Starling murmurations

Sorry the photos didn't send first time.

Well I had never heard of this before moving to Brighton, but it is a pretty amazing sight.
The starlings all gather together as the weather starts to get colder and as the sun is settling.
They whizz about in huge gangs and one of the big places that they do that is at the Palace Pier.
We timed it just right and saw them a couple of days ago. For about half an hour they charged around in huge groups as I desperately tried to take photos of them.
Just as I was starting to get the hang of it hundreds of them shot under the pier right next to where we were standing and disappeared.
There must have been a secret signal between them to say that it was time for bed.
That was the show over for the night and they spend the night roosting under the pier.
Looking forward to watching them again tomorrow.

Starling murmurations

Well I had never heard of this before moving to Brighton, but it is a pretty amazing sight.
The starlings all gather together as the weather starts to get colder and as the sun is settling.
They whizz about in huge gangs and one of the big places that they do that is at the Palace Pier.
We timed it just right and saw them a couple of days ago. For about half an hour they charged around in huge groups as I desperately tried to take photos of them.
Just as I was starting to get the hang of it hundreds of them shot under the pier right next to where we were standing and disappeared.
There must have been a secret signal between them to say that it was time for bed.
That was the show over for the night and they spend the night roosting under the pier.
Looking forward to watching them again tomorrow.

Re: Last day in Turkey

is the 11th night of our Turkish holiday and we are on our way home tomorrow. 

For the first week we didn't even leave the hotel, but we have got much more skilful whizzing down the slides.
We have also been very lucky with the weather as it has been wall to wall sunshine every day.
In the last couple of days we have been a bit more adventurous and we went on a day trip to the major city of Antalya.
However the best place was within walking distance of our hotel.
Side (pronounced sea day) is a 4k walk along the beach and it is crammed full of Roman ruins. We explored most of them yesterday and then stopped for freshly squeezed pomegranate juice from a roadside stall.
We also took an evening trip to the Temple of Apollo to watch the sunset.
I had seen a photo of a guy catching the sun in his hand while doing a complicated joga pose and I tried to replicate it. I felt quite zen while striking the pose, but unfortunately I look a bit like a deformed frog. Not sure where I went wrong.

Last day in Turkey

Today is the 11th night of our Turkish holiday and we are on our way home tomorrow.
For the first week we didn't even leave the hotel, but we have got much more skilful whizzing down the slides.
We have also been very lucky with the weather as it has been wall to wall sunshine every day.
In the last couple of days we have been a bit more adventurous and we went on a day trip to the major city of Antalya.
However the best place was within walking distance of our hotel.
Side (pronounced sea day) is a 4k walk along the beach and it is crammed full of Roman ruins. We explored most of them yesterday and then stopped for freshly squeezed pomegranate juice from a roadside stall.
We also took an evening trip to the Temple of Apollo to watch the sunset.
I had seen a photo of a guy catching the sun in his hand while doing a complicated joga pose and I tried to replicate it. I felt quite zen while striking the pose, but unfortunately I look a bit like a deformed frog. Not sure where I went wrong.

Re: 11 nights in Turkey

We have come away to Turkey to relax for a few days, and what a fantastic decision that was.
We are staying near Antalya at an all inclusive hotel that is as beautiful as the photos in the brochure.
The hotel is definitely very quiet, although there are quite a few grandma's, grandad's and toddlers around.
It has a huge water park that is almost deserted as there are no school age children here due to it being term time.
We have been trying out the water slides and I am getting a bit more confident on them.
It is my first time on the slides on my own today as for the two days we slid down on rubber rings made for two.
I was very pleased to find that on my own I slide down much more slowly and it is really enjoyable.
It must be down to the extra weight, - no offence Darren - but when we slid down together we went so fast that I screamed all of the way down.
Yesterday we went down the biggest slide, which is not on this photo and it was so terrifying that I am never going to try again. It was such a relief to get off it and check that we were still alive. I will get some photos of Darren on it in a few days time so you will see that I am not exaggerating.
There is also a massive swimming pool that is long that we only managed to swim two lengths of it yesterday.
I had lots of plans to visit nearby towns and waterfalls, but it is so lovely here that we might not even leave the hotel.
Ps, that might also have something to do with the Turkish chocolate donuts for breakfast, baklava for lunch and as many gin and tonics as we can drink!

11 nights in Turkey

We have come away to Turkey to relax for a few days, and what a fantastic decision that was.
We are staying near Antalya at an all inclusive hotel that is as beautiful as the photos in the brochure.
The hotel is definitely very quiet, although there are quite a few grandma's, grandad's and toddlers around.
It has a huge water park that is almost deserted as there are no school age children here due to it being term time.
We have been trying out the water slides and I am getting a bit more confident on them.
It is my first time on the slides on my own today as for the two days we slid down on rubber rings made for two.
I was very pleased to find that on my own I slide down much more slowly and it is really enjoyable.
It must be down to the extra weight, - no offence Darren - but when we slid down together we went so fast that I screamed all of the way down.
Yesterday we went down the biggest slide, which is not on this photo and it was so terrifying that I am never going to try again. It was such a relief to get off it and check that we were still alive. I will get some photos of Darren on it in a few days time so you will see that I am not exaggerating.
There is also a massive swimming pool that is long that we only managed to swim two lengths of it yesterday.
I had lots of plans to visit nearby towns and waterfalls, but it is so lovely here that we might not even leave the hotel.
Ps, that might also have something to do with the Turkish chocolate donuts for breakfast, baklava for lunch and as many gin and tonics as we can drink!

Seven Sisters and snowdogs

A couple of days ago we caught the Coaster bus from Brighton to Eastbourne pier. The only thing that I know about Eastbourne is that lots of old people live there, and from a very quick survey I think that is true. During our visit we probably brought the average age down a little, although we aren't spring chickens either nowadays. Speak for yourself I can hear Darren thinking.
We had a brief look at the pier, visited the very clean toilets and then started to walk back towards Brighton.
The promenade at Eastbourne was very attractive, but after about a mile we reached the reason for our journey. We were at the start of the South Downs Way and the famous Beachy Head.
We started at sea level and then walked uphill and gradually started to see the cliffs. They were sparkly white in the sunshine and the sea was perfectly calm.
The cliffs are being constantly eroded by the sea and there are no fences at the edge. I stayed well away from danger to take a photo of the lighthouse, although it was pretty scary.
We carried on along the Seven Sisters which are the hills in the second photo.
I was amazed by a Spanish tourist who went and sat on the cliff edge with his legs dangling over the side while his friends took photos. My Spanish is extremely rusty but I never even learned to say 'get away from the edge you idiot' so I just walked nervously on.
We walked for a total of 20 kilometres, enjoying the fantastic scenery and then caught the bus back home.
The next morning I went for a walk to see Brightons latest tourist attractions. They are called 'snowdogs' and 45 of them appeared overnight all over the city.
The 'seagulls snowdog' is just along the promenade from our flat and is my favourite so far.
There are also 20 snow puppies and the lovely shell covered one is in the local library.
Ps, I am pretty sure that the Spanish tourist survived.
Pps, apparently the snowdogs are being auctioned off for charity at Christmas but I don't think that we have room for one in the flat.

Our tiny flat is finished

You might be surprised to hear from me as it had been so long since I have written a blog. I have almost forgotten how to do it, but we have a small reason to celebrate.
We actually finished the flat about three weeks ago but I was so miserable that I couldn't motivate myself enough to send an update.
I am turning over a new leaf now and acting positive has made me feel better. I have promised Darren that I will be nice and cheerful - so here goes.
Our little flat is looking lovely and is pretty spacious, at least in comparison to our campervan.
Fortunately we don't have a cat as there isn't room to swing one, so that isn't a problem.
Everything in the flat is working well, we have a quick routine of pushing the chairs aside at bedtime and the bed is hidden behind the Chinese scrolls to the right of the second picture. It just drops down and off to sleep we go.
We have a utility cupboard with a washer dryer in it and a 'garage' with our two second hand Bromptons in it.
The bathroom is tiny and decorated with Brighton beach wallpaper.
If you want to see more, then get in touch and come to see us. We know all the local bars and restaurants so we can show you a good time.

At home in Brighton

Sorry not to have sent a blog for ages, but I will update you now. Thank you for everyone who has been asking if we are okay. I have been struggling, but feeling a bit better at the moment and Darren is good.
On a brighter note we are settling in well. The flat is coming together and the end is almost in sight.
We picked up a little table on eBay that matches our stools, and I am enjoying a little drink to test it. The verdict is very positive, although I am concerned to see my hair in the photo. The mirror for the bathroom is still in its wrapper so I haven't seen myself for ages - time for a haircut I think.
Our drop down bed is great and can just be seen on the left in pic two and Darren is happy as he unpacked his hifi today.
I am pleased with our tiny kitchen - we are just waiting for the dishwasher to arrive - although to be honest not much cooking has occurred yet.

Flat update

I have just realised that time has flown by, and it has been weeks since my last blog.
We have been really busy and although the place still looks a mess, it is starting to take shape.
The doors to another world have been covered over again and our new walls are mostly up.
We have another few days to do as much as we can as we move in next Monday. The deadline was not our choice, but our campsite is completely full from then due to it being the school summer holidays.
The plumber is coming on Tuesday to plumb in the toilet and shower, so we only have to cross our legs for one day!
We have also discovered that there are some very nice facilities on the seafront at the end of our road so we should be able to manage in emergencies.

Brighton renovations

We have spent the last few days ripping everything out of the flat, and at one stage all that was left was the toilet. If we had left it like that we could have charged the tourists 20 pence a visit and made a fortune!
However, Darren quickly removed it, and then the wall behind it looked very wobbly so of course, we ripped that out as well. It was a bit of a surprise to find two huge wooden doors, but we didn't try to open them as they would have taken us straight into the bedroom of the flat behind us.
We have got an electrician in at the moment so we are taking a bit of a break, although it should only take him two days to get the first fix in.
Did I mention that we have a sea view? It's a bit distant but from our bay window we can definitely see a bit of blue. It looks even better since I took this photo as I have cleaned the windows and suddenly the whole room looks much brighter.
Ps, we forgot to bring a ladder so Daz did a bit of improvising and then built us a platform out of raw ingredients that he found in the flat.
Pps, I got a bit over confident climbing off it and took quite a spectacular tumble, so I am covered in bruises but am a lot more careful now.

Tiny flat in Brighton

We have decided to slow down a little and have just bought the smallest flat on sale in Brighton.
At the moment it is extremely tatty and unpleasant, but we have lots of plans for it. It is just one room and we have been having lively discussions for weeks about how best to cram in a bathroom, kitchen, living room, bed and a huge telly.
We think that we have solved it, although that is only on paper and not yet in real life. It is exciting, and we are planning to have a fold up bed, possibly a window seat and lots of cupboards that reach right up to the ceiling.
Whatever happens it is about three times the size of our campervan, so it looks like a mansion to us.
We are going to be spending a few weeks doing the renovations and it will keep us out of mischief.
Ps, we visited Margs, the winner of my handmade rope competition on the way south, and here she is accepting her prize. Unfortunately she then realised just how much it really did smell and threw it quickly outdoors on to her patio.

World Triathlon event in Leeds

Today we are supporting my sister at the World Triathlon Event in Leeds. I must say that although she is good, she isn't a professional athlete and is entered in the amateur races, along with 5,000 other competitors.
They set off in groups of about 40 to swim around the lake at Roundhay Park. Elaine was with a group of ladies and we watched from a distance as they all stood around chatting and making friends as they waited to be called to the lakeside.
They then seemed to be having quite a discussion as to which direction they were going to swim. Some of them also appeared to have second thoughts about getting into the cold water, but they all made it - and then they were off!
All went well and Elaine climbed out in the middle of the pack and cheerfully made her way to the transition area.
We waited at the start of the bike section and in less time than expected, she appeared and leapt onto her bike.
Unfortunately, she was in the wrong gear and had a difficult time getting up the steep hill, but she dug deep and was soon on her way.
This was our cue to get on our own bikes and try to get to Leeds city centre before she did. We had an advantage as we took the direct line, while Elaine was on the long route with the other competitors.
The city centre was very busy and lots of the roads were closed, so we completely lost track of her. Suddenly she appeared in the distance and was running straight towards us.
I had no time to take a photo so we charged along the pavement trying to guess her route and take short cuts to get ahead of her.
I got level with her right near to the finish line but she turned a corner into the finishing straight and I wasn't allowed any further.
Five minutes later she appeared with a big smile on her face, a blue medal around her neck and a pint of what she promised us was alcohol free lager.
All in all a very good result.
She was outdone though by the Brownlee brothers a couple of hours later in the professional event, as they dominated the race and won the gold and silver medals.

Packhorse route

We set off on quite an expedition today, and I ended up walking 31,500 steps.
We started by heading over the hill from Castleton and down to Edale in the next valley.
From there we picked up the Pennine Way and followed it through beautiful countryside to the bottom of a huge hill. The only sounds along the way were birds tweeting, sheep baaing and then a stream splashing rapidly downhill in a rocky bed.
There was a tiny bridge over the stream and then a set of rock steps heading up the side of the mountain. They are known as Jacob's Ladder and was built by a local guy for the packhorses that used to carry goods across the Pennines from Manchester and Liverpool to Leeds, Sheffield and beyond.
Jacob also owned a rest stop at the bottom of the hill, so his ladder and bridge were probably very good at attracting business.
By the time we got to the top I was pretty tired and Daz found a nice flat route home along the top of the hills through the peat bogs. We were very lucky because everywhere was nice and dry so the peat was pleasant and springy.
Also, some kind people had just built a rocky path for parts of the way so we just followed it to our destination. I imagine on a foggy, dark, muddy day up there it would be very different, and horrible experience.

The Devil's Bottom and other dark caves

I really don't want to lower the tone of this blog, so I have amended the name of a cave that we visited this afternoon.
It acquired it's name because water often floods into the cave through a small hole, and then gradually drains away through the same hole. As it drains it makes a loud, unsightly noise and hundreds of years ago people used to believe that the devil lived at the bottom of the cave, and the proof was that they could hear him going to the toilet!
It wasn't a very picturesque cave, but it was livened up a lot by our very sarcastic and entertaining guide.
He also showed us how the locals used to make ropes in the dry cave entrance, and as I volunteered to help him, he gave me the rope that we made together as a gift.
I was pleased with it, but Daz wasn't quite so much as it definitely had a 'farmyard' smell about it and I stored it in his backpack for the day. Don't know what I am going to do with it now though.
We then had a nice walk around Winnats Pass, and a visit to a second cave - it sounds rather keen but we got a discount for buying two together.
This one was the Speedwell Cavern and we had to walk down 106 steps to a hidden canal. It was built and used by lead miners about 200 years ago, although it was unsuccessful as very little lead was actually found.
We sat in the little boat and were carried to a large cave where we stepped out to look at the so called Bottomless Lake.
It was called bottomless because the miners believed that it was, and that the devil lived in it. Our guide said that two devils was probably at least one to many for a small Derbyshire village, but there you go.
Ps, I haven't had a competition for ages, so the first person to comment wins a handmade rope.

Castleton loop

We are up in the Derbyshire Peak District at a campsite just next to Castleton. It is a beautiful little village that is filled with cute little cottages, roses round the doors and dozens of tourists.
It is surrounded by a high ring of hills and we set off today on a circular hike around the top of all of them.
It was quite a major expedition so we stocked up with an amazing malteser cake from the local store. 
The views were incredible and the weather was glorious - what a wonderful place.