Winchester

As part of Adrian’s summer training regime, we went to Winchester so he could run in the Clarendon half-marathon (an off-road affair, all along tracks etc. in the woods). We couldn’t get a train down there early enough on Sunday morning to make the start time, so decided to make a weekend out of it.

We headed down on Saturday morning, then walked about 20 minutes through town and out the other side to our B&B. It was my first time (well, that I can remember at least), in a traditional B&B and this one was really just a spare room that they were letting out. It was really nice and comfortable though – I wish I could have swapped the bed over for the one we have in our flat! But we weren’t in Winchester just to appreciate a nice B&B – it was time to get out and explore town. The first thing we came across was the Hampshire Farmers’ Market festival thing and boy, did we come, eat and conquer that! As well as having nearly every sample under the sun, we had a water buffalo burger, a watercress burger (both slightly different tasting from the other!), an Eccles cake, and then to top it off, a ‘lardy cake’. And, I’m ashamed to say, despite its massive size (and the fact we’d both had burgers), it hardly took any time to finish off at all. Who would have guessed that the combination of flour, fat and sugar could be so appealing...

After the market it was time to walk off all our excesses, so we signed up for a walking tour of the main sights of the town. John, our guide, was a wealth of information and we saw Winchester School, heard all about the history of the town, and then (my favourite), the last house Jane Austen ever lived in. To top that off, after the tour we visited Winchester Cathedral where she’s buried. I don’t know where I’d be with a bit of Pride and Prejudice in my life so it was lovely to stand there and appreciate her work.

After that, and before it got dark, we headed up St Giles Hill where we could look out over the whole town. They had some particularly appealing ladybugs on the handrails of the park too which totally captivated me for ages! A massive dinner of pasta (it’s all about the pre-training bulking up!) and it was home for an early sleep. The next morning dawned incredibly wet and soggy – good for the ducks but not so much for the runners! But Adrian’s a hardy soul and ended up coming 12th overall and smoking his previous PB which was awesome! I on the other hand went shopping and ate a cream tea which was shamefully nowhere near as energetic (although possibly more fun...).

After the run we had some lunch and then it was off to see the Great Hall where they have the Round Table (as in King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table) hanging on the wall which was pretty cool. It was made in 1250 or something ridiculous and is in remarkably good nick. (I imagine it’s been painted a fair few times since then though!).

So thanks for the good times Winchester – perfect ‘mini-break’ destination from London I’d have to say!

Vegetarian experiment

So as some of you know, I've been experimenting with being a vegetarian over the last few weeks. The intent is to give it a go for a month and then see how I'm feeling and whether I'd like to carry on with it. For me, the trial is excluding fish, but I'm not going so far as to exclude rennet (I love cheese too much...). The main intent has been the unsustainable way meat is being produced and the impact that it has on our climate. We can't continue to cut down rainforests just so we can eat hamburgers.

The month is up this weekend and I have to say, I've actually really enjoyed it! We've definitely eaten a whole lot more vegetables - you plan the meal around the veges rather than the protein side of things I find - but it has helped that I do really like tofu and quorn. And while I know that the idea of quorn can be a bit icky (fungus cooked in large vats...mmm...not), it's actually really handy to have on hand. We've had two quorn meals - nachos and Thai red curry - but have always bumped them up with beans or mushrooms or something else. I haven't felt too tired or anything, but Adrian has noticed he's had to have a bit of steak occasionally because he's doing quite a bit of training at the moment (oh, and fyi, 1h32 and 12th place in the Winchester off-road half marathon yesterday - awesome!!).

I did have a slight faux pas moment when I ate a tuna sandwich offered to me without even thinking about it (my head was elsewhere), but as it was completely unintentional I'm giving myself a free pass for it!

So, do I think I'll continue? The main downside has been eating out. We went to a Vietnamese place in Chinatown and of the bazillions of choices, about two were vege and they were so disappointing. Another example, we were in a pub in Winchester yesterday and it was either a plain salad or a mushroom suet pudding. I'll just let the thought of what a mushroom suet pudding would look like sit with you for a second shall I?? (Needless to say we went elsewhere).

I think that the final conclusion is that while I won't buy any meat to eat at home anymore, and will actively look for the vegetarian option, if I really want to have a piece of salmon or some roast lamb when I'm out, then I will. I think reducing my meat consumption (albeit dramatically) rather than having none at all is the most sustainable option long-term for me.