Got back from a splendid holiday in Greece on Sunday afternoon, it was my first time there so we dashed around a few places, in the end it felt like we'd been away for a month. It was a lot of fun:
Friday 31/08:
Arrived late in Athens in 40 degrees of heat, nice view of the Acropolis from the hotel, just had time left for dinner before bedtime. The first of many Greek salads and Mythos beers were consumed that night amongst lots of fine Greek food and drinks.
Saturday 01/09:
Rental Car arrives, we set off to on our travels. Driving accross Evia we saw plenty of scorched landscape around Aleveri, that must have been horrendous. The burning smell was still in the air. Spent the night in Kimi by the port. For dinner we got Greek salad, Fish with potatoes and white wine, because that's all they had, there was no menu. Quaint.
Sunday 02:
Took the ferry to Skyros. The hotel is on the beach but most of the bars and restaurants are in the village - a 20 minute walk up a steep hill, very steep.
Mon 03 to Wed 05:
Lay on the beach, wandered up to the village for dinner, I didn't want to leave but
we'd already made arrangements
Thu 06:
8am ferry back to Kimi and set off back accross Evia, arrived at Delphi early in the afternoon. We explored Appollo's Sanctuary, where the oracles worked, the theatre, stadium and the gymnasium where they trained for the games. They had games there every two years in old days.
Fri 07:
Set off for Nafplio, this little coastal town was the original Greek capital city. Still going well, full of tourists, even the Athenians like to get down there for the weekend.
Sat 08:
Visited Epidavros which was a centre for medicine in the good old days, Hippocrates wrote his oath there. Then we had a wander around Mycenae (Mykines). Maybe that was the other way round...
Sun 09:
Depart for Monemvasia. Not far from Nafplio we looked back and saw a huge column of black smoke about 20km south of the town, later we saw the flames too, it must have been huge. Monemvasia is built on a huge rock off the south east coast, a natural fortress. We stayed in a hotel that used to be a monastery, the whole town is a world heritage site.
Mon 10 - Wed 12:
Hanging around Monemvasia and the nearby beach
Thu 13:
Long drive back to Athens, stopping at Corinth on the way to check out the famous canal.
Fri 14 - Sun 16:
Explored the Acropolis and a few other bits around the city including the stadium they re-built for the first modern Olypmics in 1896. We'd booked a photo tour - a professional photographer took us to a few places to get some good views and pictures. Worked out well.
It's fun driving, the cities are total chaos but that means you can go the wrong way up a one-way street and park wherever you like. Outside the cities the roads are quite decent after years of EU investment, look out for the goats though.
Generally the countryside is used as a bin, when we stopped to look at the fire in the distance, a fella pulled up next to us, got out of his car and threw an empty plastic bottle down the hill. It would actually be easier to keep driving and put the bottle in the bin at home, he didn't seem to see it that way. Despite that there is some fairly spectacular scenery in the Pelopnnese.
Goodnight,
JJ
Monday, 17 September 2007
Monday, 10 September 2007
Hang On
I'm on holiday in Greece, I'll tell you about it when I get back next week. No need to comment about all year/all over tan etc. I get those comments every time I go on holiday and I can't be arsed to reply anymore.
Oh yes, now that I've had time to relax think about it I withdraw my comments about not being a git anymore. So nuts to the lot of you, stop reading my blog, go on bugger off! yeh and thanks for the f&^*ing support.
JJ
Oh yes, now that I've had time to relax think about it I withdraw my comments about not being a git anymore. So nuts to the lot of you, stop reading my blog, go on bugger off! yeh and thanks for the f&^*ing support.
JJ
Thursday, 30 August 2007
Afore ye go!
It's the Bell's whisky slogan (vile stuff).
Writing and reading lists is one of the staples of the good blogger, one of the other's is writing your blog when you should be working, which I never do and I don't recommend or condone such nefarious activity. Bloody phone's ringing again, sod it they can leave a message if its important.
So here's my list of twenty things to do before I die. I was going to write a hundred but not only am I too lazy to do a hundred things I'm too idle to write a list that long. Actually, I think of these lists like those "To Do" lists at work or the "Tasks" in Outlook, I spend all day editing the lists and never actually do any of the things on them.
1. Mud-wrestling with Kylie Minogue (see previous post), but instead of cold mud it'll be warm tapioca because there's no other human use for tapioca. You certainly shouldn't be eating the foul stuff
2. Turn into a Dolphin. I once did this in a dream, it's quite painful until you get into the water but then the water feels really nice against Dolphin skin and it doesn't wrinkle even if you stay in water for ages. I wish I'd dreamed about being a shark, maybe I will one day.
3. Get a brand new Mercedes for free. My Loving Employer is taking care of this even now.
4. Win the US Open (Golf). Granted this is unlikely but I've started having lessons and I own a real golf ball. Just need a club and bag and I'm on my way but I can't decide which colour club to get. Silver ones look nice but orange is a warmer colour, I like orange. I might get a hat too.
5. Win the lottery. Only snag-ette is I've never actually bought a ticket (in Belgium anyway). I'm waiting for a sign. An astrologer once told me I had a good chance of winning. She also told me I'd be married before the age of thirty five, she didn't tell me I'd get divorced before the age of thirty five though, bitch, that could've saved me a few quid.
6. Become an MEP. David Cameron sent me some stuff to read, I'll get round to it one day. But the way Chimpy Dave is going it looks like he might become an MEP before I do.
7. Learn French. To speak, read and write it too. Despite all my fancy pants and plans to bake bread at home I am officially illiterate in Belgium. It came as something of a shock when I realised that. What really hurts is I can't even say "thick bastard" in French (or Flemmish) and that's completely undermining my self-deprecating British sense of homous.
8. Stop being a git. This is really difficult, I've always wanted to be an old git, even before Harry Enfield's Old Gits. I practice quite a lot (being a git), girlfriend doesn't appreciate it much but the thing with relationships is; if the person your with now is less of a git than the last person you were with, then you're happy. I really need to stop being a git.
9. something about recycling or doing volunteer work in Africa etc.
errrm, I can't be bothered anymore. Oh here's one for you, you can write a list of "shit posts that don't do what they say they'll do" and you can put this one on it. You'll notice I haven't tagged anyone with this list so please don't tag me with your Shit List.
Thanks heaps, I'm off to plan my re-incarnation now so cheeriebye!
JJ
Writing and reading lists is one of the staples of the good blogger, one of the other's is writing your blog when you should be working, which I never do and I don't recommend or condone such nefarious activity. Bloody phone's ringing again, sod it they can leave a message if its important.
So here's my list of twenty things to do before I die. I was going to write a hundred but not only am I too lazy to do a hundred things I'm too idle to write a list that long. Actually, I think of these lists like those "To Do" lists at work or the "Tasks" in Outlook, I spend all day editing the lists and never actually do any of the things on them.
1. Mud-wrestling with Kylie Minogue (see previous post), but instead of cold mud it'll be warm tapioca because there's no other human use for tapioca. You certainly shouldn't be eating the foul stuff
2. Turn into a Dolphin. I once did this in a dream, it's quite painful until you get into the water but then the water feels really nice against Dolphin skin and it doesn't wrinkle even if you stay in water for ages. I wish I'd dreamed about being a shark, maybe I will one day.
3. Get a brand new Mercedes for free. My Loving Employer is taking care of this even now.
4. Win the US Open (Golf). Granted this is unlikely but I've started having lessons and I own a real golf ball. Just need a club and bag and I'm on my way but I can't decide which colour club to get. Silver ones look nice but orange is a warmer colour, I like orange. I might get a hat too.
5. Win the lottery. Only snag-ette is I've never actually bought a ticket (in Belgium anyway). I'm waiting for a sign. An astrologer once told me I had a good chance of winning. She also told me I'd be married before the age of thirty five, she didn't tell me I'd get divorced before the age of thirty five though, bitch, that could've saved me a few quid.
6. Become an MEP. David Cameron sent me some stuff to read, I'll get round to it one day. But the way Chimpy Dave is going it looks like he might become an MEP before I do.
7. Learn French. To speak, read and write it too. Despite all my fancy pants and plans to bake bread at home I am officially illiterate in Belgium. It came as something of a shock when I realised that. What really hurts is I can't even say "thick bastard" in French (or Flemmish) and that's completely undermining my self-deprecating British sense of homous.
8. Stop being a git. This is really difficult, I've always wanted to be an old git, even before Harry Enfield's Old Gits. I practice quite a lot (being a git), girlfriend doesn't appreciate it much but the thing with relationships is; if the person your with now is less of a git than the last person you were with, then you're happy. I really need to stop being a git.
9. something about recycling or doing volunteer work in Africa etc.
errrm, I can't be bothered anymore. Oh here's one for you, you can write a list of "shit posts that don't do what they say they'll do" and you can put this one on it. You'll notice I haven't tagged anyone with this list so please don't tag me with your Shit List.
Thanks heaps, I'm off to plan my re-incarnation now so cheeriebye!
JJ
Thursday, 23 August 2007
Naval Territory
I was explaining the term "Naval Gazing" to some Germans after our weakly badminton session, it came up because one of the group works in parliament and is taking a week off to study. It occurred to me that someone stated "Naval Gazing" as their occupation in their blog profile. Could be Zoe, I think that's her style. Anyway, that lead me think I haven't blogged for a few days so here's some stuff I've thunk about:
This was told to me by more than one person in Denmark so I'm assuming it's true. The annual Father Christmas convention happens in the last week of July every year in Copenhagen, two years ago the Finns were ostracised for claiming that Santa comes from Rovaniemi in Finnish Lapland. The Finns have their own Father Christmas convention now, they won't be allowed back into the global one until they renounce their belief. I'm with the others, I don't think big fat jovial people in red costumes would come from Finland, frankly I don't think they'd go there either, costumed or otherwise.
---------------------------------
According to the opening web-site template provided by Apple "HTML... is what webmasters and designers use", "To create an HTML web page in Microsoft Word, all you have to do is choose Save as HTML".
Is anyone fooled by this? Do you really think you can create your own version of "You Tube" in Microsoft Word just by clicking "Save as HTML"? If you're even thinking about trying it, you are a seriously deluded individual. This is the equivalent of saying you can start your own country by declaring your back-yard to be independent territory. Make sure you've paid off your mortgage but that's going to be the least of your problems.
On the other hand this is aimed at Mac users so let me just explain - the first paragraph is real, the second paragraph IS A JOKE. DO NOT try to start your own country, there are enough people laughing at you already you don't need any more.
---------------------------------
I saw a "report" on CNN about dangerous Chinese exports. After the usual numbers; the US imports $230 million more than they export to China, they told us about Thomas the Tank Engine toys containing Lead Paint. An interview with a "Toy Industry Expert" confirmed it but then he said it's just a few bad apples etc.
What the hell is "a toy industry expert"? who does he work for? 80% of the WORLDS toys are made in China, if one has a problem does that make Chinese standards worse than US, UK or anywhere else. Seems to me they have a pretty good average overall. So is this story just a bunch of hokum made up by CNN? Of course it is. Is this going to stop Chinese imports and bring thousands of jobs back to America? Dream on, it's filthy propagandy by the fat cats who have outsourced manufacturing so when Americans complain about job losses they can blame the Chinese.
---------------------------------
I've been getting a lot of email lately about buying cheap drugs over the Internet, it's seems to go in phases. Is there really anyone dumb enough to believe that "no need to have a doctor recommendation" is a good thing? I can only think they keep sending this out because there must be some people responding to it, incredible, here's the whole thing:
Enjoy the Security, Competence Low-Priced Prices and Excellence Benefit mainly trusted On-Line Canadian Drug Store.
We take over 2000 Trade Name and General medicines. We are the major web-based drugstore in Canada we are able purchase at the low probable prices. We then hand our investments onto you.
No need to have a doctor recommendation to request from our company.
We can even set you up on express re-buy so you don't have to be anxious about running out of your medical treatment.
For great saving check us out: www.{deleted by JJ for your protection}.org
Hmmmm... Canadian? I think not, these people are barely literate you'd have to be mad to buy anything from these clowns. Mad, mad, barmy, doolally, dippy, probably loopy and a tad fruity if not completely stark staring bonkers altogether. (Who say's English isn't a rich and colourful language, I think it's fucking maarvellous!)
---------------------------------
Finally (about bloody time), I might have mentioned this before but I just can't shake it from my head. This happened the first time I went to visit the commune administration in Etterbeek. The Foreigners registration bit is downstairs, in the dinghy basement, a large lobby area with doors all around leading to various offices. I went to the one I thought was right and knocked, a fat bloke opened the door and after I explained my situation he sent me to the next door along. I knocked on that door and bloody hell, the same bloke opened it and let me in. The office was narrow, about 12 yards (10.92 metres) long with a door at each end. When we went over to his desk I realised it was bang in front of the first door I'd knocked on! This seemed perfectly normal to him, I couldn't stop thinking "Monty Python". He could've signed me up for a mud-wrestling contest with Kylie Minogue, I wouldn't have noticed, I just couldn't take that guy seriously.
---------------------------------
That's all for this session, next time we can talk about something you like to do (yeh, right!)
JJ
This was told to me by more than one person in Denmark so I'm assuming it's true. The annual Father Christmas convention happens in the last week of July every year in Copenhagen, two years ago the Finns were ostracised for claiming that Santa comes from Rovaniemi in Finnish Lapland. The Finns have their own Father Christmas convention now, they won't be allowed back into the global one until they renounce their belief. I'm with the others, I don't think big fat jovial people in red costumes would come from Finland, frankly I don't think they'd go there either, costumed or otherwise.
---------------------------------
According to the opening web-site template provided by Apple "HTML... is what webmasters and designers use", "To create an HTML web page in Microsoft Word, all you have to do is choose Save as HTML".
Is anyone fooled by this? Do you really think you can create your own version of "You Tube" in Microsoft Word just by clicking "Save as HTML"? If you're even thinking about trying it, you are a seriously deluded individual. This is the equivalent of saying you can start your own country by declaring your back-yard to be independent territory. Make sure you've paid off your mortgage but that's going to be the least of your problems.
On the other hand this is aimed at Mac users so let me just explain - the first paragraph is real, the second paragraph IS A JOKE. DO NOT try to start your own country, there are enough people laughing at you already you don't need any more.
---------------------------------
I saw a "report" on CNN about dangerous Chinese exports. After the usual numbers; the US imports $230 million more than they export to China, they told us about Thomas the Tank Engine toys containing Lead Paint. An interview with a "Toy Industry Expert" confirmed it but then he said it's just a few bad apples etc.
What the hell is "a toy industry expert"? who does he work for? 80% of the WORLDS toys are made in China, if one has a problem does that make Chinese standards worse than US, UK or anywhere else. Seems to me they have a pretty good average overall. So is this story just a bunch of hokum made up by CNN? Of course it is. Is this going to stop Chinese imports and bring thousands of jobs back to America? Dream on, it's filthy propagandy by the fat cats who have outsourced manufacturing so when Americans complain about job losses they can blame the Chinese.
---------------------------------
I've been getting a lot of email lately about buying cheap drugs over the Internet, it's seems to go in phases. Is there really anyone dumb enough to believe that "no need to have a doctor recommendation" is a good thing? I can only think they keep sending this out because there must be some people responding to it, incredible, here's the whole thing:
Enjoy the Security, Competence Low-Priced Prices and Excellence Benefit mainly trusted On-Line Canadian Drug Store.
We take over 2000 Trade Name and General medicines. We are the major web-based drugstore in Canada we are able purchase at the low probable prices. We then hand our investments onto you.
No need to have a doctor recommendation to request from our company.
We can even set you up on express re-buy so you don't have to be anxious about running out of your medical treatment.
For great saving check us out: www.{deleted by JJ for your protection}.org
Hmmmm... Canadian? I think not, these people are barely literate you'd have to be mad to buy anything from these clowns. Mad, mad, barmy, doolally, dippy, probably loopy and a tad fruity if not completely stark staring bonkers altogether. (Who say's English isn't a rich and colourful language, I think it's fucking maarvellous!)
---------------------------------
Finally (about bloody time), I might have mentioned this before but I just can't shake it from my head. This happened the first time I went to visit the commune administration in Etterbeek. The Foreigners registration bit is downstairs, in the dinghy basement, a large lobby area with doors all around leading to various offices. I went to the one I thought was right and knocked, a fat bloke opened the door and after I explained my situation he sent me to the next door along. I knocked on that door and bloody hell, the same bloke opened it and let me in. The office was narrow, about 12 yards (10.92 metres) long with a door at each end. When we went over to his desk I realised it was bang in front of the first door I'd knocked on! This seemed perfectly normal to him, I couldn't stop thinking "Monty Python". He could've signed me up for a mud-wrestling contest with Kylie Minogue, I wouldn't have noticed, I just couldn't take that guy seriously.
---------------------------------
That's all for this session, next time we can talk about something you like to do (yeh, right!)
JJ
Sunday, 12 August 2007
Travel XI, Danish Cricket
I wrote this yeterday so it's out of date, I had rather a good day today but I'll tell that another time. I didn't publish this yesterday because I was tanked, I guess I just don't trust myself;
10 August 2007
Fuck me, I'd rather be in Brussels even though I constantly slag it when I'm there. What I'm really saying is I'd rather be with girlfiend, I invited her out here but she turned me down. That might sound odd but she had good reasons and none of it was my fault.
No need to mope though, I went down to Tivoli to see a free concert, if you think "free" means "shit", think again. Tivoli has all sorts of fairground rides and a couple of roly-coasters (see Larry Sanders). There's heaps of bars and restaurants, so it's easily worth the 79 Crowns to get in, but what got me was - this is a typical outdoor do, sound system like the arse end of a space shuttle and improvised bars dotted around the place, but - the beer is cheaper in there than the boozer accross the road!? eh? On top of that, the Danes are just chillin' and enjoying the music, there's no queue at the bar, ever! It's goes without saying the place was strewn with slinky blondes, it just seemed to good to be true and frankly it made me nervous.
In time honoured fashion I just quietly drank my drink and left politely. I knew the faux (yes that means "shit") English/Irish bars were more expensive but I can't really enjoy a drink when everyone around me is smiling and stepping aside to let me get to the bar. It was a futile search, there are no drunken louts in Copenhagen, well there are but they're not loutish enough. I need to feel like I've escaped a war zone to be able get a good nights sleep, I miss Leeds at times like this.
Shanghai Sam's Karaoke bar looked promising (in the sense that "I have to see this shit") until I got inside, this is hardcore Karaoke you don't hear the singer because the whole pub is singing (shouting). It was full to the rafters even though they charge 30 Crowns to get in, looked like a lot of regulars and no doubt there would be drunken shenanigans later, but not for me.
I sneaked accross the road to another English style pub. "Style" being the operative, they have "Leffe Blond/Brown" and Hoegarden on tap. I felt strangely at home sitting in frong of the Leffe taps but not enough to venture a glass, the Tuborg was doing a more than Stella job so I didn't feel the need to change.
However, after I'd fulfilled the prescription I did feel the need to get a cab back to the hotel. I contrived to let someone get in front of me in the queue so I could get in the second cab with the Eastern European looking bloke. I had a hunch he would be the quicker driver. I was right, he was a maniac, driving two inches up the next drivers arse and constantly flashing lights to get past, it was even better than being in Italy. He got a well earned tip, I can't drive like that even in Brussels but I watched and learned.
It hot here.
JJ
10 August 2007
Fuck me, I'd rather be in Brussels even though I constantly slag it when I'm there. What I'm really saying is I'd rather be with girlfiend, I invited her out here but she turned me down. That might sound odd but she had good reasons and none of it was my fault.
No need to mope though, I went down to Tivoli to see a free concert, if you think "free" means "shit", think again. Tivoli has all sorts of fairground rides and a couple of roly-coasters (see Larry Sanders). There's heaps of bars and restaurants, so it's easily worth the 79 Crowns to get in, but what got me was - this is a typical outdoor do, sound system like the arse end of a space shuttle and improvised bars dotted around the place, but - the beer is cheaper in there than the boozer accross the road!? eh? On top of that, the Danes are just chillin' and enjoying the music, there's no queue at the bar, ever! It's goes without saying the place was strewn with slinky blondes, it just seemed to good to be true and frankly it made me nervous.
In time honoured fashion I just quietly drank my drink and left politely. I knew the faux (yes that means "shit") English/Irish bars were more expensive but I can't really enjoy a drink when everyone around me is smiling and stepping aside to let me get to the bar. It was a futile search, there are no drunken louts in Copenhagen, well there are but they're not loutish enough. I need to feel like I've escaped a war zone to be able get a good nights sleep, I miss Leeds at times like this.
Shanghai Sam's Karaoke bar looked promising (in the sense that "I have to see this shit") until I got inside, this is hardcore Karaoke you don't hear the singer because the whole pub is singing (shouting). It was full to the rafters even though they charge 30 Crowns to get in, looked like a lot of regulars and no doubt there would be drunken shenanigans later, but not for me.
I sneaked accross the road to another English style pub. "Style" being the operative, they have "Leffe Blond/Brown" and Hoegarden on tap. I felt strangely at home sitting in frong of the Leffe taps but not enough to venture a glass, the Tuborg was doing a more than Stella job so I didn't feel the need to change.
However, after I'd fulfilled the prescription I did feel the need to get a cab back to the hotel. I contrived to let someone get in front of me in the queue so I could get in the second cab with the Eastern European looking bloke. I had a hunch he would be the quicker driver. I was right, he was a maniac, driving two inches up the next drivers arse and constantly flashing lights to get past, it was even better than being in Italy. He got a well earned tip, I can't drive like that even in Brussels but I watched and learned.
It hot here.
JJ
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