Blackbird Success - so far so good

After watching the pair of blackbirds in my garden working a flat out shuttle system to feed their vocal brood, here's proof that they had some success. We've seen two youngsters out of the nest with the female.

The thing that really surprised me was that they come out of the nest when they're very vulnerable, they can flutter and hop but not fly. The youngsters then live mostly on the ground while they continue to develop while the mother continues to feed them.

When I first saw this one hopping about behind the shrubs in my garden I thought he'd left the nest too soon, but having read up on it a bit, it looks as if it's normal. Seems like a high risk strategy to me but luckily we don't have any cats living nearby.

This photo is at about 2 weeks out of the nest. We're still seeing them around a bit but I think they're nearly at the stage when they'll be on their own. It's been great fun watching them and I'll be a bit sad when they're gone!

In praise of Winchester Cathedral

Winchester, original capital of England, depending of course on how you define England. Without doubt capital of Wessex, which during the Viking years became the dominant kingdom in surviving Anglo Saxon England.

Enough of Anglo Saxon political history. Why visit Winchester Cathedral? Not because it's the prettiest from the outside (it's not), not because it recently featured in the Da Vinci Code (although it did), rather because it is full of unexpected gems:

- Temporary scaffolding that is 500 years old. In the Triforium Gallery you get a fantastic view of the Norman structure of the cathedral. They meant to update it to the same style as the Nave but ran out of money, they'd put some wooden supports in, ready to lower the roof...it's still there 500 years later.

- The Winchester Bible, a gem of a medieval illuminated bible

- See Canute (the king who told the waves to go back) - he and several other Anglo Saxon kings and bishops are buried in finally decorated mortuary chests which are now poised on the walls surrounding the high altar. The oldest one dates to around 670 AD.

- The fantastic modern art that the cathedral continues to commission - a Graham Sutherland sculpture in the crypt, modern icons near the site of the shrine of St Swithin, the altar and candlesticks in the Angler's Chapel

The cathedral is a monument to English history and yet it lives and grows as well. Go and see for yourself.

Lima - redeeming its reputation slightly

Whenever you look at guidebooks or talk to people who've been in Peru for a quick visit, they tell you what a horrible city Lima is. I think they're being a bit unfair!

A lot of it stems from the fact, that if you arrive off an international flight, tired and jet lagged, the first thing you see as you leave the airport are some poor and ugly slums. At this point all the warnings about safety and theft reverberate in your head and you feel distinctly nervous.

You spend maybe a day in the city, being whisked round museums in a blur and closing your eyes and hoping you aren't going to die as the traffic rampages round at speed. If you've come to Peru with Inca ruins and mountain wildnernesses in your head, then Lima isn't going to appeal.

But even for the short stay tourist, there are nice things to do and pretty sights to see. In central historic Lima, efforts have been made to smarten things up and the central square is lovely, with the cathedral providing an electic range of religious art and tombs and San Francisco round the corner with an extensive collection of bones!

And if you have more time, walk down the shopping street between the Plaza de Armas and the Plaza San Martin and start to get a feel for daily life. It might be the city and it might be Lima, but it's all part of Peru and if you want to get to know the real country and not just the tourist hotspots it's a good way to start. 

Brayan and I at Esperanza

Someone else´s election - Reflections on Peru

Today I´m coming home from Peru, as voting takes place in the second round of the Presidential election. It´s been very interesting to see the last two weeks in close up and through the eyes of the national press, rather than through the filter of other foreign observers.

I´ve been asked what do I think and I find it hard to answer, because I´m not a resident and so don´t have lots of background into what is going on but for what it´s worth here goes:

The choice of presidential candidates doesn´t seem a great one as it´s between Ollanta Humalla, who launched a failed coup a few years ago and Alan Garcia, who was president before and failed to do much good for the economy or to successfully tackle terrorist activity. What´s interesting is that watching television performances it´s obvious that the ability to come across as a strong leader by giving charismatic public speeches is really critical in Peru. I´m not sure that´s true anymore in the UK where the ability to manage the press seems more important than true charisma.

There´s been loads of outside commentary or interference. The Peruvian press loathes the interventions of Hugo Chavez and the existing government isn´t happy either. It seems incredible that Chavez, a canny individual, doesn´t seem to have grasped the fact that his continuing commentary is damaging Humalla´s electoral prospects. That or his real intention is continued worldwide pubilicity reinforcing external perceptions that he´s a key leader in South America and the damage it´s doing to Peruvian-Venezuelan relations is a price he´s prepared to pay. On reflection I´d bet on the latter.

By contrast the Chilean government acted decisively to stop Alberto Fuijimori (renegade Peruvian ex president) from talking to foreign press and interfering in the election. Less posturing more action.

From all the polls in the run up it seems that Alan Garcia is going to win handsomely, but whoever does I hope for the country´s sake that they get a president who isn´t corrupt and who works effectively to improve things for all the people in the country and narrows the wealth divide.