Burnham/Berrow Easter Sunday

Vinales- botanical gardens

Cuba- Vinales and around

Ben and I travelled from Havana to Vinales, a national park characterised by huge rock outcrops (mogotes) and caves. The bus journey took about 4 hours (bus permitting- on the way the coach broke down as the engine boiled dry and we were left on the side of the road for 4 hours!) and we stayed in a casa, which appeared to be for honeymooning couples! They made excellent mojitos which made your vision blurry after about 2 sips!

Cuba- Havana

Peeling paint and metalwork.

Havana

Cathedral Square, Havana

Typical street in Havana

Flew to Cuba on 26th March to join a friend on his Caribbean trip.

Spent several days in Havana which was amazing. I'm not generally one for cities but I like Havana. Peeling paint, ornate metal gates and columns, dogs sleeping in the sunshine whilst a gentle wind blows, old amerian cars, horse and carriages, the long malecon sea wall, noisy bustle in the streets, open bars and restaurants with vines and plants growing down into them, mojitis.

Did part of the coastal path from Teignmouth to Torquay, which I have to say was VERY up and down! Got a train to Newton Abbot, then a bus to Teignmouth, then the little ferry across to Shaldon and then started walking. Beautiful day, stunning colour of the sea- who needs to go abroad for sun and sea? We disturbed a bunch of bird watchers ,who were basically watching a field, as we stopped in the corner where the said bird (a seed something) apparently was. Oops. The nice man leading the watch came to have words and we moved off rapidly. Stopped off at the Thatched Inn at Maidencombe on the way back for a drink, which was a very handy half way point.

crocus on the Quantocks

Daisy at home in somerset

Paintings

Sunset hear Cadgwith, The Lizard

The Paps of Jura

View from Kintra, Islay

I put a couple of these paintings into an art exhibition at Green College a few years ago, and one of the professors wrote to me saying he would like to buy View from Kintra. Unfortunately I had just painted these three pictures for mum and dad for Christmas and they were on loan for the exhibition. I often wonder how much he would have paid though!

View from Kintra with rocks, Islay

Here are a couple of my other paintings which have been based on photos that I have taken over the years.

My favourite places (Scotland)

Burg estate, Mull

Absolutely stunning walk to a 'fossilised tree' through the Burg estate. Very long walk in along coast but well worth it for the feeling of being in the wilderness. Walk involved a scary iron rung ladder vertically down a cliff (the old one had rusted and just been left in place with the new, equally rusty one over the top). Actually fossilised tree was a bit disappointing (stolen by bounty hunters). As well as the ladder scare with my fear of heights I also came across a pool of fresh blood on the track which freaked me out, but had heard shots earlier and seen some guys in a RIB, when I peered over the edge of the cliff there was a dead cow on its back, legs in air. Not nice.

Painting inspired by Kintra

From Kintra campsite, Islay

My painting

On the road to Khylerhea, Skye.

This is one of my favourite photos ever. On the road to the otter hide at Khylerhea where I was also staying in a cottage. Used this photo for one of my paintings.

Loch Long, Argyll

Did a dive in this loch, having seen other divers going in and having stuff in car. Bottom about 30m. Not sure we really saw a lot, but got some mussels and attempted to cook on the camping stove.

From top of Sgurr nan Gillean, Skye.

This was a very scary munro. I cried with fear. The summit was about the size of a dining table and I could only crouch on it I was so scared!

Loch Buie, Mull

Bizarrely just further up the beach there were snowy patches, and later the weather changed dramatically despite this being a nice sunny photo.

I'm doing lots of posting today as am at home and internet connection is much better for uploading photos than my mobile dongly thing. As those of you who know me well know my absolute favourite place is Scotland. And I want to be a GP on a scottish island. In fact, I think I lived in Scotland in a past life. So far, island wise, have been to Orkney, Mull and Staffa, Islay and Colonsay, Aran, Skye (if that counts as an island with a bridge) and Raasay, Bute. Next stop Outer Hebrides I feel and ultimate goal is St Kilda! My absolute favourite place so far I think is Mull. Stunning. Otters (running in the road), eagles, seals, red deer. Amazing topography, not much there (a six-bed hospital I have my eye on), single track roads. My family clan (on my mum's side) orginate from Loch Buie on Mull. Here are some of my favourite photos of the west coast/islands to inspire you all to visit!

Ducks

White Duck

Very cute duck at Living Coasts

Duck at Dawlish (Dave the Duck)

There are lots of ducks at Dawlish too. And yes Jennie was laughing at me taking photos of ducks too. I think Jennie laughs at me a lot based on what I have written here. Which reminds me, of Jennie's rude duck sticker in her hospital accomodation (looked cute and fluffy, on closer inspection duck was saying something VERY rude- Jennie hadn't even noticed til I pointed it out). Anyway when Jennie moved out of hospital accomodation and was having a room inspection she removed the sticker (about a month ago). 2 days ago I was tidying my room and picked up a tester pot of paint I had lent to Jennie to touch up her walls...lo and behold there was the duck stuck on the pot. I laughed a lot, it hurt.

The other photo is of what is quite possibly the cutest nicest looking duck I have taken at Living Coasts in Torquay, and the white duck was taken at the Tamar Otter sanctury last summer.

I'm going to stop with the ducks now. Just trying to prove a point that ducks are not boring and make very nice photos (Jennie!).

Lonely mussel at Dawlish



Mussels at Dawlish

Some more photos from two weekends ago. Jennie was laughing at me taking photos of mussels (and took some photos of me taking photos of mussels). I think that these mussel photos turned out pretty well. I like mussels (with chips), and went to a really nice restuarant called Premier Cru in Torquay the week before last and had mussels there. Good place, 100 cocktails on the menu and mojitos with champagne! Thought it was good until the person next to me was ill the next day, and they also had mussels. I forgot to go to F1 teaching the day after and everyone thought I was ill too, so I was mighty confused when someone asked me the other day if I had had a problem with my 'muscles'.

Welcome to my blogspot!

Spring on Marine Drive

Shells at Dawlish

Hi everyone,

Have decided to create a blog to put my photos onto so that I can share them with people and keep a record of being out and about, especially as the weather is improving and spring is on its way!

To start with here are some photos from last weekend, when the sun came out and I went to the beach at Dawlish and also to Hope's Nose in Torquay (one of my favourite places).