As time goes by I realise how important it is to feel that one ‘belongs’ or is ‘part of’. Of course the most important unit to belong to is ones family. Then, I suppose come ones ‘urban family’ as Bridget Jones calls it, a group of close friends, then other organisations: a religious group, an ideological group, your work place and so the list can go on and on.
A human being has a yearning to be part of. To feel that he/she is contributing to. To feel that he/she can be supported by. If you read about people who have been taken from, never known their biological relations so often these people at some time in their lives have a need to get to know the other people that they are related to often even if only to know that they exist.
Saturday, 26 December 2009
Sunday, 20 December 2009
Christmas and all that stuff
Christmas has come around again and once again it is that mad flurry of spending of gifts, food and drink and in fact we all seem to forget the real meaning of Christmas: The celebration of the birth of a child 2009 and all the dogma that has gone with it over the years.
It's not that I don't like Chirstmas, I do, and it is good to have some time off work so that we can see and be with those we love, it is just the orgy around the period that gets me down a little, the overindulgense which, I should think that the founder of the Christian faith would probably frown on!!
I would rather be celebrating the Yule, the 20/21 December, the time of the year when the days start to grow longer and the nights shorter. Lisht is returning, bringing a new life and hope to the land.
HAPPY CHRISTMAS!
It's not that I don't like Chirstmas, I do, and it is good to have some time off work so that we can see and be with those we love, it is just the orgy around the period that gets me down a little, the overindulgense which, I should think that the founder of the Christian faith would probably frown on!!
I would rather be celebrating the Yule, the 20/21 December, the time of the year when the days start to grow longer and the nights shorter. Lisht is returning, bringing a new life and hope to the land.
HAPPY CHRISTMAS!
Thursday, 3 December 2009
What a laugh!!
Well, you either have to laugh or cry and I must admit that I prefer to laugh. It is now nearly 5pm and I have been teaching in front of my students since 8am this morning and look:
It is getting a little colder and I have only just felt and seen that I have been walking around in front of my classes and colleagues with an enormous hole in my trousers and nobody has said anything at all!!!!
Sunday, 15 November 2009
Going on a diet!
Last Wednesday was November 11th. Here, in France, this is a national holiday, when we remember and commemorate the soldiers who died during the Great War (how could anyone call it that?) in other words, WW1.
During lunch in Montuel, Brigitte, one of Thierry's sisters, and a nurse, mentioned a diet: the fat and starch diet. She told me that I could loose quite a lot of weight in a short time on this diet. In fact you can eat but you should avoid eating fats and starch together. Seems quite easy but when I come to cooking nearly everything I make includes a mixture of the two.
Lasagnes, mmmmmmm, I love it - it's a no no! Minced beef (fats, lipides) and pasta (starch, glucides)! Although if you make a vegetable lasagne without a bechemel sauce (milk=lipide (fat) that should be OK but how do you make the sauce without milk?
I have also decided to eat differently. Like most of us I work and lunch is short so usually I eat some raw vegetables covered in mayonaise, and some frozen meal thing. I am eating a real meal at midday, keeping to meat (lipides) and veg and then in the evening I am having something like a soup where there are vegetables and perhaps either ham (lipide) or potato (glucide). In short as I said before you should not mix lipide and glucide so it a green veg and one of the two!! I think that is it!!
Of course I have been told also to cut down on the wine but that will come later. Anyway, I have lost 1300 grams since Wednesday.
I just want to loose 7 kilos as according to the thing on this site, I am overweight!!!
During lunch in Montuel, Brigitte, one of Thierry's sisters, and a nurse, mentioned a diet: the fat and starch diet. She told me that I could loose quite a lot of weight in a short time on this diet. In fact you can eat but you should avoid eating fats and starch together. Seems quite easy but when I come to cooking nearly everything I make includes a mixture of the two.
Lasagnes, mmmmmmm, I love it - it's a no no! Minced beef (fats, lipides) and pasta (starch, glucides)! Although if you make a vegetable lasagne without a bechemel sauce (milk=lipide (fat) that should be OK but how do you make the sauce without milk?
I have also decided to eat differently. Like most of us I work and lunch is short so usually I eat some raw vegetables covered in mayonaise, and some frozen meal thing. I am eating a real meal at midday, keeping to meat (lipides) and veg and then in the evening I am having something like a soup where there are vegetables and perhaps either ham (lipide) or potato (glucide). In short as I said before you should not mix lipide and glucide so it a green veg and one of the two!! I think that is it!!
Of course I have been told also to cut down on the wine but that will come later. Anyway, I have lost 1300 grams since Wednesday.
I just want to loose 7 kilos as according to the thing on this site, I am overweight!!!
Friendship
Friends remain friends.
Yesterday evening I was at Mireille and Eric's place for a meal, ummmmmmm, and delicious it was! However, also invited were Leylak, Emeric and the girls. Although we have spoken on the phone, we haven't seen each other in nearly 7 months! It was good to see them all again. Leylak and Emeric have been part of my life since, well, for a very long time (probably since 1987)! They were young, and so was I. We have done so many things together over the years but over the last few years we have seen and done fewer things together. Normal I suppose, we have different priorities now. They have two adolescent girls (14 an 17) who are beginning to show their personalities and they have other centres of interest too. But when we get together it seems as though we saw each other just a couple of days ago. Perhpas that is one of the criteria which shows real, firm friendships.
Here's to friendship!
Yesterday evening I was at Mireille and Eric's place for a meal, ummmmmmm, and delicious it was! However, also invited were Leylak, Emeric and the girls. Although we have spoken on the phone, we haven't seen each other in nearly 7 months! It was good to see them all again. Leylak and Emeric have been part of my life since, well, for a very long time (probably since 1987)! They were young, and so was I. We have done so many things together over the years but over the last few years we have seen and done fewer things together. Normal I suppose, we have different priorities now. They have two adolescent girls (14 an 17) who are beginning to show their personalities and they have other centres of interest too. But when we get together it seems as though we saw each other just a couple of days ago. Perhpas that is one of the criteria which shows real, firm friendships.
Here's to friendship!
Washing day!
I heard a key in the door and then the doorbell rang as my keys were in the other side and an unexpected visit by Thierry. He didn't say at first why he was here but it soon became apparent when I saw they bag of dirty clothes!!
"Il n'y a pas encore de lave-linge à St George!"
Which is true. Thierry spends most of his time now at Jean-Pierre's place and they, well not exactly 'they' knowing Thierry, more like Jean-Pierre, is repainting and DIYing and the flat is not quite finished and there isn't a washing machine, yet!! (That sentence was long and would probably have sounded better in a video!) Anyway, Thierry popped in leaving his dirty washing before having to go to a nearby swimming pool to pick up Jean-Pierre. However he was able to have a look at my Macbook and the very thing I was hoping not, it is not a software problem but a hardware problem. Thierry suggested that I go to the FNAC and get a cleaner disc (although I think we have one here somewhere) but he thinks it is more serious than that! So does that mean I have to buy a new macbook or have it repaired or buy an exteral DVD drive?? If you have some ideas let me know.
"Il n'y a pas encore de lave-linge à St George!"
Which is true. Thierry spends most of his time now at Jean-Pierre's place and they, well not exactly 'they' knowing Thierry, more like Jean-Pierre, is repainting and DIYing and the flat is not quite finished and there isn't a washing machine, yet!! (That sentence was long and would probably have sounded better in a video!) Anyway, Thierry popped in leaving his dirty washing before having to go to a nearby swimming pool to pick up Jean-Pierre. However he was able to have a look at my Macbook and the very thing I was hoping not, it is not a software problem but a hardware problem. Thierry suggested that I go to the FNAC and get a cleaner disc (although I think we have one here somewhere) but he thinks it is more serious than that! So does that mean I have to buy a new macbook or have it repaired or buy an exteral DVD drive?? If you have some ideas let me know.
Wednesday, 11 November 2009
Saturday, 7 November 2009
En hogy szeressem őt, mondd?
Having talked about the Budapest Operetta Theatre I have just had a look at some of the things going on there and some of their singers. I came up with this video from Jesus Christ Superstar - Én hogy szeressem őt, mondd?
I don't know how to love him!
This is for YOU!
Here is the 1973 version.
I don't know how to love him!
This is for YOU!
Here is the 1973 version.
Une soirée au Budapesti Operettszinhaz
I thought I had lost all the toolbar settings but was signed into Edit HTML rather than Compose!! Although, blogger has taken off the video uplink but I think I know how to add the video. I have to upload my video onto another link and then put in the video link to blogger!! This is getting all too complicated for little old me!!
De toute façon, je voulais rajouter quelques photos que j'ai prises pendant mon séjour à Budapest avec Istvan. Nous avons fait plein de choses interessantes:
Nous sommes allés écouter Laslo Keringer (the Chorus dirctor at the Budapest Operetta Theatre) sing at a Lutheran Church. Although everything was in Hungarian et même que je ne parle pas l'hongrois, je l'ai trouvé interessant. Puis on nous a invité au Budapest Operetta Theatre ou nous avons écouté les suivants:
Ok, la photo n'est pas terrible mais la musique était superbe. De plus on était dans un loge!!! Quelle classe!
De toute façon, je voulais rajouter quelques photos que j'ai prises pendant mon séjour à Budapest avec Istvan. Nous avons fait plein de choses interessantes:
Nous sommes allés écouter Laslo Keringer (the Chorus dirctor at the Budapest Operetta Theatre) sing at a Lutheran Church. Although everything was in Hungarian et même que je ne parle pas l'hongrois, je l'ai trouvé interessant. Puis on nous a invité au Budapest Operetta Theatre ou nous avons écouté les suivants:
et voilà bien sûr, la photo de nos billets!!
J'ai passé un super moment chez Istvan et j'espère en passer plein d'autres!!
Monday, 2 November 2009
Cooking again
So here I am once again in Budapest and to fill in the time that Istvan is out working, I went to Pannicka's for us to cook. As she had shown me a couple of recipes last time, I showed her my recipe for Moussaka and it wasn't half bad, if I say so myself. So for those of you who might like to know this recipe:
500 g or minced beef
1 large onion
5 cloves of garlic
2 tomatoes
4 big aubergines
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
salt
pepper
butter
flour
1 litre of milk
4 cloves of nutmeg
salt
pepper
a bottle of white wine
So first of all cut the garlic or press it
then dice the onion
Fry the garlic and onion for a short time and then add the minced beef and keep on a small flame. Add a teaspoon of cinnemon, a small amount of salt and some pepper.
Melt some butter, 50 to 100 g of butter in a saucepan
Add a heaped soup spoon of flour and make a roux. Keep stirring so that it doesn't burn. Add a little milk and stir into a paste and do this until you have added all the milk and there are no lumps. Add the salt, pepper and the nutmeg and stir. Let it come to just before it boils then take it off the heat.
Cut the aubergines in lengths about half a centimetre and fry them gently in a little oil and put them in an oven dish. Once you have one layer add some of the meat sauce and a little of the bechamel. Add another layer of aubergines. Add a half bottle of white wine to the meat sauce and bring to the boil. Then pour this over the dish with the aubergines and finally cover with what is left of the bechamel.
Put all of this into a hot oven for 40 to 60 mins.
Bon appetit!
500 g or minced beef
1 large onion
5 cloves of garlic
2 tomatoes
4 big aubergines
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
salt
pepper
butter
flour
1 litre of milk
4 cloves of nutmeg
salt
pepper
a bottle of white wine
So first of all cut the garlic or press it
then dice the onion
Fry the garlic and onion for a short time and then add the minced beef and keep on a small flame. Add a teaspoon of cinnemon, a small amount of salt and some pepper.
Melt some butter, 50 to 100 g of butter in a saucepan
Add a heaped soup spoon of flour and make a roux. Keep stirring so that it doesn't burn. Add a little milk and stir into a paste and do this until you have added all the milk and there are no lumps. Add the salt, pepper and the nutmeg and stir. Let it come to just before it boils then take it off the heat.
Cut the aubergines in lengths about half a centimetre and fry them gently in a little oil and put them in an oven dish. Once you have one layer add some of the meat sauce and a little of the bechamel. Add another layer of aubergines. Add a half bottle of white wine to the meat sauce and bring to the boil. Then pour this over the dish with the aubergines and finally cover with what is left of the bechamel.
Put all of this into a hot oven for 40 to 60 mins.
Bon appetit!
Sunday, 1 November 2009
Famous Ads
This morning we were talking about music and I happenned to hum the Cadbury's advert song from years ago and realised that every British person of my age has loads of classics in their memories but with advert lyrics! Where do these classics come from? Well, there are loads of sites on the net but here are some of the classics.
Old Spice:O Fortuna from Carmina Burana-Composer Carl Orff
Bao Chocolates/Kleenex Tissues: Intermezzo sinfonico from Cavalleria rusticana: Composer Pietro Mascagni
Black And Decker: Flight of the bumble-bee: Composer: Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
British Airways: Flower Duet from Lakme: Composer Leo Delibes
Hovis: Largo from Symphony No 9 "From the New World": Composer Antonin Dvorak
Ragu Pasta Sauces: Anvil Chorus from Il Trovatore: Composer Guiseppe Verdi
Hamlet: Air on a G string-Composer Johann Sebastian Bach
Cadbury's Fruit And Nut: Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy from Nutcracker-Composer Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky
Peugeot: Moldau-Composer Bedrich Smetana
Woolworths: Arrival of the Queen of Sheba-Composer George Frederic Handel
Threshers: Cannon-Composer Johann Pachelbel
Royal Bank of Scotland: Playful Pizzicato from Simple Symphony-Composer Benjamin Britten
Mercedes Benz: Soave il vento from Cosi fan tutte-Composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Boursin Cheese: Clair de lune-Composer Claude Debussy
Rover: Largo from Serse-Composer George Frederci Handel
Dulux Weathershield: Jupiter from The Planets-Composer: Gustav Holst
IBM Computers: Fur Elise-Composer Ludwig Van Beethoven
Chanel L'égoiste: Dance of the Knights from Romeo and Juliet-Composer Sergei Prokeofiev
Old Spice:O Fortuna from Carmina Burana-Composer Carl Orff
Bao Chocolates/Kleenex Tissues: Intermezzo sinfonico from Cavalleria rusticana: Composer Pietro Mascagni
Black And Decker: Flight of the bumble-bee: Composer: Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
British Airways: Flower Duet from Lakme: Composer Leo Delibes
Hovis: Largo from Symphony No 9 "From the New World": Composer Antonin Dvorak
Ragu Pasta Sauces: Anvil Chorus from Il Trovatore: Composer Guiseppe Verdi
Hamlet: Air on a G string-Composer Johann Sebastian Bach
Cadbury's Fruit And Nut: Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy from Nutcracker-Composer Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky
Peugeot: Moldau-Composer Bedrich Smetana
Woolworths: Arrival of the Queen of Sheba-Composer George Frederic Handel
Threshers: Cannon-Composer Johann Pachelbel
Royal Bank of Scotland: Playful Pizzicato from Simple Symphony-Composer Benjamin Britten
Mercedes Benz: Soave il vento from Cosi fan tutte-Composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Boursin Cheese: Clair de lune-Composer Claude Debussy
Rover: Largo from Serse-Composer George Frederci Handel
Dulux Weathershield: Jupiter from The Planets-Composer: Gustav Holst
IBM Computers: Fur Elise-Composer Ludwig Van Beethoven
Chanel L'égoiste: Dance of the Knights from Romeo and Juliet-Composer Sergei Prokeofiev
Saturday, 24 October 2009
Google chat
When you are away from loved ones, I think that one of the best ways of feeling close is to see and hear them. For years they have talked about videophones but they have never really caught on. Here is France during the 80s with minitel we also had videophones but they were just experiments.
Today there are videoconferences, which bring people together from all over the planet for virtuel conferences but GOOGLE CHAT is great. Not only do you have good quality sound but also pictures so you do so many things that you would perhaps not do normally. Let's see now...
Today there are videoconferences, which bring people together from all over the planet for virtuel conferences but GOOGLE CHAT is great. Not only do you have good quality sound but also pictures so you do so many things that you would perhaps not do normally. Let's see now...
or perhaps
or even...
Google chat is just so...
so much fun!!!!!
Don't you think??
Free TV in France
I have and am a real fan of Free internet provider. Since 1996 I have asked Free to provide internet connections for me, however today, I wanted to record and watch TV at the same time and got this screen:
I have been in contact with Free but they say that the upload speed has not changed!! What a pity.
Friday, 23 October 2009
A bit behind the times...
Oh yeah, something cool happenned today. I found that I could use the photocopier as a scanner. Yes, I know, 'you've been able to do this for ages' BUT I also found out that you could send the scans to your own email address. Cooooooooooooooooooooooooooool! I might spend a little more time at work too, to scan some of the photos I have from the olden days!!!
Thursday, 22 October 2009
All you need is love!
Is this the first time I have used this title? I am not sure and I certainly don't care as it says everything for me at the moment.
When love is there, that is all you need. I have loved and been loved and I have continued to love and I love someone new too. For me this love is like coal for a fire, fusion for a nuclear bomb. This love that I offer and is offered back to me just changes the world. Perhaps when the Beatles wrote this song they were being a little naive, but for me it works.
All I need is love. Love to those I have loved, and a special love to the one with whom I am in love and who is in love with me!
xx
When love is there, that is all you need. I have loved and been loved and I have continued to love and I love someone new too. For me this love is like coal for a fire, fusion for a nuclear bomb. This love that I offer and is offered back to me just changes the world. Perhaps when the Beatles wrote this song they were being a little naive, but for me it works.
All I need is love. Love to those I have loved, and a special love to the one with whom I am in love and who is in love with me!
xx
Saturday, 17 October 2009
Driving in Lyon
Some drivers are just so selfish. This morning I was coming back to Bron from Meximieux. At one point I came onto the Rocade Est and found myself behind a truck doing about 70 kph. So I put on my indicator and waited... and waited... and waited. Noone was going to slow down and let me out. Not only that, but 3 people would have prefered to have crashed into me rather than slow down. This is typical of driving here in Lyon. It is always me, me, me.
Sunday, 11 October 2009
Are you being served?
"Are you free?"
This phrase brought back some memories from the long distant past. Times when we would get together as a family, around the TV to have a laugh. It is only now that I realise how risqué the dialogue is. Here is an episode I found on youtube.
This phrase brought back some memories from the long distant past. Times when we would get together as a family, around the TV to have a laugh. It is only now that I realise how risqué the dialogue is. Here is an episode I found on youtube.
Back ache!
Well, we are quite a way into October and this is the first time I have posted this month. Has life been that uninteresting, well not really, just a little hectic. This is the time of the year when all my classes have kicked in and the weeks go by.
It also seems to be becoming that time of year when I get really bad back ache! Last year it got so bad that I had to have medication for it. I have always thought it is the matress on the bed, but I am beginning to think it might be stress related - it really hurts. I suppose is is also the result of years of moving from one place to another. That reminds me a little of the Buz Luhrman about sunscreen, perhaps he should have mentioned that you should not do removals yourself either and leave it to the professionals!!
Song link
It also seems to be becoming that time of year when I get really bad back ache! Last year it got so bad that I had to have medication for it. I have always thought it is the matress on the bed, but I am beginning to think it might be stress related - it really hurts. I suppose is is also the result of years of moving from one place to another. That reminds me a little of the Buz Luhrman about sunscreen, perhaps he should have mentioned that you should not do removals yourself either and leave it to the professionals!!
Song link
Thursday, 24 September 2009
Rites of passage
Never having been someone who is really conventional, well, that is what I like to think!
Anyway, never having been someone who is really convenional, many rites of passage have gone unmarked in my life and for me in the lives of those who are the closest to me. As age, and some would say, wisdom, is coming upon me, I reflect on some of these ideas.
Yesterday was my nephew's 18th birthday and it was not his birthday exactly which has lead me to do some research but something he said in a facebook entry.
Depending on the society and culture from which one comes, becoming an adult is marked at a different times and in different ways. For many, these rites are at puberty and during adolescence and are:
"often quite brutal in nature, requiring novices to endure starvation, mutilation, infestation, radiation (from the sun), and other insults, from which not every member survived. In a way, it was a culture's system of "quality control," to ensure that those who were admitted to the adult role in that society had the specific attributes needed by the community (e.g. strength, endurance etc.). " (http://thehumanodyssey.typepad.com/the_human_odyssey/rites_of_passage_around_the_world/)
In today's industrial societies things have often changed and the rite of passage from boyhood to adulthood takes other forms and often has very little to do with the real change from childhood to adulthood, that is to say, becoming independent and supporting oneself. However, these rites are still important and are still intrinsically linked to tradition and the idea of rites being for ' women only' or 'men only', and that we belong to one of these groups.
So one really important rite in Britain when a boy reaches 18 is to 'buy his first pint for his dad in his local pub'!
Anyway, never having been someone who is really convenional, many rites of passage have gone unmarked in my life and for me in the lives of those who are the closest to me. As age, and some would say, wisdom, is coming upon me, I reflect on some of these ideas.
Yesterday was my nephew's 18th birthday and it was not his birthday exactly which has lead me to do some research but something he said in a facebook entry.
Depending on the society and culture from which one comes, becoming an adult is marked at a different times and in different ways. For many, these rites are at puberty and during adolescence and are:
"often quite brutal in nature, requiring novices to endure starvation, mutilation, infestation, radiation (from the sun), and other insults, from which not every member survived. In a way, it was a culture's system of "quality control," to ensure that those who were admitted to the adult role in that society had the specific attributes needed by the community (e.g. strength, endurance etc.). " (http://thehumanodyssey.typepad.com/the_human_odyssey/rites_of_passage_around_the_world/)
In today's industrial societies things have often changed and the rite of passage from boyhood to adulthood takes other forms and often has very little to do with the real change from childhood to adulthood, that is to say, becoming independent and supporting oneself. However, these rites are still important and are still intrinsically linked to tradition and the idea of rites being for ' women only' or 'men only', and that we belong to one of these groups.
Wednesday, 23 September 2009
Matthew's 18th today!!
Anyway, TODAY IS Matthew's birthday. Not just any birthday but what has become important as one of the rites of passage: Matthew, my nephew, is 18!!
I just can't believe it. Your kids and sibblings kids just seem to grow up so very quickly. That is what life is all about, I suppose, but it is not until you are a parent that you understand what your own parents said in the past!!
Now for a bit of the nostalgia... I suppose that were it at all possible to turn back the clock, I personnally would turn it back to the age of 18 or at least the age of 18 as I perceive it today which might not be the same as it was! Yes, I would like to be 18 again. Adulthood, but still with so much energy, hope, naivity (?), expectation and no bills!!!
So this is a Happy 18th to you Matthew, from me.
Song: Everybody's free...
Monday, 21 September 2009
Flying
Flying is great it is just the time it takes to get to and from the airports. As you can see from previous posts, I spent the weekend in London with Wills and Kat. Stupidly, well, perhaps there was some sort of financial stimulus, I took the early morning flight back from London on Sunday. Wills took me to the airport, thanks filston, but here in Lyon I had to do the 15 min or 5 kms journey back home. It took 90 mins!!! and 10,10€, a third of my flight fare from London to Lyon!!!!! It is so frustrating when you are sailing past where you live because there is no bus stop!! I am so looking forward to the tramway being finished, it will be just so much easier, although I am not sure that it will be much cheaper.
Here is the link for news of the new tramway from Lyon to St Exupéry (Lyon's airport):
http://www.rhonexpress.net/control/index.aspx?alias=home
Here is the link for news of the new tramway from Lyon to St Exupéry (Lyon's airport):
http://www.rhonexpress.net/control/index.aspx?alias=home
Saturday, 19 September 2009
London
New York, New York a wonderful town, but what do they say about London? I'm getting married in the morning.....oh wouldn't it be lovely. And it is!!! Hey it really is, it is lovely and great and wonderful and everything else. Yesterday I arrived here in London to see Wills and Kat in their new place and what a place. OK, there was a delay in the Easyjet flight, but once on it, there was a smooth and quick flight.
Then this morning and today... The weather has been great. So I went up to town to see some of the sights and especially to see
the National Galleries' Impressionists. Ohhhhh, I could have cried when I first went in and saw some paintings by Degas then Renoir and so on... Spending hours and hours in the National Gallery is not my thing, but walking around for a short time is just wonderful. Then back to Will's and Kat's place stopping off at Sainsbury's on the was. It was only later that I saw how close to the river we are, when we needed some more wine and we went to the Sainsbury's just on the river. There will be a jazz festival there Saturday, so we shall go down there again and I'll get some photos.
Monday, 7 September 2009
A long drive back!!
But I got back about 28 hours after leaving Budapest!! I did sleep a little the rest of the time was driving, driving and more driving. I got back at around 18h30 and went to Mireille's place only to find that everyone had already left! A fine thing!! I was really tired so when I got back to Bron, I watched a video but there was and is nothing to eat or drink!! not even milk!! Thanks!!
This morning I have spend looking through mail, the tax office want even more money!! Mowing the lawn, but will have to do that tomorrow as well, doing the washing and getting it out and taking the very few tomatoes but loads of grapes!!! I've never had so many grapes.
This morning I have spend looking through mail, the tax office want even more money!! Mowing the lawn, but will have to do that tomorrow as well, doing the washing and getting it out and taking the very few tomatoes but loads of grapes!!! I've never had so many grapes.
Thursday, 3 September 2009
Great evening
So, we have eaten, drunk, danced, some of us have smoked (cigarettes(but that is bad enough)) and ...
Trying to make a video!!
I should be out doing the shopping for a meal that I am making for this evening, instead, I am sat here seeing how my macbook works and have just found imovie so here goes!!
Does anyone know why the sound is just a little behind the image? If you do, please let me know!
Does anyone know why the sound is just a little behind the image? If you do, please let me know!
Wednesday, 2 September 2009
Musical fountains!
Have you ever thought of a musical fountain? Well if not you should make your way to Budapest and Margit-sziget Margaret Island in Budapest. Here, with others, you can sit and listen to all kinds of music as the water plays to it.
I have also seen this in Phnom Phen in Cambodia last year! Where else can we see/hear a musical fountain?
Monday, 31 August 2009
Julie and Julia
A few weeks ago I went to the cinema to see some American film, which was fun but I can't remember the title. However, the film I did remember was the trailer for the new Meryl Streep film: Julie and Julia. It came out last week in the States, and is coming out on 11th September in the UK. I think that the French and Hungarian public will have to wait even longer. It is based on a book and a blog. The blog is that of Julie Powell ( juliepowell.blogspot.com ) and the biography of Julia Childs a well known American chef and food writer. I read some things from the Guardian about what the film has sparked and one of the themes is that we are not spending much time in the kitchen and too much of our food is processed. I would agree. When I go to the UK I am always astounded by how little 'real' food can be purchased and how many 'meals of the shelf' are available.
Personally, I spend at least an hour in the kitchen every evening making food. I like to know what I am eating although I do love McDonalds and Burger King and the like, in moderation. Food is not just to keep us all alive, to nourish us, it is also to give us new tastes to savour. In France in elementary schools there is usually a week: La Semaine du goût, which encourages kids to try new tastes and textures in food.
Thinking about food brought back to mind the film about the food industry giant: Monsanto and the documentary about how they are doing all they can to buy up all the world stock of seed!! Yes, really!! You can see it here:
http://www.twilightearth.com/environment-archive-2/the-world-according-to-monsanto-full-documentary/
Hope the link works or just type in Monsanto tv documentary. I went to Julie Powell's page and left the link hoping it might have a larger response!! But the post has been removed by the author!!!!!!
Personally, I spend at least an hour in the kitchen every evening making food. I like to know what I am eating although I do love McDonalds and Burger King and the like, in moderation. Food is not just to keep us all alive, to nourish us, it is also to give us new tastes to savour. In France in elementary schools there is usually a week: La Semaine du goût, which encourages kids to try new tastes and textures in food.
Thinking about food brought back to mind the film about the food industry giant: Monsanto and the documentary about how they are doing all they can to buy up all the world stock of seed!! Yes, really!! You can see it here:
http://www.twilightearth.com/environment-archive-2/the-world-according-to-monsanto-full-documentary/
Hope the link works or just type in Monsanto tv documentary. I went to Julie Powell's page and left the link hoping it might have a larger response!! But the post has been removed by the author!!!!!!
Wednesday, 26 August 2009
Today
All of the entries below were written during my trip to the Croatian coast, which was not very long but very enjoyable. Here are just a few photos, the others can be found at the usual address.
Marlene Dietrich
What comes to mind is one of her songs: dah dah da dah da dah never wanted to, how can I resist, can’t help it! Yes, corny but true. It is great. Isn’t it strange but it always feels great, just hope I don’t mess this one up as I have with the last two people who have meant so much to me in my life and who still mean so much. Love is…
A very special friend
We met on a beach or rather we didn’t meet we just looked at each other from afar. It was not for another year that we met and friendship didn’t even come into it, it was just love. But love comes and love goes, ours stayed but changed and now there is a love and a special kind of friendship. Thank you.
The Nineth life of Louis Drax by Liz Jensen
I’ve had this book for some time and have not got down to reading it. I am glad, I am not sure that I was ready for it before this moment. This is not the first of Liz’s books that I have bought and read. In fact I think I have them all and have read two of them. I remember the first one very well, ‘Egg Dancing’. Way back in Chazey when she was beginning it, well, at least I think it was that one although I never read it before it was published. Strange how people come into ones life and then go out without another word but having left something, what I am not sure, but something. Liz and Michel and Matti were one of these phenomenon.
Sunset
Watching the sunset over the sea has a magical quality for me; Something that is not the same as it setting over the mountains. And I am not the only one to feel this as I can see from some of the reactions of people around me on the beach. People sitting quietly taking up the last rays as if they might never come again, others doing exercises in an almost religious way as the sun goes down. For me the sea and the sun have such a profound effect perhaps this comes from my childhood spent on the west coast of England. Who knows?
By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea!
Well, here I am on the coast of the Adriatic in Croatia. It is not as I remembered, I think that the best beaches are on the islands and further south, south of Zadar. But I am in a little village by the sea and after a bad start to the day I have enjoyed myself. Thing can always be better and I would have liked to have been here with a friend but that friend has encouraged me to go so that I can be happy. Thanks. I have some really good friends.
Bon je suis bien arrive en Croatie sur la côte adriatique. Mes souvenirs sont differents, mais je pense que les meilleurs plages doivent être plus au sud et sur les îles mais après un début de journée mitigée, j’ai passé une très bonne journée. J’aurais préferé ne pas être seul, mais cet ami m’a encouragé de partir quelques jours. Merci.
Gifts
A good friend once told me that one of the greatest gifts any friend can give is their time and I would like to add, respect and love.
Friday, 21 August 2009
Les Traboules de Budapest
Me voici dans un des traboules très chic de Budapest!
Ah, photo booth prend les photos à l'envers!!!
St István
So yesterday was the 20th August, St István's day, the founder of the Hungarian State. In fact there are 3 national days, so I have been told, in March, August and October. One for St István, one for the revolution of 1848 against the Austrians and one for the 1956 uprising.
Yesterday evening we were back in Budapest after having spent a day and a night not far away at Esztergom and Stúrovo (SK), and from Istvan's place we had a great view of the firework display. Never during all the years I lived in the UK, did I see such displays as those in here in Budapest and in France. The 5th of Novembers that I knew were a poor show to these. Today is sunny, hot and I have taken the bike and am having a look around Budapest while Istvan is supposed to be working on his disertation! Let's hope that is what he is doing.
Hier était le 20 août, la fête du St Istvan, le fondateur de l'état de la Hongrie. Apparement il y a 3 fêtes nationales, en mars, aoput et octobre. Le 20 août la fête du St Istvan, en mars la révolution du 1848 contre l'Autriche et en octobre la révolution de 1956.
Hier nous étions de retour à Budapest après avoir passé un jour et une nuit pas très loin sur la frontière avec la Slovakie. De l'apart d'Istvan nous avions eu un vue dégagé des feux d'artifice sur le Danube. Pendant tous les ans que j'ai vécu en Grande Bretange, je n'ai jamais vu les tirés de feux d'artifices aussi spéctaculaires que ceux que j'ai vu en France et ici à Budapest.
Aujourd'hui il fait beau et chaud et j'ai pris le vélo pour faire un tour de la ville pendant que Istvan travaille sur sa disertation, au moins je l'espère!!
Tuesday, 18 August 2009
une requête/a request
Une personne entre vous m'a demandé d'écrire mon blog en français et en anglais donc je vais essayer mais comme vous savez mon français est abominable!! (pas vrai!!)
Someone out of my email list has asked me to write my blog in both French and English, so I shall try to do this but you know that my English has something to be desired!!!
Someone out of my email list has asked me to write my blog in both French and English, so I shall try to do this but you know that my English has something to be desired!!!
Spas and baths in Budapest
In my opinion, one of the great attractions of Budapest are the different spas! During my visits I always make sure that I get to one or two.
Probably the most dramatic that I have visited are the Széchenyi Thermal Bath http://www.spasbudapest.com/furdo.php?idx=14
These are the ones you often see in tourist information and it is well worth going there. Don't believe the guide prices, I went just this weekend and in a couple of years the price has gone up from 1700 HUF (6,25€) to 3000 (10,96€) last Saturday! And no one leaves after 2 hours so don't count on getting any money back from this. There are 3 outdoor pools, one for swimming which is not too hot and two others which are warm to hot even during the winter! In the summer there is a naturist sun area on the roof, I am not sure if it is open in winter and am not even sure people would like to go up there then! Indoors there are lots of pools of different temperatures, one with waves and others with different medical properties. There are also a number of saunas at different temperatures. There is even a sauna where the light colour changes - why, I am not too sure although it is explained - in Hungarian! If you want a real sauna, 80-90 (celsius) you need to go outside and then into the basement. One of them also has an icemaking maching to cool you off as well as a cold pool at 16°.
I suppose the Gellert spa hotel is the next one everyone knows but you need to count on spending a little more to get in. There is a communal swimming pool indoors, the art deco one you see in all the tourist docs. Then outside and in the summer only there
is a large pool with waves for the whole family. For the medical pools men and women are separated and wear a sort of loin cloth, at least the men do. Here there are a couple of pools of different temperature -one of 36° and one of 38°. There is also a steam room and a plung pool at 8° if I remember.
In both these spas you can have massages and so on.
The other baths I have been to are the Turkish baths: Rudas Thermal Bath - built in the 16th century and Király Thermal Bath - begun in 1565 - and feels that way today. In these baths there are mens and womens days and usually a mixed day during the weekend. They cost me 2100 HUF ( 7,67€) and you can stay as long as you want. The Rudas has been refurbished but still has the large round pool under the dome. The Kiraly is still not as posh!
I haven't yet visited any of the others but there is a great site which gives you information about all of them you will find it here:
http://www.spasbudapest.com/tartalom.php?idx=13
Enjoy!
Probably the most dramatic that I have visited are the Széchenyi Thermal Bath http://www.spasbudapest.com/furdo.php?idx=14
These are the ones you often see in tourist information and it is well worth going there. Don't believe the guide prices, I went just this weekend and in a couple of years the price has gone up from 1700 HUF (6,25€) to 3000 (10,96€) last Saturday! And no one leaves after 2 hours so don't count on getting any money back from this. There are 3 outdoor pools, one for swimming which is not too hot and two others which are warm to hot even during the winter! In the summer there is a naturist sun area on the roof, I am not sure if it is open in winter and am not even sure people would like to go up there then! Indoors there are lots of pools of different temperatures, one with waves and others with different medical properties. There are also a number of saunas at different temperatures. There is even a sauna where the light colour changes - why, I am not too sure although it is explained - in Hungarian! If you want a real sauna, 80-90 (celsius) you need to go outside and then into the basement. One of them also has an icemaking maching to cool you off as well as a cold pool at 16°.
I suppose the Gellert spa hotel is the next one everyone knows but you need to count on spending a little more to get in. There is a communal swimming pool indoors, the art deco one you see in all the tourist docs. Then outside and in the summer only there
is a large pool with waves for the whole family. For the medical pools men and women are separated and wear a sort of loin cloth, at least the men do. Here there are a couple of pools of different temperature -one of 36° and one of 38°. There is also a steam room and a plung pool at 8° if I remember.In both these spas you can have massages and so on.
The other baths I have been to are the Turkish baths: Rudas Thermal Bath - built in the 16th century and Király Thermal Bath - begun in 1565 - and feels that way today. In these baths there are mens and womens days and usually a mixed day during the weekend. They cost me 2100 HUF ( 7,67€) and you can stay as long as you want. The Rudas has been refurbished but still has the large round pool under the dome. The Kiraly is still not as posh!
I haven't yet visited any of the others but there is a great site which gives you information about all of them you will find it here:
http://www.spasbudapest.com/tartalom.php?idx=13
Enjoy!
Learning to cook Hungarian!
Yesterday I spent my day with Pannika (pronounced Ponica) Istvan's neighbour and friend. At just after 9 we got a call saying that it was past 9 and we were supposed to be doing the shopping. I have to say that the 'we' was me (Simon) and Pannika. Istvan was going to look after the apartment! Anyway, Pannika and I took the tram to get the ingredients for a couple of dishes, one dish of potato, sausage, and onion cooked in the over and a couple of types of struddle. Not speaking Hungarian it was not the easiest of things but we had a great time and Pannika made some really good dishes that we ate for lunch and dinner and again for lunch today!!
So here are the ingredients for the potato dish:
1 kg potatoes
a couple of red onions
6 eggs
250 g grated cheese
a couple of spicy hungarian type sausages
yogurt
some sunflower oil
Method:
boil the potatoes till ready to eat and leave them to cool
peel and dice the onions
boil the eggs and leave till cold
take the outer skin off the sausage and cut into slices
In an oven dish slice the potato into a layer then put the diced onion over the layer. Cut the eggs making a layer and then add a little yogurt, salt and pepper to season.
Put this into the over for about 40 minutes.
Then add the grated cheese and a little oil. Put it back in the oven for another 20 minutes.
Voilà an bon appetit!
Sunday, 16 August 2009
New York Palace Hotel, Budapest
In all the tourist guides and some postcards you see this wonderfully decorated room which attracts tourists to come and have a drink and something to eat. Well, I went there just a few days ago and went in through the main door. Awaiting the guests here is a well dressed doorman in top hat. The entrance opens into a spectacular lobby with the floors open to the lobby. Superbly funished and sumptuous, an excellent first experience. The walk to the left and there is the bar area. On first sight a beautifully if not a little too ornately decorated room. However that is where things change. We sat down and waited. In the end we called a waiter who was very attentive but the chairs and table are a little old and worn. The drinks and snack menu is quite full and quite expensive in relation to prices in the capital however you are doing this for the experience. I had a glass of Tokaj and Istvan a shake. They were both very good. However when it came to paying the bill the prices were not the same as those on the menu. The glass of wine was supposed to be 2400 HUF but when paying this price had changed to 2900 HUF. On saying something to the Maître d'Hôtel about this he merely shrugged his shoulders and sent his eyes into the top of their sockets. This, rather than the price difference, lead me to write this criticism of this hotel.
Wednesday, 12 August 2009
One of the misconceived ideas about Hungary is that everything will be so much cheaper! Not true, at least in my experience. OK, going out for a meal, if you don't go to the big, posh hotels, is cheaper, but I bought a bike from Decathlon a couple of days ago, it is a B'twin 5 which cost 279€. Looking on the French site, it costs 20€ less!! as do the bells, counters and so on.
In Planet Saturn here in Budapest, a Macbook costs 1100€ instead of the 990€ I paid in France. As so it goes on. Cheap cars are cheaper, but expensive ones seem to be the same in price. The whole problem is that average incomes are much lower!!
In Planet Saturn here in Budapest, a Macbook costs 1100€ instead of the 990€ I paid in France. As so it goes on. Cheap cars are cheaper, but expensive ones seem to be the same in price. The whole problem is that average incomes are much lower!!
Language
Listening to a BBC programme on the English language, I have learned so much! This is the link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00lv1ln/Frys_English_Delight_So_Wrong_Its_Right/, but I don't know how long it will be live.
Saturday, 8 August 2009
Eger and around
So Here I am in the north east of Hungary visiting Eger and the surrounds. No, I am not going to visit all the 'caves', one cave is the same as another and the visit in the end always ends up with a tasting and buying!!! Added to which, I am driving and here there is 0% alcohol allowed.
My bike was stolen off the camper a couple of weeks ago and so yesterday I decided to replace it. I don't understand that the income here is Hungary is probably about half of that in France and yet the prices in Decathlon do not reflect that! I feel so much more free with my bike. I'll use it a little more in Budapest too.
The last two weekends Istvan and I have spent on lake Balaton. He is not here this weekend as he has to work. The first weekend at Balaton was bliss, the second marred a little by some homophobic remarks of our DUTCH neighbours - and I thought the Dutch were so accepting!
I'll have to spend some time working out how the photos and things work! The photo of the bike is the new one outside McDonald's where I am writing this. Thank goodness for McDonalds and the free WiFi in France, Austria and Hungary!!
The other photo is of the Elizabeth lookout tower just near Budapest and from which you can have a great view of the city.
Friday, 31 July 2009
Today makes it 2 weeks since I arrived in Budapest. After a great weekend at bars, a discotheque and a couple of saunas I got down to do some real tourism. Not for long though, I met a really nice guy, Istvan and have spent my time with him since!! Last weekend we went to Balaton lake and stayed the weekend in a naturist campsite which was just great although Istvan got a little too much sun; we plan to do the same this weekend and will be leaving early evening. We went up to see the Elizabeth look out tower a couple of days ago. From there you have a great view of the city, but that is all you see. It amazes me how we spend money on buildings and so on just to commemorate a Head of States visit to a place when some of that money could be spent on social injustice but it is not here that I am going to change that.
Yesterday evening we stopped in at the Greshem Palace Hotel in the centre of town. The building was supposed to have been in a really dilapidated state just 10 years ago, now it is a luxury hotel. Istvan had a cup of tea and I had some lovely dry Tokaj wine. We also had a little foie gras: delicious!!
I thought I would post some recent photos here and the put a link in the wikispace page: http://friendsphotos.wikispaces.com/
Wednesday, 22 July 2009
The Danube Bend
Tuesday 21 July
Well this evening in Slovakia. As I said, I wanted to go up the Danube to Ez ??? stopping off in several places on the way. Some of the guide books, even Lonely Planet doesn’t describe things quite as I expect. You expect grand things and sometimes they are just not up to it.
One of the places I visited was an outdoor museum of Hungarian architecture which was interesting but it was just so vaste and not really finished. It might have been an idea to have allowed people to go round on bikes but I suppose that would create fewer people taking the train – a real diesel train- from taking people around. Just as I was getting to Ve??? I saw Mio indicating a viewing point and point of interest. It was this castle on the top of the hill overlooking the Danube. It has existed since the time of the Romans but the town itself has nothing. On my arrival at Ez?? there was the enormous Basilica rising above everything. Really impressive with the Danube and ??? in the background with its factory chimnies. The view from the Slovak side well that is something stupendous.
The two towns are very different too. The Hugarian town is very grand and magestic, the Slovak more like a small village that has grown.
Well this evening in Slovakia. As I said, I wanted to go up the Danube to Ez ??? stopping off in several places on the way. Some of the guide books, even Lonely Planet doesn’t describe things quite as I expect. You expect grand things and sometimes they are just not up to it.
One of the places I visited was an outdoor museum of Hungarian architecture which was interesting but it was just so vaste and not really finished. It might have been an idea to have allowed people to go round on bikes but I suppose that would create fewer people taking the train – a real diesel train- from taking people around. Just as I was getting to Ve??? I saw Mio indicating a viewing point and point of interest. It was this castle on the top of the hill overlooking the Danube. It has existed since the time of the Romans but the town itself has nothing. On my arrival at Ez?? there was the enormous Basilica rising above everything. Really impressive with the Danube and ??? in the background with its factory chimnies. The view from the Slovak side well that is something stupendous.
The two towns are very different too. The Hugarian town is very grand and magestic, the Slovak more like a small village that has grown.
The Danube Bend
Tuesday 21 July
Well this evening in Slovakia. As I said, I wanted to go up the Danube to Ez ??? stopping off in several places on the way. Some of the guide books, even Lonely Planet doesn’t describe things quite as I expect. You expect grand things and sometimes they are just not up to it.
One of the places I visited was an outdoor museum of Hungarian architecture which was interesting but it was just so vaste and not really finished. It might have been an idea to have allowed people to go round on bikes but I suppose that would create fewer people taking the train – a real diesel train- from taking people around. Just as I was getting to Ve??? I saw Mio indicating a viewing point and point of interest. It was this castle on the top of the hill overlooking the Danube. It has existed since the time of the Romans but the town itself has nothing. On my arrival at Ez?? there was the enormous Basilica rising above everything. Really impressive with the Danube and ??? in the background with its factory chimnies. The view from the Slovak side well that is something stupendous.
The two towns are very different too. The Hugarian town is very grand and magestic, the Slovak more like a small village that has grown.
Well this evening in Slovakia. As I said, I wanted to go up the Danube to Ez ??? stopping off in several places on the way. Some of the guide books, even Lonely Planet doesn’t describe things quite as I expect. You expect grand things and sometimes they are just not up to it.
One of the places I visited was an outdoor museum of Hungarian architecture which was interesting but it was just so vaste and not really finished. It might have been an idea to have allowed people to go round on bikes but I suppose that would create fewer people taking the train – a real diesel train- from taking people around. Just as I was getting to Ve??? I saw Mio indicating a viewing point and point of interest. It was this castle on the top of the hill overlooking the Danube. It has existed since the time of the Romans but the town itself has nothing. On my arrival at Ez?? there was the enormous Basilica rising above everything. Really impressive with the Danube and ??? in the background with its factory chimnies. The view from the Slovak side well that is something stupendous.
The two towns are very different too. The Hugarian town is very grand and magestic, the Slovak more like a small village that has grown.
Tuesday, 21 July 2009
Danube bend
So after a few days of having a good time, I am back on the road and going to visit the Danube Bend (Szentendre, Visegrad and Esztergom. Then going back to Budapest for a few days before heading south.
The only photos I have on my mac at the moment are before my arrival in Budapest!!!!
This is a meal I had in Slovakia, gnocchi, goats cheese and bits of bacon washed down with Kofola, much less sweet than Coke!
The other is a photo of this fairy tale like castle in BOJNICE, how to say it? Don't ask me!
Monday, 20 July 2009
Alone again... naturally!!
Budapest July 20, 2009
Still in Budapest. Jojo went back to Bratislava by train this afternoon. I’ve really had a good time and done things I wouldn't have done alone. On Friday we went to a bar: the "Action" bar and there was a show, a live show and it was, well let's say, I haven't quite seen that on stage before! Then on Saturday after some time in a bar called "Coxx" we went on to a disco and I had a great time dancing. We got back to the camper around 4am! Not done that in years. Yesterday we got up late went into town and looked around and then went to the “69”, but a little young for me so no action. But it has been fun! Tomorrow I’m off to the statue park just outside the city. I’ve wanted to go each time I have come here but never got around to it so tomorrow I’ll do that. Wednesday I’m going to the Kiraly baths, original Turkish baths with different heats it is great and relaxing. Then I’ll make my way to Sarajevo.
Still in Budapest. Jojo went back to Bratislava by train this afternoon. I’ve really had a good time and done things I wouldn't have done alone. On Friday we went to a bar: the "Action" bar and there was a show, a live show and it was, well let's say, I haven't quite seen that on stage before! Then on Saturday after some time in a bar called "Coxx" we went on to a disco and I had a great time dancing. We got back to the camper around 4am! Not done that in years. Yesterday we got up late went into town and looked around and then went to the “69”, but a little young for me so no action. But it has been fun! Tomorrow I’m off to the statue park just outside the city. I’ve wanted to go each time I have come here but never got around to it so tomorrow I’ll do that. Wednesday I’m going to the Kiraly baths, original Turkish baths with different heats it is great and relaxing. Then I’ll make my way to Sarajevo.
Sunday, 19 July 2009
Update
Part 3
There are certain pieces of technology that we just ask how we ever lived without it. Internet for me is one of those new technologies. But why can’t we just connect anywhere. I prefer internet even to the phone. You can write, read, listen, watch, send documents of all sorts, see each other, just so many things. Why am I thinking of that just at this moment? Well, I got something wrong with my marks for one of the classes and am waiting for Bridget to call me as to give her the missing mark. Not only will I have to give her the missing mark , but I have noted that I added a student to the list and will have to give her all the marks again as copy paste has caused a prob! Could I just log in to the net I would be able to send them to her again. Hotspots, Internet hotspots. I remember the hotspots when cell phones first came out. That was how you phoned. You had to get to a ‘hotspot’ or ‘rabbit point’ in the UK before you could make a call. I do hope that things like that will change for the net too. I suppose that 3G or whatever already exists. I know that Thierry is able to connect to the net with his iphone but on me, well not just at the moment, perhaps things will change.
What am I doing here? I’ve just stopped after a detour to get to Kutna Hora, was about to get my bike off the back and the heavens open!! I just hope the place is worth the visit.
And it was worth the visit. The town is quaint and obviously being refurbished for the tourist but the church and the walk up to it were stupendous. It is on the edge of a mountainside and the mountainside is a vineyard. Really beautiful.
Brno, I wondered why this looked familiar! Like most cities, the modern or not so modern rundown area and then the centre of the town which has been made into a pedestrian walkway. But you don’t have to go far out of the centre to see some lovely buildings in really bad repair.
Before visiting the town I went out to a village: Slavkov most of us know it under the Austrian name and is associated with 1805! No, not Trafalgar! It is where the two Emperors, Russian and Austrian stayed the night before the battle on the 5 December, I think, and where Napoleon stayed after the battle!!
I am now, waiting once again for the thunder storm to pass here in Olomouc. There seems to be good weather in the morning, when I am taking time for me, and then it rains in the afternoon. I am on my way to Oswiecim in Poland. It is quite a way so I think it will be tomorrow erhhhhhhh! Afternoon!
Things are going well. I had a few days when I had the blues but that seems to have passed. I need a few days somewhere, where, I can just rest up and take it easy. I am also thinking of not going quite so far and returning south west to Croatia to spend some time on the coast before going back to France and spending some time on the coast. But who knows what could happen?
Getting to Auschwitz was not easy. I mistoke the name on the map and merry went off in the wrong direction, some 60 kims!! I hate it when I do stupid things like that. So, when I finally arrived it was dark and I just couldn’t find a sign to the camps. I set Mio to take me into town where I was gong to sleep for the night but everything was paying so I decided to go back to Birkanau, where I spent the night on the car park in front of the camp. At first it felt very strange, laods of things went through my mind, not ghosts and that sort of thing but the fact that there had been up to 90,000 people in the camp. So this morning I was up and took 4 hours to go around Bikanau and then went 3kms to Auschwitz.
The camps are quite something. First of all the size of Birkenau, it is enormous. And to think there was a time when there were 90,000 people living and dying there. Much of the camp is no longer standing
It’s been a couple of days since I sat down to do some writing. A good thing perhaps, verbal diahorea! Today I am in Slovakia. I knew one of the countries in this area had changed over to the euro in January, now I know which one it was!
I don’t really understand how the whole thing works. There is something about 3% of GNP, anyway, an economist I am not but looking about I really do not understand how Slovakia has managed to get into the euro and the Czech republic not. Just coming over the boarder the place changes. Not quite Thailand to Cambodia, but there is a definite change. In my book they say that no country can wipe out the face of 41 years of communism and here I really feel that. Over there, there is a beautiful horizon of the mountains and just in the foreground some kind of horrible black factory! But the countryside is something. Quite French in a way, free, liberated to do as it likes not Swiss or German, everything in its place, everything mown, everything just like a film set.
I came through what must be one of the 5 main towns of the country, Zilina. A rather ugly looking place although I did just pass around. Then on to Cicamy a quaint little village tucked away in the mountains. Half the village is made up of traditionally built wooden houses painted with Slovakian designs. The other half is relatively modern. I would have liked to have spent the night, but couldn’t find anywhere to put the camper.
That is another thing. I have not found any water around! I might even have to go to a campsite again to get water!
The weather seems to have changed it is sunny and reasonably warm. I have decided to calm the driving and will stay in the area for a few days. There is a spa town not far away Bojinice (not pronounced anything like that!!) and I think I will stop there and have a swim and perhaps a massage.
Being alone is giving lots of time to read, to watch ‘Brothers and Sisters’ and of course to think. I am a person who loves people but people just don’t seem to love me. I realise that I have spent a lot of my life alone. At school, after Lynn left and even to some extent during my life with Thierry, some time was spent alone. Now, I am alone once again and see no end to this tunnel of being alone. Unlike some people I talk to and have convinced themselves that being alone is just great, I do not think that. I despise loneliness. Funny, we think with words but when it comes to trying to express my feelings and emotions I am left with writers blank.
Enough of that, it is depressing me. I have decided not to go all the way over to the Black Sea. At the moment I am aiming for the Croatian coast passing through Bratislava, Budapest, Zagreb, (not sure if that will be on the way south or north), Sarajevo, Mostar and then the coast. I need a little sun and sea. I don’t somehow think I will get any of the other!!
I wonder how Davey Wavey would cope with silence, not talking for days and days and days? For me this is one of the hardest parts of coming away alone, you never if rarely speak to anyone, share anything with anyone. That is one of the reasons people who are alone go into restaurants, so that they can at least speak to the waiter or waitress.
Today, at lunch, I ate out. Passing through a little town I saw a statue that I wanted to take a photo of, so pulled up a kilometre later on where I could park, and cycled back to take the photo. It was on my way back to the camper that I decided that I would have lunch. After all, part of being abroad is to mix with the locals, which of course I never do in the camper, and to try their food and drink. So I decided to splash out and to eat in a restaurant. The eating house I chose was really eye-catching as it was just covered in all sorts of household items from the past. Not just household items, farming forks and rakes and so on too. One of the waitresses could speak English, which was good as I do not understand anything at all. Even reading it, nothing! Anyway, I wanted something Slovakian so she showed me the dishes, there were three. She couldn’t describe them except that she did ask me if I wanted meat. I had read in the lonely planet that Slovakia is a nightmare place to come for a vegetarian, however, from my experience, that is not true. I ordered a Coke, the US variety, but the saw something on a menu that I had seen in the last Tesco supermarket I had done my shopping in, something called Kofola. So I tried some of that too. At first it was strange, either there is no sugar or there is very little. I bought some Slovakian lemonade at that was the same, not sweet sweet like we are used to in France. Having read about garlic soup and how it is a speciality, I asked for some soup, hoping it would be that. The waitress had said it was a vegetable soup, perhaps! But no, it was a sort of Knorr soup with noodles in. Odd eating soup on such a hot day. I think today must have been the hottest it has been since I have been away and the sun is still shining. The main dish was a sort of nochi, the Italian potato thing, with a sheep’s cheese and some really well done lardon in the middle. Before ordering the young waitress had asked me if I were sure I really wanted that as some foreigners found it not so good. I quite liked it, although it was really filling. Then came the time for the bill: two drinks, soup and a main course came to €4.63!! I couldn’t believe it as other things seem quite pricy (a litre of diesel is more than in France, at least when I left at €1,12). I asked if she had taken everything into account. I loved her answer ‘Slovakian prices!’
Ce matin j’ai visité le château de Bojnice, c’est vraiment un château tire d’un compte de fée! La visite a commence en slovaque mais après la moitié un groupe en anglais nous a rattrapé et j’ai rejoint ce groupe. Un château très intéressant et joli. Je suis même venu à Trencin, où je suis en ce moment, pour voir le château ici. Pas aussi spectaculaire! En plus j’ai lu que la plupart du château que l’on voit c’est une restauration des années 50! Mais j’ai pris on vélo et j’ai fait un tour de la ville et de la colline. Sur la colline j’ai retrouvé un monument aux Slovaques assassinés à la fin de la 2° guerre. Voyager fait apprendre les choses car je ne savais pas que la Slovakie était allié avec les Nazis pendant la guerre et que c’était surtout en 44 que les partisans ont été arrêté. Je ne dis pas plus car je ne veux pas faire des erreurs de faits.
There is a problem with my SIM since I got into the Czech republic for a reason that I do not understand I cannot call out from my phone. I can receive calls but the last call I had was a week ago. I suppose that it is when you are alone that you obsess about the fact that noone seems to give a shit for you as you get not calls, not sms nothing ! It is in times like this that I think how really alone I am. When you see people in families that I really do wish that I was straight and sometimes think that if I had to do it all over again, which I won’t, I think I would cheat. I don’t know a single gay couple which is completely happy, I am not sure that any couples are happy after the first few years ! Anyway, noone seems to think enough to give me a call and to let me know that they are thinking about me. Yes, I am in one of those moods, maybe its the vodka letting my real self out, the selfish self that I am.
Wednesday and in Bratislava. Arriving in a square just outside the Magistrates court there are loads of people with their laptops and iphones so I just presumed that there was an internet access but the mac doesn’t see anything. What have I done to the configuration ?
jeudi, juillet 16, 2009
Thought I’d start putting dates, at least for me if I ever reread this.
Donc, hier après midi j’ai passé 4 ou 5 heures à parcourir les rues de Bratislava. Cela m’a donné une vision différente de la dernière fois ou je suis entré à Bratislava avec Marie et Robert pour visiter la ville de ‘Bel Ami’ !
La veille ville est en rénovation. La plupart est très jolie et très chic. Vers les 17h30 il y avait les gens, plutôt les femmes, qui sont sorties bien habillées, soit avec des mecs soit en groupe de femmes, même j’ai vu trois mères avec trois poussettes et trois enfants. Drôle de spectacle. Mais il y a toujours les rues qui n’ont pas été rénovées et on voit ce qui Bratislava aurait dû se ressembler il y a 20 ans. Autour il y a des tours, des casernes comme dans toutes ville européenne. J’en ai vu pareil et pire en France. Bien sur je suis allé voir les deux pont célèbres et même du pont OVNI il y a une passerelle piétonne sous le pont. Drôle de sentiment en entendant la circulation au dessus. En ce moment il y a des concerts gratuits dans la rue mais malheureusement rien le jour de mon passage à Bratislava. J’ai vu le magnifique Opéra aussi bien que le palais de musique. J’ai lu que la salle de concert était un palais. J’aimerais bien passer un weekend à Bratislava aussi bien qu’à Prague. Je pense à l’hôtel on expérience mieux l’atmosphère de ces villes. Sorti après une bonne douche, au lieu d’être puant et transpirant d’une journée de visite. Je suis parti de la ville, car je ne voulais pas passer la nuit en ville, vers des lacs dans le Danube à Rusovce. J’ai trouvé son nom dans le Spartacus comme lieu de drague mais c’est tellement grand que je pense qu’il faut avoir le flair ou savoir. Moi j’ai vu plein de monde en train de faire du roller et du vélo que je me suis arrêté pour faire du vélo ! Je ne sais pas comment Hervé, tu fais tes 74 kms dans un après midi, moi hier soir j’en ai fait une dizaine maxi et j’étais épuisé ! Je suis en train de me demander si je vais en faire ce matin mais il y a du vent et je sais que mon retour sera contre le vent. (Il y a des, oh c’est quoi ? Les trucs que l’on voit dans les aéroports pour montrer la direction et la force du vent. Même en anglais je n’arrive pas trouver le mot. ). Donc je ne suis pas certain que je veux faire du vélo dans ces conditions mais j’aimerais voir ce qu’il y a dans la direction opposée de celle que j’ai pris hier soir. Une route a été condamné et il y a aussi une iste de roller qui a été construit. Si on aime les filles il y en a plein et hyper joli en train de faire du roller. Les mecs en font aussi mais la plupart des mecs c’est du vélo qu’ils font.
Hier soir il a plu donc il fait beaucoup moins lourd qu’hier. Je pense qu’il doit avoir un lieu de drague ici car il y a un mec qui vient d’arriver dans une porsche et il s’est dépoiler et à mis un short sans slip !!! Bon, peut être je ferais du vélo après tout !!!!
There are certain pieces of technology that we just ask how we ever lived without it. Internet for me is one of those new technologies. But why can’t we just connect anywhere. I prefer internet even to the phone. You can write, read, listen, watch, send documents of all sorts, see each other, just so many things. Why am I thinking of that just at this moment? Well, I got something wrong with my marks for one of the classes and am waiting for Bridget to call me as to give her the missing mark. Not only will I have to give her the missing mark , but I have noted that I added a student to the list and will have to give her all the marks again as copy paste has caused a prob! Could I just log in to the net I would be able to send them to her again. Hotspots, Internet hotspots. I remember the hotspots when cell phones first came out. That was how you phoned. You had to get to a ‘hotspot’ or ‘rabbit point’ in the UK before you could make a call. I do hope that things like that will change for the net too. I suppose that 3G or whatever already exists. I know that Thierry is able to connect to the net with his iphone but on me, well not just at the moment, perhaps things will change.
What am I doing here? I’ve just stopped after a detour to get to Kutna Hora, was about to get my bike off the back and the heavens open!! I just hope the place is worth the visit.
And it was worth the visit. The town is quaint and obviously being refurbished for the tourist but the church and the walk up to it were stupendous. It is on the edge of a mountainside and the mountainside is a vineyard. Really beautiful.
Brno, I wondered why this looked familiar! Like most cities, the modern or not so modern rundown area and then the centre of the town which has been made into a pedestrian walkway. But you don’t have to go far out of the centre to see some lovely buildings in really bad repair.
Before visiting the town I went out to a village: Slavkov most of us know it under the Austrian name and is associated with 1805! No, not Trafalgar! It is where the two Emperors, Russian and Austrian stayed the night before the battle on the 5 December, I think, and where Napoleon stayed after the battle!!
I am now, waiting once again for the thunder storm to pass here in Olomouc. There seems to be good weather in the morning, when I am taking time for me, and then it rains in the afternoon. I am on my way to Oswiecim in Poland. It is quite a way so I think it will be tomorrow erhhhhhhh! Afternoon!
Things are going well. I had a few days when I had the blues but that seems to have passed. I need a few days somewhere, where, I can just rest up and take it easy. I am also thinking of not going quite so far and returning south west to Croatia to spend some time on the coast before going back to France and spending some time on the coast. But who knows what could happen?
Getting to Auschwitz was not easy. I mistoke the name on the map and merry went off in the wrong direction, some 60 kims!! I hate it when I do stupid things like that. So, when I finally arrived it was dark and I just couldn’t find a sign to the camps. I set Mio to take me into town where I was gong to sleep for the night but everything was paying so I decided to go back to Birkanau, where I spent the night on the car park in front of the camp. At first it felt very strange, laods of things went through my mind, not ghosts and that sort of thing but the fact that there had been up to 90,000 people in the camp. So this morning I was up and took 4 hours to go around Bikanau and then went 3kms to Auschwitz.
The camps are quite something. First of all the size of Birkenau, it is enormous. And to think there was a time when there were 90,000 people living and dying there. Much of the camp is no longer standing
It’s been a couple of days since I sat down to do some writing. A good thing perhaps, verbal diahorea! Today I am in Slovakia. I knew one of the countries in this area had changed over to the euro in January, now I know which one it was!
I don’t really understand how the whole thing works. There is something about 3% of GNP, anyway, an economist I am not but looking about I really do not understand how Slovakia has managed to get into the euro and the Czech republic not. Just coming over the boarder the place changes. Not quite Thailand to Cambodia, but there is a definite change. In my book they say that no country can wipe out the face of 41 years of communism and here I really feel that. Over there, there is a beautiful horizon of the mountains and just in the foreground some kind of horrible black factory! But the countryside is something. Quite French in a way, free, liberated to do as it likes not Swiss or German, everything in its place, everything mown, everything just like a film set.
I came through what must be one of the 5 main towns of the country, Zilina. A rather ugly looking place although I did just pass around. Then on to Cicamy a quaint little village tucked away in the mountains. Half the village is made up of traditionally built wooden houses painted with Slovakian designs. The other half is relatively modern. I would have liked to have spent the night, but couldn’t find anywhere to put the camper.
That is another thing. I have not found any water around! I might even have to go to a campsite again to get water!
The weather seems to have changed it is sunny and reasonably warm. I have decided to calm the driving and will stay in the area for a few days. There is a spa town not far away Bojinice (not pronounced anything like that!!) and I think I will stop there and have a swim and perhaps a massage.
Being alone is giving lots of time to read, to watch ‘Brothers and Sisters’ and of course to think. I am a person who loves people but people just don’t seem to love me. I realise that I have spent a lot of my life alone. At school, after Lynn left and even to some extent during my life with Thierry, some time was spent alone. Now, I am alone once again and see no end to this tunnel of being alone. Unlike some people I talk to and have convinced themselves that being alone is just great, I do not think that. I despise loneliness. Funny, we think with words but when it comes to trying to express my feelings and emotions I am left with writers blank.
Enough of that, it is depressing me. I have decided not to go all the way over to the Black Sea. At the moment I am aiming for the Croatian coast passing through Bratislava, Budapest, Zagreb, (not sure if that will be on the way south or north), Sarajevo, Mostar and then the coast. I need a little sun and sea. I don’t somehow think I will get any of the other!!
I wonder how Davey Wavey would cope with silence, not talking for days and days and days? For me this is one of the hardest parts of coming away alone, you never if rarely speak to anyone, share anything with anyone. That is one of the reasons people who are alone go into restaurants, so that they can at least speak to the waiter or waitress.
Today, at lunch, I ate out. Passing through a little town I saw a statue that I wanted to take a photo of, so pulled up a kilometre later on where I could park, and cycled back to take the photo. It was on my way back to the camper that I decided that I would have lunch. After all, part of being abroad is to mix with the locals, which of course I never do in the camper, and to try their food and drink. So I decided to splash out and to eat in a restaurant. The eating house I chose was really eye-catching as it was just covered in all sorts of household items from the past. Not just household items, farming forks and rakes and so on too. One of the waitresses could speak English, which was good as I do not understand anything at all. Even reading it, nothing! Anyway, I wanted something Slovakian so she showed me the dishes, there were three. She couldn’t describe them except that she did ask me if I wanted meat. I had read in the lonely planet that Slovakia is a nightmare place to come for a vegetarian, however, from my experience, that is not true. I ordered a Coke, the US variety, but the saw something on a menu that I had seen in the last Tesco supermarket I had done my shopping in, something called Kofola. So I tried some of that too. At first it was strange, either there is no sugar or there is very little. I bought some Slovakian lemonade at that was the same, not sweet sweet like we are used to in France. Having read about garlic soup and how it is a speciality, I asked for some soup, hoping it would be that. The waitress had said it was a vegetable soup, perhaps! But no, it was a sort of Knorr soup with noodles in. Odd eating soup on such a hot day. I think today must have been the hottest it has been since I have been away and the sun is still shining. The main dish was a sort of nochi, the Italian potato thing, with a sheep’s cheese and some really well done lardon in the middle. Before ordering the young waitress had asked me if I were sure I really wanted that as some foreigners found it not so good. I quite liked it, although it was really filling. Then came the time for the bill: two drinks, soup and a main course came to €4.63!! I couldn’t believe it as other things seem quite pricy (a litre of diesel is more than in France, at least when I left at €1,12). I asked if she had taken everything into account. I loved her answer ‘Slovakian prices!’
Ce matin j’ai visité le château de Bojnice, c’est vraiment un château tire d’un compte de fée! La visite a commence en slovaque mais après la moitié un groupe en anglais nous a rattrapé et j’ai rejoint ce groupe. Un château très intéressant et joli. Je suis même venu à Trencin, où je suis en ce moment, pour voir le château ici. Pas aussi spectaculaire! En plus j’ai lu que la plupart du château que l’on voit c’est une restauration des années 50! Mais j’ai pris on vélo et j’ai fait un tour de la ville et de la colline. Sur la colline j’ai retrouvé un monument aux Slovaques assassinés à la fin de la 2° guerre. Voyager fait apprendre les choses car je ne savais pas que la Slovakie était allié avec les Nazis pendant la guerre et que c’était surtout en 44 que les partisans ont été arrêté. Je ne dis pas plus car je ne veux pas faire des erreurs de faits.
There is a problem with my SIM since I got into the Czech republic for a reason that I do not understand I cannot call out from my phone. I can receive calls but the last call I had was a week ago. I suppose that it is when you are alone that you obsess about the fact that noone seems to give a shit for you as you get not calls, not sms nothing ! It is in times like this that I think how really alone I am. When you see people in families that I really do wish that I was straight and sometimes think that if I had to do it all over again, which I won’t, I think I would cheat. I don’t know a single gay couple which is completely happy, I am not sure that any couples are happy after the first few years ! Anyway, noone seems to think enough to give me a call and to let me know that they are thinking about me. Yes, I am in one of those moods, maybe its the vodka letting my real self out, the selfish self that I am.
Wednesday and in Bratislava. Arriving in a square just outside the Magistrates court there are loads of people with their laptops and iphones so I just presumed that there was an internet access but the mac doesn’t see anything. What have I done to the configuration ?
jeudi, juillet 16, 2009
Thought I’d start putting dates, at least for me if I ever reread this.
Donc, hier après midi j’ai passé 4 ou 5 heures à parcourir les rues de Bratislava. Cela m’a donné une vision différente de la dernière fois ou je suis entré à Bratislava avec Marie et Robert pour visiter la ville de ‘Bel Ami’ !
La veille ville est en rénovation. La plupart est très jolie et très chic. Vers les 17h30 il y avait les gens, plutôt les femmes, qui sont sorties bien habillées, soit avec des mecs soit en groupe de femmes, même j’ai vu trois mères avec trois poussettes et trois enfants. Drôle de spectacle. Mais il y a toujours les rues qui n’ont pas été rénovées et on voit ce qui Bratislava aurait dû se ressembler il y a 20 ans. Autour il y a des tours, des casernes comme dans toutes ville européenne. J’en ai vu pareil et pire en France. Bien sur je suis allé voir les deux pont célèbres et même du pont OVNI il y a une passerelle piétonne sous le pont. Drôle de sentiment en entendant la circulation au dessus. En ce moment il y a des concerts gratuits dans la rue mais malheureusement rien le jour de mon passage à Bratislava. J’ai vu le magnifique Opéra aussi bien que le palais de musique. J’ai lu que la salle de concert était un palais. J’aimerais bien passer un weekend à Bratislava aussi bien qu’à Prague. Je pense à l’hôtel on expérience mieux l’atmosphère de ces villes. Sorti après une bonne douche, au lieu d’être puant et transpirant d’une journée de visite. Je suis parti de la ville, car je ne voulais pas passer la nuit en ville, vers des lacs dans le Danube à Rusovce. J’ai trouvé son nom dans le Spartacus comme lieu de drague mais c’est tellement grand que je pense qu’il faut avoir le flair ou savoir. Moi j’ai vu plein de monde en train de faire du roller et du vélo que je me suis arrêté pour faire du vélo ! Je ne sais pas comment Hervé, tu fais tes 74 kms dans un après midi, moi hier soir j’en ai fait une dizaine maxi et j’étais épuisé ! Je suis en train de me demander si je vais en faire ce matin mais il y a du vent et je sais que mon retour sera contre le vent. (Il y a des, oh c’est quoi ? Les trucs que l’on voit dans les aéroports pour montrer la direction et la force du vent. Même en anglais je n’arrive pas trouver le mot. ). Donc je ne suis pas certain que je veux faire du vélo dans ces conditions mais j’aimerais voir ce qu’il y a dans la direction opposée de celle que j’ai pris hier soir. Une route a été condamné et il y a aussi une iste de roller qui a été construit. Si on aime les filles il y en a plein et hyper joli en train de faire du roller. Les mecs en font aussi mais la plupart des mecs c’est du vélo qu’ils font.
Hier soir il a plu donc il fait beaucoup moins lourd qu’hier. Je pense qu’il doit avoir un lieu de drague ici car il y a un mec qui vient d’arriver dans une porsche et il s’est dépoiler et à mis un short sans slip !!! Bon, peut être je ferais du vélo après tout !!!!
Philip
Philip if you see this, I have lost the password for the account I gave you. Please get in contact same pseudo but @free.fr
Wednesday, 8 July 2009
Prague/Praha
Well, I've been in the Czech republic for three or four days and seen lots of nothing! The first day I spent around a man-made lake which is in the south Lipno and got my bike out and cycled. It was good to get out of the camper and to do some exercise. However, since then I have visited Cesky Krumlov which was a really lovely place, the old town is built in the meandre of the river, almost a full meadre and there is a magnificent castle on the opposite cliff. Then I went to Tabor, which, according to the Lonely Planet is a must!!!!! Well, if I had had not had the GPS I wouldn't have recognised the place from the description! A large modern town with an old bit, but as I said, had the GPS not told me I had arrived I wouldn't have known. So then on to Prague, which I didn't find as pretty as Budapest and parking is so difficult. There are loads of places but they are 'reservé', which I suppose means for permit holders only! It is the first time since we have had the camper that I had to go to a camp site! Camp sites in Prague are people's back gardens. Well, why not make a little on the side. On arrival I thought that GPS had made some mistake, but no. So now I am on my way to Krakow in Poland going through Kutna Hora, Telc, Austerlitz, but it has another name in Czech, then to Ostrava and Krakow where I am going to visit the camps which were used by the nazi during WW2.
I am wondering what I am doing. The weather is not good, so I have been thinking of giving the Black sea a miss as I would like some sun and might just head for Budapest then Greece. I've just read that I can't drive through Serbia as I need an international driving licence and I don't have one!
Next time I will get my photos and add some photos.
I am wondering what I am doing. The weather is not good, so I have been thinking of giving the Black sea a miss as I would like some sun and might just head for Budapest then Greece. I've just read that I can't drive through Serbia as I need an international driving licence and I don't have one!
Next time I will get my photos and add some photos.
A very long one!!
So, here I am on an autoroute car-park having spent the night next to the swimming park, I think, in Bludenz. I thought I should get off early as I was taking up 3 parking spaces, a runner having run into my protruding bike on the back of the camper. My first reaction was ‘Is the person alright’, then my reaction was one of indignation like ’anyone could see the bike over the pavement’ and finally I realised that I am the one who should take care of others not hurting themselves. The scene in ‘Philadelphia’ came to mind, just before Tom Hanks goes into Denzel Washington’s office. Denzel Washington is talking to a potential client who has walked into a hole, which was well marked, and has broken his arm. And I thought, hey, the runner is not the one who should look out, I should not park in a dangerous way. It made me think!
But what has happened since Thonon. Well, first of all I want to talk about some of the people I have met on my journey so far.
While I was in Chens sur Léman, marking, another camper came into the area I was parked. I woman got out and set up a chair and so on. I decided to do the neighbourly thing, and went and had a word with her. She had been born and brought up in Morocco, her father was a teacher there, had spent most of her life in Paris and had, five years ago, come to live in Annemasse. She was giving me information about where to camp around the lake when she asked me where I came from due to my accent. I much prefer when a person asks where I come from rather than just saying: “Ah, vous etes anglais!”. Her next question was how long had I lived in France and then if I had taken the nationality. Finally she tells me that she thinks it is good that I had not become French. Bizarre, I thought, until she told me she voted FN!!!!! After that we could not see eye to eye, of course. Finally she just said to me, “Au revoir, monsieur!” and stopped the conversation like that. Later she came and apologised and continued on about nationalism and how he would rather give two people like me a job rather than those pseudo French! I just couldn’t believe it!
After leaving Thonon, I headed for Switzerland and had decided to take the valley of the Rhône up to the glacier. The night was drawing in so I decided to stop on the motorway. As I drove onto the car park I remembered that I had read something about one of the car parks near Sion! This wasn’t the one, but very similar!!
This morning, I decided to leave Bludenz to have breakfast and shower here on the autoroute, well not really here! A couple of men drove up and stopped just outside the window. One got out to ask a question. He came round to the door. Now, just let me remind you that I am going to the Czech Republic and so am heading in the direction of Innsbruck with Switerland and France behind me. This man wanted to know if they were in France and which way they had to go to get to Spain!! Apparently he had just bought the car (bought, I’m not too sure) in Germany and were heading home for Barcelona. He had a scrap of paper with Innsbuck on it. Anyway, I showed him my map, as his friend didn’t believe they were going in the opposite direction and gave him some towns to look out for as well as Mio giving him the distance to Barcelona of 1240 kms! It’s nice to help, but I don’t understand people.
Well, I’m off in the direction of Innsbruck and hope to visit Hitler’s little Eagle’s nest, at least I think that is what he called it, at Berchtesgaden near Salzburg.
Sunday, 5th July, somewhere not far from Linz on my way to Cesky Kumla or something like that, in the Czech Republic. In fact I am in a McDonalds, cause wanted to use the WiFi, but apparently here, sometimes it works sometimes it doesn’t and today it doesn’t!! It’s not the end of the world though, is it,
These McCafés are great. A really good coffee and even a glass of water if you like, not bad.
Ces derniers jours j’ai été en Allemagne dans la région de Berkdesgarten. Le premier jours ou je suis arrive j’ai visité la ville. Jolie, sans plus et puis je suis allé au lac pas très loin de Koningssee. Joli lac complètement entouré de falaises. Bien sûr on peut visiter le lac en prenant un bateau électrique. Il y a des randonnés mais j’ai pris mon vélo et j’ai fait une petite tour pour mieux voir la vue sur le lac. C’était en fin de journée et il n’y avait pas beaucoup de lumière donc les photos que j’ai prises ne seront pas trop réussies ! On verra. Un couple d’un certain âge, un peu plus que moi, s’est arrêté pour m’aider prendre une photo de moi, je l’ai vue, pas du tout réussi avec mon ventre !! Que faut-il faire pour me débarrasser de ce ventre ? Le lendemain, hier, samedi, je suis allé à Obersalzbert pour visiter une musée sur le Nazisme. En arrivant j’ai payé le parking, il faut toujours payer le parking ! Pas très cher (3€) mais tu paies de partout, et puis je me suis allé voir le musée. Je ne suis pas arrivé car j’ai vu qu’il y avait un bus pour aller visiter le Kerl ???? (The Eagle’s nest) de Hitler mais à 15€ pour un aller et retour je me suis decidé d’y aller à pied. 3h30 plus tard, je suis arrivé, au moins presque… Je suis arrivé au parking des bus et l’ascenseur pour aller en haut ! Après une petite pause, et un café j’ai fait les dernier 174 mètres par le chemin. Tous le long de mon promenade de 3 heures j’ai entendu le tonnerre et en arrivant en haut, les nuages sont venues et il a plu !!! J’ai eu juste le temps de prendre quelques photos avant le déluge! J’étais déjà trempé de la montée je ne voulais pas me retrouvé sous la pluie donc je suis entré et visité le nid ! il y avait un groupe qui faisait un tour donc j’ai eu des renseignements, un visite en anglais, et puis j’ai décidé de manger. Un grand verre de limonade (50cl), une assiette de Wurst, pommes de terres et de saukraut, suivi d’un horrible café (le reste était très bon) moins que lq montée en bus !! Et puis le retour, à pied ! Je n’avais pas prévu de monter à pied donc je n’ étais pas trop bien chaussé, et le retour m’a donné des ampoules sous les plantes de pieds !!!! Ouchhhhhhhh ! That’ll teach me !!! Mais une bonne journée. Je le sens aujourd’hui aux pieds mais j’ai dû me servir des muscles qui n’ont pas l’habitude d’être utilisées ! Mais j’ai toujours mon ventre !!!!
En parant je suis filler sur Linz. En Allemagne le diesel coûte 1,10€, en Autriche entre 0,85 à 1,11 sur les autoroutes. J’ai décidé de prendre du carburant avant de commencer le trajet, et j’ai aussi pris un autostoppeur slovak qui voulait aller à Lichtenstein mais à 20h passé se contentait d’aller à Salzberg. Je l’ai lassé en vlle et continué ma route. Et voilà mes dernière journées ! Je me trouve chez un McDo sans WiFi mais à la prochaine.
No luck with the net, either it doesn’t connect or you have to pay !! Hot spots !
Esperons que le temps va changer pour le mieux, depuis ce matin il pleut et j’ai passé 2 heures en train de visiter cette ville de Cesi K ??? Jolie, un peut comme une Perouges mais dans un méandre d’une rivière entouré d’un coté par une falaise et un château. Encore une fois j’ai pris le déjeuner au resto, ou je suis en ce moment. Jusqu’il y a un moment il y avait un jouesuse de iano dans le restau juste en face. Tranquitl, pas trop de monde, probablement grâce au temps ! Après je vais visiter Tabor et puis filer vers Prague.
Being alone is not the difficult part of this Holiday, the difficult part is seeing everyone else with either one or more !! Perhaps my time will come again ! As I was visiting the gardens of the castle the thought even went through my mind that I wish I were straight, life with someone would be so much easier – well at least to find. Firstly most people assume that you are straight and there are 75% more chance of finding someone. But, I am not, so my lot is caste !
But what has happened since Thonon. Well, first of all I want to talk about some of the people I have met on my journey so far.
While I was in Chens sur Léman, marking, another camper came into the area I was parked. I woman got out and set up a chair and so on. I decided to do the neighbourly thing, and went and had a word with her. She had been born and brought up in Morocco, her father was a teacher there, had spent most of her life in Paris and had, five years ago, come to live in Annemasse. She was giving me information about where to camp around the lake when she asked me where I came from due to my accent. I much prefer when a person asks where I come from rather than just saying: “Ah, vous etes anglais!”. Her next question was how long had I lived in France and then if I had taken the nationality. Finally she tells me that she thinks it is good that I had not become French. Bizarre, I thought, until she told me she voted FN!!!!! After that we could not see eye to eye, of course. Finally she just said to me, “Au revoir, monsieur!” and stopped the conversation like that. Later she came and apologised and continued on about nationalism and how he would rather give two people like me a job rather than those pseudo French! I just couldn’t believe it!
After leaving Thonon, I headed for Switzerland and had decided to take the valley of the Rhône up to the glacier. The night was drawing in so I decided to stop on the motorway. As I drove onto the car park I remembered that I had read something about one of the car parks near Sion! This wasn’t the one, but very similar!!
This morning, I decided to leave Bludenz to have breakfast and shower here on the autoroute, well not really here! A couple of men drove up and stopped just outside the window. One got out to ask a question. He came round to the door. Now, just let me remind you that I am going to the Czech Republic and so am heading in the direction of Innsbruck with Switerland and France behind me. This man wanted to know if they were in France and which way they had to go to get to Spain!! Apparently he had just bought the car (bought, I’m not too sure) in Germany and were heading home for Barcelona. He had a scrap of paper with Innsbuck on it. Anyway, I showed him my map, as his friend didn’t believe they were going in the opposite direction and gave him some towns to look out for as well as Mio giving him the distance to Barcelona of 1240 kms! It’s nice to help, but I don’t understand people.
Well, I’m off in the direction of Innsbruck and hope to visit Hitler’s little Eagle’s nest, at least I think that is what he called it, at Berchtesgaden near Salzburg.
Sunday, 5th July, somewhere not far from Linz on my way to Cesky Kumla or something like that, in the Czech Republic. In fact I am in a McDonalds, cause wanted to use the WiFi, but apparently here, sometimes it works sometimes it doesn’t and today it doesn’t!! It’s not the end of the world though, is it,
These McCafés are great. A really good coffee and even a glass of water if you like, not bad.
Ces derniers jours j’ai été en Allemagne dans la région de Berkdesgarten. Le premier jours ou je suis arrive j’ai visité la ville. Jolie, sans plus et puis je suis allé au lac pas très loin de Koningssee. Joli lac complètement entouré de falaises. Bien sûr on peut visiter le lac en prenant un bateau électrique. Il y a des randonnés mais j’ai pris mon vélo et j’ai fait une petite tour pour mieux voir la vue sur le lac. C’était en fin de journée et il n’y avait pas beaucoup de lumière donc les photos que j’ai prises ne seront pas trop réussies ! On verra. Un couple d’un certain âge, un peu plus que moi, s’est arrêté pour m’aider prendre une photo de moi, je l’ai vue, pas du tout réussi avec mon ventre !! Que faut-il faire pour me débarrasser de ce ventre ? Le lendemain, hier, samedi, je suis allé à Obersalzbert pour visiter une musée sur le Nazisme. En arrivant j’ai payé le parking, il faut toujours payer le parking ! Pas très cher (3€) mais tu paies de partout, et puis je me suis allé voir le musée. Je ne suis pas arrivé car j’ai vu qu’il y avait un bus pour aller visiter le Kerl ???? (The Eagle’s nest) de Hitler mais à 15€ pour un aller et retour je me suis decidé d’y aller à pied. 3h30 plus tard, je suis arrivé, au moins presque… Je suis arrivé au parking des bus et l’ascenseur pour aller en haut ! Après une petite pause, et un café j’ai fait les dernier 174 mètres par le chemin. Tous le long de mon promenade de 3 heures j’ai entendu le tonnerre et en arrivant en haut, les nuages sont venues et il a plu !!! J’ai eu juste le temps de prendre quelques photos avant le déluge! J’étais déjà trempé de la montée je ne voulais pas me retrouvé sous la pluie donc je suis entré et visité le nid ! il y avait un groupe qui faisait un tour donc j’ai eu des renseignements, un visite en anglais, et puis j’ai décidé de manger. Un grand verre de limonade (50cl), une assiette de Wurst, pommes de terres et de saukraut, suivi d’un horrible café (le reste était très bon) moins que lq montée en bus !! Et puis le retour, à pied ! Je n’avais pas prévu de monter à pied donc je n’ étais pas trop bien chaussé, et le retour m’a donné des ampoules sous les plantes de pieds !!!! Ouchhhhhhhh ! That’ll teach me !!! Mais une bonne journée. Je le sens aujourd’hui aux pieds mais j’ai dû me servir des muscles qui n’ont pas l’habitude d’être utilisées ! Mais j’ai toujours mon ventre !!!!
En parant je suis filler sur Linz. En Allemagne le diesel coûte 1,10€, en Autriche entre 0,85 à 1,11 sur les autoroutes. J’ai décidé de prendre du carburant avant de commencer le trajet, et j’ai aussi pris un autostoppeur slovak qui voulait aller à Lichtenstein mais à 20h passé se contentait d’aller à Salzberg. Je l’ai lassé en vlle et continué ma route. Et voilà mes dernière journées ! Je me trouve chez un McDo sans WiFi mais à la prochaine.
No luck with the net, either it doesn’t connect or you have to pay !! Hot spots !
Esperons que le temps va changer pour le mieux, depuis ce matin il pleut et j’ai passé 2 heures en train de visiter cette ville de Cesi K ??? Jolie, un peut comme une Perouges mais dans un méandre d’une rivière entouré d’un coté par une falaise et un château. Encore une fois j’ai pris le déjeuner au resto, ou je suis en ce moment. Jusqu’il y a un moment il y avait un jouesuse de iano dans le restau juste en face. Tranquitl, pas trop de monde, probablement grâce au temps ! Après je vais visiter Tabor et puis filer vers Prague.
Being alone is not the difficult part of this Holiday, the difficult part is seeing everyone else with either one or more !! Perhaps my time will come again ! As I was visiting the gardens of the castle the thought even went through my mind that I wish I were straight, life with someone would be so much easier – well at least to find. Firstly most people assume that you are straight and there are 75% more chance of finding someone. But, I am not, so my lot is caste !
Wednesday, 1 July 2009
Off to Switzerland
So, it is Wednesday evening and I'm at last on my way to the Black Sea! Tonight on the Fukkar Pass, well something like that! A walk on the glacier tomorrow and then up to the Czech Republic. Why can't I get it to publish a photo???? Merde!! Well not going to let it get to me or keep me here. See ya some time.
The last couple of days!!
Hey, I’ m watching Sister Act 2, love the film but one of those films where in a matter of a semester everything goes well. Great but as an educator I would love to know if I have ever really changed the lives of any of my students. That’ s just the thing, we never know. Well, that is not really true. I was on the net a year or so ago and I got an email from Julia, a former pupil of mine. She was in the 3rd year in the seventies with me and I got this email that said, Hi Simon, I thought it was you. She had done French at University because I had given her the urge to do it. But that is the only feedback that I have ever had. Teaching in films is just so great but in real life it is nice to know from time to time if you have really had an effect on your students.
Been watching ‘Chicago’. There’s this song: Mr Cellophane. Talks about the fact that the bloke is never seen as anyone by anybody. Bizarre, I was in a couple of shops just recently and I felt just the same when the shop assistant asked THE WOMAN next to me, what she wanted!!!!
It’s already Wednesday and I am still in France! Does this mean that I don’t have the courage to leave or does it mean that I love the place so much? In fact I don’t think it is either, rather a mixture of the two. This is a lovely area of France: Thonon les bains with the lake and the countryside. I managed to get to the naturist beach, late, but I got there. The lake was so inviting so I went for a swim. It was easier to get in that a couple of days ago not too far from. I think I might stay a bit longer and make the most of the sun this afternoon.
Last evening a second and then a third camper pulled into this car park near the Forêt de Ripaille. It is probably the only one that doesn’t have height bars at the entrance!! On waking this morning, at 8h01 (at least you get full days when you use a camper) one of the campers had a dog outside and a bike. Not French, but from Luxembourg and a coupe of men as occupants: One around 30 out in his briefs and then his ‘friend’ around 45 perhaps. Strange to see myself like that! Even dresses like me in red shorts and a yellow tee shirt. I suppose, no I don’t suppose, it is when I see couples like that, that I realise how really lonely I am.
Before coming away there was a meeting at ECE and I went to lunch with some colleagues. I talked about trying to find a bloke and one of them (they were both women, of course) talked to me about her break up with her ex and how she realised that she had to do things for herself. Until you feel good with yourself you can’t really move on. I need to feel good with myself. I need to love myself until then noone will love me, I suppose. But how can you love someone you don’t really like? Perhaps you grow to like them? I remember when I was a teenager watching the Play for today on TV, in which there was a woman who had to like herself. I don’t remember much of the play but I do remember a scene where she had to give herself confidence. She walked around the room telling herself: ‘I am beautiful today, oh yes I am, I am beautiful today.’ I suppose I remember this as my sister and I would act out the scene from time to time having found it rather amusing. I never realised how much I would come to resembled that woman.
Well, in fact, the younger one has taken his bike to go to Yvoire and his friend is meeting him there in the camper. Would have liked to have taken a photo of them taking photos of the biker, but felt that it would be impinging on their privacy. How stupid of me!
Yeah, I watched Davey Wavey on youtube a couple of days ago in a McDo, and he was talking about getting a boyfriend. Perhaps he is the one who has put all these ideas into my head!.
First to arrive, last to go!! I need a post office and a bank and then I think I can sun myself and make my way to the Furkapass and the Rhône Glacier.
Et qu’est –ce qui se passé? Je passé du temps à faire le ménage!! Il y a des choses à faire. C’est vrai que je dois faire un peu plus!
Saturday, 27 June 2009
Genève, by the lake as the sun is going down
This is just so cool, sat by the lake watching the world go by, listening to some band getting warmed up for a concert this evening and I am on the net!!
I was just going to write something in word and add it tomorrow, but there is no need there is the ned there is the WiFi free for the public.
The smell is that almost of the sea, it is so very different to Lyon. Fish, that is it fish in the air. And perfume, strong perfume. Is it a woman's or a man's? Who knows.
The sun is just going down behing the Jura, behind Thoiry and it is going to get cold to I think I will leave it here. What a great place! Why didn't we stay here Lynn? We were so young.
I was just going to write something in word and add it tomorrow, but there is no need there is the ned there is the WiFi free for the public.
The smell is that almost of the sea, it is so very different to Lyon. Fish, that is it fish in the air. And perfume, strong perfume. Is it a woman's or a man's? Who knows.
The sun is just going down behing the Jura, behind Thoiry and it is going to get cold to I think I will leave it here. What a great place! Why didn't we stay here Lynn? We were so young.
Ceuillette de girottes!
Oh yes, I forgot. While doing this wonderfully fulfilling work in the camper a car drew up and a couple a little older than me got out. Took a ladder from the back of the car and clambered onto the wall behind the camper to collect some girottes (small, bitter cherries) off the tree!! I just couldn't believe it. The tree was in a private garden. The car had a doctor's sticker in it! I suppose that is why the rich stay rich!!
Scintillating day!!
What a scintillating day spent in the camper marking!! Finally got the ECE exams out of the way at around 5pm after starting this morning at 9am!!! OK, they were so booooring that I did have some breaks, like after every five copies and towards the end every single copy!!! But what were we testing? Well that is not for here just at t he moment.
It actually was sunny at one point and I went out for a walk and took some photos. Not on the mac yet! but they will be soooooooon. Came down to McDonald's to send off those marks and to have a coffee. No coffee, the machine was out of order!! So I had a couple of 20cl apple juices - pure 100% juice nevertheless. Before that I bought myself a pair of shoes to replace the ones I've had for the past 6 years!! Hope the new ones last as long.
Well, in a few moments I am going to close down and go to the lake. Get my bike off the back of the camper and do a little exercise, I need it. See you soon.
It actually was sunny at one point and I went out for a walk and took some photos. Not on the mac yet! but they will be soooooooon. Came down to McDonald's to send off those marks and to have a coffee. No coffee, the machine was out of order!! So I had a couple of 20cl apple juices - pure 100% juice nevertheless. Before that I bought myself a pair of shoes to replace the ones I've had for the past 6 years!! Hope the new ones last as long.
Well, in a few moments I am going to close down and go to the lake. Get my bike off the back of the camper and do a little exercise, I need it. See you soon.
Friday, 26 June 2009
Holiday: Day 1 & 2
While doing my marking, I thought about what I should do with my blog. In fact, it really is just a diary for me as noone ever seems to come and have a look at it. Why do some blogs get lots of hits and mine... none? Perhaps I am just boring!
So, I have left Lyon and am now on my hols. Yes, I was thinking about ship logs and thought that I might try to do something like that so that I can remember what I have done and some of the things I have seen and have happenned to me during my hols.
So I left home quite late on Wednesday evening. It was important that I leave although I still have so much still to do. Leaving meant that my vacation had started and that is important.
I drove about 100 kms to NANTUA, a town in the Ain to park by the lake. On my arrival around 22h30 I found that all the places just by the lake had been taken and I had been relegated to a place near the new train track that is being built. But, no matter, there are no trains yet, or so I thought.
Thursday morning I was awakened by someone talking just outside the camper. On opening the blind I saw a Police Municipal bloke. What was going on? In fact, they have now started charging campers staying overnight: 5€60 for a night. That is more than my allowance for the day!!
After many of the campers had left I changed position, with a view of the lake and began correcting one of the classes exams I have. During the afternoon many young people came to swim and mess around. I decided to change postion, as I didn't want to have to pay for another night so I carried on to LEAZ, just after Bellegarde and before the strait of the Rhone.
What a lovely little village. The number of times I have been just above it on my way to Genève, it has a great panorama of the Rhone and the Fort d'Ecluse. I will put the photos on the net tomorrow.
It was warm, and then a rumble followed by a flash and a real storm started over my head. On seeing that the weather looked a little better on the other side of the ridge of la Faucille, I thought I would come to THOIRY and make the most of the the WiFi at McDonalds. So, here I am, but not to stay forever!! Although I have spent almost 3 hours here already! Email checking, writing emails and so on.
So, I have left Lyon and am now on my hols. Yes, I was thinking about ship logs and thought that I might try to do something like that so that I can remember what I have done and some of the things I have seen and have happenned to me during my hols.
So I left home quite late on Wednesday evening. It was important that I leave although I still have so much still to do. Leaving meant that my vacation had started and that is important.
I drove about 100 kms to NANTUA, a town in the Ain to park by the lake. On my arrival around 22h30 I found that all the places just by the lake had been taken and I had been relegated to a place near the new train track that is being built. But, no matter, there are no trains yet, or so I thought.
Thursday morning I was awakened by someone talking just outside the camper. On opening the blind I saw a Police Municipal bloke. What was going on? In fact, they have now started charging campers staying overnight: 5€60 for a night. That is more than my allowance for the day!!
After many of the campers had left I changed position, with a view of the lake and began correcting one of the classes exams I have. During the afternoon many young people came to swim and mess around. I decided to change postion, as I didn't want to have to pay for another night so I carried on to LEAZ, just after Bellegarde and before the strait of the Rhone.
What a lovely little village. The number of times I have been just above it on my way to Genève, it has a great panorama of the Rhone and the Fort d'Ecluse. I will put the photos on the net tomorrow.
It was warm, and then a rumble followed by a flash and a real storm started over my head. On seeing that the weather looked a little better on the other side of the ridge of la Faucille, I thought I would come to THOIRY and make the most of the the WiFi at McDonalds. So, here I am, but not to stay forever!! Although I have spent almost 3 hours here already! Email checking, writing emails and so on.
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