The Purple Penguin

Took it easy on Friday, slept and read and not much else. Saturday up just in time for breakfast at the hotel. Then off shopping. Got a couple of new tops and a new shirt for Joe. Actually sort of liked Amsterdam shopping! And I hate shopping! Go into a shop and there isn’t loud blasting music so you could actually hear yourself think. Staff were very helpful and very nice (and no music so you could actually hear them). If you said you were looking they’d say ‘great let me know if you need anything’ and then would  leave you along. Unless you needed something then they were right there and very helpful. And did I mention there was no music playing so you could hear? So it was rather painless to get two tops and a top for Joe.

Then lunch in a tex mex place – tex mex in Amsterdam. It was good.

And off to the hotel to get ready for the wedding. It was held at De Hortus so we got there early enough to walk around the gardens and greenhouse (but not the butterfly house). The ceremony was short, the food was good, the company was very nice, and the party went on to the early hours but we wimped out around midnight!

So up quite late today, but by the time we got downstairs the brunch was in full swing and we just joined in. Then a walk to Amsterdam Zuid station to check train times and get tickets for tomorrow, tram into Central, and a walk up to Debalie where I’m on line.

Have to leave tomorrow.

The conference happened and everything seemed to go well, even if it did run late. We had some excursions – one to Cape Coast Castle which was a little depressing but very interesting. We got a guided tour of the castle (more of a fort than a castle) with the slave dungeons and governor’s flat. But not a lot of time there before having to head back for a reception at the Vice Chancellor’s house. We also went out to Kakum Canopy walk which was very nifty. You start on a ridge and the rope bridges take you out over the valley so you end up quite high up. There were bird watchers on the furthermost platform watching what they said was a harrier eagle; I got a quick glimpse of it flying off (typical!) but then had to rejoin my group. We pretty much turned up and did the canopy walk then back to the campus so we could get ready to go out for the conference dinner.

Dinner was at Coconut Beach which was very nice. We had traditional music and a band from the university (will have to update when I get the proper spellings for the names! Quite a famous Ghanaian musician was there). Had a lovely time though the sound system wasn’t very good. We kept wishing they’d turn off the speakers (loads of feedback) and just let the band play!

All checked in for the flight (checked in on line) but not leaving Cape Coast until later this afternoon. Ready to go now as there isn’t anything happening. We’re in the office using the internet connection. Off to join Joe in Amsterdam where hopefully be able to blog more reliably! But definitely must come back to Ghana – if only to really see that harrier eagle!

Last night had a meal at the Castle Beach Restaurant – right on the beach next to one of the castles. We were sat on the veranda over looking the ocean to watch the waves roll in, though it was a bit dark to see very far. The meal was good but we probably should have had the Ghana food! Had a lovely meal and chat and then back to the chalet to sleep.

Fell asleep quite quickly and slept well, but still up early. Had coffee and toast for breakfast with a discussion of why, when Africa is a large coffee producing continent, we get Nescafe instant and a pot of hot water! So really looking forward to some proper coffee. Then off to the meeting which went on all day. We did get a very nice lunch – all Ghanaian food and very good though the groundnut soup was spicy hot! Too hot to eat really. Now going to get a quick small meal and off to bed. The conference starts tomorrow morning!

Up at 5am and away by 6am. Loads of time at Heathrow, eggs on toast
but no watches (need a replacement due to broken band). Flight to
Amsterdam fine. Enough time in Amsterdam to get to boarding gate, not
enough to actually look around. The flight to Ghana was not full, so
after take off everyone shuffled around so we all had empty seats next
to us. And for once I actually got behind someone who did not recline!
Read, watched Alice in Wonderland during lunch, flew over the Sahara
but couldn’t see much as I was over the wing. Arrived 2 hours before
the others so stayed in the baggage claim area waiting and reading.
Everyone else came in fine and we headed out into the chaos that is
Accra airport. Found the people sent to collect us and got ready for
the 2+ hour drive to Cape Coast. We were exhausted and not looking
forward to that drive so we definitely cheered up when we were told
we’d be staying at a hotel in Accra! Crystal Palm Hotel, plain but
nice and I fell asleep quite quickly but woke up very early.

So sat and read until down to meet everyone for breakfast. Interesting
breakfast – the waiter said he’d placed an order for an ‘English
Breakfast’ for us. Which was an omelette, hot dogs fried with green
pepper and onion, two slices of toast, and beans. So after breakfast a
very quick check of emails (this laptop has Windows 7 and it took me
forever to figure out to connect to the wifi! Not the easiest system.)

Into the car and off to Cape Coast – a bit over 2 hours. The traffic
was moderate and there was lots to see. The view changed from rather
dry and dusty to very green – lots of trees and greenery. Every now
and again people by the side selling things – including hunters with
small antilop and a large rodent! One person wanted to get a photo but
then we didn’t see any more. Typical! Soon could see the sea.

Got to the university and registered and checked in. The on campus
chalets are very nice – though no wifi (I’m at an internet cafe typing
this). We have a sitting room, bedroom, bathroom, and small lockable
room that we haven’t quite figured out. Haven’t figured out the hot
water either! Meetings start tomorrow.

After getting settled we headed over to get lunch. We decided the
Ghanian dishes looked good so got the ‘buffet’ which was sampler of
everything. We decided that looked like too much food so only got two
for three of us. Should have got one! It was loads of food, which was
all good. Though the banku and ocra stew wasn’t to everyone’s taste!
It was a bit bland and sticky.

We are now in the cenre of Cape Coast at an internet cafe. Interesting
area and I’m trying to get loads of photos so Joe can see what it’s
like!

Had breakfast then loaded up the car and headed out. Drove out of York toward Hull and the Humber Bridge. Cloudy day with some sunshine, so the drive over the Humber was nice. We then headed on to Lincoln.

Got to Lincoln and drove around the cathedral looking for parking. Got a 30 minute spot and headed into the cathedral. Left Joe and Friend in the cathedral and went to move the car. Actually managed to find a spot! So we spent a good hour or so pottering around the cathedral looking at everything. The staff there were very nice and very helpful. After looking around we headed out to get some lunch. Found a nice spot for lunch.

Then just drove down to London. Took some of the back way and pottered through some small villages, but eventually got on the motorway and straight home.

So yesterday at some point we saw a leaflet about Castle Howard and Friend said ‘oh, they filmed Brideshead Revisited there and I’ve always wanted to see that!’ So we got up and had a leisurely breakfast, got the car and drove up to Castle Howard. Learned a lot about the Earl and Countess and the house and saw the rooms where the show was filmed. We started by walking along the walled garden, then into the fountain garden (Atlas Fountain) and along that garden, then into the special exhibit and then into the house. It’s a lovely house and lovely gardens and we spent the morning there.

We then got back in the car and headed for the moors. We drove the main road through the Yorkshire Moor park – through Hutton le Hole and the Ryesdale museum and along top of the ridge. It’s the same route we took on our holiday earlier in the year, with about the same weather – rain. It was bit a harder rain and much much windier and foggier. We did get some nice views, but it really wasn’t worth stopping. So we did a circle tour – up through the moors, then down by Whitby and Scarborough, and back over to York.

Once back at York and parked, we had a bit of a rest then off to the pub over the road for dinner. Lovely dinner – Gillygate pub. Now to sleep and tomorrow back down to London probably via Lincoln but we’ll see as we go!

A leisurely  breakfast, we then decided to stroll to the Minister. Went to the one of the sections of the city, up a temporary stair to the top of the wall and walked along the back of the Treasury House and to the Bootham Bar and down off the wall. Then along to the Minister and spent about an hour walking about inside, before we decided we needed tea.

Walked about York looking at tea rooms – Betty’s was packed with a huge queue out the door, so we carried on and found a small little place which was lovely. Had a strawberry cream tea which came with a little dish of fresh strawberries as well as the clotted cream, scone, and strawberry jam. Lovely. From tea we carried on toward the Jorvik Centre, but then gave that a miss as the queue was down the street! So onwards to Clifford’s Tower, stopping under an archway to wait for the rain to stop.

Walked around the base of the tower and headed toward the Castle Museum which again had a queue way out the door. So, after waiting in the doorway of the Crown Court for the rain to stop, we headed the rest of the way around the tower, only to see a sightseeing bus. Which looked dry. At least the downstairs bit looked dry. The open top bit looked a bit wet, but downstairs not so much. So we decided to see the city by dry bus.

The first bus we got on, an elderly person had had an accident. So we stopped and got off and the bus went away to be cleaned. The next bus came and was actually much better – a live tour guide rather than a tape. So we rode around, the skies opened again, but we had fun looking at York going past in the rain. We actually rode it around one and a half times, getting off near our hotel at the end.

Got back to the hotel and had a bit of a rest then headed to the little Asian restaurateur near the hotel with excellent food. Had a sit and a visit with friend from US before heading off to bed.

So we took a day off to get stuff done. And got nothing done on the day off. However, today we went into London early, got our shopping done (but didn’t get anything to actually bring home for some reason), then walked through London. Joe wanted to get photos for his Assignment 52 – this week is 4 July and fireworks. So he’s decided to try to cause a few!

It is still lovely weather here so had a lovely walk through Hyde Park and ended up in the midst of the London Pride – we were at the start area while they were all gathering to start the parade. Great fun!

By this time we were tired so headed home to spend the rest of the day relaxing. Joe is watching football.

Took the car back early this morning, so that’s the end of the holiday and we’re back to work. Photos to follow!