April 2024 Archives

The SmileyWorld® art trail is currently set up around and inside Battersea Power Station in order to bring visitors to this new part of London. Each one of the sculptures features a Smiley® emoji on one side and an artwork that relates to the emotion on the other side. Fifteen of these sculptures were placed in Battersea, and I went to find them all a few days ago. 

The back of each sculpture included an image relating to the emotion.

I enjoyed tracking them all down.

The sculptures were placed in late March and is a collaboration of WildInArt. If you plan to see the sculptures at Battersea, you still have time. The sculptures will be in place until June 2.

I visited Ohio at the end of March through to early April this year in time for Easter and in time for Ohio's total eclipse in April. Unfortunately, I was asked to work during my visit, so I was working very early in the morning and then spending time with my parents during the day. As a result, I did not get jet lag! I took some photographs of some of the things I got up to while I was visiting.

I went to enjoy the countryside and see the farm, so I did a couple of walks.

The first couple of days were pleasant with the weather, but then we had torrential rains and a lot of flooding. The river burst its banks. It rained nearly very day I was there for the nearly three weeks, and it stormed a few times with tornado warnings.

Early on the visit when the weather was starting to rain, I convinced my parents for a trip to Circleville, Ohio. There, we went to a chocolate shop and bought Easter chocolates. Afterwards, we went to Clifton Mill. I had the pancakes. I first visited this place many years ago over Christmas, and they do a wonderful Christmas display. See my post: Legendary Lights of Clifton.

As this is down the road from Young's Jersey Dairy, we also stopped there. This place has changed so much. It's huge and very busy. They have renovated and extended. I got some delicious snickerdoodle ice cream, and I wish I could have got a carton of it to take home.

I did not get to see my friend for very long, but we did see each other. It was a very flooded day, and we went to a winery in Cambridge. On the way back, we saw this miniature church and graveyard.

Speaking of wineries, I visited a couple of new ones too. I went to Tuck n Reds, Stone Crest and also Killing Tree. Both of these are local. For food, I also tried the new Freddy's Frozen Custard and Burgers. I also tried the new Indian restaurant in Zanesville, Ammar Indian. 

I enjoyed an Easter weekend with my parents and brothers and their families and also other relatives, which I covered here.

On one of the days, we had a few hours in the Amish Country, where we had lunch and enjoyed a drive around. Spring had not fully sprung yet, but we saw some flowers in bloom. 

In the Amish Country, we stopped at the Christmas store and had a look around. Easter had just been, so there was a strange feeling to visiting in the spring.

We stopped off at some bakeries and other shops as well. We did stop at a cheese shop, but the cheese-making had completed already.

The final item was that I got to see the total eclipse, which I covered here: Total Eclipse in Ohio 2024

When I was in Ohio, I visited the winery Stone Crest Vineyard in Frazeysburg, Ohio. The winery is now in its 17th year of operation, and it has a large selection of wines to choose from to suit all tastes. Some of the wines have won awards. I had a tasting of the different wines and a glass of my favourite wine, which I had with a cheese board.

I could get seven tastings of my choice of wines. I dislike red wine, so I went with white and other flavours. The first I tried was Tranquility, which is a dry white wine. I liked it, so I bought a bottle of it. I also tried semi-sweet wines, Dos Vinos and Gemstone. Gemstone I also really liked and bought a bottle. I also tried Red Stone, which is a sweet wine. White Stone and Blue Stone (with blueberries) were also sweet wines I tried, but I didn't like them as much.

The winery has a seating area inside and outside, and I listened to music and enjoyed the wine. There's also a small shop where visitors can buy various wine-related items and wine.

Overall, I was really impressed by the quality of the wine and would buy more. The staff were also very friendly.

Earlier this year, I visited Brussels in Belgium and walked around to find street art. One of the newest street art murals in the city was painted by Phlegm in 2020. Phlegm is a street artist from Sheffield in the United Kingdom, and his work is fantasy-based with monochrome illustrated characters with long legs and patterned clothing. His work is easily-recognized.

The artwork is painted on the side of the royal library on what is known as Art Mountain (Mont Des Arts). It was inspired by painter Pieter Bruegel the Elder.

Bruegel was a painter and print-maker and famous for landscapes showing everyday peasants and folk scenes. The artwork was painted in conjunction with an exhibition of unique black and white prints from the artist, marking 450 years since his death. 

Phlegm created his own interpretation of Bruegel's artwork "The Seven Deadly Sins" and "The Seven Virtues" in the mural.

For more street art by Phlegm on this blog, see:

Cranio and Phlegm Collaboration in Dalston - War
Plegm Paints "Hydra Towers" on Ion Square
Newcastle Street Art
New Mural by Phlegm on Old Street
Phlegm's Mural on Hanbury Street
Phlegm and ROA Street Art at South Bank
Baroque the Streets: Dulwich Street Art
Street Art: Phlegm

I visited my home town and down the road from my parents is Killing Tree Winery. The winery opened its doors a few years ago, but this was my first visit. They often put on live music, and their breakfasts are also popular. I visited in the late afternoon and had a late lunch with a wine tasting and selected the wines. The grapes are not grown here, but the wine is produced and contains "country and western" type names, and even the name of the winery sounds inspired by native Americans, including the name of the villages here which were Shawnee and Delaware tribes. 

Some of the names of the wines included "Bless Your Heart", "High Horse", "Bucket of Lead", "Damn Straight", "Gosh Dang", "Jerry Rigged", "Ammunition", "Over Yonder", and "Double Barrel". I had a flight of four tastings. I had "High Cotton", "Goodness Gracious", "Bird Shot", and "Over Yonder". I also ordered a wine slushie to have with the meal.

I also ordered some food. I ordered the mozzarella sticks and a pizza with pineapple and onions. The food was very good. I was not keen on any of the wines that I tried.

There is a lot of room in the venue with plenty of outdoor seating for when the weather warms up and isn't wet and an upstairs and seating downstairs. I did not find the staff friendly, which was a shame as a place like this should have friendly staff. 

I would return for the food, and listening to some live music would have also been good fun. I hope that they sort out the staff, and hopefully they will improve the wines too.

Craft Gin Club is a monthly subscription box containing a full-sized bottle of gin, mixers, snacks, and a magazine with cocktail and food recipes featuring gin. This post shows March 2024's box, which arrived at the start of the month and celebrates spring and Easter. This month's full bottle featured gin is from Oxfordshire and is Sky Wave White Horse London Dry Gin. This gin is made from English botanicals. 

In this box, I received Navas Original Tonic Water to pair with the gin along with lime slice garnishes. Th Navas Drinks come from Cornwall water, and they have a slight flavour of bergamot and citrus. They also support The Eden Project.

I also received The Busker Triple Cask Triple Smooth Irish Whiskey in the box, which celebrates St. Patrick's Day in March. It s a single grain and malt whiskey with a fruit, vanilla and slight sweet taste.

Green Orangeade was also added to partner with the gin, and it doesn't contain sugar nor artificial sweeteners.

Frobishers Crisp Apple and Elderflower Sparkling Presse was included as a gin mixer or a simple drink on its own using botanicals. I've previously enjoyed this brand and liked the taste.

I also received another mixer: Dr. Funk Vital Mango and Violet was the flavour I received, but others received lemon and elderflower. It includes seven ingredients and no sugars.

I received the following snacks as well:

• Popchips Sweet & Salty popcorn, which pairs perfectly with the gin and I am a lover of popcorn, so this was appreciated.
• Darling Spuds Sea Salt and Chardonnay Vinegar crisps: This is a small family-owned operation of premium crisps using the finest ingredients. 
• Prodigy Salted Caramel Chocolate egg: To celebrate Easter, I received a delicious chocolate caramel egg; the chocolate comes from South America and this product is vegan and made with only 1/3rd of sugar that the alternatives use. This is also an environmentally-friendly company.
• Wibble Raspberry Vegan Jelly Crystals: This was added to create gin desserts. The product is vegan and a healthy alternative.

The cocktail syrup of the month was Cloud Nine, craftd by Craft Gin Club. 

Freddy's Frozen Custard and Burgers opened in 2002 in Kansas selling frozen custard and burgers. It is a chain restaurant, and one of them opened in Zanesville, Ohio. I visited it in early April. I had the chicken burger with onion rings and the famous Freddy's frozen custard. The food was okay for fast food. The restaurant was designed like a 1950s diner inside, and it was very quiet.

Freddy's is also known for its steakburgers. I don't eat beef, so I had the chicken instead.

In March, I visited Yellow Springs in Ohio and went to Tuck N Reds Spirits and Wine. The shop was just opening when I arrived, and the place included a mixture of 1960s music stars and posters. I tried a couple of different samples before deciding to buy a bottle of the dandeline wine, which was very good. I also tried the peach moonshine, and it was also delicious and tasted just like fresh peaches. Even my parents enjoyed this one and bought one too. 

The venue is located in a large warehouse building on the edge of Yellow Springs. 

The wine is made of different natural ingredients and no chemicals. Grapes are not used, so there's a higher alcohol content. 

The list of their "mountain wines" and moonshines is included below.

They also have a website: https://www.tucknreds.com/

At the weekend, I went to explore the Paws on the Wharf charity sculpture trail across Canary Wharf. The sculptures depict guide dogs, each designed and painted differently by artists. The charity sculpture trail, which was held from the end of March, is available for eight weeks over the spring months. The sculptures will be auctioned off and raise money for charity Guide Dogs. It was put together with Wild In Art.

I had fun locating the sculptures, and a lot of others were also out locating them too. The weather was very bright and warm, and I located all of the sculptures.

Dot to Dog 

Dog Stars

Baskerville

Every Man has their day - painted by street artist Dom Pattinson

Where's Theia

Bark to the Future

Life is Golden

Spectrum

Day off At the Beach

Straight On

Jurassic Bark

Herby's Tail; Hearts of Gold

Baskerville; Cobalt

Paws for Thought; Poncho

Life is Golden; For the Love of Dogs

Trusty; Visionaries

Guide Dog Adventures; Guide Lines

On the day of the total solar eclipse, I had lunch at the Buckeye Express Diner in Bellville, Ohio and then stayed there to watch the eclipse. The restaurant is unique because it is set inside of a disused steam engine carriage and cabose off of a major road. The restaurant interior is a shrine to the Buckeyes Ohio State football. 

The restaurant sits on a hill and offers a menu of comfort food. There are other items around the steam engine, such as a buffalo, pony, and teepee and other wild west items.

The world's largest bobble-head is also present behind the diner and depicts a chef carrying two hamburgers.

I had the toasted grilled cheese sandwich and a side of onion rings. The food was tasty.

This is a unique place to stop on a road trip and take advantage of the food. The train whistles can also be blown by pulling on a string, and there's other attractions for children. A short walk down the hill goes to a hotel with a pool and another restaurant (an Amish one) with a shop and bakery, and there's also a Dunkin' Donuts here too.

I was excited to see a new restaurant in Zanesville, Ohio, on my visit at the end of March. The restaurant had just opened, and Indian cuisine is not common in Ohio; this made it even more special. I went to try it out to see how it compared to restaurants in London. It is a proper Indian restaurant with delicious food. I had the paneer starter, which was served with different dips. The paneer tasted diffrent to what we get in London. For the main, I asked for the spiciest dish with the spicest heat level. I had rice and naan bread. I went with my mother.

The restaurant is located in downtown Zanesville, Ohio. The building was a former grocery company, and there was an in-built safe at the front.

Overall, the food was delicious, and the service was very friendly. I will return the next time I am in Zanesville.

I visited the U.S.A. to see my family over Easter for a couple of weeks. They are located a few miles from the 2024 total eclipse zone, so I had a short drive to the eclipse totality zone in order to view nearly four minutes of total eclipse, and let me tell you about how amazing it was. I have obviously seen partial eclipses before in Ohio and also in England but never a total one. The last total solar eclipse in Ohio was in 1806, and it was called "Tecumseh Eclipse" named after the Shawnee leader.

The eclipse started about one hour before it totally obscured the sun. Then, it went back the other direction. During the total eclipse, I could look at the sun without straining my eyes.

I had my camera and eclipse glasses ready.

During the eclipse, the colours were different. We were told that reds and greens were the best colours to heighten the experience of the eclipse.

After the eclipse, it was the drive home, and many places were doing eclipse specials. I got this eclipse ice cream.

During my visit to the U.S.A, it rained every day after the first day of my visit until the last day, which was the eclipse day. The weather got nice and warm. Before that, we were worried if we would even get to see the eclipse due to the bad weather and cloud, and the weather was changing at every moment. I am glad that the skies were clear and we had perfect viewing for the eclipse.

I love neon signs, and I came across a display at Leadenhall Market. The display of signs was created by Kemp London, which create neon signs for sale and to rent for films and television. A few years ago, another neon sign company (God's Own Junkyard) also displayed several neon signs in one of the units at Leadenhall Market. Kemp has been creating signs in London since the mid-1800s.

For lovers of neon sign art, view the other blog posts below:

• God's Own Junkyard Exhibition at Leadenhall Market: Electric City
• A Morning at God's Own Junkyard, London

Wendy's fast food restaurant started its life in Ohio in the United States, which is where I was born. The restaurant recently came to the United Kingdom's shores with one opening nearby in Uxbridge on the outskirts of London. I decided to pay the restaurant a visit and to have my favourite spicy chicken sandwich. The food tastes the same or very similar as it does in the U.S.A, but the fries taste different. (I know they had changed the recipe for them in the U.S.A. too.) 

At the time of writing this post, this is one of two Wendy's restaurants in London. There's also one in Croydon. There are a few others located around other cities in the United Kingdom.

While in Brussels in February, I visited he automobile museum called Autoworld. I visited and enjoyed the rally of Volkswagn cars, which I covered here: Love Bugs Parade at Brussels Autoworld. The museum was busy due to the rally, and I listened to audio guides with my mobile phone to learn about the cars on display.

The museum is located a few miles outside of the city centre in the Parc du Cinquantenaire. 

At the entrance is an archway, which was inspired by London's Marble Arch/

I started off at the exhibits of the older cars first, before going to the other eras, American cars, collection cars, toys, racing cars, and much more.

There was a special Volkswagen on display to celebrate for the Volkswagen lovers and owners.

One area of the museum was dedicated to the cars of the TinTin comic strip.

Autoworld had so much to see and do, and I enjoyed my visit.

Located on Great Titchfield Street is the Italian restaurant Sergio's. When I used to work on Great Portland Street nearly fifteen years ago, my colleagues and I were spoiled for choice for lunch in this part of London, and we did visit this restaurant a few times. However, it was across the street and in a smaller building. After nearly fifteen years, I re-visited the restaurant. I noticed that it was fully decorated right after Christmas, but they started to take down some of the lights by the time late January came, and my visit was then.

I had a cocktail to start with, which was good enough. They didn't have any room for me inside the restaurant, so I had to sit on one of the outside tables, which made all of the light have a reddish glow.

I ordered the garlic bread for starters. 

This was followed by chicken kiev.

Finally, I had the profiteroles for dessert.

Overall, the food was okay. I did enjoy the started and the dessert, but the chicken kiev was not my favourite. Being in this part of London certainly brought back those memories of the summer of 2010.