Very dear friends Andrew and Li-Ann got married on 2 July in Melbourne. It was a fantastic ceremony, both stylish and informal. Here's a photo of them listening to Julie, the celebrant talk through the legalities. Li-Ann is wearing an ostrich feather shrug but sadly the Jimmy Choo shoes are out of shot! Andrew also looking very stylish!
Friday, July 02, 2010
Thursday, July 01, 2010
Burtonesque!
There's a huge Tim Burton exhibition on in Melbourne at the moment. It's amazing just what a prolific and creative man he is. There's loads of his early drawings and designs right through to costumes and models he's made for the later films. Huge amount to see. The only thing that you're allowed to take a photo of is the Batmobile at the entrance - it looks amazing, all black and gleaming. My favourite bit of the exhibition was a surreal merry-go-round with skulls and creatures, all under UV light.
Gradated! (is that a word...?)
Had a few days in Melbourne around Li-Ann's wedding in late June/early July. I really Melbourne, it's very similar to Wellington with lots of character. There are old-fashioned lanes in the middle of the city that run between the main roads and are lined with shops and cafes. I was delighted to see this one, Babushka which is stocked with loads of Russian dolls. The selection was even better than anything I'd seen in Russia (although probably quite a bit more expensive!). As well as the traditional looking matryoshka dolls, there were also Russian presidents, Beatles, Elvis etc.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
wintry!
So it's the middle of a very wet winter here and the herb garden definitely isn't as florid as it once was! As you can see the rosemary is doing well, the mint has gone to seed a bit, the parsley is doing fine and the poor wee tarragon has died right away! At least it's not cold enough to get frosty here so the plants should survive just fine. Looking forward to getting some basil in soon.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Saturday, March 13, 2010
even herbier!
Pleased to report that my herb garden is coming along in leaps and bounds - here is the herb garden on day 12. I haven't picked any yet but I've been faithfully watering it (and it would have got a good water during the storm last night). I'm especially pleased about the mint, it's really come away! Trying to track down some tarragon now.
Chocolately!
Easter has arrived with a bang in New Zealand - this is only a part of the chocolate display at my local supermarket, New World in Thorndon. The inflatable bunny is absolutely enormous and reaches right up to the ceiling. There are of course a plethora of marshmallow eggs on offer as well - there's a vogue for flavoured ones as well, including Pineapple Lump flavour and Crunchie flavour! Makes the loss of the NZ specific creme egg a little easier to swallow...
Friday, March 12, 2010
stormy!
Had my first taste of a real Wellington storm yesterday afternoon - there had been rain and hail forecast but I think the ferocity of the southerly took a few people unawares. I was at home and could see the black clouds rolling in (as you can see in the photo I've lifted from Flickr) and then bam! the rain and wind and hail and thunder and lightning started. I watched it all from my sun room for a bit but it got a bit intense and so I retreated away from the big glass windows!
This video on YouTube gives a good indication of what went on, It was all over in an hour or so and there wasn't any damage around here - the neighbour's trampoline is still tethered to the hillside!
This video on YouTube gives a good indication of what went on, It was all over in an hour or so and there wasn't any damage around here - the neighbour's trampoline is still tethered to the hillside!
Sunday, March 07, 2010
interactive!
We went to see the fantastic and interactive Apollo 13: Mission Control at Downstage Theatre last night. It's one of the hot tickets at the Wellington International Festival and was great fun! It's based around Apollo 13 mission in 1970 which very nearly ended in disaster and later became a movie with Tom Hanks and Bill Paxton etc.
The play is very interactive - about half the audience (not us sadly) are seated behind consoles on the ground floor and given roles to play during the production. One lucky audience member even got to be one of the astronauts (you can see this one in the top right hand corner of the screen). There were three actors on the 'stage' and about 100 audience members pushing buttons and yelling out information, they must have all been given roles and little instruction booklets (eg surgeons, meterologists, PR people etc.). Very entertaining to watch and very gripping as well. At one crucial point the actors had all left and one audience member just stood up and took control of something important so that was a great relief! Wish we'd been able to get more involved but there was plenty of cheering and encouragement from the upper levels (or the press gallery). Great fun!
The play is very interactive - about half the audience (not us sadly) are seated behind consoles on the ground floor and given roles to play during the production. One lucky audience member even got to be one of the astronauts (you can see this one in the top right hand corner of the screen). There were three actors on the 'stage' and about 100 audience members pushing buttons and yelling out information, they must have all been given roles and little instruction booklets (eg surgeons, meterologists, PR people etc.). Very entertaining to watch and very gripping as well. At one crucial point the actors had all left and one audience member just stood up and took control of something important so that was a great relief! Wish we'd been able to get more involved but there was plenty of cheering and encouragement from the upper levels (or the press gallery). Great fun!
Friday, March 05, 2010
epic!
I took a loooong walk today from my home in Thorndon all the way around the shoreline to Scorching Bay. According to mapmywalk.com, I walked about 11 miles, and got a couple of wicked blisters for my troubles!! But it was a lovely sunny day and it was lovely to do a bit of exploring. I stayed beside the water along Oriental Bay (where this photo was taken), Evans Bay, Shelly Bay Road and then around the point to Scorching Bay. Stopped for lunch at the Chocolate Fish cafe, which has moved from Scorching Bay round to the old army buildings at Shelly Bay - it now has a BBQ menu as there's no proper kitchen. It's a great spot, although definitely not as scenic as its previous spot but at least the waiters don't have to dodge traffic! I visited Scorch-a-rama which is on the site of the old Chocolate Fish Cafe at Scorching Bay for an icecream at the end of the walk.
Stupidly I'd not stopped for a swim en route and the wind had got up by the time I got to Scorching Bay so I just had a paddle - never mind, next year! The water was really clear and clean looking the whole way. Caught a bus back to town which ran along Miramar Heights - at one stage there was a plane landing and we were higher than it!
Stupidly I'd not stopped for a swim en route and the wind had got up by the time I got to Scorching Bay so I just had a paddle - never mind, next year! The water was really clear and clean looking the whole way. Caught a bus back to town which ran along Miramar Heights - at one stage there was a plane landing and we were higher than it!
Monday, March 01, 2010
herby!
With my new lifestyle in New Zealand, I've decided to get greener and so I've made a first attempt at a herb garden (with the expert help of Steph). Here's the herb garden all planted in three big pots at the back of my flat - from left you will see parsley, lemongrass, mint and rosemary. Early days yet of course and I hope the plants survive the traumatic planting process!
silent!
Fiona and I went to see the fabulous Sound of Silence at the Wellington International Arts Festival at the weekend. It's a play without words, but with the music of Simon and Garfunkel. The theatre company are from Latvia and it's set in a communal apartment in Riga in 1968. It was really moving and intriguing, so much going on on stage! Highly recommended!
Sunday, February 21, 2010
walking!
I did a small section of the Rimutaka Rail Trail with Steph, Colin and family yesterday - it was a gorgeous sunny day and it was lovely to get out and about. We started at the end, and walked a short distance up, then down again. It's really popular as a mountain bike ride and we saw quite a few people coming down on bikes.
vista!
We didn't end up walking that far along the Rimutaka Rail Trail but here's the view from the highest bit we got to.
cows!
At the entrance (or more accurately the end) of the Rimutaka Rail Trail was a herd of highland cows - a bit incongruous with all the fresians we normally see but very striking nonetheless!
Cross Creek Railway Station
Part way up the track is the old Cross Creek railway station - a good place to get out of the sun and eat egg sandwiches.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
flying!
I had a long weekend staying with my brother in Anakiwa (near Picton) last weekend - he and his family live on the Outward Bound School campus there. Didn't take any photos during the visit sadly, even though we had a great day out sailing which would have provided some brilliant images.
I flew from Wellington to Picton return on Sounds Air which is a small company with tiny planes! It was great fun - here's a photo of the ferry docking at Picton. Some other photos of the flight are on Flickr.
I flew from Wellington to Picton return on Sounds Air which is a small company with tiny planes! It was great fun - here's a photo of the ferry docking at Picton. Some other photos of the flight are on Flickr.
Friday, January 29, 2010
spectacular!
View from my deck in Wadestown - cruise ships and the 'Cake Tin' (Westpac Stadium) in the near distance, Mt Victoria and Roseneath to the right
Originally uploaded by MhairiT
Monday, January 25, 2010
spotty!
There was a Yayoi Kusama exhibition at the Wellington City Gallery until mid-Feb - I went along twice (the second time courtesy of EY's arts sponsorship) and enjoyed all the spottiness! The exterior of the gallery had its own spots installed as wel.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
fancy!
While staying with Steph and Colin, they invited me to accompany them to their friend Simon and Jackie's garden party. Here are Steph and Colin dressed in their new garden party outfits, with Theo. Sadly it absolutely bucketed down the entire afternoon, but Simon and Jackie had a huge house and everyone had made a brilliant effort with their clothes.
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
parading!
I went over to the Duvauchelle A&P Show with Nicki and Alex in early January. Duvauchelle is a small rural settlement on Bank's Peninusula and the A&P (Agricultural and Pastoral Show) is an annual tradition. We especially enjoyed the shearing and the competition shed which had categories for best cakes, best vegetables, sewing, embroidery - in fact everything! We sat and watched the Grand Parade which had all the competition animals in it, and enjoyed Rosemary (Nicki's mum's) bacon and egg pie. There was also some show jumping which included the farting horse, and the dog who thought he was a horse and tried to join in with the jumping (under the feet of a horse - eek!)
Sculptured!
Here are some of the food sculpture entrants in Duvauchelle A&P show - the onion rabbit on the right won the section, while the corn cob space rocket was robbed and only got second place!
Friday, January 01, 2010
Listening!
On New Year's Day, John and I went out whale watching from Kaikoura. It was a very professional and expert trip - the iwi who run WhaleWatch must have about four boats and a couple of helicopters. On this day, there were probably three trips for each boat so there were a lot of people! Our boat held about fifty people of many different nationalities.
We were given a safety briefing in the WhaleWatch station (ie the old train station) beforehand and then bussed down to South Beach where the port is. We had been told that t here was a high likelihood of seasickness, so John and I dutifully took our seasickness pills. The crew also said that two things that would help if you felt seasick were to look at a fixed point on the horizon (eg a mountain), or to remove clothing to cool yourself down.
We had another introductory presentation on the boat while we spent about half an hour motoring to where they had last seen whales. One method of looking for whales is to listen for their sounds - here's Captain Jim with his highly technical device!
We were given a safety briefing in the WhaleWatch station (ie the old train station) beforehand and then bussed down to South Beach where the port is. We had been told that t here was a high likelihood of seasickness, so John and I dutifully took our seasickness pills. The crew also said that two things that would help if you felt seasick were to look at a fixed point on the horizon (eg a mountain), or to remove clothing to cool yourself down.
We had another introductory presentation on the boat while we spent about half an hour motoring to where they had last seen whales. One method of looking for whales is to listen for their sounds - here's Captain Jim with his highly technical device!
Looking!
... or there were also people looking for whales in more traditional methods, as demonstrated by John here.
Tail!
We were rewarded for our perseverance - we saw three whales really well (here's the best example of a whale diving), and two momentarily. Totally worth the money!
They were all sperm whales, I think there are a few humpbacks around but not at this time of the year. Also saw a few huge albatrosses, but no dolphins.
They were all sperm whales, I think there are a few humpbacks around but not at this time of the year. Also saw a few huge albatrosses, but no dolphins.
ashore!
John and I at the end of the trip, with our brand new (launched by the PM John Key in November 2009) boat behind us.
We were virtually the only people who didn't throw up on the trip - the crew were kept busy the whole time collecting sick bags and comforting people. Go Sea Legs!
We were virtually the only people who didn't throw up on the trip - the crew were kept busy the whole time collecting sick bags and comforting people. Go Sea Legs!
Fragrant!
On New Year's Day we went to visit the Lavender Gardens near Kaikoura - they were in peak flower and smelt just gorgeous. There are about four fields full of lavender, laid out in different ways. Tadhg especially liked all the bees that were buzzing around.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Apparently the North Island bees are evil!
Saw this sign when we got off the launch at Picton after the wedding. I'll make sure not to transport my bee collection to the South Island in future!
Makes you realise how important biosecurity is though, even within a country...
Makes you realise how important biosecurity is though, even within a country...
Friday, December 25, 2009
Flowering!
One of my brother's friends gave him an off-shoot of a cactus a few years ago. It was planted at Mum and Dad's place, named Nandor and has now grown to a respectable size (over five foot). It flowers once a year for a couple of days only and this year it flowered on Christmas Day. Beautiful!
Angus has an offshoot of Nandor at his house now in Anakiwa (can't remember this cactus's name) and it flowered while I was there last week. Just as beautful, and as Tiana pointed out, it smelt of naked ladies. Sadly, we neglected to take a photo of it and then it suffered during a fierce northerly. It looked just like its Timaru cousin though!
Angus has an offshoot of Nandor at his house now in Anakiwa (can't remember this cactus's name) and it flowered while I was there last week. Just as beautful, and as Tiana pointed out, it smelt of naked ladies. Sadly, we neglected to take a photo of it and then it suffered during a fierce northerly. It looked just like its Timaru cousin though!
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
San Diego – Monday 21 December
Weather was definitely a bit chillier today – but that meant about 16 degrees rather than 22 so I can’t complain! I had some yummy pancakes for breakfast at a café nearby then caught the bus out to San Diego zoo – it’s about 10 minutes by bus from the center of town. Cost was $37 for an adult day pass – that includes a bus tour of the park, and trips on the skyine cable car. I was there for over six hours so it was quite good value!
The bus tour was ok, but I felt a bit happier walking around. The whole zoo is really well laid out and not too huge, and I had my new FitFlops on so my feet were fine. My favourites were the panda bears, flamingos, different monkeys and the giraffes. There was even a baby giraffe who was only 4 weeks old! There were a few animals where they looked really cooped up and unhappy, pacing up and down. One of the polar bears spent the whole time I was watching him doing the same backflip and circle, which initially looked really cool but in retrospect may not be very healthy.
The bus tour was ok, but I felt a bit happier walking around. The whole zoo is really well laid out and not too huge, and I had my new FitFlops on so my feet were fine. My favourites were the panda bears, flamingos, different monkeys and the giraffes. There was even a baby giraffe who was only 4 weeks old! There were a few animals where they looked really cooped up and unhappy, pacing up and down. One of the polar bears spent the whole time I was watching him doing the same backflip and circle, which initially looked really cool but in retrospect may not be very healthy.
San Diego – Sunday 20 December
Another sunny day in San Diego! This morning I went to visit Coronado which is an island in San Diego Bay. You can catch the bus over the bridge but I chose to take the ferry which goes right from the Downtown Pier about five minutes walk from my hotel. It was a nice 30 minute ride across the bay – half of Coronado is a naval base and there’s also a retired aircraft carrier museum on the bay as well, so there’s quite a lot of activity around.
When I got to Coronado, I had some brunch at a restaurant right beside the water. There was a huge group of cyclists who were dressed up in red and green, who were brunching half way though their ride. Always amazing in America how people are keen to dress up – I even saw a car with fuzzy reindeer antlers!
I walked over to he other side of the island – Coronado is quite posh and there were some lovely houses to look at. On the other side of the island is the Hotel Del Coronado which is a huge distinctive complex which was initially built in 1888. It was the location for part of Some Like It Hot and is still very popular. There was even a wedding venue set up on the beach, and an ice-skating rink! Loads of nice cafes and small shops on Orange Ave, the main road across the island.
I took the ferry back to the mainland, then caught the trolley out to Fashion Valley shopping mall – there are three trolley routes around central San Diego – I had to change once, but it was very efficient. Fashion Valley was pretty busy with pre-holiday shopping. It was an outdoor mall, with all the normal mall-type shops as well as a Bloomingdales, Macys, Nieman Marcus and Nordstroom. There were loads of discounts and sales going on – the sale in Banana Republic was pretty good, but a queue at the check-out of at least 30 people so I decided not to indulge. Picked up a few summer tops – most of the stuff in the shops were really wintry and I don’t have any immediate need for that! I also visited the other two malls (Hazard Center and Mission Valley) but they were not as good.
Had dinner in the Gaslamp District in central San Diego – lots of bars, Italian and Indian restaurants!
When I got to Coronado, I had some brunch at a restaurant right beside the water. There was a huge group of cyclists who were dressed up in red and green, who were brunching half way though their ride. Always amazing in America how people are keen to dress up – I even saw a car with fuzzy reindeer antlers!
I walked over to he other side of the island – Coronado is quite posh and there were some lovely houses to look at. On the other side of the island is the Hotel Del Coronado which is a huge distinctive complex which was initially built in 1888. It was the location for part of Some Like It Hot and is still very popular. There was even a wedding venue set up on the beach, and an ice-skating rink! Loads of nice cafes and small shops on Orange Ave, the main road across the island.
I took the ferry back to the mainland, then caught the trolley out to Fashion Valley shopping mall – there are three trolley routes around central San Diego – I had to change once, but it was very efficient. Fashion Valley was pretty busy with pre-holiday shopping. It was an outdoor mall, with all the normal mall-type shops as well as a Bloomingdales, Macys, Nieman Marcus and Nordstroom. There were loads of discounts and sales going on – the sale in Banana Republic was pretty good, but a queue at the check-out of at least 30 people so I decided not to indulge. Picked up a few summer tops – most of the stuff in the shops were really wintry and I don’t have any immediate need for that! I also visited the other two malls (Hazard Center and Mission Valley) but they were not as good.
Had dinner in the Gaslamp District in central San Diego – lots of bars, Italian and Indian restaurants!
Sunday, December 20, 2009
San Diego - Saturday 19 December
I'm staying at the W Hotel in San Diego which is a bit of a splash for my trip home, and also because it was a bargain on hotels.com. W Hotels are highly branded experiences - the pool area is called Wet, the gym is called Sweat etc., etc. I've got a Wonderful room which has an enormous king size bed, and a HD TV. The design of the whole hotel is quite beach inspired and one of my pillows is the shape of a beach ball. There's even an outdoor bar area called Beach where all the young people are congregating of an evening! There is a complimentary car that will take you anywhere you want to go but I haven't tried it just yet. The hotel is in downtown San Diego which is pretty anonymous really, but it's walkable to the train station, and the bus and trolley links, and the staff are friendly and welcoming. The lifts have welcome mats in them - depending on what time of the day it is, they say 'Good Morning', 'Good Afternoon' etc, so someone must be appointed to change them at a certain time!
After a very nice long sleep, I went for a quick swim in Wet, then caught a bus from downtown out to La Jolla, one of the coastal towns north of San Diego. It took about an hour on the bus, which was a little longer than I'd thought, but it was an entertaining journey with some nice coastal bits. La Jolla has a couple of interesting little beaches and a marine reserve - lots of sea lions and seals, plus huge cormorants swooping overhead! There were a few surfers, snorkellers and sea kayakers, but even though it was lovely and sunny and about 20 degrees, it wasn't warm enough to get me in the water! I had some lunch at a bistro, and ignored the 'Fondue Forever' place, then had a walk along the beach and browsed in a couple of shops.
Got back to the hotel in time for my massage (lovely) in the spa and then a quiet dinner in the brewhouse next door.
After a very nice long sleep, I went for a quick swim in Wet, then caught a bus from downtown out to La Jolla, one of the coastal towns north of San Diego. It took about an hour on the bus, which was a little longer than I'd thought, but it was an entertaining journey with some nice coastal bits. La Jolla has a couple of interesting little beaches and a marine reserve - lots of sea lions and seals, plus huge cormorants swooping overhead! There were a few surfers, snorkellers and sea kayakers, but even though it was lovely and sunny and about 20 degrees, it wasn't warm enough to get me in the water! I had some lunch at a bistro, and ignored the 'Fondue Forever' place, then had a walk along the beach and browsed in a couple of shops.
Got back to the hotel in time for my massage (lovely) in the spa and then a quiet dinner in the brewhouse next door.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Los Angeles – 18 December 2009
Had a fairly uneventful flight from London to Los Angeles – a slow check-in meant that I only had about 20 mins once I got through security which did mean that I only had a brief chance to get some food (I hadn’t actually eaten all day, apart from some chocotofs!), grab a couple of magazines and get Mum her requested Clinique. Air NZ is departing from Terminal 1 now so it’s all a lot quieter there, shopping-wise.
I was dreading the long immigration line at LAX but they really seem to have sorted themselves out since my last visit – it only took about 5 mins and my luggage came in about 5 mins as well! But I was picked up as a person of interest by customs, and so my luggage was searched – I’ve been watching Nothing to Declare (Australian customs and immigration programme) so of course I immediately felt guilty with no cause! Was I carrying $10,000 in cash and had forgotten about it? My luggage was pretty packed in though, and had some odd bits and pieces in it (I am moving countries!!) but he must have thought I was pretty strange with a pair of scissors in my luggage! So that was a little traumatic, but thankfully I hadn’t packed anything absent mindedly that might have been a problem!!
Got a cab to my hotel, the Miyako, in Little Tokyo, really close to Union Station and went almost straight to bed! It had been a loooong day.
After a interesting but filling Japanese/American combo breakfast (salmon pieces as well as bacon) I proceeded on my walking tour of Los Angeles – I walked up to Union Station which is gorgeous, and has been kept really well – there are lovely leather comfy chairs to sit in, tiled waiting gardens, a couple of little bars and old signage. Everything was very Spanish-inspired with tiling and terracotta colouring. Next stop on the tour was the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels – the guide on the podcast walking tour just gave the street location, and I was wandering around looking for a traditional old cathedral which it’s not at all – very modern with no right angels at all. Huge mural inside with pictures of 150 saints, including controversially Mother Theresa! Walked along to the Walt Disney Concert Hall, which I was absolutely dazzled by! It was really sunny and hot by this stage so I was sweltering in my autumnal wardrobe! The concert hall was designed by Frank Gehry around the same time as the art gallery in Bilbao and is quite similar – all curves and bright stainless steel. There is a garden at the back, which has a lovely fountain based on roses and Delft pottery (Walt Disney’s wife’s two passions). Sadly there were no tours running when I was there as the amphitheatre was in use, but I had a wander around in the foyer. Apparently the acoustics are phenomenal so it would be good to return!
There are lots of tall, new, shiny office blocks in the area, but a couple of blocks east, the buildings are older, more run-down and taken over as cheap shops and food courts – not very attractive and much grittier! Even the Jewellery Quarter (which is huge) is a bit grim – not as nice as somewhere like Hatton Garden in London, or the diamond shops in Antwerp. There were quite a few people coming up asking me for money (I must have really looked like a tourist!) so that wasn’t that enjoyable!
Other highlights of the tour included the Million Dollar Theatre on Broadway, and the Millennium Biltmore Hotel, but the best bit for me was the Bradbury Building which was gorgeous on the inside, although you’d never know from the exterior! The building was built in 1893 and is about six stories high - the foyer has loads of natural light and there are wrought iron staircases and lifts, all beautifully restored. It’s been used in loads of films, including extensively in Bladerunner (pre-renovation).
I also had the excitement of seeing about six unmarked police cars racing by, followed by a SWAT team truck!
Before I caught my train, I went to MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art) to check out their permanent exhibition – a really good selection of 1939-79 modern art.
Caught my train nice and easily – I decided to spend the extra $14 (the standard one way fare from LA to San Diego is $29) for a business class seat – so it means there is a bit more room, power points for laptops free drinks and snacks, newspapers etc. Groovy! The sun has set at 5pm so no sea views for me sadly – will make that a priority next time!
I was dreading the long immigration line at LAX but they really seem to have sorted themselves out since my last visit – it only took about 5 mins and my luggage came in about 5 mins as well! But I was picked up as a person of interest by customs, and so my luggage was searched – I’ve been watching Nothing to Declare (Australian customs and immigration programme) so of course I immediately felt guilty with no cause! Was I carrying $10,000 in cash and had forgotten about it? My luggage was pretty packed in though, and had some odd bits and pieces in it (I am moving countries!!) but he must have thought I was pretty strange with a pair of scissors in my luggage! So that was a little traumatic, but thankfully I hadn’t packed anything absent mindedly that might have been a problem!!
Got a cab to my hotel, the Miyako, in Little Tokyo, really close to Union Station and went almost straight to bed! It had been a loooong day.
After a interesting but filling Japanese/American combo breakfast (salmon pieces as well as bacon) I proceeded on my walking tour of Los Angeles – I walked up to Union Station which is gorgeous, and has been kept really well – there are lovely leather comfy chairs to sit in, tiled waiting gardens, a couple of little bars and old signage. Everything was very Spanish-inspired with tiling and terracotta colouring. Next stop on the tour was the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels – the guide on the podcast walking tour just gave the street location, and I was wandering around looking for a traditional old cathedral which it’s not at all – very modern with no right angels at all. Huge mural inside with pictures of 150 saints, including controversially Mother Theresa! Walked along to the Walt Disney Concert Hall, which I was absolutely dazzled by! It was really sunny and hot by this stage so I was sweltering in my autumnal wardrobe! The concert hall was designed by Frank Gehry around the same time as the art gallery in Bilbao and is quite similar – all curves and bright stainless steel. There is a garden at the back, which has a lovely fountain based on roses and Delft pottery (Walt Disney’s wife’s two passions). Sadly there were no tours running when I was there as the amphitheatre was in use, but I had a wander around in the foyer. Apparently the acoustics are phenomenal so it would be good to return!
There are lots of tall, new, shiny office blocks in the area, but a couple of blocks east, the buildings are older, more run-down and taken over as cheap shops and food courts – not very attractive and much grittier! Even the Jewellery Quarter (which is huge) is a bit grim – not as nice as somewhere like Hatton Garden in London, or the diamond shops in Antwerp. There were quite a few people coming up asking me for money (I must have really looked like a tourist!) so that wasn’t that enjoyable!
Other highlights of the tour included the Million Dollar Theatre on Broadway, and the Millennium Biltmore Hotel, but the best bit for me was the Bradbury Building which was gorgeous on the inside, although you’d never know from the exterior! The building was built in 1893 and is about six stories high - the foyer has loads of natural light and there are wrought iron staircases and lifts, all beautifully restored. It’s been used in loads of films, including extensively in Bladerunner (pre-renovation).
I also had the excitement of seeing about six unmarked police cars racing by, followed by a SWAT team truck!
Before I caught my train, I went to MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art) to check out their permanent exhibition – a really good selection of 1939-79 modern art.
Caught my train nice and easily – I decided to spend the extra $14 (the standard one way fare from LA to San Diego is $29) for a business class seat – so it means there is a bit more room, power points for laptops free drinks and snacks, newspapers etc. Groovy! The sun has set at 5pm so no sea views for me sadly – will make that a priority next time!
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Regal!
Li-Ann and I went to visit Buckingham Palace today - the palace has been open on during the summer for the past few years, and you visit most of the state rooms. Sadly you don't get to see the Queen's bedroom! It was interesting to see a proper working palace, so many of the palaces you visit in Europe are museums and not in practical use. So there were quite a few rooms we recognise from state banquets, investitures and different ceremonies.
The tour took about an hour and a half and there was a very informative audio tour included in the price. One of the most impressive bits was the collection of Old Masters -Rembrant, Vermeer etc. A collection to rival any museum! Because it's the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Commonwealth, there was an exhibition showing gifts and outfits from the Queen's visits to different countries in the Commonwealth. One of the gifts was a wool tapestry of Mount Cook donated by the Timaru City Council! Brilliant!
The tour ended with the possibility of a cream tea on the terrace, a (very ornate) gift shop and a stroll through the gardens. The gardens were actually gorgeous and huge! Security was very tight and we were watched pretty much all the way by staff so there was no chance to run amok or steal stuff.
The tour took about an hour and a half and there was a very informative audio tour included in the price. One of the most impressive bits was the collection of Old Masters -Rembrant, Vermeer etc. A collection to rival any museum! Because it's the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Commonwealth, there was an exhibition showing gifts and outfits from the Queen's visits to different countries in the Commonwealth. One of the gifts was a wool tapestry of Mount Cook donated by the Timaru City Council! Brilliant!
The tour ended with the possibility of a cream tea on the terrace, a (very ornate) gift shop and a stroll through the gardens. The gardens were actually gorgeous and huge! Security was very tight and we were watched pretty much all the way by staff so there was no chance to run amok or steal stuff.
Friday, September 11, 2009
pub!
Kt and I visited the Duke of Wellington for dinner on Wednesday night before going to the movies to see Broken Embraces. Thankfully the food at the Wellington had improved since we were there for my birthday - it was a bit shambolic to say the least that night! Still, it's a nice pub apart from somewhat casual staff! There was a football match being broadcast in the back room but it didn't have an impact on the front room which is always nice. And they always have lovely fresh flowers on the bar!!
Moving!
I think as I'm about to move out of my flat I'll write a little bit about what I've been up with with all the packing, moving, transitioning etc!
My flights are all booked to leave London on 17 December. I've got a few days in LA and San Diego then I arrive in NZ on 24th December. So I've got three more months left in London! I've got some great things planned - a couple of weeks in Turkey, weekend trips to Reims and Brussels, a day trip to Chirk, visiting Buckingham Palace and completing the London Loop! Not to mention finishing off at work and trying to catch up with people too.
Thankfully one of the hardest bits is nearly completed - I'm moving out of my flat tomorrow and all my boxes are being picked up by Anglo Pacific to go back on the ship to NZ. They should arrive in Wellington around Christmas time. I have 21 boxes! And that doesn't include most of my clothes which I will need for the next wee while as it will be winter by the time I leave. The majority of boxes are 'book boxes' which are the small ones in the picture. They hold about 200 CDs or about 30 books. Each box is meant to be able to be carried by a man so you can't totally fill them up with heavy stuff. I've also got a couple of linen cartons (to my left in the photo), a picture carton and a couple of other sizes. Everything has to be inventorised for customs. I'm wondering what they will open to inspect - I suspect my Egyptian rug and my wooden souvenirs (so I've packed them at the top). I've tried to be quite ruthless about everything, so there have been a few trips to Oxfam over the last few months, and there is also a lot of kitchen ware which is too tired to continue with so I'm just going to chuck it.
I'm not sending back any big items at all. The furniture I own I've either given to friends or contacts I've found on Freecycle. Freecycle is a community bulletin board where you advertise free stuff you want to give away or would like to be given. A guy came round to get the sofa futon last night (he'd just moved in somewhere and was sleeping on the floor!) and he took the wine rack and the clothes horse as well! So it's really nice to know that things are going to a good home.
I'm going to stay with friends for the next few weeks - thanks friends! It will be nice to stay in different parts of London too - I've already got beds organised in Highbury, Putney and Hither Green.
My flights are all booked to leave London on 17 December. I've got a few days in LA and San Diego then I arrive in NZ on 24th December. So I've got three more months left in London! I've got some great things planned - a couple of weeks in Turkey, weekend trips to Reims and Brussels, a day trip to Chirk, visiting Buckingham Palace and completing the London Loop! Not to mention finishing off at work and trying to catch up with people too.
Thankfully one of the hardest bits is nearly completed - I'm moving out of my flat tomorrow and all my boxes are being picked up by Anglo Pacific to go back on the ship to NZ. They should arrive in Wellington around Christmas time. I have 21 boxes! And that doesn't include most of my clothes which I will need for the next wee while as it will be winter by the time I leave. The majority of boxes are 'book boxes' which are the small ones in the picture. They hold about 200 CDs or about 30 books. Each box is meant to be able to be carried by a man so you can't totally fill them up with heavy stuff. I've also got a couple of linen cartons (to my left in the photo), a picture carton and a couple of other sizes. Everything has to be inventorised for customs. I'm wondering what they will open to inspect - I suspect my Egyptian rug and my wooden souvenirs (so I've packed them at the top). I've tried to be quite ruthless about everything, so there have been a few trips to Oxfam over the last few months, and there is also a lot of kitchen ware which is too tired to continue with so I'm just going to chuck it.
I'm not sending back any big items at all. The furniture I own I've either given to friends or contacts I've found on Freecycle. Freecycle is a community bulletin board where you advertise free stuff you want to give away or would like to be given. A guy came round to get the sofa futon last night (he'd just moved in somewhere and was sleeping on the floor!) and he took the wine rack and the clothes horse as well! So it's really nice to know that things are going to a good home.
I'm going to stay with friends for the next few weeks - thanks friends! It will be nice to stay in different parts of London too - I've already got beds organised in Highbury, Putney and Hither Green.
Sunday, September 06, 2009
looping!
We did another two sections of the London Loop yesterday - we're picking up the pace now to get it all finished before I leave. This week's walk was from Moor Park (on the Met Line) to Elstree (on Thameslink). The whole walk was over 12 miles so it was quite long but very enjoyable.
There were seven of us this time - Nicola and Sarah were in their final preparation mode before starting to walk around the Isle of Wight this week. Highlights were walking past Grim's Dyke (where WS Gilbert died), navigating past some cows and many cowpats in the Bentley Priory Open Space, very fancy houses on Priory Drive (possibly the poshest we've ever seen - the only people we saw were gardeners!), and a fantastic view over London from a car park/picnic spot on Old Redding. WE could see planes landing at Heathrow (so strange to think we were walking under them at the start of the summer, a few walks ago), Harrow on the Hill and Wembley Stadium.
There were seven of us this time - Nicola and Sarah were in their final preparation mode before starting to walk around the Isle of Wight this week. Highlights were walking past Grim's Dyke (where WS Gilbert died), navigating past some cows and many cowpats in the Bentley Priory Open Space, very fancy houses on Priory Drive (possibly the poshest we've ever seen - the only people we saw were gardeners!), and a fantastic view over London from a car park/picnic spot on Old Redding. WE could see planes landing at Heathrow (so strange to think we were walking under them at the start of the summer, a few walks ago), Harrow on the Hill and Wembley Stadium.
Alan!
I went to see Alan Cumming in his show 'I Bought a Blue Car Today' on Friday night at the Vaudeville Theatre. The show is a collection of his favourite songs and focuses on his last ten years living in New York. Alan became an American citizen last year so that he could vote for Obama (unfortunately he just missed out and couldn't vote) and the phrase 'I bought a blue car today' was one of the sentences he had to write down as part of the English test.
There was a huge variety of songs - a Dolly Parton song, a Cyndi Lauper song, and then some from different musicals, Chess, Cabaret and Hedwig the Angry Inch (my favourite!). There were also a couple of songs that he'd written as well - quite comic lyrics. Alan interspersed the songs with anecdotes, chat and witicisms which we all lapped up. I was sitting next to an excitable American who whooped at every opportunity but it all added to the excitement. There were about ten musicians onstage, some of whom were the brunt of Alan's jokes.
I thoroughly enjoyed it - Alan has a great voice and is a really entertaining stage presence! I've seen him onstage before in Cabaret (in New York) and in Bent and he's always brilliant!
There was a huge variety of songs - a Dolly Parton song, a Cyndi Lauper song, and then some from different musicals, Chess, Cabaret and Hedwig the Angry Inch (my favourite!). There were also a couple of songs that he'd written as well - quite comic lyrics. Alan interspersed the songs with anecdotes, chat and witicisms which we all lapped up. I was sitting next to an excitable American who whooped at every opportunity but it all added to the excitement. There were about ten musicians onstage, some of whom were the brunt of Alan's jokes.
I thoroughly enjoyed it - Alan has a great voice and is a really entertaining stage presence! I've seen him onstage before in Cabaret (in New York) and in Bent and he's always brilliant!
Thursday, September 03, 2009
beachy!
Had a lovely day out in the British seaside on Sunday (it was a Bank Holiday).
Kt and I met Li-Ann and Andrew, our chauffeurs for the day, at their house bright and early and we set off for Suffolk out through east London. We had a great view of the Olympics building site on the way out through Stratford - it's a huge site and we could see the skeletons of most of the buildings rising up. It's going to be very impressive when it's finished!
It took us a couple of hours to drive out through the pebble-dashed suburbs but soon we were in Essex and then Suffolk. Out first stop was the town of Aldeburgh which is right by the seaside. We drove through town and immediately headed for a restaurant for some lunch. There were a few takeaway fish and chip shops with huge queues outside but we found a lovely wee place in the lanes, 152 Aldeburgh and had identical, fab fish and chips with a lovely bottle of rose.
It stayed pretty sunny throughout, and so we had a wander along the beach afterwards and Li-Ann and I braved a paddle in the North Sea. There were a couple of people actually in the sea but we weren't brave enough even though it probably would be the same temperature in Caroline Bay! We had a look in some of the shops and then a delicious ice cream.
Our next stop was a bit further up the coast. Southwold is also a seaside town, but this time with loads of little beach huts and a proper pier. This beach was sandy and some sand castles had been constructed but were being demolished by the encroaching sea. The pier had been renovated quite recently and had some cute little design touches.
We finished off the day with a drink at the Lord Nelson pub which was a very cheery local.
Kt and I met Li-Ann and Andrew, our chauffeurs for the day, at their house bright and early and we set off for Suffolk out through east London. We had a great view of the Olympics building site on the way out through Stratford - it's a huge site and we could see the skeletons of most of the buildings rising up. It's going to be very impressive when it's finished!
It took us a couple of hours to drive out through the pebble-dashed suburbs but soon we were in Essex and then Suffolk. Out first stop was the town of Aldeburgh which is right by the seaside. We drove through town and immediately headed for a restaurant for some lunch. There were a few takeaway fish and chip shops with huge queues outside but we found a lovely wee place in the lanes, 152 Aldeburgh and had identical, fab fish and chips with a lovely bottle of rose.
It stayed pretty sunny throughout, and so we had a wander along the beach afterwards and Li-Ann and I braved a paddle in the North Sea. There were a couple of people actually in the sea but we weren't brave enough even though it probably would be the same temperature in Caroline Bay! We had a look in some of the shops and then a delicious ice cream.
Our next stop was a bit further up the coast. Southwold is also a seaside town, but this time with loads of little beach huts and a proper pier. This beach was sandy and some sand castles had been constructed but were being demolished by the encroaching sea. The pier had been renovated quite recently and had some cute little design touches.
We finished off the day with a drink at the Lord Nelson pub which was a very cheery local.
Monday, August 31, 2009
dotty!
Went to the 'Walking in my Mind' exhibition at the Hayward Gallery on Friday night - the highlight was the Yayoi Kusama Dot Obsession room which has been on all the posters and publicity for the exhibition. It was very cool - polka dots on all these huge inflatable shapes. There were also some other shapes on the balcony outside and she's also decorated some of the trees alongside the river. We weren't allowed to take any photos inside so I've picked this photo up from Flickr.
The idea of the exhibition was all about the minds of artists - and some of them were crazier than others! Most of them were very interesting though, but I wouldn't want to get to know Thomas Hirschhorn who had created a cave of packing tape, empty cans, porn and books about slavery. Very unsavoury!
The idea of the exhibition was all about the minds of artists - and some of them were crazier than others! Most of them were very interesting though, but I wouldn't want to get to know Thomas Hirschhorn who had created a cave of packing tape, empty cans, porn and books about slavery. Very unsavoury!
walking!
On Saturday Megan and I walked from Pulborough to Amberley in a walk that wasn't part of the London Loop (for a change!). It was a lovely opportunity to get a bit further out of the city and also to see the South Downs. It was a lovely day - there were a few threatening clouds at one stage but it mostly stayed sunny. We had a nice lunch at the Rising Sun in Nutbourne, joined by a set of very inquisitive chickens!
We managed to make our way through a paddock that had some threatening 'Bull in the Field' signs, saw loads of rabbits and then climbed a very steep hill up to the Downs. There were quite a few gliders all around, and we could see right out to the sea.
We managed to make our way through a paddock that had some threatening 'Bull in the Field' signs, saw loads of rabbits and then climbed a very steep hill up to the Downs. There were quite a few gliders all around, and we could see right out to the sea.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
A return for a good reason!
I know I've been really slack on this blog for a few months - hey, nearly a year! I'd been a bit unsettled by the whole centipede incident in Greece where I'd blogged about the centipede infestation in my room in S**i, the island I was staying on. The owner of the accomodation had a Google alert on S**i and was a bit twitchy about me saying that there were creepy crawlies dropping on me in the middle of the night! I think she over-estimated how wide-spread my readership was!
But as I've decided to return to NZ at the end of the year, I thought this would be a good opportunity to blog about my last few months here, and also how I find the return to Godzone! One thing I'd like to record (for any of my friends here who are also returning to NZ) are the bits and pieces I've been doing to move myself and my stuff, and all the logistics etc.
But as I've decided to return to NZ at the end of the year, I thought this would be a good opportunity to blog about my last few months here, and also how I find the return to Godzone! One thing I'd like to record (for any of my friends here who are also returning to NZ) are the bits and pieces I've been doing to move myself and my stuff, and all the logistics etc.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
walking!
I've been doing a set of walks with a group of friends - Megan, Nicola and Jackie. The walks are part of the London Loop which circles London. There are 24 sections and it covers 240km in all! Lots to see and do - more details here.
Saturday was the second of our walks - and rather than writing out what we did, I'll hand over to the diligent and eloquent Megan who has written up the details of the walk here.
Saturday was the second of our walks - and rather than writing out what we did, I'll hand over to the diligent and eloquent Megan who has written up the details of the walk here.
Vampire Weekend
I went to see Vampire Weekend play at the Forum in Kentish Town on Saturday night. Contrary to their name, they are not a goth or an emo band! They are actually a very earnest New York band who (I think) sound like The Strokes playing Graceland (as in the Paul Simon album, not Elvis's house).
The concert was short and very sweet. They only have one album and they played all of that, plus a couple of new songs and a couple of covers (including 'Everywhere' by Fleetwood Mac). Their songs are only about 3 minutes long usually. Great reaction and involvement from the audience, and also some brilliant dancing from the bassist!
PS I didn't take this photo - I stole it from a fellow attendee on Flickr!
The concert was short and very sweet. They only have one album and they played all of that, plus a couple of new songs and a couple of covers (including 'Everywhere' by Fleetwood Mac). Their songs are only about 3 minutes long usually. Great reaction and involvement from the audience, and also some brilliant dancing from the bassist!
PS I didn't take this photo - I stole it from a fellow attendee on Flickr!
Monday, October 20, 2008
autumnal!
Went to Kew Gardens on Saturday afternoon. It was a beautiful autumn day and the colours were out in force. There is a new treetops walk where you climb up around 18 meters and walk around the tops of the trees. Some fantastic views, even out to Wembley Stadium!
More photos on Flickr...
More photos on Flickr...
Sunday, October 05, 2008
Saturday, October 04, 2008
Greece Day 6 - last day!
I'm sitting in Rhodes airport at the moment which really is a bit of a dead zone. Not much around apart from a duty free and an oversubscribed cafe. They do have free wireless internet though - there was a warning when I signed in saying that it was unencrypted so I'm too scared to go into my hotmail account or check my banking website. If you see weird things crop up in this blog you'll know I've been hacked into... Quite useful to have it as it's a couple of hours til my flight and I wanted to check out how I'll get from Gatwick to home (I land at 0110). Trains actually do run all night but just are not very frequent so I'm sure I'll be fine. It's a bit too far to get a cab the whole way though!
I'm here really early because the last ferry (the hydrofoil) left Symi at 1645 and arrived in Rhodes an hour later. So I've and then caught the airport bus. There was a little girl ahead of me in the queue who clocked that I had the same Fit-Flops on as her mum and was really puzzled! I'm just hoping that I get a window seat on the plane and can go straight to sleep, but we'll see.
Had another beach day today. Sadly my departure time meant that I couldn't catch one of the taxi boats out to the beaches as I wouldn't get back in time. So I spent the day at Nos or Paradise Beach which is basically the town beach and while it wasn't quite as serene as the other beaches I've visited, the water was still lovely and the sun lounger was comfortable. I'd had to check out of my room in the morning but thankfully one of the restaurants has a shower for people to use - such a relief to know that I wouldn't be travelling for 12 hours caked in salty water!!
I'm here really early because the last ferry (the hydrofoil) left Symi at 1645 and arrived in Rhodes an hour later. So I've and then caught the airport bus. There was a little girl ahead of me in the queue who clocked that I had the same Fit-Flops on as her mum and was really puzzled! I'm just hoping that I get a window seat on the plane and can go straight to sleep, but we'll see.
Had another beach day today. Sadly my departure time meant that I couldn't catch one of the taxi boats out to the beaches as I wouldn't get back in time. So I spent the day at Nos or Paradise Beach which is basically the town beach and while it wasn't quite as serene as the other beaches I've visited, the water was still lovely and the sun lounger was comfortable. I'd had to check out of my room in the morning but thankfully one of the restaurants has a shower for people to use - such a relief to know that I wouldn't be travelling for 12 hours caked in salty water!!
Friday, October 03, 2008
Greece Day 6
Another quite lazy day today... I was up quite early though as I wanted to get my hydrofoil ticket for tomorrow and visit the post office before the 10am taxi boat. However, the weather was a bit threatening and so the taxi boat was cancelled! Gutted!! There were definitely some very threatening clouds gathering to the south so I don't blame the skipper at all.
I'd arranged with the family that I would appear on the Symi Visitor webcam at a certain time so made sure that I was there for that rendezvous (although I'd got the time conversion a wee bit wrong and Dad hurried me up). Just as I was standing there a strange bloke came up to me and asked me if I knew why the sun wasn't shining. Thankfully his English wasn't that good so he got bored with trying to talk to me and wandered off.
I wandered back to my apartment and wrote some postcards, before going down the catch the 1pm bus over to Pedi Bay which is quite close to Yialos. Bus was really full and I ended up sitting next to a baby who was about a year old and fascinated with my hat and sun glasses. I had great fun playing with him.
When I got to Pedi the weather made the bay a bit choppy so I decided to walk around to Agia Nicholas, which is the next bay around. The path was a bit rocky, and I didn't wear appropriate shoes (just my fit-flops) but it was fine overall. Took about half an hour. When I got there I had a swim and some lunch then watched the clouds for a while. When it did start to spit I decided to head back to Pedi. I'd just missed the (hourly) bus back to Yialos so I wandered back on foot. In theory the direct route should take about half an hour, but due to my wandering and exploring it took over an hour and was great fun, although steep! Was a bit worried that the steps that I was going up and down were actually private property but I don't think Symians have the same concept of private as we do! Found my way ok in the end.
Enjoying the 80s music in the bar - I heard 'Da Da Da' by Trio just now - that's a blast from the past!!
I'd arranged with the family that I would appear on the Symi Visitor webcam at a certain time so made sure that I was there for that rendezvous (although I'd got the time conversion a wee bit wrong and Dad hurried me up). Just as I was standing there a strange bloke came up to me and asked me if I knew why the sun wasn't shining. Thankfully his English wasn't that good so he got bored with trying to talk to me and wandered off.
I wandered back to my apartment and wrote some postcards, before going down the catch the 1pm bus over to Pedi Bay which is quite close to Yialos. Bus was really full and I ended up sitting next to a baby who was about a year old and fascinated with my hat and sun glasses. I had great fun playing with him.
When I got to Pedi the weather made the bay a bit choppy so I decided to walk around to Agia Nicholas, which is the next bay around. The path was a bit rocky, and I didn't wear appropriate shoes (just my fit-flops) but it was fine overall. Took about half an hour. When I got there I had a swim and some lunch then watched the clouds for a while. When it did start to spit I decided to head back to Pedi. I'd just missed the (hourly) bus back to Yialos so I wandered back on foot. In theory the direct route should take about half an hour, but due to my wandering and exploring it took over an hour and was great fun, although steep! Was a bit worried that the steps that I was going up and down were actually private property but I don't think Symians have the same concept of private as we do! Found my way ok in the end.
Enjoying the 80s music in the bar - I heard 'Da Da Da' by Trio just now - that's a blast from the past!!
Thursday, October 02, 2008
Greece Days 4 and 5
Not huge amounts to report over the last couple of days... there's mainly been a whole lot of relaxation, sunbathing and swimming going on!
Yesterday (Wednesday) I went to Marathouna Beach by water taxi - It's about a 45 minute boat ride and is definitely the quietest of the beaches I've seen. Water again was really clear and there's a nice wee taverna right on the beach. Had a really quiet, relaxing day and thankfully didn't get pestered by the goats that were roaming around! They were trying to clamber over the fence around the taverna and eating anything, even nibbling on wooden chairs!
I had a lovely dinner at Mythos restaurant which I'd read about on Waitrose.com - it was lovely!! Had some great calimari with pesto, swordfish with ginger and garlic and then some yummo pannacotta. Such a nice meal and ambience. And much more value for money than the place I'd visited the previous night. There are two branches of this restaurant and I visited the roof garden version which had a lovely ambience. When I was there I got news that my promotion to manager had been approved so I celebrated with an extra glass of wine - crazy!
Today (Thursday) I walked around to Nimborios beach which is about 45 mins along the coast road from Yialos where I'm staying. This beach was a little bit busier with quite a few people already there. But it was still lovely to relax for a few hours. Lots of German and Danish tourists around as well as British. One woman got attacked by one of the cats that was hanging around the taverna - I think she'd stepped on it while standing up and it had retaliated! Normally the cats are quite placid and only fight each other!
Yesterday (Wednesday) I went to Marathouna Beach by water taxi - It's about a 45 minute boat ride and is definitely the quietest of the beaches I've seen. Water again was really clear and there's a nice wee taverna right on the beach. Had a really quiet, relaxing day and thankfully didn't get pestered by the goats that were roaming around! They were trying to clamber over the fence around the taverna and eating anything, even nibbling on wooden chairs!
I had a lovely dinner at Mythos restaurant which I'd read about on Waitrose.com - it was lovely!! Had some great calimari with pesto, swordfish with ginger and garlic and then some yummo pannacotta. Such a nice meal and ambience. And much more value for money than the place I'd visited the previous night. There are two branches of this restaurant and I visited the roof garden version which had a lovely ambience. When I was there I got news that my promotion to manager had been approved so I celebrated with an extra glass of wine - crazy!
Today (Thursday) I walked around to Nimborios beach which is about 45 mins along the coast road from Yialos where I'm staying. This beach was a little bit busier with quite a few people already there. But it was still lovely to relax for a few hours. Lots of German and Danish tourists around as well as British. One woman got attacked by one of the cats that was hanging around the taverna - I think she'd stepped on it while standing up and it had retaliated! Normally the cats are quite placid and only fight each other!
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
This happened to me too!
I've always wondered about the guy who came knocking at the front door of Kilburn Park Road at 2am a few years ago. He said his car had run out of petrol and he needed to borrow a couple of pounds to fill it it up. I've just read this post by David Hepworth where he describes the same thing happening to him. Now I don't feel too guilty for turning that guy away.
I'd still like to know about the chap who claimed he'd fallen asleep on the tube from Heathrow and said someone had stolen all his bags. And the woman earlier this year who said she'd fallen out with her boyfriend and so had no money to get back to Epping. Personally if that was me, I'd just walk. Anything's better than begging.
I'd still like to know about the chap who claimed he'd fallen asleep on the tube from Heathrow and said someone had stolen all his bags. And the woman earlier this year who said she'd fallen out with her boyfriend and so had no money to get back to Epping. Personally if that was me, I'd just walk. Anything's better than begging.
Greece Day 3
Sitting in the local cafe (which has wireless internet access) and drinking a Mai Tai. Am going to pick up some bits from the supermarket for dinner tonight after an underwhelming and expensive dinner last night. I had hoped that local fish restaurants would have fresh calimari (Li-Ann and I are trying to find somewhere to rival the 'best calimari ever' in Dubrovnik) but it was all cooked from frozen. Never a good sign when your calimari comes with an extra sharp knife...
Actually didn't sleep terribly well last night due to the sighting of centipedes on the walls above my bed. It freaked me out! I was all ready to storm down to the accommodation center today and demand somewhere else but it was closed and I decided I should really tough it out. I'll be more aggressive with them tonight! Just the thought of them falling onto me while I'm asleep isn't good...
I just missed the 10am taxi boat to the bays, but got a seat on the 11am. There were four stops on the east of the island and I stopped at the second to last, Nanou. It was a lovely bay with (free) deck chairs and umbrellas, a little cafe, and only about 20 other people there as well. Surface was pebbly so it was lovely and clear and I did quite a lot of snorkelling. Lots of fish around mainly, including a mad green and purple one in the shallows. Saw a big school of flying fish, flying. Had some lunch in the cafe and immediately got invaded by a horde of hornets which was pretty unpleasant. The waitress sensed my distress (ie my arms trying to swoop them away) and brought over a wee urn of coffee which she lit. They mustn't have liked the smoke so they all flew away. Magic!
Spent a very relaxing afternoon. I've started reading Midnight's Children which is going well. I'd also been reading the new Philippa Gregory 'The Other Queen' which is so frustrating - she repeats herself again and again. It's an interesting story - about Mary Queen of Scots being under house arrest with the Duke of Shrewsbury before she's killed. But it's really plodding. Hopefully Salman Rushdie will show her how it's done. I don't doubt he will!
Weather's still very sunny, but with a bit of a cold wind sometimes. And you definitely need a cardigan if you're sat outside in the evenings.
Actually didn't sleep terribly well last night due to the sighting of centipedes on the walls above my bed. It freaked me out! I was all ready to storm down to the accommodation center today and demand somewhere else but it was closed and I decided I should really tough it out. I'll be more aggressive with them tonight! Just the thought of them falling onto me while I'm asleep isn't good...
I just missed the 10am taxi boat to the bays, but got a seat on the 11am. There were four stops on the east of the island and I stopped at the second to last, Nanou. It was a lovely bay with (free) deck chairs and umbrellas, a little cafe, and only about 20 other people there as well. Surface was pebbly so it was lovely and clear and I did quite a lot of snorkelling. Lots of fish around mainly, including a mad green and purple one in the shallows. Saw a big school of flying fish, flying. Had some lunch in the cafe and immediately got invaded by a horde of hornets which was pretty unpleasant. The waitress sensed my distress (ie my arms trying to swoop them away) and brought over a wee urn of coffee which she lit. They mustn't have liked the smoke so they all flew away. Magic!
Spent a very relaxing afternoon. I've started reading Midnight's Children which is going well. I'd also been reading the new Philippa Gregory 'The Other Queen' which is so frustrating - she repeats herself again and again. It's an interesting story - about Mary Queen of Scots being under house arrest with the Duke of Shrewsbury before she's killed. But it's really plodding. Hopefully Salman Rushdie will show her how it's done. I don't doubt he will!
Weather's still very sunny, but with a bit of a cold wind sometimes. And you definitely need a cardigan if you're sat outside in the evenings.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Greece Day 2
Had a very nice long sleep and then some muesli and yoghurt on my patio. My little room (bizarrely called ‘Lover’s Corner’ and in fact you’d need to be VERY intimate with someone to share this room!) has been cut into the side of the hillside. Symi is very hilly and rocky and the main town (Yialos) centers around a harbour. It’s meant to be the most beautiful harbour in Greece and it certainly is attractive! Loads of multi coloured houses rise up from the harbour. It’s very small and I think to walk to Panoramitos at the other end of the island takes about 5 hours to walk. Not sure if I’ll end up doing that though! So my little room has a bed at one end and a teeny bathroom at the other end. On top is a patio which has a view not quite down to the harbour, but over about half of the town.
Spent most of the late morning wandering around town. I was trying to across to Pedi Beach, but couldn’t understand the walking instructions and after climbing up a long way I found myself coming back down again with no idea of how to go up! Will have to redo that at some stage. There are loads of boats to take you to different beaches and parts of the island so I’ll do one of those tomorrow. I ended up walking along the coast and finding a tiny beach down a long set of steps that I had to myself. Not quite into total relaxation mode yet but I’m getting there!!
Spent most of the late morning wandering around town. I was trying to across to Pedi Beach, but couldn’t understand the walking instructions and after climbing up a long way I found myself coming back down again with no idea of how to go up! Will have to redo that at some stage. There are loads of boats to take you to different beaches and parts of the island so I’ll do one of those tomorrow. I ended up walking along the coast and finding a tiny beach down a long set of steps that I had to myself. Not quite into total relaxation mode yet but I’m getting there!!
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Greece - Day 1
Ah the bliss of having my laptop with me on holidays means that I can blog and keep you all up to date! I decided to take the laptop on holiday mainly to watch DVDs, but there are quite a few internet cafes here in Symi so I assume I’ll be able to take myself down there shortly and connect up.
I arrived in Rhodes on Saturday evening after a long but normal journey. I hadn’t realised that Saturday was the same day at the Fatboy Slim concert down in Brighton which meant that London Bridge station was full of people trying to use the same line as me to get down there. Thankfully the train wasn’t full but I did have only ten minutes to spare by the time I got to check-in. hate being so rush at airports. I did manage to dash around and get the toiletries and reading material I needed though thank goodness.
Arrived in Rhodes at 10pm and decided to get cab to where I was staying. As it was in the old town, the taxi driver (who was lovely and used to live above a bar at highbury corner) could only take me so far, but after a moment of panie when I couldn’t see the Apollo Tourist House in a dark street, I got in and bedded down. Very comfortable but simple accommodation. There was a nice breakfast of muesli and yoghurt in the garden in the morning included.
I had the whole day free in Rhodes as my hydrofoil didn’t leave for Symi until 6pm. So I had a good but tiring day of wandering around a compact but slightly confusing city! It was so pretty in bits, especially down by the harbour. It’s a walled city and you can actually walk around the moat (which is now dry) which I did for a bit. There is a Castle of the Knights which has some gorgeous mosaic floors, and loads of museums of antiquities. The loveliest bit was the street of the Knights which led down from the palace. It was a real medieval street with gargoyles and intricate windows. Some of the buildings included the French consulate and other government buildings.
There are two main harbours, Mandraki (which has all the yachts and charter boats) and Akandia the commercial harbour. At the mouth of Mandraki is where the Colossus of Rhodes stood. Now there’s two pillars – one with a deer on it and the other has been removed for restoration. It must have been – er – colossal when it was actually there though! Lots of representations of the Colossus around town as well. There were a couple of huge cruise ships in town with large groups of English, American and German tourists. Very amusing to see them all trouping off to catch the boat at 3pm!
So I had a very full and busy day touring around. There were a couple of very impressive bead stores full of turquoise and coral. Might go back on my return journey… I found my way around fine until I actually had to get back to the hotel to pick up my bags and then I got totally spun around! I had loads of time though.
I caught the hydrofoil to Symi no problem – one way ticket for an hour’s journey is E14.90. I think the traditional ferries are a bit cheaper. The people who’ve organised my accommodation met me off the hydrofoil and transported my bag to the foot of the steps to my wee apartment, there are about 100 steps up and it’s quite steep! I’m sure I’ll be running up them by the end of the trip!
I arrived in Rhodes on Saturday evening after a long but normal journey. I hadn’t realised that Saturday was the same day at the Fatboy Slim concert down in Brighton which meant that London Bridge station was full of people trying to use the same line as me to get down there. Thankfully the train wasn’t full but I did have only ten minutes to spare by the time I got to check-in. hate being so rush at airports. I did manage to dash around and get the toiletries and reading material I needed though thank goodness.
Arrived in Rhodes at 10pm and decided to get cab to where I was staying. As it was in the old town, the taxi driver (who was lovely and used to live above a bar at highbury corner) could only take me so far, but after a moment of panie when I couldn’t see the Apollo Tourist House in a dark street, I got in and bedded down. Very comfortable but simple accommodation. There was a nice breakfast of muesli and yoghurt in the garden in the morning included.
I had the whole day free in Rhodes as my hydrofoil didn’t leave for Symi until 6pm. So I had a good but tiring day of wandering around a compact but slightly confusing city! It was so pretty in bits, especially down by the harbour. It’s a walled city and you can actually walk around the moat (which is now dry) which I did for a bit. There is a Castle of the Knights which has some gorgeous mosaic floors, and loads of museums of antiquities. The loveliest bit was the street of the Knights which led down from the palace. It was a real medieval street with gargoyles and intricate windows. Some of the buildings included the French consulate and other government buildings.
There are two main harbours, Mandraki (which has all the yachts and charter boats) and Akandia the commercial harbour. At the mouth of Mandraki is where the Colossus of Rhodes stood. Now there’s two pillars – one with a deer on it and the other has been removed for restoration. It must have been – er – colossal when it was actually there though! Lots of representations of the Colossus around town as well. There were a couple of huge cruise ships in town with large groups of English, American and German tourists. Very amusing to see them all trouping off to catch the boat at 3pm!
So I had a very full and busy day touring around. There were a couple of very impressive bead stores full of turquoise and coral. Might go back on my return journey… I found my way around fine until I actually had to get back to the hotel to pick up my bags and then I got totally spun around! I had loads of time though.
I caught the hydrofoil to Symi no problem – one way ticket for an hour’s journey is E14.90. I think the traditional ferries are a bit cheaper. The people who’ve organised my accommodation met me off the hydrofoil and transported my bag to the foot of the steps to my wee apartment, there are about 100 steps up and it’s quite steep! I’m sure I’ll be running up them by the end of the trip!
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Retro!
Have been a bit daunted by the whole writing up of the holiday blog thing, so haven't got to grips with that - yet!
In the meantime, I thought I'd post some links of cool stuff I've found on youtube. First pick is 'Safety Dance' by Men Without Hats! Remember this? Love it!
In the meantime, I thought I'd post some links of cool stuff I've found on youtube. First pick is 'Safety Dance' by Men Without Hats! Remember this? Love it!
Saturday, April 19, 2008
sobering
Just walked past the shrine to Jamie Simpson, who was murdered in the Dalston Matalan store over Easter. He was the manager of the shop and was killed by three robbers. The shrine is getting larger and there is a gathering there most Saturdays. It's very sobering, even for Hackney which is really afflicted by a culture of violence, with an increasing number of young people murdered every year.
circular!
I didn't get a chance to go and visit this photo gallery down on the South Bank this week, but I wish I had. It takes photos every three seconds and you can then interact with the photos to move them back and forwards in time. Makes your head spin!
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
wrong!
I went down to watch the London Marathon on Sunday morning on a very wet and cold day! It was lovely on the walk down, but not long after we arrived, it bucketed down with rain and the temperature plummeted. However we weren't the ones running in very little!
We had a good spot at the 21 mile mark on Commercial Road by Limehouse DLR station which was conveniently close to a community center which sold hot chocolate and cake. Most the runners we saw were pretty tired by the time they reached us. I had quite a few workmates running, and managed to spot two of them in the 40,000 plus runners.
Lots of silly costumes, including a couple of people in the Borat thong (hideous!), a cornish pasty outfit, rhinos and many more. There was also a group of Masai warriors who were running in full costume to raise money for their village.
I'm pretty sure that I'll never run, but Kt seems really keen to do it next year!!
We had a good spot at the 21 mile mark on Commercial Road by Limehouse DLR station which was conveniently close to a community center which sold hot chocolate and cake. Most the runners we saw were pretty tired by the time they reached us. I had quite a few workmates running, and managed to spot two of them in the 40,000 plus runners.
Lots of silly costumes, including a couple of people in the Borat thong (hideous!), a cornish pasty outfit, rhinos and many more. There was also a group of Masai warriors who were running in full costume to raise money for their village.
I'm pretty sure that I'll never run, but Kt seems really keen to do it next year!!
local!
I've just started reading the new Tracy Chevalier novel, Burning Bright, which is about some children who befriend William Blake (hence the name). I knew that William Blake had lived in Lambeth right around the corner from my office as there is blue plaque and a William Blake housing estate. But the book is quite amusing in that it talks about all the local pubs that are still there over 200 years later! The Red Lion (now called The Walrus), the Horse & Groom (now called the Horse) and the Artichoke (now called the Artichoke and Camel) are all pubs we frequent. Me and William Blake!
A return to form
So after some 'feedback' from Dad I've realised that I really should start blogging again! Many excuses for not doing so over the past 6 months, including busyness, an addiction to Facebook and lack of things to write about! So I've got a few things to write about over the next wee while and a renewed commitment to blogging! I'll hopefully be blogging regularly when I'm away in the US shortly too.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Finland / Russia Day One
Verrrry early start this morning with the cab picking Mum and I up at 4.15 am! The early start did mean that we had time for a nice breakfast at Giraffe at Terminal One before boarding our flight to Helsinki. The flight was pretty uneventful, apart from me leaving my hair clip on my food tray and it getting put in the rubbish. Oh well.
When we landed at Helsinki it was pouring with rain, but we got a cab ok and arrived at our hotel, the Helka. There's a charming photo on the ceiling of a wood scene to keep us entertained if we can't sleep. This is the same hotel I stayed in last time I was in Helsinki - it's nice and central, although we got lost quite a few times today!
After lunch, I popped into the office to say hello to some of my colleagues - nice to see them and the offices. Also got our train tickets for the trip to Russia tomorrow morning.
WEnt and met Mum and Fiona at the Design Museum where there were a couple of good exhibitions on Finnish fashion amd ceramics by Rut Bryk which were gorgeous. We also went and spent some money inthe Marimekko flagship store (gorgeous but not any cheaper in Finland!) and the Moomin store.
On my colleague Tuula's recommendation, we went and had a drink at Torni, a 12 storey hotel with a roof bar with gorgeous views over the city. Very spectacular - we could see all the little islands surrounding the city.
Had dinner at a traditional Finnish restaurant, Aino. I had some lovely reindeer fillets and Fiona had herring. Very traditional!
When we landed at Helsinki it was pouring with rain, but we got a cab ok and arrived at our hotel, the Helka. There's a charming photo on the ceiling of a wood scene to keep us entertained if we can't sleep. This is the same hotel I stayed in last time I was in Helsinki - it's nice and central, although we got lost quite a few times today!
After lunch, I popped into the office to say hello to some of my colleagues - nice to see them and the offices. Also got our train tickets for the trip to Russia tomorrow morning.
WEnt and met Mum and Fiona at the Design Museum where there were a couple of good exhibitions on Finnish fashion amd ceramics by Rut Bryk which were gorgeous. We also went and spent some money inthe Marimekko flagship store (gorgeous but not any cheaper in Finland!) and the Moomin store.
On my colleague Tuula's recommendation, we went and had a drink at Torni, a 12 storey hotel with a roof bar with gorgeous views over the city. Very spectacular - we could see all the little islands surrounding the city.
Had dinner at a traditional Finnish restaurant, Aino. I had some lovely reindeer fillets and Fiona had herring. Very traditional!
Monday, August 27, 2007
Dusty Springfield's grave, Henley on Thames
We found Dusty Springfield's grave in a churchyard in Henley on Thames, where she lived before she died. According to Wikipedia, she was cremated, and some of the ashes buried here, and the rest scattered at the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland.
outing!
I went out with Li-Ann and Andrew, as well as Li-Ann's aunt, on Saturday to Windsor, Bray and Henley. It was a gorgeous sunny day, quite different to a lot of the weather we've had recently. We drove out to Eton and parked and walked through town down to Windsor and wandered around the perimeter of the castle. I went there years ago, and it is very impressive. Lots of security around, but also scores and scores of tourists!
We went down into the Great Park, and noticed that Frogmore House, which includes the mausoleum in which Queen Victoria and Prince Albert are entombed, was open (it's only open a few days a year). So we took the opportunity to go and have a look - it was very interesting. The grounds were gorgeous and included a very odd tree with very curly branches. We weren't allowed to take any photos of the tomb, but it was very ornate inside with marble figures of Victoria and Albert.
We went for lunch in Bray at the Hinds Head pub - it's the gastro pub owned by Heston Blumenthal, who also runs the very famous Fat Duck restaurant next door. Thankfully the Hinds Head doesn't have a three month waiting list and doesn't cost at least £80 to eat at! We had a lovely meal, and the others (not me!) enjoyed the thrice cooked chips.
We drove down to Henley on our way home and had a walk by the river. We even stumbled across Dusty Springfield's grave! She lived in Henley before she died.
We went down into the Great Park, and noticed that Frogmore House, which includes the mausoleum in which Queen Victoria and Prince Albert are entombed, was open (it's only open a few days a year). So we took the opportunity to go and have a look - it was very interesting. The grounds were gorgeous and included a very odd tree with very curly branches. We weren't allowed to take any photos of the tomb, but it was very ornate inside with marble figures of Victoria and Albert.
We went for lunch in Bray at the Hinds Head pub - it's the gastro pub owned by Heston Blumenthal, who also runs the very famous Fat Duck restaurant next door. Thankfully the Hinds Head doesn't have a three month waiting list and doesn't cost at least £80 to eat at! We had a lovely meal, and the others (not me!) enjoyed the thrice cooked chips.
We drove down to Henley on our way home and had a walk by the river. We even stumbled across Dusty Springfield's grave! She lived in Henley before she died.
wicked!
Fiona, Simon and I went to see 'Wicked' on Thursday night. The musical, based on the Gregory Maguire book, tells the story of the Wizard of Oz from the point of view of the Wicked Witch of the West - and we see that she was't really all that wicked after all! Fiona and I had tried to see it in New York a couple of years ago, but tickets had cost too much and we missed out on the raffle.
The London production was very spectacular and told the story very well - even though it seemed a lot less dark than the book, especially the ending! But the effects, staging and costumes were all fantastic and mesmerising to watch. Only a couple the songs really resonated and were memorable, but the quality of the singing was fantastic. We didn't realise til afterwards that Nigel Planer (Neil in the Young Ones) was one of the leads. Thoroughly enjoyable!
The London production was very spectacular and told the story very well - even though it seemed a lot less dark than the book, especially the ending! But the effects, staging and costumes were all fantastic and mesmerising to watch. Only a couple the songs really resonated and were memorable, but the quality of the singing was fantastic. We didn't realise til afterwards that Nigel Planer (Neil in the Young Ones) was one of the leads. Thoroughly enjoyable!
natural!
Last weekend we went canal boating to celebrate David's birthday. We hired boat from a place in Odiham and spent the day on the Basingstoke canal, ending up at Crookham for lunch. It was great fun! A bit gloomy in the morning, with full fledged rain by the afternoon. But we still had a great time. I don't think I'll be steering a canal boat again, after nearly crashing the boat - it's a lot more difficult than I thought!
Took loads of photos, which are all on Flickr.
Took loads of photos, which are all on Flickr.
Thursday, August 09, 2007
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