A Kalkan Kick and a Kalkan Kiss - cocktails for weight-watchers

With less than thirty hours to go until we depart on our holiday to Kalkan, Turkey I have abandoned all hope of getting packed in a structured and calm manner. Instead I have decided to create two more cocktails that I may have to try out later. In part, this is because my dear son, who is going to Berlin in about six hours, has just stuck a load of washing in - and appears to have plenty more to go. I suspect that he will be travelling damp...

So what better to do to fill the time than be creative with cocktails. Once again they are intended as a treat for the weight-watching drinker.  I'm told that doesn't mean you can have twice as many of them...


The Kalkan Kick - or Bloody Mary plus...
It's packing time and you should be really excited, but you're feeling a little stressed as you also have a million and one other things to do:  Feed the papers, cancel the cat, water the fridge and chuck out the mouldy plants - you know the sort of thing.
So you need to focus on what's important - and that is getting in the right frame of mind.  

 You need:

• 2/3 cup  tomato juice
• Slug of  vodka*, depending on strength of drink
• 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish 
• 6 shakes Tabasco Sauce
• teaspoon of Worcestershire Sauce
• Juice of 1/2 large lime (or medium lemon)
• Salt and pepper to taste 
• Celery stalk

A few sips of this and you'll be raring to go.  Not only that but you'll find yourself trying on those fake leopard skin shorts or  bikini bottoms that you'd shuddered at only an hour before - and chucking them in your suitcase along with a voucher for cut-price paragliding off the Taurus mountains.  Well, maybe not...


The Kalkan Kiss
Maybe you're wondering what on earth you're doing going on holiday when the roof needs fixing and the cat keeps being sick down the stairs.  Perhaps you should cancel it and put the money towards a new drainpipe.

Oh no, no, no!  Take immediate action and create a Kalkan Kiss for yourself.  This may be hard to justify on the slimming count - but hey, it could save your holiday!
You need:

• A measure of tequila
• small measure of white creme de cacao
• small measure of reduced fate double cream
• a little chambord
• a few white chocolate flakes
• a few raspberries for decoration

Mix all the liquid ingredients in a cocktail shaker for about 15 seconds, then pour into a cocktail glass, chilled and rimmed with the chocolate flakes.  Decorate with raspberries.  (these could be part of your 5 a day and are very good for you).
Once you've enjoyed your first Kalkan Kiss you'll be ready for romance.  And Kalkan has to be one of the most romantic places in all the world.  Who needs new drainpipes anyway!

The trouble with crumble

Oh dear! I guess it had to happen. My resolve has been crumbling and has been swallowed up by a sudden obsession with puddings - with custard!

A few days ago I was basking in self-approval at how I'd managed to stick to the diet and exercise agenda and today I'm hovering near the fridge and picking at bits and pieces. I am not impressed with myself.
So rather than going to get yet another tasty morsel I am going to write about why this has happened and how I'm going to turn it around. (This is a bit like a stream of consiousness as I have no idea what's going to come out here!)
Now I could blame my young student friend who greeted us on our return from cycling the Tarka trail with a dish of steaming fruit crumble, which I haven't had since last winter. Of course I had some, who wouldn't when you've covered hundreds of miles on by bike and car - well, hundreds of miles by car and 65 by bike, but we'll gloss over that smoothly, like creamy custard over a crispy crumbly topping...
I think the problem started with knowing I'm not going to lose quite as much weight as I'd hoped before my hols next week. I'm really delighted with what I have lost and have been wearing some different clothes because I feel good in them, but I've stayed about the same weight now for around a month or more.
I have tried upping the exercise and taking more care with what I eat, but clearly not carefully enough.
The last couple of weeks have been really busy and I don't feel I've given myself enough time to do the things that relax me and make me feel good - which includes the hour a day for some form of exercise. I have been swimming, cycling,to the gym and even some tennis, but it has been rushed and not each day. It's just life I know. At the same time I've had some celebrations and meals out - including a great celebration of Bastille night in Cafe Rouge with some old friends.

No crumble but a wonderful blue cheese salad starter followed by bouillabaisse. mmmmm
So I can't really expect to have lost much weight.
But today I felt stressed, tired and had a sore throat. Work after a late night is difficult at the best of times but today I was meant to do something amazing to do with sustainability and I felt distinctly uninspired about it - it just seemed one thing too much to take on. Add to that a staff room full of cakes and goodies and you would be right if you suspected I succumbed. Yes, dear reader, I partook of chocolate cornflake bites, flapjack bites, peanuts (salted and honey coated) and a cadbury's hazelnut chocolate...
Then I hit the fridge when I got home - not too badly I guess if I think what I've had, but I'm feeling a little sorry for myself with another sore throat and feel the fates are against me... I don't wan't to go on my hols feeling ill...
So what can I do?
1. Drink copius amounts of lemon and ginger tea - I love it so that's no problem.
2. Have a sleep - sort of did that after work until my daughter woke me up
3. Plan out some tasty, yet slimming meals for the weekend! - Maybe devise a recipe for red fruit crumble and custard sans calories.
4. Go shopping for holiday stuff - (this is making me feel decidedly more cheerful!)
5. Go out for a long cycle. I have no more commitments today I think - but it's quite windy... guess that will help work off those extra nibbles!
6. Clean the house. (Ha, that's a laugh - done enough of that this week so that's a no!!!)
Enough.
Now I feel a bit better and maybe I'll keep out of the kitchen for a few hours.
I wish everyone out there a great weekend and hope you get your 'me' time. You're worth it...they could use that on an ad I think!

Cycling the Tarka trail, North Devon - day 3

Today the sun shone and the clouds vanished so that we looked out on a completely different, colourful landscape.
It was beautiful and hot.   They were putting out warnings for sunstroke on the radio, where the day before they'd been advising us to wrap up and take an umbrella when we went out.  (Which of course we had ignored, wisely).
Today we started our cycling back at Bideford our aim being to cycle to the Puffing Billy at Torrington, have a spot of lunch and then back again.  This was a very short run compared with the previous 2 days, but it was our last day and we wanted to relax a bit before heading back home to Brighton.

We joined the Tarka trail by the Royal hotel where the old station had been turned into a stopping point on the trail.  An old railway carriage now acts as a cafe, museum and shop.  Nearby are steps down to a pub with a garden for more refreshments and a loo!
The Taw looked so different under a blue sky.   It was still peaceful but there was other human life around.  A group of canoeists paddled along gently in their single crafts and others, looking more like crews from Oxford and Cambridge (or Bideford and Barnstaple perhaps) whizzed along at speed.  There were more cyclists around too although it was hardly crowded.  You could still go for a mile or so without meeting anyone at all.

Our route took us over the river about 5 times - and each time we stopped and gazed around thinking how lucky we were to be there on that lovely day.

These are probably in the wrong order.  I should be able to tell from the meanders I guess, but I can't.

 We had a spot of high drama at this bridge.  Note the cows on the opposite bank.  We heard this strange high pitched mooing and it sounded as if one of the animals was in trouble.  Eventually we spotted a cow in the water up to it's neck.  It was making an awful screechy moo.  Dave was all for calling 999, thinking it had fallen in the river - but we were just discussing if it might not be better to wait and tell someone at Torrington station when the aforementioned cow strolled along a bit, up the bank and joined the rest of the herd.  I guess he was just hot!
About halfway along the route we arrived at a tunnel which I think would make a brilliant location for a Dr Who story.  It had a green glow about it, maybe from the lichen - or maybe from something a little more sinister lurking deep inside.  There was a warning to remove sun glasses - it was a pretty long tunnel!

 

It was another very scenic route and although flattish had enough ups and downs to make it fun cycling.  Curiously, I think we entered a strange state where we couldn't always tell if we were going up, down or level.  Too much wine the night before maybe?  Or perhaps it was the effect of the tunnel...

The river Torridge ran alongside the path, although far below for much of the journey.  Just before we reached Torrington it became (if that's the right word) a weir.  Apparently in September salmon can be seen leaping the weir in an effort to get back upstream to lay their eggs.  

 

Finally we arrived at Torrington and just had to visit the Puffing Billy and have some lunch.  I don't know if the food tasted so good this holiday because we worked hard for it, or because it was tasty, well cooked and plentiful.  Probably a bit of both.

After lunch I  went and had a sneaky peek at some of the sculptures on the trail before we headed back to Bideford  - the end of our cycle.  

But - by way of celebration, and pudding we stopped and had a cream tea at Bideford station - and a lovely end to the cycling it was too!

So that was it.  Bye bye Tarka trail.  I'lll be back again.  It was great!

Cycling the Tarka Trail, Devon - day 2

Today was misty and damp to start with – but we were not put off our cycling mission!
We had survived our first night at Bideford Park Resort – a beautifully sited place, if not quite my idea of bliss... definitely a no frills stay for us, but probably great if you have young kids and good weather!

We set off to Puffing Billy in Torrington intending to cycle to Meeth – the end of the Tarka trail for bikes, as far as I can tell. The journey to Torrington was a proper trip into deepest Devon. We weaved our way through tiny winding narrow lanes with huge hedges, up hill and down dale; over streams and rivers which were all in spate after days (or maybe weeks) of rain, rain and more rain. The Torridge looked beautiful, cascading over rocks as we drove through steep green embankments, with pine and other trees managing to grow vertically to form a high canopy, when they looked as if they should be sliding off the sides onto the road below.

Puffing Billy is a pub on the site of Torrington Station. The station platform remains, but the track is now dedicated to cyclists and walkers and there is a bike hire company and cafe on site too. although we had our own bikes,

The map said it was 11 miles from Torrington to Meeth – so 22 miles return. Easy peasy. But, I’d not taken account of the gradient. I’d just assumed it would be largely flat – but no – it was a gentle persistent climb for the first 5 miles until it reached a peak, marked by a sign and sculpture, of 128 m above sea level. I’d been assuming train journeys were all flat... silly me. However, starting at Puffing Billy is a much better option than starting at Meeth as there are more uphill bits going out than coming back (if you get my drift).

But, it was a wonderful ride. Setting off we soon passed over an iron bridge and then entered some deep dark woodlands, real Tarka country, where you might see an otter if you’re very lucky and very patient as the streams ran parallel to the cycle path.

Look out for the wonderful sculptures on the trail – good opportunities to stop and have a breather. We met very few people on our trip and some of those seemed a little wooden...

 We arrived in Meeth just in time for lunch.  Wasn't that lucky!  The trail sort of fades away and there are no banners or fanfares to congratulate you or welcome you to the end of the line.  However, is a sign for a nearby pub - up a hill (of course) on the road, so we followed that and found ourselves at The Bull and Dragon.  This turned out to be a good friendly pub with tasty food - we had ploughman's with a huge chunk of mature cheddar, fresh bread and homemade chutney.
They also laid on entertainment for us: one of the more colourful drinkers in the pub suddenly vanished just as a woman stormed in the door.  "Have you seen him?" she yelled.  "I'll kill him if he's here...".  The other drinkers shook their heads and after a bit she disappeared driving off in her car, narrowly avoiding some cyclists.  A minute later the guy appeared again - he'd been hiding behind the curtains apparently!  It all happens in Meeth!

The cycle back was lovely - especially the last 5 miles - downhill all the way.  Because it was soggy underfoot I was completely splattered with mud from head to toe - and it felt good!
That evening we went to the Hoops Inn on the main Clovelly to Bideford road and again had a fantastic meal from a vary long and varied menu.

Good night out, but guess who was driving?

Cycling the Tarka Trail, Devon. Day 1

The Tarka trail ticked all the boxes for me and I can not recommend it highly enough for a peaceful but energetic holiday where you can eat all you want, get fit and have a wonderful time in a stunningly beautiful part of England.

All of this was important to me - but especially the eat all you want bit!  Having been dieting for the past 6 months I was keen to enjoy some real food again, without putting the weight back on.  And I reckoned that cycling for 5 or 6 hours a day meant I could pretty much eat anything I liked.

The Tarka Trail follows an old railway line in north Devon  for much of the route:  about 60 miles are suitable for cyclists.  It offers sea and estuary views along some stretches, whilst other parts go deep into the Devon countryside through dense woodland, across open meadows and nearly always close to the river Torridge, home to wildlife such as Tarka, the fictional otter that the trail is named after.

We started our holiday in Bideford, staying in The Royal Hotel, pictured below.  It was a great place to start as it was a friendly, comfortable place in a beautiful town.

Bideford is situated either side of the estuary, with a 'weak' bridge linking the two areas.  The Royal hotel was east of the water, which is why the area is called East-the-Water.  It is an ancient suburb of Bideford apparently.

It also happened to have it's own railway platform so that guests in days gone by, could alight here and go straight into the hotel.  It is now part of the Tarka trail, so very convenient for our cycling holiday.

There was an information centre and cafe at this former station too, where you could get free maps and a cream tea to go with it!

On our first day we cycled from Bideford to Braunton, via Barnstaple.  This took us along the Taw estuary where the rivers Torridge and Taw met.  It was flat, quiet with just flocks of birds to keep us company.

A grey day - but still beautiful in the Taw estuary.

We passed through the villages of Instow and  onto Fremington Quay as we cycled towards Barnstaple.  Fremington Quay was a very busy port a hundred years ago, the busiest between Bristol and Land's End, with the  railway serving the vital function of transporting goods brought in by boats as well as local clay.  The last train was in the early 1980s and it's closure was the death knell for Fremington Quay as a port.

The tide was out...

Eventually we arrived at the outskirts of Barnstaple and crossed a suspension bridge here (steepest climb of the holiday!) in order to avoid going into the town.  We cycled westward back towards the mouth of the estuary - again beautiful, peaceful and flat!

It just so happened that we arrived at a waterside pub just as it started to rain - the appropriately named Tarka Inn.  It would have been rude not to shelter there!  Castle like on the outside and nice and quirky on the inside, with lots of little nooks and crannies to sit in, we were actually quite glad it had rained... 

The Tarka Inn near Barnstaple
The journey back to Bideford was just as interesting as the journey back, even though it was the same route.  The wildlife and the weather were constantly changing and it really didn't seem like we'd cycled about 36 miles.   The fact that it was pretty flat helped of course.  All in all it was a great first day and we were ready to feast by the early evening!
We drove inland a little, (yes, drove...) getting ourselves deeper and deeper into the Devon countryside with the lanes so narrow and windy and the hedges so high they scraped the sides of the car and created a sense of danger with every twist and turn.  For all I know we may have driven round in circles for about half an hour before we came upon a pub where we stopped and ate.  It was one of those olde worlde places where it helps to be under 5 foot 4 - as Dave found out a few times when he stood up!  The name of the pub?  Ah well that eludes me right now, but I will look it up shortly.  It served good food in plentiful portions - something we became very used to in North Devon, and very nice it was too!