Monday, November 10, 2008
Ikea and Culver Down. Both on wild weather days.
What a wild and wet day!
It was a day for staying indoors - and we were safely in the warm and dry under the huge roof of Ikea in Croydon.
We had quite a list of things we wanted to find. Some we failed to find and some others we changed our minds about - and bother it, there was one item that was out of stock.
Though it was something we hadn't planned to buy.
We have come home with a set of cheap tall shelves for the back bedroom. The more expensive shelves we had pondered over for our bedroom have been left for another time - we should see first if we can utilise the white shelves which are at the moment in the back bedroom.
We have under the cupboard lamps for the kitchen in two points where it can be a bit dim.
But we don't have a dish rack for the draining board.
But we do have some containers for cold meats and cheese in the fridge.
And a little square basket for "things that need to be dealt with". Such things tended to be just left on a work top in the old kitchen.
The impulse buy would have been a big one - and maybe it is as well they didn't have it. It was a dining room table. Bill has commented that he might not be so very keen on the circular one that we have (bought from an EBay seller). We saw a lovely table - small and square, big enough for two, but with good pull out leaves.
I think Bill will have to learn to like the circular one!
We bought Swedish foodstuffs from their small food shop. Lots of interesting jams - lingenberry, cloudberry etc, biscuits, salmon spread, cheese etc.
And then we went to eat in the cafe. I have a pack of their meatballs for the freezer and so I decided to try something different today.
I was pleased with my choice - a pumpkin and sunflower seed strudel with root vegetables, courgettes and aubergines and red onions - and potatoes. Bill had a beef and ale casserole along with the vegetable mixture. These 2 meals and unlimited tea and coffee came to £6.50.
We treated ourselves then to a slice of almond tart, on special offer, and yet more drink to keep us going.
So, on the whole a satisfactory visit. We will be back sooner than planned. We bought 4 tie on cushions for the dining room chairs and we don't like them. Not liking your purchases is a good enough reason for Ikea to refund your money and you have 90 days to return the items.
The journey home was in heavy rain - but then there has been heavy rain all day. At times we could hear it beating down on the Ikea roof.
This evening Barry, the kitchen man has been back to finish things off and the boss man has been to check the work and to ensure we are happy. He has one more little job for Barry to do.
And now back to rather wild weather on the Isle of Wight - very strong winds we had that afternoon, but no rain.
We had eaten some lunch in the baker's shop in Bembridge - having read of the fish soup that Mo had in a Bembridge pub I now wish we had been there. But my soup was good at the baker's and Bill had a fabulous looking load of ham, cheese and bechemel sauce piled onto a baguette and crisped up in the oven.
Then we went for a walk on Culver Down.
Oh my, it was windy up there on the headland overlooking Bembridge and the busy shipping lanes of The Solent in one direction and westwards towards Shanklin.
There was actually one point when I though I might be blown off my feet. Fortunately I was by the notice explaining about the military history of the place and so I clung on to it.
At least I had a "hoody" and could keep my ears covered. Bill felt quite chilly.
It wasn't actually very late in the afternoon but westwards the light has captured an eerie mood.
There is a monument on Culver Down to the memory of the Earl of Yarborough who died on his yacht in 1846. He was the first Commodore of the Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes.
A view eastwards towards Bembridge Head. Bill had the binoculars out to study various naval vessels sailing in to Portsmouth Harbour.
Just as at The Needles, Culver Down became a strategic point in the mid 19th century to keep watch for a French invasion, and there were remains of that episode in history.
We were happy though to get back to the car and drive to Ros and Harry's to share flapjack from the Bembridge baker's over a cup of tea. (Ros is Bill's sister).
