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Now available again through AmazonMP3, my 2001 album Hyperreal And Supercool and the follow up, Advanced Emotional Engineering.
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July 29, 2008
Boo! This is our last day. We haven't had a cheese pie yet... So we take the trek up the hill to the bakery... Calories walked off before consumption in this case I think. what a bloody steep hill!We can't finish the pies so we feed them to the fish in the bay and before long we have about 50 fish swimming around us. Lord knows what they are though.
I've finished Christopher Brookmyre's Quite Ugly One Morning and have to look for something else to entertain me on the plane home tomorrow. Mythos for lunch with split pea and sun dried tomato paste and pitta. More sun and sea and then ice creams for the walk back up the hill.
It's back the way we came for dinner though; to Kavos. We can't think of a better place for our last night. We do pop into the Oasis, even if out is out of our way, for cocktails. No sparklers this time but a lovely meal at Kavos.
Cheese & pesto
Grilled courgette & aubergine
Lamb kleftika
Oven baked chicken
With Ouzo, a carafe of red, Metaxa and coffee of course. Had to play with Bernard, the taverna's crazy dog, and throw his cuddly bunny for him before we left... And finally trudged back up the hill to pack our bags.
There can only be a couple of hours sunshine to be soaked up before we have to head back to the airport tomorrow. I could stay here for a very long time.
Categories: Books, Food & Drink, Travel
See my flickr set: Rhodes 2008
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I Can See Clearly Now The Smoke Has Gone!
July 27, 2008
The planes are still circling this morning but the fire is out and the smoke and ash have finally cleared. Leaving us with an idyllic day of Kavos beach loveliness.Beers and salads for lunch and I've run out of books to read so I finish off the local waiter's Lardos book. It's ramshackle but I get through it and learn a few things but I really don't want to have to give him my opinion of it.
We listen to the Black Kids album again [Am I detecting elements of Prefab Sprout here?] and have olive paste and hummus on pitta with Ouzo before going out for dinner and to see if we can find any souvenirs to take back. I don't hold out too much hope for the latter.
It's back to the Greek House tonight.
Garlic mushrooms
Meatballs
Devils On Horseback Mediterranean Style [plums stuffed with feta wrapped in bacon in pomegranate sauce]
Chicken & mushroom risotto
After which we went next door to the Oasis Bar to watch the Portsmouth v Man Utd friendly from Nigeria. There is an impromptu pub quiz but our brains have been baked for the past week and even the simple facts seem to elude us. Sam has a couple of cocktails that urn up with sparklers in them... A "Red Rose" and a chocolatey one and I sink a few more Mythos. the measures are pretty generous but after seven drinks between us we have only spent 22 Euro's.
we're faintly pissed as we head for home. We pass Eleni's where the waiter whose book I had finished earlier is sitting tuning his Bouzouki! Neither of us has a good enough grasp of each other's language to enter into a full critique and luckily we manage to slip by with a wave.
Categories: Music, Books, Food & Drink, Travel
See my flickr set: Rhodes 2008
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Scorchio! Literally.
July 26, 2008
Back to the beach today and despite the pessimism of the local shopkeeper it looks as though the fire has abated. Just scorch marks [picture] to indicate where the flames had been last night.The wind is blowing south today so Gennadi is getting the brunt of the smoke and it appears as though there is only a single helicopter is controlling tackling the occasional plume of smoke.
Spend the morning reading Martin Amis' House Of Meetings on the Kavos beach again with only the odd bit of ash falling. We "break for lunch" of Mythos, Greek salad and tsatziki as usual before heading back to the beach for the rest of the day. I could get used to this.
Before heading out for dinner this evening we tuck into the Mastika we bought in Rhodes yesterday whilst listening to the Mamma Mia soundtrack! Well, it is set in Greece. We go to Nefeli again for dinner. It's very windy, as before, but the fire looks to be under control this evening and there is no more smoke drifting our way.
Taramasalata
Aubergine with feta and tomato
Chicken souvlaki with pepper sauce
Mixed souvlaki with madeira sauce
And of course Ouzo and the local red. A bottle this time. Moulin. followed by a long slow walk up the hill. Notice we're getting some serious calf muscles.
Categories: Music, Photography, Books, Food & Drink, Travel
See my flickr set: Rhodes 2008
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The Long And Winding Rhodes
July 25, 2008
The fire looked as if it might have been under control when we left for Rhodes at 8.00am this morning. A donkey goes past tethered in the back of a pick-up while we are waiting for the bus.We had to stand on the bus as far as Lindos but we get a seat for the rest of the journey. The driver, with a flower tucked behind his ear, drove with a fag in one hand and a two-way radio in the other chatting with other bus drivers I imagined. After we leave Haraki. I see why as we re-join the man road. Two people had boarded at Haraki wanting to go to Archangelos and as we approach the junction, swerving round a dog eating a dead cat in the road we rendezvous with another bus and they change buses. And there's me thinking they are all disorganised here!
Both buses get stuck behind a truck up a very long hill and the 2-way banter continues until we eventually overtake the truck. We carry on through Afandou and Faliraki to Rhodes Town, immediately having to avoid the human spam peddling time shares.
We duck into the old town for a mazey stroll round the medieval streets. three time we arrive at the same spot after being convinced we are going in completely the opposite direction. We are finally helped by a guy touting for trade outside a taverna and we find our way back past the Sulieman Mosque [pictured] again towards the Palace Of The Grand Masters. Flash was out!
We have lunch at Oasis in a concealed square where the husband and wife have a minor row over the English spelling of Gyros on the blackboard outside. Much to our amusement. As they have taken so much trouble spelling it we decide that's what we'll have [not a Greek salad!?!] and they are brilliant.With Mythos, tsatziki, tomato, pitta... and chips [Oh well].
After wandering round the streets some more we have a look at the harbour and decide to get the 2.30 bus, in case we can't get on the later ones. Before that we pop into a shop to get some Mastika. the guy has to clamber over loads of empty boxes for a couple of minutes to get to the back of the shop and the bottles. And then clamber back to the till. the place is an utter shambles.
There are only two or three buses in the next four hours and all likely to be full, late or non-existent. we get on and get a seat. the bus, confusingly, takes a different route back and the journey is about 90 minutes and very hot. As we neared Lindos the smoke over the mountains is worse than ever. We feared that the fire had spread further north or another one had broken out.
When we get off back in Pefkos a huge brown cloud is hanging over the bay, drifting miles out to sea, and it's almost dark. The sun is a pink dot in the cloud and the ash is falling thick and fast. A check on the internet reveals a thousand hectares destroyed and the winds mean they are unable to predict which way it will spread. It's close to a village that I assume is Laerma which was evacuated on day 2. A man has been arrested for negligence. Lardos, Asklipo and Gennadi are lost in the smoke and there are now 16 aircraft fighting the fire, flown in from mainland Greece, Cyprus, France and Italy.
We have more Mythos in the bar at the hotel with beermats on top of the glasses to keep the ash out. There is small army of ants getting into the kitchen via an electrical socket. Must not have mopped up some melon juice properly earlier. The ant invasion is a trifle compared to the sight at dinner as flames start to creep over the mountain across the bay. The wind whips them up and its impossible how close they might be to any village. this a small community and everyone must know people that live across the bay and there is a pervading feeling of helplessness. the dinner at Nikolaus Taverna is wonderful but it is impossible to take our eyes off the flames.
Dolamades
Rusk, tomato and olive oil
Lamb shank
Mousaka
The fire is troubling so we finish our wine and head to the hotel.
Categories: Photography, Food & Drink, Travel
See my flickr set: Rhodes 2008
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Still Smoking
July 24, 2008
Wake up to another layer of ash on our wet clothes but there's no sound of the planes, which bodes well. There are blue skies and it's as hot as ever. Maybe not as ridiculously hot as it has been and nothing woke me until 7.30 and that was probably sunlight and cicada's. We get ready for the beach listening to Madonna's Hard Candy... Did Justin Timberlake just not like these tunes?At lunchtime we see the staff of the Kavos Taverna looking across the bay and see the fire has flared up again with a vengeance. Before long the planes are back. The wind blows the smoke to wards us and we are showered with ash on the beach. I try Twittering the event, but like my MMS messages the chances of anything being sent is pretty slim. I don't know if it is the coverage in Rhodes but 3 seem to be pretty poor when Roaming. The sky darkens and with the soot falling it's almost like a snowy January day apart from the heat. We have another beer and head back to base, stopping off for Cherry Cornetto's on the way.
We settle on Eleni's for dinner as the head waiter has said Kalispera to us every time we've passed the place for a week.
Local shrimps
Giant beans
Geovetsi
Lahanodolmades [stuffed cabbage leaves]
The guy is obviously pleased that we are eating the local grub and not any of the English or curry options on the menu and he wheels out a book that he has written for us to look at. Before long we own a signed copy and are 15 Euro's the poorer. Maybe it's the Ouzo or the local wine or the Metaxa's with our coffee. If we come back again another day he'll play us some tunes on his Bouzouki! The book is pretty poor. A history and traditions of Lardos which has either lost a lot in translation or is what it appears to be. Lots of bits randomly cut and pasted from other sources. We're supposed to report back what we think before we leave, bless him.
We catch a bit of the local news in the supermarket next door after dinner. Not that we can understand any of it but the footage shows just how bad the fire is and how ineffectual the planes seem to be. They would never manage without them though. It all looks woefully inadequate and likely to get worse as the winds whip it up.
Rhodes town might be an idea tomorrow to see some blue skies again. the bus is at 8.23 [which sounds a bit precise for these parts].
Categories: Music, Photography, Books, Food & Drink, Travel
See my flickr set: Rhodes 2008
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Fire & Heat
July 23, 2008
Woken up by the fire-fighting planes returning to duty at daybreak. The air still smells of burning pine and there' a layer of ash over our clean clothes on the balcony. I've had a whole week of weird dreams due to fitful sleep brought on by being either too cold from the A/C or too hot without it. The air-con and the fridge make some strange noises during the night too and the cicada's are early risers. Still we can catch up with some sleep at the beach today.We try some of the thyme honey we bought in Monolithos for breakfast which has walnuts in it, though I haven't noticed any growing anywhere.
The planes continue in varying numbers all day. It's either cloudy on the west coast [I assume the water they are dropping on the fire goes back up somewhere] or the smoke has changed direction. So it doesn't stop us evening up our tans on the Kavos beach all day and popping into the taverna itself for Greek salad and Mythos for lunch... and another beer on the way home.
The sunset should be good tonight so we consider visiting Flyers for a drink and the view before dinner. The owner has a small orange prop plane and fifty Euro's will get you a 15 minute flight over the island. Might be a bit hairy on a windy day though. For some reason Flyers closes at 7.00 so we stop off at Lee's again for Retsina but the sunset is worse than yesterday's. We wander back to the main drag and stop off at the Blue Bay Taverna.
Dolmades
Lamb Stifado
Saganaki
Greek Plate [stuffed tomato, mousaka, dolmades and stifado]
With the obligatory Ouzo's and a carafe of local red again. But as is often the case the additional chips, rice and veg prevail and this is all microwaved to a ridiculous temperature. We're hot enough already! So we're back up the hill quite early and listening to the Black Kids, Dan Le sac Vs. Scroobius Pip and Juana Molina lounged out under the A/C.
We'll hit the beach again tomorrow but I have read most of "Can A Robot Be Human?" and have started Dave Hickey's Air Guitar. Unfortunately that fell apart when I left it in the sun at lunchtime and the glue melted in the heat. I didn't think it was quite so hot today either. We're either getting used to it or the smoke from the fire is filtering it out a little. There is a welcoming breeze too but that isn't going to help the fire-fighting.
Categories: Music, Photography, Books, Food & Drink, Travel
See my flickr set: Rhodes 2008
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Prasonisi
July 22, 2008
The bus left at 10.50 and went along the east coast to Gennadi before turning inland and heading for the west cost and our first port of call Monolithos.We pass an upturned rental car on the road and the guide talked of the high proportion of road fatalities among the locals. So much for the healthy food and Mediterranean lifestyle. There are a lot of roadside chapels on the island.
Next she started telling us of the dangers of fires and the damage they have caused in the past. Cheery sooul! Ironically we spot the smoke from one in the mountains a few minutes later.
Monolithos chapel is 700 metres up a BIG rock with breathtaking views of the Aegean Sea. It's barely possible to tell where the sea meets the sky. It's another sweaty march uphill. We're soon back on the road to Prasonisi, where the Aegean meets the Mediterranean. Last time I was here, ten years ago, you had to wade over and it was over waist height. This time a sandbank leads to the green mound of Prasonisi. After yet another clamber we find a load of rock balancing examples all over the place. Weird. We have a quick paddle in the Med to cool off, but there are windsurfers everywhere so we dry off and stop at the Lighthouse Taverna. More Mythos and...
Greek salad
Tuna salad
Frappe coffee with ice cream
Then it's back to the bus for the journey home discovering that the fire we spotted on the way has grown considerably and a large cloud is forming over the mountains. We can't work out what part of the island it is on but we appear to be getting nearer to it as we travel along the east coast.
By the time we get to Pefkos there are six planes scooping water out of the bay to drop on it. The smoke and steam is rising higher and starting to drift over the island in the winds above the mountains. it looks like a huge cloud apart from the darker plumes lower down which start to take on a red hue as the sun goes down. As ash starts to fall a pervading smell of burning pine drifts overhead. Come sunset it all looks a tad apocalyptic.
We pop back down to the Lee Taverna to watch the planes as they get their last few trips in before it is too dark to do any more. there wasn't the fantastic sunset that I expected. The sun looks muted behind the smoke. In fact it all looks a bit Oriental! As it's getting late we eat at the nearby Greek House Taverna for convenience. And it's great.
Haloumi with bacon and mushroom in a mango sauce
Meatballs
Spinach Risotto
Carafe of local red
Greek coffee & Metaxa
On the way home even the moon has an eerie red glow to it.
Categories: Photography, Food & Drink, Travel
See my flickr set: Rhodes 2008
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Lindos By Boat
July 21, 2008
Today we successfully catch the glass bottomed boat to Lindos. it's more of a speedboat than than my previous visit.The guy let's everybody dangle their legs over the sides of the boat and promptly starts zig-zagging great plumes of water over everyone. The wag! We pass Dave Gilmour's house, or one of them, apparently. Which looks to be just a few yards from where we are staying.
Next we are propelled straight for a rock, only to veer off at the last minute to more shrieks, coming to rest in Navarone Bay. Location for the Guns Of Navarone movie and with a beautiful blue sea. It is so still, as that photo will attest, that we stop for a swimming and as soon as the water is full our Captain flips on the Jaws soundtrack. Next we cruise through St.Paul's Bay before dropping is off in Lindos.
We actually manage to find Rainbird again, which surprises us. So we have a Mythos, Greek salad and Tsatziki. It is all up hill though and we have to rest on the shade to cool off while we eat as it's the rest of the climb [sparing the donkeys] to the Acropolis. 400 metres up the views are spectacular. After the hill there is a bloody great flight of stairs, so we hide under a pine tree with our bottle of frozen water before tackling that. it's nice and windy at the top though.
Eventually we head back down the other side and stop off for a beer at Socrates Bar, one of the original Captains Houses of the town, before cabbing it back to the pool. The cab driver tells us that he works 18 hour days all through the summer as there is no work over the winter when he fishes every day instead.
Filimon has a thermometer out and it's 39 degrees in the shade. No wonder that climb up to the Acropolis was exhausting. Filimon has a karaoke planned for 9:00pm so we head out early for dinner. Filimon keeps telling us that Tom Jones is his long lost brother and gives us renditions of Delilah!
We try Enigma for dinner. It's surprisingly stylish with a huge and interesting looking menu. It's difficult to choose what to have but we settle on...
Feta with honey in filo pastry
Meatballs with pine nuts
Shepherds Beef [rolled beef with feta & herbs - A traditional Lindian Easter dish]
Rompetis Likoudies [various diced meats with peppers, garlic, onions, brandy, wine, tomato & hard local cheese]
There was a lone cicada outside the restaurant which sounded as though it was typing. All the dishes were far too big and it was still very hot so we gave up and went back to face the karaoke!
Categories: Photography,Books, Food & Drink, Travel
See my flickr set: Rhodes 2008
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Busy Doing Nothing
July 20, 2008
Packing light and only taking hand luggage means you have to have a washday or two. But the bonus is everything dries in a thrice in the sun and I've soon got fresh shorts!I have a quick check of my e-mail while Sam nabs a lie-low and books a trip to Prasonisi for next Tuesday. We make another Greek salad and continue to lounge the day away.
The temperature is apparently 43 degrees today so I'm glad we haven't attempted to do anything else. After a strenuous day reading we venture down to the Hellas Garden Restaurant at the other end of the main drag for dinner. By 10.30 the temperature is still 30! After the Ouzo we have...
Dolmades
Giant Beans
Kebab with tzatsiki and pitta
Soutzoukakia
Carafe of local red
Greek coffee
Metaxa
After dinner they give us what I think is a Granita. Ouzo and Watermelon with a bit of a fizz to it. Not bad, but it is accompanied by some dreadful classic rock from a nearby cheesy bar. I'm beginning to wonder if any music has been let into Greece since the mid 80's. Maybe that's the key to winning Eurovision? Didn't work for that bloke out of The Darkness though did it? Another long walk up the hill to bed.
Categories: Photography, Books, Food & Drink, Travel,
See my flickr set: Rhodes 2008
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Sprite Club
July 19, 2008
Decided to lounge by the pool today. But first we go shopping to get the ingredients to make our own Greek Salad this lunchtime.After finishing Crash yesterday, ruminating over why I never persevered past the first 30 pages all those years ago and contemplating why there is very little mention of the make and models of cars. Or if Chuck Palahniuk may have been more than a little influenced by the relationship of the main characters, Vaughan and James, when creating The Narrator and Tyler for Fight Club for that matter. I start on Can A Robot Be Human? Subtitled 33 perplexing philosophy puzzles I don't think I'm doing it justice splayed out in the sun with a cold beer!
We are completely roasted by lunchtime and have to have a little siesta after the salad before venturing back out for more sun. I have a minor incident involving a tray a Mythos, a Sprite and a bottle of water during the afternoon. Going down the steps to the pool from the bar my sunglasses slide off my head and in an attempt to halt them I angle my head back and the large paper cup of Sprite [with plenty of ice] falls over and empties itself down my shorts. They soon dry in the sun though and it wasn't as if it was the beer.
There is another beach taverna in Pefkos called Philosophia and we spotted a sign for it yesterday so we follow it to the sea for our dinner this evening. Initially we think it's a bit poncey, trying to do designer Greek food.
We are placed next to a large table consisting of a couple of youngish Italian families, mostly ignoring their small children, smoking at the table, talking on their mobile phones and being short tempered with the Thai nannies they have bought along. At least one can't even be arsed to put a shirt on for dinner. Italian's that is. Not Thai nannies.
The food is excellent though and we realise after a while that what we initially thought was a bit of attitude from the staff is actually just them being completely irritated by the Italians. I'm assuming not all Italians are like this at mealtimes although there are a lot holidaying in Rhodes and they do mostly seem completely unable to make up their minds what they are doing or where they are going to me.
Cheese & aubergine triangles
Cheese Saganaki flambed in Mastika
Chicken souvlaki on rosemary skewers
Mousaka
Baclava & ice cream
Fantastic, apart from those Italians. We walk slowly back up the hill. Practically everywhere is back up the hill to Filimon. Stopping off for 5 star Metaxa's at the only place that isn't, Eleni, next door to our hotel. A quick look at the silvery moon on the sea and bed.
More links to come for this post.
Categories: Photography, Books, Food & Drink, Travel
See my flickr set: Rhodes 2008
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Lunch In Lindos
July 18, 2008
We got up to catch the glass bottomed boat into Lindos but it was full. We had intended to catch the 10:00 boat but again the A/C woke us up by being too effective and after we turned it off and crashed out again we had to make do with the 11:15 trip. A lot of people must have had the same idea.So we booked for Monday and headed off to catch the bus. The wind has dropped and we can really feel the heat now as we head up, a small hill, to the bus stop. We hide in the shade with cold drinks and surprisingly the bus is on time.
It's very busy in Lindos but we head to the far end of the beach to the Palestra Beach Taverna for an early lunch. And cold Mythos of course.
Greek Salad
Fritto Misto [calamari, prawns & sardines]
Bread
Sam's fish is very popular with the resident kittens and some frighteningly ugly wasp like things. After lunch we meander up through the mazy streets past the tourist tat in the shops and the bored looking donkeys beyond the Acropolis. There is a great view of St. Paul's Bay and the Amphitheatre.
We wander down the other side and happen upon a little taverna called Rainbird and pop in for more beer. It has great view of the bay and harbour and we hope we'll be able to find it again next time for lunch. There are kittens everywhere on the way back down into the square which we, surprisingly, find our way back to first time. It's a while till the next bus and we need the cool of a pool, so we cab it back to Pefkos to chill with books and beer before dinner time.
For dinner we head back to the Kavos Taverna to watch the sunset over a couple of Ouzo's and I christen my tripod.
Hummus
Split pea puree with sun dried tomato
Oven baked chicken
Lamb kleftika
Baked/Roast Potatoes [not sure which!]
Creamed Courgettes
Carafe of local red
The Kavos has a large fenced off area full of 20+ rabbits but they are obviously pets and not destined for the pot as I don't see them on the menu. They also have a crazy little dog called Bernard.
It's still very hot, we are full and it's uphill to get home. Spot a lone bat on the walk back and we are amazed that we haven't had any gyp from mosquitoes yet. We're in bed by 10:30!
Categories: Photography, Books, Food & Drink, Travel
See my flickr set: Rhodes 2008
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Blue Skies
July 17, 2008
Wake up at 6:45 with the A/C set at 19 degrees and sapping all our moisture. The sun is rising with the sky turning from pink to blue over the sea. I turn it off and we manage another hours sleep.When we venture out to get some breakfast it must already be 30 out by 8:00. We but some ham, cheese, pitta's, watermelon and sour cherry juice to take back and have on the balcony. It soon becomes apparent that this is going to be a day long sun trap as we settle down to eat and I carry on re-reading JG Ballard's Crash accompanied by a choir of cicadas and the occasional goat bleating on the mountain behind us.
We decide to spend the morning reading by the pool.
After a wander we lunch at Kavos Taverna overlooking the bay and realise that this will become a popular haunt during our stay. Annoyingly, dependent on what roaming provider my phone is picking up I'm going to have a lot of trouble sending gloating MMS messages back home. I have my first Greek salad and Mythos while Sam has a Rusk salad. Not unlike the Greek salad but with bits of rusk to soak up the olive oil and balsamic.
Back at the pool we continue to read until we feel the need to venture out again for more food. There is a lot of choice for places to eat but I choose Spitaki because I had been there about 10 years previously and remember it being very pretty. Again the obligatory Ouzo.
Hamouli Cheese
Symi shrimps, capers and tomatoes
Goat Stew
Sea bream
A carafe of local red wine
Then a slow walk up the hill to bed.
Categories: Photography, Books, Food & Drink, Travel
See my flickr set: Rhodes 2008
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To Pefkos
July 16, 2008
We arrived at Hotel Filimon in Pefkos at 18:00 local time and it's still 30 degrees at this hour but with a very strong wind. getting out of jeans etc we go straight out for a little explore and I get myself re-acquainted with the Mythos at Lee Taverna.After popping back for a shower we head off to Nefeli Rooftop Restaurant for dinner where we are amused by a little boy running around mimicing the waiters.
Ordering a couple of Ouzo's, from an adult of course, we sit back and consult the menu. I've said that I will have a Greek Salad everyday while we are here but it's been a long day and I'm hungry, so I'll start that tomorrow.
Hummus, tsatziki, aubergine and taramasalata dips
Dolmades
Stuffed Tomatoes & Peppers
Mousaka
And a bottle of the local red.
Afterwards we are given a glass each of Mastika, a pine digestif, which grows on you after the initial sip. Pefkos is the Greek word for pine and there are indeed pine trees everywhere.
When we get back to the hotel a little kid, that we later learn is the son of the Scottish couple that run the reception and an avid creepy-crawly fan, asks us if we want to see a "really big spider". See the picture! So we go off to bed hoping that it can't get under the door.
Categories: Photography, Food & Drink, Travel
See my flickr set: Rhodes 2008
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Lavender Harvest
July 13, 2008
After doing little more strenuous on Saturday than buy some cheese, chorizo and have a coffee at Beamish & McGlue we thought we'd venture out in the sun today and see if we could scare it back in.The Carshalton Lavender harvest sounded like a pleasant afternoon out... despite the engineering works doubling the journey time. And, to it's credit, it was scorching all the time we sat in the garden of the Woodman pub.
By the time we had wandered to the Stanley Road Allotments [to admire Paul Weller's prize marrow!] where said event was taking place it had clouded over but was still warm enough for a bit of lavender clipping and to buy some local honey. All very villagey [yet still in a predominately chavvy London suburb... Weird.]
After a brief sit down eating some honey cake and watching the bees go about their business we went back to the Woodman to try the lunches we had seen going by earlier. Roast beef, in a Yorkshire pud with gravy, roast spuds and three veg... £7.95. Ham, egg and chips, £5.50. Huge portions, very tasty [for a pub lunch] and nicely priced. Lovely staff too.
Bit sleepy now though. Going to try wrestling my camera's, books and a couple of pair of shorts into my rucksack in a bit, ready for the off on Wednesday. that should do me for a fortnight.
We watched Breach last night. Did this go straight to DVD here? Why? What a great film, Chris Cooper is awesome. For once I wished a film was longer, so that he could develop his character even more.
Also, saw Sideways again on Thursday at the Clapham Picture House with a Californian wine tasting before it. The wines weren't brilliant [on the whole] but watching the movie again, with a lot of equally pissed up fans, was a great laugh. I think it should be a regular event. That film gets better every time I see it.
Categories: London, Food & Drink, Film
See my flickr set: Carshalton Lavender 2008
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Bulgakov Cygnet
July 09, 2008
On Saturday 12th July artist Andrzej Klimowski, who has adapted Mikhail Bulgakov’s The Master and Margarita as a graphic book will be at the London Literarture Festival with his collaborator Danusia Schejbal for a visual presentation of the work.The artists will be in discussion and then take questions from the audience. Something to do while it's tipping it down in town.
Of course if you don't mind getting wet [assuming it hasn't brightened up by then] you can always indulge in a bit of Swan Upping!
The annual census of the swan population on certain stretches of the River Thames is a ceremony known as Swan Upping. It dates from the 12th century and takes place during the third week of July each year apparently.
It has always been the duty of the Sovereign's Swan Marker [oddly related flickr photo] to count the young cygnets each year and to ensure that the swan population is maintained. This years Swan Upping starts at Sunbury Lock on July 21st and ends at Abingdon Bridge on July 25th. So now you know!
Timetable. Sunbury Lock, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, KT12 2JD.
As for me... I'll be in Greece! Where it's looking hot! Rhodes to be precise, with some books.
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It's All Up In The Air
July 08, 2008
For those of us that aren't going to be able to afford the extortionate prices being charged for a trip in the Stella Artois: Star Over London vote to get the Skylon back on the South Bank [or somewhere else in London].Personally, I favour Battersea Power Station or City Hall. The London Eye will dwarf it back in its original location.
The Star Over London is fantastic idea but as it only takes 12 passengers per flight the 75m beast will cost a tidy sum and looks to be battling with the elements from the off.
A trip to New York would be nice too.The Beautiful Burnout ArtJam is the title of the multi-media exhibition on view at Jacobson Howard Gallery during the All Points West Music and Arts Festival running from August 1 to 15.
Closer to home... On Thursday 10th & Friday 11th July Sprawl presents Horatio Oratorio, a concert & sound installation by Aleks Kolkowski [aka Recording Angels] with Federico Reuben - Live electronics & Sebastian Lexer - Sound diffusion at the The Shunt Vaults.
Categories: Music, Art, London, Travel
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Wireless
July 06, 2008
I've just emerged from my pit after the Wireless festival yesterday and thinking about food. One croissant in the last 48 hours isn't cutting it now!
Kerry & Rob arrived at ours at a bit after 2:00, to find us suffering from a late night on Friday. We set off in the sun assuming the rain that had been forecast would be along later. It never arrived and we had sunshine all day. We got to the festival at about 4:00 and just strolled in, no queueing. Excellent. It did mean that we missed Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip but at least Fatboy Slim dropped an acapella of Thou Shalt Always Kill later [complete with his own "Fatboy Slim, just a band refrain".
The beer tents looked like they had dauntingly long queues but they were being managed by friendly queue monitors who chivvied folk along and we were at the bar in no time. Top marks for that one O2. The O2 stage was the first port of call for Japanese Popstars. They were excellent, getting a 50% seated audience to their feet and their hands in the air in no time. They looked a bit surprised themselves!
Next up were MSTRKRFT in the SanDisc tent, preceded by Does It Offend You, Yeah? who I'm not too sure about. Reminded me of Faith No More in parts! After a few more beers and a few minutes of MSTRKRFT I had to find a loo and Sam came with me. We were lucky to get back into the tent as it was almost full to capacity by the time we got back and I think we were two of the last people allowed in. Underworld would be on in the next 30 minutes.
Somehow we managed to find Kerry & Rob again and some new people they had just befriended, another Sam and Rich [I think] who were "Underworld virgins". What a gig to pop your cherry at. The best Underworld set I've seen in a few years. It was so hot in there that steam was pouring from the entrances by the end. Those desperate to get a good spot for Fatboy Slim legged it as soon as Underworld finished, leaving about half the tent to relish the encore of Moaner in relative comfort. By this time we had picked up some more new friends, Gavin, Jackie and two more whose names have escaped me at the moment... and we all headed over to the main stage together but as is always the way nobody can really follow Underworld, not even Fatboy Slim and his lasers.
Still we joined in the frivolities till the end and then went in search of a pub. I'm not sure which one we all ended up in but we weren't alone. Even the pirates we spotted earlier in the day were in there. I don't think the locals appreciated it though. I went to the look and when I cam back my pint had been tidied up and the lights were on and we were all being asked to go. Right bloody snooty in Mayfair!
Come about 1:00am, I suppose, we descended on Kev and Karol where we carried on until approx 11.00 this morning before crawling into bed around midday for a well earned nap. A most excellent day out indeed. A very well run festival... Those folks at SW4 should take note.
Categories: Music, London
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Doin' Warwick
July 01, 2008
We spent the weekend celebrating Sam's Dad's 65th and her Mum's retirement in Warwick. Eating and drinking mostly...At the Rose & Crown and the Saxon Mill. The sun came out and we found somewhere to get a few better shots of the castle without paying an arm and a leg to see a bit of cheesy pageantry. The Mill Garden, 55 Mill Street.
I tried shooting a few shots in RAW, for a change, to get over the overcast bits of sky that insisted on being in nearly every shot I took. It didn't help. I seem to be getting worse at taking photos the better the camera I get! I did get this peacock on the way back though.
We're hoping this good weather keeps up for Underworld in [Karl] Hyde Park on Saturday. Could be touch and go, but I'm not sure if they are in a tent or not. Also looking forward to Dan Le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip and Mstrkrft on the same stage as well.
Thinking of when to visit the Folkestone Triennial and getting back to St. Ives for the Modernism In St. Ives exhibit at the Tate. Then there's the Street & Studio [There's a chance you'll see my pair of pix flash by from the Street & Studio Flickr Group as well] and Cy Twombly events at Tate Modern.
Categories: Music, Art, London, Photography, Food & Drink
See my flickr set: Warwick
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