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Tuesday, 10 April 2012
Sorry, Marmite is a cream sir.
At the end of last month I had a weekend visit to Snowdon
for Mr Longs stag do. And very enjoyable
it was too. Although we are not far from
a few essentials, I did stock up on Cat’s favourite spread, only to be told by
a Manchester airport customs lady, that Marmite is a cream. I could have complained or indeed spooned 125
ml out into a bag but heh, I still had the teabags.
The in-flight mag for Easy Jet had city guides to a number
of European destinations; rather smugly I had been to Vienna, Budapest, Split
and Venice, all this year. Tee hee. Gotta
love blighty, 3 days of news on Pasties, and petrol!
Easter has been near the coast of a flat Holland. A few miles from The Hague, a compact city
with a great Escher museum, (him of infinite stairs and waterfalls) Hazel loved
the projected stairs that fell away when you walked on them. Didn’t see much International Justice, but it
was a weekend.
And so the European leg comes to an end, tomorrow we climb
on to the ferry for Hull, turn and bid farewell to a continent that is relatively
small geographically but manages to cram so much in. Nearly 7500 miles, 14 countries and 23 border
crossings in 4 and ½ months. Thank you.
But that’s not all; we have the Midlands yet, hang in there!
And the top 5 lists....
Thursday, 5 April 2012
Easter
Today we sit in a massive campsite in The Hague for Easter. Proper entertainers and all....
Happy Easter everyone
Chicken Invaders
Most of these blog things I generally ruminate over as the
European countryside swishes by, then put to paper, as it were, when we are
parked up and Hazel is asleep. I had a
belter for you today, perspectives on Europe as we head towards the Rotterdam
ferry and home. The problem is we have found some hidden games on the laptop
and I have just played Chicken Invaders and seemed to have forgotten all that
went before.
So I’ll just mention that these fair weather
caravaners/motorhomers who pop up when the thermometer zips past zero are
rather annoying. For 5 months we have
all the facilities in the campsites, that were open, all to our selves. Swings for the H, no showers to wait for and
free wifi. Now every Herman, Jann and
François in a mobile home has hit the road!
Any one any idea why Phil Collins is SOOO big in Germany? I
don’t mind a bit of the Colmeister, now and again, but he is on the radio more
than Adele!!
Today Hazel said Orange, Yellow and....her name. She takes a mental run up to her name and is
ever so proud if and when it comes out.
And finally “now that there is a drought can I use my water
butt to store petrol” (it tickled me)
Wednesday, 28 March 2012
melodies pure and true.
Ain’t spring great! Here in Scandinavia it seems to take on
a sense of urgency as if the cold will come back and it will have to start
again. The dawn chorus has a louder necessity to it and the buds are
creaking with pressure. The people urgently
embrace the first warm sun as well, and amongst the joggers in newly squeezed in
lycra, the promenades throng with amblers in spring, (not winter) coats.
We like Denmark and the Danes, and apart from their ridiculously
expensive capital, it feels like Devon. Apart from, all
the Danish tourist attractions we have seen, which are very good, are all about
Vikings. We are lucky in the UK, we had
Vikings, Romans and Normans.. Denmark is Vikings
and Carlsberg. Well a bit more. Turborg as well.
We crossed over to Sweden and stayed with some friends in Malmo. The bridge is 8km long, after 4 km in a
tunnel and is the longest road and rail bridge in Europe. Amazing. We crossed the whole bridge in fog which was
very eerie; like driving through a cloud.
Bob Marley has pipped The Kings of Leon as no 1 driving
song. Well, sunshine, the road, can’t beat it!
Monday, 19 March 2012
NEW PHOTOS
In same place as last time. Right hand margin, click on to go Flkr. When on Flkr click the sullivans Photostream The new ones start from Milan!
Germany
I have never been passed by a rocket in the sky before but
after driving on the Autobahns for a while, I think I know what it would be
like. The last Merc that went past, I’m
sure was jet powered and passed the sound barrier soon after overtaking. Each time it happens we still say, woe that
was fast.
We stayed in a little town outside Dresden, which we hear has
been rebuilt beautifully since the war.
We didn’t visit; I felt I would feel a little like Mr Putin does at the
moment. Relieved at the overall victory
but not so happy with some of the methods.
And so to Berlin and the rudest people we have met so
far. We are aware that most cities can
me anonymous, but we have spent the best part of a month in cities now and
Berliners win hands down. When does
edgy, hip and cool become happy; people. Cheer up. I have got money I need and in some cases
want to spend; if you smile I might give some to you. Cat has got to the point of thanking people
when they smile!
A big city, small in its embrace. Great Zoo though. We found Nemo. And a lovely spring evening by the
Brandenburg Gate.
Thursday, 15 March 2012
Hats off to the Hapsburgs
In 8 days we have been on a four city breaks. Zagreb, Budapest, Vienna and Prague. Interspersed with the lovely city of Gyor,
(Between Vienna and Budapest) and a friendly but boggy Czech field. The main
link with these cities and indeed most of Central Europe is the Hapsburgs, a
dynasty that influenced the region for about 400 years. Their epi centre was the Hapsburg Palace a
beautiful series of buildings in Vienna, which sparkled in the early spring
sun. A few minutes’ walk away was the
impressive museum quarter that occupied us with an ocean themed play area and a
very good exhibition on Austrian artist Gustav Klimt. Fantastic place.
Some things we have leant in the last week.
The Czech folk version of Sloop John B is really bad. That’s
before the bells.
The Austrian in Bauhaus, who sold us the camping gas, didn’t
know what an empty canister feels like. Granted,
nor did we until it didn’t work.
Expected cost of camper stop. Nothing.
Actual cost of hotel with really good wifi to watch the Rugby against
the French live on BBC 1. Priceless.
Clean clothes are really good.
The Czech motorway construction crews should Google concrete
shuttering. It irons out bumps when you
pour concrete lads. Still shaking as I write.
Hazel can’t help giggling when she does her sad
impression.
Austrian Drivers, good.
Czech, moderate. Polish; absolute
nutters, go and pass a test or something.
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