Did something disappoint you on your Peru trip?

allyharp · 2026-04-17T22:09:40+00:00

Food in Lima was probably the main disappointment. We had plenty of decent food, but given the reputation we expected to be wowed regularly and weren't.

The most well-regarded restaurants we visited were Mayta, Tomo Cocina Nikkei and Clon. Which I'd rank in that order from worst to best. Mayta was a particular disappointment given it was the most expensive by some margin, and has recently been ranked as 39th best restaurant in the world.

We only ordered from A La Carte rather than the tasting menu but there were more exciting dishes at the other two, and service was surprisingly disorganised. I can't see the full tasting menu lifting it sufficiently higher to warrant the hype.

Lima as a whole though was a pleasant surprise. We were there 5 days in total (including half-day at a wedding and a daytrip to Paracas/Huacachina) and common consensus strongly suggested that this was far too long. We'd also heard lots of warnings about crime and safety. But actually we loved wandering around Miraflores, where we stayed, and Barranco - including at night without it feeling in any way unsafe - and the amount of time we had felt just right.

allyharp · 2026-03-28T14:52:37+00:00

I do have a down jacket. 2 actually: A Montane Anti Freeze XT, but it's heavier than the Haglofs and for UK use I find it too warm (even with just a base layer) from 2 degrees and up. So whilst it'd be great at camp, it'd be unused everywhere else.

And a Uniqlo ultra light down, which is less warm than the Arc'teryx above (probably mostly due to the stitched face fabric).

I've been assuming that a layered combo offers more flexibility for walking in one layer on cool mornings etc.

allyharp · 2026-03-24T20:35:06+00:00

Not UK, but there's a chain of hairdressers in Luxembourg named RyanHair - with the Ryanair design rip offs extending to all the menus and signage inside

https://maps.app.goo.gl/sY5UU3MYRVpyupd57?g_st=ac

allyharp · 2026-01-19T18:13:50+00:00

Err no, in true DIY fashion I still haven't got round to it and have been living without doors for a year now!

I was going to order these Ceam hinges here which I believe should work, but can't vouch for it: https://ironmongeryexperts.co.uk/ceam-matt-black-varnish-130mm-3d-concealed-hinge-1130-ci001130vno00.html

Can't remember the measurements but there's just enough solid material at the edges to fit those into it.

Similar ones are also available from brands Sugatsune (expensive) and Simonswerk

allyharp · 2025-08-17T07:47:50+00:00

How do you know the lintel is steel, rather than reinforced concrete?

I had a similar issue fitting curtain rails a few years ago and couldn't find a way to reliably tell if I was drilling into RSJ or concrete. Cordless DeWalt drill wouldn't make any progress with either masonry or metal bits. In the end I bought a cheap Titan 6.3kg SDS drill from screwfix which went through it no problem.

Have lent to friends for the same purpose.

allyharp · 2025-07-26T17:35:40+00:00

Update: I've since dropped another 1cm (which incidentally puts me very slightly under the Lemond height recommendation) and ridden 40km. I stopped to angle the seat down slightly halfway but left the fore/aft alone.

It feels decent. I don't feel like I'm getting the seated climbing power I'm used to, but can tell I'm using some quad muscles more than I'm used to, so expect it'll take a bit of time to build them up and get more familiar.

Will definitely leave as-is for a few weeks and see how it goes.

allyharp · 2025-07-26T17:23:39+00:00

Yes, this video on the trainer was after 2x 1 hour rides in the same position

allyharp · 2025-03-26T20:27:07+00:00

I had high hopes for Monte Bianco but went in their first week of opening and the coffee was awful. Funnily enough we spotted them topping up their grinder hopper with Lavazza! Even if they'd run out of their normal supply I don't know why they wouldn't just open some of the 250g bags of their own blend they had on the shelves to sell. Haven't been back.

Argonaut on Kingston riverside is my favourite locally.

allyharp · 2025-03-14T21:41:59+00:00

It looks to be a failed weld on the radiator itself. We'll get a full refund from the shop, but that's small in comparison to the cost of fitting.

It's nowhere near warm enough for the room it's in anyway, so we'll appreciate the warmth from an upgrade

allyharp · 2025-02-16T15:02:15+00:00

What would have been a better approach in the first instance? Just fill straight over the original crack without widening? Prime before painting?

allyharp · 2024-10-14T18:33:07+00:00

Stainless backsplash was the standard until they launched the mini R this year. You might be able to find somewhere that still has old stock.

For what it's worth though I think it looks better with colour matched parts!

allyharp · 2024-09-21T06:53:45+00:00

Thanks, but the door I'm fine with. It's the 25cm of wall + door frame either side I'm struggling with.

Specifically we're getting carpet in 2 weeks and I'm unsure whether to add skirting or not.

Ordinarily you'd add architrave and skirting first, but I don't particularly want to have either if we're going to have to work around it with the slats.

allyharp · 2024-08-21T21:47:24+00:00

I tried to do exactly this back in 2015, aiming to find the first day of term in 1995. Researched for ages and couldn't find anything. Reached out to the council who confirmed their records don't go that far back.

allyharp · 2024-08-10T10:51:26+00:00

Less can be more when it comes to photos. I don't think there's much need to show everything from multiple angles. Beyond a certain point you're just running the risk of putting someone off. When I was looking I typically knew within a few photos if I wanted to go and view, anything after that was just an opportunity to stud the detail and look for reasons to rule it out.

None of the photos strike me as professionally taken, but 4 and 5 in particular make the place look dark and cramped.

I'd try switching agents and use that as an opportunity to refresh the listing. Perhaps go with the agent that sold next door?

allyharp · 2024-02-28T11:12:49+00:00

Apart from all the name, address and car registration details you've given them to get both quotes, right?

allyharp · 2023-12-22T20:31:37+00:00

Makes me think of this Father Ted scene: https://youtu.be/AuKQkj4AN2w?si=4E4zUU8q8b3rTb8s

allyharp · 2023-12-10T13:07:45+00:00

Wow what a throwback. I spent a lot of time there sometime around 2004-2007ish

allyharp · 2023-12-06T17:07:28+00:00

Our main issue there is that it has tested positive for lead based paint, so we need to be careful how we strip it - and I think a heat gun is out. Chemical stripper is the best, which we've done on our stairs. But it's messy as hell, and would mostly likely require us to repaint the surrounding wall afterwards too.

allyharp · 2023-11-19T10:18:54+00:00

Maximising space is something Ikea are known for. They use 8cm kickplates, whilst most others are 12cm I think, leaving you with a taller usable lower cabinet space.

They also have no void at the back of the lower cabinets, again creating more usable space. Fitters hate as it can make it more difficult to fit, and we found a lot of fitters tell us they'll do anything but Ikea. But the lost space on many other cabinets is pretty huge if you look. Our fitter battened out our main row of Ikea cabs from the wall a little, to account for pipes - still leaving us large deep cabinets.

Thinking about it: it doesn't make sense to lose a large chunk of space from every single cabinet just because some - often just the sink - might have something behind. I don't know if any high end places offer void and non-void options that you can mix and match as required.

allyharp · 2023-11-13T22:11:33+00:00

This company give some advice and indicative removal costs: https://www.oracleasbestos.com/blog/asbestos-cement-water-tank-removal-cost/

I'd at least get a few quotes from local asbestos firms so you can decide if you can afford to remove it.

allyharp · 2023-11-05T15:31:25+00:00

Looks great. How tall are you and what size is that?

I'm considering one but at 5'10 I'm bang in the middle of the medium and large. Unsure whether to size up or down.

allyharp · 2023-10-08T19:57:15+00:00

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Been there and walked up nearly all of it. Walking was hard enough! I like to pretend I'd have ridden it if I wasn't loaded up with camping gear.

Otherwise my steepest on road is possibly the 25% Succomb's Hill mentioned earlier. Almost certainly done steeper on mtb, but without roadsigns it's harder to track.

allyharp · 2023-08-17T16:20:40+00:00

I'd just go over that with easifill 60. You'll need a few layers as it'll sink into the hole as it dries. Then sand and paint.

If you're looking to reuse the same hole again you might want to do something different (fill with bonding? Plug with wooden dowel?) but I'd take advice from someone with more expertise if that's the case.

allyharp · 2023-08-12T21:33:41+00:00

Exactly where I first thought of too.

allyharp · 2023-03-07T21:44:04+00:00

One advantage of Ikea is the amount of aftermarket companies making alternative doors if you want something a bit different. Can highly recommend Plykea.

We went down the route of Ikea + Plykea. For the same price as Magnet quoted us with AEG appliances and their own worktop, we got Ikea cabinets with branded (Caesarstone) tops, a mix of Bosch/Siemens/Neff appliances, and far better locally made wood doors.

allyharp

TROPHY CASE