Canada and Niagara Falls

As usual we try to travel East to West as longer days/nights seem to make jet lag easier to accommodate rather than flipping through short days and nights. Of course that is just an excuse for staying over with cousin Pamela at her beautiful house on Otty Lake, Perth Ontario. In summer and early autumn the colours and temperature (25°C) are as good as it gets. It is so peaceful….

Robin’s absence was felt throughout our visit as this glorious shot supports. I cannot imagine tea being in the offing at sunset if he was around!

Suprisingly Helen could not recall previously visiting Perth’s Stewart park. (I may have done so on my own.) This occassion was memorable as it was the day the Queen died (8^th Sept) and a small group were quick off the mark playing “God save the Queen King" in the nearby bandstand. Result; an unforgettable walk. 

We have previously seen many of the sights in Canada and hence the focus this time was on catching up with friends and relatives. Pam had arranged a busy social schedule including catching up with her sons (Ray and Neil) and long term friends Julia, George and Nicol. In short a brilliant schedule.

We also had arranged for a very special visit. Many of you would know I have a risk management consultancy. What you may not know is that I have a developer (with a team) who comes from Ukraine. I have known Roman for 10 years but the closest we have got is Skype. We did have a visit to Kyiv planned in 2000 but Covid got in the way. 

He and his family (Anna, Gene and the youngest Dan) were holidaying in USA when the war broke out. They sensibly decided not to return and now have refugee status. As they could not get to Canada we met half way at Niagara Falls. We had not seen the falls from the USA side and it was great to have such a spectacular spot to catch up.

The anticipation increased once capes were donned for our Maid of the Mist adventure.

There are two sections of falls. The first is accessible from the top on the USA side. Indeed, you can stand on an island in the middle of these “American falls”.

Both are seen in this shot. The furthest is aptly named Horseshoe falls.

The boat goes to the centre of this and sits. It is a very wet affair, so I have one shot taken before we got into the midst as in our previous visit water ingress sounded the death knell of my previous camera. (See the September 2014 blog.)

As we got closer all you could see was the rim all around and spray down to the deck. It was disarmingly calm in the middle but as soon as we moved the water generated wind picked up and made sure we all got a good soaking.

Again, we were lucky to have a warm day to dry out and after a quick visit to the observation tower, we walked to the island and stood in the centre of the American falls. You can just about make out a constant rainbow. If you look closely at the middle “tooth” you will see a gull nonchalantly standing a metre from the edge looking to catch a small fish or two. For some reason he was all alone….

And that largely completed our 2022 trip albeit some trauma thanks to Air Canada cancelling the first leg of our return flight. It was just great to get to travel again after Covid. It was a wonderful trip and as I sit here writing this in the LA Polaris lounge (which is the best lounge we have ever experienced) I keep flipping to searching for ideas for next years RWC adventure. I am already looking forward to that story.

 

Coast to Coast Mark 2

Last year I watched a BBC series by Rob Bell focussed on the Cornwall tramway. Apart from the interesting engineering aspects, walking the route would be relatively easy (railway grades) and be a second coast to coast walk. We started off with a diversion to take in a bit of the SW coast walk.

On the way this saying came to mind - "when you hear hoofbeats don’t look for zebras…"

However, you can look for the views – which were spectacular. If you look closely there are two tin mines in the middle distance. This industry was the driver for quite a bit of ingenuity (engineering).

The more inland mines had a problem. Getting tin and copper out and coal in. This was overcome by the construction of a tramway. It started at Portreath harbour on the NW coast.

A path up to the inland had to be excavated. It is now a beautiful cycle path.

The tramway was originally horse drawn carts which were put onto an “L” shaped rail to keep them on track. Nowadays the flange is on the wheel to keep it on the track. The use of rails overcame rutting and ongoing maintenance which in turn enabled loads to be increased.

Tying the rails down was done with the use of granite sets. This must have been a huge stonemason task. There is still some evidence of these sets.

Our site was another CL – this time with just three ‘vans on it. The farmer was suffering from a lack of water which was supplied from a bowser in the corner of the field. Not that caravanners use much water in any case. It did mean we had an excuse to reduce the number of showers!

Cornwall is well known for its many mines. It is hard to travel more than a few miles without encountering the stack of a past engine house designed to pump out water. Depths of over 600 metres and 1500 metres out to sea were possible as a result of these pump engines. 

Close up you can see how solid the basic support buildings were (well they needed to be given the size of the equipment).

While we were walking, we saw a sign advertising a steam festival. No further invite needed – and what a turnout. There were some 50 engines of varying shapes and sizes and all working. The resultant steam and ashes filled the nostrils, which together with wonderful whooshing noises made an experience for all the senses. Despite the atmosphere all engines on display were immaculately turned out.

Two engines stood out. This one was unusually long and the cable wheel below attracted my attention. It was used (in conjunction with a second engine) to pull a plough to and frow across a field. Apparently, some shows even have a demonstration of the technique. 

The second was a replica of “Puffing Devil” which was built in 1801. (The replica was built 200 years later but took longer to construct than the original!). The design by Richard Trevithick was revolutionary with a fire inside the cylinder and with high-pressure steam made for a much smaller and more powerful engine. It was built to prove it could move itself and successfully climbed up Camborne Hill. That invention powered the Industrial Revolution with road, rail, sea and factories all benefitting from the start of mechanised transport.

These fairs rely on numerous enthusiasts. Under cover were displays of many model engines including a fantastic array of Meccano models.

We decided to break the walk with a trip to Truro and were drawn to its wonderful cathedral. Our timing was perfect as the organist was busy practicising. The booming reverberations really make such places come alive.

As with many cathedrals it was built on top of an older church. As I looked down the aisle I noticed that is was not straight and there was a kink to the left from the transpet onwards towards the alter. After a few enquiries it was apparant that the Apse was centred on the original church but that there was not the lant to continue this aligment thfough to the entrance. Hence a kink which you can see in this shot.

Back for the second part of the walk the girls found themselves almost running as most was downhill. Jo was lagging a little as at this stage as she had a pretty sore toe. Helen was not going to wait – just need to toughen up!

Although the most common of raptors it was still good to get a reasonable shot of this buzzard. It’s mewing while soaring was a bit of a giveaway.

As mines were worked out, new products were developed. In particular waste heaps were reworked for copper arsenite. Point Mills was one such refinery. The product was used for green pigments in fabrics and wall paper as well as for fly paper and weedkillers. Just a shame about the unintentional poisonous effect (such as Dr Crippen). 

As we approached the end of the walk near Devoran we passed under the Redruth and Chasewater railway viaduct.

Our site for the second part of the walk was Carnon Downs. This huge site has toilet blocks with individual bathrooms. Very luxurious. We also had an enormous site to accommodate the ‘van with the overdue laundry taking priority over lowering the awning before we moved up country to Illminster in Somerset. Another coast to coast walk completed albeit this was only 17 miles long and on an easy grade. A tick in the box nonetheless.

Our stay in Ilminster was less about exploring and more focussed on social activities catching up with old friends and meeting new ones. Mike and Celia’s long term friends Sue and Keith invited us over for a wonderful BBQ and we partly reciprocated the next day with a long lunch.

We did manage to combine social and historic when Naigra visited. A trip to Montacute house included a wonderful story of how Bess of Hardwick managed to marry four times, progressively increasing her wealth and status. She ultimately was able to flaunt her success with a mansion and gardens that all could see as they travelled the highway down to the South West. She also made sure that her daughters  married appropriately so they could continue the trend.

Of course, no trip to Somerset would be complete without a visit to Lyme Regis to view a few of the many fossils. It was school holidays so quite a few rock knockers were on hand with hammers and protective glasses. None was really necessary as there are so many great fossils just lying around.

The view the other way will be familiar to many who were fans of the popular series “Broadchurch”.

And with that we packed up the ‘van and suitcases and headed to Canada. How does the time go so quickly?

A London outing

Our plans to meet Sue and Martin on their canal boat, were thwarted as the drought resulted in the Oxford canal running out of water. The quickly developed alternative, was a day trip to London.

In years gone by Helen and I, when passing on the train, regularly joked about how many bricks were in Battersea power station. In the ‘70’s it was a rundown industrial area. Not so today where it is the latest competition to Canary Wharf. The power plant has been converted to a stunning array of flats and the surrounds have also be completely rejuvinated with many new unit blocks. Shops are opening and the place is a hub of activity. The new underground station and wharf have also helped.

Although it melds well with the surrounding buildings with its bright white chimneys, from the river it still cuts a very imposing building.

We took the Uber ferry downstream (thanks to the tide it was against the flow) and passed the old London to Chatham and Dover railway bridge (1862) over which we travelled when we saw Battersea. The bridge was demolished in the 1980s as it was not deemed safe enough for modern railway stock. The piers have been left intact as there were fears their removal could endanger the footings of the adjacent Blackfriars bridge. 

The piers are a stunning monument which are advertised at the end abutment with a striking refurbished insignia of the line.

Our walk was directed towards the nearby refurbished OXO building which has a great view from its rooftop restaurant. A long lunch helped in taking in the views.

The first was a section of the enormous Tideway project. It is a new 25 km long 7.2 metre diameter sewer system. It is huge! It will protect the Thames for the next 100 years from inadvertent sewage release and cater for the anticipated population doubling between now and 2060 (8.8M to 16M).

The Victoria embankment foreshore was opposite our lunch spot and is one of 24 locations where access to the (now completed) tunnels will occur. All is on track for completion in 2025.

Of course, no trip in this area would be complete without a shot of the London Eye. Given it was a Millenium project and due to be removed after the first year or so it has been very profitable. It has also resulted in major improvements to what was a rundown area and despite the £36 ticket price is still pretty popular. It is still the largest cantilevered cable observation wheel in Europe.

Opposite is the much older structure of Westminster (1837 - 1860). It is imposing on a couple of levels. It has recently gone through a large refurbishment and the sandstone now really glows in the light.

I particularly wanted to see the clocktower which is the face of Big Ben. Most of my life it has been black hands and numerals. During refurbishment, they peeled back the paint and found the original was Prussian Blue. This has now been reinstated. It really works against the blond stonework with the real gold finishes glistening in the sun. (Real gold is used as it lasts longer than paint. Theft at that height and visibility would appear unlikely!)

Although this is a blog on London you will probably have noticed the engineering theme. With that in mind I had to include Westminster underground. This was rebuilt as part of the Jubilee line in 1999. It is a solid engineering infrastructure which looks great. Who needs architects? I am sure they played their part but either way the result is stunning. Every view is different – it makes riding the escalator much more interesting than the conventional enclosed tube. 

Hebridean views and lifestyle.

One unanticipated view on these rugged islands was vast white beaches. The West coast is adorned with them. Green hills, emerald-blue waters and white sand – what a place to live (in summer).  

We were lucky to have quite a few very calm days for reflective shots. Away from the beaches white sands are replaced by white houses to maintain the vibrant colour contrast. This was taken on the Lochaline to Fishnish (Island of Mull) ferry.

The ferries also provided a bit of contrast. This one at least ran on time, but we were forced to take it as we had been bounced off the one we had booked for Oban to Mull. In short, the ferries were a shambles. The communication system was appalling and the time wasted not just by customers but also staff would not compare well with Indian rail. Suffice to say a three-page letter is waiting on a response from the CEO.

Low tide enabled some great fishing. These terns were almost 100% successful in their diving endeavours.

Just as well as nothing appeared to be consumed by the birds as they flew off with loaded beaks presumably to a nest with ever hungry youngsters.

However, our real bird highlight was taking a walk on Benbecula and seeing a pair of golden eagles wheeling around. Majestic.

On the other end of the activity scale was this black "hairy cow". The location on a mound with a stunning background was clearly intentional. The only thing missing was a hat to collect coins for being the perfect model. The air of superiority was underpinned by the only other cow in the area being brown, mixed breed and clearly not hairy enough.

A little further up the road an emergency stop was required to jump out and photograph these skittish deer. They seem to react differently at night. Our midnight drive from Oban to Uig (another part of the ferry debacle) gave rise to many encounters with herds of deer (some with wonderful horns) who just stood on the verge and looked at us as we drove past. They seemed mesmerised by the headlights and in no way startled and likely to leap across our path. (A lesson many a kangaroo could learn.) 

An hour later we came across our second black hairy cow. The attitude, location and running mate were all present. Rather a spooky case of deja-vu. 

One activity known about the world over is digging peat – well that is anyone who has had scotch whisky. It remains a large industry with many peat trenches cutting swathes over the landscape. The regular drying out piles were testament of the extent of current activity. It does make one wonder about the environmental goal of scotch whisky distillers.

Just down the road was a small herd of sheep being drenched with the help of two sheep dogs. The farmer advised they were two of four that he ran. On the left was the oldest while the nearest was only just past his puppy days. That said the instinctive skills were clearly apparent.

The friendliness of the people is underpinned by respect and trust and really demonstrated by this lunch shop. Hot pasties (maintained in a pie warmer), pastries and other goodies were all available. Prices were marked together with a tin for collecting funds. No shop keeper to be seen. Just a queue of consumers whom I am happy to report were all doing the right thing. Brilliant.

Another unexpected site we encountered in our walk down from the Oban folly was this Gaudi like tile art. A Little Barcelona.

A key reason for visiting Mull was Tobermory. This colourful little town is very supportive of tourism with restaurants and a micro brewery (every customer encouraged to go behind the counter) doing a great trade. In the bay was a small cruise ship. Of course fishing is also a major part of the economy. Lunch for me was a half lobster – damn the expense – it was delicious.

It is such a colourful town that a second reflective shot without the fishing pots seemed appropriate.

During our changed return ferry to the mainland (what should have been 1.5 hours was more like a cruise of 9 hours) we encountered an ocean going rowboat. These are operated by Rannoch and you can participate in a range of tours such as around Scotland – all for a mere £300 per day. Seems like a very expensive way of keeping fit.

After a fascinating two weeks having avoided the heatwave in the rest of the country it was time to head South. We had a stopover near Lockerbie and visited the memorial garden for the Pan Am disaster on 21 December 1988. Well maintained and very moving.

In the town the clocktower is elaborate and well maintained. Not so the adjacent building where a tree from the roof has clearly been growing for many years. It appears fish and chips is not that profitable.

We wrapped up this segment of the trip with a stay at a CL (certified location). The site had been suggested by a friend and proved to have very hospitable hosts who were quite happy for us to have a stroll round their lovely garden.