Minty! And chocolatey!

We saw this last year in the botanical gardens in Bern and have been trying to find it ever since - "After Eight" chocolate mint! It's less chocolately than I remember but still lovely.

Had to stop myself buying a Moroccan mint as well. I don't need three mint plants...

Deep spring

Back in Zurich after spending nearly two weeks in the UK, and trying to get back to normal.

Hmm. Only in Switzerland?

Many types of tomatoes in the local garden centre.

Also possibly only in Germanic countries...

This is what a maple seed pod looks like. I had no idea.

Gorgeous old dining car/engine seen at Zurich station.

We went up to Basel Zoo with Dawn and Simon, and they had Lackerli ice cream!

We spent a few days in and around Bournemouth, and I failed to resist this book when I went up to Reading for a day.

Most of the plants survived! I think I've lost some of the young flower seedlings, and the orchid and basil (to some kind of fungus?) but the veg are clearly made of sterner stuff. The pumpkins are busy growing their second true leaf.

Puntastic mug from the Hawk Conservancy in Andover.

Edinburgh to Newcastle/Gateshead and back

My travels in April didn't stop there, I followed up a few days in Edinburgh with David with a trip down to the twin city of Newcastle/Gateshead for the ITI conference.

What raging lunacy is this?

Don't buy this book. It's an affront to reason...

 A beautiful series of stained glass windows with poetry on Rose Street.

The impressive St Giles Cathedral with its hollow dome.

More beautiful buildings.

A slightly sinister-looking station area at night.

Still a bit sinister.

Another amazing day. 

We did get sunburnt after lying out in the Princes Street Gardens for a while having a picnic.

Giant Ritter Sport in Aldi.

And - surprise - owls! We walked to the shopping centre across the road to get some breakfast and found some adorable owls on display. You could have one perched on your hand for a small fee. You bet we did.

My tiny Scops owl, looking wherever it damn well pleases. In the background, David with "Cuddles" the barn owl. About as good an idea as putting sweets in blister packs, imho.

This looked like a black barn owl, but was actually a different species.

Do not cuddle it.

The scops owl did try for my finger when I put it near its head.

We just caught the last days of Edinburgh's Science Week, including a talk by Robert Llewellyn and a Maker's Faire. This is a photo of a feather taken with cardboard-with-plastic-lens microscopes being given away by the Scottish forestry authority.

Gorgeous cherry blossoms in St Andrews Square again.

Fantastic gardens outside an old bank building.

Hello luv. Spotted in the castle car park.

Some very nice salt caramel ice cream made with local cream.

A statue of Hume! I did enjoy reading him way back when. We saw a passer-by reach out and rub his toe, and it's clearly rubbed regularly, but no idea what benefit that's supposed to bring.

Heart-shaped arrangement of cobblestones outside St Giles Cathedral, flooded by a water leak.

Lunch at a lovely Swedish deli/cafe by the university. Including cardamom roll!

Then my friend took me out to the Botanical Gardens, you could easily spend all day there.

Another surprise owl! This time outside the "Gladstone's Land" tenement building.

Odd graffiti on the way to the hotel in Newcastle.

Strange sculpture in Gateshead.

Jethro Tull, the only people who could get away with "rock opera".

Being a bit too English.

Some of Newcastle/Gateshead's bridges!

And more for good measure. The kittywakes were deafening, and went on all night. The hotel did have a warning about them.

Don't do that when you're hosting a translators' conference.

The day has come - 23 and me genetic testing kits on sale in SuperDrug.

Very tempted for a souvenir of the highlands.