Tag Archives: Food and drink

By the seaside (day 1)…

31 Saturday May 2025

Posted by in Food and drink, Musings, Photography, Railways, Southport, Travel

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The pair of us have abandoned West Yorkshire and the Pennines in favour of a weekend by the seaside. We’ve travelled West to Southport, the town where I grew up in and where the rest of my family live – some of whom we’re seeing this weekend. It’s also chance for Dawn to discover more of what the town and surrounding West Lancashire plain have to offer. We stopped off for lunch en-route, calling in at Parbold, a village on the railway line from Wigan to Southport. It’s a pretty little place that’s bisected by the Leeds and Liverpool canal as well as the railway. There’s a lovely pub next door to the canal called the Windmill, named after the old sail-powered cornmill which it shelters in the shadow of. Both the pub’s beers and food are worth sampling. I enjoyed a decent pint of Moorhouses ‘White Witch’ and the fish and chips (which Dawn also plumped for). The fish was very good and the batter just right – as were the portion sizes. We felt stuffed afterwards!

As we’d not visited Parbold for a while we took time to explore, see the changes and (of course) get a couple of pictures at the station!

Bi-mode 769448 passes the lovely old signalbox at Parbold. The unit is working a Southport – Stalybridge service.
Sadly, the attractive station building is vacant and slowly decaying.

Moving on we drove along the back roads through to Burscough before heading across the moss to Southport. Having checked checked into out hotel just off the promenade we set out to meet my younger sister for a couple of hours of catching-up on family and other news. Town was busy, but we managed to find a sunny spot outside the Bold Hotel on Lord St which was also an ideal place to watch the world go by.

Time flew. Anne had to leave to meet her partner, so Dawn and I set out to explore more of the town and for me to introduce her to some of my old haunts and childhood recollections. Talk about a trip down memory lane! My impression is that – after years of decline, there’s signs of new life and recovery in Southport. But it’s patchy. The place is no longer about shopping, it’s about eating and drinking. All the department stores are long gone and many shops remain empty, but there’s restoration work ongoing and Lord St was lined with people eating and drinking alfresco outside the many bars and restaurants.

Now we’re back at the hotel, having a quiet night relaxing before more of the same tomorrow – plus a visit to the food and drink festival, which neither of us have attended before.

Here’s a few more pictures to end the day.

The gorgeous Wayfarers arcade on Lord St. Many of the shops are vacant, but there’s signs of revival with the arcade being used for artistic events
I couldn’t resist a visit to this pub. The ‘Guest House’ is a bit of a Southport institution. It was also my Father’s local and the pub where I learned to drink!

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312

Shropshire. Day 2…

23 Wednesday Apr 2025

Posted by in Food and drink, Photography, Railways, Shropshire, Travel

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This morning the weather was less than kind to us here in Church Stretton. We were greeted by low, grey clouds over the Long Mynd along with sporadic showers, so we were in no rush to get out. When we did the plan that developed was to drive down to Leominster across the border into Herefordshire. It’s a town I’ve never visited although I’ve passed through by train many times.

Our experience of Leominster was mixed. Architecturally it’s fascinating with building design spanning hundreds of years. The layout of much of the town centre is still mediaeval, although many buildings have been replaced (not always sympathetically). But, compared Ludlow to it’s very shabby. Many of the buildings are in a poor state of repair. Plus, there’s a lot of vacant properties. But what the town centre does have in abundance is seamstresses and antique shops. Hence Drapers Lane.

Here’s another couple of pictures from Leominster.

I love the old shop windows here.
Talk about in need of some TLC. Subsidence is a real issue for old buildings in this neck of the woods.

Escaping Herefordshire and its bad roads (noticeably different to Shropshire) we headed back to Ludlow for lunch and a mooch around a town which we really like. It’s far better maintained and more affluent than Leominster, although you can see a common heritage.

The last original gate in the former walled town of Ludlow, with a handy pub outside.

Today was one of the market days so a good time to have a wander. At lunchtime lunch we we ate at Kin Kitchen on Old St, which is a modern cafe bar in an old building they’ve refurbished. If the weather’s good there’s a great garden at the back. Both of us opted for the Meze plate which was really tasty.

After lunch we continued our exploration of the town. The variety of old buildings is fascinating – as are the nooks and crannies with cottages tucked away in the most unlikely places. Whilst the properties look amazing I’d hate to think what the maintenance costs must be as it’s obvious Ludlow suffers similar subsidence problems to Leominster. We stopped for on last drink in what’s allegedly the oldest pub in Ludlow, the Rose and Crown. It’s another Joule’s brewery pub which offers a good range of ales and also serves food.

Back at Church Stretton we had a relaxing evening at home. Dawn cooked another amazing veggie meal whilst I nipped out to get a couple of pictures at the railway station.

A Transport for Wales Class 150 calls at Church Stretton whilst working 2V30, the 1835 Shrewsbury to Swansea service via the Heart of Wales line.
One of Transport for Wales hired-in Class 67s thunders through the station non-stop on 1W96, the 1722 Cardiff Central to Holyhead.

Tomorrow we’ll be staying local to enjoy the improving weather and local walks.

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312

So much for plans…

21 Monday Apr 2025

Posted by in Food and drink, Musings, West Yorkshire

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I’d intended to write a couple of blogs today – including a follow-up to yesterday’s exploration of West Yorkshire, but like so many plans it didn’t survive first contact with reality. Instead I’ve found myself embroiled in various chores and events at home, plus preparing for our trip to Shropshire.

The stunning weather we had yesterday was replaced by low cloud and rain which made working at home seem less of a bummer. Fortunately, by late afternoon the rain let up so I was able to get a walk in and collect shopping which allowed me to indulge in this evenings cooking therapy. I’m always up for trying different recipes and as Dawn’s been cooking a lot of excellent veggie food these past few days I fancied doing something with chicken for a change – with Indian spices. My choice was chicken Achari which is a hot, exotic dish containing fenugreek, cumin and mustard seeds, along with several other ground spices, garlic, ginger, lemon juice and more. Here’s how it looks when it’s all laid out ready for cooking.

Here’s the finished product.

Served with chapattis, it makes for a superb spicy meal. I have a proper Indian griddle I bought in Delhi many years ago which adds the finishing touches.

Whilst I was cooking I was also working out what spices and condiments to take with us to Shropshire so that we can indulge in good food whilst we’re there. The place we’re staying in looks to have a good kitchen, so we plan to make the most of it.

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312

Easter weekending…

19 Saturday Apr 2025

Posted by in Food and drink, Halifax, Musings, West Yorkshire

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After Thursday’s ‘grand tour’ around West Yorkshire I had a day off from blogging yesterday in order to spend time editing and adding captions to the dozens of pictures I took on the trip. You can find them on my Zenfolio website in the following galleries;

Northern trains

Trans-Pennine Express

Infrastructure and engineering

Railway stations

Railway people

Trans-Pennine Route Upgrade (TRU)

Social issues

To be honest, as Friday was a crap day after the glorious weather we’d had 24 hours before it really wasn’t a bad time to be stuck behind a desk! I’d have been happy to have sat through a good storm but all we got was cold, wind and desultory rain, which was troubling as we need so much more due to the fact we’re experiencing a dry year with minimal rainfall.

Today was more of an Easter celebration. Dawn was up early as she was helping her parents who had to come over to Calderdale in order that her mum could see some hospital specialists. I won’t go into details (it was nothing to worry about) but the plan was that after all it was over the four of us would go into Halifax for a late lunch at a place called ‘La Luna’ – an establishment where Dee and I have often enjoyed brunch. Maybe because it’s Easter or maybe because the weather had picked up, but Halifax was buzzing. The Piece Hall was hosting a variety of artisan market stalls which were drawing in the crowds – as we found out when we walked to and from the restaurant. There’s no doubt the town’s fortunes as a tourist destination are on the up so I was glad I’d booked our table at La Luna in advance as it became very busy after we arrived. La Luna’s in an excellent location only a few minutes from the Piece Hall. The restaurant’s well-designed with plenty of room and lots of attentive and friendly staff. Funnily enough, us two couples ordered the same food. Dawn and I went for the lamb kofta whilst John and Norah (being gluten free) both ordered the sea bass risotto. All four of us enjoyed our meals although we struggled to finish them. Admittedly, the fact chunky chips were supplied as part of the deal didn’t help – other than as a carb overload!

Lamb kofta with peppers served on a bed of pitta bread and topped with yoghurt

Back at Bigland Towers the Platt’s collected their own car whilst Dawn and I went for a local walk to try and work off some of the food! Our local woods are bursting into life right now with the first bluebells starting to bloom making it a lovely place to walk. Admittedly, we did end up in our local pub for a ‘swifty’ before returning, but hey – it’s a holiday!

Today’s Big 6 beers. I love the ‘wobbly bob’ but at 6% one pint was enough. I’m a great fan of Phoenix beers as their creator was an old friend, but Pictish are in the running…

This evening (back at home) Dee and I are finding that eating so much red meat is laying heavily on us as nowadays our diet is mostly vegetarian, although both fish and white meat do feature, so the surfeit of lamb is having unfortunate side effects. Just as well we’re on our own really, whilst we recreate the bean eating scene from ‘Blazing Saddles’!

Tomorrow we have a day to ourselves. The weather’s looking good so the plan is to get out for a walk – although we’ve not decided where yet. Tomorrow we’ll be taking sandwiches – but they won’t be lamb…

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312

Surrey sojourn – day 3…

07 Monday Apr 2025

Posted by in Food and drink, Musings, Photography, Surrey, Travel

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Welcome to another week in the political and economic madness that’s currently gripping the planet as the orange rapist in the White House single-handedly wrecks the world’s economy. I could spend a whole blog raging about the insanity that’s overtaken us thanks to Trump, but I’m going to save that for another day.

Despite the economic clouds gathering the actual weather here in the UK has been one blessed with wall to wall sunshine. As Dawn had a late night ‘gassing’ with her niece the day didn’t start quite as early as I’d hoped, but the two of us did manage to venture into nearby Guildford by early afternoon. Both of us are fans of the town as it’s a place we’ve got to know well over the past few years. What we like is the range of shops on offer, despite it having suffered losses due to the economic impacts that have hit many places it’s not all chains and charity shops. Far from it, there’s a great range of shops catering for what’s obviously an affluent part of the country. Le Creuset outlets rub shoulders with boutiques, Barbour and Body Shop (remember them). There’s even real bookshops as Waterstones maintain a high street presence. Plus, the town has a glorious range of old buildings that make wandering its narrow streets a delight.

1683? Gosh, time’s flying…

Then there’s the restaurants.Having spent more than we intended on household and other items we adjourned to a pub beer garden to soak up the sun for an hour before eating at a restaurant we’ve frequented several times in the past. La Casita serves up a great range of Mediterranean food – especially tapas. Here’s a few samples.

Grilled sardines – gorgeous.
Prawns Pil Pil…
Beans with chorizo and black pudding

What was lovely about our gad about Guildford was the fact it was just the two of us, normally we’re here with the rest of the Platt clan, so our day was more intimate.

Now the pair of us are back at Chez Platt getting ready for different days tomorrow. I’ll be heading into London as I have a High Speed 2 railway construction media visit to attend, so expect a rather different blog. I’ll be back in Tilford tomorrow night after what should prove to be a very interesting day visiting something that’s unique to UK railway construction.

In the meantime, goodnight!

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312

Surrey sojourn – day 2…

06 Sunday Apr 2025

Posted by in Food and drink, Musings, Photography, Surrey, Travel

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The weather’s been absolutely glorious down here in Surrey today, but from what I’m hearing a lot of the UK has enjoyed the same. We’ve had wall to wall sunshine and cloudless skies throughout. The only blemishes have been the vapour trails of multitudes of aircraft heading to/from South-East England airports and beyond. Of course, that will have worked the ‘chemtrail’ conspiracy loons into a frenzy but that’s the modern world for you. Logic and reason have become so passé in the 21st century – just look at America!

Back in Surrey I took the opportunity to enjoy time in my brother-in-laws garden, producing some vitamin D whilst Dawn pottered around the house doing sisterly stuff, after which we had to head into Farnham to pick up food shopping for the next few days. The main roads in this neck of the woods were chokka, whilst the supermarket was blissfully quiet compared to back in West Yorkshire, where the fact they’re only open for 6 hours on a Sunday normally generates the sort of panic buying you’d expect if it was announced world war 3 was starting first thing Monday morning!

Back at home we dropped off the shopping but picked up ‘Tilly’, the Platt family cairn terrier who accompanied us on a long walk through Tilford and on to Hankley Common, an area of sandy woodlands, small hills and a golf course which is criss-crossed by footpaths and bridleways.

We really enjoyed the opportunity to explore and soak up the sun in the company of a four-legged friend. There was a suitable refreshment stop too in the shape of the Duke of Cambridge pub which is also home to the Tilford brewery. Sadly, the pub only had one of their beers available on hand pump, the 3.9% ‘Hankley Gold’ but that was much appreciated on a day like today!

Now we’re kicking back a Chez Platt. I’m blogging whilst Dawn’s busy in the kitchen, chatting to her Niece. But, I do have company!

A rather ‘cream-crackered’ dog…

Tomorrow, the plan is for the pair of us to have a day in Guildford, browsing the shops and enjoying a late lunch. I might even have chance to get a few railway pictures, who knows? In the meantime, here’s a few shots from today.

The sandy expanse of Hankley Common.
Spring is here!
For a small dog, Tilly has a lot of stamina – and she loves Dawn!

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312

Rolling blog. Sunday mixture….

09 Sunday Mar 2025

Posted by in Food and drink, Manchester, Photography, Railways, Travel

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After last night’s shindig the pair of us have had a low morning here in Manchester. Not that we were up late, more that we took our time before heading down to breakfast – and an excellent repast it was too. The Doubletree Hilton cater for all tastes, from traditional English (with added flair) to continental and Asian. Mind you, the clientele are so varied that the food has to be.

An English breakfast to set me up for the day.  It’ll be walked off by this evening!

Manchester wakes up late on a Sunday. Most shops don’t open before 11:00 – 11:30 which makes rushing rather pointless.

In the end, we did visit some shops, but it was more window than real shopping, then I said goodbye to Dawn at Victoria station whilst I stayed behind to get a few library shots. Retracing my steps to a rather quiet Piccadilly (due to engineering works and cancellations), I took a packed Transport for Wales service out to Stockport in order to bag a few long lens shots along the viaduct (pics later).

15:14.

Now, I’m heading back to Piccadilly to try a few more locations around the city. Low cloud’s creeping in on the fringes and the intensity of the sun’s dropping, so I may not hang around too long.

17:15.

Time to head back across the Pennines. I’ve had an interesting afternoon in the city, enjoying the weather, people-watching, and a few trains – although they’ve been in short supply. I ended up walking back through the city from Oxford Rd to Victoria. This allowed me to get a few architecture shots where the sun was just in the right place. As is usual, when I’m wandering around with a top-flight camera with a long lens attached, I ended up in a couple of conversations with other street photographers. It’s part of the fun! In one case, I even let a guy have a play with the Z9 with a 100-400 lens attached. I’m not trying to show off – I just knew they’d appreciate being able to handle and try out the camera. Just like I used to be.

Now I’m stood on a busy 2-car train heading East…

22:00.

I’m now back at Bigland Towers, giving me the opportunity to add a few camera shots from today.

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312

Adjusting to life back in the UK…

22 Saturday Feb 2025

Posted by in Food and drink, Musings, Photography, Pubs, West Yorkshire

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My first full day back in the UK has been rather busy, although this morning was the opposite through catching up on my sleep whilst adjusting to a very different time zone. Thankfully, the day produced some sunshine which lifted the spirits after yesterday’s wall to wall gloom.

I did manage to some of the morning editing pictures from my travels. Right now I’ve been concentrating on railway images from Jakarta, which you can find here. Once those are finished I’ll be moving on to other images from Indonesia then gradually retracing my footsteps through Malaysia and Thailand – although that may take a while as there’s more travels in the offing.

This afternoon we had an appointment with Dawn’s parents in order to celebrate Norah’s 84th birthday. Dawn drove over to Huddersfield to pick them up and take the four of us to a pub restaurant I’ve not visited before in its new incarnation, the Dunkirk in Denby Dale.

We had a lovely afternoon with some excellent food off a menu that offered far more than standard pub grub. Oh, they also have 8 different real ales in the bar, which was a bonus! The food was both delicious and well presented. John and I had Ox cheek whilst the ladies had the fish and chips.

None of us had much room for dessert but we did see one thing on the menu which intrigued us which was the rice pudding brulé served with home-made jam.

We ended up ordering one to share between us all. As it was a generous portion that was more than enough to give us a taste of an original dessert which was both unusual and very tasty. Whilst the others stuck to ginger beer my meal was washed down with some well kept pints of Abbeydale Deception, a NZ pale of 4.1% strength.

Now the pair of us are back at Bigland Towers having an evening to ourselves. I’ve managed to get a few more pictures edited, so all in all, it’s been a very good day. Tomorrow’s going to be more home-based as we’ve both got things to sort out, although hopefully we’ll get out for a walk although the weather forecast isn’t looking optimistic. If it’s as wet as is threatened I may just end up editing more pictures and pack ready for my return to Manchester Airport on Monday…

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312

Asia day 36. Time’s almost up…

19 Wednesday Feb 2025

Posted by in Food and drink, Indonesia, jakarta, Photography, Railways, Travel

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Today was my last full day here in Asia and it’s been a good one, despite the wet start. I’d set my alarm for 07:00, but it wasn’t needed, thanks to thin walls and noisy neighbours – the only drawback to where I’m staying.

My plan had been to head out before 09:00 but the drizzle and gloomy skies persuaded me to delay my departure for an hour. That worked out well as I ended up seeing part of the school run, Jakarta-style – which includes how many people you can fit on a scooter! I still haven’t beaten five – although I still have time tomorrow!

I retraced yesterday’s steps to Tanah Abang railway station only this time I took a different route where I finished up at the end of the line at Tanjung Priok. The Dutch built the port in the late 1800s and they rebuilt the railway station into a rather magnificent edifice in 1925. Nowadays, only one platform under the huge trains he’d roof is used by passenger trains (a shuttle service from Jakarta Kota). The rest is used for stabling intermodal wagons and locos for freight services out of the docks.

The station’s still well worth visiting as a relic of the Dutch era and as a piece of railway architecture.

My next stop was Jakarta Kota, the more well-known example of Dutch stations on Java. I managed a range of pictures there before moving on to something more modern by catching the train to Manggarai. This station’s changed out of all recognition since my last visit in 2017. Now, it possesses an upper level as the trains to Bogor run on elevated tracks at this point. There’s plenty of empty platforms in the trainshed on the same level – just waiting to be plugged into the network when new elevated tracks are completed.

This snd Jatinigara station further up the line are great examples of modern Javanese stations. I’d go as far as to say they’re world-class when it comes to facilities on offer. In fact, they could teach us a thing or two – like this, seen at Jatinigara (another station which has been heavily rebuilt and modernised).

A ‘co-working’ space on the main concourse above the tracks which is used by young and old. I think the plants are a really nice touch.

I visited several other stations on the network but there’s far to many pictures to sort out now. Hopefully I’ll have time to write up my about my rail trips around Jakarta tomorrow as the system’s an excellent one. Having got home I had grabbed a shower then headed out to eat in one of the lack backstreet food stalls. Here’s today’s meal.

Rice, fish and loads of veggies (plus a potato cake). Oh, and that red blotch is chilis!

Whilst I was eating there the heavens opened which delayed me somewhat but then wet streets at night are so photogenic.

The backstreets where I’m staying are a maze, and on every corner there’s a place to eat.

Now I’m back at home getting ready for the off. My flight’s not until tomorrow evening, so I’m hoping to make the most of the morning. Let’s see…

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312

Asia day 32. KL capers…

15 Saturday Feb 2025

Posted by in Food and drink, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Photography, Travel

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My day here in Kuala Lumpur started out sedentary – but early. For some reason I always wake up early in this part of the world. 6am is pretty standard. Today I forced myself to have a lie-in until my alarm went of at 7am. After all, I wasn’t travelling anywhere. My day was planned around meeting a Malaysian friend in Chinatown around 3pm which meant I was under no pressure. That was great as it gave me the opportunity to spend several hours editing pictures from my trip and getting them on my Zenfolio website. Most of the ones done today were from Bangkok and Thai railways – including the yellow line monorail. I posted a picture of this on social media a few days ago and it generated a lot of interest. You can find the rest of the pictures (and more besides) here.

The other thing I needed to do was get some washing done. Where I’m staying is fine for rinsing a few shirts, but that’s it, and after travelling so much in such hot and humid weather over the past week or so I really needed to get clothes washed properly before they disowned me, or I them! Now, I’m staying in Chinatown. Old jokes aside, you wouldn’t believe how difficult it was to find a laundry here. There’s a launderette a few streets away but it’s always packed. Finally, after wandering the streets for an hour I found an old backpackers (which I’ve got a sneaky feeling I stayed at 15 years ago) that’s become a laundry. It’s hard to find as it’s set back from the main street and unless you spot the sign you’d never know. After climbing up several flights of stairs I was greeted by a very nice young African lad (who slept on the premises) who confirmed that – yes indeed, they did laundry for RM7 (£1.30) a kilo, and would I like it back today? Winner!

This left me free to potter round at home, edit more pictures and be ready to meet my Malaysian friend (Alan Bligh) at 15:00 outside Pasir Seni station. Alan introduced me to a nearby coffee shop which is really rather funky. Not only is the coffee good but it’s the sort of place where (mostly young people) mix and/or work from via the internet. It’s also completely multi-racial, just like Malaysia itself. You have conservatively dressed Malay Muslim girls rubbing shoulder with scantily clad Chinese or Indian counterparts. The lads reflect the mix – along with a few Europeans who’re either studying here or just passing through.

Alan and I sat talking for several hours. He’s a mine of information on Malaysian railways, politics, the economy and much much more. We also touched on ‘travel’ TV and YouTube (but that’s another conversation) I leaned a hell of a lot, but the hard bit’s retaining it all. As I said to Alan ‘I wish I’d recorded all our conversation’! There was so much to absorb. All too soon it was time to part, but by then the heavens had opened and we were treated to a heck of a thunderstorm. Alan was also very kind enough to bring me a gift (which I’ll post a picture of later).

Saying goodbye (until next time) at Pasir Seni .

Back at ‘home’ I relaxed for a few hours (and edited more pictures) before nipping out to eat. I returned to a locally run stall where I ate last night. It’s got a fantastic array of meat, fish and veg. You just load your plate up of whatever takes your fancy. The cashier takes a look at what you’ve chosen and charges you accordingly (this cost me 12 ringgit, just over £2 but trust me – those plates ain’t small). I’d no idea what some of the stuff was – and half an idea with some, but nothing ventured, nothing gained. I love trying food just for the hell of it. Here’s my plate.

You might recognise fish. At the front is Jackfruit. Next to that is beans. Between them is a chicken’s foot – not my favourite but the sauce was lovely. At the top (just out of focus) was the stunner. Tempe with small dried fish in a spicy sauce! You can see it in all it’s glory in the picture below. It’s the 2nd from the bottom. I’ll be back for more…
Talk about spoilt for choice. Oh, there’s more food lining the opposite wall, but a lot of that is varieties of fish-head curry!

Dodging the rain on my way home I saw this. ‘Merdeka 118‘ is the 2nd tallest building in the world. Tonight, because of the weather it looked like the tower of Sauron. Earlier, because of the low cloud, the top of the tower had been lost completely.

Tomorrow’s my last full day in Malaysia before returning to Indonesia. I’ve got a lot planned. I won’t have time to do a rolling blog but expect future pictures of the expanding rail network around KL and the Klang valley soon…

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