David Bowie: Fame and fashion in London

Style icon – David Bowie

Back in 1973 I experienced a life changing moment watching Top of the Pops on British TV when David Bowie appeared on the screen.

Not only did he project the image of a rock god, he was wearing an astonishing and provocative outfit, unlike anything I’d seen before.

And then there was the make-up and face paint. The family gulped as this androgyonous figure duetted on his single, Starman, with his gold-clad, blonde Adonis of a guitarist, Mick Ronson.

Bowie was Ziggy Stardust, part man, part alien, a mutant from another planet – aided and abetted by his motley crew, The Spiders from Mars.

This star man thrilled not only because he seemed to speak directly from the telly like an evangelist peddling rock ’n ’roll, but he was just so cool, oozing style from every pore.

I was an instant convert to his intelligent glam rock with its arty leanings and theatrical tendencies. I’ve been in love with rock ‘n’roll ever since!

Aladdin Sane – Bowie glams it up

Forty years later I’m still hooked on rock’s greatest chameleon who is the focus of the London Victoria and Albert Museum’s show, David Bowie Is, which happens to coincide with the artist’s first album in 10 years.

The exhibition brings together 300 costumes, art works and designs from Bowie’s 50 year career – and it’s a show that you really shouldn’t miss.

The shock of the new

Bowie is a style leader and musical innovator but it was his early roots that intrigued me in the London exhibition at the V & A.

How did a boy called David Jones from suburban Bromley in Kent transform himself from a Teddy boy rocker in The Konrads into arty innovator, David Bowie?

Early Bowie

His early years are illustrated by some great photos of the young Bowie in his city slicker suit, looking like pop idol Heinz from the Joe Meek school of rock ‘n’ roll in the 1950s.

Then there was Bowie’s hippy phase with Bowie looking distinctly psychedelic and effete in his floppy hats, long hair and ‘Chelsea Girl’ fashions.

The V & A show gives us plenty of clues to Bowie’s early artistic influences which suggest that he saw himself as much as an artist as a musician.

Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry were influences but so were William Burroughs, Gilbert and George, John Cage and Andy Warhol’s Factory.

Art connections – Bowie and Burroughs

David Bowie’s passion for art set him along a pathway of innovation and carefully crafted imagery, punctuated by a series of characters each with their own visual style.

There’s a good selection of Bowie’s own paintings and sketches; the oils from his Berlin period are surprisingly good with their German Expressionist style.

This slightly odd-looking self portrait makes Bowie looks like an alchemist, exuding artistic energy and creativity.

Bowie self portrait

Bowie’s love of mime is explored in a fascinating video in which he struts his stuff , influenced by mime master Lindsay Kemp, illustrating his early love of theatricality.

There’s some great examples of Bowie’s automatic poetry and random word play which he used to create his lyrics – they draw heavily on techniques used by the Surrealist poet, Apollinaire.

Cut up lyrics

If anyone was ever in doubt about Bowie’s agenda, art was always at its core. Ziggy played guitar… but he also flirted with fine art, mime, alternative film and literature.

Perhaps Bowie is the ultimate modern Renaissance man? A man of many talents and styles, constantly shifting and evolving through his music and art.

Art attack – a photo collage of Bowie

Ziggy Stardust

After years of experimentation, Bowie’s explosion onto the British rock scene came with Ziggy Stardust which blew away the musical cobwebs with a spaced-out, futuristic vision for rock music.

The Starman suit worn by Bowie on Top of the Pops in 1972 was a watershed in British rock styling.

It’s amazing to see the costume close-up, framed by a large screen video from Top of the Pops.

It has the power to shock even today with its striking design and androgynous look, aided and abetted by Bowie’s bright orange, spiky hair.

Adding to the video’s inter-galactic ambience is Mick Ronson who had reinvented himself from ‘rough and ready’ northerner into Bowie’s glittering artistic muse.

Bowie as Ziggy Stardust

The Ziggy suit was inspired by Stanley Kubrick’s controversial film, A Clockwork Orange which Bowie described as “ultraviolence in Liberty fabrics”.

Another Ziggy period costume takes Bowie’s androgyny to the limits with its knitted, skin-hugging style which is half man, half beast.

I remember getting my mum to knit me a similar colourful, wool creation but with shorts instead of Bowie’s daring cropped leg look.

Bowie as Ziggy Stardust

Fashion and the Thin White Duke

Bowie didn’t so much flirt with fashion as wholeheartedly embrace it, commissioning top designers to come up with visions of his latest stage personas.

It’s astonishing to look back on the catwalk of Bowie creations from sailor outfits and finely-tailored suits to the striking Pierrot costume from Ashes to Ashes with its curvy, chameleon-like outer skin.

One of the best Bowie periods was his Berlin sojourn with Iggy Pop which resulted in one of my favourite albums, Low, and his flirtation with German Expressionism and Marlene Dietrich style.

Funnily enough, Bowie and Dietrich starred together in the Hollywood film, Just A Gigolo, but never actually met on the set during filming. Bowie must have been gutted…

Fashionista Bowie

This striped bodysuit designed for the Aladdin Sane tour by Kansai Yamamoto is one of my favourite costumes in the show with its curvy body armour that looks like an armadillo.

It was a nightmare to wear, but Yamamoto has always remained one of Bowie’s favourite designers – and there are a number of his stunning costumes in the exhibition.

But then, sometimes you have to suffer for your art… this image is as striking as it was 40 years ago.

Bowie – costume chameleon

Sound and vision

One of the most striking aspects of the London V & A exhibition is the sound system which is designed to make you feel like you’re inside Bowie’s world.

Visitors are given a Sennheiser audio guide system which aims to create an immersive 3D sound experience via an interactive head set.

For me, it works best when you stand still in one place but if you wander around between exhibits, you’re in danger of losing the sound and drifting into an audio-free no man’s land.

Its creators used complex algorithms to convert Bowie’s mono and stereo material into a multi-channel music experience.

The overlapping audio works best in the large gig-like space at the centre of the exhibition which tries to recreate the experience of being at a Bowie gig, complete with giant screens and film footage.

It’s a strangely overwhelming and emotional experience – and took me right back to the many ages of Bowie ranging from the 1970s through to Young Americans and Live Aid.

Drama queen – on stage with Bowie

Sadly the only time I’ve seen David Bowie live was on his Glass Spider Tour, which has largely been expunged from the V & A exhibition, probably because of its relative mediocrity.

The poorly received Tin Machine period with its noisy wall of sound and forgettable fashions is also largely missing from the show.

But it’s great to be able to feel like you were at a Bowie gig circa 1973 in Ziggy’s heyday, even for those who weren’t born back then!

The final section of the exhibition is something of an anti-climax after this amazing tour de force but there’s still the later costumes to savour for their inventiveness.

There’s the Union Jack coat, designed by Alexander McQueen and David Bowie for the Earthling tour, which is a far cry from the kimono designs beloved by Bowie in the 1970s.

My personal ‘best in show’ is the beautifully-tailored Life on Mars peppermint suit and striped shirt combo designed by Freddie Burretti.

Apparently Bowie was so thin and the suit so small that model Kate Moss had to have it taken out for a 2003 Vogue photo shoot!

Sometimes you wonder how all these designs and costumes survived the ravages of time. Perhaps contemporary artists like Paloma Faith, Coldplay and Beyonce should start developing their own design collections for future display?

Finally there’s costumes and designs from Bowie’s film and theatre career… from the stage production of The Elephant Man to Bowie’s khaki number from Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence.

As you exit through the last exhibition space, take time to look at the fine collection of Bowie still images captured by photographer Mick Rock.

Change is the essence of Bowie – and experiencing this show is liking being inside Bowie’s creative mind. We feel at one with our rock idol.

Perhaps we can all be heroes just for one day…

About the exhibition

Fashion Bowie style

The David Bowie Is exhibition can be seen at the London V & A Museum daily until 11 August 2013. It’s essential to book tickets ahead of your visit because this is one show that is destined to sell out.

The V & A is located on Cromwell Road in Kensington – the nearest Tube station is South Kensington.

Don’t miss out on the excellent exhibition catalogue, a complete coffee table treat if ever there was one.

Credits

Tokyo Pop – the Aladdin Sane tour costume

Images are copyright and courtesy of V & A Images, London, the David Bowie Archive, Studio Canal Films, John Robert Rowlands, Terry O’Neill and Brian Duffy.

Thanks to the Victoria and Albert Museum for permission to use these images.

Bowie’s transformation from rocker to artist

Santillana del Mar – Spain’s prettiest village

The picturesque Santillana del Mar

Santillana del Mar is widely regarded as “the prettiest village in Spain”, a description bestowed upon it by the French author Jean-Paul Sartre in his travel writings.

Today it remains the epitome of a model medieval village with its historic streets… and gushing recommendations in guide books plus top ratings on Trip Advisor.

So would it make the grade with Tammy?

A treat for lovers of medieval villages

Jewel in the crown

I arrived with high expectations and wasn’t disappointed by this jewel in the crown of Cantabrian villages which is set amongst verdant countryside.

Preserved in amber – the village’s old streets and squares

Spring is the best time to visit when this medieval village oozes charm and history rather than splurging out massive coach loads of tourists during the summer months.

Walk back in time through its cobbled streets lined with palaces and half-timbered houses characterised by their overhanging balconies and canopies.

It’s charming, rustic and authentic, largely because it’s always had a strong regional identity and people cared about its conservation down the decades.

Tammy hits the streets of Santillana

During medieval times Santillana del Mar’s merchants and traders were so wealthy that almost everyone was a noble or ‘hidalgo’ by 1600.

They made their money from wool, dairy products and linen which meant that they could eventually live off the fruits of their labours.

By the 17th Century they were so rich that most people stopped doing any real work, giving the village a sleepy, refined feel that remains even today!

Santillana del Mar’s noble buildings

The village was home to many famous nobles including the Marques de Santillana, Inigo Lopez de Menoza, the Spanish equivalent of Sir Philip Sidney, a poet and military man whose house you can still see on the Calle del Canton.

There’s a wealth of historic houses reflecting its noble inhabitants including a couple of fine squares with houses dating from the 15th-17th centuries.

Walking back through the ages in Santillana

This square is one that boasts many fine buildings which looks a little like a film set before the actors and crew arrive with its perfectly preserved houses and old world ambience.

Except for one thing – this is for real… it feels like a proper medieval village, frozen in time.

Perfectly frozen in time

Only 20 years ago many inhabitants of Santillana still kept cattle on the ground floors of their homes and sold the milk to locals and visitors.

Today you’re more likely to see these dairy products in the plethora of charming local food shops, each stocked to the roof tops with so many varieties of cheese that it’s hard to know which to pick for a lunchtime treat.

Beaches and rain

Just one small, weird anomaly – Santillana del Mar isn’t on the coast, despite its seaside name.

Bizarrely, the village is about 3 kms from the coast so don’t expect a sandy beach unless you drive up the road to nearby Suances or St Vicente de la Barquera.

There’s just one other downside to this stunning village…

If the weather turns wet (which is often does in northern Spain), you’re likely to find yourself getting a massive soaking from the waters that pour off the overhanging balconies of the medieval palaces and houses.

Wet wet wet

The latter disgorge their contents from their ‘historic’ drain pipes straight into the centre of the street from a great height, as you’ll see in the picture above if you look carefully.

You have been warned… but it’s a small price to pay for its picturesque beauty..

Colegiata’s cloisters

Colegiata – a 12th Century masterpiece

Any trip to Santillana del Mar wouldn’t be complete without a trip to what is arguably its most beautiful building – the Romanesque Colegiata.

The church houses the remains of St Juliana, a martyr under the Diocletian regime, whose body has lain on this religious site since the 6th Century.

You’ll find her tomb in the central nave not far from the altar, resplendent with a statue that has a strangely modern-looking appearance.

The highlight of the Colegiata is its stunning ivy-covered cloisters, built by the monks who lived in the original monastery which occupied the site in the 11th Century.

Colegiata’s cloisters

As I walked around this charming cloister it was hard not to be drawn to the beautiful detailing on the capitals surrounding the grassy central square.

The Spanish guide book described them as “erotic carvings” but I’m sure that must be a misprint – surely it meant to say “exotic”!

Each pillar features carvings of biblical and hunting scenes. This one below fascinated me with its carved angel and frightening, coiled serpent.

Santillana del Mar’s Colegiata

There are 42 capitals to explore in total, each with their own intriguing decorations and stories to decipher.

Time capsule

Inside the church there are many fascinating features, notably the altarpiece which is a Hispano-Flemish 15th Century work with pictorial panels about the martyrdom of Saint Juliana and sculptures of apostles and evangelists.

The main section of the altarpiece which is an outstanding example of Mexican silversmith craftsmanship.

I’m constantly amazed that you can find these pieces in the smallest of villages in Spain.

In Santillana this must be the result of the village’s nobles who had connections with traders in the Americas – and were keen to demonstrate their piety and wealth.

This timeless village has an amazing story to tell from its rich nobles with their palaces to its monks and farmers.

It’s a journey which is well worth following as you step through its streets which have changed little since the golden age of the 15th-17th centuries.

Their golden glow continues to illuminate Santillana del Mar even today… and is guaranteed to make any visitors’ spirits soar.

I can’t recommend it strongly enough, especially on a warm springtime day with the sun shining on its alleys and cobbled squares.

You could almost be back in 1650 enjoying the aristocratic high life…

Solitude at the Colegiata

Tammy’s top tips

Santillana del Mar lies 30 kms east of Santander from which it is an easy 25-30 minute drive.

Santillana del Mar

Take the highway from Santander to Torrelavega and exit at Requejada or Puente San Miguel from where the village is well-signposted.

Beat the summer crowds by visiting this popular tourism destination in spring or autumn when it’s quieter and more authentic.

Beware of Spanish opening times with long closing periods over lunch. The Colegiata is closed from 13:30 until around 16:00. It’s also shut on Mondays.

Other attractions include the Torture Museum, the Museo Diocesano with its ecclesiastic objects and statuary, and the Santillana Foundation (changing exhibitions and events).

Tourist information can be found on the village website and there’s a tourism office as you walk into the main village from the parking area. This is open in the mornings and late afternoons but not over lunch.

There is plentiful car parking but be warned that this can become  very congested during the height of summer when crowds flock to Santillana.

There are numerous hotels and restaurants in Santillana including a fine-looking parador, Gil Blas in the village centre.

Overnight parking is available for motor homes and camper vans in the far car park at the back of the village on a pleasantly landscaped site (free overnight).

Overnight parking in Santillana

Combine a morning visit with an afternoon trip to the nearby Altamira Caves which are a 5 -10 minute drive away (open all day daily except on Mondays).

If you love shopping, Santillana has an excellent selection of small gift and food shops – local specialities include leather goods, ceramics, specialist regional cheeses and dairy products.

Don’t miss a trip to the Colegiata at the centre of the village which has some outstanding early Romanesque pieces and architecture. The main entrance is around the side of the church from where you can gain entry into the cloisters.

Colegiata in Santillana del Mar

Baby camper van’s first big trip

Guest post by Tony van Diesel

Tour de force – the camper van’s big trip

This was going to be the big test. Two weeks off piste in northern Spain with our new Vantage Sol camper van.

Would our little panel van conversion turn out to have been the right choice? Would we miss the capacious old Hymer? Should we have gone for a bigger replacement?

Here’s the full report on how baby campervan shaped to the task.

The first four years

We started the whole camper van thing with a very secondhand Hymer B544.

It was the perfect van once you were parked up, I used to say. Lots of room, a drop down bed, well built though just starting to show its age after almost 20 years on the road.

A simple two burner stove, very well insulated, loads of cupboard space, and a certain retro style.

But on the road though it was getting me down.

The top speed of 62mph could be achieved after a bit of work, the Hymer didn’t so much accelerate as gain momentum.

But the slightest motorway incline had the juggernauts re-overtaking us, and narrow country lanes made me worry that the offside mirror would be whacked yet again.

The old Hymer van with its new owner

And the steering needed continuous adjustment – it was an old van chassis with a big body and was best treated like the elderly German pensioner that she was, coaxed along without expectations of too much nimble footwork.

The big decision

After four great years we knew that campervanning and us was here to stay, and a redundancy cheque gave us the chance to upgrade.

A van for all seasons

I wanted something a lot nippier, but Tammy didn’t want to sacrifice any comfort, and needed plenty of space to contain her large and stylish campsite wardrobe.

And we needed to bring back all that wine from those lovely vineyards across Europe!

We ruled out the standard coachbuilts, as most of them are just as wide as the old A-class Hymer.

That left a panel van conversion, so we started looking at the various manufacturers and wondering about layouts.

I really liked the look of Murvis, and was impressed by their build quality, but Tammy pointed out that the front lounge layout just wouldn’t suit us.

Breakfast time in the van sees Tammy taking her time to rise, while I am up making coffee, eating breakfast and having a read. In a front lounge, you have to get up at the same time and put the bed away before you can do anything else.

So it was a U-shaped lounge layout that we wanted. Only two travel seats were needed, plus we wanted a better kitchen, and enough storage.

We visited the shows and read the magazines, and looked at models from the big manufacturers like Autosleepers and Trigano, plus the smaller converters like Devon, East Neuk, SL, and Wildax.

But there was one other that we wanted to see, and at the Peterborough show last April we finally got to see Vantage’s offerings.

The Vantage Sol

First up, we were really taken with Scot Naylor’s enthusiasm for his products, plus his attention to detail.

He told us to go and look at the other vans and hit them. No really, give the cupboards a good knock and see what they feel like. He was right.

All the big manufacturers vans just didn’t feel substantial, and little things like the backs of cupboards in all of them were thin bits of board. If that’s what you can see, what’s it like in the bits you can’t get to see?

I should at this point admit that I do have a connection with the company.

While Scot was trying to sell me a van at the Peterborough motorhome show, we had the idea that I could produce a video for him.

Since that first conversation I’ve made a couple of videos for Vantage – they’re on the company website – and there are more in the pipeline. Just thought you should know that.

Anyway, back last April we were still havering a bit, and it was almost a year before we decided to go for it, when Scot got hold of a rare thing – a secondhand Vantage.

People seem to keep them, and the company is only a few years old, so there’s not many about. So we got a Sol just over a year old, showroom condition and only a couple of thousand miles on the clock.

On the road

Driving back from Leeds the first thing I noticed was just how quick the Sol is.

A great ride

It’s a Euro IV engine, 130bhp (I think, or could be 120) but it’s acceleration is like a car, and it keeps up with motorway traffic at legal speeds easily.

Plus it goes round corners properly, and goes in a straight line.

In the old van the two hour drive home would have had me tired, but not this time.

Masterchef time

So it was off to the Lakes for our first weekend away, and we got to try it out properly. And the kitchen was the first test.

‘Masterchef’ Tony

At first glance there doesn’t seem to be a lot of working room – the sink is next to the cooker with no real workspace in between.

But sturdy flaps lift up at each end of the cooking area, giving you extra room, and it’s a half minute job to put the breakfast table in. It’s a round table that sits just behind the swivelled-round driving seats – easy and quick to assemble.

Suddenly you’ve got loads of room to prepare your culinary delights.

A three ring hob and a proper grill and oven meant that the Remoska is now a thing of the past – even though we loved it at the time. So slow roast belly pork was a nice easy start. And the fridge has a freezer that actually freezes things.

Space travel

Space to lounge

For some reason we seem to get in each others way less in the new van.

In fact despite the van being at least a foot narrower, we’ve found that we have fewer of those campervan moments of “just move over there while I squeeze past”. Something to do with the layout I think.

Space inside and outside

The big test would be packing for a fortnight away in Spain, but it worked out just fine.

All the clothes fitted in the overhead lockers, plus Tammy gets the wardrobe for her wide selection of evening gowns. Cups, glasses, small plates and coffee kit, as well as books and DVDs go up top too. Plates, cutlery and pans go under the sink.

The big under seat locker holds the duvets, the smaller one is now designated as the “wine cellar”. Boots and chairs fit in the shallow space under the other seat. Tools, ramps, medical kit, hosepipes etc fit in the spaces at the back.

So storage is no problem at all.

Dining al fresco

Our van has a slightly raised floor behind the kitchen which lifts everything up and increases storage space at the expense of headroom, which I think is a good compromise.

I’m just under six feet tall, and I just bump the ceiling at the back of the van, but not anywhere else.

A right shower

Shower space is fine, not massive, but how much time do you spend in there?

We could do with a bigger bathroom cabinet really, and somewhere to keep loo rolls and toilet fluid in the bathroom would be good as they have to go in the back cupboards now. But it all works.

And the water system is really good, instant water, no waiting for the little pump to start up. The water heater works off gas or electric (if you’re on a hookup).

Space heating ditto, although we do find that the van takes longer to heat up than the old Hymer in freezing conditions – I guess the Hymer’s construction is just better insulated than a metal bodied panel van.

Easy to live in, easy to park

It’s electrifying!

Techie stuff here… The new van has two leisure batteries giving about 160Ah total capacity, about twice what we were used to.

But the fridge is a compressor model – good on the ferry as you don’t have to turn the gas off and you can keep it running.

In Spain we never actually used a hookup, and managed well enough.

On a site without a hook up in northern Spain

We were driving every day and that kept the batteries topped up – nearly. The voltmeter was occasionally down into the red, and we found that the gas water heater didn’t like that and turned temperamental.

We’re getting a solar panel fitted this week, so we will see whether that helps.

It would be great to be able to do without electric hookups indefinitely, and I think a battery to battery charger might be a long term solution. But it turns out that they are not an easy thing to install.

Let’s see how that works out.

Chilling out

Champagne in the van

Evenings are great fun in this van.

There’s a feeling of relaxation and space that I thought we wouldn’t get after the big old Hymer.

We can stretch out in comfort and watch DVDs – we got through most of series one of The Killing on the Spain trip.

Still don’t know who did it though…

The Avtex telly is good, decent picture, sound is a bit thin, but the aerial does well at pulling in a signal and doesn’t need pointing at the transmitter.

We’ll miss a satellite for following the progress of Sir Bradley on our planned next trip following the Tour de France, so we might have to fix that somehow.

Time for bed

Now you can’t beat a drop down bed, and the Hymer’s was great, seven seconds to make the bed.

But the Vantage is quick as well – it only takes a couple of minutes to slot in the boards and move the back rests into position.

Sundown with the Sol

Once it’s all there it is really comfortable and we sleep better than we do at home.

The right decision? Yes, no question.

Top moment for me was sipping coffee one morning on a site on the Spanish coast, the big sliding door open, the sunshine pouring in, and the beach and the sea below us.

Now that’s what it’s all about…

View from the van

It’s a proper quality bit of kit this, really well made, brilliantly thought out, and it suits us down to the ground.

We’re looking forward to many happy times on the road…

On the road – the Costa Verde

Green Spain’s verdant beauty

Northern Spain’s verdant Costa Verde

Hola amigos!

I’m back from a two week holiday in northern Spain so watch out for several blog posts charting my adventures over the next few days.

‘The rain in Spain stays mainly on the plain’ or so the famous My Fair Lady song would have us believe.

The reality is a little different – the heavy showers mainly fall on the coast and mountains of northern Spain – and not the plain.

The northern Spanish coast is one of the prettiest parts of Spain, known as ‘Green Spain’ for one good reason – it rains a lot!

We arrived by boat at Santander – and despite the dire warnings of friends about the wet weather in this part of Spain, we were greeted with sunshine and balmy temperatures.

In fact over the two week trip it was hot and sunny the whole time, apart from the very last day when we drove back to Santander in heavy rain.  It was then that we realised that the weather is a bit of a lottery when you visit Spain’s coolest northern region.

St Vicente de la Barquera – coastal town with mountains

The area’s reputation for being wet can be seen everywhere. The verdant landscape with its mosaic of picturesque farms, lush fields and green hills looks like somebody turned up the colour dial to bright emerald or dazzling jade.

Over the next few blog posts I’ll be telling you about the many remarkable places in this part of Spain, one of the country’s unspoiled areas.

OK, there are some touristy honeypots along the coast but this is a largely underdeveloped and quiet area especially in the spring, one of the best seasons to visit if you like rural retreats.

The landscape is stunning along much of the coastline – known as the Costa Verde. Jagged cliffs cascade dramatically down to the sea with waves battering the coves and secluded beaches. The views are simply breathtaking…

Northern Spain’s stunning coast

Some coastal areas boast gentler scenery with attractive harbour villages and small fishing areas backed by rounded hills.

In spring there are pretty wildflowers everywhere from sea thrift to bright pink daisies and golden blazes of yellow flowers hanging from cliff tops.

Far from the madding crowd

Beach lovers and sun worshippers will love the numerous quiet beaches where you can hang out far away from the madding crowds of Spain’s Costa del Sol and its overpopulated commercial resorts.

On several walks we were the only people on the beach despite pleasant temperatures in the early 20s which would have sent most Brits into bikini and briefs mode.

We were more modest about our attire, although Tony’s toes did get sunburned after our sand castle competition on the beach west of Comillas.

Life’s a beach

Northern Spain is a luscious treat for nature and countryside fans with a brilliant selection of wildlife in its national parks from the Picos de Europa to the Reserva Nacional de Saja and Somiedo.

Somiedo is serious hiking territory,  a vast wilderness of 7,000 feet peaks and dense woodlands which boasts Spain’s largest number of brown bears. Needless to say we didn’t see any bears, although in fairness we only skirted this huge area.

Rather more accessible is Cantabria’s impressive Picos de Europa – a small mountain range – which is a wildlife and wilderness paradise with golden eagles and alpine birds.

Its peaks were still covered in snow, even in spring, giving it an alpine atmosphere and providing great panoramic views from its higher reaches.

Stunning views from the top of the Picos

Further south, venture into El Bierzo to the south in Leon and you’ll discover the authentic ‘back of beyond’ with villages that have changed little since medieval times.

Its villagers live the same way as they did hundreds of years ago, running small holdings, growing beans and vegetables, and raising chickens on the fertile land of the Ancares valley.

Even the houses with their overhanging balconies and roughly hewn stone slabs take you back several centuries.

Out in the countryside you’re  likely to see wild horses and cattle being herded through villages – a real throwback to an earlier age.

Rustic living – El Bierzo

At times Northern Spain is like walking back several centuries in time. As well as medieval villages, there are vestiges of early human settlements, some dating back to prehistoric times.

Much of this evidence of early man in the Spanish landscape is well-preserved, from ruined Celtic hill forts and abandoned settlements of straw ‘palloza’ huts to prehistoric cave dwellings.

Perhaps most impresssive are the famous Altamira caves, one of the masterpieces of Palaeolothic art, dating from around 12,000 BC.

Altamira Caves

Lost in translation

There’s a fascinating mixture of  people, culture and communities in northern Spain, each with their own indiginous language.

Having tried to master the basics of Spanish whilst driving the camper van, we arrived in Galicia only to find that the preferred local tongue is Gallego, which we heard being spoken by locals in the back woods.

It has more in common with Portuguese than Spanish – and I was surprised to hear that it is spoken by 91% of young people.

Over the other side of the coast in Bilbao and its surrounding region most people speak Basque – and the road signs are bilingual.  Grasping even a few carefully chosen Basque words is pretty tricky with its proliferation of xs, qs and ks!

Even neighbouring Cantabria and Asturia have their own language strains – Cantabrian (or Montanes) and Asturian, which make life on the road even more confusing for us travellers!

Artistic treasures

Northern Spain is a great place for an overload of art and culture, not least Bilbao with its internationally famous art museum, the Guggenheim designed by Frank Gehry.

Its shining, folded metal sheaths and unconventional design are visible from every street leading down to the riverfront. This is a piece of destination architecture in its own right… and a ‘must’ if you’re travelling to northern Spain.

Bilbao’s Guggenheim

Bilbao also boasts a wealth of impressive, contemporary architectural projects as well as classic Modernista buildings and a veritable catalogue of earlier architectural styles to impress the visitor.

On the other side of northern Spain the artistic story is much more about religion and pilgrimage with many beautiful cathedrals, churches and monasteries.

The Camino de Santiago is the backbone of any historic or religious journey, the walking route for pilgrims heading to the ultimate shrine – Santiago de Compostela.

Around half a million pilgrims made the journey to this beautiful city in the Middle Ages, but today the pilgrims still come in their droves, wearing modern day hiking boots and carrying the scallop shell symbol to symbolise their pilgrimage.

We cheated and travelled by car, stopping off at the many cathedrals and castles along this extraordinary route.

Santiago’s towers dominate the city

If you like cathedrals and sacred art this is the place to come!

Then there’s the remarkable regional food and wines – but that’s a story for later.

Northern Spain is full of surprises… and I’ll be unfolding them over the course of the next few posts.  I hope that you’ll join me on this great adventure…

Tammy goes wild – with roaming cattle

Woodland wildlife at Wallington

Wallington – a house surrounded by nature

Spring is very late this year so it’s good to see a few signs of nature finally creeping quietly in as we shake off the grip of a long, cold winter.

A weekend trip to Wallington Hall in Northumberland showed that nature is still reticent as temperatures continue to hover only a few degrees about zero, but there were positive signs too.

Out in the gardens and surrounding countryside there were a few glimpses of spring peeking through including a feast of woodland birds and small mammals.

But still no host of golden daffodils, just a few snowdrops!

Woodland walk

Wallington Hall gardens

The Trevelyans who lived at Wallington Hall loved the great outdoors so the house is surrounded by an informal landscape of lawns, lakes, woodland, parkland and farmland.

As well as the fabulous ornamental gardens, the estate also takes in 13,500 acres of land, 15 farms and the nearby village of Cambo.

On this trip we decided to leave behind the formality of the house and explore the 18th and 19th Century pleasure grounds and woods.

The woodland walk takes visitors around the back of the formal gardens where there always seems to be an attractive vista or view looking back towards Wallington Hall on the horizon.

We took the gate down past the famous Dragons’ Heads outside the hall and marched through the small deciduous woodland and China Pond towards the hidden Walled Garden.

It’s always a thrill to spend time in this immaculate garden, a slice of horticultural paradise, but today our sights were set on something wilder.

Wallington’s Walled Garden

We skirted the garden orchard and headed on towards the River Walk and surrounding woodland where the sound of a lone Greater-spotted Woodpecker could be heard drumming away nearby.

Stepping stones at Wallington

Although we never saw the bird, its continuous drumming on the tree bark echoed around the countryside.

It was a sure sign that spring is here (even if the weather isn’t) and this bird was thinking about attracting a partner and rearing chicks.

Further along the walk, Tammy almost got her feet wet when she skipped – or should that be staggered – across the stepping stones into the further reaches of the country park.

As we headed along the riverside walk, I was struck by the number of small woodland birds hiding in the canopy.

There were also close up views of a Treecreeper racing up a tree whilst a lively Nuthatch was going about its business.

Large numbers of Blue, Coal and Great Tits zipped in the trees around above us, chirruping in the spring sunshine.

Down by the river there were small clumps of pretty snowdrops forming a carpet of white blooms. It’s another sign that the true spring is late in arriving this year.

Snowdrops on the woodland walk

Normally at this time of year there are much more impressive carpets of spring bulbs blossoming but the harsh winter has sent things out of kilter.

Later in the season the summer flowering lace cap hydrangeas will start to peep through before giving way to a great summer show of colour.

As we continued the walk, I could still hear the woodpecker but this bird was too busy with its drumming to make a grand entrance any time soon.

The East Woods are also home to red squirrels, otters, and bats but on a busy weekend with lots of visitors they were very elusive.

Next stop was the new wildlife hide which is proving to be a magnet for interesting birds and animals.

It’s located a short distance east of the house, not far from Middle Pond, and there’s also a shorter route from the hall if you’re not feeling too lively.

Inside the hide

Inside the new wildlife hide there was a great view across the woodland as well as wonderful close-ups of the bird action on the feeders.

The woodland was buzzing with nature including dozens of Chaffinch and Tits but the biggest surprise was the range of birds.

Siskins steal the seeds at the hide

A group of brighty-coloured yellow Siskin battled for control of one of the feeders whilst a glorious Common Redpoll tried to get a look in.

The Redpoll is a bird that I’ve only ever seen from a distance before so a close-up view was a real treat. What a pretty bird and a rare sighting.

Strangely, the Common Redpoll is rarer than its near relative, the Lesser Redpoll, so I felt privileged to see its antics a foot away.

Here’s a video of the birds although I didn’t have my camcorder with me. Typical bad planning!

Pheasants were also out in force with one particularly gorgeous male bird posing on tree snags to impress the females with his stunning spring plumage.

In the woodland a Red Squirrel was chasing around up the trees before plucking up the courage to visit one of the nut box feeders where it sat chomping and guarding its cache.

Red Squirrel

I’ve been so lucky in recent weeks to see red squirrels within a few feet, twice in the Scottish Highlands and once here at Wallington.

Wallington’s estate is renowned for its red squirrels but I’ve never seen one here before in a dozen visits.  This time I was in the right place at the right time.

We must have spent a good 45 minutes in the hide before Tony dragged me back to the camper van.  But I’ll be back to see more wildlife action at Wallington soon.

It’s a top spot for birds and mammals. Next time I have my sights set on an otter but that will have to wait till a warm, sunny summer day!

Tony at the new Wallington wildlife hide

Tammy’s top tips

Wallington makes for a great trip out - it combines the great outdoors with a superb historic house and pleasant spring and summer walks suitable for any age group.

Wallington Hall’s Courtyard

Wallington Hall and Gardens is run by the National Trust and the gardens are open daily, although it’s worth checking the hall’s opening times (sometimes shut  Tuesdays and winter weekdays).

Wallington is located near Cambo about 20 miles north west of Newcastle upon Tyne off the A696 airport/Ponteland road. Turn off onto the B6342 to Cambo.

The house, which was home to generations of the Trevelyan family, is also well worth a visit with its splendid Central Hall featuring a huge series of Pre-Raphaelite paintings.

Don’t miss the eccentric Cabinet of Curiosities which betrays the Victorian obsession with collecting fossils and stuffed animals. There’s a porcupine fish, Egyptian figures, narwhal tusks and kangaroo paws, to mention just a few of the weird and wonderful curiosities.

One of the highlights of a trip to Wallington is the beautiful walled garden hidden in the woods with its intriguing Edwardian Conservatory, home to an array of colourful plants throughout the year.

Wallington – flower power

Look out for the nearby Owl House, an impressive bothy or potting shed, decorated with the family emblem of an owl.

There’s plenty of car parking, as demonstrated by Tammy on a previous trip with her well connected friends who owned a fabulous, old, gold Rolls Royce!

It’s the only way to travel, honestly…

Tammy arrives in a gold Rolls Royce

Explore Wallington’s grounds in the summer for a different view of the gardens and ponds including the Boathouse Pond with its Monet style water lilies in bloom.

Here’s one that I captured on a visit to Wallington last summer on a rare sunny day.

Wallington’s water lilies

Manet’s masterpieces in London

Manet at the Royal Academy

OK, now here’s a tough question. Who was the most important and influential of the French Impressionist painters?

And an even harder question, who is your personal favourite?

Many would pick Monet for his experiments with light, a few might even pick Renoir or Degas, but for me the greatest painter of this popular French artistic movement would have to be Manet.

He’s the perfect bridge between the old school masters and the bright, new things who formed the Impressionist circle.

It’s easy to forget that Manet was older than many of the Impressionist painters, which might account for why he never exhibited with them in their official exhibitions.

Manet has been called the ‘father of modern art’ – he looks back to the realism of Courbet and forward to the modernism of the younger generation of painters.

This week is the last chance to see the major Manet exhibition at the Royal Academy in London, the first ever big retrospective of the artist in the UK.

I went along to see how this show stacked up against a season of big-hitting art shows in London’s galleries.

People on canvas

Manet’s Street Singer

Manet: Portraying Life concentrates on his work as a portrait painter with studies of friends, family, and the cultural movers and shakers of the day.

The exhibition consists of more than 50 works including some of his best-known paintings from galleries across the world and private collections.

It’s a great show with sublime masterpieces and engaging portraits from early paintings of his family to his ‘status portraits’ of well-known politicians and the wealthy movers and shakers of society.

There’s some of my favourite Manet paintings and the curation is, as you’d expect, top-notch and superbly presented.

The only disappointment is the lack of three of Manet’s most important works – Olympia, Bar at the Folies-Bergere, and the full-sized Le Dejeuner sur l’herbe.

But perhaps it’s no surprise that these iconic painters have not been released for the London exhibition as they are centrepieces of some of Europe’s finest galleries.

That said, it’s a great shame about the lack of Manet’s A Bar at the Folies-Bergere which is normally on display down the road at London’s Courtauld Institute.

At home with Manet

Manet’s wife poses for her husband

But there’s plenty to admire in this extensive journey through Manet’s portraits.

Starting at the beginning of his career, the exhibition takes a thematic look at the artist’s work. It starts with Manet’s portraits of his family with numerous studies of his wife, Suzanne Leenhoff and her illegitimate son, Leon.

The painting that caught my eye was an attractive work called Boy Blowing Bubbles which has the feel and look of an Old Master such as Goya or Rembrandt.

It reminded me of the great 17th Century Dutch and Spanish painters with its realism and dark background, with a dash of Caravaggio thrown in for good measure.

Manet’s Boy Blowing Bubbles

This ‘art noir’ seems to me like a bridge between the old art and the new with its technical brilliance and realism mixed with looser stylistic techniques.

Manet was lucky enough to have grown up in a prosperous family – his father was a French judge and his mother had connections with the Swedish monarchy.

This meant he was able to indulge his passion for art and enabled him to travel extensively across Europe, which is reflected in his paintings.

Portraits of a lost era

Manet had many well respected friends in the Paris artistic community ranging from writers, musicians and actors to poets and painters.

This is best illustrated by his painting, Music in the Tuileries (1862), which is impressive in its composition and ambition, with more depth and complexity than on first glance.

It’s also a painting about modern living showing the Parisian artistic elite at play in the charming, urban gardens next door to the Louvre.

Manet’s Tuileries Garden

It’s almost a who’s who of  leading artists and writers of the day with the likes of Charles Baudelaire, Jacques Offenbach, Henri Fantin-Latour and Theophile Gautier sitting alongside Manet’s own family.

This group portrait has echoes of the great Dutch masters but is also a modern study of artistic expression with its apparently casual and leisurely style.

It’s something of an exercise in artistic ‘name dropping’ in oil – and could be nicknamed ‘Manet and his mates’!

Berthe Morisot

It forms the precursor to a section of the exhibition called ’Manet’s World’ featuring well-known paintings of the artist’s cultural circle including the poet Mallarme and the writer Proust.

But it’s Manet’s large portrait of the author Emile Zola which is one of my favourite pieces. The writer stares away from our glare as he ponders art and life in his study, surrounded by Japanese prints and objets d’art so beloved by the Impressionists.

A portrait of the writer Proust looks us directly in the eye as if to catch our attention with his self assured stance. It’s reminiscent of a Velasquez painting of the Spanish royal family or nobility.

The brooding, dark background accentuates the writer’s intense gaze and there’s a sense of a man with a literary mission, someone who is one of the new cultural elite.

Another favourite work was a striking portrait of fellow Impressionist artist, Berthe Morisot, who also served as a model for Manet.

It has an almost Spanish flavour, recalling the work of Goya, and captures the essence of the female artist immaculately in broad, sweeping brush strokes.

Manet’s world

The Railway by Manet

Manet was, in common with his fellow Impressionists, keen on portraying life outdoors with urban scenes featuring parks, railways, bars and city streets.

Nowhere is this better demonstrated than in his beautiful painting of The Railway (1873) depicting a scene at Paris’ St Lazare station.

The scene looks in some ways conventional to modern eyes but the composition, with its iron fence flattening the surface of the canvas, was groundbreaking for its time.

It captures the essence of Impressionism and provides a slice of Parisian life in the late 1800s. Manet resided in Paris for his whole life so lived and breathed the city through his art works.

It’s a shame that there’s not more of Manet’s early masterworks which outraged the public and led to great controversy over standards of decency and artistic depiction.

There’s a smaller version of Le Dejeuner sur l’herbe from the Courtauld Collection which isn’t a patch on the original, larger work in the Musee d’Orsay, but at least there’s a nod to its importance.

At the end of the exhibition I wondered how much I had learned about Manet the man rather than the artist. There’s an immaculate timeline of his life and times but little on his private passions, peccadilloes and predilections.

The fact that he died aged only 51 of syphilis suggests an inner life that we don’t get to know in this show.

All in all, there is much to be admired in this exhibition. If you don’t have time to catch it this week, why not take a trip to the film tie-in, called Manet – Portraying Life at a cinema near you from this week.

It’s part of a continuing crossover between big art exhibitions and films which seems to be catching on. Almost like a virtual art gallery – ideal for those who can’t travel to a show.

Finally, have you decided on your favourite Impressionist? I’m still sticking with Manet – modern master and father of Impressionism.

Manet: Portraying Life is at the Royal Academy in London until 14 April 2013.

Credits

Thanks to the Royal Academy for permission to use the images from the exhibition.  Copyright of images – the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Lisbon; the National Gallery, London; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; the National Gallery, Washington; and the Musee d’Orsay.

The Big Chill – ‘Costa del Craster’

The ‘Costa del Craster’ crew

It may be British Summer Time (BST) but the weather has a distinctly wintery feel as I discovered on a trip to Craster on the Northumberland coast a few days ago.

Even my Canadian friends found it as bracing as a trip to the Arctic extremes of their own country in winter.

Perhaps it was the wind chill factor that made the difference – or the constantly changing English climate which took in four seasons in a single day?

Here we are huddled together sheltering against a stone wall at Dunstanburgh Castle before running back to the village pub for a hearty lunch in warmer surroundings.

Dunstanburgh is a spectacular location with the dramatic ruins of the castle in a striking coastal setting to admire. Today, the waves were crashing against the shore below with such force that foam was rising up from the sea like a strange science fiction movie.

Here’s our Canadian friend Pierre looking very cold on the castle forecourt.

Pierre - cool king of the castle

Craster harbour

Back in the village, even the birds were sheltering in the harbour behind the sea wall with a bunch of  busy turnstones running around looking for scant pickings on the shoreline.

You know that all’s not well with the springtime weather when Eider Ducks, the most resilient of sea birds, come right up to the harbour’s stoney beach.

These ducks are famed for their insulation – their fluffy feathers are used in eider downs and winter jackets.

Eider duck enduring the big chill

For humans, there’s the question of outdoor clothing and having the right kit…  a duck down jacket?

Perhaps we were simply wearing the wrong gear for a spring British walk along the coast? My husband Tony always says there’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing!

Layering is his recommendation – and on our trip you needed several layers more than on a regular spring day.

To be honest, we were pretty well kitted-out although Pierre had left his gloves – a really bad idea in zero temperatures, especially when the wind chill factor made it feel like minus 15 degrees.

Zara had packed her Canadian mountain jacket which ressembles a Russian scene from Dr Zhivago, captured here at Dunstanburgh Castle.

Zara at Dunstanburgh – so cold it could be Dr Zhivago’s Russia

The ‘Village People’

We may have some of the best beaches in Britain in Northumberland but we cannot compete with Spain’s Costa del Sol when it comes to the weather!

Back in the village we dropped into Robson’s, the fabulous kipper and sea food shop, but even here they were feeling the impact of the lingering Arctic conditions.

A local man told us that the Craster fishing fleet hadn’t been able to get out for two weeks because of the wind and high seas… so there was no fresh crab to be purchased.

It was a similar story to my previous blog post about how puffins are suffering out at sea - the birds have been unable to fish in the tumultuous waters.

Robson’s smoke house and shop

There was only one solution – a trip to the Jolly Fisherman pub which has recently undergone a much-needed renovation which has brought it into the 21st Century without losing its historic charm.

Gone is the smell of greasy chip fat to be replaced by the wafting aroma of delicious shellfish and kippers. The traditional fayre has also gone slightly upmarket with seafood chowder and prawn toast, keeping locally sourced products at the heart of the menu.

We sat looking out the pub’s steamed-up windows watching the waves thundering onto the shore below us. I’ve never felt happier to be tucked up inside with my crab sandwiches and soup.

Crab sandwiches at The Jolly Fisherman

Barter and banter

Finally, we made a reluctant move outside – so we kitted up for one last saunter around the village but soon gave up after being blown along the seafront. By now it was snowing as well as blowing a gale force storm.

Our Craster crew ‘helm woman’ posed for this last picture before running back to the warmth of the tourist information centre to buy a replica puffin keepsake.

My fellow blogger on the ‘cold coast’

There was only one thing to do to warm ourselves up – so we headed inland a few miles to the cosy Barter’s Books in Alnwick.

With its roaring log fires, warm lounges and large mugs of hot drinks, this was the best way to warm up and defrost after our wintery walk along the coast.

Pierre and Annelise in Barter’s Books

This former railway station has been converted into a great independent book shop which serves hot drinks and cool cakes… and is the best way to warm the cockles of your soul.

It’s also the place where they found stacks of ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ wartime posters – which sparked a revival in this merchandise. Somehow the sentiments seemed appropriate after our big day out in the cold.

Keep Calm and Carry On – in Northumberland

Our detour was the ideal antidote to a cold and chilling trip to the ‘Costa del Craster’.

Next month I’m off to Spain – let’s hope their coastline lives up to its reputation for hot weather, sunny beaches and instant tans.

But I will be taking my woolly hat, ski jacket and thermo-pants – just in case!

Tammy’s top tips

As you’ve guessed, the best times to visit Craster and Dunstanburgh are summer and early autumn on bright, clear days.

In a previous blog post I covered a whole load of interesting places and sights to visit in Craster and Dunstanburgh.

A trip to Craster can be combined with a half day visit to nearby Alnwick which offers a range of interesting attractions including  Alnwick Castle & Treehouse Restaurant, Alnwick Gardens and Barter’s Books.

Find out what my Canadian friends made of their trip to Northumberland on the Dear England, Love Canada blog which I can heartily recommend.

The ‘Other Boat Race’ – Olympic heroes at Grandtully Slalom

Running the rapids

This weekend’s Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge was a predictable affair with the sporting action being overshadowed by the bad language of the winning crew’s cox.

So I picked a rather different boat race to watch this weekend - the Grandtully Slalom – a premier event on the UK’s canoeing and kayaking circuit.

This ‘grand prix’ featured some of the UK’s best canoiests and kayakers including members of the British Olympic team.

Set on the attractive banks of the River Tay, the Grandtully Slalom is a fun way to spend the afternoon if you’re looking for a spectator sport with a bit of a difference.

Olympic dreams

With the London Olympics now a distant memory, I’d almost forgotten how much fun I’d had watching the canoe and kayak events in August 2012.

Who could forget Etienne Stott and Tim Baillie winning their gold medals for Great Britain in the Men’s Canoe Slalom?

Simply watching this white knuckle ride experience makes the goose bumps stand up on the back of your neck.

So it was a thrill to see the duo back in action this weekend at the Grandtully Slalom on the River Tay.

To add to the great atmosphere, it was also brilliant to see the wealth of new talent on display throughout the event,

River Tay

With the recent snow, it was a surprise to see that the water levels were so low, but the racing was still tough especially in the chilly temperatures which hovered around zero degrees.

Unsurprisingly, Etienne and Tim made the men’s Premiership C2 event look easy as they manoeuvred their canoe effortlessly through the white water, avoiding penalty points and winning in a time three seconds faster than their nearest competitors.

Tim Baillie with the BBC Adventure Show team

They were also happy to share Etienne’s glistening, gold medal with Tony for a few brief seconds!

He’s been posting this image on social media sites ever since with the claim that he won it in the wine drinking slalom at London 2012.

Tony with the Olympic gold medal

Etienne and Tim were not the only British Olympic team members in action. A number of our top women were also competing in the canoe and kayaking events.

Queen of the Kayak proved to be Fiona Pennie from the CR Cats/Peak UK Club, one of Britain’s best women, who narrowly missed out on an Olympic place at London 2012.

She’s a very athletic competitor and a former silver medallist in the Slalom World Championships in 2006.

Fiona looks physically strong and held off her nearest rival, Lizzie Neave from the Stafford and Stone Club, by over a second on both of her runs down the Tay.

‘Bumpy ride’

Whitewater adventure or adversary?

The River Tay’s fast-flowing waters guarantee competitors a bumpy ride especially in high waters, although today’s lower water levels made life slightly easier.

This section of the river is dubbed ’grade 3 water’. I wasn’t sure what that meant as I’m a canoe slalom novice when it comes to spectating – but I soon found out!

It turns out that Grade 3 is the middle point on the official canoe water scale which translates as ‘hard’ with fairly continuous rapids and pacey sections. That means ‘bumpy’ to me!

This isn’t the place for beginners which is just as well because this is a serious sport which doesn’t come without hazards and potential dangers… and today the water is looking extremely cold too.

Manouevring the gates

Depending on the water level this is a challenging course with tricky whitewater and a strong eddy on the right hand side immediately after the top fall.

There is also a fairly fast, open section before the middle course which throws up waves and eddies, which tested the less experienced competitors.

Just past the middle section the flow passes either side of a large rock in the centre of the river, known as the ‘boatbreaker’.

This would set my alarm bells ringing if I was a kayak or canoe competitor!

The course finishes under the road bridge culminates in a flat pool below the bridge but not before throwing up a few tricky eddies.

Mission impossible?

The goal in the slalom is to run the rapid river course without touching any of the ‘gates’, some of which have to be navigated upstream (the red gates) and others downstream (the green gates).

If you touch a pole with a paddle, boat, buoyancy aid, helmet or any part of the body, a two second penalty is added to the competitor’s time.

If a gate is missed, or the competitor goes through in the wrong direction, the penalty is 50 seconds.  If you fall in and capsize your boat, it’s time to go home…

Each competitor takes two runs with the best timed run counting in the final reckoning. It looks tricky and it’s a miracle that more competitors don’t end up in the churning water.

Later in the day a few leisure rafts are allowed through – and two get stuck, edged between the rocks, before heading back down the river, throwing their crew around in the boats.

One thing’s for sure – these water sports require nerves of steel… and for the winners, that is perhaps the secret of their success.

Potential ‘boatbreaker’

Future champions

I’ve never been to a canoe slalom before so was struck by how many young kids were putting in strong performances in the junior competition.

Kayak central

There’s also the strange spectacle of parents and coaches shouting ‘up up up’ – or was it ‘hup, bup, hup’ -  as they run along the water cheering on the canoeists.

The hubbub sounded like a herd of wildebeasts but I’ll confess that it did add to the atmosphere.

One little boy who looked about 12 years old  flung his kayak down in disgust and stormed off in tears after a disappointing run.

His dad threatened there’d be “no racing or kayaking for you next week” but the tears flowed and off he sprinted, inconsolable.

It’s just one sign that up and coming British canoeists and kayakers are taking their sport very seriously.

Perhaps they now dare to dream of Olympic gold after the success of Etienne and Tim in London?

And even the Olympic team members were pushed hard by the new generation of competitors.

Looking further ahead, perhaps the young lad who ran off in tears of frustration will have his day at Rio de Janeiro’s Olympics in 2016?

This is one sport to watch…

Inside track on Slalom’s spectator events

Sporting excellence at the slalom

If you fancy going wet and wild, you can check out this type of event around the British Isles on the UK Slalom website.

The Scottish Canoe Association (SCA) keeps a set of permanent training gates on the Grandtully site for those with a decent level of competence at the sport.

Grandtully is approximately 20 miles north of Perth and around 3 miles from the nearest town of Aberfeldy from where there is an hourly bus service (approx 10 minutes journey).

A local water sports club runs white water rafting trips on the River Tay.

Over the road there is a SCA campsite with toilet and shower block, which can be used by sports people, motorhome overnighters and campers.

For those looking for a relaxing coffee and a ‘mega chocolate hit’ there’s a chocolatier over the road from the canoe course!

Chocolatier at Grandtully

For those interested in this year’s Grandtully slalom event, the full results of the canoe and kayak events can be found on The Slalom UK website.

Whisky Galore: Scotland’s world of whisky

Dewar’s World of Whisky

There’s nothing quite like a ‘wee dram’ for lifting one’s spirits!

Whisky tasting is one of life’s great pleasures especially when you find yourself in the heart of Scottish distillery country in Perthshire.

A whole world of whisky awaited me as I strolled from my hotel in Aberfeldy and headed up the road to the impressive Dewar’s distillery which sits on a waterside site close to the River Tay.

Dewar’s famous piper

Dewar’s trademark pipe band leader welcomes visitors at the start of the tour which is split between a self-guided trip around the museum and a guided visit around the distillery.

In the summer a real piper is usually outside playing the bagpipes but I couldn’t blame him for staying away today – the weather was cold and bracing with snow flakes fluttering around in the Easter sunshine.

Taking the tour

The distillery is one of several with tours in the Aberfeldy and Pitlochry area although this is the best I’ve visited to date.

Whisky barrels

For the first time I understood the process of whisky making which has often been explained in a confusing way on  previous distillery visits to Scotland.

First stop on the self-guided tour is a short film show followed by the museum which offers an interesting meander through the history of the Dewar family and its whisky business with loads of old photos, advertising posters and archives.

The ‘whisky family’

The Dewar family’s rich history

The Dewar story is remarkable in itself. Middle class entrepreneur  John Senior opened a small whisky business in Aberfeldy in the late 1880s from where his two sons – John Junior and Thomas – expanded the operation into a world-class company.

The current distillery in Aberfeldy was built in 1898 close to the river and railway line – in fact you can still see the small whisky train outside in the grounds.

Tommy Dewar had an astute advertising brain and travelled the world spreading the word about Dewar’s whiskies with great success. His promotional stunts included pipe bands, parties, and what is thought to be the world’s first TV advert for whisky.

This early ‘ad man’ was a well-known raconteur with a penchant for witty phrases like: “A philosopher is a man who can look at an empty glass with a smile.”

He sounds like a man after my own heart. Tommy followed a philosophy called ‘Dewarism’ which argued that success could be achieved without compromising a joyful life. I’ll certainly drink to that hedonistic lifestyle!

Behind the wit and wisdom lay a shrewd business man.

The whisky museum has a reconstruction of Tommy’s plush London office and library - it was from here that he planned the Dewar’s domination of the world whisky trade.

Reconstruction of the historic Dewar office

Tommy laid the foundations for movie adverts – and in later years, Hollywood stars like Sean Connery would be filmed enjoying his Dewar’s ‘Scotch on the rocks’.

Elsewhere the museum has some fun interactive displays, geared up to adults for a change.

There’s a great smell machine which pumps out different aromas at the push of a button, from leather and liquorice to heather and honey.

My guesses were pretty accurate, perhaps because I’d tried this type of smell test before with wine tasting – or should that be ‘wine smelling’?

Making whisky

The guided tour starts outside by the former malthouse where the strong, sweet aroma of whisky is all-pervasive and strangely sickly and inviting both at once.

At this point whisky addicts will be salivating madly!

The former malt house

Once indoors the tour takes you through the grist room to the distillery mashing room with its gloopy liquids churning away in the ‘mash tun’.

I was intrigued by the numerous signs on the walls warning ‘Do not light flames’. I’d forgotten how flammable the whole process can be!

Then it’s upstairs to the washbacks where the next stage of whisky making is underway.

The wort from the mash tuns is now fermenting and looks a lot smoother in texture. At this point there’s a chance to sniff the pale liquid which smells strangely like yeasty beer.

We learn that the main components of whisky are Scottish barley, water and yeast, and that the basic process has changed very little over the last 200 years.

To produce the finest whiskies, though, the devil is in the detail. 

The art of whisky making goes back to Irish and Scottish monks in the 1400s although it was only when Aeneas Coffee (what a great name) patented modern methods using a still that whisky making took on its modern form.

Back in the distillery, we return downstairs to walk through the stills room where the temperature is hot and there’s a load of special distilling equipment with thermometers, dials and pipettes which conjure up images of the laboratory of a mad scientist.

Whisky galore!

But this is a well-rehearsed and carefully judged production process, a bit like making a lovingly bottled Champagne or Cognac.

 

After some more technical explanation, we headed over to see the warehouse, a new addition to the Dewar’s whisky tour.  I was starting to get thirsty!

 

By now I was becoming something of an expert on the wood casks which are used in the whisky process. It’s interesting that whisky makers never use American new oak which is common in New World wine making.

 

The choice of barrels is something of an art in its own right – Spanish oak gives depth and darkness of colour to the whisky whilst American new oak provides a paler bourbon colour.

 

Dewar’s whisky warehouse

The warehouse has some great examples of barrels of different shapes, sizes and woods. We also hear about the evaporation process which for many years puzzled the medieval monks.

They thought that somebody was stealing a bit of their whisky as the quantity kept on diminishing, so they blamed the angels, hence the phrase ‘the angel’s share’.

Looking for ‘the angel’s share’

‘A wee dram’

Back in the visitor centre I was more than ready for my free tasting of malt whisky in pleasant surroundings where visitors can happily loll around after several ‘wee drams’.

Dewar’s World of Whisky

With the choice of two blends and a single malt I opted for the most expensive option – the Aberfeldy Single Malt which was 12 years old.

This is a sweeter, heathery whisky which is more to my taste than the more austere varieties, and this sweetness is a trademark style of the Dewar’s Aberfeldy distillery.

Dewar’s display of whisky bottles

After my wee tipple, I was in need of a lie-down back at the hotel so I headed back into town with a happy smile on my face.

What a fun way to spend an afternoon – discovering the true spirit of Scottish whisky!

What the guide books don’t tell you

The River Tay across the road to Dewar’s

Dewar’s World of Whisky is a very easy walk from Aberfeldy. It takes around 12 minutes to walk the half mile route from the town along the main road which runs along the riverside. If you’re travelling by car there’s plenty of free car parking too.

Although it’s a little unclear on the Dewar’s website, individuals and small groups can simply show up for the museum visit which incorporates a guided tour around the working distillery.

The tours aren’t timed – the staff simply come and get you from the museum or shop when they have a decent-sized group. The last tour is an hour before closing time. The distillery is open 10:00-16:00 in winter (except Sunday) and 10:00-18:00 daily in summer (also Sundays 12 noon -16:00).

One of the things I liked about this trip is that this is a working distillery with a logical layout. This has the advantage that the tour takes you through each linear stage of the whisky production process in its correct order rather than dotting around, making for a very clear explanation compared with some other distilleries.

Worth knowing – wear sensible shoes if you’re going on the tour as they don’t like high heels or open-toed footwear inside the distillery.

Dewar’s distillery

Don’t forget the gift shop which has an excellent selection of presents including miniatures and full-sized whisky bottles to please all pockets. Happy drinking!

Also in the vicinity…

Combine a trip to Dewar’s distillery with a robust morning walk around Aberfeldy’s Birks, a famous woodland park with waterfalls. Don’t forget to take walking boots or shoes as the walk is steepish in parts.

Alternatively, for those who prefer a sedate life, there’s the award-winning independent book and coffee shop, The Waterside in Aberfeldy town centre where you can spend a couple of hours browsing and eating home-made cakes.

The Waterside – brilliant books and cakes

Puffins hit by wild weather in UK

Puffin with its favourite dinner – sand eels

The UK is experiencing its worst March weather for 50 years with Arctic winds and snow causing havoc in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

It’s not the best time for a spring holiday as the so-called ‘beast from the east’ continues to rage across the country leaving temperatures plummeting.

But spare a thought for one of the UK’s favourite birds – the Puffin – affectionately known as ‘the Sea Parrot’.

This striking-looking black and white sea bird with its trademark bright orange bill and feet has been hit hard by the continuing windy weather.

This extreme blast of Arctic winds and troublesome weather has seen thousands of Puffins being forced onto beaches in Northumberland and eastern Scotland.

Sadly most will die as a result of starvation and there is little that can be done to help the birds as the damage has already been done out at sea.

Just up the coast from where I live in Northumberland these wonderful birds have been forced inland as raging seas have stopped them hunting and diving for food offshore.

Puffins on the Farne Islands

Nature experts say it’s not the cold temperatures which have led to the current crisis.

In fact, Puffin or its Latin name Fratercula Arctica means ‘little brother of the Arctic’ which provides some clues as to the bird’s hardy nature and ability to cope in tough climates.

The UK is actually on the southern edge of the puffin’s habitat which should make life relatively straightforward for this plucky bird – apart from the regular attacks from bigger, marauding birds like Greater Black-backed Gulls.

What is causing the trouble is March’s strong winds and extreme conditions, some of the worst ever experienced in spring,

Hundreds of dead birds have already been washed ashore along the east coast, in an area stretching from Aberdeenshire to Northumberland.

It’s a shocking and worrying incident.

Puffin ‘wrecks’

Puffins come onto land in late spring to breed

I’ve discovered that the death of large numbers of seabirds in a single incident is known as a “wreck”.

A similar incident involving Guillemots happened on the south England coast last month, but that was attributed to pollution from shipping.

This time it seems the extreme weather is to blame – and perhaps the fall-out from long term climate change which appears to be resulting in more extreme conditions at unexpected times of the year.

Earlier this evening I was listening to an expert from the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology on the radio who said it is more than 60 years since since such a large puffin wreck was recorded.

It’s an unusual event then, but a devastating sight for bird lovers – many birds in this current ‘wreck’ have been found by tourists or beachcombers walking their dogs, which is very sad indeed.

There’s speculation that these may be younger birds rather than mature adults who are about to start their breeding season.

This could be better news according to experts because it wouldn’t be completely disastrous for breeding adults, if – and it’s a big if – they have escaped the ‘wreck’.

Normally they’d be out at sea at this time of year feeding before heading inland in late spring to have their chicks or pufflings.

Puffins during late spring

Puffins are the indicators of the health of the surrounding environment and eco-system which is worrying when we witness events like this.

So what’s going on and how will it affect eco-tourism?  It’s still to early to tell…

Puffin watching in the UK

Whilst we’re pondering the future of the UK’s puffins, here’s a few tips on the best places to see this bird in early spring and summer.

Puffin in flight

One of my favourite spots is the Farne Islands off the Northumberland coast in North East England.

Thirty six thousand puffins can be seen on the Farnes during late spring when the birds nest in burrows on the island from late March-July.

Take the boat trip  from Seahouses to the Farnes (operates daily – see Billy Shiels’ Cruises) and you’re guaranteed to see puffins during their breeding season.

You’ll see kamikaze Puffins flying overhead and on the ground as well as swimming and diving out at sea.

The Farnes is also one of the best places to see Arctic and Sandwich Terns as well as Guillemots, Shags and Razorbills.

Other great places to see Puffins are the Isle of May (Scotland), Skomer Island, Coquet Island (Northumberland) and RSPB Bempton (Yorkshire).

Let’s hope that this current tragic event is only a one-off and not the start of a recurrent pattern as our climate changes and becomes more extreme.