Owner: One Man's Travel Blog URL:http://grahamettridge.blogspot.com Join Date: Sun, 24 Jun 2007 06:26:43 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: This was orginally going to be a mere account of an Englishman's experiences whilst travelling through some of the most amazing locations in the planet. However, it has subsequently become an account of my journey through "Life, The Universe and Everythi Site statistics:Click here
A Seasonal Gift Of Appreciation 2007-10-29 12:49:00 Tish of The Kat House presented me with the Halloween Treat award, created by Hootin’ Anni. Thanks so much, Tish! I am honored. According to the author, I should pass this award on to those “deserving of a special treat for the season”. She has also requested that this award be given not only to blog friends, but also to random blog visitors.I’d like to present the award to these fine bloggers:Muse - Muse is a truly amazing lady whose daily ramblings are both amusing and interesting. She has an unbelievable ability to notice the world's idiosyncrasies. Not only that, she also has a great style of photographing the world around her and her cat. Muse has been an inspiration and a great blogging friend to me.Linda - A wonderful lady who has been a great source of encouragement for me. Her writings often make me cry with laughter and sit up with interest. Her observations always amaze me as she has such an astute sense of awareness. Linda has a great family and lives in a b
Another Sunday Morning Stroll In The Wilderness 2007-11-04 15:59:00 Well, I awoke this morning with that "Sunday
" feeling.... that warm feeling of knowing that I don't have to go to work and there is a world out there. I looked at my alarm clock and it read 6.50am. It was still quite dark outside, but when I looked out the window I could see that it was misty again. Well, in fact it was more than mist today, it was think fog. It looked so inviting and the cool breeze coming through through the window smelt so fresh.So, I dived into the shower, got dressed, picked up my camera and walking boots and jumped in the car. 20 minutes later I was in the middle of Savernake forest, an amazing forest with an abundance of stunning walks.The atmosphere was eerie - nobody about, the mist slowly lifting, leaves falling, the breeze rustling the branches of the trees, birds breaking into their morning chorus, squirrels scurrying across the woodland floor, the occasional deer crunching through the undergrowth.I made may way down one of the tracks with camera in hand, Read more:Morning
, Wilderness
38 more things about me... 2007-11-13 16:39:00 It's about time I caught up on a few outstanding meme's. So, here is my first... another list about me. Crikey... you all probably know as much about me by now as I do...lol! Thank you Choc Mint Girl for tagging me. Here goes....1. Name one person who made you laugh last night? Victor Borge2. What were you doing at 0800? Preparing for a meeting at work3. What were you doing 30 minutes ago? Preparing Spaghetti Bolognese for my dinner4. What happened to you in 2006? I lost my footing and fell over the edge of a quarry in Wales5. What was the last thing you said out loud? "Oh crumbs!"... as the spaghetti boiled over the saucepan on the hob.6. How many beverages did you have today? No where near enough... I NEED A DRINK!7. What color is your hairbrush? Black8. What was the last thing you paid for? Fuel for my car (£1.00/litre or $9/gallon)9. Where were you last night? In the theatre watching a tribute to Victor Borge.10. What color is your front door? White11. Where do you keep your c Read more:things
Fame at last!!!! 2007-11-20 15:10:00 Hurray! Finally, I have my two seconds of fame!My photo below appeared on TV this evening...I received an email from the Evening News Weather Team to inform me that they used my photograph as the backdrop to the evening weather forecast. I know it is a small event in the great scheme of things... but certainly made me smile.Cheerio for now, Graham!
A stroll through Caen Hill locks, Devizes 2007-11-24 04:43:00 It is Saturday morning, it is still dark and outside everything is covered in frost. That can only mean one thing for me. Get back under the duvet in the warm?... eh no! Go down stairs, put the TV on and enjoy the day's first cup of Tea?... eh no! Go into the cold bathroom, jump in the cool shower, climb into cold clothes, defrost the car in the dark and freezing temperatures, sit on the freezing cold leather seat (and freeze my butt off) and drive... I must be totally barking mad, but yes that is exactly what I did.So, I turned on my heated seat, pressed the voice control button in my new car and asked the computer to warm the car up to 23 degrees (I felt a little silly talking to myself in the car), set the satellite navigation to direct me to Devizes in Wiltshire, switched on the lights and finally drove away (shivering! Damn, why is the prettiest winter weather always when it is so bloody cold ?!*#!!@! )Soon the car warmed up, the music was playing away, and my bottom was beginnin Read more:locks
Graham's Signature Dish - Hung Shao Pork 2007-11-27 13:39:00 And now for something completely different, it's time for a challenge...Muse and I agreed that our next challenge should be to cook a dish that we enjoy - this could be a starter, a main course or a sweet/dessert. In my case, it is Hung Shao Pork. A lovely aromatic slow cooked pork dish, usually served as a starter for a dinner party (however, would equally be nice for a small main course or snack). ________________________________________________________________ INGREDIENTS1 lb (450 g) lean belly pork, including the skin4 tablespoons dark soy sauce1 level dessertspoon finely chopped fresh ginger1 star anise2 inch (5 cm) piece cinnamon stick, broken into shreds1 level teaspoon caster sugar3 tablespoons dry sherrysalt________________________________________________________________ MethodFirst of all prepare the pork. What you need to do is cut it into 1 inch (2.5 cm) cubes, making quite sure that each piece still has the skin attached. You don't have to eat the skin, but its gelatino Read more:Graham
, Signature
"Christmas Time, Mistletoe & Wine..." 2007-12-08 21:38:00 It's that time of year again.... It's time to clamber into the attic and dig out the tree that has been hiding in a carboard box for the past 49 weeks.... It's time to plug in the lights and count how many are not working this year...It's time to dig deep inside my soul and find that festive spirit that is a little bit lost at the moment...My tree isn't great and is a little on the small side. My lounge isn't big enough for a large tree. I'm struggling with inspiration tonight, so make adjust the decorations later in the week. However, there is something magical about switching off the main room lamp and watching the tree lights sparkle.I picked up a bag of fake snow from the local Garden Centre and sprinkled it over the tree. It seems to add a little character and depth to the decorations.I will be visiting London over the next couple of weeks, so will be sure to take some photographs and video of our stunning capital city in all of it's full christmas splendor. Someth Read more:Christmas
, Christmas Time
A Day At The Good Food Show 2007-12-02 15:23:00 Well, my Sunday was not quite as adventurous. However, there was still an early start and lots'n'lots of walking around the halls of the Good Food Show.The day started off with picking up my parents, my nephew and my sister at 8:00am and then driving the 70 miles to the NEC in Birmingham, England. The motorway (freeway) wasn't to busy except for the torrential downpour of rain that followed us all the way.We finally arrived at the NEC, parked the car and walked into the Arena. It was gigantic. As far as the eye could see there were stands promoting and selling everything imaginable related to the kitchen. Lots and lots of food and drink to taste, along with countless kitchen utensils and gadgets.Along the way, there were celebrity chefs presenting their showcases and entertaining the crowds. Some of the chefs that I bumped into were:Gordon Ramsey from TV's Hell's Kitchen (For those of you who may not recognise Gordon Ramsey, here is a clip from his USA version of Hell's Kitchen)
A Preview of my weekend in London 2007-12-17 17:40:00 Things are carzy around here, so it is probably going to take a few days for me to get my post together about my trip to London. In the meantime, I thought I'd give you a little flavour of what I saw. So,here are a sample of the photographs that I took....I'll be sure to publish the full post before the week is over.Best wishes ~ Graham x Read more:Preview
My Trip To London - Part 1 2007-12-20 15:26:00 Well, here it is... the report of my trip to London on 14th December. Every year at Christmas I try visit London at least once during December. I think the city of London is a special place, but during the Christmas season it turns into a truly magical city.The trip started on Friday morning, catching a bus into the City. I made my way to the hotel in Covent Garden and off-loaded my luggage. After a shot nap, I ventured into Covent Garden to enjoy an authentic English Pub meal in Porters. I had a yummy Framhouse Pate for my starter, a gorgeous Stake & Ale Pie for my main dish and an ultra delectable Creme Brulee for my desert. The meal was washed down by a bottle of the smoothest cabernet sauvignon.Afterwards I desperately needed to walk off the meal. Although it was delicious, I ate far far far too much...lol!And what better place to walk, than Covent Garden. For those of you that are not familiar with Covent Garden, it is famous for its shops, street performers, bars, restaurants
March Photography Challenge 2008-03-08 07:47:00 Well, we have the results in of the March
2008 Photography Challenge
Poll and the theme for March with 60% of the votes is "Destruction". The other suggestions will be used in future challenges. Please feel free to put forward any other suggestions for themes that you have. Every couple of months I will carry out a poll!!Guidelines Just to recap, the guidelines for the challenge are as follows:1) Take a photograph that in some way, manner or form represents “Destruction”. The post title will simply be “Photograph Challenge March 2008 – Destruction”. Please be welcome to include as many photographs as you like in your post - however, please nominate one as your challenge entry.2) Include a brief explanation of how the photograph relates to the subject. The photograph doesn't nee
Graham's Vegetarian Roast Bell Pepper Tart Recipe 2008-03-07 17:00:00 Well, it's time to hang my walking boots up for a few days and turn my hand to a little more cooking. This time I am going to introduce you all to a lovely vegetarian dish called "RoastPepper
Tart". It tastes truly delicious with the flavour of the roast vegetables being entirely different from that of boiled or fried._____________________________________________Ingredients:PASTRY175g / 6oz / 1 1/4 cups plain (all purpose) flourPinch of salt75g / 2 1/4 oz / 6 tbsp butter or vegetarian margarine2 tbsp green/black pitted olives, finely chopped3 or 4 tbsp cold waterFILLING1 red (bell) pepper1 green (bell) pepper1 yellow (bell) pepper2 garlic cloves, crushed2 tbsp olive oil100g / 3 1/2 oz / 1 cup Mozzarella cheese, grated2 eggs150 ml / 5 fl oz / 2/3 cup milk1 tbsp chopped basilSalt & Pepp Read more:Graham
, Vegetarian
A Sunday Morning Stroll - Uffington White Horse and Uffington Castle 2008-03-02 16:44:00 Last night (Saturday)I checked the weather forecast and it said that today was going to be relatively dry and quite warm - although cloudy and windy. Perfect weather for getting up early and grabbing a Sunday
morning stroll. So, before going to bed I set my alarm in preparation for an early start. Not so much because I was going to travel far, but rather to enjoy my next location in peace and solitude."Library Photograph"I awoke this morning to the sound of the buzzer on my alarm, jumped out of bed and took a hot shower, before pulling on my jeans and jumper and setting off for another adventure.Today's location is the magical and mystical Uffington WhiteHorse
and Castle
(ancient hill fort) in Oxfordshire. I am fortunate that this wonderful historical site is only about 15 minutes from my Read more:Morning
, Sunday Morning
February Photograph Challenge "Patterns" Results 2008-03-01 18:23:00 Thank you to everybody who took up the February
photography challenge with the theme of "Patterns
". All the participants showed their amazing talent, creativity and interpretation skills with fabulous results.Please click on the links below to view their wonderful pieces of art:Muse from Xanadu - A creative look at Retail ArchitectureZhu from Correr Es Mi Destino - A wintery view of scarves in the snowAmy Palko from Lives Less Ordinary - Revealing the true beauty of peacock feathersCrystal from Choc Mint Girl - The elegant Red Packet(Angpow)for Chinese New YearMichelle Dawn from Rusin Roundup - A blast of colour with building blocks and a beautiful page of fine art flowersSexy In Red - A birds eye view of the wonderful ceramic tile design in Marrakesh (Morocco)Thank you all once again for Read more:Challenge
What I am listening to at the moment.... 2008-02-19 14:43:00 I was listening to my IPOD on my way home from work this evening, and began to scan through the tracks that I listen to most often. The playlist below represents those tracks. I'm not sure what it says about me....lol! Anywayz, I thought I would share the list with you. Feel free to have a listen!
A step back in time - Stonehenge 2008-02-16 15:26:00 Well, it is Saturday and the sun is finally out - although there is a definite bite in the air. The temperature dropped well below freezing last night and isn't going to rise much all day. After a few weekends of rain, it is time I ventured outside and kicked off 2008's year of wandering.There were a number of places that I planned to visit this weekend, from Cheddar (the home of Cheddar cheese) to the sea (the home of many fishes....lol!). I finally decided to visit somewhere that I haven't been for many years, but is only an hour drive from my house. Today's destination is the world heritage site of Stonehenge.So, I filled up a flask with hot tea, made some cheese and cucumber sandwiches and packed an apple and an orange.... my lunch was ready and I was on my way. In no time at all, I ar
Candle & Flame 2008-02-10 03:27:00 This isn't my contribution to the February Photo Challenge, but a photo I took a couple of weeks ago and have only just had the opportunity to download. I was quite pleased with how it turned out. I am still not up to speed with the varying settings on my DSLR so am in the midst of experimenting as much as I can.I "blacked out" my bedroom and took the photo on a slow exposure. A word of warning for anybody else that is contemplating trying this themeselves. Make sure you make a clear path in the room that you black-out, so that you can move around safely. I ended up with a bruise on my leg and a bump on my head...lol! And yes, I did swear a couple of times too!Best wishes, Graham xps. If you are interested in which Camera settings I used for the image, please click on the following l Read more:Candle
An Introduction to One Man's Travel Blog 2008-02-06 18:42:00 For anybody that needs a laugh, I have posted my first podcast to introduce my blog to the world. Please feel free to click on the recording below to have a listen (and a giggle).
Isn't it strange how when you listen to your own voice, it sounds nothing like how you imagine it too. I think I sound like Mr Bean.
(Mr Bean - aka Rowan Atkinson)
Cheerio from me :)
Graham x Read more:Introduction
, Travel
, One Man
The "Edit This Photo" Challenge 2008-02-04 16:36:00 The lovely ChicaX posted an "Edit this photo" challenge on the 2nd February. I have been meaning to familiarise myself with the functions of Photo
shop, but have never gotten around to having a go. So I decided that this was the golden opportunity to try, and thus took ChicaX up on her challenge.Here Is The PhotographThe rules: 1. Edit the photo as you see fit. (duh huh?)2. Post your photo and the process you went through to get to the final result, on your blog.3. Drop ChicaX a link in the comments to your entry, be sure to link back to the contest.4. Have fun!So here is what I did.........1) After importing the photo into photoshop, I decided on a theme;2) I created a duplicate layer of the background and darkened it to give depth to the sky.3) I then made this new layer semi transparent, Read more:Challenge
Pancake Day - Shrove Tuesday 2008-01-23 14:26:00 Well, it is that time of year again. In the UK, Shrove Tuesday
is known as Pancake
Day (or Pancake Tuesday to some people) because it is the one day of the year when almost everyone tucks into a plate of pancakes.This year (2008), Pancake day is on Tuesday, 5th February. Shrove Tuesday is the last day before the period which Christians call Lent. Shrove Tuesday always falls 47 days before Easter Sunday, so the date varies from year to year and falls between February 3 and March 9.The name Shrove comes from the old word "shrive" which means to confess. Christians used to go to confession and were "Shriven" (absolved from their sins). It was the last opportunity to use eggs and fats before embarking on the Lenten fast and pancakes are the perfect way of using up these ingredients.The traditi
Photograph Challenge January 2008 - "One" 2008-01-20 10:52:00 This morning I awoke, praying that the rain would break for a few hours so that I could take my camera for a walk and complete my January
challenge. Well, I did manage to enjoy a nice long walk for a few hours, but the rain was relentless. I got absolutely drenched.... but there is something magical about walking in a forest when it is raining. The rustling of the wind through the trees, the pitter patter of the rain falling from the branches, the squelching of the sodden ground beneath your feet.I was hoping to take a few photographs and return home to select a nice one, but the rain was unforgiving, so I only managed to capture a small handful before returning the camera to the security of my damp rucksack. There were moments where I wished I could climb in there myself.My contribution t Read more:Challenge
Traditional English Recipe - Lancashire Hot Pot 2008-01-16 14:56:00 The weather has been horrible over the past couple of weeks, so I haven't had any time to venture into the countryside with my camera. All we have had is rain, rain rain and more rain. Well, I guess that comes with living in England...LOL! So, whilst I am still waiting for the weather to improve so that I can complete my photo challenge for this month, I decided to bring a little bit of the countryside into the house, by cooking a tradional rustic British meal of Lancashire
Hot Pot. Whilst deciding to cook this for my dinner yesterday evening, I made the decision that this would become my next blog recipe. So here it is....______________________________________________Ingredients(Serves 4)500 g / 1 lb neck or chump of lamb (or minced lamb)150 g / 5 oz diced carrots150 g / 5 oz diced s Read more:Traditional
, English
Monthly Photograph Challenge 2008-01-05 17:33:00 It may come as a complete surprise to you all to discover that I like taking photographs….LOL! Truth be told, it is my way of capturing the magic and beauty of the world around me. There is so much I find inspiring about jumping in the car, going anywhere, getting out and just walking - albeit a city, a forest, a field, a lake - being somewhere and capturing the moment forever.I have visited many blogs where people have set up regular photo projects. So I have decided to have a go at doing my own. I thought hard and long for a subject for the first month and came up with nothing…ooops, and then the penny dropped. As this is the first month, I am going to make my first theme based on “One”. So the idea is, by the end of January, to take a photograph that in some way, manner or form Read more:Challenge
, Monthly
2 Questions 2008-01-05 15:41:00 Sue from La Chanson de Phoenix sent me a couple of questions to answer a while ago. They were great questions that I have spent a great deal of time thinking about.QUESTION 1Every good photographer shoots not just from an artistic point of view, but from the passion rising deep within. Show, or describe, one photograph that evokes emotions within you, and then explain the emotions behind it. Don't be shy; we really do want to know.This one was very difficult for me, as there are a handful of photographs that I have taken that evoke different emotions within me for different reasons. However there is one photograph that, when I look at it, fills me with the most incredible feeling of sadness and helplessness.The photograph was taken during my tour of Poland in 2006. It was coming up to the
Meme Madness 2007-12-30 17:48:00 Okay, so I am acutely aware that I have been falling way behind on completing Memes. I have so many to catch up on, so thought I would make a start now.The first one is from Crystal at Choc Mint Girl, called "The Interview""Remove 1 question from below, and add in your personal question, make it a total of 20 questions, then tag 8 people in your list, list them out at the end of this post. Notify them in their chat box that he/she has been tagged. Whoever does the tag will have blessings from all."1. At what age do you wish to marry?I hadn't entirely planned to still be single at 35, so I'll just settle with getting married at some point.2. If you have the chance, what would you probably say to your beloved one?Mmmmmmm, so many things to say but nobody to hear it...3. If you were to be str Read more:Madness
A trip to London Part II 2007-12-24 06:04:00 So, we arrived in the wonderful and characterful Borough Market. Held in the perfect setting, just a few yards away from the River Thames and underneath the Railway line. The atmosphere was buzzing as people bustled around the market searching for their Christmas groceries. Each stall slightly different, with sweet and savoury aromas wafting through the air.I hold no apology for including so many photos of Borough Market, as it was such a wonderful place. I whole heartily recommend to anybody planning a visit to London to include a trip to Borough Market on their schedule.After a couple of hours walking around the market, sampling the wares of the stalls and enjoying a glass of hot ginger and honey tea, it was time to pull myself away to take a walk along side the River Thames. Just around
"My Photography & My Shameless Promotion" By Graham Ettridge 2008-03-16 16:59:00 As you are all no doubt aware, I am quite a keen photographer. Since starting my blog in June 2007, I have gained even more enjoyment in taking photos as I have been able to capture moments in my life and share them with other people. I have also gained so much enjoyment in viewing others' photographs too. Seeing how they view the world around them, seeing how they interpretate themes and topics.Over the past few weeks I have been surfing the net to find ways in which to get some of my favourite photographs published, rather than just having them fester away on my hard-drive.I have found two great sites, the first was RedBubble.com which you can find a link on the top of my right hand sidebar. The second is DeviantArt.com.Both sites are wonderful as all you have to do is upload your photog Read more:Shameless
, Graham
Traditional English Recipe - Graham's Bread & Butter Pudding 2008-03-16 15:25:00 !!! TRADITIONAL COMFORT FOOD AT ITS ABSOLUTE BEST !!! Okay, yes I know, my blog has turned into a bit of a Chef's Guide rather than a Travel Guide - but the weather has been really poor recently. Subsequently, I haven't been clambering up mountains too often, but rather have stayed in the comfort of my own home and have been dabbling about in the kitchen.Today's dish is a sweet and is affectionately known as Bread
and ButterPudding
. (I promise that this will be my last recipe for a while - and don't worry, I won't be giving up my day job!!!!).Once a 'waste not, want not' way of using up stale bread and making an inexpensive family desert, this modest dish has now been elevated to the ranks of gourmet cooking.____________________________________________INGREDIENTS 6 slices of day-old whit Read more:Graham
, Traditional
, English
March Photograph Challenge "Destruction" 2008-03-30 09:17:00 "It's not the camera that takes a great photograph, it is the photographer"Thank you to all of you who have contacted me about the monthly photograph challanges, and well done to those of you who have posted their interpretations. They have been of an extremly high standard like always!!Please click on the links below to see eachothers' wonderful creativity at work, and please leave an encouraging comment whilst you are there....Rusin Roundup - The BedroomsChoc Mint Girl - CigarettesCrow's Feet - Sheep In The GardenTint's Meadnerings - The House of CardsCorrer Es Mi Destino - Ottawa's First Fire of 2008Azzy's Blog-A-Roonie - After the dog has finished with the GardenPlease note that it is NEVER too late to include your photo!! So if you do want to join in with this challenge, please add a Read more:March
, Challenge
, Destruction
April Photography Challenge 2008-03-31 16:31:00 "It's not what you photograph, it's how you photograph it" ~ Graham EttridgeIt's April
1st, which means that it is time for a new photography challenge!!!So, now for the theme........In trying to decide what theme to have for this month, I wanted to have one that was quite wide ranging (as I am so impressed with everybody's interpretations of the challenges so far). I also wanted to have a theme that really got the 'old grey matter' working at full speed. So my theme for this month is "The seven deadly sins".For those of you that can not remember specifically what the seven deadly sins are, then please read below:1) Pride2) Envy3) Gluttony4) Lust5) Anger6) Greed7) SlothOh bugger! I have just described myself in 7 words (oops!...lol!)So, to make this a bit more fun and challenging, you are Read more:Challenge
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