January
We eventually woke up in our little Cornish cottage in 2012. It was looking a little clearer than it had the day before so we decided to head a bit further afield, to one of the modern attractions of Cornwall, the Eden Project. It is basically two massive dome glasshouses filled with plants from all over the world. Once we finally got through the car park (which is huge) we found we weren't that far from the attraction. The middle of winter isn't exactly peak visit time. Before heading down into the pit where the domes are located we stopped for some tea, scones, jam and clotted cream for Jess and another pasty for Marcus while being entertained by the automated puppet show about what would happen if we didn't have nature in the way it is now. We descended into the pit past gardens and giant bees before entering the first of the domes. There were signs everywhere warning us that it can get very hot in there but they are probably more for the summer guests as we found it was just pleasant. We wandered past the various tropical plants and checked out the artwork interspersed throughout and even read some of the signs to get better informed. There was a viewing platform up above the middle of the dome so we climbed up the many stairs until it was our turn to go out and have a look. It was pretty high and interesting to get a view of the rainforest from above rather than below. We made our way back down to the dome entrance. Between the two domes was another building where you could buy eco-souvenirs but more importantly you could buy lunch. There was a big area with long tables and all sorts of organic cooking to order. An organic bacon and lettuce roll, a leek and blue cheese pastry and two pieces of Victoria sponge later and we were feeling pretty good. We made our way across to the next dome. This one was more temperate with plants from places like the Mediterranean and New Zealand. It was clever the way they had constructed it so that different parts of the dome catered from slightly different climates. We particularly enjoyed all the different varieties of chillies. There must have been about 30, from mild to having to be behind glass because they were so potent. There was one more building to visit. This one was a big concrete construction with a giant concrete golf ball like shape in the middle. It was so big that they had built the building around it. There were all sorts of educational exhibits but we found the winning entries in the international nature photography competition the most amazing. There were six year olds taking pictures a million times better than our holiday snaps. We were happy with all the we had seen today so jumped back into the car and drove back to the cottage for a well earned rest.
We weren't quite sure what to do with our remaining day in Cornwall so decided to just head out and see what we could see. We started with a drive out to Britain's most southerly point, The Lizard.When we arrived there wasn't much there, a lighthouse, a cafe (closed) some fields and plenty of wind. This was much more what we were expecting to see when we had visited Lands End so were pleased we made the effort today. After a bit of a wander we climbed back into the car and wandered our way through countryside and little villages skirting the coastline and then cutting our way back in again. We had no real plan about what we were wanting to do but were just happy to check things out along the way. Cornwall is apparently full of country gardens which you can visit and although it wasn't exactly the right time of year we decided to check one out. Trebah Garden filled our requirements (being nearby and able to be found.) We parked up and made our way in to into the grounds. It wasn't at its best but was still a nice green calm walk through the grounds. There was a combination of trees, plants, ponds, bridges, sculpture and even the odd Punga to remind us of home. We stopped for lunch in the garden cafe, checked out the garden shop (alas no garden to bring things back to in London, and then meandered our way back through the countryside to Penzance. We dropped off the rental, did a last wander around the streets of Penzance and then made our way to train station for the slow trip back to London.
We took it easy through the middle of the month before it all got busy again towards the end. Jon and Lobke were in town so we caught up with them for a drink at the Citte of Yorke, and old style pub with the same owners as Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese. It was good to see them, even if only for a short time.
The next day was the big one of the month, Jess' 30th birthday. It was on a Saturday this year so we could spend the whole day celebrating. It was champagne, fruit and croissants for breakfast. Jess then got to play with her new Kindle for a while before we caught the bus to Highbury and Islington and a short trip on the Victoria Line to Green Park and we were out in Mayfair. We had been enjoying the classy food you could eat in London but hadn't yet been anywhere that was the holder of a Michelin Star. That was about to change as we had a booking at Hakkasan, Chinese Cuisine with a modern take. It looks relatively inconspicuous from the outside with a glass front and some tables and a bar. However, then you go through and down the stairs into a whole different world. The lights are low and all the furniture is black or dark brown, but there is blue lighting around the place so you can see where you are supposed to be going. It has a good effect which means you don't really notice the people around you. After being seated by the waitress, wearing a funky Chinese style dress, we grabbed a mixture of dumplings to get us started. We were treated with ingredients like seafood, rabbit, duck and a whole range of exotic herbs and spices. These were easily the tastiest dumplings we had ever had, and we do like dumplings. For the main Marcus had king crab in the shell and Jess enjoyed a Peking style duck but done with plump sauce. The mains were also tasty but nothing could beat those dumplings. It was then back home for a bit of a rest and a round of Happy Birthday before Jess blew out the candles on her Red Velvet with cream cheese icing birthday cake. Marcus would like to pretend that he had been baking but this masterpiece was well beyond his expertise. The day wasn't over yet though. We walked up Kingsland Road to Stoke Newington where we had invited everyone to celebrate Jess' birthday at the White Hart, a trendy but spacious local pub where had a big booth reserved. There was a really good turnout from all our friends from all over London, both North and South. Everyone seemed to be having a good time although Ian got a bit out of control and made sure Jess had more than her fair share of shots.
It felt like a long time since we had been to a West End musical (Panto doesn't count) so we decided to make up for it by going to see THE west end musical (no, not Shrek) The Phantom of the Opera! With a round of Yo Sushi for dinner and passing the stars getting out for a movie premiere (Polish movie so nobody we recognised) we made our way to the theatre (which was actually pretty small), found our seats and readied ourselves for some Andrew Lloyd Webber magic. It wasn't Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford but was still very impressive. The power of the music of the night....
While we had been away lots of our friends had been growing their families. Babies everywhere. Not so much with our London friends, so when one did it was a pretty big deal. We jumped on the District Line and made our way out to visit Kate and David and their new addition, Mae. She was ultra tiny but ultra cute too and Marcus even held her for a while as she slept away. Mum and Dad were very proud and it was great to see them all.
https://picasaweb.google.com/JessicaLMcMillan/January2012
We eventually woke up in our little Cornish cottage in 2012. It was looking a little clearer than it had the day before so we decided to head a bit further afield, to one of the modern attractions of Cornwall, the Eden Project. It is basically two massive dome glasshouses filled with plants from all over the world. Once we finally got through the car park (which is huge) we found we weren't that far from the attraction. The middle of winter isn't exactly peak visit time. Before heading down into the pit where the domes are located we stopped for some tea, scones, jam and clotted cream for Jess and another pasty for Marcus while being entertained by the automated puppet show about what would happen if we didn't have nature in the way it is now. We descended into the pit past gardens and giant bees before entering the first of the domes. There were signs everywhere warning us that it can get very hot in there but they are probably more for the summer guests as we found it was just pleasant. We wandered past the various tropical plants and checked out the artwork interspersed throughout and even read some of the signs to get better informed. There was a viewing platform up above the middle of the dome so we climbed up the many stairs until it was our turn to go out and have a look. It was pretty high and interesting to get a view of the rainforest from above rather than below. We made our way back down to the dome entrance. Between the two domes was another building where you could buy eco-souvenirs but more importantly you could buy lunch. There was a big area with long tables and all sorts of organic cooking to order. An organic bacon and lettuce roll, a leek and blue cheese pastry and two pieces of Victoria sponge later and we were feeling pretty good. We made our way across to the next dome. This one was more temperate with plants from places like the Mediterranean and New Zealand. It was clever the way they had constructed it so that different parts of the dome catered from slightly different climates. We particularly enjoyed all the different varieties of chillies. There must have been about 30, from mild to having to be behind glass because they were so potent. There was one more building to visit. This one was a big concrete construction with a giant concrete golf ball like shape in the middle. It was so big that they had built the building around it. There were all sorts of educational exhibits but we found the winning entries in the international nature photography competition the most amazing. There were six year olds taking pictures a million times better than our holiday snaps. We were happy with all the we had seen today so jumped back into the car and drove back to the cottage for a well earned rest.
We weren't quite sure what to do with our remaining day in Cornwall so decided to just head out and see what we could see. We started with a drive out to Britain's most southerly point, The Lizard.When we arrived there wasn't much there, a lighthouse, a cafe (closed) some fields and plenty of wind. This was much more what we were expecting to see when we had visited Lands End so were pleased we made the effort today. After a bit of a wander we climbed back into the car and wandered our way through countryside and little villages skirting the coastline and then cutting our way back in again. We had no real plan about what we were wanting to do but were just happy to check things out along the way. Cornwall is apparently full of country gardens which you can visit and although it wasn't exactly the right time of year we decided to check one out. Trebah Garden filled our requirements (being nearby and able to be found.) We parked up and made our way in to into the grounds. It wasn't at its best but was still a nice green calm walk through the grounds. There was a combination of trees, plants, ponds, bridges, sculpture and even the odd Punga to remind us of home. We stopped for lunch in the garden cafe, checked out the garden shop (alas no garden to bring things back to in London, and then meandered our way back through the countryside to Penzance. We dropped off the rental, did a last wander around the streets of Penzance and then made our way to train station for the slow trip back to London.We took it easy through the middle of the month before it all got busy again towards the end. Jon and Lobke were in town so we caught up with them for a drink at the Citte of Yorke, and old style pub with the same owners as Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese. It was good to see them, even if only for a short time.
It felt like a long time since we had been to a West End musical (Panto doesn't count) so we decided to make up for it by going to see THE west end musical (no, not Shrek) The Phantom of the Opera! With a round of Yo Sushi for dinner and passing the stars getting out for a movie premiere (Polish movie so nobody we recognised) we made our way to the theatre (which was actually pretty small), found our seats and readied ourselves for some Andrew Lloyd Webber magic. It wasn't Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford but was still very impressive. The power of the music of the night....While we had been away lots of our friends had been growing their families. Babies everywhere. Not so much with our London friends, so when one did it was a pretty big deal. We jumped on the District Line and made our way out to visit Kate and David and their new addition, Mae. She was ultra tiny but ultra cute too and Marcus even held her for a while as she slept away. Mum and Dad were very proud and it was great to see them all.
https://picasaweb.google.com/JessicaLMcMillan/January2012
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