Monthly Archives: November 2006

Five Arrows – Waddesdon

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Quick trip to Waddesdon Manor to see the Christmas decorations.  Usual good standard, but Steve was begining to find them a bit the same.  Rosemary liked them.

Tried to eat at the Manor, but the resturant was full, so went to the Five Arrows.  Very busy when we arrived, but we were found somewhere to eat.  We ate of the fixed price menu, £15.50 for two courses.  Not a great choice, and we both felt was not very good value for the price.

Steve started with a fillet beef salad with croutons.  Beef cooked very nicely.  The main course was venison bangers and mash.  The sausages where very strong venison flavour, while the mash was very creamy and flaovourless. 

Rosemary amazingly had a fish main course which had changed from the salmon on the menu and a starter of a vegetarian tart, which was more puff pastry than vegetable, but with a good pickle.  She was not overly impressed.

Stitches removed

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At last I went to the surgery on Monday to have the stitches removed from my throat.  The nurse removed them with hardly any pain at all.  I was most impressed. 

While there she checked my innoculation record, and gave me a Hep A injection.  So now should be immune against that ailment for the next 20 years.  A pity my working travels to Saudi never materialised.

Stitches removed

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At last I went to the surgery on Monday to have the stitches removed from my throat.  The nurse removed them with hardly any pain at all.  I was most impressed. 

While there she checked my innoculation record, and gave me a Hep A injection.  So now should be immune against that ailment for the next 20 years.  A pity my working travels to Saudi never materialised.

Survived

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I have been to the Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford for the removal of an enlarged saliva gland.  Entered at 7.15 am on Friday, operated on at 10.30, came around from the anaesthetic at 11.30.  Despite being National Health, I had my own private ward, an excellent sleep that night, after I opened the window to let some of the hot air out. The government should be looking at its own establishments when trying to reduce carbon emissions.  A few radiator valves would not come amiss.  Was picked up at 10.30 on Saturday by Rosemary who had also visited (complete with grapes and magazine) on Friday.

Here is a picture of my scar.  Not sure about the stitching.

 

 scar.jpg

A meal in Edinburgh at Bar!oja

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After our lovely holiday in Guernsey it was back to work in Edinburgh for a couple of days. I decided to fly up on Sunday evening, and ate in the hotel bar. Some fish and a goats cheese salad.

This evening was a little bit more adventurous and went out and ate in a Tappas bar called Barioja (Bar!oja). I had four dishes, bread and olive oil, Sardines (Sardinas), mixed Spanish meats (Embutidos) and a mixed vegetables, tomato, courgettes etc cooked in olive oil (Escalivada).  All tasted very good, and was washed down with a large glass of Tinto.

Barioja, Edinburgh  The inside of Barioja, Edinburgh

Guernsey – Friday

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Off very late today, arrived in St Peter Port for lunch.  Had an excellent and large club sandwich in a pub.

 Walked to St Sampson, rather deary place.  St Peter Port is definitely going up market, while St Sampson is going down.

 Tonight we have booked a table at Crabby Jacks for a final meal and drink.  Hopefully there will be some dancing.  Tomorrow up early to bus over to the airport for the flight back to Southampton.

Guernsey – Thursday

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Diverted by puss wanting a saucer of milk.  Walked from our hotel to St Pierre Park Hotel in the centre of the island for their three courses Tennerfest meal at £10.  Very good value, and very well presented, but spoilt by somewhat erratic service and waitresses whose first language obviously wasn’t English, Patois or French.  Coffee being served 10 minutes before the desert course was one example.

After lunch walked back to Vazon Bay via Cobo.  En route we passed by the Guernsey telephone museum.  As usual it was closed at this time or year.  As we were leaning over the gate, admiring a submarine cable with repeater, one of the volunteers who works there was entering and invited us in to view the exhibits.  We had visited before in 1993, and were very pleased and impressed by the amount of work which had been done to enhance the displays in the interim period.  We must of spent a good hour there, and had a very good explanation of the workings of the museum by the volunteer.  Ex-BT, he had worked in the Guernsey Telecoms industry since the 1960s.

Walked about 8 miles.

Guernsey – Wednesday

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Today was another late start; we were off to catch the 12.15 ferry to Herm. Unluckily for Rosemary, who had vetoed my recommended bus as far too late to catch the ferry; we arrived in St Peter Port with ample shopping time. A quick walk up the steps to Pollet Street, a few minutes in Jessops, and Steve was away with a 10-20mm Sigma lens. Back to quay and a cappuccino coffee for Rosemary. The day was sunny with some nice photogenic cumulus clouds, though a little chilly with the Northerly wind. Ferry to Herm, walk to shell beach for a fairly mediocre shell collection (but with a partial ormer), tide was high. We ate a picnic on the beach, provided by Messers Marks and Spencers, and a gentle walk back around the South end of the island. We were entertained by the antics of one of Her Majesty’s destroyers who seemed to be practicing turns and manoeuvres in the sea between Herm and Sark. Good view of the Barclay brothers castle. They apparently ship their staff in from Guernsey by helicopter, and send it out for bottles of olives when their supply falls short. Back at the harbour we caught the 4.35 ferry back to the Guernsey as the sun was setting. Some opportunities to use the new lens for some cloudscapes. Back in the flat a couple of G&Ts, and then supper of Cajun-ed left over chicken with salad.