The 2019 Fathers Day weekend was spent in London. On Friday, we took the A1 from Harrogate to London, stopping in Blythe for lunch. It was a warm and sunny in London, a perfect evening to sit on the terrace and drink G&Ts (London No.1), munching long, thin Catalan sausages. Lamb chops, asparagus and…
Dimbulagala near Polonnaruwa, the 12th century capital of Sri Lanka, has been a Buddhist monastery for well over 2000 years. Meditating monks have lived in caves in the rocky outcrops here since Buddhism was brought to the country in 3rd century BC. Today, the focus is on a flourishing modern temple at the base of…
Wasgamuwa National Park in Sri Lanka was created in 1984 as a refuge for wild animals displaced by the Mahaweli Development Project which was a government scheme for generating hydroelectric power, controlling floods, making irrigation facilities for dry zone cultivation and developing physical and social infrastructure for human habitation using the waters of the Mahaweli River. The…
The park gate was locked, the park office was closed and there was nobody in sight. It was six thirty in the morning. Irate telephone calls to the National Parks head office were made and an hour later, a ranger appeared and sheepishly opened the gate We left Hotel Monty in Ampara at 5.30 in…
We made Caldo Verde for lunch today. Caldo verde or green broth is the most popular soup in Portugal. It has its origins in the Minho region in the North of Portugal, but today Caldo Verde is considered by many to be Portugal’s national soup.There are many versions of it but the basic ingredients are potatoes, shredded…
It was like no other Boxing Day We were in the little wine village of Kleinbottwar in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It was 3 degrees below zero that morning but the air was still and there was no snow. Some from our party drove across the border to Austria to ski. The rest of us walked along…
There are few cities in England where you can eat and drink as well as you do in London. I make regular pilgrimages to lesser known London eating houses to feast on exotic dishes from Turkey, Spain, China and even far away Georgia! Last weekend I had an excellent Chinese lunch – heaps of…
It was a cold, crispy day in Harrogate and autumn leaves carpeted the Stray. One man’s greed engulfed Sri Lanka – the land of my birth, in the most serious constitutional crisis since independence from. British rule in 1948. It was also my birthday but there was no mood for celebrations. As tradition demands,…
The Nilavarai well in Jaffna, in arid northern Sri Lanka, is said to be bottomless. It provides an endless supply of fresh water even during severe droughts. Legend has it that the well was created by the Hindu god Rama by shooting an arrow in to the ground to provide fresh drinking water…
The best sandy beach in Jaffna, Casuarina is in Karainagar, on Karativu Island in northern Sri Lanka, about 20 km from Jaffna town. Ponnalai Causeway (AB17) connects the island to the mainland. Casuarina trees form a coastal forest next to the beach. There are changing rooms, a fresh water well and a cafe on…
Jaffna Fort was first built by the Portuguese in 1618. Due to ‘miracles’ attributed to the statue of Virgin Mary in the church inside the fort, the Portuguese named Jaffna Fort the Fortress of Our Lady of Miracles of Jafanapatão (Fortaleza de Nossa Senhora dos Milagres de Jafanapatão). The fort was captured by the…
Jaffna Public Library was built in many stages starting from 1933 from a modest private collection. The library is also a repository of archival material written in palm leaf manuscripts, original copies of regionally important historic documents and newspapers that were published hundreds of years ago in the Jaffna peninsula. it became one of the biggest…
Eighteen of us left Colombo at dawn in a little green bus in a little green bus, crossed the Kelani River – the fourth longest river in the country at 145 km, and took the A3 expressway to Katunayaka. Jaffna is 400 km north of Colombo and we would be on the road for…
Corbet’s Rest is a simple but well run collection of holiday chalets in the Knuckles Range of central Sri Lanka, ideal for mountain hikes, birdwatching or simply doing nothing… The drive from Kandy past Katugastota and Teldeniya is on a good road. We skirt Victoria Reservoir with Great Cormorants on its rocky islets and…
Meemure is an ancient, remote village in the Knuckles Mountains of central Sri Lanka Pack-bulls used to be the only mode of transport to Meemure up to 2004. Today, an off-road vehicle is needed to negotiate the narrow, twisting mountain track to the tiny village 324 m up in the Knuckles Range in the shadow…
