I like Doctor Who a lot. So you can imagine my jealousy when I find out that an ex-classmate (who I was friends with for a bit) is the new leading lady in the new series next year! I only found out because I was trawling the Middlesex University website for postgraduate housing courses and her name sprang up as an ex-graduate hitting the big time.
Ten minutes later, I find that Tara has actually posted on Melissa’s blog about it. Damn! Yeah, I know, always the last to know etc etc.
Monday, July 31, 2006
Saturday, July 29, 2006
Hi ho hi ho...
Reuben’s parents have damp coming through the external-side wall of their hallway due to the exterior paint holding in moisture and not allowing the brickwork to ‘breathe’. As a result, the paint in the hallway is blown and the plaster is crumbling away. So while a contractor works on the exterior paint, Reuben, his mum and myself have to strip the internal wall so it can be replastered.
The idea was that we start on the top of the stairs and work our way down, slowly slowly. Reuben sits at the top, dust mask in place, and starts scraping at the wall with a small wallpaper scraper. Reuben’s mum, in the hallway by the door, smashes the paint and plaster away with one sweep of her trowel. So much for the ‘slowly’ idea! Reuben did away with his little scraper and wielded a hammer and chisel.
So we each work on a section, dust everywhere, and having a whale of a time smashing up the wall all the way through to the brickwork. In the end, we were hot and very dusty. My hair was grey and rigid from the plaster dust. It was gross. But at least the wall is now clear for the fresh plaster.
The idea was that we start on the top of the stairs and work our way down, slowly slowly. Reuben sits at the top, dust mask in place, and starts scraping at the wall with a small wallpaper scraper. Reuben’s mum, in the hallway by the door, smashes the paint and plaster away with one sweep of her trowel. So much for the ‘slowly’ idea! Reuben did away with his little scraper and wielded a hammer and chisel.
So we each work on a section, dust everywhere, and having a whale of a time smashing up the wall all the way through to the brickwork. In the end, we were hot and very dusty. My hair was grey and rigid from the plaster dust. It was gross. But at least the wall is now clear for the fresh plaster.
Friday, July 21, 2006
Paris in the summertime?
Today we go home. Nicely tanned from the heat and just itching with anticipation of getting back to a cooler climate. And we're only 3 hours from London. How silly is that?! There are lessons to be learnt - Paris is best seen during Spring or Autumn. Trust me.
Thursday, July 20, 2006
le Lafayette
We our spending our last full day in Paris trawling le Galleria de Lafayette because we have 10% vouchers and because its supposed to be a beautiful shopping experience - complete with air con! Wahey! So we take a 20min walk down le Boulevard de Lafayette and reach the junction where le printemps is in full swing! We wander about with me stroking all the designer bags and shoes and Reuben admiring the watches and keeping me from going completely gaga. I mean there was this really nice pair of Chloe sandals and then I saw these gorgeous Gina slingbacks... (sigh)
And that was our day. A lazy walk into shopping central, wander around the shops, and a lazy walk back. I did buy a cut-price T-shirt in H&M because all my T-s are soaked in sweat (eww!) and we did have a fun time walking around a proper French market but that was the day really. Just walking and window-shopping. Perfect.
And that was our day. A lazy walk into shopping central, wander around the shops, and a lazy walk back. I did buy a cut-price T-shirt in H&M because all my T-s are soaked in sweat (eww!) and we did have a fun time walking around a proper French market but that was the day really. Just walking and window-shopping. Perfect.
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Le Louvre et le Basilique de Sacre-Coeur
Another hot hot day in Paris and shortly after breakfast we head out to the Open Tour Bus again to go to the Louvre... again! A short queue and we were inside the lovely air conditioning!!
No-one had to tell us where the Mona Lisa was - it was where the whole crowd was surging. Everyone was walking in one direction, right past the Etruscan and Greek antiquities and through the Italian paintings to get to Da Vinci's piece de la resistance. Even then it was behind a thick sheet of glass and flanked by two security guards. We saw it just so we could say we did, but we weren't particularly interested and certainly didn't queue so we could reach the front of the painting and take a good gander. It just wasn't worth it. And there's a good replica in the science corridor of Our Lady's.
I was more interested in the Egyptian sarcophaguses and Greek statues (surprise, surprise!) and I had my picture taken with Minerva. Reuben had his picture taken with a bust of a Roman emperor, possibly Hadrian but I can't remember right now. He looked super cool in his shades next to this head though!!
Reluctantly after a couple of hours we head out again and find ourselves outside the Musee d'Orsay but we are finding this trip a bit pricey and decide to skip seeing anymore galleries. I was a little disappointed but this was supposed to be a cheap break... We can always just come over again when its a bit cooler!
We make our way back to the buses and head up to Montmartre so we can climb up to Le Basilique de Sacre-Coeur. This place was absolutely gorgeous and much better than Notre Dame, even though I thought I would never think that. It was well worth the hill climb in 30C heat! We stood at the top of the hill for ages, able to see for miles across France. We then sat by the fountain at the base of the Sacre-Coeur and dipped our feet in the water. It was ironic - I had just seen possibly the most beautiful building in France and the best part of my day is sitting with my feet in not-very-clean water next to a noisy family from Holland!
No-one had to tell us where the Mona Lisa was - it was where the whole crowd was surging. Everyone was walking in one direction, right past the Etruscan and Greek antiquities and through the Italian paintings to get to Da Vinci's piece de la resistance. Even then it was behind a thick sheet of glass and flanked by two security guards. We saw it just so we could say we did, but we weren't particularly interested and certainly didn't queue so we could reach the front of the painting and take a good gander. It just wasn't worth it. And there's a good replica in the science corridor of Our Lady's.
I was more interested in the Egyptian sarcophaguses and Greek statues (surprise, surprise!) and I had my picture taken with Minerva. Reuben had his picture taken with a bust of a Roman emperor, possibly Hadrian but I can't remember right now. He looked super cool in his shades next to this head though!!
Reluctantly after a couple of hours we head out again and find ourselves outside the Musee d'Orsay but we are finding this trip a bit pricey and decide to skip seeing anymore galleries. I was a little disappointed but this was supposed to be a cheap break... We can always just come over again when its a bit cooler!
We make our way back to the buses and head up to Montmartre so we can climb up to Le Basilique de Sacre-Coeur. This place was absolutely gorgeous and much better than Notre Dame, even though I thought I would never think that. It was well worth the hill climb in 30C heat! We stood at the top of the hill for ages, able to see for miles across France. We then sat by the fountain at the base of the Sacre-Coeur and dipped our feet in the water. It was ironic - I had just seen possibly the most beautiful building in France and the best part of my day is sitting with my feet in not-very-clean water next to a noisy family from Holland!
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Open Tour Buses
We wake up sweating like mad. There's no air conditioning in the hotel room and it's 30C outside. We shower and make our way down to breakfast on the basement level. A little woman looking a bit like Madame Tussaud asks for our room number and we sign our names on her list. She points to a table and we pick up our bowls and plates to see what's on offer. There are three Perspex bowls on a carousel full of cardboard corn flakes. A wicker stand holds bread rolls, croissants and sliced baguettes. Some ham and cheese are inside more Perspex bowls. Orange juice, grapefruit juice and milk stand in jugs by the coffee machine. Bienvenue a la petit déjuner pour quatre jours! All I can say is that the croissants are lovely although it'd be nice if the jam wasn't so watery. The corn flakes are cardboardy (as previously mentioned) and the milk is that longlife shit. However the coffee is the best in the world!
Open Tour Buses are great. For 28€ you get two days unlimited bus rides on Open Tour buses around Paris. Four lines stop at or near all the attractions and you even get personal earphones so you can listen to the commentary in 8 languages during the rides. So we grab our first bus outside le Gare du Nord and make our way to le Madeleine so we can switch lines and go to the Musée du Louvre. Of course, no one told us that all museums are shut on Tuesdays. Bother. We wander around the glass pyramid anyway and then decide that we will walk it to Notre Dame.
Bad idea. It's now 10.30am and the sun is in full swing. We ramble along the bank of the Seine, pitying the people sweltering under the glass on a barge trip and fanning themselves frantically. We arrive at some shade and gasp for breath. Reuben purchases bottles of water and we gulp it down with relish. We pass le Palais de Justice and finally spot le Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris surrounded by tourists in groups and taking pictures from all angles. We are herded into Notre Dame with the crowds speaking all different languages and manage to grab a seat near the pulpit so we can admire the windows. Having cooled down sufficiently we tour the cathedral and head back out into the heat and to catch another bus.
We pass le Institut de France and le Musée d'Orsay before getting off the bus at le Place de la Concorde so we can walk down the Avenue des Champs-Elysées. The shops were brilliant and we popped in and out again to appreciate the air conditioning. I now feel quite weak from the heat and am grateful each time a feel a slight breeze of air. We arrived at le Arc de Triomphe and took pictures before taking our third bus pass the Trocadéro and arriving at le Tour Eiffel.
It is now 1pm and incredibly hot. We walk through the park behind the tower and stand near a sprinkler to cool down. In our search for a bench we end up sitting on newspaper on a 'bird bench' with two lovely American old dears. One said she was born in London and had that distinctive Anglo-American twang in her voice that made her sound Canadian. Her friend was all-out Ohio. We chatted for a bit and ended up travelling on the bus with them pass the Hôtel des Invalides back to Le Madeleine so we could change tour lines and take a bus up to Montmartre.
Montmartre is a bit like Tottenham - it's dirty and you can get mugged in broad daylight and no-one would bat an eyelid. However it is where le Basilique duu Sacre-Coeur is situated, as well as all the sex shops and the infamous Moulin Rouge. As we travel up the Boulevard de Clichy Reuben constantly jokes about going into a sex shop. So we get off the bus and do just that. We decide against buying any DVDs as they all only play region 2 but I was a bit tempted to get my brother a magazine entitled Down the Hatch. Giggling madly we took our last bus back to le Gard du Nord and went back to the hotel.
Its been so hot we haven't eaten all day and have just drank the equivalent of 2½ litres of water each. So we shower for the 3rd time (our 2nd being the sprinkler in the park) and attempt to find somewhere were we can eat small portions. We go to Buffalo Bill and opt for the a la carte menu of burger or buffalo wings with fries followed by crême brulée and expresso. The restaurant had air con but they didn't turn it on, typically tight of Parisians. We did have some very nice Pina Coladas even though they cost 9€ a go. Eating and drinking is turning out to be expensive in Paris. Bottled water is at least 2.50€ a time for a regular 50cl bottle.
Desperate now for some air con we wander up the street and end up in McDonalds. Sitting under the air con slurping a vanilla milkshake was the ultimate feeling. You cannot believe how nice it was. And we decided we must be pretty desperate to be in Paris and Maccy D's being the best place to go.
Open Tour Buses are great. For 28€ you get two days unlimited bus rides on Open Tour buses around Paris. Four lines stop at or near all the attractions and you even get personal earphones so you can listen to the commentary in 8 languages during the rides. So we grab our first bus outside le Gare du Nord and make our way to le Madeleine so we can switch lines and go to the Musée du Louvre. Of course, no one told us that all museums are shut on Tuesdays. Bother. We wander around the glass pyramid anyway and then decide that we will walk it to Notre Dame.
Bad idea. It's now 10.30am and the sun is in full swing. We ramble along the bank of the Seine, pitying the people sweltering under the glass on a barge trip and fanning themselves frantically. We arrive at some shade and gasp for breath. Reuben purchases bottles of water and we gulp it down with relish. We pass le Palais de Justice and finally spot le Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris surrounded by tourists in groups and taking pictures from all angles. We are herded into Notre Dame with the crowds speaking all different languages and manage to grab a seat near the pulpit so we can admire the windows. Having cooled down sufficiently we tour the cathedral and head back out into the heat and to catch another bus.
We pass le Institut de France and le Musée d'Orsay before getting off the bus at le Place de la Concorde so we can walk down the Avenue des Champs-Elysées. The shops were brilliant and we popped in and out again to appreciate the air conditioning. I now feel quite weak from the heat and am grateful each time a feel a slight breeze of air. We arrived at le Arc de Triomphe and took pictures before taking our third bus pass the Trocadéro and arriving at le Tour Eiffel.
It is now 1pm and incredibly hot. We walk through the park behind the tower and stand near a sprinkler to cool down. In our search for a bench we end up sitting on newspaper on a 'bird bench' with two lovely American old dears. One said she was born in London and had that distinctive Anglo-American twang in her voice that made her sound Canadian. Her friend was all-out Ohio. We chatted for a bit and ended up travelling on the bus with them pass the Hôtel des Invalides back to Le Madeleine so we could change tour lines and take a bus up to Montmartre.
Montmartre is a bit like Tottenham - it's dirty and you can get mugged in broad daylight and no-one would bat an eyelid. However it is where le Basilique duu Sacre-Coeur is situated, as well as all the sex shops and the infamous Moulin Rouge. As we travel up the Boulevard de Clichy Reuben constantly jokes about going into a sex shop. So we get off the bus and do just that. We decide against buying any DVDs as they all only play region 2 but I was a bit tempted to get my brother a magazine entitled Down the Hatch. Giggling madly we took our last bus back to le Gard du Nord and went back to the hotel.
Its been so hot we haven't eaten all day and have just drank the equivalent of 2½ litres of water each. So we shower for the 3rd time (our 2nd being the sprinkler in the park) and attempt to find somewhere were we can eat small portions. We go to Buffalo Bill and opt for the a la carte menu of burger or buffalo wings with fries followed by crême brulée and expresso. The restaurant had air con but they didn't turn it on, typically tight of Parisians. We did have some very nice Pina Coladas even though they cost 9€ a go. Eating and drinking is turning out to be expensive in Paris. Bottled water is at least 2.50€ a time for a regular 50cl bottle.
Desperate now for some air con we wander up the street and end up in McDonalds. Sitting under the air con slurping a vanilla milkshake was the ultimate feeling. You cannot believe how nice it was. And we decided we must be pretty desperate to be in Paris and Maccy D's being the best place to go.
Monday, July 17, 2006
Bonjour Paris!
No, we didn't see the brilliant film Funny Face but have gone to Paris for the week. We decided we needed a break and ten minutes later we had a week booked up in Paris. Bizarre! So finally the day has arrived and we pack and take a taxi to Cheshunt station. From there we take a train to Liverpool St and then the Underground to Waterloo. ABBA songs aside, we catch the Eurostar at 4pm and take a direct train to Paris. This gives me a chance to try out my bad French (and even write some of my blog in the language too!).
We arrived at the Gare du Nord and were accosted by a beggar asking for money . We said we didn't have any, but then he saw us going to the Bureau de Change so we quickly ran around him when he was distratced by a group of tourists loading a taxi with their cases. We found our hotel really easily, literally just around the corner, and we checked in without any problems. The nightclerk introduced himself as Keith which we thought was rather English-sounding for a Frenchman. Its a bit like a Spaniard being called John Smith. Our room is on the 7th floor and has a lovely view of the Tour Eiffel and Le Basilique du Sacre-Coeur. The traffic however is deafening. In Paris there are no houses - everyone lives in a flat. So all the buildings are built 7-8 floors high. This makes the sounds in the street resonate up the buildings. So you can imagine how loud it is when you are situated on the main road. Nothing but police and ambulance sirens wailing through the air not to mention that Paris has possibly the world's worst drivers and they do nothing but cut each other up and sound their horns repetively.
Tired from the journey and feeling rather peckish, we leave our room and walk towards Le Gare de L'Est in search of food. We find a little Italian-style cafe and order a pizza to share. The waitress looks a bit annoyed by this and prances off into the kitchen. The couple next to us ask if we speak English. On reply, they start talking nineteen to the dozen about how they came to Paris for a long weekend and gave us tips about visiting Notre Dame and the Open Tour buses that dot the city. We thank them as they leave and we order dessert. I ask for fruit salad so the waitress yanks open the fridge door, pulls out some fruit, slams the door shut again and stalks off to the kitchen. It is mega hot in the retaurant and the ceiling fans are just circulating warm air. I think the heat is getting to her...! When it came to paying up, we put down the cash but mistook a 1 cent coin for a 1€ coin and she got really annoyed. "Fifty not five!" she yelled at us. Reuben swapped the cash over and apologised but she wasn't having any of it. Something tells me we won't ever be going back there...
Very hot and bothered now we wander back to the hotel and hope that next day we fare better.
We arrived at the Gare du Nord and were accosted by a beggar asking for money . We said we didn't have any, but then he saw us going to the Bureau de Change so we quickly ran around him when he was distratced by a group of tourists loading a taxi with their cases. We found our hotel really easily, literally just around the corner, and we checked in without any problems. The nightclerk introduced himself as Keith which we thought was rather English-sounding for a Frenchman. Its a bit like a Spaniard being called John Smith. Our room is on the 7th floor and has a lovely view of the Tour Eiffel and Le Basilique du Sacre-Coeur. The traffic however is deafening. In Paris there are no houses - everyone lives in a flat. So all the buildings are built 7-8 floors high. This makes the sounds in the street resonate up the buildings. So you can imagine how loud it is when you are situated on the main road. Nothing but police and ambulance sirens wailing through the air not to mention that Paris has possibly the world's worst drivers and they do nothing but cut each other up and sound their horns repetively.
Tired from the journey and feeling rather peckish, we leave our room and walk towards Le Gare de L'Est in search of food. We find a little Italian-style cafe and order a pizza to share. The waitress looks a bit annoyed by this and prances off into the kitchen. The couple next to us ask if we speak English. On reply, they start talking nineteen to the dozen about how they came to Paris for a long weekend and gave us tips about visiting Notre Dame and the Open Tour buses that dot the city. We thank them as they leave and we order dessert. I ask for fruit salad so the waitress yanks open the fridge door, pulls out some fruit, slams the door shut again and stalks off to the kitchen. It is mega hot in the retaurant and the ceiling fans are just circulating warm air. I think the heat is getting to her...! When it came to paying up, we put down the cash but mistook a 1 cent coin for a 1€ coin and she got really annoyed. "Fifty not five!" she yelled at us. Reuben swapped the cash over and apologised but she wasn't having any of it. Something tells me we won't ever be going back there...
Very hot and bothered now we wander back to the hotel and hope that next day we fare better.
Sunday, July 16, 2006
80th birthday
My nan turns 80 tomorrow so my uncle has organised a get-together at the Royal Chase. Reuben and I turn up and mill about waiting for everyone to arrive. I got to see all my cousins (except Hayley) whom I haven't seen in ages, plus my dad's cousin and her family, and my nan's brother and his wife, daughter and son-in-law. Then my dad's cousin's daughter turned up with her 3 girls. I just about managed to name everyone on the table!!
We sat near Chris and Cem on the near corner and had cold meats, salads and jacket potatoes passed round by waiting staff. We then had trifle for desert though it didn't have any cake at the bottom, so we debated whether it could actually be proper trifle or not... and then we had coffee and Elizabeth Shaws. I managed to knock over an entire jug of milk though it didn't drip onto anyone so that was lucky in a way! Nan's brother William, who everyone calls Jock(!) was passing around an old photo of him, my nan, and their other brother and sister, John and Nancy, both of whom have now passed. My Nan is crying in the photo so Jock says that she is always crying, and didn't he look handsome back in the day? It made us laugh a bit and he managed to make my Nan cry (with laughter) so he could prove a point. (sigh) Families, eh?
We sat near Chris and Cem on the near corner and had cold meats, salads and jacket potatoes passed round by waiting staff. We then had trifle for desert though it didn't have any cake at the bottom, so we debated whether it could actually be proper trifle or not... and then we had coffee and Elizabeth Shaws. I managed to knock over an entire jug of milk though it didn't drip onto anyone so that was lucky in a way! Nan's brother William, who everyone calls Jock(!) was passing around an old photo of him, my nan, and their other brother and sister, John and Nancy, both of whom have now passed. My Nan is crying in the photo so Jock says that she is always crying, and didn't he look handsome back in the day? It made us laugh a bit and he managed to make my Nan cry (with laughter) so he could prove a point. (sigh) Families, eh?
Saturday, July 15, 2006
Wedding No 1
Reuben and I have three weddings to attend this year (so far!) and this is the first. Alan is Reuben's mate since nursery and we have been invited to see him marry the lovely Caroline.
So early this morning we were up and dressed ready for our trip into Central London. They are getting married in St Bride's near St Paul's Cathedral and it is a really beautiful little church. We nabbed good seats at the back, facing the front, while everyone else was ferried into side-facing seats. Caroline came half an hour late (Alan sneaking peeks at his watch every ten minutes) and within the first 5 mins had the hiccups from giggling so much. The priest nipped round the back to give her a glass of water! Hymns were mumbled by the congregation, although since everyone knows the words to Jerusalem so this was belted out with much aplomb at the end. During the signing of the register, the St Bride's choir sang Cole Porter's You're The Top and Let's Do It (Lets Fall In Love) which I thought it was kinda cool...!!
We met up with Reuben's other mate from nursery, Sai-Hong and his wife and son, Deanna and James. We walked slowly and, in my case, painfully through the heat to the reception venue 10 mins away. It's about 28C today and my 3inch heels are not helping matters. One very sensible woman was carrying a posh pair of teal sandals with skyscraper heels and wearing an old pair of flip-flops during the walk to the venue. I wish I was so smart... By the time it came to photos though my shoes were also being held! I can only suffer so much for my art...!!!
During dinner, Reuben could no longer contain himself and starting mucking about, rubbing his nose and balancing a spoon on it. This gave the man next to him an opening and he grabbed two spoons and put them in his eyes. Suddenly, all the blokes on the table are playing spoons, putting the decorative feathers in their hair, and taking lots of silly pictures with the disposable cameras on the table. Deanna was pissing herself with laughter but I was just embarrassed. Reuben always has to start these things... Speeches followed and the best man told a rather amusing anecdote about how he and Alan pretended to be his boss and his superior at a wine-tasting event, even though neither of them know anything about wine. Their comments evenutally became ridiculously stupid (e.g. wine no 122 - disturbing lack of vanilla) and were sent by email to their boss' email before the end of the night...!
Tables were cleared and the DJ came on and proceeded to chase everyone away from the dance floor by playing Ruby Tuesday and Everybody Changes. With no proper dance tunes being played, we decided now was the time to leave and, saying goodbye to Alan and Caroline, we walked/hobbled back to the car.
So early this morning we were up and dressed ready for our trip into Central London. They are getting married in St Bride's near St Paul's Cathedral and it is a really beautiful little church. We nabbed good seats at the back, facing the front, while everyone else was ferried into side-facing seats. Caroline came half an hour late (Alan sneaking peeks at his watch every ten minutes) and within the first 5 mins had the hiccups from giggling so much. The priest nipped round the back to give her a glass of water! Hymns were mumbled by the congregation, although since everyone knows the words to Jerusalem so this was belted out with much aplomb at the end. During the signing of the register, the St Bride's choir sang Cole Porter's You're The Top and Let's Do It (Lets Fall In Love) which I thought it was kinda cool...!!
We met up with Reuben's other mate from nursery, Sai-Hong and his wife and son, Deanna and James. We walked slowly and, in my case, painfully through the heat to the reception venue 10 mins away. It's about 28C today and my 3inch heels are not helping matters. One very sensible woman was carrying a posh pair of teal sandals with skyscraper heels and wearing an old pair of flip-flops during the walk to the venue. I wish I was so smart... By the time it came to photos though my shoes were also being held! I can only suffer so much for my art...!!!
During dinner, Reuben could no longer contain himself and starting mucking about, rubbing his nose and balancing a spoon on it. This gave the man next to him an opening and he grabbed two spoons and put them in his eyes. Suddenly, all the blokes on the table are playing spoons, putting the decorative feathers in their hair, and taking lots of silly pictures with the disposable cameras on the table. Deanna was pissing herself with laughter but I was just embarrassed. Reuben always has to start these things... Speeches followed and the best man told a rather amusing anecdote about how he and Alan pretended to be his boss and his superior at a wine-tasting event, even though neither of them know anything about wine. Their comments evenutally became ridiculously stupid (e.g. wine no 122 - disturbing lack of vanilla) and were sent by email to their boss' email before the end of the night...!
Tables were cleared and the DJ came on and proceeded to chase everyone away from the dance floor by playing Ruby Tuesday and Everybody Changes. With no proper dance tunes being played, we decided now was the time to leave and, saying goodbye to Alan and Caroline, we walked/hobbled back to the car.
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Italy 2006
When you are France’s star player and it is your last night as captain and as an international footballer, with millions of people across the world watching, what do you do? Well, if you happen to be Zinedine Zidane, you head-butt a member of the opposing footy team and get a red card for your idiocy. Well at least he won’t be forgotten.
Funnily enough, without their star player on hand and with Thierry Henry taken off for a substitution, France lost. Italy scored 5 spot-kick penalties after extra time and won the Jules Rimet. Bella! Italy are the 4th time winners of the World Cup. See ya in South Africa in 2010.
Funnily enough, without their star player on hand and with Thierry Henry taken off for a substitution, France lost. Italy scored 5 spot-kick penalties after extra time and won the Jules Rimet. Bella! Italy are the 4th time winners of the World Cup. See ya in South Africa in 2010.
Saturday, July 08, 2006
The Taverna
A lot of money has exchanged hands this weekend and it turns out I owe Reuben about £30 so I offer to treat him to dinner. We decide to go to The Taverna in Waltham Abbey. It has great reviews and is supposed to serve very good Greek food. So we leave home in good time and arrive about 7pm and book a table for 7.30pm. We hang about in the pub opposite watching the Doctor Who series 2 finale in ‘mute’. Finally we head back and wait in the bar to be seated. We see a long table with ‘L’ plate balloons and Reuben says, “Oh look! There must be a hen night here tonight.”
We get seated and order. A large party of girls come in wearing silly hats, over-large sunglasses, and one in a veil. This must be the hen party… although they sat at another table.
And then another group of girls came in wearing cat masks and devil horns. They sat behind us.
And then another group, this time wearing bunny ears and placards saying ‘chicks’ and ‘cocks’ (depending on which side of the family they were on, I guess).
And that was our night. Streams of women just poured into the place, each having their own hen night. And Reuben and I sat there on a little table for two in the middle of all this, trying to have a nice night out and surrounded by very drunk and giggly girls. The group behind me had sparkler fireworks in their cocktails which worried me a little.
And it put us off our food a bit. Reuben said he felt a bit intimidated and I said that I did too! The waiter could have at least warned us when we booked the table that it appeared to be hen night for half the women in Waltham Abbey.
We get seated and order. A large party of girls come in wearing silly hats, over-large sunglasses, and one in a veil. This must be the hen party… although they sat at another table.
And then another group of girls came in wearing cat masks and devil horns. They sat behind us.
And then another group, this time wearing bunny ears and placards saying ‘chicks’ and ‘cocks’ (depending on which side of the family they were on, I guess).
And that was our night. Streams of women just poured into the place, each having their own hen night. And Reuben and I sat there on a little table for two in the middle of all this, trying to have a nice night out and surrounded by very drunk and giggly girls. The group behind me had sparkler fireworks in their cocktails which worried me a little.
And it put us off our food a bit. Reuben said he felt a bit intimidated and I said that I did too! The waiter could have at least warned us when we booked the table that it appeared to be hen night for half the women in Waltham Abbey.
Saturday, July 01, 2006
England bite the dust (again!)
Yeah, my bad. I haven't written for ages!!! Last week at work was pretty slow so I started writing up all the missing bits of life story that I would have normally blogged about, and then sent it to my home email so I could post it. No email has arrived. The new system at work must have blocked it.
So all my footy anecdotes are for naught. Just five words: England never won on penalties.
So all my footy anecdotes are for naught. Just five words: England never won on penalties.
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Free lesson (9.30-11am)
I'm taking some time out at uni... or college. Whatever. I'm a CONEL student which is college but I study at Middx Uni so go figure. It's one of them. Any case, I got a free lesson because I did my assignment at home instead of in class. No way was I handing in a piece of handwritten work. Everything is word processed. The lecturer said presentation wasn't part of the assessment criteria and as long as she could read it, she wasn't bothered. But I am. So I get a free lesson. And I spend it playing on the Internet and writing my blog. I would spend it studying but the library has a weird layout and I've gotten lost twice this morning. And then I tried to start typing up my last piece of work but I can't figure out the print system. I think I have to assign my work to a printer, then go to the print release computer next to the printer and release the page so it prints. Oh, and I have to buy credits at 50p a page. Not really worth it. I'm sure it was something like 10p or 20p at UKC. Has inflation gone up that much in nine years?
I should stop rambling and get to my next class...
I should stop rambling and get to my next class...
Monday, May 01, 2006
Descending the slippery slope...
It's my birthday. Yet another year has passed but no wrinkles have appeared as yet, so it's still good! But having reached my late 20's, I think I've had a good life so far. I mean, I've gone through education, moved out, found a gorgeous and wonderful man... My life is good.
I did get some birthday cards today which was nice. I secretly think some people forgot simply because I didn't organise a get-together like I usually do. But then I thought that people won't make the effort to come visit me and expect me to go into Central London to meet them, so I didn't try organise anything. What's the point? Too much time and effort is wasted and I'd rather spend it with people who appreciate me.
So I end up at Dad's. Which was weird really because it's the last place I expected to end up. But I was invited so I accepted. It was nice to chat to everyone and I showed off my holiday snaps while Anna and Rosemary showed us theirs from the Collectormania weekend in Milton Keynes.
It was a nice day. No rushing around. Just taking it easy. And that's all I want from life.
I did get some birthday cards today which was nice. I secretly think some people forgot simply because I didn't organise a get-together like I usually do. But then I thought that people won't make the effort to come visit me and expect me to go into Central London to meet them, so I didn't try organise anything. What's the point? Too much time and effort is wasted and I'd rather spend it with people who appreciate me.
So I end up at Dad's. Which was weird really because it's the last place I expected to end up. But I was invited so I accepted. It was nice to chat to everyone and I showed off my holiday snaps while Anna and Rosemary showed us theirs from the Collectormania weekend in Milton Keynes.
It was a nice day. No rushing around. Just taking it easy. And that's all I want from life.
Saturday, April 22, 2006
Day 8 - San Jose to Los Angeles (to London)
So we're in San Jose and in a gorgeous hotel conveniently near the airport. Unfortunately, I threw up at 1am this morning. A week of junk food and a day of wine two days previously have not helped matters. I have a good diet at home and my body has rebelled against my not drinking water, OJ, and six portions of fruit aand veg a day. It sucks. I'm sick and this is probably the best place we've stayed in all week and would have been the best brekkie ever! I order Jenny to go and have breakfast while I have a nap, but she traipsed back 5mins later saying it wasn't the same... but she could have made her own waffles.
I am in no condition to fly but fly I must, and I take my bag to the car looking like death warmed up. We drop off the rental car at the airport and sit in the waiting area for ages doing crossword puzzles as we have arrived mega early. We board a place and an hour 15 mins later, we're in LAX. We trek in the Los Angeles heat from T4 to T2 with our heavy bags and heavy wine carriers. This is not improving my condition...
Liz picked up Jenny and we bade farewell. I check in my bags and wait...
I board the plane, grab an aisle seat, and sleep. And sleep. Dinner arrived and I ate the salad, sesame crackers, and Oreo cheesecake before... yep, sleeping! I wake up for breakfast and skip the egg and cheese roll, just drinking the OJ and picking at the fruit salad. As we land, I feel a little nauseous but remain okay! My bag came out relatively quickly and I skipped customs, rushing out to meet Reuben. Who I missed a lot while I was away!! But I am still tired, drained from being ill, and very jet-lagged. I desperately try to stay awake until 9pm and watch some highlights of the San Marino Grand Prix, which Michael Schumacher won, so it hasn't been the best of days!
TOTAL MILES (to the airport): 1.52
TOTAL MILES OVERALL: 506.08
I am in no condition to fly but fly I must, and I take my bag to the car looking like death warmed up. We drop off the rental car at the airport and sit in the waiting area for ages doing crossword puzzles as we have arrived mega early. We board a place and an hour 15 mins later, we're in LAX. We trek in the Los Angeles heat from T4 to T2 with our heavy bags and heavy wine carriers. This is not improving my condition...
Liz picked up Jenny and we bade farewell. I check in my bags and wait...
I board the plane, grab an aisle seat, and sleep. And sleep. Dinner arrived and I ate the salad, sesame crackers, and Oreo cheesecake before... yep, sleeping! I wake up for breakfast and skip the egg and cheese roll, just drinking the OJ and picking at the fruit salad. As we land, I feel a little nauseous but remain okay! My bag came out relatively quickly and I skipped customs, rushing out to meet Reuben. Who I missed a lot while I was away!! But I am still tired, drained from being ill, and very jet-lagged. I desperately try to stay awake until 9pm and watch some highlights of the San Marino Grand Prix, which Michael Schumacher won, so it hasn't been the best of days!
TOTAL MILES (to the airport): 1.52
TOTAL MILES OVERALL: 506.08
Friday, April 21, 2006
Day 7 - San Francisco to San Jose
We are up early but not early enough - breakfast finished 5 mins before we reached the reception to ask if breakfast was complimentary!! We check out anyway and walk to Ghiradelli Square.
It was all still opening when we arrived and a man with earphones was blasting the street dirt away with a power hose. Avoiding the water as much as possible, we buy chocolate from the Ghiradelli Chocolate Shop and head to the trolley car so we don't have to climb the very big hills back to the car! We do have to go down a couple of steep hills though, making us think of John Cleese's Ministry of Silly Walks. I decide against risking breaking my neck by goose-stepping down the hill Back in the car, we find the Cliff House easily and wait there for Joe and Jean... and eight other people! We have lunch and a good natter before finally making our way into San Jose to visit the Winchester Mystery House.
Mrs Winchester's husband and daughter both died before she was 40 and, being a spiritual woman, believed they had been taken by the spirits of those killed by the Winchester rifles. To appease (or confuse!) these spirits, she moved into an 8-bedroom house and, over 38 years of 24/7 construction and building work, turned it into a 6-acre 160 roomed house. Work only stopped after 38 years because she popped her clogs. The house includes a door to nowhere (open the door and drop 12 feet to the outside ground), a cupboard that opens into a wall, and a staircase that goes up to the ceiling... She was mad. Evidently. Jenny and I said in every room, "This woman is mad/ bonkers/ weird..." and other variations of 'whacked-out pyscho'. Melissa would have loved it.
TOTAL MILES: 48.66
It was all still opening when we arrived and a man with earphones was blasting the street dirt away with a power hose. Avoiding the water as much as possible, we buy chocolate from the Ghiradelli Chocolate Shop and head to the trolley car so we don't have to climb the very big hills back to the car! We do have to go down a couple of steep hills though, making us think of John Cleese's Ministry of Silly Walks. I decide against risking breaking my neck by goose-stepping down the hill Back in the car, we find the Cliff House easily and wait there for Joe and Jean... and eight other people! We have lunch and a good natter before finally making our way into San Jose to visit the Winchester Mystery House.
Mrs Winchester's husband and daughter both died before she was 40 and, being a spiritual woman, believed they had been taken by the spirits of those killed by the Winchester rifles. To appease (or confuse!) these spirits, she moved into an 8-bedroom house and, over 38 years of 24/7 construction and building work, turned it into a 6-acre 160 roomed house. Work only stopped after 38 years because she popped her clogs. The house includes a door to nowhere (open the door and drop 12 feet to the outside ground), a cupboard that opens into a wall, and a staircase that goes up to the ceiling... She was mad. Evidently. Jenny and I said in every room, "This woman is mad/ bonkers/ weird..." and other variations of 'whacked-out pyscho'. Melissa would have loved it.
TOTAL MILES: 48.66
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Day 6 - Napa to San Francisco
San Francisco again! After leaving Napa and sorting a lengthy mix-up with the motel room being upgraded but not being told it would cost more, we finally buy stamps for Melissa's postcards and drive to San Francisco around the San Pablo Bay so we arrive via the Golden Gate Bridge. We head up into the hills just before going over the bridge so we can take lots of photos and we look around the old fort built up there.
Back in the car, we head over the Golden Gate Bridge, find Fisherman's Wharf and park up so we can have a good wander, but not before we have driven down the Crookedest Street in the World - Lombard Street, made famous in films like Herbie and Bullet. I taped some of the descent on my camera and it was so cool!!
Anyway, we walked along Fisherman's Wharf and hopped into the Boudin Sourdough factory where we could watch the bread being made and taste the different varieties. Afterwards, I bought some souvenir T-shirts and we wandered up Pier 39, looking at all the tacky stuff and trying on silly hats in a hat shop! We then did a whistle-stop tour of the city on an open-top tour bus, passing the Civic Centre, Union Square, the financial district, and the Crookedest Street from a distance! We also saw Chinatown but we missed seeingf Ghiradelli Square, so we make it our priority to do that tomorrow!
TOTAL MILES: 52.33
Back in the car, we head over the Golden Gate Bridge, find Fisherman's Wharf and park up so we can have a good wander, but not before we have driven down the Crookedest Street in the World - Lombard Street, made famous in films like Herbie and Bullet. I taped some of the descent on my camera and it was so cool!!
Anyway, we walked along Fisherman's Wharf and hopped into the Boudin Sourdough factory where we could watch the bread being made and taste the different varieties. Afterwards, I bought some souvenir T-shirts and we wandered up Pier 39, looking at all the tacky stuff and trying on silly hats in a hat shop! We then did a whistle-stop tour of the city on an open-top tour bus, passing the Civic Centre, Union Square, the financial district, and the Crookedest Street from a distance! We also saw Chinatown but we missed seeingf Ghiradelli Square, so we make it our priority to do that tomorrow!
TOTAL MILES: 52.33
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Day 5 - Wine tasting in Napa
We are in Napa so the only thing we can do is... wine tasting!! We picked up a flyer that has free or complimentary tasting 'flights' and circled all of them on the map. There are literally 100 wineries and vineyards all along Napa, St Helens, Yountville and Calistoga, so we were picking and choosing!
First stop was a chocolate shop, Annette's, where Jenny purchases a box of chocolates and a bottle of port chocolate sauce, which was a little strong for my liking. We then head into the Valley.
We went to five where we got free tastings, one of which we bought bottles of gorgeously-sweet wine and some equally gorgeous-tasting cheese! We then went to the Frank Family winery where I announced I had had enough wine for one day. It was hot, I hadn't eaten properly, and I'm downing all kinds of wine without any water inbetween! Jenny bought bottles here too, before we headed to Sterling, our last stop for the day. We took the cable car up the hillside to the winery at the top. We did the short walking tour of the winery, looking at the presses and barrels, before our last tasting of the day. I purchased wine here too because it was too scrumptious and I want Napa Valley wine in the my cupboard!!
In the afternoon, searching for a light snack in Calistoga, Jenny dropped in on a family friend who offered us use of her house until she had finished work. So we had a Napa Salad to share and went to the house, just a short drive away from Calistoga and the Petrified Forest. The house was cool as were Joe and Jean. They offered us dinner and we shared the chocolates bought this morning. Jenny took advantage of the port on offer while Joe and I had some Jim Beam and Glenfiddich! :) We arranged to meet again in San Francisco for lunch before departing... and I feel a little bit sick from all the alcohol consumption!
First stop was a chocolate shop, Annette's, where Jenny purchases a box of chocolates and a bottle of port chocolate sauce, which was a little strong for my liking. We then head into the Valley.
We went to five where we got free tastings, one of which we bought bottles of gorgeously-sweet wine and some equally gorgeous-tasting cheese! We then went to the Frank Family winery where I announced I had had enough wine for one day. It was hot, I hadn't eaten properly, and I'm downing all kinds of wine without any water inbetween! Jenny bought bottles here too, before we headed to Sterling, our last stop for the day. We took the cable car up the hillside to the winery at the top. We did the short walking tour of the winery, looking at the presses and barrels, before our last tasting of the day. I purchased wine here too because it was too scrumptious and I want Napa Valley wine in the my cupboard!!
In the afternoon, searching for a light snack in Calistoga, Jenny dropped in on a family friend who offered us use of her house until she had finished work. So we had a Napa Salad to share and went to the house, just a short drive away from Calistoga and the Petrified Forest. The house was cool as were Joe and Jean. They offered us dinner and we shared the chocolates bought this morning. Jenny took advantage of the port on offer while Joe and I had some Jim Beam and Glenfiddich! :) We arranged to meet again in San Francisco for lunch before departing... and I feel a little bit sick from all the alcohol consumption!
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Day 4 - San Simeon to Napa
We drove from San Simeon up towards Vallejo, past Berkeley and into Napa Valley... or so we thought. The 80 veered left and suddenly we're on a bridge.
Clare: "I thought we were gonna hit the bridge a bit later."
Jenny: "If you look to the left you should be able to see the Golden Gate Bridge."
Clare: "I can't see anything on your left!"
Jenny: "Oh look! There it is on the right!"
Clare: "But... if it's on the right, that means..."
I look up from my map and see tower blocks coming into view.
Clare: "We're on the Bay Bridge heading into San Francisco!"
Jenny: "...Fancy lunch?"
So we have lunch in San Francisco. Which has nothing to do with my map reading skills. Neither of us saw the 80 offering a right-turn away from San Francisco and into the direction we wanted to go. We reckon its a conspiracy to make people go to San Francisco and pay the Bay Bridge toll.
After lunch we head to Walgreens as my watch battery has ticked its last tock. The shopkeeper validates our parking ticket and we purchase a cheap purple watch (which incidently glows in the dark) and hair dye!!
Back in the car, we successfully navigate our way to Napa Valley and check into the motel. We then search the brochures and find a cool French cafe by the riverside called Angelos. I order a bottle of water which bills as $7. I am horrified when Jenny tells me this. However, there's still a long way to go before I catch up with her $130 mistake. :) The food was gorgeous though, and we had soup and salad, a cheese 'platter' to share (it could hardly be called a platter when there was only four bitesized portions of cheese, some honey and a thin slice of apple) and fruity cocktails.
Our wallets worse for wear, we head back to the motel and dye our hair. I dye Jenny's hair a shocking red, which is actually only a bit shocking where her former highlights have soaked up the dye. I then dye my own hair blonder so it looks sunkissed for a while when I'm back at work. However, there was somoe bad news - Jenny's hair dye turned the white towel pink. And the colour stain refused to come out. We hid it among other white towels and hope we don't get billed for it!
TOTAL MILES (including the San Francisco detour): 259.83
Clare: "I thought we were gonna hit the bridge a bit later."
Jenny: "If you look to the left you should be able to see the Golden Gate Bridge."
Clare: "I can't see anything on your left!"
Jenny: "Oh look! There it is on the right!"
Clare: "But... if it's on the right, that means..."
I look up from my map and see tower blocks coming into view.
Clare: "We're on the Bay Bridge heading into San Francisco!"
Jenny: "...Fancy lunch?"
So we have lunch in San Francisco. Which has nothing to do with my map reading skills. Neither of us saw the 80 offering a right-turn away from San Francisco and into the direction we wanted to go. We reckon its a conspiracy to make people go to San Francisco and pay the Bay Bridge toll.
After lunch we head to Walgreens as my watch battery has ticked its last tock. The shopkeeper validates our parking ticket and we purchase a cheap purple watch (which incidently glows in the dark) and hair dye!!
Back in the car, we successfully navigate our way to Napa Valley and check into the motel. We then search the brochures and find a cool French cafe by the riverside called Angelos. I order a bottle of water which bills as $7. I am horrified when Jenny tells me this. However, there's still a long way to go before I catch up with her $130 mistake. :) The food was gorgeous though, and we had soup and salad, a cheese 'platter' to share (it could hardly be called a platter when there was only four bitesized portions of cheese, some honey and a thin slice of apple) and fruity cocktails.
Our wallets worse for wear, we head back to the motel and dye our hair. I dye Jenny's hair a shocking red, which is actually only a bit shocking where her former highlights have soaked up the dye. I then dye my own hair blonder so it looks sunkissed for a while when I'm back at work. However, there was somoe bad news - Jenny's hair dye turned the white towel pink. And the colour stain refused to come out. We hid it among other white towels and hope we don't get billed for it!
TOTAL MILES (including the San Francisco detour): 259.83
Monday, April 17, 2006
Day 3 - Hearst Castle
The reason we are staying in San Simeon - Hearst Castle! Though its strictly not a castle, but a large mansion on the hilltop of the Santa Lucia Mountains. Its name is Casa Grande and is full of Spanish and Italian antiques and art. Its a 5-mile bus ride up to the top and has some really great views over the Pacific Ocean. Though we booked for 10am, we got an earlier tour at 8:45am and even that group was only half the usual amount! We got a tour that showed some of the rooms and the main gardens, but apparently there are also night tours which show a bit more of the house. It was freezing nonetheless. I think its warmer in England right now...!
After the castle we still had most of the day to kill so we headed into Cambria, a small town down the road from San Simeon. We decide on the spur of the moment to get pedicures, but the one place in town was closed due to a family emergency. Slightly put down, we then decide to purchase nail stuff and colour our hair. In both drug stores, we find only four hair colourants and its a permanent dye. But we do find funky nail polish!
We stop for lunch and I have the largest Caesar salad known to mankind. It came in a mixing bowl! And Jenny had equally large onion rings with her lunch, so big they looked as if they had been made around a drinking mug!
We head back to the motel to do our nails. Half a bottle of cheap wine and an episode of Prison Break later, I have a full set of green toenails out of a bottle called Kermit. Yep, Kermit green toes. Nice! It was very thin polish though and took three coats before it was noticeable. I couldn't be bothered with any more coats of polish and just lay there, chilled out.
Late evening we felt peckish and stopped at a seafood restuarant, the Mantra Ray, where I had the nicest piece of salmon ever! We tried to watch the sunset but it was way too cold and we killed the rest of the evening by starting a comic strip of our 'adventures' for Melissa. Jenny has the job of inking them and scanning them to the travel blog!
After the castle we still had most of the day to kill so we headed into Cambria, a small town down the road from San Simeon. We decide on the spur of the moment to get pedicures, but the one place in town was closed due to a family emergency. Slightly put down, we then decide to purchase nail stuff and colour our hair. In both drug stores, we find only four hair colourants and its a permanent dye. But we do find funky nail polish!
We stop for lunch and I have the largest Caesar salad known to mankind. It came in a mixing bowl! And Jenny had equally large onion rings with her lunch, so big they looked as if they had been made around a drinking mug!
We head back to the motel to do our nails. Half a bottle of cheap wine and an episode of Prison Break later, I have a full set of green toenails out of a bottle called Kermit. Yep, Kermit green toes. Nice! It was very thin polish though and took three coats before it was noticeable. I couldn't be bothered with any more coats of polish and just lay there, chilled out.
Late evening we felt peckish and stopped at a seafood restuarant, the Mantra Ray, where I had the nicest piece of salmon ever! We tried to watch the sunset but it was way too cold and we killed the rest of the evening by starting a comic strip of our 'adventures' for Melissa. Jenny has the job of inking them and scanning them to the travel blog!
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