Is the New U2 Album Out Yet?

Well, um, yes it is! Unexpectedly and released free on itunes on 9th September and available until 13th October. Called Songs of Innocence, and possibly part of a trilogy with the next album to come later this year (maybe, we know what U2 are like!)

It is a look back at the genesis of the band and the relationships,events and experiences that formed them - especially Bono, whose lyrics are achingly honest.

I'm still letting the music sink in and settle, but I can say, though it is not a classic, I do like what I've heard. A full review will follow in time.

Review - Afternoon Tea at The George Hotel, Penrith, Cumbria *****

My cousin and I bought a voucher from Travelzoo for £25 for two for a Champagne Afternoon Tea at The George Hotel in Penrith. I am a big fan of afternoon tea, I think it is one of the best British institutions!

The Dining Room

We arrived at 2pm and entered via the mahogany rotating door which had gleaming brass bars on it. Inside is one of those typical Victorian hotels, lots of wood paneling, plush furnishing, many original features. I love these old hotels, they are cosy and haven't changed massively over the years and there is a real sense of permanence.

As we came in through the door and were immediately greeted and shown to a beautiful dining room to our right. It had ornate original stucco work on the ceilings and original stained glass in some of the windows. Yet it was also tastefully modernised, lovely light fittings and the most comfortable chairs! It was spotlessly clean and quiet and relaxing.

Our Afternoon Tea

We were served our glass of champagne and shortly after our afternoon tea arrived. There were lots of generously filled sandwiches (no crusts of course!) of smoked salmon and cream cheese, ham and egg mayonnaise. Fruit scones with butter, jam and double cream. There were also three cakes each, a custard slice, Victoria sandwich and a summer fruit cream torte, all lovely, plus a piece of millionaire's shortcake. And finally, a little glass of Eton mess which was light, tasty and absolutely yummy!

Service was excellent, staff made conversation with us and we were asked if we wanted our tea topped up and if everything was ok. They made us feel special and they were attentive without being annoying and I couldn't fault them.

So, in conclusion, I would highly recommend the afternoon tea at The George Hotel, everything was perfect, there was so much we could not eat it all and went home with delicious doggie bags.  With the Travelzoo offer the tea was very good value for money and we would definitely go again.


Address:  The George Hotel, Devonshire Street, Penrith CA11 7SU, Cumbria

There does not appear to be a website for this hotel.

Restaurant Review - Martone, Waterloo Place, Edinburgh

My cousin and I had a day trip to Edinburgh last month, we were dropped off at lunchtime in Waterloo Place, we were hungry and immediately looked for somewhere to eat. We didn't have to look far, nearby we saw an Italian restaurant called Martone and as we both love Italian food we decided to give it a try.

From the Martone Website

There was a downstairs floor and an upstairs gallery level at the back. The place was not fancy, but clean and had a relaxed atmosphere, and it had the most amazing red glass lampshades, impossible to describe but you can see them on the photo to the left. On entering I noticed some delectable looking ice cream on the counter. It was obviously a real Italian restaurant so we were expecting great food!

We ordered a glass of prosecco each and I ordered a Margherita Pizza with Ham and Mushrooms and Janet ordered Pappadelle Nonna (which was a flat pasta with beef, shallots, roast peppers in a tomato and wine sauce). My pizza was huge and gorgeous, as well as the obvious ingredients, there was also a lovely herbal taste to it. Janet loved her dish and I tried a little of it and it was very good indeed.

My Pizza

After a bit of a break we just had to try that delicious looking ice cream. Apparently Martone's ice cream is home made at Ciao Roma, which I think is a sister restaurant. I'm a bit boring when it comes to ice cream, I don't like the fancy ones, my favourites are good old plain vanilla and chocolate, and that's what I chose. It was creamy and tasty, and the chocolate was one of nicest I've ever had.

The price was the meal was very reasonable, especially considering how central it was (just off Princes Street) and the service friendly and efficient. It's open from 8am to 11pm and has an extensive menu. Martone's is a great place for a real Italian meal and I'll certainly be back next time I'm in Edinburgh.

Address:  1 Waterloo Place, Edinburgh EH1 3BG
Website:  Martone

Restaurant Review - The Salutation Inn, Irthington, Cumbria *****

My friend and I went to the lovely, small village of Irthington as few miles outside of Carlisle for a meal at the Salutation Inn there. We parked in the car park at the back of the pub and went round the front to go inside.

From the Salutation Inn Facebook Page

We entered into the bar area, which is a bit basic to say the least and it was a little disconcerting to have some of the locals there turn round and stare at us as we walked in! To the right of the bar is a pleasant restaurant area and we were shown to our table by a very friendly young waitress.

For starters I chose Garlic Mushrooms with Mozzarella, my friend chose the Cod Goujons. We did not have to wait long for them to be ready and both were delicious, mine had many herbal flavours in it as well as the garlic. My friend had a very generous portion of goujons and they were done in a very light batter which she said was wonderful.

For our mains I had Sea Bass in a Lemon Butter Sauce with Vegetables and Potatoes and my friend had the Shoulder of Lamb with vegetables and Chips. I have to say my sea bass was absolutely gorgeous, two good sized fillets cooked in a sauce that was perfectly balanced with the right piquancy of lemon to butter, it was

My Sea Bass - sorry for the shadows!

very, very good.  My friend's portion of lamb was massive and fell off the bone, the gravy was rich and tasty. She could not finish it all and so my dogs ended up with a nice little treat when I got home!

Unfortunately we had no room for dessert (of which many sounded lovely) and just had a coffee to finish our meal. Surprisingly, they only had filter coffee and I could not have a cappuccino as I would have liked, that is the only thing that was not perfect in our evening at the Salutation.

In conclusion, the Salutation Inn serves excellent food, the service is very quick and friendly. We had two vodkas and lemonade, one large red wine, two starters, two main courses and two coffees and the bill came to £55.00 which I feel is very reasonable considering the quality of the food served. It's worth the trip out of Carlisle, I'd happily recommend it.

Address:  The Salutation Inn
                Irthington CA6 1NJ
                Cumbria

Facebook:  The Salutation Inn (Unfortunately this page is way out of date and there appears to be no                                                          website)

Julie Dumbarton, Artist

Recently grown to love the work of the artist Julie Dumbarton, normally my preference for art is for gentle, pastel watercolours, but I love Julie's bright, vibrant paintings which are the opposite of my normal taste.

Photo from Julie's Facebook Page

A few days ago I drove to Langholm, where Julie has her studio situated in Buccleugh Mill. I was going there to pick up a mini painting in person. Julie's art sells for thousands of pounds, but every now and then she does a series of minis which sell for £75.00. I think it is a brilliant idea, it means ordinary people like me can afford to buy a small piece of her original artwork.

When I arrived at the studio Julie was not there but her husband Craig welcomed me warmly. The building was large, bright and airy, full of canvases ranging from small to huge, all alive with colour. In the middle was a table piled with tubes of paint and scattered around the space were comfy looking sofas. There was a little shop area that sold calendars, cards and other things.

My Mini (sorry about the reflections)

After a chat with Craig I was free to wander around the studio and it was lovely to see the paintings in real life, Julie is such an talented artist, I love the colour and life within her work, it makes you feel good just looking at them. The building itself, though large, had a warmth and lived in feel about it. That warmth also comes through in Julie's website and Facebook page which are both informative and friendly in tone. And it comes across strongly just how much painting means to Julie, it is her life.

I'm very happy with my mini, I love the mix of colours and the Monet-esque subject matter. They have lovely prints of many of Julie's pictures so that will be my next purchase, and I already know which one I will have, (one depicting the northern lights) so time to start saving for that!

I will be going back to the studio in the future, they have an open day every Friday from 10:00 - 16:00 and hopefully I'll get to meet Julie herself. She also does painting weekends and that is something I am seriously considering attending as, though I can draw, I cannot paint for the life of me! Anyone reading this who is local, pop round to the studio, you are in for a treat!

Edinburgh Day Trip

My cousin Janet and I went on a day trip to Edinburgh last week, it had been a few years since I had been there so I was really looking forward going back to this gorgeous city. The coach dropped us off at Waterloo Place just off Princes Street, even though the weather forecast had been poor, when we stepped off the bus Edinburgh greeted us with lovely sunshine. It was noon and we were both hungry so we looked for somewhere to eat, we saw an Italian restaurant nearby called Martone and seeing prices were reasonable we went in. I chose a Margarita Pizza with ham and mushrooms and Janet had Pappardelle Nonna (pasta with beef in white wine/tomato sauce.) Both were absolutely delicious (I tried a bit of Janet's) and went down very well. For dessert we both had ice cream which was deliciously creamy, real Italian ice cream, yum! I will do a separate full review of the restaurant soon.

Korean Dancers

St Giles on the Right

Suitably reinvigorated, we walked over the North Bridge and onto the Royal Mile where the Edinburgh Festival Fringe was in full swing. I used to go up for the Festival when I was much younger, mainly to see plays and special exhibitions, but I've not been to it for a very long time. The lively, eclectic vibe took me back and I loved it and wondered why I hadn't been back for so many years. There were little stages with varied performances on them, my favourite was a small group of Korean dancers (sorry can't remember their name) who also sang and played a bodhran-type drum. There were First Nation performers, theatre schools, traditional music, people dressed in every costume you can imagine, cards advertising shows were thrust into your hand at almost every step only to end up in the skips that lined the Royal Mile. Most were not doable for us due to time constraints, though one, An improv comedy act called Men With Coconuts fitted our needs, venue close by, free and fitted in with our timescale, so we decided to go to see them later in the afternoon.


We decided to go into St Giles Cathedral, neither of us had been inside before. St Giles was founded in the 1120's and the saint was a French hermit who is the patron saint of the city as well as the church. It was a beautiful place inside with lots of places where you could sit and just relax and contemplate. It was peaceful and cool, the opposite of the Festival buzz outside. Someone was playing jazz on a piano in there. Unfortunately I hate jazz and it did little for me and I was glad when he stopped playing!

We went outside and pottered round a little (highly priced) market in the square outside of the cathedral. I noticed a champagne bar in the square and reminded myself that I must sample their fayre one day!

Advocates Close

We wandered back down the Royal Mile and could see the North Sea, sparkling blue in the sunshine, at the end of it. We turned down Cockburn Street (see the poster above which really amused me, we truly are sometimes divided by the same language.) heading towards Market Street. We passed lots of steep, stepped closes heading down from the rock the castle and the Royal Mile stand upon, very atmospheric, I just love Edinburgh's Old Town.

We ended up at ground level and found the Sportsters Bar and sat in one of the cubicles there. It initially wasn't very busy but it still took 15 minutes for them to produce two cups of coffee, not impressed! We'd been in the bar for a short while and the heavens opened outside, good timing. The bar got busier as time went by and eventually the City Nightclub at the back of the building was opened for the punters. We sat three rows back in the small theatre area, relatively safe for a comedy show lol.

We enjoyed the performance which consisted of a few sketches which all involved audience participation (at a comfortable level) to some degree. I especially liked the sketch where one of the performers had to guess suggestions from the audience for an actor, Angela Lansbury, a film, Sharknado, and a prop, a broomstick from clues given by the other members of the group, very funny and amazing that he eventually got all the answers. The performers, Men With Coconuts, are professionals who are funny, quick witted and smart and I thoroughly enjoyed the show.

We went outside and once more it was sunny and dry, we had timed it really well with the weather. We had just under an hour before we had to get the coach home so we took a shortcut through Waverley Station and went back to Mantone's for a drink and snack as it was close to where we were being picked up. We had delicious toasties and gorgeous strawberry daiquiris (strange combination but it worked!)

I would have liked longer in Edinburgh and vowed to go again soon and maybe stay a day or two so I can really explore and see all I would like to see. Edinburgh is a truly unique city where the old and new live side by side, vibrant and exciting there's no where else quite like it.

Restaurant Review - The Plough, Wreay, Cumbria, French Night *****

I've reviewed  The Plough Inn before a few months ago here. But my cousin and I went to one of its Around the World Promotions, where on a Wednesday evening they have a tapas style meal from different countries. Last week it was French night, well no way could I resist that!

We were seated by a window and ordered our drinks and food.  The inn is a very comfortable place, a traditional pub that has been tastefully modernised in a small village just south of Carlisle. We did not have to wait long for the food which consisted of five small bowls with some garlic bread on a large plate. The bowls consisted of, beef bourguignon, chicken a la creme, bouillon de poisson, soup a la oignon and potatoes dauphinoise. The onion soup was delicious and came with garlic bread topped with cheese on top of it. Beef bourguignon is one of my favourite French dishes and this one did not disappoint, with a very flavoursome rich gravy. The bouillon de poisson came with pieces of cod, salmon and prawns in a spicy tomato sauce. It was a little too spicy for me, but that's me, I'm not into hot spices, my cousin loved it and fish isn't even her favourite food! The chicken a la creme was fantastic, my personal favourite, plenty of chicken and a creamy white wine sauce. The dauphinoise potatoes went with it all so well, the whole meal might have been too much meat without it, it was also very good. Finally, the garlic bread was wonderful, very garlicky as I love it.

I think it is a wonderful idea to have these tapas style meals from different countries each week. It gives people a chance to sample a few dishes from various cuisines for a reasonable price. One of the owners, Jane, is very visible and came to ask us how we enjoyed the meal when we had finished and she was also interested to hear some suggestions for other food nights from guests.

In summary, I cannot fault this meal, every dish was delicious, full of flavour and for £11.95 excellent value for money. There is a vegetarian option too. We'll definitely be back!

Address:  The Plough Inn, Wreay, Carlisle CA4 0RL
Facebook:  The Plough Inn  (There does not appear to be a website)

Restaurant Review - Keez Bistro, Carlisle *****

Photo from Keez Bistro Website

My cousin and I visited Keez Bistro last week to try it's mid week special offer - two courses for £15.00. The restaurant is in central Carlisle and located in a basement with stone walls that a repainted white. The decor is contemporary with a touch of the old - there was a fabulous original black iron grate in the room we sat in, The restaurant has a relaxed atmosphere and informal atmosphere.

Initially we we sat in a small bar area where we had our drink and perused the menu. Our order was taken and not long afterwards we were taken to our table. Our starter arrived quickly, so even though there was not bread at the table I did not really miss it (I do love bread lol!) I had Peppered Goats Cheese with a Peach Salsa and my cousin had Beetroot Pie with Creme Fraiche and Herb Salad. Both were delicious but i did have to remove some of the pepper from the top of my goats cheese as there was rather a lot and it was too hot for me.

For the main I had Duck Breast with Stir-fried Red Pepper, Bean Sprouts and Noodles and my cousin had Slow Roast Belly of Pork with Lentils and Cabbage Salsa. When I ordered the waitress said the chef serves the duck pink but if I wanted it more well done that would be no problem. I appreciated being told that as I'm not so keen on pink duck. It came just as I wanted it and was very tender and a generous portion. The noodles were in a tangy fruity sauce that I loved! My cousin really enjoyed her Belly Pork though she found some of the crackling a bit of a challenge to bite through.

Neither of us had room for a dessert (and I would have so loved to have had their Strawberry Eton Mess!) and finished with coffee. Everything had been excellent and it was very good value for money, a starter. main, coffee and a glass of prosecco came to £22 each. The £15 midweek two course special is available Tuesday- Thursday. They also do a three course special every night for £22.00. They are closed Sunday and Monday. If you want top notch cuisine at a very reasonable price I'd highly recommend Keez Bistro.

Address:  Cecil Street, Carlisle CA1 1 NT
Website:  http://www.keezbistro.co.uk/

Restaurant Review - Pompeii Steakhouse, Carlisle ***

Photo From the Pompeii Website

My friend and I went to the Pompeii steakhouse last week, both of us had been once before a few years ago. We had a friendly greeting from the waitress and shown to our table overlooking Carlisle Castle.

I ordered Creamy Garlic Mushrooms with brown bread to start and my friend had Pan-fried King Prawns with Garlic and Lemon and Salad. We did not wait too long but it would have nice to have some bread to munch on while we were waiting as I was really hungry. The starters were very good, though I did not get any butter for my brown toast and had some from my friend who got a large piece of butter to go with her small amount of bread. My mushrooms were delicious and it was a generous portion.

For our main we both went for the Dry Aged Rib-Eye Steak, my favourite cut of steak. It came with chips and a small container of vegetables. The steak comes sizzling on a red hot "volcanic stone platter." The steak was very tender and just melted in the mouth, very nice. My friend had the Blue Cheese Butter sauce which she loved and I had the Buerre de Paris (butter with herbs) sauce which was also lovely. But because the steak is served on the hot platter it continues to cook as you are eating it and, in my case ended up more well done than I like. I noticed that on an adjoining table they were given the raw steak and they just cooked pieces on the platter as they went along, we were not given this option.

We did not have a dessert, and, on my part, that was because this restaurant is expensive. We had the starters, two steaks and sauces and two glasses of prosecco and it came to £32 each. For me that is expensive, and though the food was good, I did not feel it was worth that amount of money. So, in conclusion, if you can afford it have the steaks at Pompeii, they are delicious, but if you are on a lesser budget I would go elsewhere.

Address:  Abbey Street, Carlisle CA3 8TX
Website:  http://thepompeiisteakhouse.co.uk/index.html

Lights Out - Remembering The Great War

Today is the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War  and I think almost all of us have a family link this world changing event. My grandfather and his brothers fought in France, one was wounded and died in hospital in Kent and never came home to his small hometown in Cumbria. I never knew my grandfather, but know he won the Military Medal during World War I, he was a stretcher bearer and I can't imagine the terrible sights he saw, I wish I had known him.

There are lots of events all over the country to commemorate the centenary of this world changing war. I will be participating in the Lights Out event in less than an hours time. Lights Out is when we are asked to turn off our lights and put a candle in our window to remember all those who died in this dreadful war, so many of them so young. They died for us and we must always remember that.

Photo Lights Out Website

Hotel Review - The Lord Nelson, Stockholm, Sweden - Small, but Perfectly Formed

The Lord Nelson is a small hotel situated right in the middle of  Gamla Stan, Stockholm's Old Town. It has the distinction of being the narrowest hotel in Sweden at just under six metres, but it does stretch a long way back. It is a very unique family run hotel, first opened in the mid 70's and now run by the children of the original owners.

The hotel is jam packed with naval memorabilia, much of it relating to Nelson. Each floor is named after a ships deck and the rooms after a ship. On each floor are beautiful grandfather clocks. On the first floor, overlooking Västerlånggatan, is a small library with comfy leather seating and a computer. It is a lovely place to sit and watch life pass by on the busy street below. There is also a roof terrace, again with comfy seating, tubs of flowers, blankets for when it gets cool and views over the roof tops of Gamla Stan. 

The Library

The rooms vary in size, (and are accessed by a real key!) but many are very small, like ship's cabins, with wooden floors and a port hole in the bathroom door, mine had a picture of a ship on the wall, a small desk an old fashioned wooden chair, a TV, and a few books and a narrow but comfortable bed, very homely. The bathroom was very clean and had all the modern fittings people expect, the water was always hot. The free WiFi worked very well. Note that there are no tea/coffee making facilities in the room, but on two nights when we arrived back at the hotel the receptionist happily made us coffee for no charge which we drank in the dining area.

Dining Area

Breakfast was taken in a small dining area beside reception. It had everything you could want including Swedish specialities such as herrings in a creamy sauce, crispbread and pink caviar. Everything was very fresh and constantly topped up by staff. They even had two baskets of boiled eggs, one containing three minute eggs and one six minute one, all wrapped in linen cloths to keep them warm. There was also a very good selection of bread/rolls.

The staff were delightful, very friendly and all spoke excellent English. They were very helpful with suggestions of places to eat and ordering taxis and the suchlike, nothing was too much bother for them. 

The location of the hotel right on the middle of Gamla Stan was perfect, in minutes you can walk to the Royal Palace, The Nobel Museum, Riddarholm Church, Storkyrkan and Stortorget. The centre of Stockholm and the main railway station are just a ten or fifteen minute walk away (depending on how fast you walk!) So if you are going on any organised trips the pick-up places are all within an easy walk.

Finally, the price for this hotel, considering its location (and the fact this was expensive Sweden) was very

Getting Acquainted with Lord Nelson

reasonable, I paid £200 for three nights bed and breakfast. If you want big, spacious rooms this hotel is not for you (though the same family run two bigger hotels in the same area, details on their website). But if you want a quirky, friendly, personal hotel that is well located and reasonably priced I have no hesitation in recommending the unique Lord Nelson Hotel.

Address:  Västerlånggatan 22, Gamla Stan, SE-111 29 Stockholm, Sweden.
Website: Lord Nelson Hotel

Stockholm 4 - Storkyrkan and Fika

The Silver Altar, Storkyrkan

Our last day in Stockholm, I had to leave at noon for the airport so we wanted to make the most of the morning. After breakfast we walked the short distance to Storkyrkan (Great Church) which is the city's cathedral. A church is reputed to have been built on this site in the mid 1200s by the founder of Stockholm, Birger Jarl. The oldest part of the present building dates from 1306. One side lies beside the Royal Palace and many royal ceremonies have been held there.

I was surprised when I entered to find that it was, unlike Riddarholm, very ornate and Germanic in style, but apparently the church was Catholic until 1527 when it became Protestant Lutheran. Unlike us in England they did not have a Henry VIII to destroy much of the Catholic ornamentation and so it survived.

The altar was very beautiful, it was made mainly of silver, so different to anything I'd seen before, it was donated by a Stockholm councillor in the 1650s To it's left was a massive (fourteen feet high) wooden sculpture of St George and the Dragon by Berndt Lotke of Lubeck in Germany dated 1489. There was also the largest Torolf Engstrom and has been in the church since 1972, it was a very beautiful creation and we both bought a candle and added it to the globe.

The Candle Globe, Storkyrkan

St George and the Dragon, Storkrykan

One of Gamla Stan's Quiet Alleys

After looking around Storkyrkan we separated for a while and I went for a general exploration of Gamla Stan. The main roads - well that's the wrong word really as most of the Old Town is made up of narrow cobbled alleys and there is no way cars can enter which is rather nice! So, the main alleys are quite touristy, but it is so easy to find quiet alleys and lanes off the tourist track. I wandered through a few of them and was intrigued to see people working on their computers inside these ancient buildings, old and new living side by side. I thought that was wonderful, these old places are still very much part of Stockholm's day to day living.

I went back to the hotel and met up with Yvonne and we checked out and left our cases at reception. We headed out in search of fika. Fika is a Swedish institution, basically it is a break where you have coffee and cake which sounded good to us and we were keen to follow the tradition!

We found a nice looking cafe called Schweizer Konditori just down the road in Västerlånggatan. Yes it sounds more Swiss than Swedish but inside it was full of Swedish delights. The fayre on offer at the counter was amazing and beautifully presented, but we went for fika, coffee and cakes, I had a raspberry tart and Yvonne had what they called a princess cake. Both were delicious and it felt a very fitting way to end our short stay in Stockholm.

Part of the Counter at the Schweitzer Konditori

Our Fika Cakes

  All too soon we had to leave. We went back to the hotel, reception ordered a taxi for me, I said my goodbyes to Yvonne (she was leaving later in the day) and walked down the road a little to get the taxi. The cab got stuck behind the changing of the guard for a while and the relatively short trip to the railway station ended up being the most expensive taxi journey I've ever had, but hey I was on holiday!

Soon I was on the Arlanda Express once more hurtling at 200kph through the Swedish countryside towards the airport. I had really enjoyed the few days in Stockholm, it is a gorgeous city and its people are welcoming. I could have done with a week there though as there were things I didn't have time to see and I would have loved a trip outside of the city. It was a kind of life journey for me too, that wish to visit Stockholm was planted in my mind as a fifteen year old girl and it took a long time, but I've finally been there, so this felt like the end of two journeys for me.

Stockholm 3 - Under the Bridges and Saying Hello and Goodbye to a Queen

Again we were up bright and early, had breakfast and out into a overcast Stockholm, mind you, even in that weather it looked beautiful. We were heading to nearby Stromkajen where we were joining the Under the Bridges of Stockholm boat tour. This tour passes under fifteen of the bridges that link some of the islands that make up Stockholm.

Gamla Stan from the Water

The boat was barge-like and chugged along at a leisurely pace. We passed by the gorgeous Grand Hotel . and then Djurgarden and had a good view of the Vasa Museum and the Grona Lund amusement park.  We passed Gamla Stan and then passed through a lock that separates Lake Malaren and the Baltic Sea. We then skirted the north shore of the island of Södermalm. There were some gorgeous turreted buildings built up on a hill facing Gamla Stan, they were very Germanic in style which is something I noticed with many of Stockholm's old buildings. We passed many residential areas, the apartments all had large balconies brimming with colourful flowers and there was lots of greenery. There were also many houseboats lining the shore.

We passed the island of Langholmen and then looped around Lilla Essingen and south of the small island of Reimersholme. There we passed a huge wooden barrel on the shore, this marks the site of the original Absolut vodka factory founded by Lars Olsson Smith. We continued on and followed Sodermalm's southern shore. We passed a huge hospital that had dozens of allotments on the slope below it all with brightly coloured sheds.

The Grand Hotel

On our way back to the berth we passed the spot where the Vasa sank all those years ago, it was very close to the museum where it resides now. And that was it, I really enjoyed the boat tour and we saw more of the city than we would have any other way. Being built on many islands you often get the best views from the water.

Before I go on with the next part of my trip as promised I'll let you know what drew me to Stockholm in the first place. When I was around fifteen I read a book called Desiree by Annemarie Selinko. It was a novel based on fact about a silk merchant's daughter called Desiree Clary from Marseilles in France. She was engaged to Napoleon at one time and married a French general called Jean Baptisite Bernadotte. In 1810 Jean-Baptiste was asked by the elderly, childless Charles XIII of Sweden to be his heir. Eventually in 1818

he was crowned King Charles XIV John  of Sweden and Desiree became Queen Desideria and to this day the Bernadotte dynasty is still Sweden's royal family. Since I read the book I have been fascinated by Napoleonic times in France and how a silk merchant's daughter from Marseilles ended up as Queen of Sweden and I wanted to see Stockholm for myself one day. I waited a very long time but now I was there.

We then went to The Royal Palace (and saw another changing of the guard up close) which is the royal family's official residence and place of work. It also houses royal departments and state apartments where visiting world dignitaries stay. We went in and climbed marble steps with diagonal lines across them into the palace proper. We wandered through the rooms that ranged from very opulent to oppressive, beautiful and homely. It varied a lot, there was even one very modern room which was the present king's homage to Swedish design (no it wasn't furnished by IKEA!) Apparently there are over 600

Me Outside the Royal Palace

rooms in this humongous place!

There were a few portraits of Desiree and her family, mostly from before she actually lived in Sweden - she moved there permanently in 1823. She had been very unhappy in Sweden, she hated the cold, never learnt the language and always longed for France and she became increasingly eccentric as she grew older. Unfortunately no photos were allowed in the palace which was a shame, but I suppose flash can damage old paintings and tapestries.

There were several museum's within the palace but we didn't have time to see them all so we decided go to The Royal Armoury. It is the oldest museum in Stockholm and was founded by King Gustav II Adolph in 1628 and is now situated in the vaulted cellars of the palace. Upstairs was an exhibition called Power Games which housed costumes from TV and film such as Elizabeth the First and Game of Thrones. To be honest I wasn't at all interested in that so I went further down to another lower floor to see the real historical things.

It housed royal belongings going back to the 1500's, there was a beautiful blue velvet cape with golden crowns on it from very early times. Gustav II Adolph's horse, Streiff, which he rode at the battle of Lutzen in 1632 was stuffed and put on display here. Clothing of various kings and queens, swords, crowns, even

Riddarholm Church

ornate carriages and amazing sleighs. The latter reminding me that  this is a Nordic country with lots of snow and the waters around Stockholm's islands are frozen in winter. It was very interesting and I enjoyed looking

round the museum.

We had a snack of cakes and coffee and then again went our separate ways. Yvonne wanted to go to the Photographic Museum and I wanted to go to Riddarholm Church. which was only a short walk from the cafe. It is one of the oldest buildings in Stockholm with parts of it dating back to the thirteenth century. It has not been a functioning church since 1807 but was reserved as the burial place for Sweden's monarchs until 1950. It's distinctive cast iron spire replaced the original spire that was destroyed by lightening in 1835.
Nowadays the church is primarily the resting place of royalty and also a museum and in summer it is the venue for classical music concerts.

The church is a typical Protestant type with little ornamentation. It has various chapels along each side where the various royal families tombs lay. The floor is stone with some ancient patterned slabs. I was especially

Tombs of Karl XIV Johan and Desideria

interested in the Bernadotte chapel which was dominated by the huge marble tomb of Karl XIV Johan. In front of it was Desiree's tomb, with her royal name, Desideria, along the front. I was surprised that I found it quite moving to view her tomb. This was the last resting place of a

woman from history who had an amazing journey from a French silk merchant's daughter to a reluctant Queen of Sweden and who had captured the imagination of a schoolgirl in the north of England many, many years before. It felt like the end of a journey for me and I said hello and then goodbye to her, it felt like it was something I had to do.

I went back over the bridge to Gamla Stan and looked round some shops and ended up in the beautiful square of Stortorget.  The Nobel Museum was bustling and my Stockholm Card gave me free entry so I went in. It was busy but also fascinating, it was a very interactive museum. By now though I was getting tired and though I would have liked to have spent longer there I didn't stay that long.

Nobel Museum

I went back to the hotel and freshened up and by time I was ready Yvonne was back from the Photographic Museum which she has enjoyed very much. Before going out to eat we went to the library in the hotel and finished our bottle of wine watching the action on Västerlånggatan

When we left the hotel we soon noticed a restaurant called Gasgrand 4 (Goose Alley) in an alley of the same name close by. It looked nice so we went in, we had the choice of a table upstairs or one downstairs in the cellar, we went for the latter. It was small and very atmospheric, reached by curving stone steps, it was quite dark and had stone walls, I liked it.

Gasgrand

My Elk Burger

I decided to go Swedish and had the elk burger which was lovely, surprisingly more like beef than venison. It came with saute potatoes, pickled cucumber (which they seem to love here), lingonberry jam and salad.
And seeing it was our last night and we had money left, we splashed out and had a bottle of wine and a delicious dessert too. We took our time and had a lovely, relaxing last evening meal in Stockholm.

I felt sad that it was our last night, I loved Stockholm and there was so much to see and not enough time.

Stockholm 2 - Island Hopping and a Doomed Warship

We were up early and went down for breakfast. It was lovely, a good choice of typical Continental breakfast fayre along with more Swedish things like herrings in a creamy sauce, caviar, crispbread and pickled cucumber. They even had a choice of 3 minute and 6 minute boiled eggs wrapped in linen cloth to keep them warm. A member of staff was constantly checking and keeping everything topped up.

After breakfast we walked through the

arches of the government buildings and over the bridge. It was a beautiful morning and old Stockholm looked so lovely with its spires and gorgeous historical buildings. We walked on into the modern city centre.

We saw a lovely chocolate shop on Drottningsgatan (Queen Street) and just had to go in. We saw an interesting shop full of chocolate and other delights so we just had to go in! There were some chocolate things

called skumtopp which made us smile, they are marshmallow covered in chocolate and much more delicious than they sound. They also sold Swedish crispbread which was circular with a hole in the middle and dozens hung on a pole above the counter.

We walked on to the Tourist Information to pick up my Stockholm Card that gave discounts on trips and museums. We also booked the Under the Bridges boat tour for the next day.

Then we caught the hop on hop off bus. We had decided to do a circuit first and then get off at places we wanted to see more of. We toured the centre of the city, passed the City Hall its three golden crowns on the tower gleaming in the sunlight. 

The Opera House which was beautiful, and, like a lot of the buildings, it had a Germanic look about it. We skirted

The Royal Palace

Gamla Stan with its narrow roads it was impossible for the bus to enter properly. 

We passed the huge Royal Palace and saw the changing of the guard. We then crossed a bridge onto the green island of Djurgården   which is Stockholm's leisure place with amusements and parks and also where many of the city's museums are. 

On the second circuit we got off the bus at the Vasa Museum which houses the Vasa warship. The building itself was spectacular with the "masts" soaring out of the roof of the building. The Vasa was built in 1627 and sank on its maiden voyage 1300 metres from where it set sail. It lay on the seabed until it was recovered in 1961. It was in an extremely well preserved state and put on public display. 

We got our tickets and went in and immediately are in a huge room dominated

The prow of the Vasa

by the Vasa, it was stunning, so much bigger than I expected. There were galleries at different levels to the side of the ship so you could see all levels. To the other side were exhibits of articles found in the wreck and videos about its history. 

The ship had a huge, curving prow and highly decorated stern, the masts were massive. Looking at it I wondered how this huge ship floated at all! 

The highly decorated stern of the Vasa

We had a snack in the museum's restaurant before leaving. I had wanted to go to the Nodiska Museum close by but it was closing. I pondered on going to the Abba Museum further down the road which only opened the previous month, but decided against it as it was extremely expensive and we got no discount with our Stockholm Card. 

We caught a tram back to the centre of town and then went our separate ways as we wanted to see different things. I headed back to Gamla Stan and crossed a bridge and onto the small island of Riddarholmen. I wanted to see Riddarholm Church, now a museum and burial place of Swedish royalty until the 1950's.  Unfortunately it was closed, so I headed back to our hotel, popping into some shops along the way. There were some beautiful old buildings in Gamla Stan with ornate carvings around many of the doors. Its so good that it has been preserved for us all to enjoy. 

Before we headed out too eat that evening we had some wine (that I had brought with me knowing how expensive Sweden is for alcohol!) in the lovely little library area of the hotel. It is on the first floor and looks out over Västerlånggatan. It has a comfy leather suite and books to read, very relaxing.

We walked the short distance to Stora Nygatan to an Italian restaurant called Rodolfino's. By coincidence we had both noticed it on our way back to the hotel earlier, it was a bit away from the main tourist area and was therefore a little cheaper than some we'd seen. It was decorated in the red, white and green of the Italian flag, basic, but comfortable and friendly. More importantly, the food was delicious, we shared some wonderful garlic bread then for mains I had a ham and mushroom pizza and Yvonne had seafood pasta and we both ate the lot. 

It was after 11pm when we headed back to

the hotel. It was still light and ahead of us the tower of the cathedral, Storkyrkan, rose above the other buildings and the usually busy main streets were quiet. Already our first full day in Stockholm was over and we were both loving the city. 

Stockholm 1 - A Quirky Hotel and Heavenly Spires

I felt a thrill as the plane descended into Arlanda Airport near Stockholm, I looked down on a landscape full of forests dotted with countless lakes. I always get that feeling when I arrive at a new destination and wonder what experiences lie ahead of me, don't think I'll ever lose that thrill of travelling. And Stockholm is a place I've always wanted to visit, I'll tell you one of the reasons why later.

Before I knew it I was on the Arlanda Express train shooting through the Swedish countryside at 200 kph. It was brilliant, fast - 20 minutes and you were in the centre of the city - clean, roomy, ran every 20 minutes, WiFi. It was also expensive, but there is a bus that takes longer but is much cheaper. However two tips for the Arlanda Express - they have a two for one ticket offer in the summer and pensioners always can get half price tickets.

I stepped out of the Central Railway Station into a strangely quiet Stockholm. We later found out that it was the Midsummer national holiday over the weekend we were there, it didn't affect our trip, just meant the roads were quieter and many general shops were closed.

I decided to walk to the hotel as I knew it was not far away. I savoured my first views of the city, it was beautiful with its islands, water, bridges, historical buildings and tall church spires soaring up into the blue sky. I crossed the Vasabron and to my left saw the Royal Palace, it was huge! I was now in Gamla Stan and soon was struggling with my wheelie case on the cobbles, not a good mix! Eventually I came to Västerlånggatan, a long narrow street on the western side of the island and that used to follow the line of the old city wall. This is where our hotel, the not very Swedish sounding,  Lord

The Lord Nelson Hotel

Nelson Hotel was. It is a hotel like no other, less than six metres wide, full of naval memorabilia much relating to Nelson, the rooms are small, named after shifts and inside like ship's cabins. Its very quirky and absolutely delightful! I will do a separate full review about the hotel soon.

My friend Yvonne was already there and we met up and had a chat. Then we headed out to a nearby restaurant specialising in Swedish food that had been recommended by  the receptionist.  It was called Tradition on Österlånggatan near our hotel and it was a lovely walk through the cobbled streets and lanes of Gamla Stan. 

It was a pleasant place with modern minimal Scandinavian design and served traditional Swedish cuisine with a modern twist. It was expensive so we decided too just go for mains. I had mustard marinated beef with sauté potatoes and pickled cucumber. The meat melted in my mouth and there was lots of it so we didn't have room for another course. We had a glass of wine each, mine was £11.00!! But we both thoroughly enjoyed the meal despite the prices. 

We had a leisurely walk back in the late evening sunshine (love the northern lands long summer days), via Stortorget, the beautiful small square in the middle of Gamla Stan. I was looking forward to exploring the city more in the next couple of days. 

Restaurant Review - The Golden Fleece, Ruleholme, Cumbria

My friend and I wanted to try somewhere we had not been to for our meal out so we chose The Golden

Photo from The Golden Fleece Website

Fleece at Ruleholme near Carlisle in Cumbria.

It is a traditional country inn, with natural stone walls and wood beams. It has a nice outside area with tables and benches which would be lovely to sit at in good weather. Inside there is a bar, a small lounge where you are seated prior to your meal to peruse the menu and nibble on warm party sausages, toasted bread with a lovely pate and crisps. it was different and a nice touch.  I was pleased to see that this was a restaurant where you could get those small bottles of Prosecco, ideal if you are driving.

The eating area consisted of a few small rooms, with large tables (with old maps of Cumbria on them) and plenty of space between them ensuring lots of privacy. It felt cosy and comfortable. There was some bread and butter and a bottle of water on the table when we were seated.

I chose the Fleece burger, made from rump steak, topped with goat's cheese and red onion marmalade, onion rings, thick cut chips and garlic mayo. The meal was presented on a wooden platter. The onion rings were the biggest I've ever seen and lovely and crispy. The burger was tasty and juicy as were the chips and the portions generous..

My friend chose the gammon with pineapple, fried egg, and chunky chips. The pineapple was fresh and the slice of gammon huge and it was served on a granite slab. Like me she was very happy with her meal.

We were quite full as the portions were generous and could only manage ice cream for dessert. I had a scoop each of raspberry pavlova, chocolate and vanilla.  It came in a large cone sitting in a cone-shaped glass with a little container in which there was a small amount of sprinkles, chocolate pieces, hundreds and thousands and fizzing angel dust. The ice cream was very creamy and went down easily.

Our bill came in a little wooden chest accompanied by two decadently delicious chocolates. The service was friendly and efficient, and the food was served quickly. It cost us just over £40 for two alcoholic drinks, two mains and two desserts. Not cheap, but not over expensive either for what we had. We'll definitely be going back and if you want a pleasant atmosphere with good food try it, you won't be disappointed.

Fin Dac, Street Artist

On Facebook today I came across this mural created by the Irish artist Fin Dac in the Gibson Hotel in Dublin. It is pretty amazing, full of energy and movement and what a scale. This photo shows the artist beside the painting and shows how huge it is.

Fin was self taught and originally hails from Cork but is mainly based in London and has created works all over the world. You can view more of his art here and there is a short article about him here. It looks like a visit to the Gibson Hotel is definitely on the cards on my next Dublin visit!

Review - The Plough Inn, Wreay, Cumbria

The Plough Inn is a place I have been going to for years, it is a country pub, with a warm ambiance and excellent food. Recently I heard that the pub had been taken over by new owners and tonight my cousin Glen and I went there for a meal - this was their first night serving meals. I must admit we were both a bit worried that it would not be as good as it had been previously.

The pub itself looks exactly the same, traditional with a modern twist and a pleasant atmosphere. The menu was much more extensive, but that's not always a good thing, it's easy to over-extend in this business. The menu told us that the chef was from the Seychelles and had 22 years experience.

We shared a pate starter, the pate was homemade and lovely. For our main courses Glen chose a chicken curry and I went for the duck marinated in cinnamon, honey and lime with mash, veg and red wine and red currant gravy.  My duck was tender with little fat and the subtle flavours were delicious and were like none I'd experienced with duck before. Glen loved her curry, in fact she said it was the one of the best curries she had ever had. Neither of us had room for a dessert!

The chef, Winston, came out to speak to everyone, he was very pleasant and seemed happy that we had enjoyed his food so much. Later one of the owners, Jane, came across to speak to us. She said that the pub would serve food  Wednesday-Sunday. Monday they would be open for drinks and homemade burgers and a quiz night. Tuesdays again it would be drinks with a live music night. So it sounds like there will be a good variety of events at the pub in the future.  I thought it was really nice personal touch that the chef and owner came out to talk with the clients like that. There are also going to be special nights with a Seychelles buffet which sounds like it will be brilliant.

Judging by the fare tonight I know that we will be continuing to visit The Plough regularly and I have  no hesitation in recommending it.