Midge bytes

Over Easter I went for a three day tramp with the Alpine club, around Cass Hill near Arthur’s Pass.  It rained the first day and was foggy throughout the six hour hike, so it was a lovely surprise when the second day dawned sunny and blue skies.  It turned out that we were staying in a beautiful twenty person hut surrounded by mountains (Hamilton Hut).  We took it fairly easy the second day, only hiked for about an hour, then spent the afternoon swimming in a river (snow fed, brrr) and relaxing.  The second nights hut was hand built in 1975 and quite shack like, but it was fun for a night!  I do like the huts, it’s really nice to know you can find shelter for a night.  However we were a long way from the pub lunches I take for granted in England, being in a beautiful, unspoilt, remote mountain region has its’ downsides! 

The scenery was really lovely <http://flickr.com/photos/smidgley> and the company was fun, the Alpine club are a nice bunch.  My hiking muscles were surprised to be used again after about a year off from serious walking, but I think a few more long walks and they’ll be back up to full speed…I hope so anyway! 

I have been given several bottles of wine for helping out in wineries   I’m storing it under my bed, for a little while at least! 

I spent ten hours helping press Chardonnay for sparkling wine at the uni winery on Friday afternoon and evening.  It was a fun, messy job!   Very sticky.  My new gum boots (people laugh when I call them wellies) have been well and truly christened.

Apart from that…I went to a farmers market in Lincoln this morning, and bought lots of mushrooms, which I straganoffed for dinner.  It was yummy, I used some red wine vinegar and veggie stock in addition to lots of mushrooms, onions and garlic and paprika.  I also bought strawberries and a pineapple, which are lovely, despite the absence of clotted cream.

This cooking is prevarication from essay writing, which is a slow and painful process.  I’m very glad I had fun in the winery, because it renewed my sense of why I’m here, the academic part will hopefully slot into place, but at least I’m gaining a good understanding of the job I want to do!