Welcome to the Ministry of Propaganda - Armin Grewe's Weblog
First visit on this blog? Then also try Old Favourites and Frequent Topics, Blogging Abroad (Expat Bloggers) and to find out who writes this blog try my personal homepage. Also visit my other blog, IslayBlog.com, a blog about the Isle of Islay, Scotland.
Sunday, 17/Feb/2008
February Afternoon at Hurst Castle
The second February weekend with brilliant weather. After driving north to Oxford for a visit to Otmoor Nature Reserve last weekend I decided to go the other direction this weekend. The south coast was my destination today. I looked at the map and picked Milford on Sea, which would give me the possibility to visit Hurst Castle while also providing a nice drive through the New Forest to get there. My walk started with this view:
Initially walking on the top of the shingle ‘wall’ I soon dropped down to the waterline, where it was a bit more sheltered from the cold wind. The sun was bright and warm despite the quite cold wind. Nice views over to the Isle of Wight and in particular The Needles all the way to Hurst Castle, approx a mile to walk.
I walked all the way around the castle, stopping here and there for better views. Approaching the entrance I noticed the remains of a narrow gauge railway, presumably to transport supplies when the castle was still in use. It was too close to closing time and the entrance fee was fairly high, so I didn't go inside, may be some other time.
Next to the castle is quite pretty white lighthouse, helping the ships on The Solent with their navigation. Well, in times of satellite navigation may be not that much any more. Still looks nice though. Heading back I walked the same way, dropping down to the waterline again and enjoying the still bright afternoon sun. Later on I climbed back to the top of the shingle.
The view back from the top of the shingle towards the castle and over the Solent was very nice. As I had some time left I walked towards Keyhaven a bit, hoping for some birds to come in to roost. Some did come in, but nothing really worth taking a picture of.
Finally I enjoyed a brilliant sunset over the Isle of Purbeck, a fitting end to a very nice afternoon at the coast. Then it was back to the car for an uneventful drive back to Swindon.
[17/Feb/2008: "February Afternoon at Hurst Castle"]
Advertising
End of advertising
Sunday, 10/Feb/2008
Afternoon at Otmoor Nature Reserve
No, this blog isn't dead yet. Just didn't have anything to post about really. But with the days getting longer again and the weather improving there might be the odd update here again. On Friday I found this YouTube video of Starlings at Otmoor after reading the ‘Starke Stare’ entry on the German ‘Spreeblick’ blog. Realising that the RSPB Otmoor Nature Reserve is only about an hour from Swindon my plan for the weekend was set. I was going to visit the reserve to try to see the starlings. Walking to the hide some of the first birds I saw were geese though:
Arriving at the hide I joined quite a few other people and two RSPB wardens to wait for the starlings. Soon the first flocks showed up:
The flocks were nowhere near as big as in the video, but I'd still estimate a few hundred birds:
In the fading light they were quite difficult to photograph, especially when further away. They did form some smaller swirling clouds, unfortunately I didn't manage to take any good pictures of it. Here's another group flying closer to the hide:
With the light now rapidly failing we decided to leave and walk back to the car park. The wardens told us that they think with some of the warmer than usual weather in January a lot of the starlings might have left for the continent already. The best time to see them would be around Christmas time, something to remember for later this year.
On the way back we spotted a few swans in the largest lake on the reserve, although they didn't fully cooperate when I took the picture and kept their heads down. The last light was brilliant, with a new moon on a clear and colourful beautiful sky:
Just after I took this picture I had my last bird sighting of the day: An owl silently flew past, a magical sight. It only lasted for a few seconds, no chance to take a picture of it. So that picture will have to remind in my head as the perfect end to a very nice afternoon. I plan to be back in December.
[10/Feb/2008: "Afternoon at Otmoor Nature Reserve"]
Tuesday, 01/Jan/2008
New Years Day 2008
Happy New Year! So there we are, another new year. I haven't really bothered with any New Years Eve festivities last night, just wrote a review of 2007 on my Islay blog, drank a bit of whisky and went to bed at about 23:15. I think there might have been a bit of fireworks outside at midnight, but I think I mostly slept through it. This morning I was up bright and early, which was quite nice as it was really quiet outside. By 8:15 I had updated IslayBlog.com for 2008 and written the Happy Islay New Year entry. A bit of tidying up in the flat and then I went for a run at about 9:15. Quite a few other people were out as well, much more than I had expected.
Then it was time for the Vienna New Year's Concert. I quite like listening to it, it's a nice start to the new year. It was very nice again, listening to the music while sipping the last two drams of my Bruichladdich Valinch.
Lunch was some nice smoked salmon on homebaked wholemeal rolls, with some Laphroaig Quarter Cask being an excellent accompaniment. Delicious. After a quick afternoon nap I was ready for a New Years Day walk:
Down Marlborough Lane I walked to Pipers Way and followed it down the hill. This took me to the path through the woods along Broome Manor gold club and to the M4. The M4 looked quite busy, especially eastbound. Looked like a lot of people returning towards London from their Christmas and New Year breaks in the west.
Walking along the path between the motorway and the golf course I had a fairly nice view over the course, after a quite grey start it seemed to finally brighten up a bit. The motorway was quite noisy though, so I hurried on. It got better when the path moved away from the motorway. I passed a very nice old house (sorry, no picture). Looked really nice, as long as you didn't look to closely and held your hands over your ears: The M4 was literally running through their garden. Arriving at Coate Water Park I had a nice view of a colourful sunset. Also met someone I used to work with at Intel, we had a brief chat before moving on. Unfortunately the next part of my plan for the afternoon then failed, the pub I had planned to visit was closed.
So I walked home thirsty and had a nice large mug of tea with some of the last Bremer Klaben of this season. I'll finish this New Years Day with some music quite likely to be big in 2008 (courtesy of the BBC's Sound of 2008: Glasvegas):
More: Glasvegas (official website), Glasvegas on MySpace.
[01/Jan/2008: "New Years Day 2008"]
Advertising
End of advertising
Sunday, 16/Dec/2007
Weather - Actuals vs Forecast
When I looked at the weather forecast yesterday I was looking forward to a nice pleasant and sunny day. Those hopes were quickly dashed this morning when I opened the curtains to be greeted by a grey and dull sky. I'm wondering though why the forecast isn't catching up with reality? Here are the ‘official’ weather observations from Lyneham, the closest weather station to Swindon:
Now contrast this with the latest forecast:
Somehow this doesn't seem to be in line, unless it clears up extremely quickly now. Ach well, I've got enough to do at home anyway. Christmas cards to write, travelogues to work on, book reviews to prepare for the Islay Blog, shirts to iron, those kind of things. And hoping for the sun to come out for a nice lunchtime walk.
[16/Dec/2007: "Weather - Actuals vs Forecast"]
Sunday, 18/Nov/2007
Go around twice if you’re happy
It is a very grey, wet, cold, windy, nasty, horrible and rainy Sunday morning here in Swindon. That needs something happy, cheery, friendly, positive and funny to brighten up the day. Let's try this:
DirectGoAroundTwiceIfYouReHappy, via growabrain
May be someone should try this at the Magic Roundabout?
[18/Nov/2007: "Go around twice if you’re happy"]
Monday, 11/Nov/2007
Gilt Complex is a Great Song
Yeah, I'm still alive. Doing this and that. And still mainly blogging at IslayBlog.com at the moment. I know that some of you don't really care about Islay, so let me bore you with a video here. Gilt Complex by Sons & Daughters. What a great song:
DirectSons&Daughters-GiltComplex
That's all. Until later.
[12/Nov/2007: "Gilt Complex is a Great Song"]
Advertising
End of advertising
Monday, 27/Aug/2007
London -vs- Hatterrall Hill, Wales
This long bank holiday weekend is a weekend of contrasts for me. On Friday I took a day off as I had to go to London for a day. Yesterday I drove to Wales for some late summer hillwalking. Two places which couldn't be much more different in the UK...
London (Paddington) is just over an hour by train from Swindon. I had to visit the German Embassy to apply for a new German passport (as a German living in the UK a visit to the embassy is the only realistic option to renew my passport). So I jumped on a train as soon as the saver ticket fare allowed it and arrived in London late in the morning. Just before the embassy closed at 11:30 I walked into the passport office at Belgrave Mews West. By about 13:00 I finally had my application completed after more than an hour of waiting in the queue.
Now I had the afternoon left for some exploring of London. I took the London Underground to Covent Garden, where I had lunch at the Opera Tavern Pub. Quite nice burger for a reasonable price. The rest of the afternoon was spent wandering around London. An aimless attempt at some shopping until I realised that I didn't need or want anything. The weather admittedly didn't help, but I couldn't help finding London grey and depressing, all the concrete, dirt, noise, hustle and bustle.
Meaning I was quite glad when I was back on the train home late in the afternoon. Not that Swindon is any prettier, but at least it was sunny. Fast forward to Sunday:
Despite a very good forecast the weather on Sunday morning didn't look very promising, it had clouded over after a beautiful early morning. But just before noon the clouds started to break up again and I decided to give it a go. It was the right decision, by the time I arrived in Llanvihangel Crucorney it was a beautiful mild sunny late summer afternoon. I parked near the Skirrid Mountain Inn, where I planned to eat later in the evening. On went the walking boots, I grabbed the backpack and the camera bag and I was off to Hatterrall Hill (or Hatterall Hill, I've seen both spellings).
I crossed the Afon Honddu at Pen-y-bont, then climbed up the hill to Great Llwygy and on to Groes-lwyd. The Beacons Way, soon combined with the Offa's Dyke Path, took me up to Hatterrall Hill. The views were very nice, among others looking back towards Ysgyryd Fawr. There were skylarks, ravens, bees and some ponies (I think wild ponies, to my knowledge there are wild ponies in the area). A few other walkers, but not as many as I had expected considering the great weather and the bank holiday weekend.
A late lunch was enjoyed at a trig point near the path, I also used the trip point as an improvised tripod to take a picture of me walking up the hill. It was very quiet and peaceful up here, except for the (luckily short) moments when a motorbike with a high powered engine was screaming along a road somewhere in a valley. How easy just one person can spoil something for many.
Refreshed I continued along the path, enjoying fantastic views in all directions. Pen-y-fal (probably better known as Sugar Loaf) where I had walked earlier in the year was visible in the west. The ridge stretched out towards the north. To the north west I could look into the Vale of Ewyas with Llanthony just below. To the east wide views over a fairly flat plain.
I then walked off the ridge and followed a path down to Llanthony. The path led over a field with horses in it, thinking of my sister and her going horse trekking I took a picture of a horse with Llanthony Priory in the background. As it was getting late I didn't stop at the priory for long and soon left again for the return leg.
Crossing the Afon Honddu the path took me to the western side of the Vale of Ewyas. Then it was mainly following the path south, passing Sunnybank, Upper Henllan and Noyaddllwyd on the way. Near Ty-ddraenen I changed to the eastern side of the valley, crossing the Afon Honddu for the third time, now walking towards Cwmyoy.
It was now early evening, the setting sun providing some very nice light. While not as warm as earlier it was still quite mild. Having passed Cwmyoy I had to cross a number of fields with cows on the way to Strawberry Cottage, but they all seemed to be of the calm type. The final stretch took me back to Great Llwygy, from where I had a nice view of the moon rising over Llanvihangel Crucorney and Ysgyryd Fawr / Skirrid.
After 13 miles and approx 6 hours of walking I crossed the Afon Honddu for the fourth and last time to arrive back in Llanvihangel Crucorney. I had a nice meal and a well earned pint at the Skirrid Inn, then it was time to drive back to Swindon. I think you can guess which day I enjoyed more...
[27/Aug/2007: "London -vs- Hatterrall Hill, Wales"]
Sunday, 19/Aug/2007
I Want Summer!
Does anyone know if there is a ‘money back guarantee’ for the weather? If there is, I want my money back! After the promising start with a very nice Easter weekend, a great Islay Walking Week in April 2007 and very nice two weeks on Islay in June my summer has been pretty disappointing. This weekend is another example. It rained most of yesterday, it was grey most of today and has been raining for a few hours now.
The BBC tries to explain: Where has the UK's summer gone? Not that that's much of a consolation. It doesn't look that great for the next few days either. The highest temperature forecasted is 21°C for Thursday. In August.
I need something to cheer me up. Let's try the weather forecast for Scotland:
DirectChewinTheFatWeatherReport
[19/Aug/2007: "I Want Summer!"]
Advertising
End of advertising
Undated meta data and assorted site related links
Sitemap -- Old Favourites and Frequent Topics -- Search -- RSS/XML -- Blogging Abroad (Expat Bloggers) -- current history -- slightly stale history -- recent history -- older history -- ancient history -- Tell a friend! -- Visitor counter: 458683854768 visitors today and counting... -- Technorati Profile -- The Ministry of Propaganda is based here -- Top 5 Weblog