Sculpture of the Month - Hold Tight

This is Clive and Buster, they both adore windy days.
Clive is a specialist in wind turbines, he talks about them, he designs them, he builds them, he photographs them... he just loves them.
He also delights in taking his best friend Buster out for daily walks, he plays badminton twice a week and enjoys eating english raspberries only when in season.
If you happen to walking along the coastal path, just beyond the Gribbin head lighthouse, and it's a very blowy day, you just may come across Clive yelling to Buster, "I'd better Hold Tight"

Tally Ho!

Our good friends in Fowey, have said that one cannot possibly live in the South West, without seeing a Point to Point! 

Yes, yes, yes, I can hear you now... WHAT is that ?

Well, it is a country day  at the races, lots of beautiful majestic creatures, and plenty of people, elegantly dressed, drinking, betting and enjoying a superb day out. 

Thundering hooves

So off we went, it was a chilly day in December, the sun was shining and the air was crisp and clear, perfect conditions for standing in the great outdoors. 

We were determined to immerse ourselves in the whole event,  starting with our clothing. We had to think of a "Barbour" advertisement!  Upon arrival, as far the eye could see, there were various hues of brown and green, everyone looked so smart, dapper and British... we had done well. 

There is a strictly followed rhythm to the day.
First things first, into the large enclosure that was warm, buzzing and full of chatter. A few tall glasses of G & T and pints of ale, all round.

Next, back outside, to inspect the horses for the upcoming race. To be quite honest, they ALL looked fast to us, instead Dino, who stood well back (because of his fear of large animals) made some featherbrained comments about their coats, tails and colours. 
Then, back indoors, where we discussed odds and placed bets.

Everyone's a winner

Finally, dash out to find a good vantage point... and then they were off!

The muffled enthusiasm of the race caller over the tannoy, the vibrations underfoot of the thundering hooves and the restrained cheers of the composed British crowd... Ahh, just delightful!

I believe we did not back one winner, in fact, in the last 2 races, our horse did not complete the race. 
However we did not care, it was all about the DAY!  

Painting of the Month - Where Are You ?

Gretchen loves to ski, all day, everyday! She lives in Alaska, with her husband Burt and their huskies Fluffy, Cuddly and Handsome.

After many years working on crab trawlers, she finally has landed herself, her dream job. A fully qualified ski instructor. She is ever so competent, professional and very kind. Her only problem is that she is a little too fast, and thus she often loses her clients.

So next you happen to be in Alaska's Alyeska Resort, listen out for "Where Are You?"

  

 

Champagne Cider?

Nestled high on the mountains, or actually, in the undulating hills of the Fowey Estuary, our dear friend Barry has just produced an outstanding beverage. Barry has been making cider for his family and friends for the last 15 years, but has now decided to share his passion with the rest of us, his Sparkling Vintage Cider.

Dino and I HAD to see his picturesque cidery and this genius in action. So off we went to Golant. The morning was misty and ever so cold, just right for cider making.  

Barry began by explaining... "It is made with a high proportion of dessert apples, to give it that delicious ‘méthode traditionelle’ taste

The apples are just pressed, then fermented twice: first in the barrel for a year; then a second year’s fermentation in the bottle. The cider is then disgorged in the champagne style and aged further before release.  It is the secondary fermentation that gives his cider its wonderful bubbly effervescence, a method invented in the West Country for fine cider making around 1600, well before it was used in France for Champagne."
We could not believe the simplicity of it all, scrumptious apples, picked, pressed and bottled, that is it!  

Barry is now an award winning cider maker... to think, ones passion can change ones life. Must be that special Cornish country air!

Scuplture of the Month - High Note !

Hans has always loved following the Tour de France. He is a fanatical fan of anything that Stephen King has written, and he enjoys a good chilled glass of Robinson's Lemon Barley Water... 

Lately, he has really enjoyed his work, he is a often seen prancing and dancing through the village, humming Vivaldi's Four Seasons and eagerly awaiting his next concerto.

Hans loves having his photo taken and if you follow him around, he will often be found, on a Thursday evening, with his tuxedo, a cassette player, and his sheet music practicing that very, very, very last "High Note!" 

Painting of the Month - Golf Is A Good Walk Spoiled

Robert wakes up each day at the exact same time. He puts on his slippers, he makes himself and his wife a cup of Darjeeling tea and

and feeds his dog, Skippy. He then proceeds to shower, and prepares his car for a day of golfing! 

He loves his golf, he loves the smell of the freshly cut greens, the peacefulness of the course and the whole tradition that is associated with golf.

 Robert has been playing for years, he plays competition days on Wednesdays and hopes that one day he will be able to lift the trophy in the club house. 

He hardly ever gets mad, however sometimes, just sometimes, he thinks "Golf is a good walk Spoiled"

 

Sculpture of the Month - Lights, Camera, Action !

Pierre started watching TV from a very early age. For his birthdays or Christmas, he would ask for a camera, an old movie or books about film stars... anything to do with the cinema, he immersed himself in all this world, and dreamed that one day he would partake in it.

Well then, at the ripe age of 56, after years of saving, Pierre has left his hometown of Lyon in France, he has sold his 1972 Citroen 2CV, said goodbye to the world of fruit and vegetables (he worked in the family green grocer business) and has headed out to LA, the land of possibilities.

For his very first project, Pierre has decided to direct and produce a film about the "Life and Times of Otters" his most favourite animal in the world. 

He has been living in Canada for the last 6 years, trying to get footage on the elusive North American River Otter. So far, he has not seen anything, however, Pierre is not giving up. 

Painting of the Month - Watch Out!

This is Riccardo, he loves collecting vintage swimming caps, watching synchronized swimming and he is always ready to wash the dishes.

Yes siree bob, Riccardo seems to enjoy anything to do with water.

His best friend Rupert, the rubber duck, is quite supportive, always by his side.

This evening, he has decided to really make a splash!
So, "Watch Out!", because here he comes.

My Life As A Gondolier - Dinos' talk

People are asking me what is it like to be married to a celebrity? 

It only twigged when I noticed that there are still some signs around Fowey, advertising his fundraising talk and lunch for the Fowey Festival of Words and Music. 
I explain that all the town's A-listers are probably sunning themselves in the Caribbean, the B-listers aren't able to free themselves at such short notice, the C-listers are busy washing their hair and hence, the only D-lister who wasn't booked, was my little paddling Gondolier man Dino!

Foweys' D-list celebrity, tells a story

Inexplicably, it was completely sold out, and if I'm honest, a bit of a success.

Little Dino with his father

Dino's uncle with the Queen Mother

Sculpture of the Month - Sunny Side Up

This is Alfredo, he really loves life. 

He adores the fresh smell of pine trees, he enjoys playing table tennis and he REALLY loves cooking! 

In particular, he just adores all things related to eggs. Scrambled eggs, eggs Benedict, scotch eggs, poached eggs, omelets and most of all, FRIED eggs. 

He is an expert in flipping a fried egg. So next time, you happen to see Alfredo, ask for your egg to be cooked " Sunny Side Up ".

Painting of the Month - The Van Gogh Family Portrait

This is the Van Gogh family, there is Vincent, Maggie, Michael and Nigel the pet dog. They all enjoy spicy chicken on a Tuesday night, afternoons flying their kites and books on lizards. Yes, they are a very ordinary family.

They are also known in their village, for their zany personalities;

Vincent is renowned for his artistic flare, Maggie is great at arranging  flowers and Michael and Nigel, are a little mischievous, they have recently started playing with swords.

What else can be said about this delightful family,  oh yes, they are all a little dramatic and eccentric! have a look at their ears, or should I say lack of them!

Gig in a pig!

This time of the year, most calm mornings, if you gaze out across the Fowey estuary, you will see these amazing rowing boats, with crews of 6 and a cox man and perhaps a seagull, (that is an extra  person on board, not the bird.) They are called GIG boats, and "gigging" is a fabulously important and grand tradition in Cornwall. 

Seeing that Dino and I have been rowing for years in Venice, I had assumed that this kind of rowing would be a breeze, I was definitely in for a surprise. After 20 minutes of rowing I was aching all over. Who knew that it would be so intense. The grannies had us beat!

We are part of the social rowers, we meet up once a week, and row for about an hour. The good rowers, or should I say, the competitive ones, go out often, and they look terribly elegant, gliding along the surface of the river, all in perfect timing.

On the other hand, when we go out, we are regularly out of sync, we stop quite often (due the new ones getting tired, that's us) and we particularly look forward to the social rows that end up at Golants Pub by for quick drink. 

Cannot wait for the end of March, when day light saving begins, we will row on Friday evenings at about 7pm... Talk about a great way to start the weekend. 

By the way, gig in a pig, means that the boat is made of plastic, and not built in beautiful Cornish leaf elm.