Egypt4u

Not today, but yesterday.
As its the first real Winter for some time now I decided to give the new 4x4 wheel drive a try out, so Annie and I wrapped up for a Winters day walk. It must have taken me at least half an hour to clear the snow and ice off the car as it had not moved for days and it had about 5” of frozen snow all over it and thick ice on the front and rear screens. For a diesel car it started very easily in what was very cold weather so I left it running while I de-iced the car. The road was quite slippery and I had not cleared my drive of snow which I would have done with other cars I have owned as it is quite steep and slopes down towards my house. I engaged the 4 wheel lock and reversed out onto the road without any problems and drove from the side roads onto the main road without any problems and we soon arrived at the old church car park which I was surprised to see was quite full. Usually in the week it is empty, but today there was a funeral so it was busy, although I did manage to find an empty bay.



It is surprising how much different everywhere looks when it has a covering of snow, muddy fields become flat expanses of white and dead foliage is turned into undulating hillocks of soft snow like puppies playing under a duvet.


I like to look back towards the church during the Winter months as it is the only time you can really see the church standing on its mound surrounded by trees. During the Spring and Summer the trees foliage screen out a view of the church itself, I often wish that there was just one less tree there to open up the view, but that’s just wishful thinking from someone who likes to take photographs.


The canal had a thin layer of ice and the bare hedgerows and leafless trees took on a softer look and old broken fences made interesting shapes.


The tow-path was fairly clear although the odd frozen puddle had me doing a Fred Astaire routine at times. The worst places are the locks because they have a steep sloping cobbled path matching the height of the lock so can be a bit iffy when going down hill. Annie had the odd ice ball between her toes of her back paws and now and again she would stop and give me a pathetic look and raise her paw like the story of ‘Androcles and the Lion’ who had a thorn stuck in its paw, in this case it was ‘Anniecles and the ice ball’


It was a lovely bright day with an azure blue clear sky which was lucky as my little Nikon camera behaves better in bright sunlight. In places where there was shade from an overhanging tree the snow would fall onto the frozen surface below and dust it like icing sugar on a cake.


This was only a short walk of about 3.5 miles as a round trip, but it always seems longer when you are watching your step on the slippery surfaces. As usual on this particular walk we often stop and have a bit of lunch at this pub just over the canal bridge.


I warmed up with a Cappuccino and Annie warmed her tootsies on the carpet then we shared a couple of Ham & Mustard sandwiches and a few fries before returning home the same way, all in all a very pleasant walk and the car handled the bad uphill roads to my home with no problems.

All very nice and pretty H. Lovely pictures and, as you say, that little Nikon does so well in good light. But please, please do keep all that white stuff up your way. I am happy for you to do the pictures.

Lovely photos H. With the snow I would have almost sworn I'd of never seen any of those areas before! The snow definitely does make everything look different (although lovely and clean and white and bright).

Have a few questions about your lunch though........Were you sitting in the kiddie section? Am pulling your leg as in the background of your lunch photo up in the corner looks to be books for kids reading. Are kids allowed in your pubs with books provided for them to read? Or colour? Or?

What type of vinegar are they giving you? I see it as a darker vinegar but doesn't look to be balsamic. I'm a bit of a vinegar buff and love red wine vinegar on my beans/corn/cilantro lunches. I also quite love Braggs Organic apple cider vinegar too and eat it (do you actually eat vinegar? ) as often as I can.

My most favorite lunch is kidney + black + garbanzo beans mixed with corn kernels, lots of garlic and fresh chopped cilantro with a tblspoon of olive oil and a huge splop of either red wine vinegar OR apple cidar vinegar. Can eat it by the gallon. Throw in a tomato and chunk of chicken and this meal passes for a supper Anyway the vinegar in your photo is a different colour so wondering what type it is.

And lastly - was that a dill pickle on your sandwich? (or lettuce)? It all looked deeeee-licious!

I totally agree with you, Grandad! You can keep it, Horus!

It's malt vinegar, LLL.

MALT vinegar......hmmmmmm now that you say it I've heard of malt vinegar but I don't believe I see it anymore in our stores since forever. Mostly here we are served plain white vinegar with chips and balsamic when they drizzle it onto olive oil for dipping bread in it. I quite like that but can't start as I have no OFF switch.

Horus's walk and lunch have opened a new topic I see.

LovelyLadyLux wrote:Mostly here we are served plain white vinegar with chips and balsamic when they drizzle it onto olive oil for dipping bread in it.

We rarely see white vinegar LLL. Malt vinegar with fish and chips and it is very common to be served olive oil and balsamic for dipping bread. Aioli, garlic and olive oil, is also served with fish dishes.
Might have something to say on this topic tomorrow.

LLL, I had to look again at my photo to see the kiddies library, then I realised it was the children’s menu on the table, As RS has told you the vinegar is Malt vinegar which is probably the most common one to get with condiments in the UK, certainly with chips. Children are allowed into pubs in the UK but it is usually where food is served, the actual rules will vary depending upon circumstances. Bringing children into a ‘drinking’ type pub with a bar would be frowned upon by most patrons and maybe even the Landlord would forbid it as in the UK a publican can refuse to serve anyone if he does not wish to. In social and Working Men’s clubs it is more acceptable for working parents to take children inside, although many will say that they must have left by a certain time in an evening usually before 9 pm.

You will mainly see children in the outside gardens of pubs during the Summer or with their parents for Sunday Lunch in the pub, it is not common to see children in pubs otherwise and they certainly could not be unaccompanied. There are certain pubs that actively cater for children being brought along for food and they have what is known as a ‘Wacky Warehouse’ for the kids to play in while the adults can have a drink.

That was Lambs Lettuce on my sandwich that should have been carved Wiltshire Ham on the bone with English mustard on Granary bread, what arrived was ordinary white bread, but as it was a new girl serving it up I did not want to make a fuss, it was fine anyway.

White vinegar is the most common one used here. You'll find it in little paquets in almost all restaurants along with ketchup and relish paquets. Used for chips or putting on deep fried cod fish. I buy it by the gallon and then leave said gallon in the laundry room to use when I do towels as I add it to the rinse water. I also use it with salt when I make a brine to boil bones for soup. Mostly I'm not a fan of plain white vinegar (which we get in two strengths - one for regular use and another with a higher acidic level for pickling.)

On the other hand I quite like balsamic vinegar in olive oil for dipping bread and I really like red wine vinegar and/or apple cider vinegar on bean salads. I like the sharp taste.

Soon as RS said "malt" vinegar and I remembered it. We use to have it when I was a kid but I haven't seen it around here for years. Will have to have a look see for it as I do recall liking it but I'm fairly sure our regular grocery stores are not carrying it now.

I also like mustard on ham. Mostly I like brown mustards. Not the common yellow mustard although I wouldn't turn down a sandwich if it was used on it. Love dijons, love the spicey mustards and even honey mustard. I've never made my own but some do.

I also love wasabi with beef but really the wasabi that is served here is horseradish dyed green. Love the bite of it

Oooh you have just jogged my tastebuds, Roast Beef & Horse Raddish sandwich, must check out if its available on my next visit.

It's a funny thing but when you find a use for an invasive plant in your garden it never stays for long!

When I was young we moved to a house where the kitchen garden was invaded with horse radish. My father immediately started to make horseradish sauce for anyone that would bring him a jar to put it in. Didn't stay in the garden long.

I can well imagine it became invasive, you only have to sprinkle raddish seeds to get a good crop so just imagine a garden full going to seed.

Seeing how this thread has wandered H, I am wondering where your next walk will lead especially with that new body cam on yours or Annies person. Just mind you don't fall in a lake or river.........but on second thoughts

These threads are like myself Grandad, they wander all over the place.
Anyway no problem falling in the lake or canal as the camera is waterproof to 30 metres.

Lovely photos Horus I love seeing the trees with snow all over reminds me of snow flakes when you see them close up

The Wandering Cam with the Wandering Man (WCWM) good to 30 meters in the water could lead to some interesting stories.