All things arty

I spent a lovely day up in London with my sister Lou, walking along the Southbank as we headed for the Tate Modern. I havent been there for a couple of years and it is always such a great place and they usually have something a bit quirky in the main Turbine Hall. This time was no exception for there was a collection of giant silver space like tubes, twisting around to form about 6 or 7 different helter skelters.

Carsten Höller, was the creater and he described the experience of sliding as a ‘voluptuous panic upon an otherwise lucid mind’. The slides are impressive sculptures in their own right, and you don’t have to hurtle down them to appreciate this artwork. What interests Höller, however, is both the visual spectacle of watching people sliding and the ‘inner spectacle’ experienced by the sliders themselves, the state of simultaneous delight and anxiety that you enter as you descend.

Being pregnant however was not conducive to sliding down these silver tubes but was interesting watching a various children and adults throw themselves down a quite a fast rate of knots, whooping and wailing as they appeared to shoot out at the other end.

Feeling inspired by this huge creation, Lou decided it would be a good place to go for a lunchtime de-stressing session. Me, I would definetly opt for a good old fashioned back massage.

Autumn Days by the Sea

I love this time of year, especially when we have days like today. The sky was so blue that the sea looked positively tropical and the air was really cold and crisp. It's the kind of weather that is so right for a good long walk up the beach to our favourite bar and restaurant for a long lunch and good old natter over a few beers. I was feeling slightly envious though, when Mikes big steaming bowl of mussels appeared as they smelt divine. Still will have to wait until the baby is born to refresh my palate of my favourite shellfish.

Stomachs full we took a walk home through town and Mike splashed out on some new clothes and I bought a half a pound of milk bottles from the old fashioned sweet shop we have here in Whitstable. Cheeks glowing we got home, lit a roaring fire, I read the papers and Mike dosed on the sofa. We finished our wonderful weekend off with a bowl of homemade butternut squash soup and sat engrossed in the 2nd part of Lord of Rings......bliss

A wee dram or two or maybe three

Yes this was the challenge Mike set himself on our trip up to Scotland last weekend now he has become quite the whiskey connoisseur. We stayed with our lovely friends Moira and Fraser and daughter Lily, who had recently moved from the salubrious surroundings of Thornton Heath to the haven of peace and tranquitity known as the village of Dumgoyne.

It was a place full of memories for me as I have been up there so many times to stay with groups of friends and Moiras family. I was very pleased that Mike would be able to experience the same beautiful scenery, sights and exciting adventures that I have had in years gone by. Being pregnant however, did prevent such antics as marching up the stream from their garden in knee deep water, crawling under little bridges until you arrived at the pub at the end of the road for a few pints of ale. Mike did find the local pub but by conventional methods and was also very keen to sample the local brew, Glengoyne whiskey, also coveniently found at at the distillery at the end of Moira and Frasers road.

We took a trip to Stirling Castle one day which was interesting and good fun. Mike especially liked the Whiskey shop located within the grounds and I think spent the best part of an hour discussing the huge variety of spirits on offer, weighing up the pros and cons of which one to buy. Outside I had looked at the stand of postcards so many times I could have memorised them all. Purchases made, we finally left for a scenic drive home.

We had another trip out to my favourate place, Loch Lomond, where we all spent ages scimming stones across the water and gazing at the beautiful view. It is such a peaceful place and an idyllic setting. Hamish the cow was not to be outdone either on the list of sights and I have to say Mike was as excited at seeing this hairy beast as he was discovering the many whiskey collections on this trip. One morning Mike and Fraser even climbed Dumgoyne, the famous 'sleeping elephant' hill once again, to be found at the end of Moira and Frasers road.

So for a tiny little village consisting of a few houses and a 'blink and you'll miss it' drive along the main road, it has a fine feast of options to keep any man happy. Who needs surbuban life?