It's a long time since the boys used to go out guising at Halloween to visit the neighbours and perform a song, poem or joke for their satsuma and monkey nuts. When they were small I used to go with them and in later years I was glad to delegate this task to Jamie! They dressed up in various costumes over the years, for example spacemen, vampires (wearing a magnificent cloak made by my Mum) or monsters. One of my favourites was a very cool pumpkin costume worn by David with a pair of green tights on his skinny wee legs.
This year we decided that a good way to celebrate Halloween would be to watch a scary film with the lights out. I have watched remarkably few scary films in my time, but I remember when they really were scary - I watched Friday the 13th on television about 30 years ago and nearly fell off the couch at the unexpected ending! I also remember watching an obscure film which involved a sinister face appearing in a driver's mirror as he drove along a dark road at night. To this day I always check the back seat of the car carefully before setting off if I am driving at night!
Anyway, Cat was round, and after perusing the films on offer we decided on a film called "The Cabin in the Woods", released earlier this year, which Ally and Cat had heard was quite good. It's certainly quite a modern twist on the genre and they have put in a bit of humour - it's a bit of a parody of horror films. However when it came to being scary it left me completely unmoved; not even a frisson of terror passed through me. I reflected that it's a long, long time since anything on film has had the power to scare me. I think that this is because as I get older I find real life, both personally and in the wider world, to be at times so scary and horrifying that a scary film is nothing but a poor imitation.
Wednesday 31 October 2012
Tuesday 30 October 2012
I am excited about a boiler
While the weather here in the west of Scotland does not have the severity of "Super-storm Sandy" which has been battering New York today, we have definitely moved from "autumnal" to "wintry." I was at the swimming pool with a group of pupils today and I was too blasé to wear a jacket; I regretted this as we emerged into icy rain after our swim. Our house is becoming increasingly difficult to keep warm and we are having to keep the doors closed in the back room to attempt to build up the heat in the room.
So I was pleased to hear from James that he has ordered a new boiler, which will be installed at the end of November. It's 30% more efficient and its capacity is greater, so James thinks it will produce about twice as much heat. Hooray! Because the weather is going to get a lot colder and as I sit here blogging this evening my nose is already cold like a wee dog's nose! The other good thing is that we have got a £400 grant from the Energy Savings Trust and we also got a discount on the boiler itself. It's not like me to get excited about something so sensible but we have had some very chilly times in this house - in extreme weather we have had to retreat to one room and turn off the radiators in the other rooms, and we have also had to give unsuspecting guests cardigans and jumpers to keep them warm! So roll on a cosy winter!
So I was pleased to hear from James that he has ordered a new boiler, which will be installed at the end of November. It's 30% more efficient and its capacity is greater, so James thinks it will produce about twice as much heat. Hooray! Because the weather is going to get a lot colder and as I sit here blogging this evening my nose is already cold like a wee dog's nose! The other good thing is that we have got a £400 grant from the Energy Savings Trust and we also got a discount on the boiler itself. It's not like me to get excited about something so sensible but we have had some very chilly times in this house - in extreme weather we have had to retreat to one room and turn off the radiators in the other rooms, and we have also had to give unsuspecting guests cardigans and jumpers to keep them warm! So roll on a cosy winter!
Sunday 28 October 2012
The name's Bond
Today we belatedly celebrated David's birthday by going to his favourite restaurant (TGIF of course!) followed by a visit to the cinema to see the newly released James Bond latest film - Skyfall. And what a great day we have had. Ally joined us at TGIF straight from his train; he had been through in Edinburgh seeing Cat. He had watched the film with her on Friday evening, dressed in a tuxedo (Ally is always stylish and loves an opportunity to dress up!), however he had enjoyed it so much that he decided to watch it again with us. The film has received very good reviews and I certainly had no complaints: the action sequences had me on the edge of my seat and I enjoyed it fine. The theme tune by Adele has also been much praised; I thought that while it is pleasant enough it's not very original - every time she sings "Sky-faaaaall!" you could easily insert "Diamonds are forever" instead, because the two tunes seem very similar to me. Daniel Craig is excellent as a slightly weary but valiant Bond, and Dame Judi outshines the other Bond girls (not bad for a seventy-seven year old!)
Later Grandma came round for tea as she always does on a Sunday evening and we watched the dance-off on Strictly Come Dancing. Strictly is an old favourite and also a bonding experience for me and Grandma, especially since James is not so keen on it as we are!
Later Grandma came round for tea as she always does on a Sunday evening and we watched the dance-off on Strictly Come Dancing. Strictly is an old favourite and also a bonding experience for me and Grandma, especially since James is not so keen on it as we are!
Saturday 27 October 2012
Outside gym
It was a fine autumn day so James and I went to the west end and had a walk in the Botanic Gardens. I thoroughly enjoyed it (it was my idea) but James was disgruntled because he had wanted to go for a bigger walk; he then developed a headache and when we got home he took to his bed for the afternoon.
Anyway the autumn colours of the trees were beautiful and when we walked down to the river a little grey squirrel came running right up to us, begging on its hind legs for something to eat! It was very sweet but unfortunately we had nothing to give it. As we continued along the river I saw something that I thought at first was a play park but upon closer scrutiny was a gorgeous little outside gym. I tried out some of the sturdy equipment and it all works well; I wasn't working too hard because I had a cup of coffee in one hand! James says that these outdoor gyms are all the rage; there is one in the park opposite his work now. I love the idea!
When we came to the Kibble Palace we went in for a stroll round only to find a Woodwind group preforming a mix of classical music for charity. It was lovely music. We headed home via Waitrose where I got some globe artichokes - I have such good memories of eating these in France in the 1980s - which we will have tomorrow night. By this time James (not a fan of shopping at the best of times!) was like a dying swan so I couldn't linger long!
Update at 11 p.m. - we have just had a really good evening with Grandma at "The Magic Flute" at the Theatre Royal. First we went for a pre-theatre meal at the Piping Centre which was excellent. The opera was very good apart from some boring Masonic-type rituals in the second half, and the singers were all great especially Mari Moriya who played the Queen of the Night. James was feeling better and we all enjoyed it very much.
Anyway the autumn colours of the trees were beautiful and when we walked down to the river a little grey squirrel came running right up to us, begging on its hind legs for something to eat! It was very sweet but unfortunately we had nothing to give it. As we continued along the river I saw something that I thought at first was a play park but upon closer scrutiny was a gorgeous little outside gym. I tried out some of the sturdy equipment and it all works well; I wasn't working too hard because I had a cup of coffee in one hand! James says that these outdoor gyms are all the rage; there is one in the park opposite his work now. I love the idea!
When we came to the Kibble Palace we went in for a stroll round only to find a Woodwind group preforming a mix of classical music for charity. It was lovely music. We headed home via Waitrose where I got some globe artichokes - I have such good memories of eating these in France in the 1980s - which we will have tomorrow night. By this time James (not a fan of shopping at the best of times!) was like a dying swan so I couldn't linger long!
Update at 11 p.m. - we have just had a really good evening with Grandma at "The Magic Flute" at the Theatre Royal. First we went for a pre-theatre meal at the Piping Centre which was excellent. The opera was very good apart from some boring Masonic-type rituals in the second half, and the singers were all great especially Mari Moriya who played the Queen of the Night. James was feeling better and we all enjoyed it very much.
Friday 26 October 2012
Gifted Cat
James has been down south three days this week which means that he has to leave the house hours before the rest of us get up. We all tend to struggle to get up without James' prompting, and often it is left to my furry boy Jack to wake me. He waits until both alarms have gone off and if I don't get up he jumps up onto the bed and walks up and down on me. If that doesn't work he sits on my chest and stares at me to see if my eyes are open, and stretches out his claws gently to touch my face. That usually does the trick.
However today Jack surpassed himself. After he had gone through his usual routine I was still dozing a bit, and when I opened my eyes he was pulling the duvet off my face with his teeth! I'm not kidding, he was actually using his teeth to pull it back! I am so proud of my clever cat and I immediately texted James in London to let him know and James was suitably impressed.
However today Jack surpassed himself. After he had gone through his usual routine I was still dozing a bit, and when I opened my eyes he was pulling the duvet off my face with his teeth! I'm not kidding, he was actually using his teeth to pull it back! I am so proud of my clever cat and I immediately texted James in London to let him know and James was suitably impressed.
Wednesday 24 October 2012
Return to Ulysses
I seem to have a compulsion to read a very big book every now and then. Currently (and for the foreseeable future!) it is Proust's A la Recherche du Temps Perdu. A year ago it was James Joyce's Ulysses, which took me a huge chunk of the summer to read. So when I saw that a production of Ulysses was coming to the Tron Theatre I rushed to obtain tickets for me and my theatre going chum Heather.
First of all we went, at Heather's suggestion, to Café Gandolfi, an old haunt with many good memories for me, and the meal was very nice; we both declared that we must go back there more often.
The performance of Ulysses did not disappoint. The cast were very good, particularly the actors playing Molly and Leopold. Molly was amazingly like my mental image of the character with a voluptuous figure and red curls. The story translated well to the stage, in fact I thought it was better when performed than read. I think the length of the play was about two hours and twenty minutes, so it was definitely condensed but it didn't feel as if it was cut short in any way. Heather and I both noticed a woman sitting behind us with a very annoying laugh; plenty of people were laughing at appropriate moments during the play but this person seemed to be trying to demonstrate that she found it more amusing than anyone else. However it didn't spoil the play for us. The bit that dragged for me was the late night hallucinations of Leopold and Stephen Daedalus, which was not surprising because it also dragged for me when I read the book.
It's always a pleasant experience going to the theatre with Heather because we both enjoy trying new plays and it's fun discussing them afterwards. The play was a welcome return to Ulysses for me and I thoroughly enjoyed the evening.
First of all we went, at Heather's suggestion, to Café Gandolfi, an old haunt with many good memories for me, and the meal was very nice; we both declared that we must go back there more often.
The performance of Ulysses did not disappoint. The cast were very good, particularly the actors playing Molly and Leopold. Molly was amazingly like my mental image of the character with a voluptuous figure and red curls. The story translated well to the stage, in fact I thought it was better when performed than read. I think the length of the play was about two hours and twenty minutes, so it was definitely condensed but it didn't feel as if it was cut short in any way. Heather and I both noticed a woman sitting behind us with a very annoying laugh; plenty of people were laughing at appropriate moments during the play but this person seemed to be trying to demonstrate that she found it more amusing than anyone else. However it didn't spoil the play for us. The bit that dragged for me was the late night hallucinations of Leopold and Stephen Daedalus, which was not surprising because it also dragged for me when I read the book.
It's always a pleasant experience going to the theatre with Heather because we both enjoy trying new plays and it's fun discussing them afterwards. The play was a welcome return to Ulysses for me and I thoroughly enjoyed the evening.
Tuesday 23 October 2012
May Ogilvie
I am so sorry to hear that my godmother May has died. She was a lovely person, full of life and fun, and I can hardly believe that I won't see her again. It's a shock because although she was in her late seventies she looked younger and had a really youthful outlook. She and her husband Raymond emigrated to Canada as a young married couple in the 1960s and settled in Mississauga near Toronto, where they lived happily for the rest of their life together. They made frequent visits back to Scotland to see friends and family, and that's when we would see them. I remember seeing May at a family wedding and she was carrying a tiny baby who I think was premature. This was Graeme, the elder of her two boys, the younger one being Keith. May absolutely adored her two boys and always used to tell us how they were getting on.
James and I, Ally and Davie visited May and Raymond in 2008 when we were on holiday in Canada. Their home is beautiful and they made us feel so welcome. They picked us up in their car from our hotel in Toronto and took us to Niagara on the Lake which is beautiful, and to the canal which bypasses Niagara Falls. Ally and Davie liked them very much too, May had such a gift for being genuinely interested in people and the boys instantly took to her. Later we went back to their house where Raymond was in charge of barbecuing the steaks on their amazing huge outdoors gas barbecue, while May bustled about in the kitchen and prepared gorgeous side dishes and salads. Raymond was so busy chatting that he almost let the steaks burn, and it was a really happy evening sitting in their lovely garden. They were such a great couple and lived life to the full, travelling as well as playing an active part in their community. Both May and Raymond were doctors; May was an anaesthetist, and she was always asking about Jamie's medical studies and she and Raymond always spoke to him like a fellow professional even though they were eminent doctors and Jamie just a student starting out.
In the last few years May got into emailing which was great, and we exchanged emails regularly which made it easier to keep in touch. May was very kind to me when my Mum died and told me stories of their youth.
The last time that we saw May and Raymond was in September last year, when we met up with them and Raymond's sister Anne for a very enjoyable lunch in St Andrews. As usual they were great company, telling us stories of their travels. May had a gorgeous Scottish / Canadian accent which was very attractive.
This year they were very much looking forward to their son Graeme's wedding to Priscilla in Brazil in the summer. It took place before May fell ill so I'm glad that she got the chance to enjoy it. Jamie, Ally and Davie were all upset when we told them that May has died; she was just one of those really good people that you feel lucky to have in your life. We will miss her.
James and I, Ally and Davie visited May and Raymond in 2008 when we were on holiday in Canada. Their home is beautiful and they made us feel so welcome. They picked us up in their car from our hotel in Toronto and took us to Niagara on the Lake which is beautiful, and to the canal which bypasses Niagara Falls. Ally and Davie liked them very much too, May had such a gift for being genuinely interested in people and the boys instantly took to her. Later we went back to their house where Raymond was in charge of barbecuing the steaks on their amazing huge outdoors gas barbecue, while May bustled about in the kitchen and prepared gorgeous side dishes and salads. Raymond was so busy chatting that he almost let the steaks burn, and it was a really happy evening sitting in their lovely garden. They were such a great couple and lived life to the full, travelling as well as playing an active part in their community. Both May and Raymond were doctors; May was an anaesthetist, and she was always asking about Jamie's medical studies and she and Raymond always spoke to him like a fellow professional even though they were eminent doctors and Jamie just a student starting out.
In the last few years May got into emailing which was great, and we exchanged emails regularly which made it easier to keep in touch. May was very kind to me when my Mum died and told me stories of their youth.
The last time that we saw May and Raymond was in September last year, when we met up with them and Raymond's sister Anne for a very enjoyable lunch in St Andrews. As usual they were great company, telling us stories of their travels. May had a gorgeous Scottish / Canadian accent which was very attractive.
This year they were very much looking forward to their son Graeme's wedding to Priscilla in Brazil in the summer. It took place before May fell ill so I'm glad that she got the chance to enjoy it. Jamie, Ally and Davie were all upset when we told them that May has died; she was just one of those really good people that you feel lucky to have in your life. We will miss her.
Sunday 21 October 2012
And the ship sails on
Tonight the Navigator of the Seas is sailing south again towards Sicily, on its last week of Mediterranean cruising before it heads to the Caribbean for the winter. However we are no longer aboard, because today was the last day of our holiday and we have flown home.
The day went well; we didn't have a particularly early start because we didn't have to leave the ship until a civilised 9.30 a.m. We shared a taxi to Fiumicino with a group of six very friendly Norwegians who had all been celebrating their 30th wedding anniversaries. They all had lots of children and their hobby seemed to be deer shooting! The lively journey took about an hour and soon we were checked in and ready to go. Unfortunately the plane was not ready to go due to a technical fault! We were delayed for an hour and a half, which was not disastrous but by this time we were keen to just get home. The journey then continued with no further incident and I was glad that we had booked the meal option because by now it was mid-afternoon and we were quite hungry. The plane actually ran out of food so everyone else must have been hungry too.
It was great to see Davie safe home from his Duke of Edinburgh expedition. I am delighted to say that he has now passed his Gold expedition section. He had enjoyed walking in the Lake District but it was very demanding and he is absolutely shattered! When he set off home he accidentally got on a bus from Keswick to Preston instead of Penrith and found himself sixty miles further south than he should have been! David claims that he was dehydrated and exhausted and that's why he was confused! Anyway he asked for directions and managed to get on a train that was going north, so all was well. And the train conductor very kindly didn't charge him the extra fare.
Also at home we were very pleased to find Jamie, who was home for the weekend. He had lots of stories to tell us about his placements and was full of the joys as usual. Grandma came round and we all had a Chinese meal and a good chat; Grandma loves to hear about Jamie's love life! The only person who was missing was Alasdair; he has been in Edinburgh visiting Cat for the weekend; he phoned to say hello and we will see him tomorrow. And so we are home again home again jiggety jig, and it's time for me to go to bed.
The day went well; we didn't have a particularly early start because we didn't have to leave the ship until a civilised 9.30 a.m. We shared a taxi to Fiumicino with a group of six very friendly Norwegians who had all been celebrating their 30th wedding anniversaries. They all had lots of children and their hobby seemed to be deer shooting! The lively journey took about an hour and soon we were checked in and ready to go. Unfortunately the plane was not ready to go due to a technical fault! We were delayed for an hour and a half, which was not disastrous but by this time we were keen to just get home. The journey then continued with no further incident and I was glad that we had booked the meal option because by now it was mid-afternoon and we were quite hungry. The plane actually ran out of food so everyone else must have been hungry too.
It was great to see Davie safe home from his Duke of Edinburgh expedition. I am delighted to say that he has now passed his Gold expedition section. He had enjoyed walking in the Lake District but it was very demanding and he is absolutely shattered! When he set off home he accidentally got on a bus from Keswick to Preston instead of Penrith and found himself sixty miles further south than he should have been! David claims that he was dehydrated and exhausted and that's why he was confused! Anyway he asked for directions and managed to get on a train that was going north, so all was well. And the train conductor very kindly didn't charge him the extra fare.
Also at home we were very pleased to find Jamie, who was home for the weekend. He had lots of stories to tell us about his placements and was full of the joys as usual. Grandma came round and we all had a Chinese meal and a good chat; Grandma loves to hear about Jamie's love life! The only person who was missing was Alasdair; he has been in Edinburgh visiting Cat for the weekend; he phoned to say hello and we will see him tomorrow. And so we are home again home again jiggety jig, and it's time for me to go to bed.
At Sea ... again
Our second whole day at sea and we decided to explore the last few bits of the ship that we hadn't seen yet. So we went up to the sports deck where there were basketball courts, mini golf, table tennis and an open air climbing wall. Soon James was climbing high aloft, with the enthusiasm of the Anderson male who likes to climb anything he sees!
We spent the rest of the day relaxing by the small pool. It was fascinating when we zig zagged through the narrowest part of the Strait of Messina, we could watch the captain through a viewing window as he worked with the Messina pilot, who had boarded from a small boat. There were signs saying "Do not knock on the window" so of course James and I were tempted to knock and then point accusingly at one of the other passengers. However we managed to restrain ourselves! Another highlight was passing the Aeolian islands. Most of them - Volcano, Lipari etc - were blue grey hills on the port side, seeming to float above the blue sea. On our starboard side we passed Stromboli which had some smoke coming out of its caldera. We passed it on the way south at the beginning of our holiday but only saw the green side with white houses clustering down at the shoreline. This time we could see that one side was covered in ash; it looked very active! I can't imagine what it must be like to live there! It was very beautiful in a threatening sort of way!
This evening was full of "lasts" - last swim and jacuzzi, last lovely dinner in the Swan Lake dining room, last drink in the Cosmpolitan Club, last dance at the disco. It really has been a great week. Will we go cruising again? Most definitely!
We spent the rest of the day relaxing by the small pool. It was fascinating when we zig zagged through the narrowest part of the Strait of Messina, we could watch the captain through a viewing window as he worked with the Messina pilot, who had boarded from a small boat. There were signs saying "Do not knock on the window" so of course James and I were tempted to knock and then point accusingly at one of the other passengers. However we managed to restrain ourselves! Another highlight was passing the Aeolian islands. Most of them - Volcano, Lipari etc - were blue grey hills on the port side, seeming to float above the blue sea. On our starboard side we passed Stromboli which had some smoke coming out of its caldera. We passed it on the way south at the beginning of our holiday but only saw the green side with white houses clustering down at the shoreline. This time we could see that one side was covered in ash; it looked very active! I can't imagine what it must be like to live there! It was very beautiful in a threatening sort of way!
This evening was full of "lasts" - last swim and jacuzzi, last lovely dinner in the Swan Lake dining room, last drink in the Cosmpolitan Club, last dance at the disco. It really has been a great week. Will we go cruising again? Most definitely!
Friday 19 October 2012
Sunset over the Ionian Sea
When we got back from our trip to Athens it was nearly time for the ship to sail. We sat on our balcony watching Piraeus recede behind us, then as we sailed along the Greek coast I went for an hour's sleep. James was made of sterner stuff and read his book on the balcony. Later on we went for a swim in the pool and a jacuzzi, and we watched the sun setting - it was very romantic.
Dinner was our second formal evening, I wore a silk dress, black with a floral print, and felt smart. James looked handsome in his tuxedo. We got our photos taken again, I dread to think what the outcome will be! At the end of dinner there was an announcement to thank our chefs, and lots of chefs came marching out of the kitchens and round all three levels of the dining rooms as "Tonight's going to be a good night" played and all the passengers clapped along! It was really nice because they certainly do an excellent job.
Then it was off for a drink to our favourite bar where there was a really good guitarist playing. James and I had a lovely chat; I have been feeling more and more relaxed over the course of the week and have been enjoying spending such a lot of time together. We are now sailing through the warm night on calm seas; from the balcony I can see stars above and far to the south the lights of a distant village on some Greek island shore.
Dinner was our second formal evening, I wore a silk dress, black with a floral print, and felt smart. James looked handsome in his tuxedo. We got our photos taken again, I dread to think what the outcome will be! At the end of dinner there was an announcement to thank our chefs, and lots of chefs came marching out of the kitchens and round all three levels of the dining rooms as "Tonight's going to be a good night" played and all the passengers clapped along! It was really nice because they certainly do an excellent job.
Then it was off for a drink to our favourite bar where there was a really good guitarist playing. James and I had a lovely chat; I have been feeling more and more relaxed over the course of the week and have been enjoying spending such a lot of time together. We are now sailing through the warm night on calm seas; from the balcony I can see stars above and far to the south the lights of a distant village on some Greek island shore.
A day at the Acropolis
Another early start because today was our Athens trip, which I was very excited about. I have never been to mainland Greece before and I have always wanted to visit the Parthenon. (James has just pointed out that I have been to Athens briefly in 2010 on my sad and lonely journey home from Lesvos when Mum was dying, but that airport transfer does not count as a visit!) We docked at Piraeus before dawn. Piraeus has been the port of Athens since the 5th century BC and it is very busy compared to the other ports that we have visited on the cruise. While we were having breakfast in our stateroom we could see lots of ferries going in and out.
We were ushered speedily onto our bus and were on our way by 7.15 a.m. We travelled past the harbours of Piraeus with their open air cafés and tangerine trees. From Piraeus we could see some hills in the centre of Athens, which is generally quite a low rise city on account of seismic activity. On one of the hills we could see the outline of the Acropolis. Our friendly tour guide Kris explained that "acro" means "top" and "polis" means "city" so the Acropolis is the highest part of the city, regarded as the best part, which is why it was used as a fortress and then dedicated to the Gods.
We saw the temple of Zeus on the way with its Corinthian columns which have flowers at the top. We stopped at the horseshoe shaped Panathenaic stadium; the only marble stadium in the world, which was built in 1896 on the same lines as an ancient stadium, for the 1st modern Olympics.
We also passed the government buildings which were peaceful today - yesterday on the news we'd seen people rioting around there and tear gas being used.
Soon we arrived at the Acropolis and walked up the hill on marble steps.
We passed the Odeon where Maria Callas and Pavarotti have performed.
The first temple we came to is dedicated to Athena Nike (victory) Ionic columns have a spiral scroll at the top. Next we passed the Pandroseion and Erechtheion temples, which are just down the hill beside the Parthenon. Athena struck a rock with her spear here to produce the first olive tree in the world! And there is still an olive tree here in her honour although this one was planted at the beginning of the 20th century. She was having a contest with Poseidon over who could offer the city of Athens the most precious gift, and her olive tree beat his salt water spring.
I particularly enjoyed being one of the fittest people on the tour although this wasn't saying much, because some of the others were so infirm or overweight that they were really struggling. It meant that James and I could wander around taking photos with absolutely no fear of being left behind! Also useful were the nifty radio headsets through which Kris's voice rang clear as a bell even if we were several yards away. Another bonus was being there so early in the morning; our tour was brought forward because of our change of itinerary but the benefit was that the acropolis was fairly quiet and pleasant when we arrived - by the time we left two hours later it was jumping.
And then we arrived at the Parthenon itself at the top of the hill. It was built in nine years and was inaugurated in 438 B.C. - most of the buildings on the Acropolis were built about the same time when Athens was quite strong after the Persian Wars, during which wars the previous temples had been destroyed. It is just amazing in its beautiful hilltop setting with the city of Athens spread below it. Its name means temple of the virgin Goddess. (Athena had many personas). The sides have twice as many columns, plus one, as the face. They are Doric, tapering in to the top to give the impression of height, and they are not monolithic; they are in slices, joined by iron in the middle. All the horizontals curve slightly upwards to give the impression of being horizontal, otherwise they would give the impression of sagging. It is such an impressive building but of course it has no roof. In fact the Parthenon was intact until 1687 when the Turks were using it as a gunpowder store. Oh dear, can you guess what's coming? Yes, the Venetians attacked, lobbed cannon balls at it and it blew up, with lots of damage including losing its roof. There is an ongoing restoration project using the same marble (from a local quarry) the marble starts white and matures to beige; it was a beautiful gold colour today in the sunshine. The sky was an amazing dark blue. We walked down a pleasant avenue to the new Acropolis museum, which is only three years old and of a very high standard. Kris gave us a very interesting talk as we went round; I was fascinated to find out that ancient Greek sculptures were brightly painted, because they were into realism, and it's only because the paint wore off that we have come to think of them as white. He told us so many interesting stories; Elgin (famed for his marbles!) is not a popular figure in Athens - they see him as a vandal as well as a thief and there are lots of reproductions in the museum to fill gaps where the originals are in the British museum.
Our final stop on our trip was the Plaka (which means "old"), it's the old town of Athens with narrow shopping streets. We had lunch in a very pleasant restaurant called Diogenes in the square beside the cathedral, then did a little light shopping. What a fantastic day.
We were ushered speedily onto our bus and were on our way by 7.15 a.m. We travelled past the harbours of Piraeus with their open air cafés and tangerine trees. From Piraeus we could see some hills in the centre of Athens, which is generally quite a low rise city on account of seismic activity. On one of the hills we could see the outline of the Acropolis. Our friendly tour guide Kris explained that "acro" means "top" and "polis" means "city" so the Acropolis is the highest part of the city, regarded as the best part, which is why it was used as a fortress and then dedicated to the Gods.
We saw the temple of Zeus on the way with its Corinthian columns which have flowers at the top. We stopped at the horseshoe shaped Panathenaic stadium; the only marble stadium in the world, which was built in 1896 on the same lines as an ancient stadium, for the 1st modern Olympics.
We also passed the government buildings which were peaceful today - yesterday on the news we'd seen people rioting around there and tear gas being used.
Soon we arrived at the Acropolis and walked up the hill on marble steps.
We passed the Odeon where Maria Callas and Pavarotti have performed.
The first temple we came to is dedicated to Athena Nike (victory) Ionic columns have a spiral scroll at the top. Next we passed the Pandroseion and Erechtheion temples, which are just down the hill beside the Parthenon. Athena struck a rock with her spear here to produce the first olive tree in the world! And there is still an olive tree here in her honour although this one was planted at the beginning of the 20th century. She was having a contest with Poseidon over who could offer the city of Athens the most precious gift, and her olive tree beat his salt water spring.
I particularly enjoyed being one of the fittest people on the tour although this wasn't saying much, because some of the others were so infirm or overweight that they were really struggling. It meant that James and I could wander around taking photos with absolutely no fear of being left behind! Also useful were the nifty radio headsets through which Kris's voice rang clear as a bell even if we were several yards away. Another bonus was being there so early in the morning; our tour was brought forward because of our change of itinerary but the benefit was that the acropolis was fairly quiet and pleasant when we arrived - by the time we left two hours later it was jumping.
And then we arrived at the Parthenon itself at the top of the hill. It was built in nine years and was inaugurated in 438 B.C. - most of the buildings on the Acropolis were built about the same time when Athens was quite strong after the Persian Wars, during which wars the previous temples had been destroyed. It is just amazing in its beautiful hilltop setting with the city of Athens spread below it. Its name means temple of the virgin Goddess. (Athena had many personas). The sides have twice as many columns, plus one, as the face. They are Doric, tapering in to the top to give the impression of height, and they are not monolithic; they are in slices, joined by iron in the middle. All the horizontals curve slightly upwards to give the impression of being horizontal, otherwise they would give the impression of sagging. It is such an impressive building but of course it has no roof. In fact the Parthenon was intact until 1687 when the Turks were using it as a gunpowder store. Oh dear, can you guess what's coming? Yes, the Venetians attacked, lobbed cannon balls at it and it blew up, with lots of damage including losing its roof. There is an ongoing restoration project using the same marble (from a local quarry) the marble starts white and matures to beige; it was a beautiful gold colour today in the sunshine. The sky was an amazing dark blue. We walked down a pleasant avenue to the new Acropolis museum, which is only three years old and of a very high standard. Kris gave us a very interesting talk as we went round; I was fascinated to find out that ancient Greek sculptures were brightly painted, because they were into realism, and it's only because the paint wore off that we have come to think of them as white. He told us so many interesting stories; Elgin (famed for his marbles!) is not a popular figure in Athens - they see him as a vandal as well as a thief and there are lots of reproductions in the museum to fill gaps where the originals are in the British museum.
Our final stop on our trip was the Plaka (which means "old"), it's the old town of Athens with narrow shopping streets. We had lunch in a very pleasant restaurant called Diogenes in the square beside the cathedral, then did a little light shopping. What a fantastic day.
Thursday 18 October 2012
A Cretan Trip
An early start for us today because we decided to take a bus tour on our visit to Crete. The ship slipped silently into the Bay of Souda before dawn. The ink black sea was like glass. We had breakfast in our stateroom before being escorted efficiently to our bus. We were actually supposed to be in Athens today but the Greeks are having a general strike because of the Greek Crisis, and all the museums including the Acropolis are shut; also there will be massive demonstrations. Crete is also affected by the strike but the tour buses are running. So our captain has changed our itinerary and we will be in Athens tomorrow.
Soon we were on our way. Crete is very beautiful; quite mountainous. Our first stop was at the Lake of Kournas which is very pretty with hills all around. It's their largest freshwater lake but in fact it's only about the size of Lanark Loch! We were given goat's cheese pancakes with honey (a local speciality) which James declined, not surprisingly given his distaste for both goat's cheese and honey! In fact he looked as if he was going to throw up at the very idea.
Our next stop was the Monastery of Arkadi which is very picturesque but which has a very sad past; it was besieged by Ottoman Turks in 1866. Their gunpowder stores exploded and more than a thousand monks and civilians were either blown up or killed by the Turks. Our tour guide Effie was very informative and told us a bit about the Greek Orthodox Church; their icons never smile and are very skinny because of fasting - any smiling plump icons have a western influence. It was a lovely temperature to be wandering around the monastery; warm and sunny but without the fierce heat that makes me swelter in Greece in July.
Effie also gave us lots of information about all aspects of the island of Crete as we travelled in the bus, including its history, culture and produce. She certainly knows a lot about olives! Her soothing voice had me drifting off to sleep from time to time, probably partly because my goat's cheese pancake was sitting rather uneasily in my stomach.
Finally we arrived in Rethymnon, self-styled "soul of Crete" where Effie took us on a guided walk through the old town with its narrow cobbled streets, past the Venetian harbour. It's a pretty wee town with the usual tourist shops and some Venetian buildings and a fountain. As we were walking along we could hear the shouts of a demonstration going on in the next street. And a few shops were closed because of the strike. James and I went for a wander round the streets and bought some souvenirs - James became so tired and fed up while I spent only a few minutes choosing some soap that we had to go for a drink at the lovely little harbour to revive him. I liked our waterfront café where the water was teeming with little fish; the waiters were friendly and the toilets were very clean. A very enjoyable trip.
Soon we were on our way. Crete is very beautiful; quite mountainous. Our first stop was at the Lake of Kournas which is very pretty with hills all around. It's their largest freshwater lake but in fact it's only about the size of Lanark Loch! We were given goat's cheese pancakes with honey (a local speciality) which James declined, not surprisingly given his distaste for both goat's cheese and honey! In fact he looked as if he was going to throw up at the very idea.
Our next stop was the Monastery of Arkadi which is very picturesque but which has a very sad past; it was besieged by Ottoman Turks in 1866. Their gunpowder stores exploded and more than a thousand monks and civilians were either blown up or killed by the Turks. Our tour guide Effie was very informative and told us a bit about the Greek Orthodox Church; their icons never smile and are very skinny because of fasting - any smiling plump icons have a western influence. It was a lovely temperature to be wandering around the monastery; warm and sunny but without the fierce heat that makes me swelter in Greece in July.
Effie also gave us lots of information about all aspects of the island of Crete as we travelled in the bus, including its history, culture and produce. She certainly knows a lot about olives! Her soothing voice had me drifting off to sleep from time to time, probably partly because my goat's cheese pancake was sitting rather uneasily in my stomach.
Finally we arrived in Rethymnon, self-styled "soul of Crete" where Effie took us on a guided walk through the old town with its narrow cobbled streets, past the Venetian harbour. It's a pretty wee town with the usual tourist shops and some Venetian buildings and a fountain. As we were walking along we could hear the shouts of a demonstration going on in the next street. And a few shops were closed because of the strike. James and I went for a wander round the streets and bought some souvenirs - James became so tired and fed up while I spent only a few minutes choosing some soap that we had to go for a drink at the lovely little harbour to revive him. I liked our waterfront café where the water was teeming with little fish; the waiters were friendly and the toilets were very clean. A very enjoyable trip.
Wednesday 17 October 2012
Happy Birthday David
Seventeen years ago today I gave birth to my youngest child, David. So I'm a bit sad that I am separated from him by many miles on his birthday. It's all in a good cause - he is in the Lake District doing his Gold Duke of Edinburgh qualifying expedition. I have tried to phone him quite a few times today but I think he must be mainly out of phone reception, and he has tried to phone me once but I missed it. However I have texted him to wish him a happy birthday and we will have a proper celebration next week. I also let him know that I secretly slipped a birthday card and some money into his rucksack in case he gets a chance to buy something.
Meanwhile we had a splendid Italian dinner tonight followed by drinks in our favourite bar. We then decided to go and see our photos from before the formal dinner; the photos were all on display in the art gallery. However our photos were nowhere to be seen which we found very funny, because there were lots of pretty atrocious photos on display and we thought that ours must have been even worse if they hadn't been printed! By the time we asked the photographer about it we were helpless with laughter which was made even worse when she called up the photos on the screen and we saw my fixed grin as I tried to stand in a flattering position for the photo! Tonight we will be sailing past some Greek islands as we head towards Crete. It was supposed to be Athens tomorrow but they are having a general strike so we will be going there on Friday instead.
Meanwhile we had a splendid Italian dinner tonight followed by drinks in our favourite bar. We then decided to go and see our photos from before the formal dinner; the photos were all on display in the art gallery. However our photos were nowhere to be seen which we found very funny, because there were lots of pretty atrocious photos on display and we thought that ours must have been even worse if they hadn't been printed! By the time we asked the photographer about it we were helpless with laughter which was made even worse when she called up the photos on the screen and we saw my fixed grin as I tried to stand in a flattering position for the photo! Tonight we will be sailing past some Greek islands as we head towards Crete. It was supposed to be Athens tomorrow but they are having a general strike so we will be going there on Friday instead.
Coffee at the Caravanserai
Last night was a formal evening which is not something I am used to. I did a very quick shopping last week and got a couple of dresses which I hoped would be suitable. So before dinner I got changed into a black sequinned dress and James put on his tuxedo, and when we went downstairs we felt very comfortable with what we were wearing, it was just right for the evening. It was fun to see everyone all dressed up and after another delicious dinner we went dancing again. James has turned into a party animal on this cruise! We also sampled one of the shows, a Broadway tribute, which is not really our kind of thing, but we really enjoyed it because the young cast were so energetic and talented.
When we went back to our cabin we could see land again; we were passing the very south of Greece and its South Aegean islands. We went out on the balcony to look at the stars; it was amazing.
This morning we woke up to find that we had already docked at Kusadasi in Turkey. We visited here twenty-five years ago so we were keen to see if it had changed. It is a bit more built up I think but also a lot smarter than I remember. The pedestrian bazaar around the Caravanserai is very attractive although we were hassled all the time by vendors trying to entice us into their shops using various methods e.g. "Excuse me sir you have forgotten something!" and when we turned round they would point at their shop! We did buy a pestle and mortar to replace the one we have lost (which will no doubt turn up as soon as we get home!) also a couple of plates with a traditional tulip design and some fake designer hoodies for the boys. The highlight of the visit for me was returning to the Caravanserai where we once had a lovely meal twenty five years ago with some friendly septuagenarians called Bill and Jean and a retired air force pilot and his cello playing girlfriend who was a good thirty years younger than him. The chances are high that Bill and Jean are dead now, but they were a very good example to us of people who were thoroughly enjoying their retirement and were young at heart. As for the pilot and his girlfriend, they will now be aged about eighty and fifty - I wonder what became of them; they were a rather volatile couple. Anyway the Caravanserai is still beautiful and cool inside so we had a coffee in the beautiful old courtyard and it was great. It was very quiet because it's a hotel so most people probably don't know that they can go in freely. We also walked out to Pigeon Island which is very pretty and has a tiny castle on it. We are now back on the ship relaxing at the small pool.
When we went back to our cabin we could see land again; we were passing the very south of Greece and its South Aegean islands. We went out on the balcony to look at the stars; it was amazing.
This morning we woke up to find that we had already docked at Kusadasi in Turkey. We visited here twenty-five years ago so we were keen to see if it had changed. It is a bit more built up I think but also a lot smarter than I remember. The pedestrian bazaar around the Caravanserai is very attractive although we were hassled all the time by vendors trying to entice us into their shops using various methods e.g. "Excuse me sir you have forgotten something!" and when we turned round they would point at their shop! We did buy a pestle and mortar to replace the one we have lost (which will no doubt turn up as soon as we get home!) also a couple of plates with a traditional tulip design and some fake designer hoodies for the boys. The highlight of the visit for me was returning to the Caravanserai where we once had a lovely meal twenty five years ago with some friendly septuagenarians called Bill and Jean and a retired air force pilot and his cello playing girlfriend who was a good thirty years younger than him. The chances are high that Bill and Jean are dead now, but they were a very good example to us of people who were thoroughly enjoying their retirement and were young at heart. As for the pilot and his girlfriend, they will now be aged about eighty and fifty - I wonder what became of them; they were a rather volatile couple. Anyway the Caravanserai is still beautiful and cool inside so we had a coffee in the beautiful old courtyard and it was great. It was very quiet because it's a hotel so most people probably don't know that they can go in freely. We also walked out to Pigeon Island which is very pretty and has a tiny castle on it. We are now back on the ship relaxing at the small pool.
Tuesday 16 October 2012
At Sea
Today we are at sea all day as we travel from Italy to Turkey. At the moment we are somewhere south of Greece and we can't see land at all. James and I are relaxing beside the small pool, which is less noisy than the main pool which always has music and sometimes dancing too! The pool is in a circular tiled courtyard with a bar called "The Solarium" and it is decorated Roman style with mosaics, pillars and statues. It is very attractive but the ship must weigh a lot, and goes up fourteen floors above the waterline at its highest point! We are finding out way around the ship pretty well now, and have chosen our favourite bar for the evenings.
We can feel the motion of the ship more today now that we are farther out at sea. I have been surprised by how cosmopolitan the atmosphere is; I had expected the clientele to be mainly British but this is far from the case. There are quite a lot of Italians and lots and lots of Americans. The staff are from all over the world; our waiters always introduce themselves by saying where they are from which so far has included Texas, Turkey and Mexico City! I quite like this because it feels like being in a small floating city.
I have started "The Guermantes Way" which is the 3rd volume of Proust's "A la Recherche du Temps Perdu". I had decided to wait until 2013 before reading the next volume but a sea voyage seems an appropriate time to set my thoughts adrift with Proust, and I have recently finished Alain de Botton's "How Proust can change your life" which made me want to get back into it sooner. So I will get back to my reading and then a dip in the pool.
We can feel the motion of the ship more today now that we are farther out at sea. I have been surprised by how cosmopolitan the atmosphere is; I had expected the clientele to be mainly British but this is far from the case. There are quite a lot of Italians and lots and lots of Americans. The staff are from all over the world; our waiters always introduce themselves by saying where they are from which so far has included Texas, Turkey and Mexico City! I quite like this because it feels like being in a small floating city.
I have started "The Guermantes Way" which is the 3rd volume of Proust's "A la Recherche du Temps Perdu". I had decided to wait until 2013 before reading the next volume but a sea voyage seems an appropriate time to set my thoughts adrift with Proust, and I have recently finished Alain de Botton's "How Proust can change your life" which made me want to get back into it sooner. So I will get back to my reading and then a dip in the pool.
Monday 15 October 2012
Strait of Messina
This ship certainly has something for everyone! Last night we had our very nice dinner, then drinks in the jazz bar (live music) and ended up dancing in the Dungeon Disco! And there was plenty more entertainment and live music going on around the ship for all age groups and tastes. I can see that the whole thing is cleverly planned, and I have to admit that we are enjoying this strange new experience! Too soon to say if we would repeat it but so far so good.
James woke me at seven this morning to show me Stromboli as we passed it; it looked beautiful, the top of a volcano sticking out of the blue sea. A couple of hours later we docked at Messina. This had been a subject of much debate between James and me, regarding whether we have visited it before on our previous visit to Sicily when we went on the hydrofoil to Volcano. It turns out that we have not visited it; the port that we sailed from that time was Milazzo. We went out on deck as we approached the harbour; the strait of Messina is so narrow that you can clearly see the houses on Italy across from us. The harbour has a column at its entrance with a golden statue of Jesus holding out his hand welcomingly, underneath there is an inscription which says "Vos et ipsam civitatem benedicimus" which I think means something like "Blessings to you and yours." How friendly.
Disembarking from the ship was easy, we just checked out using our universally useful key cards (let's hope we don't lose them!) and wandered into the streets of Messina. We decided to jump on a tram to the town museum but when we got there it was closed (as many museums are on a Monday in Europe!) So it was a bit of a false start to the day, but nothing daunted we got another tram back to the centre and got to the Piazza del Duomo just in time for the musical clock tower display at 12 - this was heralded by the crowing of a gold cockerel and consisted of various moving parts including lots of golden apostles parading around in a circle, bowing to Jesus, while the strains of Ave Maria filled the air. Great fun. We visited the cathedral and another church nearby; although they are built beautifully and traditionally they are in fact quite modern because they were destroyed along the rest of Messina in a massive earthquake in 1908. The town council has done its best to recreate them, and to use the less pulverised bits of masonry, mosaics and statues, incorporating them into the fabric of the building where they can. You can clearly see this, and they have done a good job, but what a shame that it was all destroyed! We did a fair bit of walking about and enjoying the atmosphere and had Pizza alla Norma (with aubergines - a local specialty allegedly) in a wee pizzeria. When we got back to the ship we went up to the pool deck and watched ships go by on their way to Italy and had a jacuzzi and listened to more live music. We watched from our balcony as the ship was untied and moved out into the dark water. Now we are getting ready for dinner as the ship sails around the toe of Italy and heads east.
James woke me at seven this morning to show me Stromboli as we passed it; it looked beautiful, the top of a volcano sticking out of the blue sea. A couple of hours later we docked at Messina. This had been a subject of much debate between James and me, regarding whether we have visited it before on our previous visit to Sicily when we went on the hydrofoil to Volcano. It turns out that we have not visited it; the port that we sailed from that time was Milazzo. We went out on deck as we approached the harbour; the strait of Messina is so narrow that you can clearly see the houses on Italy across from us. The harbour has a column at its entrance with a golden statue of Jesus holding out his hand welcomingly, underneath there is an inscription which says "Vos et ipsam civitatem benedicimus" which I think means something like "Blessings to you and yours." How friendly.
Disembarking from the ship was easy, we just checked out using our universally useful key cards (let's hope we don't lose them!) and wandered into the streets of Messina. We decided to jump on a tram to the town museum but when we got there it was closed (as many museums are on a Monday in Europe!) So it was a bit of a false start to the day, but nothing daunted we got another tram back to the centre and got to the Piazza del Duomo just in time for the musical clock tower display at 12 - this was heralded by the crowing of a gold cockerel and consisted of various moving parts including lots of golden apostles parading around in a circle, bowing to Jesus, while the strains of Ave Maria filled the air. Great fun. We visited the cathedral and another church nearby; although they are built beautifully and traditionally they are in fact quite modern because they were destroyed along the rest of Messina in a massive earthquake in 1908. The town council has done its best to recreate them, and to use the less pulverised bits of masonry, mosaics and statues, incorporating them into the fabric of the building where they can. You can clearly see this, and they have done a good job, but what a shame that it was all destroyed! We did a fair bit of walking about and enjoying the atmosphere and had Pizza alla Norma (with aubergines - a local specialty allegedly) in a wee pizzeria. When we got back to the ship we went up to the pool deck and watched ships go by on their way to Italy and had a jacuzzi and listened to more live music. We watched from our balcony as the ship was untied and moved out into the dark water. Now we are getting ready for dinner as the ship sails around the toe of Italy and heads east.
Sunday 14 October 2012
Two coins in the fountain and our first Cruise
A beautiful sunny morning in Rome! We had a lovely walk through the streets from the Spanish steps to the Trevi fountain, with church bells pealing all around. I made James throw a coin into the fountain and so did I - to ensure our return! Soon we were on the train to Civitavecchia which took about an hour, first through the city and then through farming countryside to a series of seaside towns. And then began a new and (to us) strange experience. Our first ever cruise! We got on the ship via a large building at the quayside where we were efficiently parted from our luggage and processed through until we found ourselves in our "stateroom". It is a good size with double bed, couch, plenty of storage and our own wee balcony with chairs on it! We have explored the ship a bit; I have never been anywhere like it. The only way I can describe it is a cross between Centre Parks, Gleneagles, and the ferry to Arran! Except that it much, much bigger than the ferry to Arran! James and I keep looking at each other and saying "This is weird!". After compulsory life boat drill we set sail and James and I have been alternating between the jacuzzi and watching the sea and the Italian coast from the deck as we sail southwards towards Sicily.
Saturday 13 October 2012
A funny way to get to the forum
I am blogging in our hotel room after a great but tiring day in Rome. James is fast asleep beside me! We got up at 5 a.m. to catch our flight to Rome and we have been on the go ever since. We got the bus to Rome Termini station then walked to our hotel nearby, the Hotel Canada; it is the same hotel that I stayed in with the boys in 2006 and I chose it because it was very clean, comfortable and even quite stylish with red and gold decor and a nice little bar downstairs. I'm glad to say that it's still just as lovely. We went straight back out to make the most of our day in Rome and started off by going straight to Piazza Navona. Just as we arrived there was some thunder and it started to rain so we went into Tre Scala for an early lunch. It was still very warm despite the rain so we sat comfortably outside under the awning and watched all the people scurrying past with their umbrellas until the rain stopped, the sun came back out and the street vendors opened up their stalls again. An accordionist appeared and played O Sole Mio, the waiters were joking to some Chinese tourists about him, asking them to take him back to China! They couldn't resist singing along though! For dessert we had the famous Tartufo which has chocolate ice cream with fudge and cherries in the centre; James loved it.
After lunch we walked around the beautiful piazza and looked at Bernini's fountain representing four rivers of the world with characters from four continents holding up an obelisk. Africa's head is covered because when the statue was made the source of the Nile had still not been found.
Our next stop was the Pantheon, I will never get tired of going there, it's my favourite building in Rome with its amazing oculus and Raphael's tomb whose inscription I find very moving. We then visited Santa Maria sopra Minerva, a gothic church where we saw Michelangelo's "Risen Christ". It's really amazing; Jesus looks very strong and powerful, it looks as if it was just carved rather than being 500 years old, it has such skill and craftsmanship that its hard to believe that it was once just a block of marble. The next church we went to was Sant'Agostino where we saw Caravaggio's "Madonna del Loreto" which was painted in the early 17th century. It has such realism and life and light to it; as we walked around the rest of the church we could clearly see that none of the other paintings were anywhere near in the same league as it.
It was now time to get some fresh air and a bit of a walk, so after fortifying ourselves with a quick coffee we set off for the Forum. Except that we couldn't find the way in! For some reason I thought that we could get there by climbing up the white marble National Monument to Vittor Emmanuel II (whose tomb we had seen earlier at the Pantheon). This turned out not to be quite the case, but we saw some lovely views over Rome from the top and by exiting from a back stairway we came to an exit from the Forum, and then by walking round for a while we finally found an entrance. It was all fine though because we were in no hurry and we got a good look into it as we made our way round. We were not thrilled to be charged 12€ each to get in, especially since it was late afternoon by this time, but we both ended up enjoying it and I went to bits of it that I don't remember going to on my last sweltering visit with the boys, like the Temple of the Vestal Virgins with its slim but headless statues, and the huge arches of the Basilicus of Maxentia and Constantine. It was great to be able to linger around it without our heads boiling in the heat! As we exited towards the Colosseum it was all golden, lit up by the evening sun. James had some bad childhood experiences of Rome, when he spent a week there in the 1970s walking round it endlessly in a heat wave. Today I asked him if he likes it better now. While he was not hugely enthusiastic, partly I think because he was very tired after our early start, he said that he has enjoyed today. He even said something at one point about a future visit going direct from Edinburgh with BA; however when I said something about "When we come back..." James said "IF we come back!" so I'm not sure if he is completely convinced! Well I had better wake him up so that we can go out for our dinner.
After lunch we walked around the beautiful piazza and looked at Bernini's fountain representing four rivers of the world with characters from four continents holding up an obelisk. Africa's head is covered because when the statue was made the source of the Nile had still not been found.
Our next stop was the Pantheon, I will never get tired of going there, it's my favourite building in Rome with its amazing oculus and Raphael's tomb whose inscription I find very moving. We then visited Santa Maria sopra Minerva, a gothic church where we saw Michelangelo's "Risen Christ". It's really amazing; Jesus looks very strong and powerful, it looks as if it was just carved rather than being 500 years old, it has such skill and craftsmanship that its hard to believe that it was once just a block of marble. The next church we went to was Sant'Agostino where we saw Caravaggio's "Madonna del Loreto" which was painted in the early 17th century. It has such realism and life and light to it; as we walked around the rest of the church we could clearly see that none of the other paintings were anywhere near in the same league as it.
It was now time to get some fresh air and a bit of a walk, so after fortifying ourselves with a quick coffee we set off for the Forum. Except that we couldn't find the way in! For some reason I thought that we could get there by climbing up the white marble National Monument to Vittor Emmanuel II (whose tomb we had seen earlier at the Pantheon). This turned out not to be quite the case, but we saw some lovely views over Rome from the top and by exiting from a back stairway we came to an exit from the Forum, and then by walking round for a while we finally found an entrance. It was all fine though because we were in no hurry and we got a good look into it as we made our way round. We were not thrilled to be charged 12€ each to get in, especially since it was late afternoon by this time, but we both ended up enjoying it and I went to bits of it that I don't remember going to on my last sweltering visit with the boys, like the Temple of the Vestal Virgins with its slim but headless statues, and the huge arches of the Basilicus of Maxentia and Constantine. It was great to be able to linger around it without our heads boiling in the heat! As we exited towards the Colosseum it was all golden, lit up by the evening sun. James had some bad childhood experiences of Rome, when he spent a week there in the 1970s walking round it endlessly in a heat wave. Today I asked him if he likes it better now. While he was not hugely enthusiastic, partly I think because he was very tired after our early start, he said that he has enjoyed today. He even said something at one point about a future visit going direct from Edinburgh with BA; however when I said something about "When we come back..." James said "IF we come back!" so I'm not sure if he is completely convinced! Well I had better wake him up so that we can go out for our dinner.
Thursday 11 October 2012
Holiday Preparations
It has been a busy week at work and I have also been so busy getting ready for the October holiday! Following my clothes shopping trip I have done most of my packing now and I have also been getting Davie ready for his Duke of Edinburgh expedition next week. We went to Sainsbury's yesterday and got all the food that he will need; he was a lot clearer about what he wanted this time, which shows that he has learned a lot from his last expedition. He has packed his rucksack all ready for setting off to the Lake District on Monday and seems very well prepared. I have also done a large online shopping for Alasdair to survive on next week while we are all away; Alasdair does not have a holiday next week because it is term time at University. He will be at home alone from Monday until Friday - well not quite alone because furry Jack will be there to keep him company!
Tuesday 9 October 2012
Growing up
Well it's Tuesday already and this week before the October holiday is just flying by. Today after school I went to the town centre and spent two hours choosing some new clothes for the cruise, including a couple of cocktail dresses. I think I have blogged before that I'm not a great shopper, and when I go shopping for clothes I just have to hope that I'm in the right frame of mind to be decisive, and that the current range of whatever clothes I'm trying to buy suit my budget / figure / colour preferences. By these standards, today was fairly successful; I shopped hard and fast and I quite like what I have chosen. My main doubt is that the dresses are all rather on the short side for me; that must be the style this winter. I will wear them with opaque black tights to make my chubby legs less noticeable. Anyway I'm glad that's done and now I can concentrate on getting David ready for his Duke of Edinburgh Gold expedition next week.
I had an interesting conversation with David this morning. I was asking him why he is getting on so much better at his new school, and he told me that is was due to several things. Firstly, in February, when James and I were in Paris, Davie went to spend the weekend with Jamie and his friends in Dundee. He said that he was really impressed not only with the good time that they were having, but also because they all seemed to enjoy what they are studying so much. One of Jamie's friends told David "If you work hard now, you can do whatever you want!" The next thing that changed David's views on life was the two months that he spent working at Riding for the Disabled. He said that this made him feel older and more responsible, and showed him a life beyond school. Then in July he went to do his Gold D of E Practice expedition. He found it very hard, but he also felt that he had proved to himself that he can endure something tough and be successful at it. I was surprised and pleased by what David told me and how much he has thought about it. And I was a little bemused that he had paid so much attention to one of Jamie's party friends when I have been telling him exactly the same thing for years! I had assumed that it was his new school that has given him a boost, but it seems that it has been a series of factors. My youngest boy is certainly growing up.
I had an interesting conversation with David this morning. I was asking him why he is getting on so much better at his new school, and he told me that is was due to several things. Firstly, in February, when James and I were in Paris, Davie went to spend the weekend with Jamie and his friends in Dundee. He said that he was really impressed not only with the good time that they were having, but also because they all seemed to enjoy what they are studying so much. One of Jamie's friends told David "If you work hard now, you can do whatever you want!" The next thing that changed David's views on life was the two months that he spent working at Riding for the Disabled. He said that this made him feel older and more responsible, and showed him a life beyond school. Then in July he went to do his Gold D of E Practice expedition. He found it very hard, but he also felt that he had proved to himself that he can endure something tough and be successful at it. I was surprised and pleased by what David told me and how much he has thought about it. And I was a little bemused that he had paid so much attention to one of Jamie's party friends when I have been telling him exactly the same thing for years! I had assumed that it was his new school that has given him a boost, but it seems that it has been a series of factors. My youngest boy is certainly growing up.
Sunday 7 October 2012
Autumn morning
I stayed up rather later than I meant to because we were having such a nice evening, but I still slept very well after all my fresh air and I had a great shower in the morning. It had been cold overnight and when we woke there was frost on the grass. The valley below us was filled with a beautiful autumn mist while we were basking in glorious sunshine above it. Perthshire is absolutely stunning in the autumn. After the pupils set off we packed up and had a very pleasant brunch and a chat in Dunkeld then went to meet the pupils. There are loads of forest walks leaving from just outside Dunkeld; it was all very picturesque and I would like to spend more time in the area. They navigated their way to the meeting point very well and we set off homewards. When I got home James, Ally and Davie were not home yet; they were walking at Dalmally today and also had great weather. I made the tea and unpacked and relaxed and socialised with my furry boy Jack.
Saturday 6 October 2012
Fantastic walk
Part 1 (midday) I had a great night's sleep in my wee room in the lodge and woke feeling great. After a slap up breakfast I decided to set off up the hill to Loch Ordie by myself. It's not all that high but I hate walking uphill with other people because I am almost always the slowest - James thinks that this is due to panic and he may well be right, because I have had a great walk so far and I am now having a short rest at the highest point before continuing to the Loch where I will meet the others for lunch. I feel really happy and relaxed. The autumn colours are really lovely; the bracken cloaking the hill is russet and gold and yellow and the weather is glorious - no need for my fleece, I'm just wearing a short sleeved top.
Part 2 (5 p.m.) Well, the rest of the walk was excellent. I met up with my colleagues and also some teachers from another school who I know from my BELA training course, and we all had lunch in the sunshine beside Loch Ordie. I walked back down the hill to the lodges with Carolyn and Shona, chatting all the while and then we sat on the balcony in the sunshine - how nice to be able to sit outside on the 6th October! And now we are on our way to Pitlochry for a curry! On a sad note, the search for missing five year old April Jones has now become a murder inquiry even though no body has yet been found.
Part 2 (5 p.m.) Well, the rest of the walk was excellent. I met up with my colleagues and also some teachers from another school who I know from my BELA training course, and we all had lunch in the sunshine beside Loch Ordie. I walked back down the hill to the lodges with Carolyn and Shona, chatting all the while and then we sat on the balcony in the sunshine - how nice to be able to sit outside on the 6th October! And now we are on our way to Pitlochry for a curry! On a sad note, the search for missing five year old April Jones has now become a murder inquiry even though no body has yet been found.
A colourful day
When David and I were on our way up to school yesterday the sky looked amazing - a pale but bright blue overlaid with big grey and white clouds. It was a beautiful day; when I was on playground duty the trees were bright gold and a flock of birds flew past casting big bird shadows on the walls of the school. The day went really well and everyone was on good form - at one point a pupil was playing the piano and I was dancing a bit, and one of the other pupils said "She looks as if she's having a seizure!" which I thought was probably very apt! After school I rushed home to finish packing and drive up into Perthshire; by six o'clock I had arrived at Guay to join my colleagues and the D of E Silver Group for our last expedition of the season. Shona cooked us an absolutely delicious meal of nachos followed by pasta bolognaise with garlic bread. We had a lovely and relaxing evening.
Thursday 4 October 2012
Back at the hairdresser
I'm at the hairdresser for my pre holiday haircut. We will be going on holiday a week tomorrow and this weekend I will be away on a D of E outing so I thought I'd better get ahead (a head ha ha) with my haircut. I have been working late because there are certain annual and important but time consuming tasks that I am keen to get done as soon as possible. Last night I worked very late and was very pleased with what I got done but once the initial euphoria had worn off I started to feel a bit flat. The future of my job is still uncertain and I don't know what is next for me. Anyway here I am at the Rainbow Room; my usual hairdresser is off sick so a friendly young guy is cutting my hair instead. Perhaps part of the reason that I feel flat is to do with the very unpleasant items that are in the news just now. Of course there are always unpleasant news items as people continue to hurt and kill each other all over the world, but foremost in many people's minds is a little girl who has been abducted in Wales. That's three days that she has been missing now. I really hope that she is found safe and a huge hunt is going on for her. But it has been a long time for such a small child to be missing. Also unpleasant are the allegations about deceased former national treasure Jimmy Savile. Horrible if they are true - and horribly unfair if they are not true. No good outcome there. Tonight I will have to get packed for my weekend away; Shona is going to cook us all a meal tomorrow night and then we will get a curry on Saturday night. It should be a good weekend with very nice company - fingers crossed that the weather is kind to us!
Wednesday 3 October 2012
The night sky
I was at the planetarium at the Science Centre today (with pupils) and I was very impressed. It's years since I have been there and I really enjoyed looking at the stars and listening to the talk. Our pupils all behaved beautifully, unlike the other school that were there, so that was very pleasant bonus! The lecturer even had to stop the talk so that their teachers could give them a row! I learned how to find the North star - I have been getting this wrong for years! I also learned how to find the constellation of Taurus. First find the pleiades which are where the bull's shoulder would be, then from there you can find its orange eye and its other eye, and below the two eyes are a sort of nostril arrangement. It was so interesting. This made me think that it's high time that we get James' telescope out into the garden again. I got James a telescope for his 40th birthday (quite some time ago!) I did some research and ordered him the the best one I could afford, which was made in Russia and was absolutely huge; it came in several large wooden boxes and had to be assembled! James was delighted but asked me if I would mind if he upgraded it to an American model of the same strength but a much more manageable size; neat enough that we could carry it out to the garden on its tripod without actually having to dismantle it. Of course I was fine with this and the shop (Lizar's I think) were happy to upgrade it. We have used it from time to time and so have the boys, but not nearly enough - so I am determined that now that the nights are getting longer we will take it outside and make better use of it. I texted James about this (he's in London tonight) and he was in agreement.
Monday 1 October 2012
FaceTiming Jamie
Yesterday evening James and I FaceTimed Jamie for the first time! Well not quite the first time, I tried it with him once before using my iPhone and it was all jerky. This time we used an iPad and it was absolutely brilliant! We got the idea from our friends Heather and Ewan who "skype" their son Andrew once a week. We could see Jamie very clearly sitting in his bedroom talking to us, and we could see our own image in a small box in the corner of the screen! We looked just like Raj's parents when they make video calls to him in "The Big Bang Theory"! It was much more fun than phoning and we ended up chatting for ages. We had needed to speak to Jamie about money matters, but I think that we will do this regularly even when there are no important issues to discuss.
This morning David and I got up a bit early and went to KFC for breakfast! We have been planning this for a couple of weeks because they have been advertising a breakfast deal including blueberry pancakes that we wanted to try! By quarter to eight we were sitting down to our breakfast and we had a really good laugh. We were trying to think of a catchy title for David's discursive essay about the pros and cons of wind farms. We came up with "The long and wind-ing road", "Old MacDonald had a wind farm" or (my personal favourite) "The answer my friend, may or may not be blowing in the wind".
Ally was away in Edinburgh all weekend and I really missed him. It's unusual for him to be away for three nights in a row and I felt that the house was very quiet without him. Today after school I took him over to Comet in Uddingston to replace his computer hard drive (which was broken but luckily still under warranty), and it was nice to chat in the car on the way there and back and hear all his news. I feel that Ally and I get on much better these days than a couple of years ago when I found him very angry and he found me very stupid! He is much more tolerant of me now and I find him very pleasant company.
This morning David and I got up a bit early and went to KFC for breakfast! We have been planning this for a couple of weeks because they have been advertising a breakfast deal including blueberry pancakes that we wanted to try! By quarter to eight we were sitting down to our breakfast and we had a really good laugh. We were trying to think of a catchy title for David's discursive essay about the pros and cons of wind farms. We came up with "The long and wind-ing road", "Old MacDonald had a wind farm" or (my personal favourite) "The answer my friend, may or may not be blowing in the wind".
Ally was away in Edinburgh all weekend and I really missed him. It's unusual for him to be away for three nights in a row and I felt that the house was very quiet without him. Today after school I took him over to Comet in Uddingston to replace his computer hard drive (which was broken but luckily still under warranty), and it was nice to chat in the car on the way there and back and hear all his news. I feel that Ally and I get on much better these days than a couple of years ago when I found him very angry and he found me very stupid! He is much more tolerant of me now and I find him very pleasant company.
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