Fringe Benefits

As part of  my brief visit to Scotland this week, i spend a day in Edinburgh at the fringe. Having only ever visited during fringe season, i have no indication of what the atmosphere is like during the rest of the year, however it's always been very lively and friendly on my few visits.
Like last year we didn't pack the day full of performances, we mostly wandered down the cobbled streets watching street performers, and sampling the local pubs. We also checked out a couple of exhibitions, there was a particularly good Rauschenberg one at Inverleith House in the Royal Botanic Gardens.
The main highlight was a free show held at 'The Hive' by comedien Phil Kay. I never know what to expect with free shows, i usually assume i'll leave with several pulled muscles from awkward jokes gone down like a lead balloon. Phil Kay was refreshingly funny. It was a musical set of semi-improvised songs that built up layers of laughter. I can honestly say that i left with an aching face, i really enjoyed it.

The Nantwich Show

Yesterday was spectacular. Alice and I donned our wellies (despite the ground being bone dry) and stomped into the show. It was very busy, and the sun was blazing down, so we wasted no time in finding shade in the cheese tent. Tent is a bit of an understatement, it was huge. We picked a route, and methodically worked our way round each stall, trying a sample of everything on offer.

Half way round, we had to step outside for a breath of fresh air, and a bottle of water. The cheese-fumes were making us feel slightly heady and disorientated. Break over, bottle of water in hand, we stepped back in and carried on like troopers and finished our first lap. We had planned to do a browsing lap, then a buying lap, but we both ate so much on the first walk round that neither of us felt much like buying anything.

I did however buy the Man Candy a truckle (great word) of Cornish Yarg, flavoured with wild garlic. I was introduced to Yarg on a family trip to Cornwall a few years ago and it has been a firm favourite since. It's a cows cheese that's usually wrapped in nettles, however the one i bought was wrapped in wild garlic leaves, which gives it a lovely soft fresh garlicky taste.

A brilliant day, that had a lot more than just cheese to offer. Next year i'll be buying my ticket online, as they're about £5 cheaper than on the door. Can't wait to go again.

Nantwich Cheese Festival

Today Alice and I are going on a rather cheesy adventure to Nantwich. It's the annual International Cheese Show, and we are both extremely excited at the prospect of so many free samples. Photos and stomach pumping to follow...

'Papped'

Whilst gadding about in Barcelona this last week, my friend Fran and I got photographed for Italian Vogue's website. How nice! 

We had a fantastic time floating around the various music stages at Primavera Sound, drinking large amounts of sangria and generally forgetting the real world. I saw old friends and made plenty of new ones, and i've come home feeling re-inspired and ready to do 

something useful. 

Chinese New Year

The year of the rabbit

Happy New Year! I am neither Chinese, or a rabbit, however i have included myself in this celebration by finding lots of nice rabbit related goodness.

Forgotten how much i love Peter Rabbit 

Primavera

Fingers crossed i'm not meant to be doing anything else over these dates. 

Check out the line up, it's ridiculous :D

Utter! Fringe

I have spent the last few days up north doing a mini tour or Glasgow and Edinburgh. My friend Paolo and I caught the train up on Thursday and met Fran, who lives in Glasgow. We had a nice evening of large amounts of food at Ketchup in the West End, followed by a fair few drinks around and about the city. At Ketchup they served a selection of fairly mega milkshakes, presenting them in milk bottles with straws. i thought this was a pretty simple but nice idea.

On Friday we caught the train over to Edinburgh to experience a day at the Fringe Festival, something i've wanted to do for a few years now, but never got round to. With two family members having taken part in it  at some point or other, i was quite interested to see if i could find the venues where they'd stood and performed. We saw two shows, both free, one with a bumpy start and turbulence throughout, the second was fantastic. It was a Spoken Word competition called Utter! Spoken Word, and all of the 9 performers were fantastic to listen to. I was one again left feeling largely jealous of all the acts, and their confidence at performing on stage (some of you will know my general fear of being on stage). Below is Clare Whitehead (i think that''s right) mid-poem looking completely unfazed by the room full of critics.

confidence through curls?

Manchester Literature Festival

This year it's running from the 14th to the 25th of October, and is bringing some fairly major names to the city. The idea of having the actual authors read bits of their work to you is something i look forward to with a childlike sort of excitement. I'm thinking of getting a ticket for the 25th to see Monique Roffey, author of one of my all-time favourite books 'Sun Dog' (read it, i dare you not to feel inspired). Seamus Heaney and Carol Ann Duffy are also on the list of who i'd like to see, if only to gain some closure after studying their work to death for my English GCSE and A Level exams. Hopefully the dates won't clash too badly with my new 2nd year timetable, otherwise i might have to suddenly develop a nasty bout of flu for those afternoons.

See who's on. 

Top 5: Novi Sad, Serbia

The very best bits of EXIT Festival

The very little 'forest' in the campsite was one of the most necessary bits of the holiday, as it provided the best (only) shade during the day. Unused to the Serbian climate, this is where we spent most of the daylight hours.

The chill out zone inside the fortress. It was a designers dream, it looked so much fun to think up. It had a beautiful view of the Danube and the city at night, and was a perfect place to regain some energy in between the music.

The Dance Arena, where we spent most of the festival. Saw acts such as Crystal Castles, Busy P, Sebastian, Chromeo & Crookers. Largely good.

Watching the world cup final between Holland and Spain. We were supporting the Dutch as we had Dutch neighbours camping next to us.

One of the best bits was all the people we met, even the ones we only spoke to for a few minutes. People let their guards down at events like this and I surprised myself with how easily i got on with complete strangers.

Would definitely go again.

Next Stop: Novi Sad, Serbia

We have done a whistle-stop tour of Budapest, and now it's time to move on further into the depths of eastern Europe. I've absolutely loved everything about Budapest, it's a fantastic city and i'm quite sorry to be leaving so soon. My favourite bits included sailing up and down the Danube river at night, eating traditional Hungarian food and drinking champagne and seeing the city all lit up. I also loved spending yesterday evening in a thermal spa, floating in a hot outside pool during a thunderstorm and watching the forked lightning, it was peculiar! We've eaten really well, and fitted as much in as was possible in the few days we've had here, but i'd really love to come back and spend a week exploring the city more.

We now have to head off to Nyugati station to catch a train to the airport, where we'll hop on a coach and drive for 6 hours to Novi Sad. It's exciting to be going somewhere new, but the prospect of putting up a tent and finding any form of shaded area is looming overhead somewhat. I doubt i'll find any form of internet connection (..or electricity maybe?) whilst i'm in Serbia so there may have to be a mega catch up when i'm back.
Bye for now.

Quick Turn Around

Back from Pembrokeshire, one day to unpack/wash/dry/re-pack EVERYTHING. It's off to Budapest tomorrow afternoon for the weekend, then on to Serbia on Tuesday. This is where what we'll be doing this time next week...

The day has been spent trying to think of what i've forgotten. 

Serbia Check List

Goodbye money.

Asparagus

One of my favourite vegetables is about to come back into season! I think asparagus is one of the tastiest veggies there is, and ridiculously simple to cook too. Probably my favourite way is to steam until the stems are tender (but still have some bite) and then serve with melted butter, salt and pepper. YUM. My old flatmate was very proud of the fact that his hometown of Evesham held its very own festival dedicated entirely to British grown asparagus. How do you like to cook yours?