Hellas and Kefa's
I've never really considered Greece as a destination for a holiday and now I can't understand why I would ever have had any reservations. Perhaps snobbery that to get there I would have to go with a tour operator. Perhaps because of the reputation of resorts being full of Brits getting wasted on Ouzo. "Street's like a jungle, so call the police" as Blur once described the 18-30 phenomenon "....following the herds, down to Greece".
Posted by stupot at 06:02 PM Wednesday 1 Sep
Lit and Phil
Wow. Big news abound - The Literary and Philosophical library of Newcastle are hosting an exhibition of artwork by Viz. The opening was catered for by Greggs and it seems like we'll be able to visit on the 30th. Seeing my obvious envy of a signed Viz annual Laura had acquired in her youth, I was presented with a signed canvas bag by Mr Bennison. Who says Christmas comes in December? and where's the framers number?
Posted by stupot at 11:05 AM Tuesday 17 Aug
Neuky
After a pretty somber Friday we headed east to the land of Fife. The sun came out and we eventually got to the lovely Craigdene B&B in Colinsburgh and dinner on the front at Elie. With the sun still beating down on Saturday, we secured a couple of seats on the boat to the Isle of May and pottered around Anstruther. The Fence Collective had a shop open in the library, for the week, as part of the Haar Festival in the Neuk with lovely cake stands and iphone covers.
With picnic in bag we bobbed and dipped on the slow chugging boat, with 80 others, over to the nature reserve of May. Immersed in Ornithology and History I would only find out later how much I was also being immersed in sunshine. The boat trip by the cliffs full of Puffins, Fulmars, Manx Shearwaters, Shags (there were no jokes) and the hook-nosed sea pigs that filled the coastal waters was fantastic. We had a few hours on shore amongst the rabbits, lighthouses and other birds before making the slow but calming trip back, sucking on an IPA.
We met Laura's mum and dad in Crail at their lovely wee rented pad in the old maltings and had suppers and a walk by the harbour. The haar had come in the next morning as we headed to Pittenween for the arts festival. If there had been a list it was being ticked off at pace. Some of the artists, in the various garages and gardens, were very highly skilled. Others were charlatans. The ice cream shop and the walk on the harbour in the sun were never going to be let-down's though and we basked with others licking our cones on the front, eyes half closed in the sunshine - staring out to sea.
Posted by stupot at 09:23 AM Tuesday 17 Aug
State of Affairs
Posted by stupot at 12:19 PM Thursday 12 Aug
A brush with the Fringe
is possibly the way to do it.
On a whim, Will and I made a rendezvous for 8pm and headed down through Princes Street Gardens. We passed a floating restaurant, people in drag, a big top, castle-hill lit up in the summers evening sun, people impersonating a Monet painting by sitting on the verge beneath trees, the floral clock, dutch camper cans and their passengers making stalls, the calm throngs around Waverley, miles of bill posters taking us over the High street. Finally we passed the Cowgate and rose a little to the Pleasance.
picture © joshhowie.com
Posted by stupot at 01:29 PM Sunday 8 Aug
Possibly defining
When I look through the book that is a history of my home village I see that there was a bicycle club a hundred years ago, with maybe 50 members. Not long before the advent of the affordable motor car, the bicycle gave freedom to the working man. Even women. The countryside was breached, people had independence - Clarion clubs brought together workers to venture outside industrial centres.
Posted by stupot at 07:06 PM Friday 6 Aug
Les Grimpeurs
Thursday was a lovely day for a change but I decided to spend it inside a small bar off Leith Walk. It was encouraging to see people waiting outside and a table full of wine, cheese, sausage and bread inside. A very small corner of Edinburgh was En fête. The doors opened late with a disappointed owner who was struggling to get TV reception - a problem I tend to associate only with the decades of my childhood. "who's got a freeview box?" is the twenty first century cry. A group of strangers are given free drink, food and start to chat about tactics on the climb and the crash they heard about before they left the house. Oh - and Sastre is 2 minutes ahead in a break: Topics usually lost on friends.
We wait a quarter of an hour but soon all head to another pub on the corner which changes from it's usual men with whippets and racing posts to 20 cycling enthusiasts. The proprietor is a little thrown by the influx but obviously sees the potential. Soon all 4 screens are showing the strained faces of mountain goats pulling their bikes up the highest climbs in Europe - the screen apparently showing static from the cloud they are cycling through. The picture freezes occasionally - another problem from the eighties I thought we'd have overcome - from the same cloud surrounding the camera motorbikes. It adds to the tension. A few more come in to watch Schlek and Contador stare each other out and a few shouts come out as the two approach the last kilometer. I head back to the Tourmalet with the two Irish fellas I've met as well as Laura and a local, well spoken, soak (of which there are plenty in this town) for post match analysis after Schlek pips the Spaniard to the line and eventually head home satisfied.
Posted by stupot at 01:47 PM Saturday 24 Jul
Grande Boucle
I can never imagine, in the depths of winter, that I will be sitting with all the windows and doors open trying to break up my day by sporting events. I'm not much of a jock but I'll watch a world cup, I grew up on golf and I'm definitely a cycling fan. I might even watch a tennis match if a set goes to 140 games. At the moment on my monitor I have ITV4 showing Le Tour and BBC2 showing Open golf from Fife. I stopped by Analogue books yesterday to pick up the new copy of Ride and Roleur, as well as some design porn. I also found this of interest. If only the winter was filled up with such delights, it might make it go a bit faster. And help slow down summer.
Posted by stupot at 11:46 AM Friday 16 Jul
Leodhais
Ardvourlie - Garenin
37 miles
We woke from a great sleep and still the trees whipped about outside. We doubled up on porridge and headed out into the elements and Lewis proper. Feeling slightly guilty we trundled along, off the higher ground of Harris with, our now good friend, the sou' western tail wind. Eventually we go to the left turn which would take us to Garenin and we now had to feel more of the wind than either of us wished - the view south, back to the mountains of Harris was recompense enough though, as we glanced sideways trying to keep the bikes upright.
Posted by stupot at 04:16 PM Monday 12 Jul
Golden Road
Berneray - Bowglass
35 miles
The wind is still battering against the small windows of the blackhouses but sun now lights up the white horses in the green sea. As with the night before we make a dash from our sleeping quarters to the living and eating space situated in the next building. We repack after porridge, swap some advice with the others and head off for the ferry. Despite the terminal being only a mile away it takes an eternity and some skill to keep the bikes upright - the head wind buffeting us and occasionally trying to lift our feather-light front wheels.
Posted by stupot at 09:02 PM Saturday 10 Jul