Ambarella, Ella ella eh eh

Who could have foretold that me and MrsB should end up in Birmingham Bull Ring and indoor market today? Certainly not me when I woke this morning, as I had intended a full day at the computer.

As fate would have it, I had an unforeseen delivery to make to Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter, and that turned out to be easier to make in person than trust to the post or a courier. I was quite pleased actually to get out, as we have had roadworks going on outside the house now for the past week. My little friend also came along for the drive to keep me company (as well as the bribe promise of exotic fruits from the indoor market).

So it was the drive down the M6 and M5 was uneventful for once. After we came off the motorway I tried to impress MrsB with my handy pub quiz fact as we passed the Hawthorns ground of West Bromwich Albion that it had the highest altitude of any English professional football ground. She was unimpressed, but you never know when that little nugget might be needed. Store it away please.

MrsB was very impressed however when we came to the A41 drive bit through Handsworth into the city centre as specified by my Satnav. Such a vibrant and cosmopolitan road and city, that sums up what makes Britain so great.*

Delivery over, we hit the Bull Ring indoor market, and MrsB had a much-expected field day with Mangostein, Guavas, Custard Apples, Rambutan and something called Ambarella (and of course curry leafs and Scotch Bonnet chillies). For myself, I came out with 2 hand-raised pork pies, a 100g of Whelks, 2 boxes of baby squid and an Octopus.

I also took photos of the chicken feet, skinned sheeps heads (with eyes), tongues, live crabs & lobster, as well as stacks of oversized cows 'trotters'. Such an exotic cornucopia for all the senses, I have uploaded these to my photoblog.

Job done, we headed home. Tea is now on the go - Dhal curry and rice and devilled chilli squid mmm.

I needed that day off.

* Postscript: It only occurred to me afterwards but parts of this A41 road reminded me of the wonderful travelogue called Isolarion by James Attlee. This is a cultural walking 'road trip' along the short but unexpected diversity of Cowley Road in Oxford. It is a highly recommended read. An Isolarion by the way, are those highly detailed, but bounded medievil mico-maps of times gone by, wherein when you left the map to explore the unknown, the "beyond here be dragons" ethic suddenly applied. Excerp here.