When it came to choosing a sushi restaurant, the only advice I had received was to go for a place where the dishes were prepared to order. So after googling "Japan Centre restaurant", Toku, with its good reviews and convenient location near Piccadilly Circus, seemed like a good punt.
At first glance, the menu appeared incredibly long and decidedly baffling - sashimi, tapas, tempura, both "dynamic" and "classic" sushi, maki, nigiri, bento... However, with a combination of Will's previous knowledge and the kind assistance of the staff, we managed to cobble together a collection of different dishes. I wanted to try as many different things as possible!
First we went for their 7-piece sashimi set, involving salmon, tuna and yellowtail. I learned that a.) sashimi is the raw slices of fish and b.) it's not slimy and grey, it's delicious! My favourite was the yellowtail, because it had a really good initial flavour and was great with soy sauce.
Next we tried some crab tempura with a spicy dip. So, tempura is battered and deep-fried, and crab is very tasty. I was a little worried that I'd be crunching on bits of shell and pincer, but I wasn't.
We also tried some of their "dynamic sushi" - speciality sushi rolls made using things like seaweed, rice and fish. The "Sunshine" was yellowtail with mayo dressing, which was actually a bit of a let-down. Perhaps because it was all very same-y, perhaps there was a bit too much dressing. However, the "Rainbow" dish was my favourite of the whole night - sesame-coated rolls filled with king prawns, avocado, herbs and a range of fresh fish. Om nom nom!
I really enjoyed going out for sushi; it is really tasty and surprisingly filling. I'm glad that I thre myself into it and tried different dishes. To Will's disbelief, I even tried wasabi peas! I will definitely be eating sushi again. In fact, writing this, I kind of fancy some right now...
This if for you if...
If you're a fan of non-spicy, light food. There might well be hotter, spicier dishes available, but there was so much choice that we didn't come across one and still managed a wide variety of flavours.
Recommendations
Go with someone who has been before and, if in doubt, ask the restaurant staff. To avoid ordering too much food, check if you can order a few dishes at the start and then some more later.
Friday 30 November 2012
Tuesday 20 November 2012
Is the seaweed always greener?
What: Sushi
Where: Regents Street, nr Piccadilly Circus
Who: Toku
When: Wednesday, 21st November 2012
With: Will
Why: Sushi seems to be the London lunch. I am reliably informed that my idea of a raw, wriggling, silver scaly fish is inaccurate and that it's actually delicious - so I've decided to find out!
Where: Regents Street, nr Piccadilly Circus
Who: Toku
When: Wednesday, 21st November 2012
With: Will
Why: Sushi seems to be the London lunch. I am reliably informed that my idea of a raw, wriggling, silver scaly fish is inaccurate and that it's actually delicious - so I've decided to find out!
Wednesday 24 October 2012
American Politics
For this installment, I decided that I wanted to learn about Something New; given the proximity of the American presidential elections, "American Politics 101" seemed a good subject to tackle. And so for one night only, my friend, Ben, became "Professor Shepherd" and his living room the "Arlen Spector Memorial Lecture Theatre".
In attempting some pre-reading, I rediscovered Wikipedia, pretty maps - and the fact that I will always be distracted by cats on YouTube.
To begin with, we started with a brief introduction to the make-up of the American political system. We covered all the basics, such as phrases from the news and books like "congressman", "senator" and "Governator". The bit I found particularly interesting was seeing all the differences between the executive, legislative and judiciary levels of government - including who really has power over whom.
Then we moved on to focusing on the upcoming election. Up until now the only things I had remarked upon were Joe Biden's shiny blue eyes. We worked through Obamacare vs Romneycare, purple states, the electoral college and the Democrat/Republican balance. I wouldn't say that we covered the candidates in an unbiased way, given the Prof's strong affection for BHO, but we did consider the consequences of a "Mitt-ctory".
And how would I rate Professor Shepherd? Well, the PowerPoint was clear and concise, even if the pictures were a little distorted. His explanations were interesting and generally clear, once he stopped using the British political system as a reference (another subject on which I am similarly ignorant) and my simplistic questions were neither scorned nor left unanswered. Plus, he provided crisps and wine, which is a step up from most of my university lecturers!
This is for you if...
If you're after a comprehensive view of American politics, rather than a state-by-state analysis. While this learning will ostensibly help me with my understanding of literary characters, I am also now more interested in the outcome of the election.
Recommendations
After university, it is very easy to stop learning in this kind of way. Having "expert" friends rather than official lecturers cover an interesting topic was really good fun and I would definitely recommend trying it out, if there's something you want to know about!
In attempting some pre-reading, I rediscovered Wikipedia, pretty maps - and the fact that I will always be distracted by cats on YouTube.
To begin with, we started with a brief introduction to the make-up of the American political system. We covered all the basics, such as phrases from the news and books like "congressman", "senator" and "Governator". The bit I found particularly interesting was seeing all the differences between the executive, legislative and judiciary levels of government - including who really has power over whom.
Then we moved on to focusing on the upcoming election. Up until now the only things I had remarked upon were Joe Biden's shiny blue eyes. We worked through Obamacare vs Romneycare, purple states, the electoral college and the Democrat/Republican balance. I wouldn't say that we covered the candidates in an unbiased way, given the Prof's strong affection for BHO, but we did consider the consequences of a "Mitt-ctory".
And how would I rate Professor Shepherd? Well, the PowerPoint was clear and concise, even if the pictures were a little distorted. His explanations were interesting and generally clear, once he stopped using the British political system as a reference (another subject on which I am similarly ignorant) and my simplistic questions were neither scorned nor left unanswered. Plus, he provided crisps and wine, which is a step up from most of my university lecturers!
This is for you if...
If you're after a comprehensive view of American politics, rather than a state-by-state analysis. While this learning will ostensibly help me with my understanding of literary characters, I am also now more interested in the outcome of the election.
Recommendations
After university, it is very easy to stop learning in this kind of way. Having "expert" friends rather than official lecturers cover an interesting topic was really good fun and I would definitely recommend trying it out, if there's something you want to know about!
Monday 15 October 2012
I didn't do the pre-reading...
What: Learning about American politics
Where: Highbury, in someone's house...
Who: Benjamin Shepherd, Esq.
When: Saturday, 20th October 2012
With: Anyone who's interested!
Why: My knowledge of American politics is generally limited to trivia (Grover Cleveland is the only president to have served non-consecutive terms; four assassinated, four otherwise died in office...) I can't help but feel that a more in-depth knowledge would be beneficial for my understanding of how events in the US might actually affect us this side of the pond.
Where: Highbury, in someone's house...
Who: Benjamin Shepherd, Esq.
When: Saturday, 20th October 2012
With: Anyone who's interested!
Why: My knowledge of American politics is generally limited to trivia (Grover Cleveland is the only president to have served non-consecutive terms; four assassinated, four otherwise died in office...) I can't help but feel that a more in-depth knowledge would be beneficial for my understanding of how events in the US might actually affect us this side of the pond.
Wednesday 3 October 2012
The Beauty Workshop
I saw this event advertised in Emerald Street, the daily sister-email to the Stylist free magazine. It was taking place in Selfridges from 6-9pm, which I thought was perfect for a bit of after-work entertainment. The ticket cost £10, which could be redeemed against any of the products or services available on the night.
Other than the vague description of a "unique beauty playground" offering "more than 50 brands and exclusive services", we actually knew very little about what we were signing up to. However, the promise of free champagne, cocktails and frozen yoghurt was enough of a convincer.
At the outset, everything was very unorganised. Despite the fact that we had already collected our receipt-tickets, we still had to queue up again for around 15mins, this time to collect wristbands. At the same time, we should have been given tokens to use to claim the £10; we weren't given any, and in the end the redemption was based more on trust than anything else. The place was so busy that you could hardly move, yet they continued to sell tickets to people turning up there and then. And there was no sign of the free champagne.
We perused around for a while, contemplating eyebrow threading, excessive fake lashes and glittery eyeshadows in every colour a psychedelic rainbow-toting lephrechaun could imagine. However, we found ourselves a couple of available manicurists and partook of a Nails Inc. mini manicure - I went for "Baker Street" blue while Tanya opted for a neon pink. This was £9 with our "token" and included a couple of free pink-iced cupcakes. A bit of careful positioning meant we could avail ourselves of some free health drinks, mojitos and tubs of froyo, after which our nails were dry, our fingers ice cold and we were hungry for some dinner - 90 minutes of windowless mayhem was quite enough for us.
In general, it was an enjoyable event, although I wouldn't have wanted to be there on my own, as a large proportion of the fun was derived from circling stalls piled high with small plastic bottles, wondering what on earth it was all for. I think it was let down by the number of people who were there, crammed into a relatively small area. While the nail treatment itself was great, the manicurists had to then rush off to the next customer straight away, meaning I was left to find the till myself (and trusted to pay for it!) Then again, at £10 for a ticket, it wasn't going to be the most exclusive event ever.
This is for you if...
If you cope well in TK Maxx, you should be able to manage events like this - it was a similar sort of manic, overwhelming experience. I wouldn't want to try it on a hot day, that's for sure.
Recommendations
For events like this, turn up early and get involved straight away. The later it got, the longer the queues became. As there were fewer people at the start, we were able to spend our £10 token on a manicure, which is not something either of us would normally get done.
Other than the vague description of a "unique beauty playground" offering "more than 50 brands and exclusive services", we actually knew very little about what we were signing up to. However, the promise of free champagne, cocktails and frozen yoghurt was enough of a convincer.
At the outset, everything was very unorganised. Despite the fact that we had already collected our receipt-tickets, we still had to queue up again for around 15mins, this time to collect wristbands. At the same time, we should have been given tokens to use to claim the £10; we weren't given any, and in the end the redemption was based more on trust than anything else. The place was so busy that you could hardly move, yet they continued to sell tickets to people turning up there and then. And there was no sign of the free champagne.
We perused around for a while, contemplating eyebrow threading, excessive fake lashes and glittery eyeshadows in every colour a psychedelic rainbow-toting lephrechaun could imagine. However, we found ourselves a couple of available manicurists and partook of a Nails Inc. mini manicure - I went for "Baker Street" blue while Tanya opted for a neon pink. This was £9 with our "token" and included a couple of free pink-iced cupcakes. A bit of careful positioning meant we could avail ourselves of some free health drinks, mojitos and tubs of froyo, after which our nails were dry, our fingers ice cold and we were hungry for some dinner - 90 minutes of windowless mayhem was quite enough for us.
In general, it was an enjoyable event, although I wouldn't have wanted to be there on my own, as a large proportion of the fun was derived from circling stalls piled high with small plastic bottles, wondering what on earth it was all for. I think it was let down by the number of people who were there, crammed into a relatively small area. While the nail treatment itself was great, the manicurists had to then rush off to the next customer straight away, meaning I was left to find the till myself (and trusted to pay for it!) Then again, at £10 for a ticket, it wasn't going to be the most exclusive event ever.
This is for you if...
If you cope well in TK Maxx, you should be able to manage events like this - it was a similar sort of manic, overwhelming experience. I wouldn't want to try it on a hot day, that's for sure.
Recommendations
For events like this, turn up early and get involved straight away. The later it got, the longer the queues became. As there were fewer people at the start, we were able to spend our £10 token on a manicure, which is not something either of us would normally get done.
Wednesday 26 September 2012
Beauty is in the Eye of the Bee Holder
What: The Beauty Workshop
Where: Oxford Street
Who: Selfridges
When: Thursday, 27th September 2012
With: Tanya
Why: Make-up, cocktails and froyo. And to find some "beauty"...
Where: Oxford Street
Who: Selfridges
When: Thursday, 27th September 2012
With: Tanya
Why: Make-up, cocktails and froyo. And to find some "beauty"...
Thursday 23 August 2012
Flying Trapeze
This Something New was suggested to me by Helen and she accompanied me on the visit to the Gorilla Circus Flying Trapeze School (http://www.gorillacircus.com/) The venue is in Regents Park, closest to St John's Wood tube station, and although I've been the park many times, I had no idea it existed. Its position by the Outer Circle makes it a hot spot for spectators in the form of families out for a stroll, joggers and cyclists - judging from people's reactions to the trapeze gear, this must be the best form of marketing the circus has!
Of the 10 places for the two-hour session we had booked, seven were complete beginners. We thought at first that we'd be spending some time practising on a low bar before getting up on the 30-(ish)-foot high one with the safety net... But after one very brief attempt at hooking legs up over the swing, it was off of the baby bar and onto the main event!
The trick we were learning involved holding onto the bar with your hands, jumping off the platform, hooking knees up over the bar, letting go with hands to hand upside down, then grabbing the bar again before performing a roly-poly dismount. Think that sounds impossible? We certainly did.
Possibly the hardest thing to overcome was the body's reticence to jump off of the platform in the first place! It felt very weird to do, and seemed to result in shaky legs, regardless of success in the rest of the trick. Pulling your legs up and over the bar involved significant amount of shoulder and abs strength. By far the easiest part of the trick, in fact, was the tumbling dismount!
After about an hour of swinging (perhaps 3-4 swings each) those who had successfully managed the trick (every time, oh yeah!) were set up to try with a catcher on a second swing... First up was Helen, who was frustratingly close but couldn't quite get there. I was up next - and I did it! Knees hooked, upside down, arms stretched out and... the catcher caught me! A third of the beginner's then missed the timing, before Helen's second attempt - which ended in success!
Every successful attempt was really great, but achieving the final trick gave such a massive boost of elation. I felt like I was walking on air (rather than swinging through it!)
I haven't yet decided if I'll try this again, although I do know they have more availability in the last few weeks of summer when the outside kit is feasible...
This is for you if...
If you're used to wearing a harness, don't mind heights and are pretty fit. A lot of the effort required to succeed comes from the momentum of the swing, however a significant amount also comes from shoulders & abs - my aching muscles were testimony enough to prove that!
Recommendations
The lower-body clothing-of-choice seemed to be tight 3/4 length lycra bottoms. Don't worry about shoes, cos you don't wear them anyway. And don't worry if you wear glasses - mine didn't fall off ever!
Of the 10 places for the two-hour session we had booked, seven were complete beginners. We thought at first that we'd be spending some time practising on a low bar before getting up on the 30-(ish)-foot high one with the safety net... But after one very brief attempt at hooking legs up over the swing, it was off of the baby bar and onto the main event!
The trick we were learning involved holding onto the bar with your hands, jumping off the platform, hooking knees up over the bar, letting go with hands to hand upside down, then grabbing the bar again before performing a roly-poly dismount. Think that sounds impossible? We certainly did.
Possibly the hardest thing to overcome was the body's reticence to jump off of the platform in the first place! It felt very weird to do, and seemed to result in shaky legs, regardless of success in the rest of the trick. Pulling your legs up and over the bar involved significant amount of shoulder and abs strength. By far the easiest part of the trick, in fact, was the tumbling dismount!
After about an hour of swinging (perhaps 3-4 swings each) those who had successfully managed the trick (every time, oh yeah!) were set up to try with a catcher on a second swing... First up was Helen, who was frustratingly close but couldn't quite get there. I was up next - and I did it! Knees hooked, upside down, arms stretched out and... the catcher caught me! A third of the beginner's then missed the timing, before Helen's second attempt - which ended in success!
Every successful attempt was really great, but achieving the final trick gave such a massive boost of elation. I felt like I was walking on air (rather than swinging through it!)
I haven't yet decided if I'll try this again, although I do know they have more availability in the last few weeks of summer when the outside kit is feasible...
This is for you if...
If you're used to wearing a harness, don't mind heights and are pretty fit. A lot of the effort required to succeed comes from the momentum of the swing, however a significant amount also comes from shoulders & abs - my aching muscles were testimony enough to prove that!
Recommendations
The lower-body clothing-of-choice seemed to be tight 3/4 length lycra bottoms. Don't worry about shoes, cos you don't wear them anyway. And don't worry if you wear glasses - mine didn't fall off ever!
Friday 17 August 2012
King o' the Swingers
What: Flying Trapeze Class
Where: Regents Park
Who: Gorilla Circus
When: Saturday, 18th August 2012
With: Helen
Why: "Anyone can come and learn to fly in one of our two hour classes..." I see that as a challenge.
Where: Regents Park
Who: Gorilla Circus
When: Saturday, 18th August 2012
With: Helen
Why: "Anyone can come and learn to fly in one of our two hour classes..." I see that as a challenge.
Sunday 5 August 2012
Roller Disco
Having lived in Pimlico for 18 months and moving out in a week, I felt it would be rude to live so close to Vauxhall Roller Disco (www.rollerdisco.com/) and not try it at least once. We built up for it by instigating a neon theme, putting on luminous pink make-up and spraying on lots of body glitter.
Tickets for the roller disco were £12.50, whether bought online or on the door. The price includes entry, skate hire, and as much safety equipment as you like (we just went for wristguards). We turned up there about 11pm and, to be honest, unless you're some kind of super-skater, this gives ample skating time. The place was busy enough that it had a good atmosphere, but spacious enough that you weren't crashing into someone every second step!
The venue itself has two floors - one plays cheesy pop and is on the entry level; make your way up a few steps (who puts stairs in a rollerskating venue?!) to the second, larger floor playing more modern stuff, but also skating at a faster pace. It was incredibly warm inside and I would criticise the venue for only having one bar serving tap water - especially when to get there, you either have to navigate through or circumnavigate a whole bunch of rollerskaters. I can't comment on the price of the drinks - after a few wines at home then adding wheels to my feet, I felt it was better to try and keep my wits about me...
I have no great ability at either ice-skating or roller-blading, or in fact anything that involves moving along on anything other than a normal foot-set-up. The venue has Marshalls on the floors, who can help pick you up when you fall but will also assist in showing you how to work the skates. I relied on a cumbersome style of pushing off the brake and then trying not to let me legs do the splits - which seemed to work - no falls and no bruises! Perhaps I was relying on leg strength a little too much, however, as after a couple of hours of skating, my legs were Aching Like Nobody's Business. Or perhaps I'm just getting old.
We stayed for a couple of hours till around 1am, then un-skated and headed for home. I think I would return to the roller disco, although not straightaway. It was difficult to actually dance in the skates, and I would've felt a failure if I'd abandonned them any sooner, just to enjoy a bit of a groove.
This is for you if...
If you enjoy a night out that doesn't rely on alcohol or sexy dance moves. There is no other type of club in the world where simply walking round and round in a large circle is an acceptable dance style!
Recommendations
This is definitely a dress-up venue. You don't have to be quite so luminous as we were, but people were expressing their creative side with their outfits. I would recommend cracking out the knee-high socks and leg-warmers!
Tickets for the roller disco were £12.50, whether bought online or on the door. The price includes entry, skate hire, and as much safety equipment as you like (we just went for wristguards). We turned up there about 11pm and, to be honest, unless you're some kind of super-skater, this gives ample skating time. The place was busy enough that it had a good atmosphere, but spacious enough that you weren't crashing into someone every second step!
The venue itself has two floors - one plays cheesy pop and is on the entry level; make your way up a few steps (who puts stairs in a rollerskating venue?!) to the second, larger floor playing more modern stuff, but also skating at a faster pace. It was incredibly warm inside and I would criticise the venue for only having one bar serving tap water - especially when to get there, you either have to navigate through or circumnavigate a whole bunch of rollerskaters. I can't comment on the price of the drinks - after a few wines at home then adding wheels to my feet, I felt it was better to try and keep my wits about me...
I have no great ability at either ice-skating or roller-blading, or in fact anything that involves moving along on anything other than a normal foot-set-up. The venue has Marshalls on the floors, who can help pick you up when you fall but will also assist in showing you how to work the skates. I relied on a cumbersome style of pushing off the brake and then trying not to let me legs do the splits - which seemed to work - no falls and no bruises! Perhaps I was relying on leg strength a little too much, however, as after a couple of hours of skating, my legs were Aching Like Nobody's Business. Or perhaps I'm just getting old.
We stayed for a couple of hours till around 1am, then un-skated and headed for home. I think I would return to the roller disco, although not straightaway. It was difficult to actually dance in the skates, and I would've felt a failure if I'd abandonned them any sooner, just to enjoy a bit of a groove.
This is for you if...
If you enjoy a night out that doesn't rely on alcohol or sexy dance moves. There is no other type of club in the world where simply walking round and round in a large circle is an acceptable dance style!
Recommendations
This is definitely a dress-up venue. You don't have to be quite so luminous as we were, but people were expressing their creative side with their outfits. I would recommend cracking out the knee-high socks and leg-warmers!
Tuesday 17 July 2012
Roll over Beethoven!
What: Roller Disco
Where: Vauxhall
Who: http://www.rollerdisco.com/
When: Friday, 3rd August 2012
With: Here come the girls!
Why: It would be veritably criminal to live so close and never go to the Vauxhall Roller Disco. Plus I haven't broken a limb in a while.
Where: Vauxhall
Who: http://www.rollerdisco.com/
When: Friday, 3rd August 2012
With: Here come the girls!
Why: It would be veritably criminal to live so close and never go to the Vauxhall Roller Disco. Plus I haven't broken a limb in a while.
Sunday 8 July 2012
Massage Course
This was another voucher purchased through Groupon - £39 for a 5-hour "Introduction to Massage" course, courtesy of Alkanation (http://alkanation.com/london-workshops/introduction-to-massage/). It was held at the Neal's Yard Meeting Rooms just north of Covent Garden.
It was a well organised course: it started on time; there was the right number of hand-outs; and they incorporated a lunch break into the schedule. It began with a short discussion about the participants' experiences with massage and the various benefits that it can provide. Fortunately, this didn't take the form of a lecture and was pretty useful as it allowed all the latecomers to arrive without missing any of the technique demonstrations.
We learned four techniques in the class. First up was a basic neck, shoulder and back massage. This was quite hard to get to grips with, mainly because everyone has different sensitivity, especially on their neck. From experience, I have a very high pain threshold, but I had to be super-gentle with my partner, as she couldn't cope with much more than very gentle pressure.
I'm not sure what I think about reflexology (where areas of the hands and feet are linked to different parts of the body) but the hand massage which we learned next was refreshing and the foot massage was heavenly. Luckily I don't have a foot-phobia and I'm not squeamish about toes; for the guys who were, they tried out an extra hand massage.
We finished with an Indian head massage technique. For me, this was the one I was most interested in, as working in an office, hunched over a desk all day, puts a lot of strain on your neck muscles, and staring at a computer screen affects all the muscles surrounding your eyes.
How good was I at the techniques? Hard to say. Some of them (foot and hand) came a lot quicker than the others, but I imagine it is the kind of activity that improves with practice. All I need now are some willing guinea pigs...
This is for you if...
If you're looking for something that does what it says on the tin - an introduction to massage. There was nothing extraordinary or ground-breaking, but the course provided a solid base - either for learning further techniques, or just to provide a bit of knowledge to use when you need a bit of relaxation!
Recommendations
If you go with someone else, make sure you're comfortable massaging them, as you work in pairs the entire time. The best top to wear is a short-sleeved T-shirt, as this avoids straps or sleeves getting in the way.
It was a well organised course: it started on time; there was the right number of hand-outs; and they incorporated a lunch break into the schedule. It began with a short discussion about the participants' experiences with massage and the various benefits that it can provide. Fortunately, this didn't take the form of a lecture and was pretty useful as it allowed all the latecomers to arrive without missing any of the technique demonstrations.
We learned four techniques in the class. First up was a basic neck, shoulder and back massage. This was quite hard to get to grips with, mainly because everyone has different sensitivity, especially on their neck. From experience, I have a very high pain threshold, but I had to be super-gentle with my partner, as she couldn't cope with much more than very gentle pressure.
I'm not sure what I think about reflexology (where areas of the hands and feet are linked to different parts of the body) but the hand massage which we learned next was refreshing and the foot massage was heavenly. Luckily I don't have a foot-phobia and I'm not squeamish about toes; for the guys who were, they tried out an extra hand massage.
We finished with an Indian head massage technique. For me, this was the one I was most interested in, as working in an office, hunched over a desk all day, puts a lot of strain on your neck muscles, and staring at a computer screen affects all the muscles surrounding your eyes.
How good was I at the techniques? Hard to say. Some of them (foot and hand) came a lot quicker than the others, but I imagine it is the kind of activity that improves with practice. All I need now are some willing guinea pigs...
This is for you if...
If you're looking for something that does what it says on the tin - an introduction to massage. There was nothing extraordinary or ground-breaking, but the course provided a solid base - either for learning further techniques, or just to provide a bit of knowledge to use when you need a bit of relaxation!
Recommendations
If you go with someone else, make sure you're comfortable massaging them, as you work in pairs the entire time. The best top to wear is a short-sleeved T-shirt, as this avoids straps or sleeves getting in the way.
Sunday 1 July 2012
There's the rub
What: Introduction to Massage course
Where: Neal's Yard Meeting Rooms, near Covent Garden
Who: Alkanation
When: Sunday, 8th July 2012 at 10am-3pm
With: Myself
Why: I enjoy going for massages and so would like to learn more of the techniques. Plus, Will thought it was a good idea, for some reason...?
Where: Neal's Yard Meeting Rooms, near Covent Garden
Who: Alkanation
When: Sunday, 8th July 2012 at 10am-3pm
With: Myself
Why: I enjoy going for massages and so would like to learn more of the techniques. Plus, Will thought it was a good idea, for some reason...?
Sunday 17 June 2012
Triathlon
It was back in January when Helen persuaded me to sign up for the Shock Absorber WomenOnly Novice Triathlon (http://humanrace.co.uk/events/triathlon/womenonly-triathlon). Having never competed in anything where I got to wear my own number, it seemed like an excellent activity to include as a Something New.
The HumanRace team who run the event have held women-only triathlons every summer since 2007 out at Dorney Lake, which is certainly a good location for it. As the Eton rowing lake, the water is very calm, making it good for swimming in, and the path around the water is well maintained for cycling/running on. This year, with the Olympic events taking place out there, there are the inevitable building works and seating stands to avoid, but it was still a good venue and, with a little bit of Sunday sunshine and some picnic after the physical exertion, made for a pleasant afternoon out.
The first part of the triathlon was a 200m swim. I was very grateful for my eBay-purchased wetsuit, both for the warmth it provided and also the additional buoyancy. It was hard to get a great deal of momentum at first, because of the number of bodies crowded along the start "line", but once there was a bit more space, it became easier to find a rhythm. I completed the swim in 4mins 47secs, which of the 155 "novice" entrants was the 66th fastest time.
Next up was a 5.3km cycle around the lake. This was the first time I'd ever been on a road bike (those tyres are so slim!) and actually several years since I'd last cycled outside at all! I think a bit more practice on the bike would have given me the self-belief to lean forward and be more aerodynamic, but as it was I finished the section in 13mins 2secs, ranking 69th overall.
The running came last and was the section I was least looking forward to, as I do not consider myself a natural runner. It was exceedingly difficult to get my legs working after the bike, as running (apparently) works different muscles in different ways to cycling. Without any kind of stopwatch or timer, it felt like I was running a lot slower than on the treadmill... But I wasn't! My final time for the 2.5km was 14mins 34secs, which was at least 2mins faster than I'd ever run that distance before, coming in ranked 37th! This is the result I am most proud of.
I would definitely do another triathlon - and I know for sure what I would need to work on for next time... Getting changed! My first transition ranking was 137th (of 155!) and second wasn't much better at 124th. Clearly I need to spend more time getting in and out of my wetsuit/helmet.
I finished with an overall time of 38mins 11secs (ranked 68th), aching legs and a brand new luminous green swim-hat - score!
This is for you if...
If you're looking for an introductory competition, but don't fancy just a 5-10km run, the novice event is a good choice. The distances are challenging, but also short enough that you can probably cope with all of them, even if there's one you're not particularly good at.
Recommendations
My main recommendations would relate to the bike. We arrived at the venue with what should have been plenty of time, but the combination of one girl pushing in, an emergency tyre-repair and a very casual bike-fitter, meant that Helen was delayed from starting the event with the rest of the under-35s. If we'd arrived a bit earlier then we would've also had more time to try out the bikes, so that the first attempt in the saddle wasn't when you launched yourself onto the course...
The HumanRace team who run the event have held women-only triathlons every summer since 2007 out at Dorney Lake, which is certainly a good location for it. As the Eton rowing lake, the water is very calm, making it good for swimming in, and the path around the water is well maintained for cycling/running on. This year, with the Olympic events taking place out there, there are the inevitable building works and seating stands to avoid, but it was still a good venue and, with a little bit of Sunday sunshine and some picnic after the physical exertion, made for a pleasant afternoon out.
The first part of the triathlon was a 200m swim. I was very grateful for my eBay-purchased wetsuit, both for the warmth it provided and also the additional buoyancy. It was hard to get a great deal of momentum at first, because of the number of bodies crowded along the start "line", but once there was a bit more space, it became easier to find a rhythm. I completed the swim in 4mins 47secs, which of the 155 "novice" entrants was the 66th fastest time.
Next up was a 5.3km cycle around the lake. This was the first time I'd ever been on a road bike (those tyres are so slim!) and actually several years since I'd last cycled outside at all! I think a bit more practice on the bike would have given me the self-belief to lean forward and be more aerodynamic, but as it was I finished the section in 13mins 2secs, ranking 69th overall.
The running came last and was the section I was least looking forward to, as I do not consider myself a natural runner. It was exceedingly difficult to get my legs working after the bike, as running (apparently) works different muscles in different ways to cycling. Without any kind of stopwatch or timer, it felt like I was running a lot slower than on the treadmill... But I wasn't! My final time for the 2.5km was 14mins 34secs, which was at least 2mins faster than I'd ever run that distance before, coming in ranked 37th! This is the result I am most proud of.
I would definitely do another triathlon - and I know for sure what I would need to work on for next time... Getting changed! My first transition ranking was 137th (of 155!) and second wasn't much better at 124th. Clearly I need to spend more time getting in and out of my wetsuit/helmet.
I finished with an overall time of 38mins 11secs (ranked 68th), aching legs and a brand new luminous green swim-hat - score!
This is for you if...
If you're looking for an introductory competition, but don't fancy just a 5-10km run, the novice event is a good choice. The distances are challenging, but also short enough that you can probably cope with all of them, even if there's one you're not particularly good at.
Recommendations
My main recommendations would relate to the bike. We arrived at the venue with what should have been plenty of time, but the combination of one girl pushing in, an emergency tyre-repair and a very casual bike-fitter, meant that Helen was delayed from starting the event with the rest of the under-35s. If we'd arrived a bit earlier then we would've also had more time to try out the bikes, so that the first attempt in the saddle wasn't when you launched yourself onto the course...
Friday 8 June 2012
Things happen in threes
What: Triathlon (200m swim, 5.3km cycle and 2.5km run!)
Where: Dorney Lake
Who: Human Race Shock Absorber WomenOnly Novice Triathlon
When: Sunday, 10th June 2012 - in the 12:15 wave
With: Helen Thomas
Why: I'm not entirely sure - it seemed like a good idea when Helen persuaded me (perhaps after a few glasses of vino...)
Where: Dorney Lake
Who: Human Race Shock Absorber WomenOnly Novice Triathlon
When: Sunday, 10th June 2012 - in the 12:15 wave
With: Helen Thomas
Why: I'm not entirely sure - it seemed like a good idea when Helen persuaded me (perhaps after a few glasses of vino...)
Friday 1 June 2012
Falconry
Lydia and I headed out to experience some falconry at the English School of Falconry at the Birds of Prey Centre (http://www.birdsofpreycentre.co.uk/) out at Biggleswade. Getting there was a bit of a mission - train out of Kings Cross then a 10-minute taxi ride from Biggleswade station - but once there, we were surrounded by fields, trees and (on this occasion) bright blue skies and a strong breeze.
The trip was part of a Groupon voucher experience, which kicked off at 10:15 with flying some birds. First up was a diddy Barn Owl, who battled courageously against the winds to fly from a tree stump to the glove. It was really cool having the bird fly to your hand! Next up was a cheeky Harris Hawk, who completely epitomised the problems of working with animals, by flying up into a tree after just two flights (for first in the queue, me and Lydia!), then refusing to come back down for 20 minutes...
The next part of the experience was to meet some of the centre's birds, starting with the eagles. As Lydia learned, having a heavy sea eagle sit on your arm whilst the guide waxes lyrical about their attributes requires some strong muscles! I was very impressed by the knowledge which the centre's staff had about all the different birds - they really did know what they were talking about, adding another level to the experience. After this we met a whole host of owls - big, small, fat and baby. The two-week-old chick was pretty much just an ugly grey ball of feathers!
The day finished with a falconry display and the centre put on an impressive show, keeping the flights very near (and mostly right over the top of) the spectator benches. A section of the audience would instinctively duck every time the falcons dived down straight towards the benches, to try and catch the lure being swung by the handler. The show also included an overly friendly yellow-headed Caracara who liked sitting on hats and two large pelicans! Who knew they could fly?!
This was a really fun and unusual day out - and good value for the £15 Groupon. Unfortunately, due to the delays caused by the tricksy Harris Hawk, we only got to fly two birds, rather than three. However the experience of the rest of the day was enough to make up for this. I would love to try this again, although I don't quite see myself sitting at home nursing a baby bird of prey just yet!
This is for you if...
If you're looking for a day out with a difference, this is certainly one to try. The birds at the centre were really well trained, so it's an excellent way to try out falconry.
Recommendations
I would recommend taking a car to the centre, if you can. Its in-the-middle-of-nowhere location is great for the view but not so much for the public transport. Also, definitely go with a friend so that there is someone to take awesome photos.
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The trip was part of a Groupon voucher experience, which kicked off at 10:15 with flying some birds. First up was a diddy Barn Owl, who battled courageously against the winds to fly from a tree stump to the glove. It was really cool having the bird fly to your hand! Next up was a cheeky Harris Hawk, who completely epitomised the problems of working with animals, by flying up into a tree after just two flights (for first in the queue, me and Lydia!), then refusing to come back down for 20 minutes...
The next part of the experience was to meet some of the centre's birds, starting with the eagles. As Lydia learned, having a heavy sea eagle sit on your arm whilst the guide waxes lyrical about their attributes requires some strong muscles! I was very impressed by the knowledge which the centre's staff had about all the different birds - they really did know what they were talking about, adding another level to the experience. After this we met a whole host of owls - big, small, fat and baby. The two-week-old chick was pretty much just an ugly grey ball of feathers!
The day finished with a falconry display and the centre put on an impressive show, keeping the flights very near (and mostly right over the top of) the spectator benches. A section of the audience would instinctively duck every time the falcons dived down straight towards the benches, to try and catch the lure being swung by the handler. The show also included an overly friendly yellow-headed Caracara who liked sitting on hats and two large pelicans! Who knew they could fly?!
This was a really fun and unusual day out - and good value for the £15 Groupon. Unfortunately, due to the delays caused by the tricksy Harris Hawk, we only got to fly two birds, rather than three. However the experience of the rest of the day was enough to make up for this. I would love to try this again, although I don't quite see myself sitting at home nursing a baby bird of prey just yet!
This is for you if...
If you're looking for a day out with a difference, this is certainly one to try. The birds at the centre were really well trained, so it's an excellent way to try out falconry.
Recommendations
I would recommend taking a car to the centre, if you can. Its in-the-middle-of-nowhere location is great for the view but not so much for the public transport. Also, definitely go with a friend so that there is someone to take awesome photos.
.JPG)
Tuesday 8 May 2012
What's the word? Bird is the word!
What: Falconry
Where: Biggleswade (north of London)
Who: Birds of Prey Centre
When: Friday, 11th May 2012
With: Lydia Burland
Why: Birds of prey, be they peregrine falcons in Look & Read or ORLY owls, are cool. Plus, it goes nicely with the horse-riding and archery!
Where: Biggleswade (north of London)
Who: Birds of Prey Centre
When: Friday, 11th May 2012
With: Lydia Burland
Why: Birds of prey, be they peregrine falcons in Look & Read or ORLY owls, are cool. Plus, it goes nicely with the horse-riding and archery!
Friday 4 May 2012
Screen Painting
As with my last adventure, this screen painting experience (with tea and cake) was purchased from Groupon for the princely sum of £36 for two people. It was offered by the London Textiles Studios http://www.londontextilesstudios.co.uk/ and held at Craft Central http://www.craftcentral.org.uk/ on St John's Square in EC1M.
Communication with LTS was very good; as the specific date I asked about was fully booked, I could chose between a range of dates and times which were more relaxed than stringent conditions set out by the Groupon voucher. We had some trouble knowing how to get into the building when we first arrived, however this was our (read, my) fault for not reading the confirmation properly.
The session was scheduled from 10:30-12:30 and did get off to a bit of a slow start. This was partially down to waiting for everyone to turn up, getting settled and our class teacher having to go upstairs to "get some hot water for the kettle"... Once we got started, it was a bit of a race to the end!
First, screen painting involves creating a stencil/s of your chosen design. This might be a repeated patterns or overlapping images, but both Laurence and I went for a single multi-coloured, multi-layered image. The stencil is cut out of paper or card with a scalpel, with different stencils for each colour layer. My stencil was an incredibly detailed chameleon, inspired by an image in one of the design idea books provided. I really enjoyed doing the design, and I was really pleased with the result. The stencil worked perfectly - so much so, that I took it home with me at the end of the session! I think it would work very well as a repeated, overlaid image, with variously coloured chameleons on a tote bag. Something for next time, perhaps...
We were provided with fabric (free), tote bags (£3) or t-shirts (5), which you stick down to the surface. You lie the stencil on top, use newspaper strips to protect the surrounding area and place the screen on top and hold it down firmly. Paint - a mixture of binder and dye - is liberally applied to the top of the design and dragged down then up with a squeegee. After removing the excess paint, you have to apply even pressure across the design, to make sure the paint transfers evenly to the fabric. Once dried (either in air or with a hairdryer) you can then repeat with a different colour to build up the desired image! Once ironed, it becomes washable, too.
My only real criticism of the teacher would be that we both felt misleading information was given about the potency of overlapping layers... It should have been made much clearer that a top layer would not completely cover a bottom layer, but would be more translucent. This became quite clear with Laurence's design; he opted for a combination of two game-related logos on a t-shirt, and although the final result was really clearly defined, we both agreed that a simple black face over red logo might have been more effective.
This was a pretty intense two hours, but I really enjoyed being creative and learning a new painting method. Screen painting is really simple; once you have the screen and squeegee (both of which can be washed and reused over and over) and the right paint, you're ready to go! I would definitely like to try this again sometime.
This is for you if...
If you're not much of a skilled painter, but want to paint anyway. I was never that great at art - my designs managed to look neither realistic nor abstract, merely... amateur. The nature of screen painting makes it great for blocks of colour and solid lines.
Recommendations
This would be quite fun as a group before an event, creating coordinating t-shirts for a charity event, hen-party, school group. However, you could quite easily go on your own and have a great time, too.
Communication with LTS was very good; as the specific date I asked about was fully booked, I could chose between a range of dates and times which were more relaxed than stringent conditions set out by the Groupon voucher. We had some trouble knowing how to get into the building when we first arrived, however this was our (read, my) fault for not reading the confirmation properly.
The session was scheduled from 10:30-12:30 and did get off to a bit of a slow start. This was partially down to waiting for everyone to turn up, getting settled and our class teacher having to go upstairs to "get some hot water for the kettle"... Once we got started, it was a bit of a race to the end!
First, screen painting involves creating a stencil/s of your chosen design. This might be a repeated patterns or overlapping images, but both Laurence and I went for a single multi-coloured, multi-layered image. The stencil is cut out of paper or card with a scalpel, with different stencils for each colour layer. My stencil was an incredibly detailed chameleon, inspired by an image in one of the design idea books provided. I really enjoyed doing the design, and I was really pleased with the result. The stencil worked perfectly - so much so, that I took it home with me at the end of the session! I think it would work very well as a repeated, overlaid image, with variously coloured chameleons on a tote bag. Something for next time, perhaps...
We were provided with fabric (free), tote bags (£3) or t-shirts (5), which you stick down to the surface. You lie the stencil on top, use newspaper strips to protect the surrounding area and place the screen on top and hold it down firmly. Paint - a mixture of binder and dye - is liberally applied to the top of the design and dragged down then up with a squeegee. After removing the excess paint, you have to apply even pressure across the design, to make sure the paint transfers evenly to the fabric. Once dried (either in air or with a hairdryer) you can then repeat with a different colour to build up the desired image! Once ironed, it becomes washable, too.
My only real criticism of the teacher would be that we both felt misleading information was given about the potency of overlapping layers... It should have been made much clearer that a top layer would not completely cover a bottom layer, but would be more translucent. This became quite clear with Laurence's design; he opted for a combination of two game-related logos on a t-shirt, and although the final result was really clearly defined, we both agreed that a simple black face over red logo might have been more effective.
This was a pretty intense two hours, but I really enjoyed being creative and learning a new painting method. Screen painting is really simple; once you have the screen and squeegee (both of which can be washed and reused over and over) and the right paint, you're ready to go! I would definitely like to try this again sometime.
This is for you if...
If you're not much of a skilled painter, but want to paint anyway. I was never that great at art - my designs managed to look neither realistic nor abstract, merely... amateur. The nature of screen painting makes it great for blocks of colour and solid lines.
Recommendations
This would be quite fun as a group before an event, creating coordinating t-shirts for a charity event, hen-party, school group. However, you could quite easily go on your own and have a great time, too.
Tuesday 24 April 2012
Nobody can hear you screen painting...
What: Screen Painting
Where: Between Farringdon and Barbican
Who: London Textiles Studio
When: Sunday 29th April at 10:30am
With: Laurence Powell
Why: I like to be creative and hadn't done anything arty yet. Plus, the package comes with tea and cake - nuff said!
Where: Between Farringdon and Barbican
Who: London Textiles Studio
When: Sunday 29th April at 10:30am
With: Laurence Powell
Why: I like to be creative and hadn't done anything arty yet. Plus, the package comes with tea and cake - nuff said!
Friday 20 April 2012
Horse-Riding
As a child, the closest I got to horse-riding was either as a 5-year-old bawling my eyes out whilst sitting on top of a huge police horse, or being led around a country park on a short pony ride. As something I've seen in films and read about in books, I jumped at the chance to try out horse-riding at a discounted price.
This was a Groupon offer for a 3-hour horse-riding experience, reduced from £100 to £39. Having learnt from previous experiences that it's fun to share Something New, I took Will along with me. We headed up to Trent Park Equestrian Centre (http://www.trentpark.com/) almost right at the top of the Piccadilly line. Although this was quite a long way from central London, it was nice to see a bit of greenery and open space. The park allows more experienced riders to take part in hacks and pub rides.
I had a prejudiced image of the "typical" horse-rider: stuck-up, with a rich daddy, demanding and wanting everything just so. While the first person we encountered reinforced this opinion, everyone else helped to dispel it! The staff were friendly and courteous, and our instructor, David, easily found the right balance between teaching a lesson and encouraging a bunch of complete beginners to relax and be more confident in the saddle.
At first, I felt a little disappointed by the centre. We turned up 15 minutes before the appointed start time, as detailed in the instructions, and were swiftly kitted out in hats and boots...then left standing in the yard for a good 25 minutes while some late arrivals were attended to. While you can't expect them to abandon latecomers, I did feel one of the many staff hanging around should have encouraged us to look around, or see some of the horses.
However, once the lesson was started, the whole experience was thoroughly enjoyable! My horse, Blue, was patient and not jumpy at all; Will was riding Maximus, a beautiful dun horse who constantly farted his way all around the arena in a carefree manner...! After learning how to start, walk and stop, we moved onto sitting trot, standing trot and a rising trot. I would compare horse-riding to archery, in that it's a very unnatural position to put your body in, but when it goes right, it feels good and the results reflect this. Getting the rhythm of the rising trot just right gave a real sense of satisfaction and achievement. And significantly increased the comfort factor.
After about 80 minutes of riding, we had a cup of tea and some very tasty cake in the sunshine, were shown around the tackroom , the feeding room and introduced to some of the 130 horses the centre has, from little children's ponies right up to the majestic 17-hand livery horses.
In the end, I'd say that horse-riding is a lot more challenging than it first appears; it's definitely not just sitting on top of the horse while it does all the work! I've always wanted to try it and now I have, I think I'd like to keep on trying it in the future!
This is for you if...
If, like me, you'd prefer to join the Rohirrim than the Knights of Gondor, get on a horse and try it out. And at £32 for a beginners' group lesson at Trent Park, it is nowhere near as pricey as having your own horse.
Recommendations
Make sure to wear something warm on the top half, and trousers with a flexible crotch - horses are a lot wider when you're sitting on them than they look from below!
This was a Groupon offer for a 3-hour horse-riding experience, reduced from £100 to £39. Having learnt from previous experiences that it's fun to share Something New, I took Will along with me. We headed up to Trent Park Equestrian Centre (http://www.trentpark.com/) almost right at the top of the Piccadilly line. Although this was quite a long way from central London, it was nice to see a bit of greenery and open space. The park allows more experienced riders to take part in hacks and pub rides.
I had a prejudiced image of the "typical" horse-rider: stuck-up, with a rich daddy, demanding and wanting everything just so. While the first person we encountered reinforced this opinion, everyone else helped to dispel it! The staff were friendly and courteous, and our instructor, David, easily found the right balance between teaching a lesson and encouraging a bunch of complete beginners to relax and be more confident in the saddle.
At first, I felt a little disappointed by the centre. We turned up 15 minutes before the appointed start time, as detailed in the instructions, and were swiftly kitted out in hats and boots...then left standing in the yard for a good 25 minutes while some late arrivals were attended to. While you can't expect them to abandon latecomers, I did feel one of the many staff hanging around should have encouraged us to look around, or see some of the horses.
However, once the lesson was started, the whole experience was thoroughly enjoyable! My horse, Blue, was patient and not jumpy at all; Will was riding Maximus, a beautiful dun horse who constantly farted his way all around the arena in a carefree manner...! After learning how to start, walk and stop, we moved onto sitting trot, standing trot and a rising trot. I would compare horse-riding to archery, in that it's a very unnatural position to put your body in, but when it goes right, it feels good and the results reflect this. Getting the rhythm of the rising trot just right gave a real sense of satisfaction and achievement. And significantly increased the comfort factor.
After about 80 minutes of riding, we had a cup of tea and some very tasty cake in the sunshine, were shown around the tackroom , the feeding room and introduced to some of the 130 horses the centre has, from little children's ponies right up to the majestic 17-hand livery horses.
In the end, I'd say that horse-riding is a lot more challenging than it first appears; it's definitely not just sitting on top of the horse while it does all the work! I've always wanted to try it and now I have, I think I'd like to keep on trying it in the future!
This is for you if...
If, like me, you'd prefer to join the Rohirrim than the Knights of Gondor, get on a horse and try it out. And at £32 for a beginners' group lesson at Trent Park, it is nowhere near as pricey as having your own horse.
Recommendations
Make sure to wear something warm on the top half, and trousers with a flexible crotch - horses are a lot wider when you're sitting on them than they look from below!
Tuesday 10 April 2012
Hopefully not a tail of whooooa!
What: Horse-riding
Where: Trent Park, London
Who: Trent Park Equestrian Centre
When: Saturday, 14 April 2012
Why: Every medieval assassin should know how to ride a horse, and so should I.
Where: Trent Park, London
Who: Trent Park Equestrian Centre
When: Saturday, 14 April 2012
Why: Every medieval assassin should know how to ride a horse, and so should I.
Thursday 22 March 2012
Snowmobiles and Husky Sleds
Finally managing the holiday we'd yearned for, Will and I took a trip to the snowy city of Tromso in Norway. Anticipating mountains like meringue, cold arctic winds and the necessity to wear a minimum of four layers of clothing at all times - and we were not disappointed! It is 69.4° north after all.
Towards the end of the holiday, we had decided to try our hand at snowmobiling. This was booked in advance through Lyngsfjord Adventure (http://www.lyngsfjord.com/en/winter-adventures/snowmobile-safari.html) at a cost of 1695 NOK each, or a very pricey £180. However, Norway is dear in more ways than just its reindeer, and for the length and quality of the excursion, this is favourably comparable to the cost of most other activities on offer.
The location for our safari was the Lyngen Alps and the scenery was just stunning. Taking a snowmobile allows you to travel greater distances in much shorter time than in snowshoes or skis; we travelled around 16km up a valley between two mountains, to a lake at around 850m about sea level, and then back to the base for traditional soup, bread and Twinings tea.
The team at Lyngsfjord are definitely kitted up to cater for all kinds of visitors. All clothing, protective gear and other equipment was provided as part of the price, and the snowsuits, while reminiscent of toddlers' outfits, were warm, windproof and extremely welcome. The trek itself was also flexible, varying from easy to really quite challenging and, as a couple of pairs on our expedition proved, it is not difficult to tip over the skidoos. However, through a bit of balance, clinging on with your legs and not going too slowly (!) round the corners, the snowmobiles were easy to handle - and this coming from someone who's never used a motorbike, quadbike or anything like that.
The following day (after an evening watching the Northern Lights...) we were at the Villmarkssenter for their husky sledding (http://villmarkssenter.no/vinterprogram/hundekj%C3%B8ring/). The sledding on its own costs 1490 NOK per person, or around £160. Again, the centre provided all necessary kit, including reindeer skins to keep the sled snuggly warm!
One of the most remarkable things about this experience were the dogs themselves. At no point were we warned about them and there really was no need, as the huskies were friendly and hungry for pats (or gloves!) The centre has around 200 Alaskan huskie-crosses with names like Nordpolen, Vaffel, Pepsi and Monster. At the time of our visit, they also had six adorable 1-month-old puppies, that visitors were encouraged to hold and play with - although discouraged from taking home with them...
For our sledding ride, we had a team of six dogs, which we drove ourselves out into the snow. With just two commands (go and stop, or "kommien" and "stor" (NB. I cannot spell in Norwegian, and apologise for this)), we had all the tools required. We did not need left or right, as, perhaps a little sadly, the dogs knew the route and simply followed the sled in front. That said, it didn't detract from the enjoyableness of the excursion or the quality of the photographs.
In one day, you definitely get plenty from the snowmobiling, however I think I would like to have tried the husky sledding for longer. It would've been nice to escape from the sled-caravan and take the dogs onto the virgin snow, out into the wilderness towards the mountains. However, I can understand that within the constraints of a morning ride, this is not always possible.
This is for you if...
If you like a bit of an adventurous holiday, whilst knowing that nothing can really go too wrong. You are surrounded by experts who lead guileless tourists around every day and are trained to cope with any problems that may arise. All transport, gear and instruction is provided, so you don't need anything special, just a bit of spirit!
Recommendations
When sledding, always request to drive your own sled. If you don't, a guide will drive while you sit in the sled, which while still fun, wouldn't be quite so challenging! Definitely go to the Lyngen Alps for snowmobiling, as they are further out of the city and much more wild. And try to stay awake on the coach journey out there - it is about 90minutes of fabulous scenery (so I'm told...)
Towards the end of the holiday, we had decided to try our hand at snowmobiling. This was booked in advance through Lyngsfjord Adventure (http://www.lyngsfjord.com/en/winter-adventures/snowmobile-safari.html) at a cost of 1695 NOK each, or a very pricey £180. However, Norway is dear in more ways than just its reindeer, and for the length and quality of the excursion, this is favourably comparable to the cost of most other activities on offer.
The location for our safari was the Lyngen Alps and the scenery was just stunning. Taking a snowmobile allows you to travel greater distances in much shorter time than in snowshoes or skis; we travelled around 16km up a valley between two mountains, to a lake at around 850m about sea level, and then back to the base for traditional soup, bread and Twinings tea.
The team at Lyngsfjord are definitely kitted up to cater for all kinds of visitors. All clothing, protective gear and other equipment was provided as part of the price, and the snowsuits, while reminiscent of toddlers' outfits, were warm, windproof and extremely welcome. The trek itself was also flexible, varying from easy to really quite challenging and, as a couple of pairs on our expedition proved, it is not difficult to tip over the skidoos. However, through a bit of balance, clinging on with your legs and not going too slowly (!) round the corners, the snowmobiles were easy to handle - and this coming from someone who's never used a motorbike, quadbike or anything like that.
The following day (after an evening watching the Northern Lights...) we were at the Villmarkssenter for their husky sledding (http://villmarkssenter.no/vinterprogram/hundekj%C3%B8ring/). The sledding on its own costs 1490 NOK per person, or around £160. Again, the centre provided all necessary kit, including reindeer skins to keep the sled snuggly warm!
One of the most remarkable things about this experience were the dogs themselves. At no point were we warned about them and there really was no need, as the huskies were friendly and hungry for pats (or gloves!) The centre has around 200 Alaskan huskie-crosses with names like Nordpolen, Vaffel, Pepsi and Monster. At the time of our visit, they also had six adorable 1-month-old puppies, that visitors were encouraged to hold and play with - although discouraged from taking home with them...
For our sledding ride, we had a team of six dogs, which we drove ourselves out into the snow. With just two commands (go and stop, or "kommien" and "stor" (NB. I cannot spell in Norwegian, and apologise for this)), we had all the tools required. We did not need left or right, as, perhaps a little sadly, the dogs knew the route and simply followed the sled in front. That said, it didn't detract from the enjoyableness of the excursion or the quality of the photographs.
In one day, you definitely get plenty from the snowmobiling, however I think I would like to have tried the husky sledding for longer. It would've been nice to escape from the sled-caravan and take the dogs onto the virgin snow, out into the wilderness towards the mountains. However, I can understand that within the constraints of a morning ride, this is not always possible.
This is for you if...
If you like a bit of an adventurous holiday, whilst knowing that nothing can really go too wrong. You are surrounded by experts who lead guileless tourists around every day and are trained to cope with any problems that may arise. All transport, gear and instruction is provided, so you don't need anything special, just a bit of spirit!
Recommendations
When sledding, always request to drive your own sled. If you don't, a guide will drive while you sit in the sled, which while still fun, wouldn't be quite so challenging! Definitely go to the Lyngen Alps for snowmobiling, as they are further out of the city and much more wild. And try to stay awake on the coach journey out there - it is about 90minutes of fabulous scenery (so I'm told...)
Thursday 1 March 2012
Norway Norway, man-ah man-ah...
What: Snowmobiling & husky sleddin
Where: Tromso, Norway (near Gatwick...)
Who: With Will, courtesy of the Villmarkssenter and Lyngsfjord Adventure
When: 4-5th March 2012
Why: Huskies. Sleds. Snow. Mobiling.
Where: Tromso, Norway (near Gatwick...)
Who: With Will, courtesy of the Villmarkssenter and Lyngsfjord Adventure
When: 4-5th March 2012
Why: Huskies. Sleds. Snow. Mobiling.
Sunday 19 February 2012
Squash
The location of my first ever foray into the world of squash was the Barnes Squash Club (http://www.barnessquashclub.org/). I believe that at least one person has to be a member to play there - fortunately, I had Emma! We had the court booked for 40mins, which is £4 according to their website.
The club was being refurbished at the time, so only one court was available. Unfortunately, the token-taking, light-permitting box stole our token (even some enthusiastic "taps" on the side didn't seem to help) so we had to play in the semi-lightness provided by the strip lights outside. Luckily there was still plenty of light to be able to see, and I like to think that the shadows concealed both the bizarre look of concentration my face often develops when thinking too hard, and the sweaty exhaustion that developed throughout the game.
One thing I will definitely recommend is Emma as a coach. After explaining the rules and letting me get to grips with the feel of the racquet and ball, we moved onto some (non-competitive) point playing and tactic-talking. I don't claim to be efficient at squash, but I will say that at the end of our session, I felt quite ready to play again sometime. A background training in tennis was a definite help, although apparently I need to practice swinging the racquet more as, "it's all in the wrist...!"
This is for you if...
If you're looking for a bit of a cardio work-out after a stressful day, then squash is the way forward. It is excellent for thrashing out a bit of pent-up rage or annoyance on a tiny rubber ball that just keeps coming back for more. It's also tiring!
Recommendations
If playing for the first time, go with someone who can coach you and won't just want to beat you. That can come second time. Also, prepare for aching shoulders and inner thighs for the next (several!) days.
The club was being refurbished at the time, so only one court was available. Unfortunately, the token-taking, light-permitting box stole our token (even some enthusiastic "taps" on the side didn't seem to help) so we had to play in the semi-lightness provided by the strip lights outside. Luckily there was still plenty of light to be able to see, and I like to think that the shadows concealed both the bizarre look of concentration my face often develops when thinking too hard, and the sweaty exhaustion that developed throughout the game.
One thing I will definitely recommend is Emma as a coach. After explaining the rules and letting me get to grips with the feel of the racquet and ball, we moved onto some (non-competitive) point playing and tactic-talking. I don't claim to be efficient at squash, but I will say that at the end of our session, I felt quite ready to play again sometime. A background training in tennis was a definite help, although apparently I need to practice swinging the racquet more as, "it's all in the wrist...!"
This is for you if...
If you're looking for a bit of a cardio work-out after a stressful day, then squash is the way forward. It is excellent for thrashing out a bit of pent-up rage or annoyance on a tiny rubber ball that just keeps coming back for more. It's also tiring!
Recommendations
If playing for the first time, go with someone who can coach you and won't just want to beat you. That can come second time. Also, prepare for aching shoulders and inner thighs for the next (several!) days.
Monday 16 January 2012
What's an elephant's favourite sport?
What: Squash
Where: Barnes
Who: With Emma to kindly show me what to do!
When: Sunday 22nd Jan
Why: Tennis was a success, badminton a failure - let's see what squash can do!
Where: Barnes
Who: With Emma to kindly show me what to do!
When: Sunday 22nd Jan
Why: Tennis was a success, badminton a failure - let's see what squash can do!
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