RWC2015 Round-Up: Week 4 – Time to say goodbye

October 11, 2015 by Eve England

This was the fourth week of the tournament, and the last time we would see all twenty nations together in Union. It was now or never for many of the competitors, promising another exhilarating week of international rugby!

#CANvROM

Wow! What a start to week four! Romania beat Canada with the biggest come back in World Cup history! There is just no end to th excitement of this pool stage! Fantastic stuff!

#FJIvURU

Fiji become the First Nation to formally exit the tournament, and it was sad to have seen the last of the Cibi. It was always going to be an impossible task for this proud rugby nation to escape the grasp of the doomed Group of Death. But Uruguay got their first World Cup try in 12 years – congrats! We’ll see you both next time!

#RSAvUSA

After a brave defence, the Eagles held on at half time giving South Africa only a 14-0 lead, but the second half was not as kind to the USA as the Springbox racked up a whopping fifty points by the final whistle. USA were left dejected with the FT score of 64-0.

But for the Bokkes, it was an entirely different story, as winger Bryan Habana equalled rugby legend Jona Lomu’s World Cup try record by scoring a hattrick. Habana will have the opportunity to set his own record in the knockout stage!

#NAMvGEO

Both Namibia and Georgia had something to play for in the day’s second match-up at Sandy Park. Namibia were looking to win their first ever World Cup game, but Georgia’s sights were firmly on the possibility of qualifying automatically for a place in RWC2019.

It was going to be a clash of giants, as Namibia’s Jacques Burger faced the gargantuan Gordoze of Georgia.

But no one expected the game that followed…

Burger suffered a head injury early on in the first half, leaving Namibia without their talisman for the remainder of the match. His team, however, put in a plucky performance as Burger encouraged enthusiastically from the sideline.

After what seemed like an endless first half (adding almost ten minutes to the end) Namibia managed to see off the Georgian attack and left the pitch with an unprecedented first half 6-0 lead. But it had come at a price, as Namibia started the second half with two men short, having picked up two yellow cards in the extra time of the first. After two quick tries from Georgia, Namibia seemed destined for a smashing.

Namibia, however, against all odds, ended the game within a point of stealing the win from Georgia’s grasp, and Kotze became Namibia’s leading point scorer as he converted his own try in the last quarter to close the gap. And there it was: Namibia’s first World Cup point! For Georgia, it was also a spectacular night, as they knew they could go home and start making preparations for Japan 2019! #RugbyIsOurGame

We later had it confirmed that Burger had played his last game for Namibia, his head injury preventing him from playing his final game against Argentina later in the week.

But quite fitting, he stated, to end his international career with a knock-out! Namibia’ll miss you Jacques!

#NZLvTGA

The battle of the Pacific kicked off with a moving standoff between the Haka and the Sipi Tau, and the war song clearly galvanised the Tongans into an insanely brutal first half performance. The first half saw the All Blacks caught off guard and their nerves and frustration saw them end the first half with only a 14-3 lead and their leader Kieran Read in the bin.

But it was a tale of two halves as the sensational All Blacks came back with purpose and spectators were blessed with a try fest courtesy of Milner-Skudder and Nonu, the latter celebrating his 100th cap.

The All Blacks had convincingly put to bed any suggestion that they were nothing less than determined to defend their world title.

#SAMvSCO

I would bet money on the fact that I was not the only person routing for a Samoan win yesterday afternoon, as a win for Samoa would have given Japan a place in the quarter finals for the first time ever.

But it wasn’t to be, as Samoa fell painfully short of pulling off yet another RWC2015 upset.

#AUSvWAL

Lowest ever scoring game between these two countries. It was tense, and the win came down to a kick-off between Biggar and Foley. It was a try-less game, and Wales failed to get past the immovable brick-wall-like Wallaby defence.

Wales’ defeat meant Wales will face the South Africans at Twickenham next weekend and news that Liam Williams will be absent from the clash does not bode well for Welsh aspirations of progressing to the semis.

#ENGvURU

There was something quite poignant about watching the England team line up for the anthems for the last time at Twickenham, as their game against Uruguay was to be their last of the tournament. Having started with such promise three weeks ago against Fiji, the surprise defeat against Wales had sent an entire nation into mourning.

But they managed to end with a convincing win, and they should take heart by the fact that it was an exceptional set of circumstances that led them to this point, and to accept that it was just not England’s time.

#ARGvNAM

Argentina were already through to the quarters, as runners up, but they ended their pool stage campaign with a comfortable 9 try win against Namibia. It was great to see Johnny Redelinghuys’ conversion attempt, which was impressively close and a great way to end the match and tournament for the Namibians! They made their captain Jacques proud, however, by scoring three brilliant tries against the Pumas, and prove that the minnows off rugby are no more.

I have loved watching the Namibians, and I hope to see them again at RWC2019!!

Thank you Jacques!

#ITAvROM

There was a lot at stake today between these two sides, as victory would give the winner an automatic place at RWC2019.

It was another try fest, as after a close start, and a late come back attempt by the Oaks, the Italians secured their third place, and we bid farewell to these two teams until next time.

#FRAvIRE

The Millennium Stadium was poised for the biggest game of the day. Another must win for both Ireland and France as victory in Cardiff would mean avoiding the All Blacks in the quarter finals. But the French let the Irish walk all over them, and failed to let loose their elusive French flair.

But if anyone can beat the All Blacks, then the French certainly have the credentials to do so, having knocked out the Southern Hemisphere Giants in Cardiff back in 2007. Ireland, whilst facing the marginally less intimidating Pumas, find themselves without their captain Paul O’Connell, who sadly may have also played his last game for Ireland.

The gingerbread were also very fortunate to have secured tickets to the game and were chaperoned by a ridiculous looking chicken…

#USAvJPN

After the monumental part the Brave Blossoms have played in RWC2015 so far, Japan was looking to secure its third win in the tournament. The final pool gave finished with a flourish, but sadly for Japan, this will have been the only time a team will have won three games yet failed to reach the knockout stage, and the loss to Scotland proved devastatingly costly.

But there is no question that the bravery of these warriors has had a lasting impact in the game, and one cannot fail to be extremely excited at the prospect of the tournament being hosted by the Japanese next time around!

#TeamOfTheTournament

And here endeth the final game of the pool stage, as twenty becomes eight. Next weekend sees the victorious eight progress to the legendary knock-out stages of the tournament. Update to follow over the next couple of days on Part II of RWC2015!!

RWC2015 Round-Up – Week 3: Historic Heartbreak at HQ

October 4, 2015 by Eve England

All eyes were on England this week, following its defeat by Wales last Saturday. We were on the cusp of one of the greatest RWC upsets of all time…

#TGAvNAM

Another exceptional and historic match in Exeter, as Namibia narrowly miss out on securing their first World Cup win. Captain Jacques Burger was visible frustrated, but the team can be proud in their continued resilience.

The mighty Burger scored two tries, allowing Namibia to make history by scoring three tries in a single World Cup game. Kurt Morath also made history for himself as he became Tonga’s highest ever point scorer.

Congratulations all round!

#WALvFJI

Fiji became the first team to be officially eliminated from the World Cup after their defeat at the hands of Wales at the Millennium Stadium on Thursday.

But it was not after they did their utmost to spoil Wales’ party, by bringing their collective force to an already depleted Wales outfit. It was tight for the whole of the 80 minutes, and Fiji looked powerful and dangerous, and thwarted Wales’ attempt to secure the bonus point.

This could have been significant, and an entire nation had a vested interest in England losing to Australia in Twickenham, to avoid Wales having a must win game against the Aussies next week.

Another RWC2015 milestone was also reached, as total attendance rocketed past the 1 million mark.

#FRAvCAN

This time it was all about #MagicMichalak as France secured a victory over the Red Nation. Michalak has now become France’s highest World Cup point scorer. At one stage, the Canadians looked like they had rattled the French, as they turned a 17-0 deficit into a 17-13 scoreline, but the French managed to pull away and secure a bonus point for their cause.

The game at the Millennium Stadium next Sunday will be the Pool D decider, as France take on Ireland.

#NZLvGEO

The whole of the Millennium Stadium was behind Georgia against the All Blacks on Friday, as the Gargantuan Georgians put in a gallant performance.

The final score did not accurately reflect the game, and it was a close game for the majority of the match, with Georgia trailing by only 20-10 well into the last quarter.

A spectacular early try by Beka Tsiklauri saw Georgia score for the first time against the New Zealand legends, and the stoicism of the Georgian effort was cemented by the declaration of captain Mamuka “Gorgozilla” Gorgodze as Man of the Match.

It has been a pleasure experiencing these “Tier 2” nations excelling at the highest level, and once again there are calls to extend the Six Nations championship.

#SAMvJPN

It was a disappointing performance by the Samoans, as poor discipline saw the side on the receiving end of multiple penalties and receiving an unprecedented three yellow cards.

Despite Japan’s awesome participation so far, it looks likely that the Brave Blossoms will fail to progress out of Pool B.

#RSAvSCO

A Scotland win would have seen the twice world champions exiting the tournament, with Scotland and Japan battling it out in the knock out round. But unfortunately for Japan, it was not to be, as Scotland failed to do what Japan managed in the tournament’s opening weekend.The highlight of the game, unquestionably, was the class put down by referee Nigel Owens in response to Stuart Hogg’s shameless dive. Nigel made it clear, in classic Nigel fashion, that football dives had no place on the rugby field. Watch Hogg being BURNED! here:

#ThisIsNotFootball

#ENGvAUS

It’s World Cup final day! Oh no, wait, it’s PoolA decider time!

After England’s extraordinary defeat to Wales last weekend, England had to win against Australia to avoid becoming the first host nation to be knocked out of the World Cup in the group stage. It was nail biting stuff, but the Wallabies proved the more dominant side, as the Hooper-Pocock partnership, in particular, punished England. The pressure in the scrummage also played a considerable part in England’s downfall, as Romain Poite strictly penalised Marler in favour of the more powerful side. Bernard Foley’s individual genius didn’t help.

England almost escaped the clutch of the “group of death,” however, as they bravely came back to within a try of the Australians, but Farrell’s dangerous tackle on Matt Giteau left England without the depth needed to overcome the odds already stacked against them.

Australia were, more often than not, brilliant, and remain strong contenders to lift the Webb Ellis cup in less than a month’s time. But this will come as little consolation to England, who will have a period of soul searching ahead of them. The pressure, it seemed, was just too great.

Whist the reasons for this catastrophic exit are yet to be fully analysed, there is no question that the tournament is poorer for their departure.

#ARGvTGA

Fly half Sanchez led the Pumas to a decisive win over Tonga, securing a bonus point and an almost sure second place ahead of Tonga in PoolC. Two quick successive tries by Imhoff and Tuculet gave the Pumas a solid lead, but it was not all about Argentina, as Kurt Morath and Tonga’uiha both scoring impressive tries.

All in all it was another action packed RWC game!

#IREvITA

At half time there was little between these two sides, with Ireland clutching only a narrow 10-6 lead over Italy. With the return of Sergei Parisse having galvanised the Italians, the smell of another upset was certainly in the air. However, Ireland managed to pull ahead courtesy of the reliable boot of Sexton.

It will be an exciting Pool decider at the Millennium Stadium next week as Ireland face France.

What next for #RWC2015…

There is now only one week of group stage games left to play, and we are getting closer to seeing which eight teams have the opportunity to be named World Champions.

RWC 2015 Round-Up – Week 2: The Bokkes bounce-back, as chariots are derailed by dragons…

September 27, 2015 by Eve England

Just another week at the RWC2015!

#AUSvFJI

The Wallabies kicked off their tournament against Fiji but failed to secure the coveted bonus point.

The pool of death, PoolA, remains there for the taking!

#SCOvJPN

Following Japan’s monumental game against South Africa four days earlier, the rugby world eagerly awaited Japan’s return to Kingsholm to see if they could further cement their position in Pool B. However, disappointingly, it was not meant to be, as Scotland thwarted Japan’s ambitions for knock-out stage glory.

#NZLvNAM

A gutsy performance by Namibia led All Blacks coach, Steve Hansen, to declare Jacques Burger’s Namibia as “worthy opponents”, proving that Tier 2 teams are able to put pressure on the powerhouses of international rugby.

#FRAvROM

France predictably beat Romania at the glorious Olympic Stadium in East London and continue to look dangerous for the title.

#ARGvGEO

Argentina secured a record World Cup win against Georgia making a place in the quarters a sure thing for the Pumas. #VamosPumas

#ITAvCAN

It was a thrilling match at #EllandRoad as Canada held their own against Italy. Mauro Bergamasco made history as he became the first player to make five consecutive World Cup appearances, having made his debut against England in 1999. Well deserving of the “superhero” accolade on #BatmanDay !

#RSAvSAM

Can the Bokkes bounce back? Yes they can! After their humiliating defeat at the hands of the Brave Blossoms last week, South Africa took their fury out on their next opponents, Samoa. Sadly, it was confirmed after the match that captain and talisman Jean de Villiers would be retiring from international rugby as he suffered a fractured jaw during the match. A sure loss to the Sringbox but also for the sport as a whole.

But it was not all about RSA: not wanting to be outdone, Samoa made this yet another historic RWC game as the three Pisi brothers (George, Ken and Tusi) played together, making them the first in World Cup history to do so. #LeManu

#ENGvWAL

And then it was time for THE game of the tournament so far, with bitter rivals England taking on Wales at Twickenham. After a convincing start for the hosts, the last twenty minutes saw the Chariots disintegrate into chaos, as the wounded dragons delivered a marginal win against all the odds.

The brilliant composure (and Macarena-esq kicking prep routine, now being referred to as the Biggarena) of Dan Biggar saw the Osprey’s player make history by scoring a record 23 points, the most by a Welsh player in any single World Cup game to date.

But the victory came at an awful price, as Wales suffered three more injuries at the hands of bulldozer Burgess and company. It has yet to be seen whether Wales’ depleted pack can survive what Fiji and Australia will inevitably throw their way, and to see if they can secure their place in the knock-out round. Let’s hope their resilience and courage takes them the full distance.

#AUSvURU

Australia added to England’s woes today as they racked up a significant win against Uruguay. Their bonus point and point tally puts Australia firmly at the top of the table, with England currently sitting in third place.

But all is not lost for England, as a win against Australia and Uruguay could yet see them avoid the infamy of becoming the first hosts to fail to move past the group stage. All eyes will be on Wales against Fiji on Thursday, as a loss for Wales would spark much needed optimism within the England camp!

#SCOvUSA

After a solid start and half time lead for the States, the Eagles failed to exploit their momentum as Scotland stole the game.

#IREvROM

Ireland continued their winning form in a comfortable, although not perfect, performance over Romania. There was also a hat-trick for veteran winger Tommy Bowe.

A record RWC crowd attended this group game at Wembley 89,267! It is looking likely that Pool D winner will be determined by the epic IREvFRA clash in Cardiff scheduled for the 11th October.

Nerves will be high for Pool A in Thursday as Wales take on Fiji – It’ll be crunch time all over again!!

RWC2015 Round – Up – Week 1 – A new age has begun

September 20, 2015 by Eve England

#ENGvFJI
Magic Mike gets England off to a winning start against Fiji at the tournament’s opener in Twickenham.

#TGAvGEO
Georgia get us ready for the tournament’s first upset by snatching a win from the grasp of rugby tough guys Tonga. A day for record breaking as scrum half Vasil Lobzhanidze becomes youngest RWC player. Also a noteworthy performance from captain Gorgodzilla!

#IREvCAN
No surprises in Cardiff as Ireland take the win against Red Nation Canada.

#RSAvJPN
The Brave Blossoms make rugby history in Brighton as they beat the Boks in magnificent style. That’s a 100%win rate against rugby giants, South Africa and only the nation’s second ever world cup win. The axis of power has certainly shifted. Breathtaking performance by the Pacific warriors! This is why we love rugby.

#FRAvITA
Strong performance from an on-form French side against an Italian side weakened by the absence of its talisman, Parisse. We can expect great things from France; despite the blow of losing talented Huget.

#SAMvUSA
Everyone was in high spirits as Samoa took on the Eagles at Brighton. USA had some flourishes, but couldn’t quite match the power of #LeManu. Should have brought Carlin Isles…

#WALvURU
And we were back at the Millennium Stadium to watch Wales kick off their campaign against underdogs Uruguay. After an excellent start, Uruguay fell short as Wales pushed forward to a convincing victory. But it wasn’t without sacrifice, as Liam Williams and Cory Allen add to Wales’ injury woes.

#NZLvARG
After a shaky start, and having allowed the Pumas to take the mid – way lead, the reigning champions showed they are still the favorites to retain the Webb Ellis trophy and remain on track to secure a successive title. But Argentina can take comfort in the fact that they forced rugby’s golden boy, Richie McCaw, to be shown his third ever yellow card, and denied the All Blacks a coveted bonus point.

Round two kicks off on Wednesday! #6weeksofrugbyheaven

Biscuits in Union – Rugby World Cup 2015

September 16, 2015 by Eve England

The 2015 Rugby World Cup kicks off this weekend, and is being hosted in England, the spiritual home of the rugby.

Legend has it that the game was invented by Rugby School student, William Webb Ellis, when he decided to pick up the ball during a regular football (soccer) game, thus inventing the egg-shaped ball game we all love today. The rest, as they say, is history.

The RWC represents the pinnacle of the international game, with the world’s elite players from twenty nations scrummaging it out to get their hands on the glorious Webb Ellis Cup.

As far as such tournaments go, the Rugby World Cup is still in its infancy, and this year’s competition will be only the eighth since the inaugural event in 1987. During this short period, the game has undergone significant changes, including turning professional in 1995, but in spite of initial concerns with this conversion, the sport’s popularity has continued to grow over the last twenty years (according to World Rugby, formally the IRB, there are over 7.2 million registered players of the game across the globe), and this year’s tournament promises to be one of the biggest in its history.

There will be a total of 40 group stage games, following which there will be eight knock-out games (played out by the top two teams of each of the four groups) culminating in the final to be played on Saturday 31st October. Here is a biscuit representation of the World Cup challengers:

#AUS #ENG #WAL #FJI #URU

#RSA #SAM #SCO #JPN #USA

#NZL #ARG #TGA #GEO #NAM

#FRA #IRE #ITA #CAN #ROM

All eyes will be on hosts England, as they look to challenge the Southern Hemisphere dominants to secure a second world title, and England’s campaign starts against legendary big hitters, Fiji, on Friday evening at 8pm.

May the best biscuit win!

WAnderlust Series: 10 Things I Love about Seattle

September 12, 2015 by Eve England

As the setting of one of my favourite movies, I thought it would be fun to introduce this wonderful city through the medium of verse, paying homage to the poem penned for the movie’s finale. Whilst no-where near a perfect example, it should give you a taste of what wonders await you if you can make time for a visit.

I LOVE the way you over-look

The waters of the Puget Sound

I LOVE the way Mount Rainier looms

For all to see from miles around.

***

I LOVE your retro Space Needle

And your awesome monorail.

I LOVE your bars like e-Smith Mercantile

I’ll miss your crafty ales.

***

I LOVE the way you love your food

I LOVE it at Pike Place

I LOVE Biscuit Bitch and Starbucks

Gobbled up without a trace.

***

I LOVED my trip to the Emerald City:

The seaplanes, the Seahawks and stacks of sockeye.

But mostly, Seattle, I LOVED your charm

And that I’ll miss, much more than a little bit: Time to say goodbye.

***

WHAT TO DO IN SEATTLE – A VISUAL TOUR

LODGING

The Warwick Seattle

RECOMMENDED FOOD JOINTS

Biscuit Bitch 1909 1^ST Avenue (closed Tuesdays)

Pike Place Market

Shiro’s Sushi 2401 2^nd Avenue

Starbucks and Tasting Room 1124 Pike Street

Original Starbucks 1912 Pike Place

Rachel’s Gingerbeer 1610 12th Avenue

Molten Hot Cakes 5427 Ballard Avenue

BARS

E-Smith Mercantile 208 First Avenue South

Canon Whiskey and Bitters Emporium 982 12^th Avenue

Radiator Whiskey 94 Pike Street

ATTRACTIONS

Seattle Aquarium

Great Wheel

Museum of Flight

Visit REI’s flagship store

Cinerama

Kenmore Air Seaplane Trips

EMP and Monorail

Space Needle

Emerald City Trolley Tours

Pioneer Square

Fremont Troll

Century Link Field – Seahawks Football

Visit Kerry Park and Gaswork Park for skyline views

Gumwall, Pike Place

Seattle Public Library

Super Elephant Carwash

SIDE TRIPS

If you have the time, there are three National Parks within 3 hours of Seattle: Mount St. Helens, Snoqualmie Falls (Twin Peaks), Mount Rainier, North Cascades and the Olympic National Park (including Twilight country) (more on these in later posts!)

Please Stand By…

August 31, 2015 by Eve England

November 10th sees the release of Fallout 4. It would be an understatement to say that everyone is excited about it. In fact, there is no disputing that Fallout mania has taking hold over the gaming community, perpetuating the frenzied popularity of this established video game franchise.

Fallout 4 is based in the New England area, focusing on the city of Boston, and unusually kicks off as the bombs start falling in 2077. The rest of the game will see your character emerging from Vault 111 as its sole survivor. Game studio Bethesda is said to have made some changes to the gameplay since Fallout 3, including more crafting options, and introducing the smart phone compatible Pip-Boy (which is available to those who pre-ordered the special edition), which promises a more dynamic interaction between the gamer and the universe’s infamous wasteland.

If you can’t wait until November to get your Fallout fix, however, try out the free Mobile mini game, Fallout Shelter, which gives you the chance to build and manage your own Vault-Tec survival vault.The Vault has capacity for a maximum 200 dwellers, although I have only managed to get a dweller tally of 64 so far! As you would expect, each dweller has certain defined attributes, based on the familiar Fallout SPECIAL stat-ometer (strength, perception, endurance, charisma, intelligence, agility and luck). These qualities can be improved and developed throughout the game by installing bars, libraries, game rooms and training centres where you can send your dwellers to effectively “train”, resulting in the relevant statistic being “leveled-up”.The main aim of the game is to protect your dwellers and keep them happy. To do this you have to expertly manage your Vault’s key resources namely water, food and electricity, by ensuring that the right dwellers are assigned to the vault’s different rooms (e.g. dwellers with higher agility ratings will maximise food yields in the cafeterias). You will also need to encourage dwellers to reproduce, and those with higher charisma levels will generally procreate most efficiently. Dwellers can also be sent out into the wasteland in search of much-needed weapons and other loot (bottle caps, outfits etc.).The tranquility of the Vault will be regularly disturbed by raider attacks, Deathclaw attacks (since a recent App upgrade), radroach infestations and fires. These incidents can lead to deaths, and so it is important to strategically distribute powerful weapons amongst your inhabitants.The game was released as a clever marketing promotion by Bethesda, but it is surprisingly good for a free game and is worth spending at least a weekend watching your Vault empire grow! I for one am looking forward to the real thing coming out in a couple of month’s time, and I am excited to have an excuse to host a Fallout Thanksgiving party at the end of November!!

See my previous blogs on hosting a Fallout Party and taking a tour of some of Fallout: New Vegas’s real locations.

WAnderlust Series: Celebrating the National Park Service

August 25, 2015 by Eve England

The National Park Service is today celebrating its 99th year – Happy Birthday NPS!!

The NPS was established by Congress on the 25^th August 1916 by virtue of the Organic Act, with a statutory mission “to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and wildlife therein, and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.“

At this time, there were only 5 National Parks, including two of the most well-known, Yellowstone and Yosemite, and over the past century, the National Park system has grown exponentially to include over 450 areas of national importance, including National Monuments and Historic Sites.

The NPS is faced with a continuing challenge to operate with boundaries its original mission statement, and the NPS’ constantly changing approach to national Park management epitomizes this struggle. It is difficult to imagine how visitors to the US’ parks have in the past been encouraged to feed and interact with the wild critters of the parks, as well as unsympathetically altering the natural surroundings in an foolish attempt to market the Parks as “America’s Playground”. Fortunately, however, times have changed, as the NPS has reverted to its original methods of preserving the pristine wildernesses it serves. Next year sees the centennial celebrations commence, and the National Park Services will be planning a year-long calendar of events to mark this special milestone.

I love the National Parks, and it would be amazing to get to visit all 59 of them (plus as many as possible of the remaining National Monuments and other facilities).

The main reason we love the National Parks is the sheer diversity of landscapes, flora and fauna that you can explore. The unbelievable scale of everything there, whether it be the geology or the size of the ancient trees, is often overwhelming, and makes our fantastic UK countryside appear insignificant by comparison. It is difficult to explain the sheer awesomeness of the National Parks to those who haven’t experienced them, and for this reason alone, it is important that everyone looks to experience at least one of these fantastic places in their lifetime.

Over the next few weeks, I will be focusing on our recent trip to the States of Washington and Oregon, featuring three beautiful but very different National Parks – Olympic NP, North Cascades NP and the region’s most visited, Mount Rainier NP.

#FINDYOURPARK

Admiral, there be whales here!

August 23, 2015 by Eve England

The coastal region of the Pacific Northwest’s Olympic National Park is known for its rich marine mammal population, with Orca’s, harbor porpoises and migrating grey whales commonly sighted at different times during the year. Its rugged and wild coastline provides a uniquely rich habitat for other species of marine life too, including the spectacular star fish and the gorgeous sea otter.

Our short trip to the rustic Kalaloch Lodge (located within the National park Boundary) in July lived up to our expectations, by providing us with an unexpected front row view of one of the world’s largest and most loved mammals, the Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae). The Humpback can grow to 50 feet, and has an unusual melodic song and playful character, making it one of the most endearing of the baleen family.

Whilst we have subsequently learned that this summer has seen an unprecedented number of Humpback sightings along the Washington coast, we originally mis-identified these gentle giants as grey whales, due in part to the lack of any mention of humbacks in the “whale trail” information boards posted along Kalaloch Beach.

We were pleased to learn, however, from the good fellows at the Marine Mammal Institute at Oregon State University, who identified the sightings from our photographs. We were entertained for hours by the graceful spy-hopping and feeding of the Humpback off the coast, and we didn’t even have to leave the comfort of our bluff cabin porch. It was a magical evening.

Humpback Whales have always been one of my favourite marine mammals, and this is largely due to the featuring of these whales in my then favorite Star Trek movie, the franchise’s fourth installment, The Voyage Home. The movie is the only movie where there is no traditional villain, and instead, humanity turns our to be the bad guy. Our past whaling exploits are unveiled to have put the future of the human race in jeopardy, as an alien probe returns to the twenty second century to communicate with the then extinct Humpback whale. The probe, clearly, isn’t happy that he is unable to sing with the whales after having travelled so far, and it is left to Kirk and his trusted crew (this time onboard a Klingon bird of prey) to return to a 1980s San Francisco to locate and retrieve a specimen of the species back to the future to save the planet from the probe and imminent destruction.

If you ignore the ultimate paradox of the movie (i.e. that in removing one of the planet’s only breeding pairs together with one of their most passionate biologists, the crew’s actions make the whale’s extinction inevitable), the movie choice of subject matter embodies the public’s engagement with Greenpeace’s “Save the Whale” campaign in the late twentieth century.

Whilst some look to argue that the movie proved to be a catalyst in the campaign, at the time of the movie’s release in 1986, the fate of the Humpbacks was already improving, following urgent conservation action being taken in previous decades culminating in a total ban in the mid 60s, and designation of the whales as endangered in 1970. The world, for the first time, came together in an attempt to repopulate the species after industrial whaling had decimated over 90% of the planet’s population of Humpbacks in less than a century.

Our surprise encounter with the Humpback is living proof that the conservation efforts of the last thirty years have made a difference to the future prosperity of this fantastic species, and numbers in the Pacific Northwest region are thriving, with numbers believed to over 20,000. So much so that there are even petitions to look to remove the species from the endangered list, although the ongoing plight of other segments of the species (for example there are as few as 100 whales in some southern areas) means that the population as a whole remains at threat, reminding us that there is still some way to go to repopulate the oceans with numbers reflecting those before commercial whaling became prevalent.

As Mr Spock observes in the movie: “To hunt a species to extinction is not logical”. Dr Gillian Taylor responds fittingly: “Whoever said the human race was logical?”. Whilst this retort may have been an accurate assessment of past generations, a growing acknowledgement of the importance of a harmonious relationship with the natural world around us looks to offer greater optimism for the survival of our planet’s most wonderful and largest living things.

Hey You Guys!

August 13, 2015 by Eve England

June 6^th saw Astoria celebrate the 30^th Anniversary of its most famous cinematic icon – The Goonies.

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A classic 1980’s adventure movie, where a group of intrepid youngsters embark on a final fanciful adventure to discover the resting place of infamous pirate One-Eyed-Willie, in the hope they can use the hidden treasure to thwart the scheduled demolition of their beloved “Goon-Docks” to make way for a country club golf course. Early on in their exploits, the Goonies find themselves being pursued by master criminals, the Fratelli’s, intensifying further their already perilous journey, during which they battle against ingenious pirate booby-traps and a mysterious giant octopus. The challenges, however, only make the group stronger than ever, and the kidnapped “boy who cried wolf” Chunk makes Sloth, the gentle giant, an honorary Goonie (the actor John Matuszak, was a twice Super Bowl Champion with the Oakland Raiders, but was known as the “bad boy” of the NFL and died only four years after the release of the Goonies at only 38 years old).

Do the Truffle Shuffle

In August, we made a slight detour from our Washington road trip down beyond the Oregon border to pay homage to the now cult classic. Astoria proved one of the unexpected highlights of our trip – it was a gorgeous fishing village with plenty of individual charm and quirkiness. We wish we had factored in a few more days here, and it comes highly recommended, whether you are a Goonies fan or not. For more general, non-Goonie-related information about visiting Astoria, see the end of this piece.

The Astoria “tour” can be walked, and is just under 4 miles in total (it is another 26 miles to Ecola Park and Cannon Beach even though the Goonies only spent a couple of minutes cycling there in the movie), however, you can also take the waterfront Trolley to the first stop on the tour, the Lower Columbia Bowl if you don’t fancy the walk.

The LC Bowl is where Chuck presses up against the window watching the Fratelli car chase during the opening title sequence, leaving his strawberry milk shake gushing all over the window. The LC Bowl is located on Marina Drive and 8^th. It is still a working bowling alley if you fancied taking some time out of the tour schedule to play.

Next continue up 8^th street towards the Oregon Film Museum (which opened for the 25^th Anniversary of the movie). You will instantaneously recognize the location, as it is the location for the first scene where one of the Fratelli brothers escapes the cells of the town’s historic jailhouse. Tickets for the museum are 6 dollars. There isn’t really much there, but as the location was used both externally and internally, it is worth going in just to stand in the Fratelli’s cell!

Right next to the Oregon Film Museum is the Captain George Flavel House Museum, which was also used as the museum where Mikey’s dad works, and where all of the historic artifacts found by the Goonies in Mr Walsh’s attic (including the 17th century treasure map) are said to have originated. fullsizeoutput_6fd7 You will now need to follow Exchange Street towards the playing fields (John Warren Field) where Andy is coaching the cheerleading team. fullsizeoutput_6fcf
This is where the longest part of the walk comes, at the end of Exchange Street, continue alongMarine Drive until you get back to Franklin Avenue, where you follow the road past the Astor Elementary School (the location of one of my other favourites, Kindergarten Cop starring the best-est, Arnold Schwarzenegger!)… fullsizeoutput_6fcb

… all the way to the end of 38^thStreet (a dead end), and the location of Mikey and Brand’s house a.k.a “the Goonies House”. fullsizeoutput_6fc9

If you want, you can even do a truffle-shuffle outside, although it is worth remembering that this is a private residence, and the privacy of the owners should be respected. If you are driving, you will need to park in the designated parking along the street to avoid congestion.

For the Astoria part of your tour, this is the final stop, and if returning to downtown, you can hop back onto the Trolley from across the street near 36^th Street, or walk if you are feeling more energetic. If you are visiting in late Summer, you may also spot (or indeed hear) the sea lions enjoying the harbourside. fullsizeoutput_6fc5 The vintage streetcar, however, is only a couple of dollars for a day ticket and is pretty cool to ride. You also get the benefit of a narrated history during the journey. Did you know that cable television was started by a guy in Astoria!

To visit the coastal location used in the movie, jump in the car and head southward to Ecola State Park, where you will have a fabulous view of Haystack Rock and the gorgeous sandy beach. You can also spend the day on Cannon Beach too if you have the time. fullsizeoutput_c fullsizeoutput_a61 fullsizeoutput_e97 fullsizeoutput_6fea

We were fortunate to have very un-Goonie-like weather during our trip!

This is our time

For those of us who grew up watching this movie on telly or on worn-out VHS, there is no disputing the movie’s impact and influence on our formative years, with many a long-summer day spent exploring the fields and woods around our homes in search of buried treasure and other adventures. Anyone who didn’t see the movie in the 80s or early 90s really should be asking some serious questions of their parents as to why they were denied opportunity to rent this movie at the video store. If you are one of those poor unfortunate souls, then you may address the shortcomings of your parents by establishing a new tradition for any young-ones that you may be rearing at home, thus ensuring that this wonderful piece of childhood cinema history is preserved in a new generation of wannabe Goonies.

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Astoria Tourist Information

Astoria is about 2 hours from Portland and 3 hours from Seattle.
We stayed at the fabulous Cannery Pier Hotel Cannery Pier Hotel – because the hotel has been built a top the original wooden pilings of the site’s original inhabitant, the Union Fisherman’s Cooperative packing Company (established in 1897), all of the rooms have Columbia River views, and we had an excellent up close and personal view of the impressive 4 mile Astoria-Megler Bridge (opened in 1966 – previously only ferries connected the two state’s shores).
The staff at the hotel were all wonderful, and there is a daily wine and canapé reception for hotel guests, together with a well-stocked continental breakfast in the grand and modern hotel lobby. The hotel does not have a restaurant, but what they offer is a chauffer-driven car (by the wonderful Dick!) to and from a local restaurant. Such a wonderful and unique idea, and certainly beats a single hotel restaurant option.
We chose to go to the Baked Alaska on Pier 12, and gambled with the Chef’s tasting menu and Bar Tender’s choice cocktails – it was fabulous, and highly recommended. The views, again, were spectacular.
Astoria is also home to 5 local craft breweries. We visited two, Buoy’s, a seafront establishment, with a sea lion viewing platform and Fort George Brewery , where you can get an amazing plate of “cheesy chips”. We actually stopped here on our way to the Goonies House as a rest bite from the 90 degree heat!
Visit Travel Astoria for more details, and for Goonie specific inspiration, visit The Goondocks
A great side trip would be to travel east to visit Mount St.Helens.

“Tell us everything.

Everything?

Everything.

Everything. Okay! I’ll talk! In third grade, I cheated on my history exam. In fourth grade, I stole my uncle Max’s toupee and I glued it on my face when I was Moses in my Hebrew School play. In fifth grade, I knocked my sister Edie down the stairs and I blamed it on the dog… When my mom sent me to the summer camp for fat kids and then they served lunch I got nuts and I pigged out and they kicked me out… But the worst thing I ever done – I mixed a pot of fake puke at home and then I went to this movie theater, hid the puke in my jacket, climbed up to the balcony and then, t-t-then, I made a noise like this: hua-hua-hua-huaaaaaaa – and then I dumped it over the side, all over the people in the audience. And then, this was horrible, all the people started getting sick and throwing up all over each other. I never felt so bad in my entire life.” – Lawrence “Chunk” Cohen

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