501 Places

Lord's: the spritual home of cricket on a gloomy day

Cricket has a hard time selling itself to non-believers. In its original form (test match cricket) a game can last for five days, with each day lasting for around seven hours including breaks. And at the end of those five days? More than 1 in 3 finish as a draw.

The game stops when it’s raining, and also when the light is poor. So you might pay £40 for a ticket to one day of a five day game and spend an hour or two staring at an empty field while the players sit indoors waiting for the clouds to lift enough to satisfy the umpires that play can resume. See what I mean?

Yet if you’ve never been to a game and you happen to be passing through a major cricket country (India, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, England or the Caribbean) I would recommend a day at the cricket to see one of the world’s oldest sports and learn what is it about the game that so many of the local people find so fascinating.

Cricket: a statistician's dream

Cricket attracts a passionate following in its heartlands. In India and Australia crowds approaching 100,000 can squeeze into the huge stadiums to watch their national side. In England, trying to secure a ticket for an Ashes game against Australia (more on that later) is very difficult, and usually involves entering an over-subscribed lottery and hoping for the best.

People are willing to pay large sums of money to come to a game which is weather dependent (in England!) with the risk that they may see little play if the sun decides to take a day off. What is is about this strange game that captures the imagination?

England's batsmen emerge after a lunch break

Cricket on one level is a statistician’s dream. Batting and bowling averages, countless records, fifties, hundreds: there’s some milestone passed pretty much every hour of play. “These two batsmen have just passed the highest fourth wicket partnership for England against Bangladesh at Edgbaston” might be heard over the loudspeakers on a typical day.

Then there’s the intrigue of a five day game. A classic test match will change from one side being in the ascendancy to the other and back again several times before the end. Small incidents in an otherwise quiet period of play can influence the outcome of a match. A captain’s decision over where to place a fielder or who should bowl at a crucial time can swing the balance of a game decisively. I wonder if there are more subtleties and complex strategies in a Garndmaster chess match.

Haute cuisine is part of a day at the cricket

Spending a day at the cricket has developed into a peculiar ritual in recent years. Ask many supporters and they will list three main components of a good day’s cricket: beer, fast food and fancy dress. The beer starts to flow from early morning, and as the day wears on you’ll notice the singing levels increase, the inevitable Mexican wave circling the ground and some drunken idiot deciding that a 20ft high snake of empty beer glasses (plastic) is a good idea. The banter between opposing fans does however remain friendly and unthreatening.

There are always plenty of over-priced concession stands selling fish and chips, burgers, kebabs, and when the opposition are India or Pakistan, large vats of curry. And the fancy dress? It’s not uncommon to find troops of scantily-clad nuns, policewomen, Supermen or English knights among the crowd. I don’t know why; it’s just become part of the game in recent years.

T20: the sexed up version of cricket

Cricket has attempted to capture a wider audience by introducing a shorter three hour version of the game, aimed at TV audiences and part of a ridiculous attempt at wooing the American market (often denied). This T20 format of the game is particularly popular in India, where billions have been pumped into cricket’s equivalent of football’s Premier League.

Yet arguably the biggest occasion in the sport is known as the Ashes, when England take on Australia. Traditionally fierce rivals, the England team and the English media talk of little else for the four years between the times that the two sides play their contests. In recent years Australia has been dominant although their world domination appears to be over, and England will head to Australia later this year armed with their usual misplaced confidence. The atmosphere, the banter and beer-swilling always steps up a notch during an Ashes summer.

For me the five day game still emboddies what is best about cricket. There is something about watching even a day of a five day game, where no-one is in a hurry yet the game can take a dramatic turn at any point, that makes this a sport like no other. The happy acceptance of an unclear outcome, of weather delays or curtailment, and even moments where the crowd prays for rain to stop the game and prevent an impending defeat; cricket is certainly an acquired taste.

So if you are unfamiliar with the game and find yourself travelling through a cricket playing nation, why not take the chance to see a game for yourself? I would suggest that you tag along with a local who can explain what’s going on and guide you through the many rules of this historic sport. Oh, and don’t forget your umbrella.

It often ends up like this. Washed out and deserted

Rooftop waterfall - SHA Wellness Clinic

It was almost 9 years ago that I stopped frequenting fast food joints. Yet after my first night at the plush SHA Wellness Clinic in southern Spain the thought of a McBreakfast did briefly enter my head. How could this make any sense? We had just spent a night at one of the most luxurious places I’ve ever had the pleasure to visit. The setting could not have been further from that of a greasy fast food joint if it had been on the other side of the moon. Let me explain…

On the rooftop

SHA is located above the town of Albir, around 60 km from Alicante and only a short drive from Benidorm. In fact you can see the skyscrapers of the popular holiday resort rise from the morning mist as you lounge on the rooftop. SHA has the obligatory infinity pool which comes complete with a waterfall, and also on the roof you’ll find a putting green, another pool and a view down to an adjacent tennis court. And the next to these, the highly prestigious restaurant.

The view from the SHA roof toward Benidorm

Ok, we’re getting back to food again. One of SHA’s unique features is the importance it puts on healthy eating. Alfredo Bataller, the founder of the resort, was converted to the school of macrobiotic diets when he was seriously ill and found no respite from traditional western medicine. In a short time, a change in his diet following macrobiotic principles produced a rapid recovery. He decided to build SHA to offer these benefits to others.

So there we were, on the first leg of a press trip to the Valencia, in care of Alfredo’s son Alejandro who recalled this story as we sat down to our first meal. The evening meal was superb. Various combinations of vegatables, root-based soups and a delicious tuna steak. For dessert the ginger ice-cream was so delicious that I could have sneaked into the kitchen, tied up the chef and devoured the entire stock of this home-made marvel. And as for the chocolate cake? One spoon into its heart and a dark molten chocolate oozed from its centre. The sublime taste is not something that I will forget in a hurry.

It was the breakfast was a shock to my system. There were steamed vegatables, miso soup and even small cakes on offer. There was however a lack of any trace of dairy produce. No cheese, and more importantly, no milk. Well, that’s not quite true. Have you ever tried your cornflakes soaked in almond milk or rice milk? Perhaps it takes some getting used to. I decided that this healthy living could be hard going.

SHA Wellness Clinic in bloom

It was set in this context that when 30 minutes later we drove past those ubiquitous golden arches in the town, for a fleeting moment I had a pang. I did not succumb and it soon passed, but the episode confirmed to me that I have some way to go before I can embrace a macrobiotic diet and the lack of meat and diary products that it entails.

As for the resort itself, if you’re after a total escape from everyday life the SHA is hard to beat. Spacious bedrooms, walkways with soothing music and tinkling waterfalls and a room that had surely been treated to a generous helping of feng shui. I felt utterly at peace during the 20 minutes we had between our arrival back at the hotel and our departure for dinner.

The attention to detail of the designers is evident in every feature of the guest rooms and of the public areas. They have succeeded in creating an environment of peace, calm and relaxation. In fact, it could be a setting in one of those weird sci-fi movies, set in the future and representing a utopia where each of the life’s causes of misery and discomfort has been eliminated. But then again, I wasn’t paying the bill.

The infinity pool and beyond

It is one of those places that was a real shame to leave behind after only two nights. It might not be the type of place I would choose for a personal holiday (it is, after all, more used to hosting the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow and Naomi Campbell). But if you are looking for a few days of healthy indulgence and total relaxation and are prepared to shell out a few euros to be pampered in the most tranquil surroundings, the SHA Wellness Clinic is hard to beat.

For my stay at SHA Wellness Clinic I was a guest of Land of Valencia, the Valencia Region Tourist Board as part of their #blogtripf1 event, with flights organised by the Spanish Tourist Office.

St Albans Abbey

We have moved house more times than most. In fact, in a little over 20 years together we’ve lived in or close to six big UK cities (Newcastle, Leeds, Manchester, Cardiff, Bristol and most recently London) as well as a spell in New York. We were, until 2006, proud to say we had not lived within 100 miles of London and its pollution, noise, rudeness and crime. Yet here we are, in our fourth year living in one of London’s most prosperous satellite cities, and in no urgent hurry to pack up sticks and head northwards.

St Albans became the latest stop on our tour of UK places to live when I finished my latest studies in Manchester and took a job based just outside of the city. We both moved south with some reluctance, and braced ourselves for a difficult adjustment.

We chose St Albans as I had worked here on a project some years before and remembered it as a leafy, attractive small city (a bit like Chester but smaller, or Durham but without the castle and the dramatic riverside setting).

Verulamium Park, St Albans

I left my job over a year ago, yet we are still here and that is a compliment to our adopted home city. I’m sure we will move north again at some point: even a few days in north Yorkshire earlier this summer reminded us of the beauty and solitude of the northern countryside and the relative emptiness of the roads once you leave the towns and cities (down here there seems to be traffic everywhere).

St Albans has much to like about it. There is its rich Roman heritage: you can find an ampthitheatre, a Roman mosaic and a section of original 2000 year old wall in the city. Then there is the no.1 draw in the city, St Albans Abbey. It is a hotchpotch of architectural styles of various centuries that somehow comes together to make a very impressive building.

St Albans Abbey

And perhaps the biggest surprise for us are the many areas of parkland that St Albans boasts. I had a preconception that the south east of England is so densely populated that I would struggle to find any green space. So it’s a relief to know that the city is home to swathes of open spaces where people can enjoy their walks or bring their summer picnics. The largest park is Verulamium Park, home to much of the Roman heritage of the city and a place we wander around on our regular evening strolls in the summer.

Modern sculptures in the Abbey - recognise the figures?

View of the park from the roof of St Albans Abbey

It’s also very convenient for access to London (20 minutes on the train) and more importantly to its airports. When we do eventually make a move back to the north, we will miss having a 30 minute drive to Heathrow or a 70 minute direct train to Gatwick (10 minutes to Luton). Being near a major airport and not just a hub makes an outbound journey much easier, but its real benefit is when you’re coming home and know that as soon as you get off the plane you are nearly home.

View of the city from the roof of St Albans Abbey

And as for London? Well we have even become fond of the capital. Having once had to battle through the traffic to drive into the centre, or endure a long and uncomfortable journey by train to get there, we can now take a trip into the city on a whim, even going in for an evening meal if we feel like it. It has become a treat to explore its neighbourhoods and hidden attractions thanks to our proximity to the city.

Fishpool Street, St Albans

So I have gradually become comfortable in singing the praises of St Albans. It is a pleasant place to live, and the best compliment I can give is that if you have no choice but to live in the south then St Albans is one of the best places to make your home.

The ruins at Gorhambury, St Albans

St Albans Abbey in winter

St Albans Abbey at sunset

Sunset over St Albans

La Vieille Bourse, Lille

Planning a day trip from London? 90 minutes from the capital by train can take you to some interesting cities: Bristol, Southampton, Winchester, Canterbury, Stratford are just a few options. Until recently however, you would not have considered a French destination.

All this changed with the introduction of the high speed line that takes the Eurostar from London St Pancras to a long black hole under the Channel in less than 40 minutes. Lille is now perfectly accessible as the first major French city on the Brussels line, and is reached around 30 minutes after emerging on French soil.

La Grand Place, Lille

Lille is the centre of an industrial region and does not rank highly among the French tourist hotspots. While it may lack the surrounding beauty and interest of southern France, the city of Lille itself has enough to keep a visitor entertained for a day and probably a weekend. It’s a laid back city, and having been three times and arrived each time in mid-morning, it seems to me that the city doesn’t really wake up until somewhere approaching lunchtime.

Notre Dame de la Treille Cathedral in Lille

The city itself is filled with beautiful architecture that shows off Lille’s past as a major trading centre. The Vieille Bourse and the main square are worthy of lengthy exploration, and the Cathedral is a mix of the old and the modern, with a unique translucent front facade, offering a surprising appearance when viewed from within.

Little girl wonders through Lille street

Around the cathedral the narrow lanes offer a view of Lille from another time, and as with so many cities these lanes are now home to boutiques, craft shops and speciality restaurants. We had an excellent lunch at L’Assiette du Marché, and then treated ourselves to an oversized ice-cream by the main square. This region of France is well known for its waffle making skills, although by the time we were done with the ice-creams we were not in a position to take on a waffle. Always the way: too much food, not enough capacity…

Porte de Paris

There are a couple of museums worthy of note in Lille. The Museé des Beaux Arts is recognised as holding the finest collection of art in France outside of the Louvre, and it is well worth a visit. We arrived there at 4.45 and the lady at the ticket desk kindly gave us the €5 reduced tickets as they shut at 6pm. For someone who knows their art, you could easily pass half a day in here. The impressive building itself is well worth a look.

Place de la Republique, Lille

Another museum/art gallery that is worth seeing is the Musée de La Piscine de Roubaix. It’s a 20 minute metro ride out of the city, but it offers the chance to see a sizeable art collection in an old municipal swimming baths; not something you’ll get to do every day.

Musée de La Piscine de Roubaix

Finally, don’t miss the zoo – it’s an easy walk out of the city centre and situated near to the Citadel. Admission is free and they have a reasonable selection of animals, including a rhino and a couple of red pandas. Once you’re finished with the zoo there’s a pleasant walk to be had on the circular path around the Citadel itself.

Carving by the entrance to the Lille Zoological gardens

Lille is a poor cousin in terms of France’s efforts at promoting its tourism destinations, and perhaps the national tourist board should make more of an effort at the London day trip market. We left London at 8.30am and returned before 8pm, having spent over 8 hours wandering this historic and attractive city. It can be done for £49, which compares well with fares for similar distances in the UK.

Musee des Beaux Arts, Lille

Camambert in filo pastry

The perfect sunset paddle; Blouberg Beach, Cape Town

I asked my wife the other day: what makes a particular place a romantic one?  She immediately replied that it was about the person you’re with, rather than where you are. So I asked her if it would make any difference if I took her for a romantic weekend to Paris or to Cleethorpes (for those who have never experienced the delights of Cleethorpes, or have never even heard of it, do a search and see what you’ve been missing). Needless to say I got a strange and unimpressed stare from Sam, betraying a very clear preference for the French capital.

So do we take it that there is something about the location that makes it romantic? (it’s not looking good Cleethorpes; sorry) But wait: the label romantic can be applied to such a diverse range of places. Think of a deserted long white sandy beach on a Seychellois outpost, then think of the canals of Venice; both considered romantic, yet couldn’t be less alike. A hotel in one town can offer a romantic break while another property on the same road would never get away with trying. And now many cities promote themselves as perfect places for romantic breaks while at the same time offer cheap booze to attract stag and hen parties. Is there a way to reason beyond these contradictions? Is there is still hope for Cleethorpes?

Perhaps romantic isn’t about a particular type of place – after all, it could be a beach, it could be a city or it could be a hide-away hotel. Romantic certainly should involve doing things together; but those activities could be as diverse as fine dining, learning to paint or rock-climbing. It’s the togetherness that makes the romance, rather than the glamour (a night dressed up to the nines in a glamorous casino or a walk hand-in-hand along a deserted path in rough and ready outdoor gear? You get the picture).

Is it even about being together alone? Certainly the good folk who market Venice, Paris or Prague can’t sell the exclusive aspect of being alone in their romantic dreams. In their eyes tens of thousands can come to their cities and jostle each other for space while being romantic together.

So if it’s just being together that defines romantic then what does indeed separate a walk along the beach in Cleethorpes from a stroll along the Seine (smells of fish and sewerage, some would say)? Is ‘romantic’ just a label attached to a marketing campaign to attract high spending couples, who will shell out more money as a result of the romantic label than they otherwise would? Is real romance something that does exist between two people, and therefore totally independent of location and surroundings?

Others are coming round to this way of thinking. Look at this video from the guys who set out to promote Blackpool (yes, Blackpool!) as a romantic hot-spot.

Perhaps I’ll have another look at Cleethorpes after all. I hear the smell of fish isn’t so bad these days.