Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
rough!
I've just volunteered to take part in Byte Night, fundraising for homeless or at risk people. It involves spending the night sleeping under the stars beside the Houses of Parliament. I really like my bed, so this is not going to be a comfortable night! It promises to be lots of fun though with food, drink and a quiz before we settle down for the night.
Our team (there's five of us) have to raise £5000 to take part, so we'll be doing lots of fund raising over the next couple of months. We've set up a fund raising website, so please donate through this route. Alternatively, we've got quite a few different ideas to raise money, including bake sales and quiz nights so those of you in London may be roped in for these.
Our team (there's five of us) have to raise £5000 to take part, so we'll be doing lots of fund raising over the next couple of months. We've set up a fund raising website, so please donate through this route. Alternatively, we've got quite a few different ideas to raise money, including bake sales and quiz nights so those of you in London may be roped in for these.
Thursday, June 08, 2006
I am Mac-ready!
Got my new Macbook yesterday - just walked into the Apple Store on Regent St and purchased it. It's very exciting - I was up til 1am last night playing with it. Especially love the webcam and 'Photo booth' functionality. This photo isn't actually one of mine - it's a random one from Flickr. But it seems there are a whole lot of people who buy a Macbook, and take photos of every stage of unpacking it!
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Saturday, May 27, 2006
Spain Day 7 - Malaga
After breakfast, I caught the bus into town and went to a couple of museums. The Museo de Arte y Costumbres has a good collection of folk arts - items made for the home and village celebrations. So there were lots of tools, some clothing and costumes for festivals, furniture etc. Then I wandered across to the biggie, the Museo Picasso Malaga. It´s quite newly opened and is based on donations of works from Picasso´s daughter in law and her son. The collection is housed in a lovely old villa. There was also a temporary exhibition of works from when Picasso was living in Antibes - the paintings and sculptures there are designed around classical motifs - fauns and nymphs etc.
Other than that, had a quiet day. The shops all closed down about 3pm, and so I went back to Pedralojedo and sat in the sun, before having some fish for dinner by the beach.
Other than that, had a quiet day. The shops all closed down about 3pm, and so I went back to Pedralojedo and sat in the sun, before having some fish for dinner by the beach.
Friday, May 26, 2006
Spain Day 6 - Granada and Malaga
Had a wander around the Albaicin area in Granada today - it´s the hill that faces the Alhambra hill, and is full of shops, bars and restaurants, as well as some homes. Lots of shops selling Arabic themed items, most of which are apparently made in Morocco. Walked up to the Mirador San Nicholas which has a fantastic view of the Alhambra - got my photo taken by a very Kiwi woman called Noelene! Had some lunch at Kiki San Nicholas, a restaurant behind the church -had an enormous plate of seafood which I couldn´t finish!
Caught a taxi to the bus station and then the bus to Malaga - the bus cost about €8.50, cheaper than the taxi! Bus journey took two hours.
When I arrived in Malaga, I took another taxi to my hotel, Hotel Acacias, which is about ten minutes out of town in an area called Pedregalejo. It´s very pretty and only about five minutes walk from the beach - the actual beach doesn´t look that nice for swimming though. Went and had some dinner down by the water - there are loads of cafes and restaurants. The popular thing is for fishermen to grill their day´s catch on a barbeque. After my seafood at lunch I wasn´t that keen but I will be returning!
Caught a taxi to the bus station and then the bus to Malaga - the bus cost about €8.50, cheaper than the taxi! Bus journey took two hours.
When I arrived in Malaga, I took another taxi to my hotel, Hotel Acacias, which is about ten minutes out of town in an area called Pedregalejo. It´s very pretty and only about five minutes walk from the beach - the actual beach doesn´t look that nice for swimming though. Went and had some dinner down by the water - there are loads of cafes and restaurants. The popular thing is for fishermen to grill their day´s catch on a barbeque. After my seafood at lunch I wasn´t that keen but I will be returning!
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Spain Day 5 - Granada
Had a lazy morning this morning and wandered around a bit and had breakfast before stocking up on water and catching the Alhambrabus up to the entrance of the Alhambra.
I´d booked my ticket for the Alhambra right when I was booking this trip two months ago. And I was really glad I´d done so! Talked to a couple of people who didn´t book and so couldn´t get in at all. Tickets book up really quickly - they let about 80 or so people into the Nazrid Palaces at half hour slots throughout the day. And the slots must run from 8.30 in the morning until about 6pm, so that´s lots of people. Loads of groups. They´re really strict about when you´re let in too - I overheard one guy at the Tourist info centre saying that they´d been late because his girlfriend was sick, and they weren´t let in at all. And when they´d tried the next day they were out of luck.
There were a couple of things I was glad I did - I arrived up there at noon, even though my slot wasn´t until 1.30, so that gave me plenty of time to wander around the gardens and get my bearings. And I also paid 3 € for the audio guide which was very useful and meant I didn´t have to stop and get my guide book out all the time!
When i actually got into the Nazrid Palaces, I was blown away. It really was lovely and very spectacular. i´d been really impressed by the Alcazar in Seville, but the decoration and design here were on a whole different level. Lots of rooms with intricate carvings and stucco ceilings, as well as reflecting pools, and views out over the city. Spent about two hours in the Palaces, and then had a look around the Alcazar and the Generalife Gardens. Had about six hours up there in all! Took loads of photos, but bought a book on the Alhambra as well.
After catching the bus back down to the centre, i went to the Arab Baths for a soak and a massage. These Baths were quite a bit smaller than the ones in Seville, with only two baths, a hot and a cold. There was also quite a small, unisex changing room with tiny areas curtained off for private changing. Massage was also a bit fierce! But it was nice to have a relaxing soak, and the tiling and atmosphere were lovely.
I´d booked my ticket for the Alhambra right when I was booking this trip two months ago. And I was really glad I´d done so! Talked to a couple of people who didn´t book and so couldn´t get in at all. Tickets book up really quickly - they let about 80 or so people into the Nazrid Palaces at half hour slots throughout the day. And the slots must run from 8.30 in the morning until about 6pm, so that´s lots of people. Loads of groups. They´re really strict about when you´re let in too - I overheard one guy at the Tourist info centre saying that they´d been late because his girlfriend was sick, and they weren´t let in at all. And when they´d tried the next day they were out of luck.
There were a couple of things I was glad I did - I arrived up there at noon, even though my slot wasn´t until 1.30, so that gave me plenty of time to wander around the gardens and get my bearings. And I also paid 3 € for the audio guide which was very useful and meant I didn´t have to stop and get my guide book out all the time!
When i actually got into the Nazrid Palaces, I was blown away. It really was lovely and very spectacular. i´d been really impressed by the Alcazar in Seville, but the decoration and design here were on a whole different level. Lots of rooms with intricate carvings and stucco ceilings, as well as reflecting pools, and views out over the city. Spent about two hours in the Palaces, and then had a look around the Alcazar and the Generalife Gardens. Had about six hours up there in all! Took loads of photos, but bought a book on the Alhambra as well.
After catching the bus back down to the centre, i went to the Arab Baths for a soak and a massage. These Baths were quite a bit smaller than the ones in Seville, with only two baths, a hot and a cold. There was also quite a small, unisex changing room with tiny areas curtained off for private changing. Massage was also a bit fierce! But it was nice to have a relaxing soak, and the tiling and atmosphere were lovely.
Spain Day 4 - Seville, Granada
After breakfast of a Spanish omelette (while in Seville, as Dad said...) I headed off down to the Maestranza, the main bull-fighting ring in the city. While I´m not that keen on the actual bull fights, the whole tradition is quite intriguing, and of course it´s a location in Carmen! There are half hour tours that you can take of the arena, which takes you to the seating areas, the infirmary (pretty well organised for goring injuries!), the museum and the stables. A very slick operation, but still very traditional.
After walking along the river for a bit and listening to the cheesy music of the riverboats, I went and had a look around the cathedral, close to where my hotel was. It was huge, with a high vaulted ceiling and enormous columns. The tomb of Christopher Columbus is also there. The largest carved wooden altar in the world is in the cathedral, and in fact, the cathedral is meant to be the largest in the world, larger even than St Peter´s in Rome. I walked up to the top of the Giralda, the cathedral´s tower - there are no steps, and were designed so that one of the kings could ride his horse up to the top. Views were pretty amazing from the top.
Made my way to the station next, where my train left at 15.55 for Granada. Very comfortable journey, modern train. Took just under three hours. Some great mountain views en route, as well as views of wind machines.
Got a taxi to my hotel when I got to Granada, as the train station wasn´t in the centre. I´m staying at the very pretty Hostal La Ninfa, about ten minutes from the centre of town. Went for a walk in the evening and had dinner at a restaurant which looked up at the Alhambra. Lovely old town with windy little streets.
After walking along the river for a bit and listening to the cheesy music of the riverboats, I went and had a look around the cathedral, close to where my hotel was. It was huge, with a high vaulted ceiling and enormous columns. The tomb of Christopher Columbus is also there. The largest carved wooden altar in the world is in the cathedral, and in fact, the cathedral is meant to be the largest in the world, larger even than St Peter´s in Rome. I walked up to the top of the Giralda, the cathedral´s tower - there are no steps, and were designed so that one of the kings could ride his horse up to the top. Views were pretty amazing from the top.
Made my way to the station next, where my train left at 15.55 for Granada. Very comfortable journey, modern train. Took just under three hours. Some great mountain views en route, as well as views of wind machines.
Got a taxi to my hotel when I got to Granada, as the train station wasn´t in the centre. I´m staying at the very pretty Hostal La Ninfa, about ten minutes from the centre of town. Went for a walk in the evening and had dinner at a restaurant which looked up at the Alhambra. Lovely old town with windy little streets.
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Spain Day 3 - Seville
Much more of a relaxing day today! Wandered up to Santa Justa train station in the morning to get my ticket for Granada on Tuesday. A relatively simple transation!
Then managed to find my way to Casa Pilatos, a mansion that was supposedly built along the dimensions of Pilate´s palace. Lots of mosaics and a lovely peaceful garden. Also lovely to see some of the restoration going on.
My next stop was the lovely Arabian baths - what a treat! It´s all housed in an old residential building, but there are baths of different temperatures, treatment rooms, a jacuzzi and a steam room. All very atmospheric and a great way to spend a couple of hours unwinding. My skin felt so soft afterwards!
Next I walked over to the Parque de Maria Luisa and spent a couple of hours reading in the shade and walking around. The park was built for the 1929 Expo, and has lots of buildings in it that are now used for embassies. There is also the huge Casa de Espana, which has a different tiled area for each of the regions of Spain. There´s also a military museum there.
Had dinner in a much cheaper place tonight - my first two dinners have inadvertently been in expensive places so I need to watch my budget! Some fantastic flamenco music being played in the plaza.
Then managed to find my way to Casa Pilatos, a mansion that was supposedly built along the dimensions of Pilate´s palace. Lots of mosaics and a lovely peaceful garden. Also lovely to see some of the restoration going on.
My next stop was the lovely Arabian baths - what a treat! It´s all housed in an old residential building, but there are baths of different temperatures, treatment rooms, a jacuzzi and a steam room. All very atmospheric and a great way to spend a couple of hours unwinding. My skin felt so soft afterwards!
Next I walked over to the Parque de Maria Luisa and spent a couple of hours reading in the shade and walking around. The park was built for the 1929 Expo, and has lots of buildings in it that are now used for embassies. There is also the huge Casa de Espana, which has a different tiled area for each of the regions of Spain. There´s also a military museum there.
Had dinner in a much cheaper place tonight - my first two dinners have inadvertently been in expensive places so I need to watch my budget! Some fantastic flamenco music being played in the plaza.
Sunday, May 21, 2006
Spain days 1 and 2 - Seville
Am I just getting old or is checking in at airports getting worse? My check in and security checks at Stanstead en route to Seville were tortuous! In reality, it probably wasn´t as bad as when I went to NZ last, and of course nothing touches the two hour Air India check-in, but shouldn´t European flights be a bit speedier? Argh! Oh well, made it onto the flight ok, got to Seville in one piece, found the airport bus and (after a bit of aimless, but ultimately directional wandering) found my hotel.
My hotel, YH Giralda, is really close to the centre of town, and is an old abbot´s palace that´s been converted. I´d read a terrible review of it on Trip Advisor, but in reality, it´s fine. Didn´t get to the hotel until about 10pm, so I basically dumped my stuff and went and had some food at a restaurant right by the cathedral. Fantastic views of the Giralda itself, the huge tower of the cathedral.
Spent most of the day today at the Alcazar, the palace at the centre of Seville. It was stunning. There is a huge Moorish palace that´s nearly 1000 years old, with tiled rooms, fountains, reception rooms and secret balconies for spying on visitors. It was just so beautiful. There is also an older section of the palace that was built in the 14th century, and huge gardens, with a 30 foot high jacaranda tree. It was a beautifully warm day, so I took advantage of the many shady spots and cool rooms.
After spending about five hours there, I went and had some lunch and chatted with two Los Angelenos women who are here on vacation. The Santa Cruz area around the Alcazar has lots of little bars and cafes as well as souvenir shops etc.
My hotel, YH Giralda, is really close to the centre of town, and is an old abbot´s palace that´s been converted. I´d read a terrible review of it on Trip Advisor, but in reality, it´s fine. Didn´t get to the hotel until about 10pm, so I basically dumped my stuff and went and had some food at a restaurant right by the cathedral. Fantastic views of the Giralda itself, the huge tower of the cathedral.
Spent most of the day today at the Alcazar, the palace at the centre of Seville. It was stunning. There is a huge Moorish palace that´s nearly 1000 years old, with tiled rooms, fountains, reception rooms and secret balconies for spying on visitors. It was just so beautiful. There is also an older section of the palace that was built in the 14th century, and huge gardens, with a 30 foot high jacaranda tree. It was a beautifully warm day, so I took advantage of the many shady spots and cool rooms.
After spending about five hours there, I went and had some lunch and chatted with two Los Angelenos women who are here on vacation. The Santa Cruz area around the Alcazar has lots of little bars and cafes as well as souvenir shops etc.
Thursday, April 27, 2006
syndicated!
I'm trialling an RSS reader, RSS Bandit, at work at the moment. Unlike NewsGator, which I'd used before and is based on an internet page, Bandit is available in your computer's toolbar, and so will alert you whenever new content comes in. At the moment, I've got about eight different blogs feeding into it, along with a couple of Factiva tracks. The Factiva tracks don't work very well, which is a bit of a pain, but the blogs work a dream!
I've just subscribed to Warhblog, Andy Warhol's diaries from 1977 on, which are being reposted on a daily basis. Today, Andy's met with Mick Jagger to discuss designing the cover of the next Stones album. Warhol's diaries go on for about ten years so the blog should finish about 2016!
I've just subscribed to Warhblog, Andy Warhol's diaries from 1977 on, which are being reposted on a daily basis. Today, Andy's met with Mick Jagger to discuss designing the cover of the next Stones album. Warhol's diaries go on for about ten years so the blog should finish about 2016!
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
separated at birth?
The 'My Heritage' website allows you to upload your photo and see which celebrity you most look like. It provides some interesting matches...
Behold! I am Mel C!
Behold! I am Mel C!
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Thursday, March 30, 2006
Monday, March 27, 2006
Retrievr
A new mash-up based on Flickr is Retrievr - on the sketch-pad at the left of the page, you draw an image, using the colours in the palette (bold images are best). Retrievr then searches over Flickr for an image that matches your drawing. It's not perfect, but it's a great way to explore the wonderful world of Flickr.
beat the ticket touts
Buying a ticket for a popular gig in London seems to be harder recently. Live music is much more popular than it used to be, there's a lot of hype around new bands, and of course ticket touts know that reselling tickets is a profitable business. I liked this article from the Guardian recently which gave some good advice to someone who desperately wanted to go to a sold-out Kaiser Chiefs concert - I think I've followed all the pieces of advice at one time or another!
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Atomium interior staircase
I've uploaded my photos from Brussels and they are now available on Flickr. Click on the photo above to view.
Monday, March 06, 2006
Brussels 3 - 5 March 2006
Have just had a very enjoyable weekend in Belgium, visiting Fabienne. Kt and I took the train from Waterloo to Brussels on Friday morning - it's a nice easy trip (apart from the security scanner queue at either end) which takes under two and a half hours each way. I last took the Eurostar about seven years ago and the British track has been relaid since there, so it's a lot faster on this side of the channel. It's all very smooth and chic!
After arriving in Brussels and checking into our hotel (the five star Le Meridien - a bargain on the Eurostar site), we wandered around the Grand Place etc. before meeting Fabienne. After lunch and waffles, we walked around the main sites of the city, before visiting the Sablon district and Fabienne's favourite chocolatier, Pierre Marcolini. The chocolate shop was beautiful - there was one case of award winning pastries and desserts that looked too good to eat!
After visiting the supermarket and stocking up on chocolate and beer, we went for a drink in one of the great little bars off the Grand Place, and then for dinner at Aux Armes de Bruxelles, one of the traditional Belgian restaurants. We were seated right next to the area where the Crêpes flambées à la liqueur mandarine Napoléon were made and we were amazed that there were not scorch marks on the ceiling from the flames!
The next morning, Fabienne picked us up and we had breakfast in the car while we drove to Antwerp. After an hour's drive we reached the city and the first stop, Diamondland. There were different craftsmen working on diamonds that we could watch - polishing, drilling and setting the diamonds. We also wanted to visit the Mode Museum which showed fashion exhibitions, but it was closed while they installed the next exhibition. We visited Antwerp's Grand Place and the riverfront, and then had lunch at Kookaburra. Fabienne had learnt the kookaburra song when she was a child as well, although the words were slightly different (and in French).
After leaving Antwerp we drove to beautiful Bruges. It was just as beautiful as I remembered it, and there was still a chocolate shop on every corner! It was bitterly cold when we were there, but it was still enjoyable to walk around, stopping off for chocolate every now and then. We had some lovely mussels and frites at the Maria van Bourgandie restaurant before driving back to Brussels.
On Sunday, we had breakfast at Le Pain Quotidien (the daily bread). We then drove out to the Atomium on the outskirts of Brussels. The Atomium had been built for the 1958 International Exhibition, and has just reopened after renovation. It took about an hour to queue to get in (it was the last day of the Carnival holiday in Belgium) but it was worth it - you can take a lift right up to the top to get a view over Brussels. You can also visit the other pods which have been renovated and are lit beautifully. Fantastic!
We also visited the Horta Museum, the home of Belgian architect Victor Horta. Many buildings in Brussels are in an art nouveau style, and Horta is the main exponent. The fittings - door handles and locks etc - were all intricate and so stylish.
After a dejeuner rapide at Fabienne's house, we left Brussels on the train once again, promising to return!
After arriving in Brussels and checking into our hotel (the five star Le Meridien - a bargain on the Eurostar site), we wandered around the Grand Place etc. before meeting Fabienne. After lunch and waffles, we walked around the main sites of the city, before visiting the Sablon district and Fabienne's favourite chocolatier, Pierre Marcolini. The chocolate shop was beautiful - there was one case of award winning pastries and desserts that looked too good to eat!
After visiting the supermarket and stocking up on chocolate and beer, we went for a drink in one of the great little bars off the Grand Place, and then for dinner at Aux Armes de Bruxelles, one of the traditional Belgian restaurants. We were seated right next to the area where the Crêpes flambées à la liqueur mandarine Napoléon were made and we were amazed that there were not scorch marks on the ceiling from the flames!
The next morning, Fabienne picked us up and we had breakfast in the car while we drove to Antwerp. After an hour's drive we reached the city and the first stop, Diamondland. There were different craftsmen working on diamonds that we could watch - polishing, drilling and setting the diamonds. We also wanted to visit the Mode Museum which showed fashion exhibitions, but it was closed while they installed the next exhibition. We visited Antwerp's Grand Place and the riverfront, and then had lunch at Kookaburra. Fabienne had learnt the kookaburra song when she was a child as well, although the words were slightly different (and in French).
After leaving Antwerp we drove to beautiful Bruges. It was just as beautiful as I remembered it, and there was still a chocolate shop on every corner! It was bitterly cold when we were there, but it was still enjoyable to walk around, stopping off for chocolate every now and then. We had some lovely mussels and frites at the Maria van Bourgandie restaurant before driving back to Brussels.
On Sunday, we had breakfast at Le Pain Quotidien (the daily bread). We then drove out to the Atomium on the outskirts of Brussels. The Atomium had been built for the 1958 International Exhibition, and has just reopened after renovation. It took about an hour to queue to get in (it was the last day of the Carnival holiday in Belgium) but it was worth it - you can take a lift right up to the top to get a view over Brussels. You can also visit the other pods which have been renovated and are lit beautifully. Fantastic!
We also visited the Horta Museum, the home of Belgian architect Victor Horta. Many buildings in Brussels are in an art nouveau style, and Horta is the main exponent. The fittings - door handles and locks etc - were all intricate and so stylish.
After a dejeuner rapide at Fabienne's house, we left Brussels on the train once again, promising to return!
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