

Jim & Wendy's first dance

Pretty ruffles!

Smoochies.

It was a fantastic weekend, and fun was had by all.

Tongariro National Park - Part 2

Last night left our two intrepid trampers with a bottle of wine, a plan and an early night. We'd kept our  plans for the day loose and free: we knew which hike we wanted to do but were keeping our options open as to whether we'd stay another night or not.

The morning dawned colder and wetter than the day before, and we discussed a plan of action over another hearty breakfast. We decided to pack up our room, and head out to the Department of Conservation information centre in National Park to check out the forecast before our walk. The backpackers was quiet (only 5 people staying the night before) and we figured we'd have no problem getting a room after our hike if we decided to stay. So we bundled everything in the car and headed out. The news at the information centre was dire. Periods of rain turning to showers (you can imagine long the two of us spend discussing the difference between "periods of rain" and "showers") and worse the next day. Our decision was made: we'd do our hike today as planned, and head home afterwards.

We'd decided on a walk to upper and lower Tama lakes. Situated directly between Ngaruruhoe and Ruapehu, the terrain was somewhat less taxing than the previous day's walk had been, and our legs appreciated it. We headed up through a bush-covered valley to Taranaki Falls (impressive!) and through the rolling tussocked landscape before reaching lower Tama lake. From there, we walked sharply up-hill over scree, to spectacular views of upper Tama lake. We'd had a little rain to start, and showers on and off, but a fairly constant wind at our backs. The clouds cleared slightly and from our (very cold) vantage point, we were rewarded with views of both Ngaruruhoe and Ruapehu. We have an odd rule that lunch must be had more than half-way through the walk, and our viewpoint had no shelter from the wind, so we headed back towards lower Tama lake. There we found a sheltered spot and had our lunch. The sun even came out.

We'd been somewhat anxious about the walk back because the wind had been behind us on the way there. And this wasn't exactly a light breeze. But somehow we timed things perfectly, and the wind was behind us again. The sun was shining, and we got some spectacular views, but as expected we also got more rain.

We got back to the car very pleased with ourselves, and headed to a cafe for a (less than $5) cappuccino. Then we were on the road for home, stopping only to pick up some ingredients for dinner. It was after 8 when we pulled into the driveway, and by the time we'd unpacked the car and put everything away it was 9. Dad shook up a martini (we totally deserved one) while I prepped the veg for a stir-fry. By the time we'd finished our martinis and sat down for dinner it was 10, and we'd conveniently forgotten how lethal the combination of exercise and booze can be, especially on an empty stomach. Throwing caution to the wind we opened (and drank) a bottle of wine with dinner.

Eventually, having left sobriety behind, we sat up late discussing a mountain we'd seen (but couldn't find on the map) and no doubt solving the problems of the world. Too bad I can't really remember. Finally crawled into bed and slept as only one can in their childhood bed. It was a fantastic weekend.

(pictures from here)

Tongariro National Park - Part 1

If you are going to make a list of things you'd like to do during the year, I suggest you do some research first. I made my 31 before 31 list on a whim, sitting on my couch in the comfort of my own home. Number 7 on the list was to climb the 3 biggest peaks of NZ's North Island; Ruapehu, Ngaruruhoe, and Tongariro. On paper this sounded like a great idea, and really, it was. It just wasn't practical.

The weather has warmed up considerably in the last month, and so I started investigating what would be involved in climbing these mountains. I bought a couple of maps, recruited my Dad for a weekend away, and headed into a local hiking gear shop to ask questions. Firstly, is it even possible to climb Ruapehu. "Oh yes" I was told "are you very experienced?" I told them that we were, and the next question was "and do you have your own crampons and ice axes, or are you looking to buy some?". Crampons?? Ice axes??? Hah! Well, it was clear that Ruapehu was off the list. Still, Dad and I decided to head down to Tongariro National Park for a weekend of hiking anyway.

We left home on Friday night, arriving at the backpackers at around 11pm. We had originally looked into doing the Tongariro crossing, and the backpackers offered drop-off and pick-up services (you need a car to get to the start and to collect you at the end). But (there's always a 'but', isn't there?) the van for the drop-off left at 7:45am. Now we may be many things, but early risers isn't one of them. Plus you had to make sure you finished the walk in time to catch the bus at the end, and both my Dad and I hate walking to a schedule - it just adds extra stress. So we decided on a plan. We would park at one end of the crossing, and walk up from there. At the half way point we would turn around and come back. And then, if we wanted to, we could always do the other half the next day (spoiler alert: we didn't).

Saturday we awoke to a cold and wet morning. Undaunted, we cooked a hearty breakfast (baked beans on toast, fried eggs, and yogurt), geared up and headed out. We'd decided to start at the Mangatepopo hut and head up to the red crater. This meant we would have the options of doing a side trip up either Tongariro or Ngaruahoe. The track is steep, but not unrelentingly so. And while the weather wasn't great, with both wind and rain, it didn't rain the whole time. We got fairly wet starting off, but managed to dry off again before reaching the top. We'd been discussing our options for summit trips. Ngaruruhoe is a hard summit to climb, all scree and unrelenting steepness, and because of the scree it is a matter of two steps forward and one step back. We decided to skip it, particularly considering the weather conditions. There is no marked route  to the top, and you need to be able to see the summit to navigate. The cloud was thick and low and there was no way we could see the summit. Tongariro is another matter. At 1967 meters is isn't as high as Ngaruruhoe, but the path is well-defined. So we by-passed the Ngaruruhoe summit track and carried on towards the red crater. Just before reaching the crater is the turn-off for the Tongariro summit, and we took it, walking along the thin ridge to the summit, where the cloud was so dense we got no views at all. Oh well! We turned around, stopped in the shelter of a rock for a quick lunch (thank God for the thermos of soup!), and returned to the main path. There we carried on a little further to reach the red crater. The cloud had lifted on this side of the mountains and we got a fantastic view. I'd usually post pictures here, but I didn't take my camera up with me. So here's one from google images instead:

Ok, so it didn't look exactly like that (we couldn't see Ngaruruhoe in the background) but it was still pretty cool (and just as Georgia O'Keefe-esque). The ground is red, and steaming in places, and there are no signs of life. In fact, the scenery (what we saw of it) for the whole walk was amazing. Like being on another planet. I loved that when I sat down to enjoy the view the ground was warm. It gave everything a sense of danger, like it could just explode under your feet (which I guess it could).

We headed back down and managed to get drenched with rain again, but we'd mostly dried off by the time we made it back to the car. We had a couple squares of chocolate each to keep up our strength, and drove over to the chateau to take a look. The chateau is fancy, and we thought we might have a coffee there, or maybe even dinner. We wandered in, wearing our rain and mud-splattered hiking gear, and ran smack bang into the middle of a wedding reception. We quickly ducked around the side, and headed towards the cafe to see about coffee. Dad realised he'd left his wallet in the car, and rather than going back out into the rain we counted the change in his pockets. So imagine us, slightly startled after running into the wedding, looking like we hadn't showered or combed our hair for months, shivering slightly from the cold, holding a handful of small change and walking into a fancy cafe. I asked the server how much a cappuccino would be and we nearly died when she said $5 - so expensive! So we clutched our change, turned around and walked back out.

We decided instead to return to the backpackers, shower and wash, and then find somewhere for dinner. It turned out to be an excellent plan, and we ended up having burgers and chips, washed down with a couple of beers, at a restaurant in National Park. The restaurant was clearly unexpectedly busy, and the server looked harassed. We were highly amused to find that they'd run out of several types of beer. Fortunately they still had some, so we weren't left high and dry.

Full to the brim we returned to the backpackers and sat with our map and a bottle of wine, making plans for the next day, before turning in for an early night.

Putting In The Hard Yards

We're reaching the end of the semester, and I spend a lot of my time frantically researching and writing. Not much time for activities which make for interesting blog fodder, sorry. 

I've got three things on the go at the moment:

1) An ethnographic study of a tramping club in New Zealand (jokingly referred to by me as Walking Not Talking);

2) An essay of current political and theoretical debates about "multiculturalism", citizenship, and collective rights and how they apply to the current situation with the Roma in Europe; and

3) A critical examination of microfinance as a form of poverty reduction, reviewing the literature and commenting on the socio-cultural, organizational and macro- and micro- economic factors which affect the outcomes of these programmes.

I enjoy it, but it is hard work. 

Happily I just got a couple of results back from previous assignments and it reassures me that I haven't yet killed all my braincells and I am capable of good marks.

Oh, and of course I am allowing my self a little more time for braincell killing:

Unfortunately the weather is getting nicer, too. Now I know this would seem like a good thing, and in some respects it is, but it means that my usual hiking buddy is off sailing instead. I'll have to recruit somebody else I guess.

So yes, I've been working, studying and, occasionally, drinking. Boring, right?!

Did I Mention That It Is Beautiful Here?

Birthday Bonanza

It was my Mom's birthday last Saturday. And yes, I know that was almost a week ago but I have nothing else to tell you about and I want to tell you about the birthday celebrations and it's my blog so I get to write what I want. So there.

Anyway, it was a fun-filled weekend all in all. I had my usual couple of wines at work on Friday night, then came home and made dip and cake for the festivities on Saturday night. I also made a couple of loaves of bread. 

Saturday morning I made cinnamon rolls for Sunday morning, and my friend Percy came over for lunch (including bubbles - yay!) and a spot of shopping for a bridesmaid dress. Success! Then I shot off to my folks' place to continue cooking.

My Mom had originally wanted to go out for dinner, but in the end she decided to invite some friends over. And have me cook. For 9 people. Fortunately I was one of the 9, so not only did I get to plan the menu, cook the food, and have someone else pay for the shopping, I also got to eat. And I had the help of the most fantastic souschef ever. Thanks Dad!

So, other than dip and cake, there was also aubergine rolls stuffed with goats cheese, pine nuts and tapenade. Then slow-roasted leg of lamb rubbed with rosemary, anchovy and lemon zest and served with leek bread pudding and green beans. Next, a lemon and mint granita to cleanse the palate before cake. And I have to say, it was all pretty darn good! We washed it down with martinis and wine, then had cheese and liqueurs to finish off the evening. I think everyone had a good time - the photos from the night are full of laughter.

The next day those of us who had spent the night (me, my folks (obviously, it was their house), and my uncle and his partner) had cinnamon rolls for brunch. I have no idea how we fit them into our distended bellies. To recover, my Dad and I went for a short walk up Kakapuke, a small hill near Matamata. Then back home for a bit of study.

See? It was crazy busy! I'm sure you can understand why it took me this long to write about it - I've only just recovered!!