Pearl of the Danube...........

December 7, 2025

Its the beginning of December and in the Chivers household that means a full scale military operation is already underway in preparation for Christmas.

Our first task is always to bring all the family together for our annual european christmas market extravaganza. Last year saw us visit wonderful Warsaw but this year we were to visit one of my favourite capital cities, “The Pearl of the Danube”, Budapest. For those who are interested you might like to read my previous blog dated 3rd December 2018 entitled “A Tale of Two Cities”.

Seth, Claire and the boys were flying in from Dubai and Anna & Matthew and Simon & Kitty joined us on our Wizz Air flight from London Gatwick. For once the planets aligned and all flights arrived on time. We all met up in the rugby scrum that was the passport control queue at Budapest airport. We spent over an hour waiting for our passports to be stamped, (that is without being photographed and fingerprinted). I was determined not to let this dampen my spirits and focussed on the prospect of fresh Lángos and steaming hot Goulash that was waiting for me the other side of immigration.

Once through passport control we jumped in to taxis and within 30 minutes we arrived at base-camp for the trip, the Novotel Budapest Danube.

The hotel is in a great location overlooking the Danube and the Hungarian Houses of Parliament. The rooms are super comfortable and at £400, for three nights bed and breakfast, is an absolute bargain for a european capital city. Moreover the lobby bar was fully stocked and appeared to be well prepared for our visit. After a super speedy check-in it was off to the bar for a pint of the local grog and to catch up with everyone’s news.

Now our European trips have only one rule, that is there are no rules. Everyone must do as they please with the one exception that we all meet up for dinner each evening. Key people had been assigned their roles; Mrs. C was travel co-ordinator and route guidance, Claire head child wrangler (including wrangling Seth), Simon was grog-wallah and family sommelier whilst Matthew, Anna and Kitty were in charge of calories, retail therapy and living their best lives. Yours truly would ensure that all activities were captured in glorious monochrome courtesy of my weapon of choice, the Leica Q Type 116.

As everyone swapped stories the alcohol was flowing and it must have been after the 2nd or possibly 3rd beer that we decided we should head out for an early dinner and some night time sightseeing before things started to get messy!

From a photographic standpoint Budapest really is a game of two halves. Daytime is of course wonderful with so much to see and do. However, it is at night that I believe the photographic opportunities abound and here are a few of the images from my first night of sightseeing:

What a great first evening and after a hearty dinner of beef Goulash and pork snitzel, washed down with copious glasses of the famed Hungarian red marching juice, it was off to bed.

The next morning I was an early riser and as I pulled back the curtains I really did realize that we had a room with a view.

Room with a view - Dawn breaks over the Houses of Parliament.

After a hearty breakfast which included copious pork product (remember our family rule is one helping of pork product to be consumed, in whatever form, every day of the holiday) the young people headed off to something called the Museum of Terror whilst Mrs. C and I accompanied La Famille Chappels on a more sedate walk around town.

We had decided to make a visit to Buda Castle and Fisherman’s Bastion. Now there are two ways to do this; (a) a 1 kilometre walk to an escalator which takes you up to Buda Castle for free or (b) you take the direct route, pay 60 euros for the family and use the Funicular. As you can imagine Seth and I were happy for the exercise and to use the escalator. However, after some “guidance” from Mrs. C and once she took her foot off my neck, I was unanimous that we should pay the money and take the direct route!

Meantime, Mrs. C was training up Horatio on how to use the analogue sat-nav. I mean what could possibly go wrong with putting the 4 year old in charge of route guidance?

Horatio getting to grips with the analogue sat-nav.

Attention! - All in good order outside the Presidential office.

As we walked around Buda Castle and the area surrounding Fisherman’s Bastion I could not believe the crowds of people. There was also a significant amount of construction / renovation work being undertaken and in the end we decided to give up on the sight seeing and head for hot chocolate, mulled wine and steaming chimney cake.

Babushka a.k.a. Mrs. C getting all steamed up with her mulled wine and chimney cake.

We also tried to circumnavigate the small Christmas market by the Church of Our Lady of Buda Castle but it was so busy we had to admit defeat and decided to head back down the Funicular to our lunch destination, Leo’s Rooftop Bar. Well done to Claire for picking this spot. The food was Hungarian in feel but trendy in presentation and the views from the terrace spectacular.

Thank you to my willing model Kitty who was rocking the Budapest vibe.

Suitably fed and watered, the team, now joined by Simon and Kitty, headed across the Chain Bridge in search of the Christmas market in the square in front of St Stephen’s Basilica.

I must say that over the years the quality of Christmas markets in Europe has declined significantly. Most are now just selling fast food and what can only be described as “Tat”. However, not so in Budapest. Yes you always have the various food stalls but there were also lots of stalls selling a very wide variety of local arts and crafts.

St. Stephen’s Basilica and the christmas market.

If only I had not just finished eating lunch.

Mrs. C and Kitty always have room for some mulled wine.

Getting all arty again - Arts and crafts bokeh at 28mm.

What a great day and after an early dinner which included some excellent goulash (again) and very tasty pork knuckle, with some rather delicious wine courtesy of grog-wallah, we called it a day and headed back to the hotel.

On the subject of food we really did eat well and had more than enough wine and beer to accompany the food. On average a really tasty two course dinner with drink is in the region of £35 a head. Whilst you can certainly find cheaper food, I am talking excellent quality and quantity.

The next day Anna and Matthew had decided to treat themselves to the outside thermal baths.

7 degrees centigrade outside but 28 degrees centigrade in the water.

It is cocktail o’clock at the thermal baths.

As the facility did not permit children we looked for some alternative refreshment in the form of the wonderful Café Gerbeaud. We are very much coffee people who are also rather partial to a slice of wonderful cake. The elegant Cafe Gerbeaud have been providing both since 1858.

A slice of the local Dobos Torte being given the full summilux treatment.

Of course, if you are visiting Gerbeaud don’t forget your credit card. Quality costs and they are not giving it away. In my view it is worth every penny or should I say florint. On the way out don’t forget to visit their shop and purchase some of their famous “cat’s tongue” chocolate.

Purchase some cat’s tongue chocolate to complete the Gerbeaud experience.

Staying with the food and drink theme we decided to head across town to Kazinczy Street to visit the trendy ruin bars. As we had young children we opted for a lunchtime visit but I believe the place is really humming after dark.

Enjoying some local craft beer and spiced cider.

All that drinking was making us hungry and we were in need of some local Lángos. Next door to our bar was the local Karavan street food market and our barman had assured me that they could provide me with some Lángos. This is deep-fried flatbread made from a simple yeast dough of flour, water, yeast, sugar and salt. The dough is stretched and then fried in hot oil until gold brown and served with all manner of toppings. I enjoyed sour cream and grated cheese. They are not expensive and are super tasty and just the ticket to soak up the local beer.

Wherever I walk in Budapest there appeared to be photo opportunities so if my blog does inspire you to visit, don’t forget your camera!

As previously mentioned the purpose of these Christmas trips is to spend precious time with the people we love.

Anna & Matthew - The wedding is due May 2026 - Can’t wait!

My beautiful Baboushka on Santa’s Bench of contemplation.

Time seems to pass so quickly when you are having fun and in a flash our Budapest visit was over. As time marches on life becomes all about experiences and memories, which is why I take time to record these blogs.

May I thank all those who take the time to read and support my creative efforts and on behalf of Mrs. C and myself, we wish you all a wonderful relaxing Christmas and let us hope that the new year brings happiness, good heath and for all you photographers, good light. With warmest regards from a very festive Plymouth U.K.

Antony.......

October 11, 2025

“Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears; I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him. The evil that men do lives after them; The good is oft interred with their bones: So let it be with Ceasar.”

Oops wrong blog! Well dear readers as we flash back to that famous speech by Mark Antony in the play Julius Ceasar, by that famous Bard, William Shakespeare, its only equivalence to today’s blog is the reference to “Antony”. Indeed, our “Antony” is situated in the county of Cornwall, just outside Torpoint, and comes in the form of a beautiful 18th-century house and gardens managed by the National Trust.

Regular devotees of my blog will already know that Mrs. C and I are great “National Trusters”. These wonderful properties always reveal a great deal about the history of our country, more often than not are situated in the most beautiful of settings and most always provide an excellent pot of tea and accompanying delectable treat….hold that thought!

Now Antony House has been on our National Trust “hit list” for quite some time. It is rather unusual in that the house is only open to the public between March to October and then only on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.

So we packed a rather tasty picnic, fired up Bucephalus and dialed Antony House in to the sat-nav, destination Cornwall, or what native folk (“Kernowyon”) refer to as “Kernow”.

Now the Kernowyon are a strange bunch, but sharp as a sausage when it comes to extracting money from visiting folk. To get there from where we live you have to cross the River Tamar, by either the Tamar Bridge or on the Torpoint Ferry. Most unsuspecting Emmets ( the Cornish term of tourists ) can’t believe their luck when told that entry to Kernow, via ferry or bridge, is free. What they don’t tell you is that to get back across the river will cost your three pounds! Moreover, should you need to fill up with petrol then the most expensive gallon of petrol ever is available on the Cornish side of the Tamar bridge. Okay my usual Cornish rant is over and despite all the above, Kernow really is quite a wonderful place to visit.

Now the journey from where we live in Plymouth to Antony is only 30 minutes and involves taking the Torpoint Ferry. Its a sort of “floating bridge” and you simply drive on, cross your fingers and hope it doesn’t sink, then drive off. The entire ferry experience is about ten minutes or in Kernow-speak, “ that will be 15 pence a minute please my lover”!

The crossing from Devonport to Torpoint.

Once the ferry beaches on the hallowed shores of Kernow, the ramp goes down and we are away. Fifteen minutes later we are driving through the entrance to the Antony Estate.

Now, as previously mentioned this is Kernow and so when they say opening time is 12.00 noon they mean 12.00 noon and if you arrive a minute early you will find the gate to the car-park padlocked and the house firmly closed. So always best to arrive fashionably late.

For this visit my photography kit was the Leica SL2 and the manually adapted Leica 75mm Apo Summicron M lens. Interestingly this was the second lens that I bought when I entered the world of Leica M lenses but seems to be the least used. I tended to gravitate between the 28mm Elmarit, 50mm Noctilux / Summilux and 90 mm Summarit. So I am now making the effort to make use of this wonderful unappreciated piece of Leica glass.

Upon arrival we decided to first take a walk around the gardens, not only to experience the wonderful scenery but also to capture the splendid Antony House from a number of different perspectives.

The gardens were originally designed by the landscape architect Humphrey Repton, widely regarded as the greatest English landscape gardener to follow the renowned Capability Brown. The gardens feature sweeping views out to the river Lynher and intriguing sculptures.

Indeed, as we walked through the main garden entrance we came across a rather unusual piece of art. “Water Cone” by William Pye is a rather fascinating bronze water feature standing on the west lawn. It is said to have been inspired by the manner in which heavy rainfall runs down tarmac roads in rippling waves. For me it was much simpler; the light was great and I just loved the backdrop of the lawn and trees in the distance.

The west wing and lawn with the William Pye “Water Cone”.

Regular readers will know that Mrs. C likes to plan these visits with a military precision and it was not long before the “analogue satnav” made an appearance to ensure that we did not miss anything of significance.

As I always say my photographic appreciation of these houses and gardens may differ from yours. However, I am trying to show what I see, through my lens and I hope that you are then motivated enough to pay a visit yourself.

I wanted to capture a sweeping view of the rear of the house and this next image includes, on the left of the frame, the famous Black Walnut Tree that was planted in the 1790’s. It has been recognised by the Queens Green Canopy as one of the 70 ancient trees dedicated to the late Queen Elizabeth for her Platinum Jubilee.

Rear view of Antony House with the famed Black Walnut Tree on the left of the image.

Having explored the gardens it is time to enter the house. Before doing so a quick explainer about the house and its owners.

There house itself was built between 1718 and 1724 for Sir William Carew, although the estate has been the home of the Carew family since the mid-1500’s. The Carew family have a history linked to the English Civil War and John Carew was one of the judges who signed the death warrant for Charles 1st. However, that proved to be an ill-advised move as after the Stuart Restoration in 1660 he was tried for his role in the regicide, was found guilty of treason and was subsequently hanged, drawn and quartered

Sir John Carew Pole, the 12th Baronet gave the house and formal gardens into the care of the National Trust in 1961, on the understanding that the family could continue to reside there. Indeed, Sir Tremayne Carew Pole, the 14th Baronet and his wife Charlotte currently live there with their two children.

The house hosts a splendid collection of portraits, including a portrait of Charles I of England. The collection also contains some works by the renowned artist Sir Joshua Reynolds.

There are aways certain images I like to capture in each house I visit. One of my stock images is to capture the bokeh of the glassware on the dining room table. The Waterford Crystal on display at Antony did not disappoint.

Another peculiarity within National Trust properties is that they never put up signs that say “do not sit here”. Instead they place the barbed head of the Teasel plant in the middle of the seat.

Antony House has its museum-like sections but also is still very much a home and maintains the feeling that there is a family present.

As always I can only give you a brief glimpse of these wonderful properties when in fact you probably need several visits to fully appreciate the history and treasures that they contain.

Of course, after all that creative exercise it was time for afternoon tea and the Antony House cafe, in its rather splendid building did not disappoint. Mrs. C and I enjoyed a tasty fruit scone with clotted cream and strawberry jam accompanied by a traditional pot of tea. We were definitely in our happy place.

Getting all arty whilst chowing down on traditional Cornish cream tea.

On the way back to the car I took the opportunity to capture some images of the estate:

Mrs. C having a moment of contemplation.

Views down to the River Tamar with the Royal Albert and Tamar Bridges in the distance.

Ah yes, no blog would be complete without catching the beautiful Mrs. C unaware, as she sits on “The Bench of Contemplation”.

So there you have it, Antony House, just 30 minutes from our doorstep and so much to do and see. I hope you have enjoyed our little autumn day-out and should you be passing over the Tamar and in to Kernow, take a detour and make the most of the beautiful Antony House.

This year is passing so quickly but Mrs. C and I have yet more adventures planned. So stay tuned. keep smiling and wishing all you photographers “good light”.

Warmest regards from a mild and sunny Plymouth U.K.

From Caves to Castles............

August 24, 2025

We have been enjoying a wonderful summer here in the U.K. and Mrs. C and I have been trying to explore places of interest within an hours drive of our home in Plymouth.

Now Mrs. C is a wonder at putting together interesting trips and our next excursion was to be a “holy trinity’, combining the exploration of the Caves of Pengelly, a lunch in the beautiful hamlet of Cockington and a visit to Compton Castle. So we prepared a rather superior packed-lunch, fired up Bucephalus, dialled Pengelly Caves in to the sat-nav and headed up the A38.

We originally discovered the existence of Pengelly Caves during a visit to the Plymouth Box, our local museum. It is not so much that the caves themselves are of interest, but what has been found in them was what attracted our attention…hold that thought.

The caves are situated in the now disused Higher Kiln Quarry at Buckfastleigh, about a 30 minute drive from Plymouth and a stones-throw from Buckfast Abbey (see my blog of 31st July “Up The Devon Expressway And Turn Left”).

The caves are managed through the William Pengelly Cave Studies Trust. You can book a visit online at a cost of £8 per person. The whole operation is super friendly and informative and is run by volunteers who have both a great knowledge and a genuine love for what they do.

William Pengelly, a prominent figure in 19th century geology and archaeology, meticulously excavated the caves at Higher Kiln Quarry. His work helped establish the history of human presence in our part of the world alongside the remains of animals long extinct.

Before exploring any caves we received a 30 minute lecture about the history of the geology of the region. This was super interesting as we did not know that some 640 million years ago, the U.K. was actually located somewhere near the South Pole! However, due to massive movements in tectonic plates the U.K. eventually ended up in its current position.

As always I tend to over-prepare and turned up in full “North Face of The Eiger Mode” and was prepared to abseil down in to the abyss. However, it was all rather more relaxed than I had anticipated. There is no abseiling and we were just required to wear a hard hat and suitable footwear.

From a photography standpoint I chose the Leica SL2 and manually adapted the wonderfully little Voigtlander 35 mm F2.5 Color Skopar. I figured that the compactness of the lens combined with the high resolution and image stabilisation of the SL2 would be the ideal combination.

Mrs. C rocking the caving enthusiast look.

Our safety briefing from Alain, our excellent guide and “Speleologist”.

Our guide for the visit was Alain. He was an expert “Speleologist” (Speleology is the art of cave exploration) and has explored and surveyed caves all over the world. Alain ensured that everyone had sensible shoes, told us to wear our hard hat at all times and to watch out because it could be slippery underfoot. Apart from that the aim was to have a great time.

There are numerous caves at the site including:

Reeds Cave - One of the most richly decorated caves in devon although, somewhat disappointly, access is restricted to specialist cavers and researchers. I did enquire why and Alain explained that in so many of Devon’s caves, unrestricted access has led to considerable damage and so the Trust has gone to great lengths to try and preserve Reeds Cave, in its original form, for the benefit of future study.
Rift Cave - Is a gated cave and provides a safe habitat for bats. It seems that this is an ideal home for these ‘lovable’ creatures, Alain’s description not mine, although I think you will agree the following image might make you think twice about walking in a cave full of bats in the dark!

A lovable little creature isn’t it……Not!

3. The Joint Mitnor Cave - This contains an internationally important deposit of fossil mammal bones from the last interglacial period of about 100,000 years ago.

The climb up to the entrance of the Joint Mitnor Cave.

The Joint Mitnor Cave was discovered and excavated in 1939 by A.H. Ogilvie when over 4,000 mammal bones were discovered, including mammals which were thought to have never existed in this part of the Uk including elephants, hyena and even hippopotamus!

Unfortunately in 2015 thieves broke in to the cave and stole a number of the bones. At great expense reconstructions of the bones were produced by academics using 3D printing technology.

Once inside the cave Alain explained the geology, he showed us the different sort of animal bones, along with an explanation of how these limestone caves were originally created. Although the cave is well lit there is not a great deal of room and so if you have a fear of enclosed spaces this is perhaps not for you.

Yes those are bones at the back of the cave.

All in all we had a great morning at Pengelly Caves and if you are driving down the Devon Expressway show them some support as it is well worth a visit.

Having spent an intrepid morning navigating caves the old stomach was rumbling and we needed to find somewhere to eat our rather superior packed lunch. About 30 minutes drive from the caves is the delightful village of Cockington. I never cease to be amazed at the beauty of Devon, which keeps producing little gems that I have never previously visited.

Like everywhere that is idealic in Devon, Cockington’s location does require some fearless driving. Our part of the world is notorious for its narrow country lanes. As the location becomes more rural the lanes go from double to single track. Once you see grass growing in the centre of the road you know you are in trouble.

There were two routes to Cockington, the easy route down an “A” road and the one we took, courtesy of google maps and me not paying attention. My stress was compounded by the fact that it is the middle of summer, so holiday traffic was particularly heavy. A 30 minute drive took nearer an hour but as we came round a bend in the road we arrived at Cockington village and it really was an exquisite location.

The village was probably founded some 2,500 years ago in the Iron Age. The first official documentation of the village was in the 10th century. The manor was owned by Alric the Saxon. The village later passed through the ownership of the Cary family (ownership between 1375 to 1654) before ownership passed to the Mallock family, a family of wealthy silversmiths from Exeter. They owned the estate until 1932 when it was sold to the Torquay Corporation.

Cockington has now developed in to a small village, with beautiful cottages, a pub “The Drum Inn” and still forms part of the Cockington Estate.

My idea of a peaceful, rural Devon village.

We decided to eat our picnic in the beautiful grounds of Cockington Court, the original mansion house of the Mallock family. The grounds are free to enter and beautifully maintained. This was originally a medieval deer park but also contains a small cricket square and pavilion for those lovers of “The Summer Game”.

Other interesting facts are that in her youth, Agatha Christie was a regular visitor to Cockington and her novel, “Why didn’t They Ask Evans”, is dedicated to Christopher Mallock. Indeed the Mallocks regularly staged amateur theatricals at Cockington Court, in which Agatha Christie took part. Agatha was a resident of Greenaways House, Kingswear, located some half an hour away. This is well worth a visit and you can read more about it in my blog “Agatha” of 28th September 2023.

Cockington Court and its beautiful grounds.

Cockington Chapel behind the quant building housing all manner of local artisans and craftsmen.

After our lunch we explored the local crafts centre and watched glass blowing and a blacksmith at work.

“The Forge”. You know me by now, always looking for the arty shot.

Our final visit of the day was to Compton Castle. If I thought that the roads to Cockington were narrow the roads to Compton Castle were even worse. By the time we had arrived my nerves we completely frayed.

Compton Castle is actually located in the parish of Marldon and is more of a fortified Manor House than a castle.

The estate was the home to the families of Compton de la Pole, Doddicombe, Gilbert and Templer. However It has remained the home to the Gilbert family for over 600 years..

The manor was significantly enlarged in the 1450’s and then, in the 1520’s and in response to the threat of French raids on the Devon Coast, it was further fortified.

In 1583, in the name of Queen Elizabeth 1, Sir Humphrey Gilbert, a well known explorer, colonised Newfoundland. Two years later, his half brother, the well known explorer Sir Walter Raleigh started planning the Roanoke Colony in North Carolina. Sir Humphreys youngest son Raleigh Gilbert continued exploring and played his part in the Popham Colonony in Maine in 1607.

By 1800 the family had moved to Bodmin, Cornwall and the house fell in to disrepair. The property was bought by Commander Walter Raleigh Gilbert in 1931 and he made extensive renovations before the property was transferred over to the National Trust in 1951 although, the terms of the transfer stipulated that the Gilbert family continue to occupy the castle, which they still do, and administer it for the National Trust.

The squirrel features in the Gibert family coat of arms.

To my disappointment photography was not allowed within the property and,given that the Gilbert family remain in residence, there are only a few rooms open to the public. As a result Compton Castle is definitely worth a visit for National Trust members, but for the paying day-guest, I believe there are other more attractive National Trust offerings in the vicinity.

However, the walled garden is a joy and well worth a visit.

View of the front of the house from the walled garden.

We did have a wonderful day out and as regular readers will know, such a day would not be complete without capturing Mrs. C on “The Bench of Contemplation”.

Mrs. C enjoying the dappled light on the “Bench of Contemplation”.

So there you have it, do much to see and do and all within an hour of our front door. There is still so much to do and see in Devon and Cornwall so stay tuned for further adventures.

Wishing you all good light and warmest regards from a sunny and peaceful Plymouth U.K.

Up The Devon Expressway And Turn Left............

July 31, 2025

As my regular readers already know, our adventures always begin by me firing up Bucephalus, Mrs. C dialing a destination into the sat-nav and more often than not, we head up the A38, or as the creative minds at Devon Tourism like to call it, “The Devon Expressway”.

Anyways, Mrs. C and I were driving along said “Devon Expressway”, in the direction of Exeter, looking for somewhere to eat our picnic. About 30 mins into our journey and, whilst being a natural ambi-turner, I decided to Carpe Diem and turn left at an exit which said Buckfastleigh. We pass this particular exit on a regular basis and are usually in either too much of a rush, or simply can’t be bothered, to see what the pleasant market town of Buckfastleigh has to offer.

Mrs. C was on to Eugoogly like a flash and found that Buckfastleigh is famous for its abbey. On further investigation, said abbey appeared to be located just around the corner. Then Mrs. C shouted out the f-word, no not that one but my favorite f-word, exclaiming that it was “free” to park and “free” to enter! Yes that f -word. Hallelujah slice the dumpling! I am indeed my father’s son and I was already in my happy place and we hadn’t even arrived.

As we drove through the gate parking was indeed straightforward and I noticed that there was a distinct calmness and tranquility about this place, especially in the wallet department, probably due to there being no-one trying to trouser £25 a head for entry and parking!

Then I opened my camera bag and pulled out my Leica SL2 but realized that I still had the 135mm Apo Telyt F3.4 M lens manually attached. Normally this would not be a problem as it renders quite beautifully but I anticipated a few potential issues relating to light and with not having a wide enough field of view, when trying to capture an abbey. This monastic environment seem to be drawing me to the latin verse. This was definitely going to be a case of “Non Desistas Non Exieris”; for those of you who have let your colloquial latin slip a little it basically means never give up. So I was up for the artistic challenge.

Now for a bit of an explainer. Eugoogly reliably tells us that the abbey was established at Buckfast in 1018, originally for Benedictine monks, and later to become home to Cistercians.

Unfortunately, back in 1539 “Non Desistas Non Exieris” did not apply to our Cistercian friends. When Henry VIII finally dissolved the monastery and sequesrated its wealth and religious artifacts, the buildings gradually fell in to ruin. Any acts of non-compliance were literally treated as a pain in the neck, caused by a dirty great axe chopping off your head!

However, the abbey’s fortunes were revived in 1882 due to the arrival of a group of displaced french monks. Indeed using a plan of the ruins and a considerable degree of hard graft, they set about rebuilding the abbey, which was finally re-consecrated in 1932. This really was a remarkable feat and a remarkable story.

The interior of the church is quite magnificent combining medieval design features with relatively modern materials and building techniques.

As a photographer the thing that amazed me was how much light there was. Normally churches and cathedrals are almost pitch black and a real challenge to capture. Not so at Buckfast Abbey, although I did have to resort to the Leica photo app on my iPhone to capture the following shot along the length of the church.

I then switched my mind into 135mm mode and set about capturing some more intimate imagery.

Despite the fact that parking and entry is free, I gave a donation in order to help the monks with the upkeep, thereby ensuring continued unfettered access.

Outside of the church the abbey is set in beautiful grounds. We found a bench on the lawns and devoured our packed lunch before walking the Lavender and Physic gardens, where I managed a few more images, in a manner more suited to 135mm.

What a fabulous place and a note to self to definitely plan a return visit, to avail ourselves of the the rather tasty looking Grange Restaurant and also to spend some proper time exploring their “Monastic Way Exhibition”, an immersive presentation of Benedictine monastic life.

Buckfast is still a working abbey, being home to a community of Roman Catholic Benedictine monks, although I did not see any of the monks during our visit. However, these industrious Benedictines clearly take a libation or three as they produce a drink called Buckfast Tonic Wine.

Well, I am always partial to a glass of red and was keen to purchase a couple of bottles of the old Benedictine marching juice as I felt sure that it would meet the approval of La Tante Sarah, who regular readers will already know, as “Head of Family Hydration”, takes a drink or three herself. However, Mrs. C had been back on Eugoogly and upon further investigation found it to be a “tonic wine”. Fine I said, adopting my usual positive outlook, I can drink anything with tonic and I am particularly partial to wine.

Mrs. C patiently explained that Buckfast Tonic Wine could be used to fuel an F-16. It is a caffeinated alcoholic drink consisting of fortified wine with added caffeine. It is said that one bottle contains as much caffeine as 10 cans of cola…….then she took her foot off my neck!

Eugoogly had also explained that this “aviation fuel” has a very bad image in Scotland where, due to its high alcohol and caffeine content, is thought to be associated with and the cause of much violent and disorderly behavior! This I can well believe as I have walked down Glasgow’s Sauchiehall Street and I am able to verify that some of the locals have not exactly taken the pledge, even at 9 a.m. in the morning!

Although I am of independent mind and king of the Chivers Castle, I decided to forgo the Benedictine marching juice and instead, I shall be sticking to the relative safety of my regular tipple, a pint of Timothy Taylor’s Landlord at the Queens Head pub on the Barbican.

Of course, no day out would be complete without grabbing an image of the beautiful Mrs. C, in the Lavender Garden, looking serene on “The Bench of Contemplation”.

So the motto of todays blog is to always be spontaneous and when in doubt, turn left! Please stay tuned as there are many more adventures to come and we are still only half way through the year.

The weather in Plymouth is still set fair so if I may defer back to the latin, may I wish you all “bonum diem habeatis”; basically have a great day!

Warmest regards from Plymouth U.K.

Summer Tour.........

July 20, 2025

Here in the UK summer has definitely arrived. Temperatures have been soaring into the 30’s and yes, for a country where it rains for 300 days a year, we already have a water shortage and hosepipe bans are now being issued by local authorities. Normal service is resumed!

Enough of my grumbling, it’s summer, the weather is beautiful ( as is Mrs. C ) and we are off on our “Summer Tour”. First stop is a visit to our dear friends Cathie and Nick, whose home is situated in that beautiful part of the U.K. known as The Cotswolds. So we fired up Bucephalus, Mrs. C dialed Carterton in to the sat-nav and we headed off up the A38.

My regular readers will already know that Cathie and Nick were out in Dubai with us. We always have such great times when we are together so no excuse was needed to plan this current visit. Note: readers may wish to read about our last meet-up in my blog of 1st June 2024 entitled “Stourhead”.

On arrival, a bottle of red was un-corked (important things first) and Cathie laid out our itinerary for the visit. It was certainly going to be an exciting couple of days.

In order to capture proceedings I had my Leica Type 246 Monochrom, (one battery only as Leica are unable to supply any batteries and are unable / unwilling to provide any alternative solution - don’t get me started as this is a subject for a whole blog) the superlative Leica 50mm Apo Summicron and for the wide angles, the Leica 28mm Elmarit.

Day one helped me tick-off one of my bucket-list destinations; a visit to the beautiful University town of Oxford. Oxford is steeped in both academia and history. As a photographer who particularly enjoys the monochrome genre, the architecture and lighting of this wonderful city meant that I was definitely in my happy place.

A tip for visitors to Oxford is that it is definitely not built for cars. There is an excellent park and ride service located on the outskirts of town which enables you to leave the car and be shuttled into the town centre for just a few pounds.

Now whilst visiting Oxford there is so much to see. So where to start? Our route was to head toward the famous Bridge of Sighs, taking in the Bodleian Library, The Radcliffe Camera, in order to end up at the Church of St. Marys. From there we would head to the Botanical Gardens.

The High Street dominated by the University Church of St. Mary The Virgin.

I suppose that every town you visit has what I term as “cliché shots and during our visit to Oxford there were plenty. The Bridge of Sighs definitely falls in to that category although I did my best to try and capture it from a different perspective.

Its formal name is the Hertford Bridge and is a skyway joining two parts of Hertford College over New College Lane. It was designed by Thomas Graham Jackson and was completed in 1914. It is commonly referred to as The Bridge of Sighs due to its similarity to the famous other “Bridge of Sighs” in Venice.

Legend has it that many decades ago, a survey relating to the the students of Hertford College indicated that its students were indeed rather over-weight, resulting in the bridge being closed off, forcing them to take the stairs for much-needed exercise. However, I am assured this legend is false and that if the bridge is not used, the students would actually climb fewer stairs. So that’s cleared up that myth then!

The Bodleian Library was founded in 1602 by Sir Thomas Bodley. It is the main research library of the University of Oxford and is one of the oldest libraries in Europe. It is the second largest library in Britain, containing over 13 million printed items.

The building is very striking and was designed by the architects Giles Gilbert Scott & Thomas Holt and is a rather excellent example of English Gothic architecture.

For those whose interests exclude academia and architecture, the Bodleian’s Divinity School was used as a filming location in “Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone” and in subsequent films was transformed into the Hogwart’s Infirmary.

Next to the Bodleian is the Clarendon Building, a rather stunning Neoclassical design by the architect Nicholas Hawksmoor.

During the 1800’s I believe that the building housed the Oxford University Press. However, it now provides offices and meeting spaces (albeit rather on a rather grand scale) for the Bodleian Library.

The Radcliffe Camera is another of Oxford’s iconic landmarks, being part of the central Bodleian Library complex. It was designed in the English Palladian style by the architect James Gibbs and was completed in 1749. It is home to the History Faculty Library.

For those of us who have let our colloquial latin fall in to decline, “camera” in the building’s name has nothing to do with photography but is derived from the Latin meaning “room”.

The building is open to the public but only as part of a pre-booked guided tour.

For me the challenge was to capture this wonderful building whilst including the stunning All Souls College. I think I managed this quite successfully in the following three images.

The Radcliffe Camera - a different perspective.

Radcliffe Camera flanked by All Souls College.

Facing the Radcliffe Camera is the rather magnificent University Church of St. Mary The Virgin. Once I stepped inside and left the hustle and bustle of Oxford, I was able to take a moment for reflection and then try and capture both the beauty and solemnity of this wonderful Church.

The University Church of St. Mary The Virgin.

The internal architecture is, in my opinion, quite magnificent.

This is an Anglican Church, founded circa 1490, is situated on the north side of the High Street and is the centre from which the University of Oxford grew. It was built in the English Gothic style and its steeple rises to a height of 58 meters.

Famously, or should I say infamously, St. Mary’s was the site of the 1555 trial of the Oxford Martyrs, when the bishops Latimer and Ridley and Archbishop Cranmer were tried for heresy and subsequently burnt at the stake. Justice was rather brutal back in the day.

Separating the two main halls of the church is a classical organ, built by the Swiss firm of Metzler Orgelbau in 1986. The only other organ by this famous Swiss organ maker in the UK is located in the chapel of Trinity College Cambridge.

Capturing imagery inside churches is notoriously difficult. Generally the lighting is very poor yet interspersed with bright light via stained glass windows. With the Leica Monochrom Type 246 I have to be so careful not to blow out the highlights.

As I mostly capture images in manual mode, I generally expose for the highlights and bring back the shadows, where appropriate or necessary, in post. With the Leica Monochrom Type 246 I am more than comfortable using ISOs of 6400 up to 10,000.

The following image is my favorite of the entire trip. I believe it captures the peacefulness of the church, embracing the dark shadows with subtle accents from the highlights, which focus on the pipes of the beautiful Metzlar organ. Well that’s what I see but you the reader must be the ultimate judge.

My favorite image from our day in Oxford. A moment of reflection as I embraced the shadows, protected the highlights and enjoyed the tranquility.

Our final stop of the day was a visit to the Oxford Botanical Gardens. As you would expect, the University of Oxford Botanical Garden is the oldest botanical garden in Great Britain and one of the oldest scientific gardens in the world.

The garden was originally founded in 1621 as a physic garden, growing plants of medicinal research. I am told that today it contains over 5,000 different plant species on a site measuring 4.5 acres.

My first job when entering the garden was to find some shade and a cup of coffee. This delightful food truck provided both.

Caffeine was the first order of the day.

Now I am the first to admit that flowers and plants are not always at their best when captured in monochrome. However, I am always up for a challenge. Within the greenhouses there were all sorts of tropical plants that would have been at home back in Jurassic times.

The Botanical Gardens in full bloom with Magdalen Tower in the background.

The Botanical Gardens are bordered by the River Cherwell and as can be seen below is frequented by those who enjoy the gentle pastime of punting. For about 15 seconds I thought about having a go myself. Of course, Mrs. C brought me back to the real world by suggesting that with my poor sense of balance and carrying my precious Leica kit, what could possibly go wrong? Well quite a lot actually so we have made a note to bring the young people next time and have them do all the heavy lifting!

That seemed a most appropriate way to end our day in Oxford. I so enjoyed the visit although I believe we barely scratched the surface of this wonderful city. Memo to me to plan another visit as soon as possible.

Day two involved a visit to Waddesdon Manor. As readers will know, we are huge fans and members of the National Trust and Waddeson Manor is a country house located in the Buckinghamshire village of Waddesdon, owned by the National Trust and managed by the Rothschild Foundation.

This really is a superb property and everywhere we went we could see the influence of the Rothchilds who continue to do everything with a touch of class.

Once you park you have the choice of taking an air-conditioned shuttle bus to the house of taking the 15 minute walk to the house. We chose the latter as the weather was beautiful and the grounds of the house simply delightful.

As always suitable walking shoes, a hat, sunscreen and some water are highly recommended.

As we climbed the steep path at the end of our walk we were blessed with our first view of the house.

The Grade 1 listed house was built between 1874 and 1889 in a mostly Neo-Rennaisance style, for Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild. The design copied a number of features from several French Chateaux and was used by the Rothschilds as a weekend residence to entertain their guests and as a place to house the family’s extensive collection of arts and antiquities.

The Manor and its estate have passed through three generations of the Rothschild family before the house and its contents were bequeathed to the National Trust by James de Rothschild in 1957.

Unusually for the National Trust, the family of James Rothschild continue to manage the house and the Rothschild Foundation, chaired by Dame Hannah Rothschild, continues to invest in the property.

The are extensive collections housed at Waddesdon including art by Gainsborough and Reynolds, a selection of 18th century French carpets and tapestries, ceramics, enamels, books and many other Renaissance treasures.

Being someone who enjoys a glass of red I particularly enjoyed the wine cellar, which is modelled on the private cellars at Chateau Lafite Rothschild. More than 15,000 bottles are stored in the cellars, the majority from the Chateau Lafite Rothschild and Chateau Mouton Rothschild estates. It is the largest private collection of Rothschilds wine with some bottles being valued in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, just above my price limit!

IF you enjoy Chateau Lafitte Rothschild then this is surely heaven.

The gardens are beautiful and extremely well maintained. I particularly enjoyed The Aviary, which was lovingly restored and contained a selection of exotic birds.

Before taking the shuttle bus back to our car we walked down the main drive in order to capture this grand view of the house. It really is a fantastic property and a testament to the partnership of the National Trust and The Rothschild Family.

The Grand Drive and main entrance to the Manor.

Our visit would not have been complete without a team photo.

Team Eagle and Chivers - Always a joy to be together.

Our holiday was pleasantly interrupted by a short visit to London as I had some work to take care off and of course it was an opportunity to take some calories with the young people.

We then headed back down the A3 to the New forest to visit my brother. It was Ladies Day at Salisbury Racecourse and we had decided to put together a family trip, with our beautiful ladies, in order to join in the celebrations.

Unfortunately Simon and Kitty were unable to attend but Kitty, our family advisor on all matters equine, did her research and provided a few recommendations as to potential winners.

“La Famille” testing out the track - with all the heat the going will be firm.

Having tested the track, which due to the recent hot weather was “firm” we headed off to the bar for some light refreshments.

Our stylish punters enjoying the atmosphere and some light refreshments.

Now I am not a betting man so I handed over some cash to Anna and Matthew and trusted them with “investing” said dosh with the expectation and indeed promise of a significant return on my investment.

Unfortunately the investing front was not going well. As we came to the last race I asked Matthew for an update only to be told that it was “a work in progress” and that our last horse was a 40/1 certain winner! Now where I come from 40/1 does not equate to a certain winner.

As we were watching the horses for the final race parading in the paddock they all looked super fit and raring to go, except one……. There was one horse which was crazy-eyed, had flaring nostrils and was frothing at the mouth and was clearly unhappy about participating. I jokingly said to Matthew that I pitied the poor punter that had put his money on that particular nag. Silence ensued which was when I realised that we were the poor punters that had put our money on that absolute cert!!!

All the other horses had left the paddock and were making their way to the start. Meantime our horse, who to avoid being sued for libel we shall name “No Hope” (after Bob Hope’s brother), continued to create a fuss as they had trouble unhitching the cart!

Eventually “No Hope” reached the starting gate and as you have probably guessed was not keen to go in to the stalls. First in and last out and it was clear that our money was on shaky ground. As the winner thundered over the line I timidly enquired where “No Hope” had finished. Matthew pointed down the track and our horse was still en route to the finish line.

I explained to the young people that this was a lesson in life, that the house always wins, that you will never meet a poor bookmaker. Pointing to the bar, I indicated that mine was a large one please!

The final race as they head off to the start…..but where is our horse?

The finish line of misery and unfortunately our horse was not in the frame - I think they forgot to unhitch the cart!

We spent out final couple of days with the Chappels. Our dearest friends and Dubai family were over for a summer holiday. We had a great time walking along Bournemouth beach, a game of crazy golf (more crazy than golf), a fish and chip lunch at Harry Ramsdens and some pictures of the boys to record them continuing to grow up.

The “Cheeky Monkeys” on the Monkey Bars.

We also had a visit to Salisbury. It is one of our favourite cities. Unfortunately we had a bit of an incident with the car and I spent most of the afternoon on the phone to the insurance company. I did manage a couple of images, one of Salisbury Cathedral (see my previous blog of 24th August 2023 entitled “The Tower” ) and the other of the beautiful interior of The Church of St. Thomas Becket. However, with a significant insurance claim in progress and bits hanging off of Bucephalus, my nerves were frazzled and creativity was at a minimum.

The Church of St. Thomas Becket - Salisbury

Our final morning involved taking Claire and Horatio for a morning out at Lymington. The sun was out, there was a gentle breeze and it was the perfect way to end our Summer Tour.

Horatio and Claire watching the wildlife.

What a fantastic ten days we had. We visited some beautiful parts of the country and above all spent precious time with the people we love the most.

Ah yes, as you know no blog would be complete without the “Bench of Contemplation”. I have chosen this image of Mrs. C in Oxford’s Botanical Garden.

Mrs. C found a “Botanical Bench of Contemplation”.

So there we have it. For those of you who have made it this far may I thank you and wish you all an enjoyable summer. More adventures to follow later in the year.

With love and best wishes to you all from a sun-baked Plymouth U.K.

Tintagel............

May 25, 2025

Located on the north coast of Cornwall is the village of Tintagel. The 12th century writings of Geoffrey of Monmouth associated the castle, located on Tintagel Island, with the legend of King Arthur. He places it as the home of Arthur’s mother Igraine and allegedly, it is the place where King Arthur was conceived, thereby making Tintagel one of the contenders for the location of his famous castle, known as Camelot.

Well, with our spell of beautiful weather continuing, Mrs. C and I decided to make a day trip and see this mystical location for ourselves. So we packed a picnic, fired up Bucephalus, dialed Tintagel in to the sat-nav and headed over the Tamar Bridge in to Cornwall.

The drive to Tintangel takes about 1.5 hours and is fairly easy until the last 5 miles or so, at which point the roads start to get very narrow and if you get stuck behind a tractor or camper van, it will be slow going.

When you enter the village of Tintagel there is plenty of parking but just keep driving until you reach the Castle Carpark which is the nearest car park to the castle entrance. We arrived around 10.00 a.m. and there were plenty of parking spaces. This property is managed by English Heritage and best to book tickets online, in advance, and take advantage of the reduced rate of £16 per person.

Now one issue that I must tackle head-on is that there is not actually a castle at Tintagel. I was listening to one American tourist who was bitterly disappointed as he was expecting something which looked like Windsor Castle. Instead, what you will find are the ruins of a 13th century castle and settlement (the castle originally constructed by Richard, Earl of Cornwall), set on an island, surrounded either side by a stretch of sensational Cornish coastline.

In actual fact there are three contenders for the site of the legendary Camelot; Cadbury Castle located in Somerset, Tintagel located in Cornwall and often considered the most plausible, Caerleon in Wales.

None of this matters and should not put you off visiting this wonderful setting.

We set off from the Castle Car Park and there was no queuing as we already had pre-booked online. To his credit the man at the ticket office did pre-warn us that this is a good walk and that some of the paths and stairways are very steep. So pack sturdy walking shoes, a sun hat and plenty of water.

As we walked down the steep hill to the visitors centre the weather was beautiful and the walk very easy. However, always remember that walking down to somewhere also requires you to walk back uphill on the return…..hold that thought!

As we came to a fork in the path we had a choice to make, left or right? Right continued downhill to the visitor centre, cafe and beach, left takes you to the formal entrance and the bridge on to the Island. Now you can’t get on to the island from the beach or visitor centre and will have to walk back up the steep hill, so I would recommend taking the left path and heading directly for the bridge and going straight on to the island.

My one disappointment was that the bridge connecting the mainland to the Island was under repair. You still walk across it but aesthetically and from a photographic standpoint, it took the edge of many of the images that I wanted to capture.

As regular readers will know, Mrs. C does not like heights but to her credit she treated the bridge as a life challenge. Through gritted teeth and holding my hand so tightly that I still have the nail marks imprinted like a tattoo, she bravely made it across. Well done Mrs. C! The alternative was an ultra steep set of stairs, which in fact were blocked off on the day of our visit. We subsequently found out that they use a one-way system, so we couldn’t have used the alternate route anyway.

I did grab an image of the Island from the entrance to the bridge and you will note a wall in the bottom right. This was to be our lunch spot. More on that later.

Our eventual picnic spot is the wall bottom right….hold that thought!

Once on the Island itself the views are spectacular. There are ruins of buildings and remnants of the original castle walls surrounded by the beautiful Cornish coastline.

Once you reach the plateau of the Island it is quite flat and rugged and whilst we had very sunny weather, I imagine it would be even more dramatic and moody on a windy, wintery Cornish afternoon.

The plateau of the Island with St. Materiana’s Church in the distance.

The stand-out feature on the plateau of the island is the Gallos Statue. Standing at 8 feet tall, this is a bronze sculpture by Rubin Eynon, in the form of a ghostly male figure wearing a crown and holding a sword.

The site owner, English Heritage, state that the statue is not meant to represent a single person and that it is reflective of the general history of the site. However, I believe it is a very dramatic piece of art and combines very well with the legend of King Arthur.

This is obviously a magnet for tourists who all seem to want to take the obligatory selfie, whilst standing next to the statue. I felt that it was best represented as a dark solitary figure and managed a quiet moment to capture the statue from different angles. We had a very bright sunny clouds but would love to have had a stormy Cornish winters day with dramatic clouds. Oh well, that is for the next visit.

And another legend……yours truly with Mrs. C behind the camera.

Regular readers will know that Mrs. C, a.k.a. “Columbus” takes care of all things navigational. However, whenever I see the analogue sat-nav in view I know we have a problem.

In this case the problem was where we should stop for lunch! Always a nice problem to have, until I found out the chosen destination.

This means trouble, Mrs. C consulting the analogue sat-nav.

Really? - The route to our picnic lunch - ultra steep and barely wide enough to walk down.

Mrs. C had chosen a very quiet spot next to the “Iron Gate”. You only realize why it is quiet when you try and walk down the very steep, narrow path, with a ruck-sack on your back and carrying about 5,000 quids worth of camera gear! However, once we had arrived it proved to be the perfect spot for a quiet picnic.

Another perspective, the path down to the “Iron Gate”.

Renovations to the bridge kind of took the edge of the images.

All good things come to an end and my “Guinevere” found the way out.

The path to the exit - not for the feint of heart.

As we approached the exit I saw another path leading down to a small beach. This was our next destination as Mrs. C continued her search for something for her “nature pocket”.

Mrs. C beachcombing for the nature pocket.

I have to say that we had a fabulous three hours or so exploring Tintagel Island. The only thing I would say is that you have to have a certain degree of fitness as it is a good walk and there are some very steep paths that you have to follow.

The sun was beating down and we still had a very steep 600 meter walk back to the car. Fortunately, half way up the path, we came across this lovely mobile ice cream parlor which was definitely a life saver.

Ah yes, the “Bench of Contemplation”. In this case Mrs. C, who hates heights, is contemplating what she is going to do to me after I persuaded her to allow me to take her image whilst sitting on a rock with a step drop down a cliff with waves crashing on rocks below. I didn’t capture waves crashing on rocks bit as I was too nervous to go near the edge!

I do hope you enjoyed joining us on our visit to Tintagel and if you are ever in this neck of the woods, be sure to make a visit.

I can’t believe we are already in May but for sure, Mrs. C and I have lots planned for the remainder of the year. So see you all again soon and warmest regards from Plymouth U.K.

Killerton...........

May 16, 2025

Regular readers will already know that Mrs.C and I are great supporters of the National Trust and we have been slowly working our way around the properties that are situated within an hour or so’s drive from Plymouth.

Well, whilst Devon was experiencing a bout of glorious weather, we needed no excuse for a visit to Killerton, an 18th century house and estate located about an hour away, just outside of Exeter. So we packed a picnic, fired up Bucephalus, dialed Killerton in to the sat-nav and headed up the A38.

From a photography standpoint I packed my standard National Trust kit; the Leica SL2 and manually adapted Leica 50mm Noctilux F0.95. I use this kit when I visit National Trust properties because they are often very dark inside, flash photography is never allowed in the properties, the Noctilux gives me plenty of versability throughout the apertures (although F0.95 is where the magic happens) and with 47 megapixels the SL2 has stunning image quality with plenty of opportunity for cropping.

Killerton was the home of one family, the Aclands, from the late 17th century until 1944. During their tenure the family transformed the original Tudor home into a rather grand Georgian and latterly Victorian Estate.

I found the house to be grand yet very livable. It has been through three key modifications:

In 1778 when the 7th Baron, Sir Thomas Acland expanded the Tudor house.
The early 19th Century when the 10th Baronet and his wife Lady Lydia expanded the house to suit their growing family.
The final modifications, carried out by the 12th Baronet and his wife Lady Gertrude at the turn of the 20th Century.

The current layout of the house reflects the 1920’s and the time of Sir Francis, the 14th Baronet.

The Killerton Estate was transferred to the National Trust in 1944 by Sir Richard Acland and his wife Lady Anne, primarily due to their political beliefs. This gift made Killerton one of the largest bequests that the National Trust had received.

The Family motto “Inebranlable” which means “Unshakeable”.

As you wander around the home you realize that this is a real home, that was lived-in and used. It takes you back to the glorious 1920’s and I would be very happy to move in tomorrow (not sure I could afford the council tax though!).

Anyone for a glass of fizz, Moet of course!

When visiting these properties I always like to grab a few images of the dining table as it shows how they used to live. I would say the Aclands were refined yet practical.

Now that’s how I like my eggs, served with a sprinkling of noctilux bokeh.

The house also contains the largest fashion collection within the National Trust. There is always a curated exhibition on display and during our visit, the first floor of the house took us back to the swinging 1920’s.

The complete guide for fancy dress in the 1920’s.

Having enjoyed the main house immensely it was time to head out in to the garden and surrounding estate.

The house is situated within 6,400 acres and was originally designed by John Veitch and was very much influenced by the famous Capability Brown. The grounds have a rich acidic soil and a microclimate that promotes the growth of camellias, magnolia, rhododendrons and a host of other exotic plants and trees.

The garden is a very good walk and so stout shoes, a sun hat and some form of hydration is advised.

There are plenty of benches throughout the estate and we managed to find a rather secluded bench, in the heart of the woods, where we were able to enjoy our picnic amongst the glorious surroundings.

Oh dear, problems with the analogue sat-nav!

The Killerton estate has its own Chapel. It’s a grade 1 listed building in a beautiful setting. It was designed by the architect C.R. Cockerel, under the commission of the 10th Baronet, Sir Thomas Acland, in 1841.

A gentle walk around the house and grounds takes about 3 hours and was an absolute pleasure.

Ah yes, I even managed to capture Mrs. C on “The Bench of Contemplation”.

I hope you have enjoyed joining us on our visit to Killerton. So if you are ever in Devon and passing by Exeter, be sure to pay a visit to Killerton.

With warmest regards from a very sunny Plymouth U.K.

Caminito Del Rey............

April 17, 2025

Now as regular readers will already know our creative travels normally involve museums, art galleries, the odd church, all intermingled with various coffee stops, lunch stops and of course the odd restorative bottle of the local red marching juice.

However, for our Andalucian adventure we had our sister-in-law Jackie with us. She is most definitely “action girl” and during this trip she had quietly acquiesced to our usual sight seeing routine as long as we agreed to do the Caminito Del Rey. I mean how hard could it be and the “Dangerous Brothers” have never been one to back down from a challenge. So, Jackie had booked it. Meantime Mrs. C (the only sane one amongst us) was unanimous that she was not going to take part in this “fools errand” and instead would stay at the visitor center with a good book and a glass of red.

The Caminito Del Rey literally means “The King’s Little Path”. Nestled in the gorges of the central part of Malaga province and about 60 kms north of Malaga city, the Caminito Del Rey is a rather unique one-way trail, running along walkways that literally cling to sheer cliff faces.

It was built between 1901 and 1905 as a service path for workers at the hydro-electric power plants in the Gaitanes Gorge connecting the Chorro and Gaitanejo reservoirs. It gained its name after King Alfonso XIII walked along it in 1921, during the inauguration of the Conde Del Guadalhorce dam.

Indeed, this little adventure is surprisingly popular so if you are mad enough to want to do it, you will need to book a few months in advance to be sure to secure a spot.

We arrived at the carpark (at the top a long winding drive up a mountain) only to then buy a Euro 2.50 per person bus ticket to take you some 2.5 km back down the mountain to the northern access. Remember to keep your bus ticket as it is a return journey…..hold that thought! Upon arrival you show you tickets and be sure not to be late as you have an allotted time and miss it at your peril.

You are then told to hike some 500m back up the mountain (are you sensing a theme here) to enter the trail via an 800 meter tunnel.

Not an ideal start if you don’t like the dark, tunnels or enclosed spaces.

Ah, I forgot to mention that this hike is considered “moderately difficult” so dress like you are attempting the north face of the Eiger and if you don’t like tunnels, the dark, heights, suffer from vertigo or claustrophobia and would wish to avoid potentially falling into a rushing gorge of water from a height of anywhere between 40 meters and 100 meters, then this little escapade is probably not for you. I am not selling it am I :-)

Once through the tunnel you have a twenty minute gentle hike to the mustering point. The hike is guided and we chose one of the English speaking tours. We were then sorted in to groups of 20 and given a radio headphone listening device, so that we were in communication with our guide. We were also given a climbing helmet, which we were told was compulsory and should be worn at all times.

Our guide then took us through the do’s and don’ts whilst casually mentioning that due to safety reasons, and numerous fatalities, the hike had been closed for a period. However all was now ok especially if we kept our helmets on!

Safety briefing from our intrepid guide.

With all the formalities completed we set off.

All smiles at the start of the hike with my trusty Leica M10P and 50mm summilux.

The hike started off quite gently. It appears that here are two canyons, the first where the walkway rises to about 40 meters above the river and then the second, where the path rises to 100 meters!

I must say that the path is sufficiently wide enough that for those with a modest fear of heights, you can feel moderately at ease as your fingernails dig in to the cliff face.

The first canyon - a false sense of security.

Things starting to get higher and the path narrower.

All of a sudden the scenery starts to get dramatic.

Well all was going smoothly, if not a little gingerly, as I managed to manually focus the M10P whilst trying not to fall to a watery grave. The scenery was awesome and the surrounding cliffs enormous. As I looked up I could see eagles circling. Hmm, perhaps they were waiting for their lunch!
Then we came upon a bridge, or should I say a narrow slab of concrete spanning the gorge. Our guide could sense the rise in panic amongst the group and assured us that this bridge was closed on account that people kept falling off it!

Nope, there is no way I am going across that!

Thankfully we then came to a rest-stop and we took the opportunity to take a drink and nourishment. I forgot to mention you will want a day pack with some essential nutrients such as crisps (well unlike my doctor I think crisps are an essential nutrient), a chocolate bar or three and of course some water. There are no bins for waste so what you carry in you carry out.

Lunch of Champions as Phil breaks out the Twix bar.

As we were walking along the path our guide provided a running commentary about the flora and fauna. Indeed he seemed fixated about the wild onions that were growing along the trail. According to him if you eat them they will kill you in a few minutes. However, for those “gentlemen of a certain age" who might suffer from haemorrhoids, sticking the leaves where the sun don’t shine apparently has quite restorative effects and can cause the aforesaid items to retreat and seek a safe haven in quite short order. So that’s all good then!

We were now about half way and the temperature had risen considerably so in all seriousness you do need a good supply of water to avoid dehydration.

We then came across the Cortijo de Hoyo, a refuge, now in ruins. It was apparently where the railway workers stayed whilst they built the railway along the opposite side of the gorge. It had clearly seen better times. Allegedy there was once a family who lived here and the wife had given birth to 13 children. Just shows the benefits of no T.V. or internet!

The Cortijo de Hoyo with the train line running behind.

At this point we entered the second phase of our walk and things started to get serious as our path rose to 100 meters above the river below. We could see part of the old trail below us and no wonder so many people had died using it.

Thats definitely a train journey I would like to take.

You can see the original path underneath the new path.

In all seriousness it was getting higher and narrower by the minute and my heart rate began to rise considerably. Then ahead I could see a platform that jutted out in to the abyss where we were invited to take photos.

A photo opportunity apparently - especially if you are nuts!

The Dangerous Brothers always rise to a challenge - then we realized the platform had a glass floor!

Yes we managed a picture on the platform courtesy of our guide who then said “don’t look down”. So naturally we all looked down and realized that we were on a glass platform 100 meters up. This was my first wobble of the day but I sucked it up and was determined to press on. I mean how much worse could it get?

Well apparently a lot worse. There is only one way out of the Caminito Del Rey and that is a bridge that spans 40 metres across the gorge and 100 metres above the river and rocks below. In his Spanish lilt our guide said it would not be a problem as the bridge does not swing from side to side, only up and down. So that’s all good then.

Well our guide was smiling when he said it was safe.

At this point we had a team meeting. Phil said that because I was the eldest that I should go first and that I shouldn’t worry as they would be right behind me; about 40 meters behind me.

Big mistake posing for a selfie as I looked down. Did you know that adrenaline is brown!

And away…….As the eldest I shouldered my responsibility and crossed the rubicon.

Little brother may be smiling but I wouldn’t want to be the one standing behind him!

So we made it through the Caminito Del Rey. The guide said that after the bridge the final 500 meters would be the easiest….I think not.

We then all met up and everyone was smiling and much more relaxed, until our guide said that we now had a gentle 1 km hike back to where the bus would collect us and take us back to our car.

In fact although the scenery was very pleasant the adrenaline rush was wearing off and the last 1 km was actually the hardest.

On reflection I am really glad we pushed ourselves and did this challenge. It was really like swimming the channel; I enjoyed it so much that I never want to do it again!

Well what a fantastic way to end our Andalucian adventure. I can’t help but feel that we have only scratched the surface of this wonderful part of Spain. I do hope you have enjoyed joining us and that I may have tempted you to book a flight and explore this wonderful country.

All the very best from Plymouth U.K.

Fabulous Alhambra..........

April 15, 2025

For those of you who have read my previous two blogs you will know what an action packed time we were having during our magical mystery tour of Spain’s wonderful region of Andalucia. Marbella, Mijas, Ronda, Jerez, Cadiz and Seville. How could we possibly top that?

Well our next and final destination was most probably the one for which we had all been secretly waiting. We were heading in to the high country of the Sierra Nevada, to visit Granda and more specifically, the Al Hambra Palace.

The drive to Granada was a couple of hours and as the altitude increased the air temperature became cooler.

Granada is an interesting place; it is not pedestrianised but many of the roads only allow authorised vehicles. So, once you have booked your hotel, ring ahead before entering the town and make sure you take the designated route or else prepare for the fine!

Our hotel was called Sercotel Palacio De Los Gamboa and was located in the centre of town. They were super organized and had provided detailed written instructions from the edge of town, including pictures of landmarks and the correct roads to take. Even with all of that guidance we still had a couple of squeaky bottom moments. Once we had parked the car securely in their underground car park we breathed a sigh of relief, checked in and had a cold beer!

We had arrived early evening and the weather was looking really mixed with dark clouds and intermittent rain forecasted. However, we weren’t going to give in to a bit of bad weather and after all, we do live in Plymouth, where it has been known to suffer its own share of wind and rain.

Given that we only had a few hours of light left we decided to head directly to the Mirador de San Nicolas, which is said to offer one of the best panoramic views of Granada as well as the famous Al Hambra Palace.

It took us a good 30 minutes of slogging uphill to reach the church but it was well worth it. For this particular visit and with the light beginning to fade it was all about getting the best view of Alhambra.

We found a lovely bar called El Balcón de San Nicolás. We only wanted a drink and they welcomed us on to their lovely terrace. Following our Jerez experience we ordered chilled sherry and peanuts and then enjoyed the view of the Alhambra, and what a view!

The best view of Al Hambra from the terrace of El Balcón de San Nicolás.

The best way to enjoy Al Hambra Palace, from a terrace with a glass of chilled sherry.

The next morning we were up early to enjoy an 8.00 a.m. cafe con leche and a pastry from one of the local bakeries. Our hotel had recommended we book a taxi to take us the short drive to the Alhambra. It is only a 5 minute drive but if you decide to walk it will take you a good 40 minutes and it is all uphill. I think it was the best five euros we spent whilst in Granada.

Having been deposited at the entrance to Alhambra, we scanned our tickets and passed through the entry check. Our ticket allowed us to download an audio guided tour. However you needed earphones, which we we had conveniently forgotten and the guide seemed to be eating our phones’ data. So we deleted this and pressed on.

The Al Hambra Palace is located on a rocky hill, on the banks of the river Darro, protected by mountains and surrounded by forest and stands as a testament to Moorish civilization.

Although originally constructed for military purposes, in the 13th century, after the establishment of the Nasrid Kingdom, it became the royal residence of King Mohammed Ibn Yusuf Ben Hamar (better known as Alhamar). The name Alhambra originates from the arabic meaning red or vermillion. The Alhambra became a Christian court in 1492 when the Catholic Monarch conquered Granada.

We spent almost 5 hours walking around the palace and its grounds. I wholeheartedly recommend you book an early ticket slot in order to avoid the crowds (even out of season it was busy) and as the sun rises so does the temperature.

Alhambra is not a singular palace but an entire complex housing Renaissance and medieval palaces and courtyards, all within one fortress.

We decided to visit the Nasrid Palace first in order to beat the crowds. You have a designated time and they will not let you in before this in order to limit the number of people. This shows proper organisation and provides for a much better viewing experience, unlike the Real Alcazar in Seville.

After the Nasrid Palace we enjoyed the beautiful gardens before visiting the Kasbah, a fortress at the western tip of the Al Hambra complex. A climb to the top of the high tower is very much recommended as the views are superb. Our tour was completed by a climb up to the Generalife which provided spectacular views of the Alhambra as well as Granada itself.

There is plenty online which provides in-depth information about the history of this wonderful complex. From my perspective, it was simply a beautiful walk where my photographer’s eye was constantly treated to image after image. Let me now provide you with a tour of Alhambra through my eyes.

A gentle stroll through the gardens as your enter the complex.

You guessed it, out with the analogue sat-nav.

Beautiful architecture and wonderful light and shadows.

The detail in these archways is something to behold.

I waited for 15 minutes to get a clear view for this image.

Can you imagine having this as your home?

The Palacio de Carlos V - I just loved the light and shade.

The view from mid-way up the Torre de la Vela.

View from the top with the snow-capped Sierra Nevada mountains in the distance.

The Al Hambra Complex and rooftops of Granada from the Generalife.

Well I hope this gives you a flavour of the beautiful Alhambra. The visit was everything it promised to be and I look forward to going back and visiting it over a couple of days so that I may spend quality time in each area of the complex.

So there you have it, the climax of our Andalucian tour……or was it? Well during the drive back to Marbella we had one last detour. So if you want to see my nerves tested to their limits look out for my next blog “Caminito Del Rey”.

Warmest regards from Plymouth U.K.

Maravilloso Andalusia (Part 2)...........

April 10, 2025

After our initial exploration of Marbella, Mijas and the wonderful Ronda, it was time to head down south.

Our initial destination was to be Jerez, but enroute we wanted to pass by the port town of Tarifa and take a look at the Atlantic coastline.

Given that we were under no time constraints we decided to take a steady drive along the coast road. As we turned a bend we caught our first glimpse of Gibraltar. In fact, we had decided that we would give Gibraltar a miss, mainly due to the fact that Phil and Jackie had already visited and that the prospect of a lengthy queue at Spanish customs, both in and out, held no joy for me.

Our first glimpse of Gibraltar rising in the distance.

As we arrived in Tarifa I decided to take an image of the welcome sign. Good job really as the town offered little appeal and we couldn’t find anywhere to park. It really just seemed like a transit point to and from Africa. So we about-turned and departed in short order.

A little disappointed but never defeated, we exited Tarifa, turned left and headed off along the coast road. We eventually managed to find a left turn which ended up taking us to a long sandy beach from where I managed to obtain a much more scenic view of Tarifa, with the shadow of Africa rising in the background.

Having had the strong Atlantic breeze clear the cobwebs we pressed on and found a super little cafe to enjoy our usual Spanish breakfast of tostada con tomate and a steaming cafe con leche.

After breakfast we again turned left only to be immediately stopped by the local constabulary who were clearly on the look-out for nefarious types. However, when the officer looked through the window of our car and saw me cradling the Leica M10P he gave me a smile and waved us on. Clearly a man who knows style when he sees it.

We pressed on and eventually parked up, walked through a small forest in the direction of the sea and came across a secluded headland, which really provided some wonderful views of this un-spoilt stretch of the Spanish coast.

We found an abandoned boat that clearly had been used for some illegal activity but provided my resident model with a good opportunity for an impromptu photo-shoot.

You can see from the amount of wind turbines lining the mountain tops that this area of Spain has a strong and constant wind (a bit like me according to Mrs. C). Indeed, it seems to be a mecca for kite surfers although, it is a brave man that ventures out in to that Atlantic surf.

As we stared out across the Straits of Gibraltar, in search of the coast of Africa, my 50 mm summilux managed to capture a rather pleasing shot of my little brother.

This must have been what Spain had been like before the advent of mass-tourism and high-rise beach hotels. We could have stayed by this part of the coast all day but “when needs must the devil drives” and we wanted to hit Jerez by mid-afternoon.

Indeed, our accommodation in Jerez was the beautiful “Villa Jerez”, located a 15 minute walk from the centre of town. This is a converted villa, set in its own grounds and is an absolutely perfect location for a stay in Jerez and as a base to visit other nearby towns.

The rooms were superb and the staff absolutely wonderful. I must give a warm thanks to the lovely Reyes, who went above and beyond the call of duty to help us during our stay. Moreover, it had its own free secure parking, something that is difficult to find when driving around this part of Spain. So this meant we could forget about the car and head off into town, á pied, in search of afternoon refreshments.

I was keen to line the old stomach as that evening we had booked a sherry tour and so I wanted to ensure that I was fully prepared for maximum tasting. We did find a very nice bar which served an excellent beer and a tapas of slow-cooked braised ox cheeks. Yes, uncle Phil and I were in our happy places.

Jerez is located in what is known as the “Sherry Triangle”, an area in the province of Cádiz between the cities of Jerez, Sanlúcar de Barrameda and El Puerto de Santa Maria. Like most of these Andalucian cities it has its old quarter, which in the case of Jerez surrounds an 11th century Moorish fortress known as Alcázar de Jerez. We have put that on the list for our next visit to Jerez.

The city is also the home of the famed riding school, The Royal School of Equestrian Art. Much to our disappointment there were no shows during the period of our stay and so this is one of many reasons for a return visit.

One thing I immediately noticed about Jerez was that the roads were lined with beautiful orange trees. Apparently the oranges, of which there are a plentiful supply, are often bitter and not intended for eating.

The trees are planted for purely ornamental purposes and to create some shade. I am reliably informed that any tampering with these trees or their fruit is liable to result in having your collar felt by the local constabulary. So enjoy their fragrance and the shade and nothing else!

Rather a nice little pub for when the sun falls below the yard-arm.

For a photographer, one of the key areas in most Spanish cities to offer photographic potential is the local market. Jerez is no exception and the Mercado Central de Abastos was a bustling hub of fish, meat and vegetable sellers.

One particular fish monger seemed to be “speed filleting” whilst singing out loud. He was happy to demonstrate his skills for my camera and upon enquiry it seems his song was a traditional Spanish fisherman’s song, the title of which roughly translated as, “She was only the fishmonger’s daughter, but she laid on the slab and said fillet”. Hmmm……I told him that I believed that they sing a not dissimilar version in our local Plymouth fish market!

Olé - An expert fish filleter demonstrates his skills.

The theme of sherry making is everywhere.

As previously mentioned, we had decided to book a sherry tour. There are many on offer but our choice was the Bodegas Fundador. Founded in 1730, this is the oldest winery in Jerez and has been closely linked with the Domecq name since its earliest days. The winery is now owned by Andrew Tan, the wealthiest businessman in the Philippines.

The tour is really interesting and you are taken through the whole process of sherry and brandy making. The sherry is stored / aged in oak barrels. Interestingly, they loan some of the really old barrels (up to 200 years old) to the fine whisky maker Macallan’s, who age their whiskey in them to give it that “unique” taste.

Another reason that we chose Bodegas Fundador is that they hold a warrant from the British royal family and are makers of the famous Harvey’s Bristol Cream.

Following our tour we tasted some traditional Harvey’s Bristol Cream, which they serve over ice and with a slice of orange. It really is a rather nice way to drink it. We also tasted one of their aged brandies which they served over ice with a ginger beer. Again this was quite delicious and both drinks may form part of the summer apéro selection chez Chivers.

The only thing I would say is that Bodegas Fundador is in a slightly sketchy part of town. Given that the tasting does not finish until 9.30 p.m., and if like me your manual focussing skills may have become somewhat impaired after tasting copious amounts of sherry and brandy, do as we did and ask them to call you a taxi.

Very traditional and still a major producer of very fine sherry.

40,000 barrels of sherry and brandy are stored in this one cellar.

Some aged and signed barrels of the really good stuff.

The next morning some of us awoke as fresh as a daisy whilst one of us, not mentioning any names or wishing to cast aspersions, had one of their famed “heads”.

After a cooked breakfast (I took the kill or cure approach) we decided to go on a day-trip to nearby Cádiz. The drive was very easy and takes about 30 mins.

The approach to Cádiz is over the rather spectacular “La Pepa Bridge” (also known as as the Constitution of 1812 Bridge). At a total length of 3,092 meters it is the longest bridge in Spain and provided me with my first keeper of the day.

Perhaps it was being on the Atlantic coast and being so adjacent to Africa but Cádiz had a completely different feel to it and I knew it was going to be my sort of town.

Cádiz is believed to be the oldest continuously inhabited city in Western Europe, starting around 1100 BC with its Phoenician founding as “Gadir” and followed by Roman, Moorish and Spanish rule.

Its strategic location allowed it to develop as a major port and encouraged trade. It also became well known as the departure point for the second voyage of Christopher Columbus to the Americas. As a result the city went on to become the sole port with a monopoly over Spanish trade with the Americas.

Once again a city of narrow streets where you must embrace the shadows and enjoy the highlights and above all, always remember to look behind you.

I was keen to find a more panoramic view of the city. This was provided by a visit to the Torre Tavira. This is the highest point in the old part of town. A ticket costs about 8 euros per person and is well worth the money. There is also a camera obscura but unfortunately all the slots were booked and that is something I would book in advance next visit.

Clearly, if you do not like heights then this is not for you but from the top of the tower you have a super 360 degree view of Cádiz.

Rooftops of Cadiz with Catedral de Santa Cruz in the distance.

Rooftops of Cadiz - a game of two halves.

Rooftops of Cadiz with La Pepa bridge in the distance.

As you now know every day on a Chivers tour revolves around food. Phil managed to find a very interesting restaurant in the heart of the old town called Casa Lazo. The owner really knew his stuff and in minutes we were seated, drinks arrived followed by a large sharing plate of grilled sardine, red snapper and sole. This was followed by a main course of grilled sea bream and freshly fried hand-cut chips, all washed down with lashings of the local beer. A perfect way to end a perfect day.

We had seen enough to know that we will be returning to Cádiz for an extended stay as we had such a wonderful time without even scratching the surface.

Our final destination for this phase of our trip was Seville. Again Jerez proved to be an excellent central point to stay as the drive from Jerez to Seville was only 1 hour 15 mins.

We had booked to stay at the hotel Las Casas De La Judeira. The hotel is located near the centre of the historic old town and simply getting to this hotel by car involved google maps par excellence and a strong nerve, as the roads are really busy and super narrow.

Rooms are grouped around quiet leafy courtyards.

We had a nice stay at the hotel which is basically a complex of interwoven dwellings in the old Jewish quarter. The rooms are indispersed with leafy courtyards and flagstone alleyways.

We were so excited to stay here and whilst we had no specific complaints we felt slightly underwhelmed as it really did not live up to its hype (also it was twice the cost of our other hotels).

The main reception building is quite stunning, especially the Piano bar on the first floor, which by the way serves a rather excellent martini. However I honestly felt that the rest of the hotel is rather tired and in need of a thorough update and renovation. I am glad we had the experience but next time we will stay somewhere different for sure. Indeed, Seville has so much to offer but of all the places we visited, I felt this was the first city we were treated like a tourist rather than a guest.

On our first afternoon in Seville the weather was really unsettled but we braved the rain and took the 20 minute walk to the Plaza de Espana. This grand building was built in 1928 and designed by Anibal Gonzalez and was built to showcase Spain’s industry and technology exhibits at the 1929 Worlds Fair.

You will see from the pictures below that the complex is in the form of a huge half circle, accessible by four bridges over a moat, which represent the ancient kingdoms of Spain. In the centre is the Vicente Traver Fountain. Many tiled alcoves were built to represent different provinces of Spain.

The modern renovation of this stunning building has been adapted for use as government offices for various government agencies.

A simply stunning piece of architecture.

The next morning the weather broke, we had clear skies and the temperature rose a few notches. This was fortuitous as our morning was to be spent at the wonderful Royal Alcázar of Seville.

I didn’t realise that this is Europe’s oldest royal place that is still in use. We had pre-booked tickets and you must bring a printed copy of the ticket plus your passport to gain entry. Even with tickets there are long queues so be sure not to miss your ticket slot.

Bearing in mind that our visit was out of season, there were a tremendous number of tour parties so I can’t imagine what it must be like during high season.

This palace was formerly the site of the Islamic-era citadel of the city. Construction commenced in the 10th century and then developed in to a larger palace complex in the 12th and 13th centuries.

After the Castillian conquest of the city in 1248, the site underwent a rebuild in the Mudéjar-style and most of the Islamic-era structured disappeared. It is now widely regarded as the preeminent example of the Mudéjar style in the Iberian Peninsular. For those of you who have visited the Al Hambra Palace in Ganada, you will note a striking similarity.

Through the main gate and I am already enjoying the light and shadows.

Stunning architecture - not dissimilar to Al Hambra Palace.

I found the initial main buildings badly organized from a visitors perspective. There were people everywhere, with no orderly flow, which meant it was very difficult to fully appreciate the beauty of the place.

Then we walked out in to the main gardens which is really where the magic happens. The gardens are simply enchanting and we spent over an hour enjoying their beauty and tranquility.

As someone who enjoys capturing imagery in black and white, I am always looking for shadows and reflections. The underground Baños de Maria de Padilla provided complete calm from the frenetic activity in the palace and I love this image of the reflection in the vaulted bathing area.

Without a doubt I plan to return to the Royal Alcázar and next time I will take one of the guided tours so that I can fully appreciate the internal parts of the palace.

Now after all that sightseeing food was the next order of the day. In one of the bars we ordered drinks and tapas and I received a lesson from Chef Ricardo Miró on how to correctly carve Iberico ham. He was so precise and not a scrap was wasted. My problem is that I eat as much as I carve!

After lunch we continued our walk and came across The Metropol Parasol, alternatively referred to as Setas de Sevilla (“Mushrooms of Seville”). This is a large, predominantly wood structure, located at La Incarnation Square.

The structure was designed by the German architect Jürgen Mayer and was completed in 2011. Although this structure is Seville’s third most visited urban landmark, I find it very much out of keeping with the style and design of the rest of Seville’s old quarter. Then again, I am a man of a certain age!

I had another cause for celebration whilst in Seville, my 62nd birthday. Incredible I hear you say, the old boy doesn’t look a day over 45! Well as you know I rarely photograph dinners as red wine and manual focus are mutually exclusive. However, as I “poured” out of the restaurant the family paparazzi managed to snap an image of me in my happy place!

I left Seville nursing a hangover and pondering about how to structure a return visit. I really enjoyed Seville but retained a hint of disappointment that we did not do it the justice it deserved. Now we have had a taste of what is on offer a return visit can surely be planned accordingly.

We then headed off to Granada via an un-planned stop in Cordoba. A mid-morning coffee and sandwich was in order and given our lack of schedule we were free to make a quick detour.

Imagery by Leica, hydration by Cruzcampo.

As a result of Cordoba being literally a coffee break, there was no time to visit the beautiful Mezquita Catedral de Cordoba. Once again, this tour was a taster and for sure convinced us that a return visit is definitely required.

As we enjoyed a coffee a very friendly local spotted my Leica and came over to chat. He was clearly a big Leica fan. Once more evidence of the global Leica community.

So Cordoba brought the 2nd part of our Andalucian adventure to a close. However, there was so much more still to come as we headed off to Granada and the highlight of our tour, a visit to the famed Al Hambra Palace.

See you all again soon and warmest regards from Plymouth U.K.

Maravilloso Andalucia............

April 4, 2025

I have been traveling to Spain since I was a boy, both on family holidays and to visit my mum and dad who made Spain their home. So for me Spain was never about a holiday as such, it was about going home to spend time with family.

Now that we have a little more time on our hands Mrs. C and I, accompanied by my brother Phil and his wife Jackie, decided to put together an Andalucian extravaganza, as we drove around southern Spain to visit Marbella, Ronda, Cadiz, Jerrez, Sevilla and Granada. This was to be a trip to give us a taster for the area and an exploration of the culture of the region, rather than the traditional Brits on tour. With Mrs. C undertaking her usual military style planning we knew we were in for a wonderful time.

So we fired up Bucephalus, headed up the A38 to Bournemouth and we all boarded Ryan Air to Malaga.

A travel tip for budding visitors, check out Helle Hollis for your car rental (no sponsorship involved). They were superb. They collected us from Malaga airport, took us the 5 minute drive to their car hire centre and made the whole process pain free.

Fortunately, Jackie has a beautiful family home in Marbella, so for the first few days this was our base from which we were able to explore Marbella, neighbouring Mijas and take a day trip to Ronda.

For this visit I was traveling light and so for photographic purposes I was using the Leica M10P with the 50mm Summilux (pus 4 stop ND filter incase things got really bright) and for those wider images the 28mm Elmarit f2.8. So all in all a very compact little unit with two of my favorite lenses.

Now as regular readers know the Chivers Army marches firmly on its stomach and so for our first morning it was off to Marbella and a walk along the corniche to find somewhere for coffee and breakfast.

An early morning stroll along the Marbella corniche.

The girls headed straight for the Marbella Club jetty.

It didn’t take long to find a breakfast bar and so it was the Catalan breakfast for me; toast accompanied by olive oil, crushed tomato, a sprinkling of salt and lashings of Iberico ham, all washed down with a steaming cup of café con leche.

The one thing you notice in a country with a real cafe culture is that coffee is so reasonably priced. A café con leche clocks in at Euro 1.50 (about £1.27 at current exchange rates). I am not sure how that works in the UK where it is becoming almost impossible to buy an Americano for less than Euro 4.00. Someone is ripping someone off for sure.

A Michael Portillo moment - Phil in his happy place contemplating his choice of breakfast.

Breakfast view with angry clouds over Marbella beach.

The corniche is a bit old school but still super popular with the tourists.

As we headed toward the old town we came across the Avenida Del Mar, which contains 10 bronze sculptures by the old master himself, Salvador Dali. I would refer regular readers to my blog of 15th April 2018, “La Gare de Perpignan - Centre Du Monde,” where I was first introduced to the works of the old master.

One can only wonder what was in the mind of the great master?

After trying to see inside of the mind of Salvador Dali, never an easy task, we came to Parque de La Alameda and time for a team photo.

Could this be a team bench of contemplation?

Now the good thing about having my brother with us is that he is a good looking chap and is always up for a bit of model work. Here we see him just outside of Orange Square rocking the “Man at M&S meets Michael Portillo look”.

Rocking the “Man at M&S meet Michael Portillo” look.

Marbella really is a game of two halves. Of course you have the usual Spanish sea-front with its corniche full of bars and restaurants. However, step away from this and within 10 minutes you can be in the heart of the “old town”, taking coffee (or something stronger dependent upon your mileage) in the wonderful Orange Square.

The weather was absolutely perfect, sunny with some cloud cover with temperatures in the low 20 degrees centigrade.

It has to be six o’clock somewhere in the world.

I just love the narrow streets as they are a photographer’s paradise. Wherever you look an image just seems to present itself.

Embracing the shadows and enjoying the highlights.

All roads seem to lead back to Orange Square.

After an enjoyable tapas lunch involving albondigas (delicious meaty bites in a slightly spicy tomato sauce), patatas bravas and gambas pil pil, we decided to take the 30 minute drive up in to the mountains to visit Mijas Pueblo. It is a beautiful white washed village perched some 430 meters above sea level.

My travellers tip for the day is that upon arriving in Mijas head straight for the multi-story parking. There were plenty of spaces and it only cost a Euro.

As we walked out of the car park we were presented with the beautiful Santuario de la Virgen de la Pena. Originally built in the 17th century and situated next to panoramic views. The chapel is only small but entry is free (we always leave a small donation to help upkeep).

The Virgen of the Rock, Patron Saint of Mijas.

As you visit more and more Spanish villages a theme starts to develop. The core of every village is usually the church (normally more than one), which is always beautifully maintained. You have the main square which seems central to village life and then, you have the bullring. In Mijas we visited the Plaza de Toros de Mijas.

The bullring was built in 1900 and now serves as a museum and cultural centre, showcasing bullfighting history and traditions.

This particular bullring is located next to the Church of Nuestra Señora de la Concepcion. Interesting that there always seems to be a church and a graveyard next to the bullring. Maybe the matador didn’t always get the better of 700 kgs of raging Spanish beefsteak armed with horns like razors.

This particular bullring is no longer used for actual fights although, it is one few oval-shaped bullrings in Spain.

Our oval shaped bullring with spectacular mountain views.

The beautiful Mrs. C. This was as close as she was going to get to any bulls.

Beautiful….and the view is not bad either.

Our time in Marbella had gone very well but day two was one I was really looking forward to; a day trip to Ronda.

Now Spain had been experiencing severe storms and it seemed that the mountain route to Ronda had literally been washed away. Google maps to the rescue, an alternate route was secured and we set off down the motorway. The road was great and the journey took about 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Now parking in these popular places can be a nightmare. We used an app called Parkimeter which allowed us to reserve a parking space in the Plaza del Socorro. It all works by number plate recognition. 25 Euros for the day and zero hassle. Don’t try and cheapskate it as you will be driving around all day.

This particular location was absolutely central and gave us immediate access to everything.

This mountain-top city, located in Spain’s Malaga province is a must visit. It is set dramatically above the El Tajo Gorge, which separates the city’s 15th century new town from its old town (which dates back to its Moorish rule).

For me, one of my bucket-list images was to capture the Puente Nuevo, a spectacular stone bridge spanning the gorge. The bridge dates back to 1793 and rises to some 100 meters above the river below.

View across Puente Nuevo towards Plaza de Socorro side.

The chamber above the central arch was allegedly used as a tortue chamber during the Spanish civil war, where some poor souls were dispatched by throwing them from the windows on to the jagged rocks below.

Now for those wishing to take the classic Puente Nuevo image I can save you a lot of pain and angst. Cross the bridge from the Plaza del Socorro side to the old town, turn right and take the path down the side of the mountain. Its a good walk, and remember, once down there you have to walk back up again!

As you walk across the bridge and look to your left, you will see a much smaller but very picturesque bridge, the Puente Viejo. I suggest you make this a secondary visit as there is only a very restricted view of Puente Nuevo from this bridge.

Beautiful light illuminating Ronda from the path to the bottom of the gorge.

It is quite steep but plenty of places to stop and take a breath and tremendous view along the way.

The ever willing model posing with Puente Nuevo in the background.

Our girls braving the weather from the viewpoint.

Now I know you are wondering why I haven’t yet mentioned food in Ronda. Well don’t worry, after our hike down and then back up the mountain we were ready to take on board some sustenance.

Our dear friends Jon and Rachel had recommended a restaurant that was listed in the Bib Gourmand, called Tregatá. We booked months in advance as it is really popular. It is not often that I am pleasantly surprised in a restaurant but Tregatá managed it. The service was friendly and efficient and the food superb. We shared starters of tuna tataki, a juicy omelette topped with wild boar and padron peppers and of course slow roasted ox cheek. My main was shoulder of pork in a wild mushroom fricassee. All of this was washed down with a bottle of the local red marching juice after which, I was looking for somewhere to take a siesta.

However, as regular readers know well, when Mrs. C is in charge there is no slacking and our next stop was the Plaza de Toros de Ronda. Bullfighting first started here back in 1784 and today is considered the largest bullring in Spain. Entrance to the facility is 9 euros and there is a very interesting museum.

Set in the pathway outside of the bullring are the names of famous matadors. Perhaps the most famous is Pedro Romero. He is a key figure in the history of Spanish bullfighting and it is said that he slew more than 5,600 bulls.

I have to say that whilst I am partial to the odd piece of grilled entrecôte I have no wish to watch the poor animal being tortured to death. However, bullfighting is still extremely popular in Spain…. it just not my thing.

Pedro Romero - slayer of more than 5,600 bulls.

Now you can see below that there is a small entrance behind a wall that the matador jumps behind when the 700 kg raging bull gets the upper hand. I can only suggest that these matador chaps must be a slender bunch as I had trouble getting my leg through the gap and there was no way I was getting behind there at speed.

Having spent an enjoyable hour or so in the bullring I was determined to visit Puente Viejo. So it was back over Puente Nuevo, turn left and head downhill through the backstreets. A very interesting walk and I grabbed a few images along the way.

As you can see below whilst still quite spectacular, the view from this bridge is rather more limited.

So having walked down the hill it was time to head back up to the car. As I always say, sometimes it pays to stop and look behind you.

By the time we reached our car my thighs were burning and the indigestion from that fine lunch was seeking its revenge!

Although the weather during our visit to Ronda was changeable, it may have been a blessing as hiking up and down a mountain at 30 degrees centigrade could be a real challenge. I have to say that I would return to Ronda in a heart-beat and next time I would stay the evening. A day trip is simply not long enough to do this wonderful city justice.

So what a great way to bring the first section of our trip to a close. However, stay tuned as there is so much more to come as we continue of our adventure through the heart of Andalucia.

Warmes regards from Plymouth U.K.

Pathfinders..........

March 5, 2025

Noun, Pathfinder: plural, Pathfinders - Meaning; a person who goes ahead and shows others a new path or way.

What do I mean by Pathfinders? Well we are people who have lived the majority of our lives outside of our country of birth. Our friends are often of a similar ilk and together we tend to spend our free time traveling and searching out new and interesting places.

Also Pathfinders tend to have no problem with traveling large distances to meet up for lunch, dinner or to spend a few days exploring a foreign location. Such is the case with our dear friends Rachel and Jon.

For those of you who regularly follow my blogs you will know that we spent a couple of weeks touring Texas and Louisiana with Jon and Rachel last year. Well, we received a call that they would be in the U.K. for a few days and so Mrs. C put plans in place for them to come stay with us in Plymouth, so that we could repay some of their generous hospitality and to introduce them to what the South West of England has to offer.

As always Mrs. C can organize everything… except the weather and a visit to Plymouth normally requires a wardrobe that covers all four seasons. The great thing is that Rachel and Jon are up for everything and anything and are totally adaptable so we had no worries.

We decided to split the visit into a day in Plymouth itself and then, a day up on Dartmoor, both to include some culinary activities.

As with all new guests we decided to start proceedings with my usual photowalk route around the Barbican and up on to the Hoe.

Given that Jon and Rachel are already residents of the “New World”, British but now living full-time in the U.S.A, we decided to start out at the Mayflower Steps, where the original Pilgrim Fathers left Plymouth for a life in the “New World”: the original Pathfinders!

Then it was up past the Admiral Mcbride Pub (no we didn’t stop for a beer and a crab sandwich although perhaps we should have!) and up to the start of Plymouth Hoe, where the old canons still guard the approach to The Cattewater and Sutton Harbour.

We took a stroll to Pier One, a regular coffee haunt for us and for an hour we sat in the sun, (yes I really did say sun) sipping our coffees and catching up with all our respective news.

Then as the sun departed and angry clouds rolled in from the English Channel we walked up on to the Hoe to experience the full vista.

Smeaton’s Tower from a different perspective.

Plymouth is a military town and all the armed forces are well represented. Plymouth Hoe has many tributes to our brave servicemen who sacrificed their lives so that others may remain safe from tyranny (particularly relevant in today’s torrid times). One of Jon’s family was actually an original RAF Pathfinder and so this memorial was very poignant for him.

We then made our way back across the park and down through the cobbled backstreets of the Barbican for a lunch-break. We had intended a quick sandwich and a coffee but ended up with a selection of tapas and a bottle of red. Of course we did!

The trees still with their winter coat as we head off back to the Barbican.

Back-allies of The Barbican - If they could talk these streets could surely tell some stories.

The Clippy and Coffe & Donuts - A regular stop-off for the bikers.

After our delicious calorific interlude we headed off along Southside Street as we had booked a tour of the Plymouth Gin Distillery (also known as the Black Friars Distillery).

Established in 1793, it is the oldest operating distillery in Britain.

Built in 1431, the distillery is located on what was once a Dominican Order monastery and rumour has it that the original Pilgrim Fathers stayed there while the Mayflower was in the harbour for repairs, before finally setting off to North America. I think I would have needed more than a few navy-strength gins to make that journey back in the 1600’s.

From 1793 the building was remodelled and extended as a gin distillery and was owned by the Coates family until 2004.

6284 Litres of the old Plymouth marching juice.

Since 2005 the Brand “Plymouth Gin” has been owned by the Scandinavian V&S Group (makers of Absolute Vodka) which in turn was later acquired by Pernod-Ricard. This is still an active distillery and indeed, every bottle of Plymouth Gin comes from a single Still from within this distillery.

Our charming tour guide, Kirsty, took us through the entire distillation process, which we didn’t realize includes a number of botanicals; juniper berries, lemon and orange peel, coriander, orris root and angelica.

Of course whilst interested in the process, we Pathfinders actually believe that the proof (100% proof and 57% alcohol by volume) is in the tasting. Kirsty provided us with small shots of neat Gin, Fruit Cup and Sloe Gin and told us that we only needed to sip it and inhale and that there was no requirement to drink it all! We Pathfinders always adopt a zero tolerance to waste, do not believe in spitting and so it was cheers for Chivers and down the hatch in one.

Navy Strength - 100% proof so If its good enough to light gunpowder………

The deal is done as Jon and Rachel purchase some provisions to take back to the “New World”.

After the tour we were taken to the Refectory Bar where we were treated to some “real-world tasting”. My initial tipple was a Sloe gin, poured lovingly over ice and mixed with a lemon tonic and some form of vegetation. That was okay for a warm-up and quenched the thirst before moving on to a house Martini. By now our party was cooking on gas and very much into the swing of things.

Time for some serious tasting at The Refectory Bar.

Fortunately we only had to stagger about ten yards to the neighbouring Barbican Kitchen restaurant where we enjoyed a rather delicious meal. I know it definitely was delicious, I am just having trouble remembering what exactly we ate! I do remember capturing this image of the Plymouth Barbican on the way home. Thank goodness for the Leica Q and its autofocus.

Day two involved a trip across Dartmoor to the market town of Tavistock. The weather had taken a turn for the worse (yes that is possible in the south west), the driving wind meant that the rain was practically horizontal and the mist was somewhat impairing our supposed scenic drive across the moor.

On arrival in Tavistock we did what all Pathfinders would do in such circumstances, found a coffee shop and had a bacon sandwich. Yes I know we had a lunch planned but we were introducing Jon and Rachel to our family tradition that whilst on holiday, everyone must have one portion of pork product per day in whatever format.

Tavistock is ideal for a rainy day. After coffee we headed for the Pannier Market which had something for everyone. Rachel and I were on the hunt for new hats, Kate was off to the craft shop to buy some crochet accessories and Jon was being a hipster and remembering the 1970’s (they say if you can remember the seventies you weren’t there!) and was looking at second hand records. For those under the age of 20, vinyl records allowed music to be heard through the use of an ancient form of electrical device called a “record player”.

Of course, there is no accounting for style and I think you will agree that my new hat definitely set the tone for the day. I know it is stylish because wherever I went people could not help but admire it…..I think!

Then it was off to the Cornish Arms for a calorific experience. Our favourite restaurant so I do not even have to look at the menu. I always start with the lamb raviolo (complete food orgasm) followed by loin of venison. I have simplified my menu choices but all come with accompanying items and sauces that are a sensation for the taste buds.

We had an absolutely charming waitress who was very proud of her body art and allowed me to capture her and her dragon tattoo in action.

Crystal - a.k.a. “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo”.

As we drove back to Plymouth all were very much in their respective happy places. Regrettably Jon and Rachel had to depart the next morning as they were about to travel to southern Spain. You see, a true Pathfinder never stays in the same place for very long.

All I can say is that we had an absolutely wonderful couple of days and both Jon and Rachel really are kindred spirits. We all agreed that a joint adventure is very much in order. So it’s up to the planners, Mrs C and Rachel to come up with the locations whilst Jon and I peruse the wine list.

As I finish this blog it’s a beautiful day here in Plymouth and my thoughts are now turning to our upcoming Andalucian adventure with my brother and his wife. More of that in my next blog.

Meantime, stay well, stay safe and may I wish all you photographers good light!

Warmest regards from Plymouth U.K.

Back To The Desert..........

February 27, 2025

Well the new year started with a blur and Christmas already seems a world away. Although I would class myself as semi-retired I still undertake consultancy work which necessitates a couple of visits back to Dubai each year.

I consider myself one of those fortunate people who, in the final stage of my full-time career worked for and with some absolutely wonderful and life-changing people. Whilst I do enjoy spending time with loved ones I also occasionally enjoy pitching up in the office and spending some time back, albeit briefly in the corporate world.

Dubai itself holds so many many memories for me personally and for us as a family. Our kids grew up and were educated here, we made some enduring friendships, we stayed during a Gulf War and we were quarantined there during a pandemic. So each time I return I do so with mixed emotions.

Room with a view - Layers of Dubai - Novotel Suites Hotel.

Whilst each business visit to Dubai involves charging around town and attending meetings, we do get some private time. This is when Mrs. C and I like to revisit old haunts and catch up with the friends we miss.

You have probably guessed that most of our old haunts involve food. So what better place to start than breakfast at Tashas in Dubai Marina Mall. The food and service is always delightful and is a great place if, like me, you are a people watcher.

The beautiful people enjoying their Sunday morning breakfast at Tashas.

Of course, with my stomach full and my wallet considerably lighter (they are not giving it away at Tashas), I do enjoy a stroll around the Marina to capture a few images.

Dubai Marina - enjoying the highlights and embracing the shadows.

“Fly Dubai” - The infamous zipline across the Marina.

As regular visitors will already know Dubai has more than its fair share of iconic buildings, many of which I have captured and discussed at length in previous blogs. However the Burj Al Arab is one such icon that always continues to fascinate. So its off to the Souq Madinat and coffee at Costa Coffee, whose terrace offers one of the best views of this wonderful structure.

Two flat whites later and I am buzzing, so time for a walk around the Souq. It is a photographers dream and full of light and shadows.

The artist who draws pictures in a bottle full of sand.

I can never get enough of the shadows and highlights.

I can photograph buildings and cultural sites all day but for me, I just love to capture people.

My favourite model is Raif. We have known Raif since birth and have seen him grow into a wonderful young man. He has the most beautiful nature and every time he walks in front of my lens I seem to capture a different view of him.

Then there is his brother, the lovely Horatio. Each time we see him he seems to have grown another couple of inches. Both have a brother, Atticus but for some inexplicable reason he managed to avoid my lens. I will definitely make up for that omission when I next see them.

Ralph Shipley is one of my oldest and dearest friends. This is the man responsible for taking me out of the Uk and introducing me to the world of the professional expatriate. We were in business together and have had so many adventures together. One morning, over poached eggs and coffee, I managed to capture one of my favourite images of Ralph.

As regular followers will know, whilst living in Dubai I fell in love with the world of Leica. Indeed, in my honest and unashamedly biased opinion, Dubai is blessed with the best Leica store in the world. Credit for this and the development of the wonderful community of Leica devotees in the region must go to the owner of Leica Middle East, Mr. Assad Abboud. Everything he does is about quality and service.

This brings me to Gina. She manages Leica Store Dubai and is responsible for my complete collection of Leica cameras and lenses. Every Saturday morning I would pass by the store to have a coffee with Gina, talk photography and browse through the store’s new and used offerings. This is one of the things I really do miss after leaving Dubai. Of course, we all stay in touch through the medium of social media and I always block out a morning to visit Dubai Mall, see Gina and enjoy my morning coffee with her.

The Leica Girls - Anna Christina and Gina.

Back to our favourite haunts and afternoon tea at Al Qasr Dubai. It is still a most wonderful way to while away a couple of hours. This time we were looked after by a most wonderful lady from Malaysia. She had one of those smiles that I just had to capture.

Another of my oldest friends is Jeremy. A lawyer by training and a writer in his non-business life, we have done many a business deal together and he was my regular breakfast partner. We would meet at Stomping Grounds, just off the Jumeirah Beach Road, enjoy poached eggs (runny of course) with a side of bacon cooked extra crispy, all washed down with a steaming cup of the old Colombian marching juice.

Last year was a signature year for Jeremy ad his Spanish wife Marina, as they were blessed with the birth of their first child, Pelayo (which I believe means “of the sea”). So I was on a mission to update my people collection and grab a couple of images of Pelayo and the happy family.

No trip to Dubai would be complete without a visit to our special and most favourite place in the U.A.E., the wonderful Al Maha Desert Resort. For those that want to see more of Al Maha I would encourage you to read my blog of 24th May 2019 “A Desert Staycation”.

We had a Saturday free so we booked lunch and took the 1 hour drive along the Al Ain road to Al Maha. The minute we drove through the main gates of the nature reserve the calmness descended upon us.

Yes you really are a world away when you visit Al Maha.

I even managed to capture an image whilst paying the bill!

I know I go on about food a lot but let me assure you, lunch at Al Maha is sublime. Do you really think I would drive an hour in to the desert for mediocrity. Carpaccio of beef with a remoulade topped with caviar followed by lamb chops and a divine salad with a fresh lemon vinaigrette followed by a creme brulée that just melted in my mouth. Oh yes, you have already guessed that Steve was in one of his very happy places.

However, in addition to the food there is also the nature. The beautiful Arabian Oryx and Arabian Gazelles roam free and so for the nature photographer there is plenty to keep you occupied.

This is at 28mm uncropped so you can guess how close I was!

However, what really makes my time at Al Maha special is to share it with the wonderful Mrs. C. We have so many wonderful memories of our time in the Middle East and we really do have so much to be thankful for.

Mrs. C - Enjoying the view over Al Maha.

Well there you have it. I do hope you have enjoyed the highlights from our recent visit to Dubai. We have a great deal planned for the rest of the year including some visits to pastures new. So stay tuned and watch out for notifications on Instagram and Vero.

Ah yes, you thought I had forgotten. How could I finish without Mrs. C modelling The Bench of Contemplation……..

Its has been lovely to share or journey back to the desert with you. May I wish you all good health, good light and hopefully inspire you to grab your camera, get out there and capture some memories.

Warmest regards from a calm and sunny (yes really the sun is out) Plymouth U.K.

Our Haven On The Moor..........

February 18, 2025

Well, January was certainly turning out to be a relaxingly hectic month. We had a great time with the kids over New Year, Mudger looked after us royally during a fabulous two weeks in Spain and now, only two days after our return, we were taking Kate’s mum and dad to spend a night at our most favourite hotel in the Uk, the wonderful, the luxurious, the glorious Gidleigh Park Hotel, located on Dartmoor near the village of Chagford.

So, we dialed Gidleigh in to the satnav only to be confronted with all sorts of travel issues. Due to the weather we had been experiencing in the UK, there were all sorts of road closures and the main route in to Gidleigh, via Chagford High Street, was closed due to gas main renovations. So we decided to call the hotel direct for advice but could not get through. We tried their website only to be told that all phone lines were down after the recent storm.

Now regular readers know that La Famille Chivers are made of stern stuff and the Chivers family helicopter was in for an MOT. So, “when needs must the devil drives”, we fired up Bucephalus and with Mrs. C in the navigator’s seat we headed across Dartmoor, via Tavistock and pressed on through howling wind and driving rain.

We knew we were near to Gidleigh as the roads had narrowed to the width of Bucephalus and had grass growing in the middle (never a good sign in our part of the world). I wouldn’t say it was wet but the only other vehicle approaching Gidleigh was Noah and his Ark and he was already preparing to abandon ship!

Despite everything we pressed on until we finally saw the sign that said “ Gidleigh Park Hotel 0.5 miles Do Not Give Up”! As we rounded the final corner the wonderful Gidleigh Park came in to view, our excitement heightened and my blood pressure receded to manageable levels.

As we walked in to the warm cosy lobby of the hotel we were greeted with a most beautiful smile and all the previous travel difficulties just melted away. Our bags disappeared and we were ushered in to the main sitting room where we slumped in to the comfy settees and ordered, wine, smoked salmon sandwiches and a bowl of sizzling French fries for mother.

Very soon everyone was in their respective happy places. Mrs. C, in between glugging a rather delicious Pinot Noir was doing her daily Wurdle, Kate’s mum and dad were preparing for an afternoon siesta and I was roving around with my Leica SL2 and 90mm Apo Summicron SL.

A cheeky little Pinot Noir to kick-off proceedings.

As I had a captive audience I took the opportunity to take some long overdue portraits of Kate’s mum and dad. I know that they won’t mind me mentioning that Kate’s Dad is now 90 and “Mother” is now 88. Both are in fine fettle and with the 90mm apo, one of Leica’s premier portrait lenses, I was delighted with the imagery I captured. I even managed a capture of camera shy Mrs. C. (She wasn’t happy about it and if pictures could talk I would only be releasing this blog after the watershed!).

Following a delightful lunch we headed up to our rooms. As you can imagine they are super comfortable and inviting. A chilled bottle of fizz, courtesy of the management, was sitting expectantly on the dressing table and a rather fine decanter of Madeira perched in the bay window seemed to be calling out to me. As I sank under the bubbles of a steaming bath all was well in my world.

Normally I only use manual focus lenses as I generally find that copious amounts of alcohol and manual focus lenses are not the best of bed-fellows. Not a problem this time as I had the SL2 and 90mm Apo so I had full autofocus and could indulge both creatively whilst satisfying my “hydration” requirements. Aunty Sarah would have been proud of me.

Suitably fed, “watered” and scrubbed up, I decided it was time for a wander and capture some imagery at 90 mm.

Officianados of wellies just know that Dubarry are the only way to go.

The Dartmoor mist creeping through the trees.

Hand held long exposure - a measure of the SL2’s image stabilization.

The beautiful Mrs. C holding something for the nature pocket.

As you can see Gidleigh really is a delightful place. Did I mention that they also have a Michelin Star restaurant? We were invited to the bar by Col, our Maitre’D for a pre-dinner martini (he mixes a damn good martini does our col). Then on to dinner which comprised the most lovely pieces of poached lobster, in a fish broth that screamed eat me, followed by a loin of venison that was doing a breast-stroke in an unctuous red wine and port sauce, all finished off with a rather generous selection of local cheeses. Then it was in to the lounge for coffee and petit fours. Well I certainly was going to sleep well!

Next morning Col didn’t even need to ask what I wanted for breakfast. A full English duly arrived, but not just any full English, it was given the “Full Gidleigh”. Local sourced pork sausage, smoked bacon, hogs pudding, black pudding, mushroom and fried tomato and a beautifully poached egg, all washed down with a steaming hot coffee. I was set for the day.

So there you are, our haven on the moor. A night of luxury and calories. Ah yes, you thought I had forgotten about the “Bench of Contemplation”. This time I captured Mother…..penny for your thoughts?

I hope you enjoyed joining us for a glimpse of glorious Gidleigh. If you are ever in our part of the world do yourself a favour and just book yourself in for a night and you will sure to be hooked.

Stay tuned for more adventures as Mrs. C and I head out to Dubai in my next blog, “Back to the Desert”.

Meantime love and best wishes from a sunny Plymouth.

Starting The New Year at Home............

February 17, 2025

After the Christmas and New Year festivities our first port of call is Los Alcazares Spain to visit my mum, or as we call her Mudger. January is a very quiet month in Spain, the tourists are nowhere to be seen and whilst there is sun, the mornings and evenings can be quite chilly. None of that matters to me as I love to visit Mudger and our family home, somewhere where I automatically de-stress and relax.

Los Alcazares is an old school sort of place and so from a photographic standpoint I decided to go old school, leave my Leicas at home and give my Fuji Xpro2 and Fuji XF 35mm F1.4 (with 3 stop ND filter) a long overdue outing. I just felt a change from my usual gear and routine might produce a creative spark to start the new year.

Mediterranean life is very simple and for us the most important meal of the day is breakfast. Nothing really moves in Los Alcazares in January before 10.00 a.m. We take the 5 minute drive down to the shores of the Mar Menor to Julian’s, our favourite breakfast destination.

Breakfast is very simple; half a toasted baguette, a drizzle of olive oil, a generous layer of chopped tomato and a sprinkling of salt, all washed down with a steaming hot cortado. I always start the day from my happy place.

This is how I like to drink my morning coffee.

There is nothing better than spending a morning walking along the corniche. I find being by the sea has such a calming influence and creatively there is plenty to keep me busy.

This visit I made a New Year’s resolution to do some exploring during my visit home. Normally everywhere is teeming with tourists but practically having the place to ourselves meant we were pretty much undisturbed.

Our first trip out was to a small mountain village called Aledo, home of the beautiful Aledo Santa Maria Church. We parked in the Centre of the village and walked the 10 minutes to the church. With no tourists the streets were eerily quiet.

Reflecting the historic roots of Spain this beautiful church was originally a mosque but in 1257 became a Christian temple. We stepped inside this beautiful church and we were the only people there. It was serenely beautiful and allowed us a few moments of quiet reflection.

The Castle of Aledo actually encloses the village and was built in the 11th Century. Next to the church is the Homanaje Tower, which forms part of the emblem of the municipality. From the outside it was not exactly photogenic but for a couple of euros I climbed the tower and from the roof the views across the rooftops of Aledo and the surrounding countryside were stunning.

Of course, after all this walking and sightseeing lunch beckoned. So a walk back in to the Centre of town to the only cafe that was open, La Muralla De Aledo. We sat amongst the locals with a cold beer and bocadillo of Iberian ham and tomato. Simple but delicious.

Our other outing was to take the drive to Murcia and then up in to the surrounding mountains to visit the Sanctuary of La Fuensanta. En route we stopped for a quick lunch at La Balsa Redonda Del Valle. We sat in the cool mountain air, sipping cold beer and eating the usual Iberian Ham with Manchego cheese. Nothing like it.

The road through the mountains to the sanctuary is not for the feint of heart and I certainly wouldn’t try it at night. On arrival we were rewarded with spectacular views across Murcia and of course, the beauty of the sanctuary itself.

It is a traditional temple consisting of three naves, a larger central and two sides with chapels. Unfortunately we had enjoyed our lunch a little too much and when we arrived the chapel had just closed. Nevertheless, we spent an hour or so walking around the outside which definitely was a photo rich environment.

Enjoying the highlights whilst embracing the shadows.

It was great fun using my old Xpro2. Still a fantastic camera even though it is 9 years old. It produced great images when I bought it and still delivers great imagery today, especially when paired with the perfectly imperfect original XF35mm F1.4. What a great combo and has certainly ignited my creative juices. If you find this combo on the used market do not hesitate to buy. You will not regret it.

What a fabulous start to our year. Mudger was on top form and as always I left Spain several kilos heavier than when I arrived!

Stay tuned for more creativity in my next Blog as Mrs C and I visit our “Haven on the Moor”.

Regards to all from a sunny but chilly Plymouth.

The author rocking the Santa look for the festive holidays.

New Year Musings........

January 27, 2025

Well, Christmas has been and gone. I can tell from the extra inches on my waistline that we had a great time! Indeed, we had a wonderful Christmas down in good old Plymouth. Despite Plymouth Argyle being bottom of the Championship, Southampton being bottom of the Premier League and the weather doing its best to spoil the party, we Janners are a tough lot and let nothing get in the way of a good party.

As usual it was all about the food and Christmas lunch with Mrs. C’s parents and sister was stellar. A starter of Scottish smoked salmon with lobster pots, followed by a roast lunch of Pork loin with the crispiest of crackling and a stuffed Duck, with the normal 5 veg, all washed down with a crisp white Burgundy and some delightful Fleurie. To finish, some unctuous Sharpham Brie, the smelliest Epoisse I could find and of course, the mandatory Vacherin Mont D’Or, coupled with a few glasses of Tawny Port…What is that Mrs. C, you have my doctor on the phone!

New Year meant the arrival of the kids and their partners.

There is nothing better than having a visit from the young flesh and blood and have everyone that you love sitting around the dinner table at the same time. Admittedly, with our lot, it is like feeding a plague of locusts but keeping to the family motto, we enjoyed good food, good conversation and we were all very jolly and cracked open the Bollie (more than once)!

Maybe, like many families, the challenge on New Years Eve is to actually get to midnight before falling asleep! Well we made it with a rousing chorus of Auld Lang Syne and for me, a few quiet moments to reflect on what has been and what has yet to come.

Sometimes January can bring a creative drought. However, this year I was keen to start 2025 with a flourish and make some bold plans for the coming year. I managed to create some wonderful memories in 2024 with 17 photoblogs, reflecting how busy we were. I am keen to maintain the creative momentum in 2025.

No better way to kick-off the process than to visit somewhere new. So, in the spirit of Carpe Diem we piled in to Bucephalus and made the short drive on to Dartmoor to visit Brent Tor Church, located just outside of the market town of Tavistock.

The weather was very January, with super bright sunlight and a bracing chill in the air. Indeed there was snow on the northern slopes and frost on the south-facing slopes. The ground was crunchy under foot but there was no better weather to help blow away the cobwebs and ignite the creative fires.

We arrived at the small car park at the base of Brent Tor around 10.30 a.m. to find it surprisingly empty, That suited me as I really wanted to have the place to myself.

I had chosen to start the year in full Noctilux mode. Although not known for its prowess as a landscape lens I find the 50 Noctilux F0.95 to be one of those lens that oozes creativity. Wide open is where the magic happens, with that razor thin depth of field and wonderful bokeh and subject separation. Stop it down and you have a very sharp everyday lens.

Now regular followers know that I love my M cameras and their beautifully manufactured manual focused lenses. However, for the Noctilux, by far the best platform is to manually adapt it to the Leica SL2 (or SL3 if you have upgraded). I find it balances beautifully on the SL2 and with that 5.76 million dot EVF and built-in image stabilization the SL2 helps make the Noctilux truly sing.

Of course, I should have brought my tripod and 24-90 L mount lens to fully capture Brent Tor Church and the surrounding countryside in all its winter glory but I was feeling liberated and just wanted to walk around grabbing a few images without all the clutter of too much gear. Perhaps that ought to be one of my New Year resolutions!

Giving Brent Tor Church the “Full Noctilux”.

By the time we had climbed Brent Tor and reached the church and I had gathered the images I wanted, it was clear that the crowds were staring to arrive with a vengeance and upon making it back to the car we found the carpark was full. Memo to me, always make sure you get here before 10.00 a.m. as the light is better and there are fewer people.

The Young People at the top of Brent Tor.

We then had our picnic (of course we had pork product in both natural form and via the obligatory pork pie), before taking the short drive into Tavistock for a stroll around the Pannier Market followed by a warming coffee.

As we were sitting in the coffee shop next to the Pannier Market I managed to capture this image of our beautiful daughter Anna. I think this might be one for the living room wall. A very special year for Anna as she and her partner Matthew have just announced their engagement. I think Matthew’s mother summed up our collective happiness by saying”It simply makes your heart sing with joy”. I am already blubbing and I haven’t even started my wedding speech!

Someone recently asked me how I intended to improve my photography. Crumpets, I didn’t realize it was that bad and I really don’t like to analyze my photography too much; I leave that to others. I prefer to enjoy the process and try to capture the moment and hopefully the end results speak for themselves…….or perhaps not?

Once you enter the world of social media and are brave enough to share your art online, you soon toughen up to those whose mission in life is to be unconstructively negative, and instead engage fully with that wonderful group of inspiring like-minded people who enjoy seeing the world through my lens, albeit with all its flaws. As I always say, you can only fail if you are brave enough to have a go.

However, if further pressed, I would say that I seek to put myself in places and with people, so as to create and record the fondest of memories. Maybe not the technical answer you were expecting but in my humble opinion, once you have great gear and a reasonable understanding and command of the exposure triangle, it should really be about composition and creativity.

I also intend to have a moment of true photographic liberation and make much more use of my wonderful Leica MP film camera. I would like to be detached from cables, devoid of lithium batteries and simple load up with Ilford Delta 400 and let it all hang out (metaphorically speaking)….sounds like a plan to me!

I even have no plans for buying any new gear (As I write this I have my fingers crossed and can hear Mrs. C saying that she has heard that old chestnut before, accompanied by a sigh of relief from my bank manager!). However, I really am blessed with some wonderful gear and I have no excuses for not getting out there and getting on with it.

On that note Q1 is already planned. We are off to Spain to visit my Mum in January, followed by a real treat as we visit the wonderful Gidleigh Park as a belated Christmas present to ourselves. February involves a visit to Dubai for some work and to see old friends. We are also excited to have our dear friends Jon and Rachel visiting us in Plymouth for the first time and then in March, a truly creative extravaganza is planned in Andalucia Spain…..hold that thought!

Finally, I believe everyone has a book in them and I am determined that this should be my ultimate creative project for 2025, or at least to formally start the process. I want to create an E-Book but I seem to be letting the technical challenge get in the way of the creative process. I keep stumbling on deciding what is the best software or platform to use so that I can easily combine prose and imagery? I feel that it should be about the content, not the form and technology. Perhaps that’s just me procrastinating but if anyone has some helpful ideas or solutions please let me know in the comments section.

So, it would seem that a plan for 2025 is already coming together and I hope to see you soon in my next blog, ”Starting the New Year At Home “ as Mrs. C and I travel out to Spain and start the year with a visit to my dear old mum.

Ah yes, “The Bench of Contemplation”. I captured this image of Matthew on a bench next to Brent Tor Church.

Matthew on the “Bench of Contemplation”.

So enough of my ramblings and musings and let us all hope for good health, good light and a creative 2025.

With warmest regards from Plymouth U.K.

Dziękuję Warszawa............

December 9, 2024

Well dear friends, Christmas is almost upon us and for La Famille Chivers, this means our annual pilgrimage to one of the european Christmas markets.

This year our choice was Warsaw, which provided us with a number of firsts to celebrate:

This would be our first ever visit to Poland.
This would be the first time that all les jeunes Chivers, plus their respective partners, would be joining us.
Most of all It would be our first opportunity to celebrate the wonderful news that our daughter Anna and her fiancée Matthew had formally announced their engagement.

It was also an opportunity to meet up with our “Dubai family”, Seth, Claire and their three boys, Raif, Atticus and Horatio.

For Mrs. C and me, the holiday started at the Thistle Hotel Heathrow. The family gathered in the bar the night before in order to start the trip with a few glasses to toast Anna and Matthew on their engagement and to also enjoy a family meal.

Also, the next morning we would all jump in to one of their driverless pods and be delivered to Heathrow Terminal 5.

Cheers for Chivers! - I am never happier than when we are all together.

The next morning everyone met in reception at 6.00 a.m. Remarkably, considering how much alcohol had been consumed the night before, there were no hangovers and we made our way across to Terminal 5. I have to say that the driverless pod (a sort of monorail) was perfect and completely took the stress out of wondering whether taxis would arrive on time.

Fortunately the planets aligned, as did British Airways and Emirates Airlines, and 2.5 hours later we were all meeting up in arrivals at Warsaw’s Chopin International Airport. The Chappels arrived at approximately the same time and when we met up there was much hugging and kissing, two black Mercedes people carriers whisked us in to the centre of Warsaw and we checked in to the Sofitel Warsaw.

Our home for the weekend - The Sofitel Warsaw with the Palace of Culture and Science in the distance.

Mrs. C and Claire then set about check-in and after some intense negotiation that made Brexit look like a walkover we all walked away with room upgrades and Mrs. C used her Sofitel membership to obtain free welcome drinks for all.

So after a rapid check-in we all headed for the bar to enjoy our welcome beverage. As I walked up to the bar I smiled at the barman and used my only polish phrase,”Cześć, mójjest duży”, which roughly translates to “hi, mine’s a large one”. Our barman was clearly a bi-lingual comedian and he responded in perfect English by saying “so was his, but in the meantime would I like a drink!”?

I gave our barman one of Mrs. C’s 1000 yard stares and then whipped out my clincher; no that’s not a euphemism, but our complimentary drinks card. He again smiled and said we could have anything we wanted. I was not about to fall for that old chestnut as I could already hear Chipmunk asking if there was any Bollinger and Anna was perusing the drinks menu in search of the infamous and incredibly expensive yuzu saké. I knew that once team Chivers learned that free drinks were on offer, carnage would ensue. So, I called his bluff, ordered six glasses of champagne, a negroni and a cosmopolitan and crossed my fingers. Sure enough, five minutes later our drinks arrived and no bill was tendered. Well done Mrs, C our trip in Warsaw had formally started.

Chivers Family Motto: “Be Jolly & Crack Open The Bolly”.

Before going any further I do need to provide some additional information and clarifications:

Even though my French is not bad and my German is vaguely comprehendible, Polish is just about impossible. With so many Z’s, J’s, W’s and C’s in every sentence Polish scrabble must be a very high scoring game. So google translate was clearly going to be the order of the day.
Due to its geography, daylight hours in Poland in December seem short as it is dark by 3.30 p.m. So, if you are visiting at this time of year an early breakfast is advisable.
The currency is the Zloty and there are about 5 Sloty’s to the pound. Most establishments welcome the use of debit and credit cards and I must say that even Warsaw, as a capital city, appeared to be very good value.
Surprisingly, the weather was nowhere near as cold as last year’s visit to Prague. However, there was no sun and a constant greyness hung over the city. Notwithstanding, a hat, gloves and a warm coat are essential as late afternoon the temperature seem to drop rapidly.
Mrs. C had decided to fully embrace the polish culture on this trip and was only answering to her Polish pseudonym “Minka”. (Please google BBC Radio 4 sitcom Hut 33 to understand more).
From a photographic perspective the light was extremely flat and posed a challenge. I had travelled with the Leica Q Type 116 which always copes well in low light, is an easy carry and with a three year old whizzing around the place, auto-focus is definitely a plus.

I have to say that I love to be pleasantly surprised and indeed Warsaw pleasantly surprised me. Town appeared very clean and organised and our hotel was located just 5 minutes from the Old Town and was also situated opposite Saxon Square, the largest city square in Warsaw, which also contains the tomb Of The Unknown Soldier.

Although darkness was closing in we decided to walk-off the champagne and headed off along Nowy Świat and came across Minka’s all-time favourite shop, “Tchibo”. Minka was “In like Flynn” and when then young people realized there was a cafe so were they.

Of course the lady serving the coffees did not speak English and unlike our hotel barman was also not a bi-lingual comedian, especially when I told her that mine’s a large one!

After some rather painful sign language, shouty english and use of google translate, 11 drinks were ordered and Minka was able to indulge herself and our family in her native environment.

I did manage a Tchibo portrait of my beautiful Anna.

By the time we had finished coffee it was dark and we wondered our way back to the hotel. Given that daytime light was grey and very flat, it was the night that really brought Warsaw alive:

The next morning we woke early and when I pulled back the curtains we had a full view of Saxon Square. We could see a military parade and so we went to investigate. It appears that every morning there is a flag ceremony and the changing of the guard at the Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier.

Our destination for the day was the Christmas Market and so we headed off along Krskowskie Przedmiescie.

It then dawned on me that the reason everything was so neat and tidy was that the old town was painstakingly rebuilt after being ravaged during WW2.

We eventually found the Christmas market which was actually divided in to two locations. What appeared to be the main market was in fact a collection of food stalls and was a little disappointing. However, running along a portion of the city walls was a row of stalls with all manner of arts and crafts. Our only disappointment was that they were not switching on the Christmas lights until 6th December so we were a week early!

Christmas market - As the light faded the market became busier.

Now when in Eastern Europe a firm favorite for any walkabout is to locate a shop selling chimney cake. Think sugar, cake, hot and steamy oh and did I mention sugar!?. What is not to like. Claire was on it and soon, enough chimney cake was procured to sink a battleship. Everyone was in their happy place.

Claire is on it - Chimney cake please and we will have one of every flavour.

Yet another successful visit to a christmas market.

The temperature is falling and talk is of hot coffee and more sugar!

After a good walk around Christmas markets and overdosing on chimney cake, caffeine seemed the order of the day. We located a local cafe that could accommodate eleven, the young people did what young people do and chilled out and I went off with my single Polish phrase to order the drinks and some food. This time my Polish was not needed as the cafe was staffed with delightful young students who all spoke perfect English….phew!

For once this visit was not about documenting our cultural activities, it was about sharing precious moments with the people we love.

The glow of someone very much in love - to quote Matthew’s mother, it makes our heart sing with joy.

What a beautiful ring - well done Matthew.

Minka giving her future son-in-law some helpful advice! As I always say, after 37 years of marriage I am one of the wisest people I know!

Everyone appears to be in their happy place.

Our advisor on all matters equestrian and Chipmunk’s lovely partner Kitty, flying the flag for Racing Post Bloodstock.

In amongst all the eating and drinking we did manage a cultural visit to one of Warsaw’s landmarks, The Palac Kultury i Nauru (The Palace of Culture & Science).

At a height of 237 metres it is the second tallest building in both Warsaw & Poland. The building was completed in 1955 in what may be described as the Stalinist architectural style.

The building houses various public and cultural institutions. The entry fee was 20 Zlotys per person and you take the lift to the 30th Floor, where there is an observation platform which provides the best views of Warsaw.

Definitely in the Stalinist architectural style.

Up to the 30th floor for the observation platform.

Someone travelled a long way to seal their love for each other.

So that was our Warsaw adventure and a final opportunity to capture some images of the people we love.

Well dear Friends, I think that brings 2024 to a close. Mrs. C and I would like to thank all those who have followed our many adventures over the past year. Your support, comments and encouragement really does mean a lot to us.

Ah yes, you thought I had forgotten about the final bench of contemplation for 2024.

Minka on The Tchibo Bench of Contemplation.

May we wish you all a very Happy Christmas and let us all look forward to a peaceful and more tolerant 2025.

With love and best wishes from Plymouth U.K.

Adios & Away..........

November 10, 2024

Well for all those who have followed all the recent blogs relating to our trip across “The Pond” and our adventures across Louisiana and Texas, I hope you have enjoyed them, I thank you for your support and I admire your stamina!

However, we are not quite finished. As we arrived at breakfast on our final day, enjoyed one last cup of Rachel’s excellent coffee and loaded everything into the back of the car, Rachel confirmed that before our drive to the airport, they had one last surprise for us. A visit to Buffalo Park and the incredible Cistern.

Built in 1926, this underground cistern was used for decades to hold a large portion of Houston’s public drinking water.

I have visited a similar cistern, the Basilica Cistern, located in Istanbul Turkey, so I knew we had a real treat in store. My only concern was how I might record it in near total darkness.

Back in the day the cistern apparently sprang an irreparable leak, the reservoir was drained and according to history it sat unused and was practically forgotten about.

However, since 2010, it has now been revived and houses a number of rotating art installations from artists who make the space their own with both light and sound pieces.

Interesting facts about the cistern:

It is 87,500 square feet or the size of 1.5 football pitches.
It is 221-225 feet tall - its slender columns span the entire space.
When at full functioning capacity it held 15 million gallons of water.
There is a 17 second echo.

During our tour the cistern featured Rossin’s Haha Real, a work which takes its inspiration from the classic children’s story, The Velveteen Rabbit, invoking themes of transformation and loss.

This wonderful cistern still has a pool of water at the bottom and the stillness provides the most beautiful reflections.

The lights of the light show really bring the cistern to life.

Incredibly difficult to capture the light show which goes from total darkness to high intensity in an instant.

I can’t believe the low light performance of the Leica Type 246 Monochrom.

The tour only lasts about 30 minutes but is really thought provoking. For me it provided the ultimate challenge for hand-held low-light photography. The Leica Type 246 was astonishing in its dynamic range and clarity of imagery under such challenging conditions. Also, my photographic skills might also be improving!

After the tour we had an opportunity to walk around Buffalo Park and to capture some of Houston’s downtown skyline.

As we walked around the park and on to a bridge overlooking down town Houston, Rachel told us about the floods after Hurricane Harvey. Downtown was devastated, along with the suburbs where Jon and Rachel lived. In the image below you will see a bridge. Apparently, at the height of the flood, the water level covered the bridge!!

Buffalo Bayou with downtown Houston in the background.

Our final lunch was at a restaurant called Tiny Boxwoods. Casual sophistication amongst the trees and greenery in an area of Houston called Bryker Woods. JW ordered a delicious bottle of chilled Prosecco and my lunch was the house salad with a mouth watering apple vinaigrette.

It was such a relaxing lunch as we reminisced and laughed about the adventures of our previous two weeks in Texas and Louisiana. You know there is nothing better than sharing food and wine with great friends.

The girls in Prosecco mode - apologies for the lapse in manual focus…..alcohol and manual focus do not mix!

The boys….A bottle in and firmly in their happy place.

You know there is something special about having had an expatriate life. You see the world differently and tend to make a few very dear friends who become friends for life. JW and Rachel fall in to that bracket.

As neighbours in Dubai they were great company and always there if we needed help. We shared many an evening over good food and a bottle of red and some Armenian brandy.

As with all friends for life, whenever you get together, no matter how long it has been, you carry on directly from where you left off the last time you were together.

Thanks to both Rachel and JW for a truly magnificent experience. We look forward to round 2 when we have the opportunity to show them the delights of the south west of the U.K.

As I finish writing this blog the U.S. election has finished, democracy reared its head and it appears that world of U.S. politics has potentially changed for ever. I am unsure whether it is for the best but you know my thoughts about protest votes….people get what they wished for and then regret it when the reality dawns.

I do not know what is in store for us all but lets hope that at the end of it all, there is a realisation that we are all better together than trying to create divisions and conflict.

Love and best wishes to you all and please, lets try and move forward in the coming months with peace and tolerance.

So signing off from Houston and see y’all soon back in good old Blighty!

Ragin’ Cajuns...........

November 8, 2024

When I left you in my last blog, “Plantation Road”, we were discussing alligator balls! Well next morning, as we pulled out of Lafayette, things were about to get even spicier! Rachel said that she had another surprise for us and that we were going to Avery Island, to see how Tabasco is made.

Now I have to admit I was a little unsure about why we were visiting a factory that made tabasco sauce, but how wrong could I have been! Indeed, it turned out to be one of the best days of our entire holiday.

The drive was relatively short, about an hour outside of Lafayette. The light was great and some of the buildings alongside the road just screamed to be captured.

Old School and perfect for monochrome photography.

Welcome to Avery Island, the home of Tabasco.

For those of us who like a little bit of spice in our life, “Tabasco Sauce”, that famous little red bottle that everyone has in their spice rack, has become a household name. Indeed, the salt dome known as Avery Island Louisiana, or better known as the “source of Tabasco sauce”, has been operated by the Mcilhenny family for over 5 generations and is the only factory in the world that makes this famous sauce under the Tabasco brand.

I was expecting some form of major industrial site but boy was I wrong. The factory looks picture perfect, sitting amongst the bayous and wildlife and I was soon out of the car and clicking away with the Type 246 and 28mm Elmarit. The light was super bright and so a 4 stop ND filter was a must.

Now Rachel and Jon had organised the day in three parts; (a) a tour of the Tabasco museum, (b) lunch at the on-site restaurant and (c) a tour of the Jungle gardens.

Wherever I go the wildlife is out to get me!

The modern side to this traditional family business.

The greenhouses where they experiment with different types of chilli peppers.

The elixir that is Tabasco sauce aged in white oak barrels which are sealed with salt.

A contender for The Bench of Contemplation perhaps?

The factory is surrounded by stunningly beautiful nature and wildlife.

By now we had worked up a thirst and were in urgent need of some calories. The on-site restaurant was the perfect place for a beer and a crawfish poboy. This is basically a whole baton loaf, about half a ton of deep-fried crawfish and a double helping of French fires, spiced up, of course, with locally manufactured “family reserve” Tabasco Sauce. This is definitely not for the faint of heart and sharing is very much recommended.

Cholesterol and calories, a perfect combination!

We rolled out of the restaurant (quite literally), jumped into the car and headed off for the “jungle tour” around Avery Island. As we pulled into the garden my jaw hit the floor. The whole area was just un-spoilt nature and I was in seventh heaven.

My first image of the tour was a keeper.

I just love the Spanish Moss which seems to flourish everywhere.

If you look closely you can see three turtles on the branch stretching across the lake - otherwise known as alligator food.

Wherever we looked it got better and better.

Anyone for a swim? - before you do, look closely at the 8 foot eating machine waiting patiently for you.

As we reached the Texas / Louisiana state line we pulled over for a “comfort break”. Once again nature was out to get me.

All I want is to take a pee without any stress!

This is what was behind the ablutionary facilities - “Snake Central”!

What a fabulous day. A visit to Avery Island should be on every tourist’s list when you visit Louisiana. I must have taken about 500 images and culling them down to the few that I have shown you was very hard work.

Ah yes, the Bench of Contemplation. Mrs C sitting on the edge of this stone bridge in the middle of this picturesque bayou, contemplating the fact that all around her were alligators, snakes and a myriad of other creatures looking to bite and sting you. An excellent juxtaposition I think.

I hope you enjoyed this spicy episode and I look forward to inviting you to my final blog, “Adios & Away” which will be coming out soon.

See Y’all.

Plantation Drive..........

November 4, 2024

After our brief time in New Orleans (see my previous Blog “NOLA”), we were determined to see more of Louisiana, as we slowly made our way back to Houston.

Our eventual destination for the next evening would be Lafayette but along the way, we headed alongside the Mississippi so as to get a feel for old school Louisiana.

As you turn off the highway and start to drive along roads lined with sugar cane plantations, it is like stepping back in time.

Something that struck me were the Oak trees draped in Spanish Moss. I could imagine standing in the same spot 100 years ago and it would not have looked any different.

I find these oaks dripping with moss quite stunning.

Of course, behind the dramatic scenery and the beauty of the surroundings there is a much darker side. I am not in favour of cancelling out the failings of man and / or re-writing the history books. So many wrongs occurred to get where we are today. The current generation need to see these with clarity so as to be reminded that they should never be repeated.

There is no starker reminder of this than the beautiful plantation houses that line the road. They truly are something to behold and a reminder of the wealth that was generated in this part of the world by the toil of those less fortunate.

The images below show the beautiful St. Joseph Plantation in all its glory and the juxtaposition which is the accommodation of the labourers who toiled on the land and who were responsible for generating the wealth of the plantation owners. This is a vivid reminder that all countries have a dark and murky past. Rather than try and cancel them out, let us make sure we inform and educate the youth of today so that we perhaps treat our fellow man with more respect, kindness and understanding. Who knows what we might achieve if this were possible.

As we continued along the side of the Mississippi we came across this wonderful driveway with a canopy of oaks. Rachel pulled over and we both jumped out of the car to capture the scene. For me this was the image of the trip and I loved the fact that we managed to capture an oncoming lorry at the very end of the drive.

“Plantation Drive” - my favourite image of the entire trip.

I love the geometry of the bridges crossing the Mississippi.

Railway crossing - don’t forget to look in both directions!

After our trip along the Mississippi we headed across a railway line and onwards to a small town call New Iberia. Our destination was to visit the Conrad Rice Mill, America’s oldest independently owned operating rice mill, having remained in operation since 1912. It sells its products under the Konriko brand.

Unfortunately we had arrived too late for the tour of the mill but we were warmly welcomed in to the mill shop.

The lady who welcomed us said they they had just cooked some of their wild pecan rice and we were welcome to try some. It was so delicious I nearly ate the whole pot!

We then moved on in to the centre of New Iberia. Once again, if you blinked you would have travelled the length of Main Street. The quant little town was founded in the late 18th century by French, Spanish and Arcadian settlers.

The girls fancied an afternoon ice cream and so we parked opposite a family owned bakery and dessert store called “Fudge It Bakery”.

The door was locked but there was a very polite sign that said “please knock”….so I did. A charming elderly lady nervously answered the door. In my best English accent I said “Dear lady, would I be correct in assuming that you are a purveyor of delicious ice cream?”. She smiled, let us in and said that she assumed we were not from around these parts.

She was correct and when we told her we were from UK she said that we were the first real life English folk that she had ever seen.

Having formally been anointed as a first, we ordered some of their delicious ice cream and I took an image of the lady and her niece as the first real life residents of New Iberia that I had ever met. Such charming and welcoming people.

Everything in this wonderful store was home made and looked and smelled delicious.

After our delicious interlude we walked along the back streets to the nearby river which gave me an opportunity to grab a few images of New Iberia.

What another wonderful day we had going off-piste and exploring places that perhaps the average tourist might not see. That’s the benefit of having such a wonderful tour guide.

We left New Iberia as we found it, peaceful and content and headed on to Lafayette. That evening we dined at a local restaurant, Bon Temps Grill, sampled the local brew and I had my first taste of “alligator balls”. So there is a thought on which to end this blog!

More adventures to follow so stay tuned as we go “Rajin Cajuns”.

See Y’all again soon.