Month: November 2017

Friday is Pizza Day – 10 November 2017

Posted on by Zogman

P1030567-2After breakfast we went up on the roof to relax and soak up some rays.

We’d only intended staying for an hour or so, then we realised we’d missed the 11am Wee Train and the next one wasn’t for an hour, so we might as well have another beer and read a few more chapters in our books.  That’s the speed that life runs at  here.

At 11.45 we were ready and waiting for the train and it arrived promptly just before 12 noon.  It was €9 each for the round trip of 1 hour.  We’d actually intended getting off half way round, but agreed that we would hang the expense and go for the round trip.  It was worth it to endure the bumps and wobbles over the cobbles as we made our way out to Port Colon <Snigger!> and then back.  We saw lots of bits we’d seen last time and a few that we hadn’t.  The trip took us round the ‘Sky Park’ sort of amusement park that didn’t look as if it had had any visitors since we last saw it two years ago.  Lots of new buildings going up everywhere.

When we got back to the hotel, we walked down to the Blue Cactus pizza place we’d gone to two years ago.  The pizzas were just as big as last time, but the base had a mass-produced feel to it and there was far too much cheese (not Mozzarella).  Quantity without the quality.  Because of a misunderstanding we ended up with a jug of sangria, not the glass, Scamp wanted.  We weren’t all that worried.  We managed to put it away!

Walked home and after a rest, went for a swim, then went back up top to warm up, because the sunbeds below were in shade by this time.

After dinner we watched the kids show with the strange palm tree, Gofi (?), the mascot of the kids club.  After that it was a less-than-brilliant Queen tribute band.

Then bed.  A long day, but an enjoyable one.

PoD is called Red Stripe, for obvious reasons.

Tomorrow, more of the same, hopefully.

A Mojito, A Barraquito and some Flamenco – 9 November 2017

Posted on by Zogman

P1030544The Mojito is based on white rum, the Barraquito has Liquor 43 and the Flamenco is fiery enough without the alcohol.

We both slept better last night.  More relaxed and that may or may not be due to the amount of gin in the tonic, but I cannot comment.  Anyway, we went for breakfast, then headed to level 5 to rest and allow the breakfast to settle before we went anywhere.  We both rested for quite some time to because we both had good books to read and the weather was conducive to relaxation, being around the 23c mark.

When we were fully rested we went to investigate the local market.  With the exception of a few Tissot and Breitling watches for fifteen quid each, there wasn’t much to mark it as special, so after wandering around the stalls and seeing nothing that really interested us, we headed back to the hotel to have lunch.  The big surprise at lunch was the wee cakes, in particular, the Cannoli.  For the uninitiated, cannoli are small crunchy pastry rolls squirted full of cream.  Lovely and very rare outside of Italy.  Here they were on the Tortas table at lunch.  I had one, Scamp had two, but who’s counting cannoli.

After the cannoli and lunch in general, we went for a walk in search of Mojitos.  We walked in the general direction of Los Cristianos and along the way we found a cafe selling ‘The Best Mojitos’  We simply had to investigate the claim.  Now, I’m not sure they were the best, but they came close.
While we were analysing the Mojitos, Scamp was watching a lady sitting on the esplanade, apparently chopping up tee shirts and selling the chopped up articles.  I could see that her interest was piqued, so while I paid for the very good Mojitos, she went to see what the final cost of the tee shirt chopping was.  It turned out that the lady tie-dyed the tee shirts herself and sold them for the princely (or should that be princess-ly) sum of five Euros.  Yes, that was FIVE.  There are still bargains to be had if you just look.  Even better than the price, we watched her chop up a tee shirt for Scamp and the finished article could be bought in most high-street stores of a lot more than £5.  So, cheered up by a mojito and a bargain, we made our way home, and that was when I realised that the mojitos, while good, were not the best.  You see, we could walk home.  That would pose a problem with a REALLY good mojito inside you.  Then you stagger home.  We did that two years ago after a mojito each in Los Christianos.  The search for the Best Mojito continues!

When we got back to Fanabe which is the name for the area we are staying in, I suggested we might go for a coffee.  My ulterior motive was to see if The Pantry still sold the lethal Barraquito.  It did and that is what I had while Scamp had a simple white coffee.  A Barraquito is condensed milk, topped with espresso, which is topped with Liquor 43, which is topped with steamed milk.  This multi-layered drink is served in a short glass and after the barista’s skill in making it, you stir all the layers and drink it in one or two gulps.  Delicious.  Success, they still sold Barraquitos.  That would suffice for my alcohol content for a while.  When we got to the hotel, we went up to the roof to relax and that’s where today’s PoD came from.  I just glanced up and there they were silhouetted in the sunset.  Just a grab shot, but it worked.

After dinner we went to see what the singer was like.  Last night’s was awful.  Tonight’s was simply uninteresting.  We went to watch Kiddies Club and Scamp got involved singing the kids songs while we tried to play Rummikub!  The main entertainment was a bloke playing violin and a flamenco dancer.  She was good.  He was good, but they were nowhere near as entertaining as last night’s combo.

Tomorrow we may go looking again for the ultimate Mojito!  Maybe on the wee train!

This isn’t Kansas–08 November 2017

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P1030486Woke after a noisy night to sunshine. 

The noise was just normal traffic noise and also a bin lorry reversing into the hotel at 3.30am!  I was annoyed, but think of the poor driver of the bin lorry who was probably halfway through is shift by 3.30am.  Almost as bad as the drivers who were running nose to tail into Embra at 7.30am yesterday morning.  We should be thankful for small mercies.

Today was a much, much more relaxed sort of day.  After breakfast we went to investigate the top floor, ie roof of the hotel.  That is where the sunbathing area is.  There’s also a nudist part, carefully screened off from the punters so as not to frighten the horses, or those of a nervous disposition.  We didn’t go in, just in case you’re wondering.  No, we spent our morning simply soaking up the scenery and the sun from floor 5.  That’s where today’s PoD came from.  When we felt we had made the most of that, we went for a walk along the front in the opposite direction to yesterday.  Walking right instead of left took us in the direction of the really, and I mean REALLY posh hotels.  Brought back memories of a great lunch followed by an expensive G&T the last time we were here.  

Later  we went for lunch in our own hotel.  It was meant to be a fairly light lunch, so I started with cold meat and salad.  However, Scamp’s half a roast chicken was too much of a temptation, so I went for that as my main course with brussel sprouts.  Yes, I realise that’s a Christmas thing, but there is a Christmas tree up in Reception, so it’s fair.  We rested for a while before going for a swim in the heated pool.  I don’t know how ‘heated’ it is, but it’s much more comfortable than the cold plunge pools up on level 5.

When the sun went down behind the apartment blocks that surround the pool, we headed back up the level 5 to grab some more sun to help us dry off.  Snoozed for a while there and then it was time to get ready for dinner.  It really is a merry-go-round of eating in these hotels!  On the way back to the room we found two lost ladies.  Russian? Polish? Danish? Dutch?  We didn’t find out, but I took them to reception, because that was where they wanted to go.  This hotel is a bit of a maze. 

After dinner, which for me WAS a light dinner, just a salad and a lovely vegetarian stew, we went for a walk down to the esplanade.  After that we listened for a while to  a truly awful singer and then gave up and went to watch the Alma Show which turned out to be the best show we’ve seen in ages.  It was part drag show and part dance show.  All done in the best possible taste.  Really excellent entertainment. 

Now I’m sitting on the balcony writing this blog in total darkness!  So goodnight!

Tuesday Morning 4am – 7 November 2017

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P1030480That’s the time we set on the alarm and that’s the time we got up.

It was a bit of a shock getting up and out this early, but we had just handed the keys in when the bus arrived to take us to the airport.  It only took about ten minutes for the journey then we dropped the bags and got through security.  We had our overpriced breakfast at All Bar One.  Scamp’s was cold and the girl took it away and brought it back on a hot plate.  Eggs and toast were the same, still cold, but the plate was hot.

The flight left on time and just as we were climbing over the M8 we could see the long queue of cars heading in to Embra.  Probably the beginning of  a long day for some unlucky people, and the prospect of the same queues going home.  We, however, were off to sunny climes.

Because we were almost first in the queue for the bag drop at the airport, we were in the last lot to get our cases from the carousel.  It’s always the way at airports.  First on, last off.  However, the taxi was waiting for us and we were soon at the hotel.  Room wouldn’t be ready until between 2pm and 4pm, but that’s normal.  No big deal, we left the big cases at reception and went and had lunch, then went for a quick walk around the hotel.  When we went back the room was ready and they were putting up the Christmas decorations!  This one of my pet hates.  Christmas decorations in November.

Room looked fine.  Only on the first floor, but that’s ok by me.  It was a bit noisy because we are right next to the road, but again, that’s fine.  Had a Hotel Beer and everything was sorted. We went for a walk around the town to see what had changed (not much) and make sure some of the cafes and restaurants we wanted to go to were still there (they were).   Today’s PoD came from the walk.  Away to the south near the strangely named Port Colon (hopefully means something better in Spanish).  Cows on castors, what a strange idea!

Dinner was a low key affair, no posh dressing up here.  After dinner we sat at the front of the hotel in the covered area listening to a bloke singing.  One couple got up and danced a very strange, almost balletic dance.  Then the woman danced in the same style, but solo.  Another couple fumbled their way through Ceroc to a tune and finally an old couple (even older than us) got up and danced a swing routine.  I could see Scamp champing at the bit to dance some salsa.  Finally our chance came and we danced along with the old couple to a Spanish tune.

That was it.  Too many beers, too many G&Ts, not enough sleep last night and not enough energy tonight.  Tomorrow is another day.

On our way–06 November 2017

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Today was a sitting around, waiting sort of day.  It always is a bit of a waste, waiting for the holiday to start, but we’re on our way.  We’re in Embra!

Scamp went out and got her hair cut in the morning while I put the finishing touches to my packing.  When she came back, we had lunch and waited for the big hand to crawl round to twelve, five times.  Well, actually for six times, but after five times, it was time to make the dinner and stop farting about with cases and bags and bags within bags.  You know the feeling. 

How much is the allowance?  15kg?  I’ve only got 11kg. 
How much is the hand luggage allowance?  5kg?  I’ve got 5.3kg what can I swap over.

As if anyone at check-in cares in the slightest at this end. At the other end, well?  Who knows after Article 51 of Brexit was triggered, they, the anonymous THEY, are looking for every little thing to trip up us poor British.  Oh, by the way, if you’re Spanish and you’re reading this, you’re doing a great job.  I’ve always liked the Spanish.  We’ve a lot in common with you.  Oh yes, and I’m not British, I’m Scottish.  We voted to stay in, don’t you know!

As soon as 5pm chimed, I was up out of my chair and making the dinner.  Monday, so it had to be pasta.  Monday is pasta day.  Either white pasta (Carbonara) or red pasta (Ragu).  Tonight it was white pasta with penne, not spaghetti.

When the big hand climbed to nine, it’s normally the time to get ready to salsa, but not tonight.  I got a bit ‘*twitchy*’ when it got near salsa time, but maintained my composure and waited until 6.15 to panic.  Are we ready to go?  Yes? Let’s go then.  Car loaded with the cases and bags.  All checked and ready for the off.  We drove to Embra and under the instructions of the sat-nav found tonight’s hotel without any problem.

Tomorrow we prepare ourselves to fly through the air in an armchair.

Walking in the sunshine – 5 November 2017

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Another cold night last night. Temperature this morning was around 2ºc. It did rise to almost comfortable numbers, as long as you were well wrapped up.

It took quite a while for the temperature to rise and that’s my excuse for not getting the bike out of the storage room. I could say cold storage, but that might be a pun too far. I didn’t take the bike. I wish I had now, because in the sun it felt warm and there was no wind.

Just after midday I decided that it would be more sensible to go for a walk in the bright sunshine and get some pictures than to drag the bike out, pump up the tyres (if I could find the pump), get dressed for cycling and head out. For some reason, Auchinstarry is becoming very popular at weekends. I think it must be a place to park the car, then take the bike along the railway path or the canal towpath. I was doing the canal towpath then the railway path.

There wasn’t all that much wildlife to see along the route, but I stopped when I was crossing the Plantation to listen and look. The sky was clear, so you could see for miles. Far enough to see a tiny wee dot that gradually circled near enough to resolve itself into a high flying buzzard. What could it see from that viewpoint? Listening, at first there was only silence. Then gradually the noises of the countyside came in, mainly rustling of the leaves in the giant copper beech beside the path. As I was beginning to hear this, a breeze blew and the leaves flew across the path. Then traffic sounds came in and a passenger plane crossed the sky heading for Glasgow and the rustling of the leaves was gone as was the buzzard. Possibly just over a minute of natural sights and sounds in a 21st century day. Worth watching and listening to if you get the chance.

Walked back to the car and joined the real world again. Drove home and processed the photos for today. Today’s PoD is the macro shot of the moss. Usually I shoot the fruiting bodies, but the red spikes made a change. I also liked the single leaf. Yes, yes, I know. NO PICTURES OF AUTUMN LEAVES. I made the rule, so I can break it. I could say it wasn’t the colours that drew me in, but it was. That and the fact that I was shooting into the light. In fact, in both cases I was shooting into the light, contre jour. I like that lighting. It can give more intense colour in the subject and less colour in the background.

Not a bad day for a walk then. Just a pity I didn’t take the bike, like everyone else at Auchinstarry.

Tomorrow I might go in to Glasgow to get a couple of cheap sketchbooks. Maybe toned ones for a change.

Up the Tak Ma Doon – 4 November 2017

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After a couple of early rises and stravaigin’ days, it was time for a lazy start and a short run in the Juke.

It was a lovely morning and it seemed a shame to waste it on a long run, so we drove to Stirling over the Tak Ma Doon road. It’s the first time the Juke has been up it and although it’s only about 3 miles long, in that 3 miles it reputedly climbs nearly 1,000 feet. That’s just over 300 metres. Given that almost half those 3 miles is on a gentle climb, the other mile and a half is the demanding part with a few climbs over 16%, ending in a 19% incline. A good test for the Juke. It did ok in Normal mode, but baulked a bit at that last climb. Not as good as the old Megane. It cruised up most of the way with a need for 2nd gear near the summit. The Juke needed 1st for the final assault. Disappointing, but then am I really comparing apples with apples when I’m judging a 1.6 litre against a 1.3 turbo? Perhaps not. Next time I’ll use Sport mode and see how the Juke performs then.

The real reason for taking the Tak Ma Doon road was to get some photos on the other side of the Campsies, on the run down into Stirling. There’s a gate halfway down that road with a draw-in beside it where the sky simply takes over. It’s near Loch Coulter and looking over to Muirpark Farm. That’s where I has heading for. I missed the first bit of good light, but took some photos of the twists and turns of the road over the hill we’d just climbed in the Juke. As I was framing up the farmhouse, a rain shower started, an then a rainbow appeared. It just grew and grew until it became the full bow, starting at the farmhouse and ending on the road away towards Stirling. I got as many shots as I could before it disintegrated. Like I said on Flickr, I could have faked it using Photoshop, but it was so much nicer to just shoot it first hand.  The rain shower didn’t last and with a few shots in the bag, we drove on under a blue sky to Stirling.

Neither of us really wanted any lunch, so we just had a coffee  in Nero and watched hoards of Asian tourists, presumably from a bus tour, taking hundreds of selfies and photographs of groups of their friends in Stirling main street.  We’ve all been strangers in a strange land sometimes.  After coffee and a bite to eat we headed for home.  I’m guessing they did too.

Tonight we went to see the fireworks at St Mo’s. A strange place to have a fireworks show, in a school grounds, but I suppose there’s plenty of parking there and easy access for the fire brigade if the need arises! It didn’t arise, but the fire engine did pass us a couple of times. Quite a spectacular show, lasting just about the predicted half an hour. Such a waste of money though. I always feel it could be better spent than on pyrotechnics. That said, it’s better spent on a fireworks show than on a councillors Christmas junket.

It was the monochrome photo of the road and the trees that got PoD today.

No plans for tomorrow, but the weather looks good. May take the bike out of retirement for a run.

Out West – 3 November 2017

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Not Troon and not Ayr, two of our favourite west coast places. No, it was the one between. The Cinderella of the west coast, Prestwick. That was our destination today.

Coincidentally, Prestwick was one of the favourite destinations for Sunday School trips. It had sea, sand and usually rain, so it fitted the bill perfectly. Today however, we were going for lunch. Scamp had an Itison booking for Elliots and we were going on the bus so I could have a glass of wine with my lunch. What could make it better? It was raining.

Out early, which is any time before 10am and this was just about 10am. We got the bus in to Glasgow and then the X77 to Prestwick. That’s when it started raining. We walked along Prestwick main street which didn’t take very long because, apart from some coffee shops there was very little to see. Lunch was really quite good. That may sound like faint praise, but apart from an over-sweet starter and Scamp’s chicken tempura instead of the vegetable she ordered, it was excellent. The aforementioned starter shortcomings reduced Excellent to Quite Good.

After lunch we caught the bus into Ayr. Ayr was almost like Muirkirk yesterday. Not closed, but closed up. There were an amazing number of ‘For Lease’ signs all over the town. It looked like there were much more boarded up signs than the last time we were there. We didn’t even go down the beach this time, just wandered round the shops and that is where I saw today’s PoD.

As darkness began to fall and the light faded we boarded the bus for Glasgow and then the bus home. Not before we froze for a while in the bus station in Ayr where there is no waiting room, no toilets, not even an overpriced newsagents. What they do have is a row of cold aluminium seats and that’s where we sat for almost half an hour. For those tourists flying in to Prestwick then going to Ayr before travelling on, Welcome To Scotland.

Thankfully both bus journeys home were quick, comfortable and with good connections. They weren’t First Bus, of course, they were Stagecoach. You could tell as soon as you sat down on the seats. First Bus have seats made of plywood and cloth. Stagecoach insert a layer of foam plastic between those two strata. That’s one difference. Also, Stagecoach buses have heaters that heat. That’s another difference.

Tomorrow? Maybe Glasgow, maybe Stirling. Probably driving.

Strathaven & Sunday School Trips – 2 November 2017

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Just another of Scotland’s spelling mistakes. Not pronounced Strath Aven, but Stray Ven. Why? It just is.  OK?

Drove up to Strathaven and parked just off the Common Green then walked to the park. As I was getting my camera bag out of the car I saw my PoD, that’s it up at the top. It was the low directional light I liked and the way it produced the radiating shadows from the gate. One in the bag almost before we’d even gone a step!

Still, the reason we were in Strathaven was to go for a walk in the park. If you live, or have lived in Lanarkshire, you will almost certainly have been to Strathaven Park at some time in your life. Years ago it was THE place to go for Sunday School Trips. That was back in the days when almost everyone you knew went to Sunday School every Sunday. I was going to say we went there religiously, but thought better of it! A Sunday School Trip was just a giant picnic somewhere, once a year in the summer. If it rained, and it usually did, a church hall would have been commandeered and there we would eat our ‘pieces’, cakes and biscuits. We would drink our diluted orange juice or milky tea both would have been dispensed from giant teapots. Pre-made milky tea straight from the teapot? Maybe that’s why I gave up drinking my tea with milk when I was about 15. Sunday School Trips were sometimes to the coast, like Ayr or Troon, but sometimes it was to a park, like Strathaven Park, or John Hastie Park to give it its proper name. As I remember it, it was great fun, but those were simpler times and a day in the park with cold meat paste ‘pieces’ washed down with cool milky tea wouldn’t interest too many of today’s teenagers. <Reading that back, I sound like some old codger!>

It had been a cold morning and I almost expected to see ice on the boating pond, but it was just one big flat calm stretch of water. That’s it above, sort of. It’s been dunked in a bucket of Photoshop and wrung out to dry. It’s actually a mirror image of the boating pond and what you see is the reflection slightly desaturated and cropped to remove the ‘real’ scene. I think it’s quite effective.

We had lunch in a wee cafe we went to the last time we were in Strathaven. Last time we sat outside in the sun, but that was August and this was November and the temperature was around 9ºc so we had an inside seat.

We left Strathaven behind and headed up the road to Muirkirk. It was a pleasant enough run on a beautiful day, but when we go there, it was shut. Not just one shop, but both shops were shut! Not much of a tourist trap then. Maybe we went there on the wrong day, but I don’t think so. Drove back by a different route through Douglas then on to the M74 and home.

Beautiful day, good company and an interesting walk, even if I was walking through a different park, one from fifty years ago.

Tomorrow we have lunch booked.

Messages and Beer – 1 November 2017

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Yet another dull, dreich day.

I thought we should really go out somewhere today, even if it was just to get messages. That’s what we did. We drove to Falkirk in the rain, essentially to get some beer. I did get some beer, it wasn’t the beer I’d gone for, but at least we got out. We just drove home after that, again in the rain. It was that sort of day. A day when you felt you had to go out, but when you were out you didn’t want to be there, if that makes sense. Maybe it’s something that just happens to me!

The same thing happened later in the afternoon when I walked over to St Mo’s to see if there were any photos wanting to be taken. Then the sun came out and I started to enjoy the experience. I also started to actively look for photos instead of just clicking the shutter. Making photos rather than just taking them.

Processed the photos when I got back and then it was time for dinner which was fish ‘n’ chips made tonight by Scamp.

Drove to salsa and am at present sitting out writing the blog because there are far too many men and most of the beginners are so thick they can’t count. They also don’t seem to know the difference between Forward and Back. I feel sorry for Jamie because he’s trying his best to explain the moves, but some people don’t seem to listen.

Tomorrow it looks like it will be dry, bright and cold. We may go out tomorrow if we can borrow a coat to wear!