Interlude
A couple of weeks ago, the boy and I snuck off to Glasgow for a couple of nights to combat the January blues. Wine on the train, luxurious naps, huge breakfasts of smoked salmon & scrambled eggs, fruit, muesli, toast & jam, a swim and a spell in the jacuzzi, primark purchases, sitting amidst Tim Stead furniture eating the most beautiful prawn and smoked haddock linguine in a saffron cream sauce at the ever wonderful Cafe Gandolfi, Champagne yeast beer, rock bars and wonderful concerts from Trilok Gurtu and the incredible Norweigan saxophonist Jan Garbarek who has been an inspiration to me for years. I've had one of the tunes they played going round my head ever since but I've been unable to find out what it's called - infuriating.
On our last day I took Dave to see Sharmanka (means Hurdy-Gurdy in Russian) which is a show of the monumental kinetic sculptures of Eduard Bersudsky.
I've been before at its previous premises, but the pieces are so amazing I couldn't wait to go again.
The room is very dark and then all of a sudden, you hear a whirring and clinking sound, and a piece appears out of the darkness as it is cranked up to the perfect musical accompaniments.
They are wonderful - there's even a Master and Margarita one. Irreverant, humourous, political, beautiful, anti-authoritarian - all scavenged scrap and hand-carved wood.
Afterwards we happened upon a Russian cafe called Cossachok where I had Russian tea in a beautiful glass. it's owned by a member of Koshka and they have live music in there on Sunday nights.
Then to escape the cold we did a bit of record shopping in Mono - I treated myself to a Hawk and a Hacksaw album and Dave found a DJ Shadow import. Then it was pints and vegan mezze until it was time to go home, to descend drunkenly on a friends t-shirt line launch party. Whoops!
Next night, Jackie and Mr Duncan came round for drinks and the lovely Eddie Izzard. On the Sunday I made a pie! First one ever!
It was mushroom, chestnut, stilton and ale and was very delicious. I took it to a wee gathering at Colleghill House next to Rosslyn Chapel which has had such illustrious guests as Boswell and Dr Johnson, Robbie Burns, J.M.W. Turner and the Wordsworths - even Queen Victoria found hospitality there apparently.
On our last day I took Dave to see Sharmanka (means Hurdy-Gurdy in Russian) which is a show of the monumental kinetic sculptures of Eduard Bersudsky.
I've been before at its previous premises, but the pieces are so amazing I couldn't wait to go again.
The room is very dark and then all of a sudden, you hear a whirring and clinking sound, and a piece appears out of the darkness as it is cranked up to the perfect musical accompaniments.
They are wonderful - there's even a Master and Margarita one. Irreverant, humourous, political, beautiful, anti-authoritarian - all scavenged scrap and hand-carved wood.
Afterwards we happened upon a Russian cafe called Cossachok where I had Russian tea in a beautiful glass. it's owned by a member of Koshka and they have live music in there on Sunday nights.
Then to escape the cold we did a bit of record shopping in Mono - I treated myself to a Hawk and a Hacksaw album and Dave found a DJ Shadow import. Then it was pints and vegan mezze until it was time to go home, to descend drunkenly on a friends t-shirt line launch party. Whoops!
Next night, Jackie and Mr Duncan came round for drinks and the lovely Eddie Izzard. On the Sunday I made a pie! First one ever!
It was mushroom, chestnut, stilton and ale and was very delicious. I took it to a wee gathering at Colleghill House next to Rosslyn Chapel which has had such illustrious guests as Boswell and Dr Johnson, Robbie Burns, J.M.W. Turner and the Wordsworths - even Queen Victoria found hospitality there apparently.