Friday, October 30, 2009

took some *snaps* this morning on our way to La Trocha and then Lidls... makes me giggle every time we come to this junction, only in Spain can a road that's NOT built be on Google Map already! our car park behind the house shows it as it was four years ago! but ask for a route to the lakes road and it shows you to use a road not even in existence! so yes... only in Spain, or is it????

well great photo of some bollards dont you think!?! i was actually trying to shoot the new road, but Franco had his feet down peddle to the metal and i pushed the button too late, or too early?


another wonderful day today, i should be up stairs in the sun now shouldn't i? instead of rambling to you! nope here first!

i am a subscriber of worldgratitude.com and now and again they do a 42 day thing, where you can almost feel the thousands of people all reading and feeling the positivity of gratitude... i always miss the last day somehow or other, so i made an extra try at being with the last day, sharing the ultimate pull of a feeling of gratitude shared amongst so many people at the same time... this isn't as weird as it sounds ok, i know what your thinking! so on the 41st day, i knew 11.11am would be time to think and meditate, i kept thinking about the time all day, and yesterday woke up, remembered, you know where this is leading no doubt, so got home from town about 10.30am, still remembering, but then! what happened it was one o'clock!?! found to my benefit, 11.11pm was also another chance to *join*, so this morning when i woke up, i remembered turning of the tv at 11pm and going to bed! doh!

we have bought a whole truck load of sweeties for Halloween and tomorrows trick 'o treaters, hope i don't forget to hand them out(!)

last year it was today, Friday, and my last day at the tobacconists and the rain! it was a river running past the shop, flotsam and jetsam passing by, we got a soaking getting to the car and then into the restaurant, for my leaving dinner... that was so nice.. and a soaking getting back into the shop later! the evening wasn't much better and only a few brave gouls and ghosts made it out into the streets here abouts, also i didn't get home till late and hadn't prepared at all, but tomorrow will be different, good weather and i have the pumpkin ready (plastic + battery) my long black dress and cape, the black bag we always use with the white bones i attached, only paper! and of course our trusty skeleton, i am thinking of a way to have him suspended over the window outside somehow(?) and then bring it on kiddies....

also i have to bower to do, the local tradition of flowers, food and water a candle burning, and the names of those gone before because the night of the 31st really is the night of all Hallows. followed on the 1st November by All Saints day and then the 2nd All Souls day...

and it was believed that All Souls' night when the dead revisited their homes, so lit candles were left out to guide them and meals and wine were left as refreshment...

so i get the bower ready tomorrow and keep a tea light burning when i'm down stairs for next three days... i was un nerved one day 3 or 4 years back i came back down stairs and the names i keep in a small gold color dish with the candle on had changed... my dad's was on top....

TTFN
Marian

Thursday, October 29, 2009

a few eclectic photos for today... first one up is a view of the Grand Union Canal at Northchurch, row of little ducks there, very disappointed at us having no bread for them, i did tell them it would do them no good whatsoever! but they just shook their heads at me!

a pair of barges coming through the locks together here... pretty as a picture(?)

when we were walking along i could see through a fence to a garage, customers of where i used to work some time ago, there was the same father and son team working away, unaware of me on the tow path... was going to shout at them, in a good way, but didn't....


i bought Pippa a little teddy from pet shop in Berkhamsted, this is it after a couple of days... he is a little more worse for wear now than then...

and yesterday when Franco and i were sat at a bar in c/Gerald Brennan yesterday, looking up at an apartment block over the road, i noticed the washing there drying! i zoomed in a giggled at the t-shirts and pair of pants!!!!

which makes me wonder if they look out of the windows at the Ayuntamiento (town hall) and laugh at ours!?!

still the most wonderful weather here, perfect weather, i worked up a bit of a sweat actually walking to the animals in distress shop this morning, sorry, i was glowing by the time i got there!!! maybe still too warm for these jeans me thinks... and see on the weather reports this heat coming from Africa is making its way to England too! their Indian summer(?)

ok hands worn out now, serious pain, and must save something to bring the washing in with!

adio amigos!

Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four essential food groups: alcohol, caffeine, sugar, and fat.

ALEX LEVINE

TTFN

Marian


Tuesday, October 27, 2009

not sure if i have posted this pic already, and its not even that good! but the train there on the platform at Paris Nord is a double decker... i am guessing the tunnels in France are somewhat higher than those in England!!!!

Franco has gone down to the coast this morning to do a couple of bits and pieces for a mate, i was going to get the half nine bus down to Fuengirola and meet him there later, but the prospect of an hours bumpy ride made me decide to leave it for today.

we down tomorrow to pick up friends NIE numbers from the police station for them, so i can wait till then for my Fuengirola fix... i do just love being in that town!

so instead early this morning i had swept the floors on all three levels and washed them! Pippa is exhausted now and asleep on the bed! well she follows me everywhere, or Franco, and if one of us is on the roof terrace and one on the ground floor she camps out on the bedroom level to keep an eye on both of us!

was just looking at the web came down at Torremolinos just now and its 31.3 degrees! lovely for October... yesterday i went into town to pay the late payment fine from four years ago... on what we don't know... i will carry the paperwork around with me a while till i can work it out, or someone else for me! i also wanted to pay the water bill, but the bank couldn't take the money there so had to go to another bank! crazy isn't it! you want to pay something but cant, i know i should not compare, it's wrong, but when your used to being able to go into any bank or post office counter any time of day any day of the week, well not Sundays, and pay a bill! its just frustrating, like so many legal matters here that drive us crazy... when the time comes and you can send matriculation (car registration document) by post, pay car tax at a bank or internet, ok enough i cant afford to be on my soap box today... so lets leave these small tiny annoyances alone shall we! i gotta let it go....

and before i go the link to the Paulo Coelho interview on CNN last night... hope it works for you.

i actually missed it last night, i was confused with the time! time zones... and too much travelling i guess, but i missed it... found it just now on Twitter! thank you Twitter!


I don't do anything that's bad for me. I don't like to be made nervous or angry. Any time you get upset it tears down your nervous system.

MAE WEST

erm... maybe i should follow Mae's advise there!


TTFN
Marian

Sunday, October 25, 2009

the market at la Trocha was packed this morning, although the motor bike thing going on next door misleaded you! it looked like the market must be heaving in there... difficult to park, long walk etc, but not actually that many people walking about, there were a huge amount of stalls so good for *lookers* not so good for the people with the stalls... the more there are the less people seem to spend somehow!

we had a coffee and strudel up stairs at our regular place. good walk around and chats with various friends... one seller had a great fire, looked like a wood burning stove, but burnt pellets, it was also remote control, you could control the temperature of the heat, when it came on or off, as in before you came home, or woke up.... clean to run and clean for the environment... different sizes depending on your needs, but not cheap!

i didn't even switch on my little notebook yesterday as Franco was saying my hands are bad because of time spent on here... but as absolutely no change... well i rest my case!

yesterday we checked out Maria's, popped in to see friends and bought some groceries!

and yesterday late afternoon we popped down to the local supermarket to get some milk and fresh vegitables and a wonderful little place has opened up selling freshly made doughnuts! we saw it on the way down and went back, walked in through a garage doorway(!) put in our order, and sat down while the lady popped in the fresh dough into the hot oil, when the pan was full, the daughter took over and turned them when cooked on one side then took out to drain and into bags! it was only two minutes from home so were still hot and i put in some sugar, gave them a shake and yummy yummy tummy tummy!!!

tomorrow i must pay the fine we picked up in Álora last week, we are of course still wondering what it was we paid late four years ago to justify a 100euro fine!? and how much it must have been for also??? we have our water bill to pay too... better get that paid pronto eh!

ok, better get off here (for) now...

TTFN
Marian

Friday, October 23, 2009

well up early this morning, out with Pippa extra early, extra dark also! creepy dark... couple of blown over palm trees? or well were they pushed or did they fall!!!

in the wind we're having at the moment the sound they make is creepy too, the dry palm tree branches rubbing against each other making a crackling noise...

someone was about with one of those bright red lights too, used officially for meetings as a pointer, and unofficially as an annoying thing! *it* followed me for a bit then disappeared, or maybe it was me who disappeared... behind buildings from their point of view!

lights working again thank goodness its soooo dark, and after this weekends clock change even darker in the mornings!

our trip to Fuengirola and the police station for friends NIE number's went well, got there at nine, got forms, went to bank paid the 16.01 euros, that all important 1cent of course! copies of form and passport, back about 11am, handed over the documents, sometimes you can get sit and take your NIE with you, today we were told to come back Wednesday to collect, no problem!

you know there are still people *out there* charging poor innocents 200 euros to get this bit of paper!?!

we had a bite of lunch and came home.... beautiful day today, perfect blue sky... wonderfully hot in the sun and warm enough in the shade to be only wearing a t-shirt, and the holiday makers are still taking up the beach in numbers....

one guy went haring along the paseo maritimo on an unusual machine, it was a mobility type thing, but for two people! one behind the other! double buggy or what!!!

now i need to get hunting on the www to find out if we do a matriculation on line? any ideas out there???

TTFN
Marian

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Ooops Thursday already, wha'ts happened to the week so far?

well its got cooler, just a tad, one of the little bubble things has risen in our Galileo thermometer down stairs! and taking Pippa for a walk the last couple of mornings i have had to put on a light weight cardie! i know! how awful!

and yesterday morning we were on the approach road to the park and the lights in the street went out! it had been pouring the night before, first lot of rain i have seen since April, so not bad, i still cant get over only seeing a light drivel (sorry drizzle!) of rain when i was in England, i know it poured one evening, but i wasn't out side so missed it! anyway i am digressing as usual.... so it rained here the evening before last! cleared the air and cleaned the terrace!

was dry when Pip and i were out yesterday morning, and i thought the whole of the streets electric had gone out... ok back to where i wanted to be now! but at the park the lights were on again, which was good, it was pitch dark and much earlier than normal for us to be out walking... and then as we turned into our street... lights out! and when the lights are out its darker than dark here... no light bleed from anywhere and it doesn't even feel as though your eyes are open!

we had seen two men turn the corner ahead of us, Pippa was pulling on the lead towards them... all i could see were the shadows really and that they kept turning around... wary of Pippa(!), we got to the door then i heard a noise and there was another guy behind us, so i told Pip to wait then we went in... nightmare!

so! we went down to the money shop in town and changed the 40£ for 42.30cents yeah! anyway cant complain money is money.

mostly because the man Franco was working for is out of the window now (!) its nice to know the money you should have earned for the past 8 months has gone to a better cause! still as they say what goes around comes around and the problems he has now he has brought on himself, but that's of no help to us...

today we thought we might go to the tax office, a letter came for me to be signed for, but was gone from the post office when i went to claim it, now another letter has come possibly from the same office! but not signed for?? Álora seems like a long way to go for no reason... so we will see which way the wind blows us....

Franco came home with a gift for me, he's not sure if its from his Mom or his Son! so must find out who to thank! its a new mobile phone a little pink LG Cookie! that's its name! so lots to do on that, whenever you get a new phone so much to work out, its an MP3 player, but cant yet work out how to download music on to it!gave up at 10:30 last night! i can write a text message with a pen on the screen! cool! but its all by touch pad, which i'm not used to and its slowing my text messaging speed down no end! my thumb moves so fast its a blur!

when i went to pick up Franco from the airport i think someone was confused about the *puerto* part of aeropuerto bit... as a car i was passing by as i entered the car park lane was a big 4x4 towing a 15' or 20' boat!!!! they were headed for the departures area lane???

ok amigos, enough for now... i can make notes on my new phone so if i am out i can jot down stuff to tell... only i did have this facility on my other phone too, and didn't! although this seems for accessible... so maybe...

TTFN
Marian

Monday, October 19, 2009

Yeah... one day to go before i pick up my honey from Malaga airport... cannot wait! well i have to, but not for long!

yesterday Pip and i had our daily constitutional and then that was it! i watched *the Bucket List* movie.... Mom said it was good, it was... and tearful at the end of course and all good movies like that should be, about two men who have six months to live and go through as much of a *bucket list* as they can... well worth watching.... don't forget the hankies!

this morning i got brave and got in the car again! not like me at all, but what with the state of the car and the state of my hands i wasn't at all sure if both of us would make it to the coast and back in one piece, i took the battery charger for the car... and a sprinkling of good luck for me! worked ok, both of us, bit touch and go down, this awful road out of Alhaurín el Grande is still a nightmare, i rested briefly in the gas station to put some gas in the tank! then a bit more bumps and humps before heading out towards Mijas pueblo... then it was down to coast, i took the toll road... and paid the price at Calahonda... saves about 20 minutes.

i had coffee with friends and a good natter, before heading off and back to the car(!) my second coffee date was in a bar further up Sitio de Calahonda! i took directions from two friends she was with in Spanish and English mixed... but some how i went straight to it! we sat out in the wonderful sun, well some of us, we were sol y sombra, some in sun some in shade! and had to keep shifting table and chairs to keep up with it! had a few tapas... and two hours later i left to come home... via Ojen this time, i couldn't manage the bumps again, it took about 10 minutes longer mas o menos, but its a fast road, i even managed to over take some cars... and no they were not stationary!!!!

Pippa acted like i had been gone for days! poor gal, i guess she must wonder when i go out if i will come home at all!

well tomorrow all will be well and as it should be again... well till my December trip! but its only two weeks!

hasta pronto amigos!

TTFN
Marian

Saturday, October 17, 2009


above a little known view of Nottingham..

bit late blogging today, didn't yesterday and now wish i had started earlier, spent too much time *Tweeting* and playing solitaire, so now hands having major problems... "but i must carry on..." did someone else say that? or is it just me!!

anyhow, my last blog was sad with news of two people i knew who have died, both of cancer last week, and of course, coming in 3's news of the third came last evening, my mate here called to say her landlady who was only in her 40's had died of cancer, had been battling for about 3 years and lost her fight this week....

well now i have started with sad news not sure where to go from here... so will just start with this morning, nothing unusual even the on going work now in the street down the road! they have been hammering since 7am this morning! i think they had a break but they're still at it now! couldn't believe it when i got woken up before the alarm again today, i wondered if they might make it a bit later for the weekend, but no, in the pitch dark they began working on the roof of the house, and as i say we're a street away, their neighbours must be loving it!!! so then it was a normal walk for Pippa and i, then i went down into town about 10am to visit aforementioned friend in the Animals in distress shop, to give her a hug, have a chat and let her say what she needed to say... then i came straight back home!

after a bite of lunch i got Pippa together again and we went out in the car to run an errand... i did leave her in the car for 2 minutes... but she started a chain reaction of all the dogs in the neighbourhood... so had to get her outta there! she was disturbing the peace!

i hadn't driven the car since last Sunday coming back from Malaga, it started fine, but i had charged up a battery charger thingy we have, just in case! doing a longer run on Monday down to Calahonda, not looking forward to that, its harder to drive now with no power steering, and i hadn't driven for ages... in fact i think it may have been as long back as when Barry was visiting! six months! i cannot believe i have gone for so long without driving...

a price comparison for you... in England, Tesco 0.630kg of chicken breast is £6.99, that's hugely expensive isn't it! i bought 0.650kg in our local, therefore more expensive corner store, for 4.88 euros, (about 4 pounds), and it's 7.50 euros for a whole kilo there... i did notice back in blighty how expensive shopping is, i know it seems to have gone up here, and if you want to only buy British(???) then that of course is muy caro! by and large food is still more economical here in Spain.

ok amigos, that will be it for today... dinner done and dusted, well washed up! i think i will get it put away and have a coffee now...

take care amigos...

When you read a book, you hold another's mind in your hands.
James Burke

TTFN
Marian

Thursday, October 15, 2009

random photos of Paris...

our first evening sat at a nearby restaurant, wonderful food a glass of wine... and a delishesly drunken rum ba ba for desert! the sponge soaked in rum i am used to, but a whole tot of rum also... phew, we couldn't string two words together!

we got the giggles when Mom miss heard something i said, i said, shame they don' i t have that coffee with foam in side... (a macchiatomeant!) she roared with laughter and said "what! a coffin with a phone inside!!!"

we couldn't stop laughing, it hurt!

above The Ritz, from where Princess Diana left on the fateful night of her death...


The Arc de Triomphe!



the underside of a wooden and metal bridge over the River Seine..


y final... what a great looking building... this we passed every day and is just down the road from our hotel! reminds me, a bit, of the building in New York... the cheese wedge!


not had good news today, a man who owned an apartment down where we used to lived has lost his battle with cancer last week, and today the dad of a friend of ours out here is being buried.... back in England, Marks dad was a great singer, one Christmas day dinner in their restaurant he sang New York New York for Mom, wonderful singer, wonderful guy... he also died of cancer, only very suddenly, not like our friend above who had numerous operations and suffered badly over quite a few years. Marks dad had aches and pains, and thought it arthritis, went to the doctor with a back ache and it turned out to be cancer, i think of his liver, kidneys and bone... thus the aching joints! bit frightening isn't it...

TTFN
Marian

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

more photo' s i took in Notre Dame....

my usual unusual shots!

once again in here people are told all over the place... No Flashes on cameras please!
and still *they* did! what is it with people!!!!

what a wonderful building.... Notre Dame was evangelised in the 3rd century... 3rd century! i repeat!


a view of the door way to enter this great building...

TTFN
Marian

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Notre Dame...


Shall we move on to Notre Dame? about time i think! that's if i can! i had to load these pic's twice, so lets hope they stay here while i am working... not sure if its the connection or my note book as its doing all sorts of weird things... another weird thing... well sort, was paused just nnow on the phone to Mom, the call got cut off and 2 seconds later it rang again, i thought it was my Mom getting back to me, but some women says "can i speak to Mr so & so", i said, no one of that name here, and she answered "well let me tell you how this call can benefit you" i asked her to repeat herself twice, it sort of didn't make sense as she wasn't calling to speak to me in the first place! and i said, "benefit me?? sorry have to go, have another call coming in!" another con merchant out to rob no doubt!

anyway, back to the subject here! Notre Dame... what a spectacular cathedral indeed...

took lots of photos of this wonderful place... first i went to light a candle... popped the coin in a box and picked up my T-light, and i couldn't light it! but a passing American helped me!

not sure these do justice but will give you the idea of the grandeur...


look at these arches....

ok... today Tuesday! walked down in town this morning, so good to be home... seeing all those familiar faces... visit to the animals in distress shop, visit to the insurance, had forgotten to tell them our house number had changed! not the house, just the number!!!

picked up a couple of local free news papers... seems our area is turning into the wild wild west! gun hold ups, knife hold ups, bank robberies and stores.... they will pulling over our wagons and demanding our jewels and gold crowns next! oh they are already it seems!

had coffee with friends who told me of their visit for coffee at a bar at the refugio near Marbella, on the Ojen road... apparently there is a wonderful restaurant there, a huge park area etc, and for a small amount of money you can have lunch and two hours in a bedroom!!! i guess to relax and let your food go down???

also in one of the papers they are on about Christmas already, well it is all over the place in shops back in Blighty and here no doubt also! anyway... they say "drop a dress size for Christmas"!! i think if you have to, or need to i guess, just do what i did when i started that food elimination thing to find out about me MSG problem... that first week i didn't eat any wheat products, potatoes, rice, or pasta! and i lost 7lbs! all these things bloat and make alcohol in your stomach, yeast in other words! moderation in these foods maybe!

Pippa's *clicker* is working well, the instructions to give a treat when the dog stops doing something wrong didn't work, she got into my jeans and just ate all the treats! but i find, just two clicks and the word NO is working just fine! time will tell, but already just holding the clicker is making her pause and think....

i have decided to dig out my eat to beat arthritis books, they arrived i looked at the covers and placed them high on the shelf where they have moved about a bit but not read thoroughly... now i am after the last few months, looks like chocolate must be a moderation thing for me! great! and spinach(?) few other things too, although if no improvement chocolate will be the first to make a huge come back! rhubarb is very bad! it contains oxalic acid, which inhibits the body's ability to absorb calcium and iron from other foods. the acid is concentrated in the leaves which are poisonous, and if you cook the rhubarb in an aluminium pan the acid juice dissolves aluminium from the surface of the pan!!!

its this acid found in smaller amounts in spinach, sorrel and my favourite chocolate! when i was England i was eating, chocolate, spinach and rhubarb yoghurt's all the time, at least one or more of these every single day! no wonder i am having such a bad flare up!

and on this note i must end, have a coffee... ok ok i know caffeine isn't great either, but i bought some green tea to have as an alternative during the day, and evening! heck!

TTFN
Marian

Monday, October 12, 2009

a few more photos taken in the Paris Opera... did i say we thought the Bastille was the Paris Opera? the Bastille opera house is for ballet and the Paris opera is for *opera*, but the Place de la Bastille is something altogether different! the terrible castle and prison the history of this place this is a long read, but good!!! and when finally this awful place was demolished we learnt on the tour bus that a significant number of its stones were recycled and used to construct the Pont de la Concorde across the Seine River so the people could tread the bricks in a continual protest at what went on inside the Bastille.

still inside the Paris Opera...

strange photo above, i know the lights have caught strangely, but to me i can see a spectre....
spooky....

and below... pidgeons in a puddle!



there was always lots of water in the streets? the roads were dry but a truck would move around attach itself to a water hydrant and collect water leaving the gutters running like a stream... one morning looking out of our hotel window such a thing was happening, and so different than Spain, a line of cars, just patiently waited about ten minutes for the man to fill/empty something or other in a little cabin by the single track road...

its Monday now by the way, and i am back home! and Franco is visiting with his Mom in Wales! Malaga airport two days in a row! the structure of the new terminal 3 building is amazing, you have to drive up and past it now to get to departures drop off zone, or the *easy* entrance to the car parks up there!

luckily Franco had put on his alarm yesterday morning, i had, but not changed the time, so when we were approaching the airport the alarm went off! 7am! er no, it was 8am! ooops! i also told Franco don't forget when you put the english mobile on, don't forget to change the alarm, i had it set for 3:30am! i wonder tomorrow what time it will go off?

and this morning, Franco's mobile went off again for me, here, at 6:20! thank you honey!!!!

ok... gotta go, hands hurt, this is doing me in, what happens if i cannot type? i will go crazy!

It is during our time, through managing our
choices, that we are invited to create an outer
world that mirrors our innermost prayers and
dreams. -- Gregg Braden, The Isaiah Effect

TTFN
Marian

Sunday, October 11, 2009

The Paris Opera

The Paris Opera! we were unable to get into the main area of this wonderful building as a reshearsal was taking place, but the link above shows a lot more...

since Mom and i went to see the Phantom of the Opera, originally here... we were also looking forward to gong beneath on a tour of the cellars and the lakes that lay there, but no tour on the day we went and the man seemed to think not the next day either! so a return trip for this it seems...

a 'small' library, would have like to spend some time in here going over all the books...

above is still apart of the main entrance hall... Mom and i were imagining walking down, or up, that wonderful main staircase dressed in a wonderful gown....

we didn't quite make it back for a second visit, just to see if the cellars were open....


and where we did leave the other days blog? arh yes Mom and i headed south on the bus! well as the bus left late we knew we would at least have less time at Luton airport for the Hemel bus, but we missed it! it was the bus to Benidorm from Malaga scenario all over again!!!

a bus came at the right time and i went to see, but the man mumbled something "and heathrow only..." so, we missed it! we got the next one, different number, different destination... but he went to Hemel and that was all we wanted! although then we had the bus to Northchurch, which it seems was full of the people who had been on it for ages, and so far had taken an hour and half from Watford! ...

and back to Mom's...

TTFN
Marian

ps... still have a week to catch up on, bits and pieces... and i am home now, back in Spain, and our wonderful little casa...

Thursday, October 08, 2009

ok... now where were we? i think we had just got back to the railways station Gare Nord in Paris... we had a bite to eat over the road, watching some gypsies(?) begging in the street, asking everyone for money, following people holding out their hands, we were still in the cab and the driver said, dont give them anything, and be careful they're after your possessions!

Mom and i had, yet another drink up stairs at the station being somewhat early! we went through the two border controls, French first then English and waited at the departures area, boarded on time, left on time!

we stopped at Ashford in Kent, then it was on to St Pancras, we were ten minutes late coming in, so it was a mad crazy dash from the Eurostar platform to go up to where the train up to Nottingham was already waiting, the doors closed! they were opened everyone boarded and the doors shut, train pulled out! we arrived into the station at 8:20pm and left at 8:30pm.... we had a ten minute window to get from A to B, and we did it!

from there it was a two hour journey to Nottingham, the train was long, and made up of two trains, so in total four engines... just before most of the stops an announcement came over saying if you were getting off at this next station you would have to make your way through two carriages or more and the buffet carriage to alight from the train, as the platforms were so short!

and at Leicester if you were getting off before Nottingham you had to get off and get back on in the first train, no way past the engines of course! we were ok though, but was worrying all the announcements, wondering if we were meant to do this or that, but i knew the train went to Nottingham, and we were not getting off in between!

it was strange getting off there too, never been to the station before, late at night, and straight into a cab and off to a hotel... very clandestine!

the lady of the hotel kept the place open for us, its a bar restaurant, a tapas place actually! The Olive Tree Bar and Hotel! and very nice it was too, only five minutes walk into town, few minutes from the castle, perfect location! after arriving we must have been asleep within the hour.... ZZZZZzzzzzz

at Ten o'clock the following morning, Thursday, Mom and i met up with Barry, first son, we had arranged to meet by Debenhams, we were there, and so was Barry, just didn't see him at first! we went for a coffee, Costas, first, then took a great tour of the Galleries of Justice Museum, great place, and great tour!

we were the only three in our tour, which of course made it very personal! you are given a prisoner number when you get your tickets, and after the interesting bit in the old court room, which they use for filming now, and not for justice! you are sent down to the cells and link your number to a prisoner of the past, i was a 15 yr old girl who had killed the 2yr old of her employer, so i was to be hung in the next two days... we were given a good talking to by the turn key man, and very sorry we were too for our crimes! Mom and Barry were both thieves (so their prisoner numbers decreed!!) and even shut in a gaol! nice and dark that was... anyway he opened the door, and told us to get on our way, to the womans section... down the dark and twisted stairs we went, down and down... and i turned into the room at the bottom, as i did so i saw a woman standing there, very still, dressed head to foot in black, with a sharp white stiff colar, hands held together... i actually thought she was dummy, there were many stationed all over the place... but then i realised her eyes for following me into the room, and guess out of nervousness i laughed.... huge mistake! she actually told me off!

seriously! and she actually made me feel as though i had done wrong!

our prisoner numbers now linked up to 3 different prisoners from the past, i along with Mom and Barry was also a thief!!! she told us of how our days would be, two hours learning to read and write, an hour at bible study, then into the wash room we went where she showed us our duties! she had Mom and Baz bashing out the washing, but i had to take over from Baz! at this point she told of how my *persona* managed to hold on to some of this washing, tear it up, tie it up and excape over the rear wall.... never realising there was a 70foot drop, my bits of torn sheets not long enough to reach the ground, but, only blood was found beneath the wall, and although a large reward was out for the person to return *me*, no one ever did... i wonder if she landed on her face and no one was ever able to identify her! she was never heard of again...

from there we were shown where *we* would sleep, a big enough room, but one bed, for however many women prisoners were there, two or ten! with diseases or infirmities, or mental illnesses... and one po to... well! and an open window for disposal of aforementioned, lets hope the wind is blowing in the other direction eh!!!

the women were at least taught and kept busy, five minutes in the yard for them, an hour i think for the men, but no teaching! and they had to pay the turn key chap every week! he used to keep 10 men in the cell instead of 3 to make a few bob, the turn key men did not get paid so did what they could...

after we left the scary lady and the womens prision we went out into the yard... i really should have used my camera here... the walls were lined with the inscriptions of prisoners of so long ago... well over a hundred years and more... decades of peoples names and dates, or just lines with a cross running through it.... very very poignant...

there was a little more, lots of photos and writings and museum pieces...

there is also a tour of the caves which looks fascinating, so next time Baz i am in your town, i will be going this again, and the rest!

we then went for some lunch! unlike the prisoners of the past we sat down and had a good meal of noodles! followed by a run around the shops... we left Barry and went back to the hotel, had a bit of a rest and later on went out for dinner, just to the high street, an Italian place, Mom and i sat in a window seat and watched the world of Nottingham go by, well the people who were in and out of the Tesco over the road anyway!

the man who served us was an American like us! he was born in Miami but grew up in Brooklyn, so a New Yorker like Mom...!

and so to bed....

we met up with Barry in the morning, us with our heavy bags... another coffee and down to the bus station... bus was late leaving, the driver hadn't turned up! so we were about quarter of an hour late, we met a great lady at the bus station from Sweden... we talked at the stop, and later on the bus, she is a doctor, and her business is minerals and healthy eating... something we should all take more notice of, infact when i get home i will take another look at the food intolerance results i had done, i remember he checked for things i was missing out on too, although thats been a while now, over a year, so not sure how things would be by now!

so where shall i leave Mom and i? on the bus headed south....

because now i am .... all typed out! i am doing lasagne for dinner tonight for Kate and Tony at their house... my bags are packed!

today's quote isn't great, i thought of it, i think(?) Mom and i on the bus today and a huge truck would of ploughed into us had our driver not stopped in time, Mom said that would cure us for sure of everything! and i replied...

yes... death cures all ills...

TTFN
Marian
ok... folks pull in and screw up those peepers... the Venus deMilo is right there... down at the end....

wonderful works of art above and well as beneath...

lots of people seemed to rushing along without even noticing the wonders above!

ok the chap below...
the plaque below says its called *The centaur overlapped by love* well thats the translation, from the net, and as every single item is only written in French, one must do what one can do and try to work it out!

the peoples of the world must be soooo please to walk the galleries and museums of England, where every single item has a description in sooooo many different languages!

all the menus were only in French too, yes yes, i know we were in France, but Paris is a tourist area no? and with so many different nationalities mabye a couple of choices would have been good, anyway, i just spoke Spanish, for some reason it was the only thing i could do, and did, without even thinking about it, which just shows how much Español there is floating around in the dark recesses of my mind!

and we were lucky that all the people we spoke to in restaurants etc were of other nationalities, we came across Russians, Chinese, Columbians, and to put us to shame all spoke Spanish and English amongst other languages...

ooops, got on my old favourite and much bashed up soap box, still not been on it for a while!

so much still to catch up! i should make some notes or something before i forget, just want to get all these photos up and posted... we have been back a week, we were in Nottingham this time last week!

ok.... Mom and i are off out, again, to Aylesbury, again, but this is our last trip, tomorrow i rest! before the far too early trip back home... i guess they do these early flights mainly for people who are coming out on holiday and they have a whole day on the day they arrive...

anyway, my case feels like it has reached its 20kilo limit! i bought a couple of magazines, i don't tend to read many any more, not just because they are ex extortionate price in Spain, but they're full of ads and the same ol' same ol' thing, i have found one that was a good read from front page to back, and have got Novembers issue too, un read to read back home, and i bought another mag for just under 2£, because it has an offer of an eye liner thats worth over 10£, will let you know my success of picking it up from The House of Fraser later!

TTFN
Marian

Wednesday, October 07, 2009

Master of san francesco, active in Ombrie during the third quarter of the XIII century. author of a panel figuring françois (sat, church santa married degli angeli)

painted cross. 1265-1270 on either side of the christ, the virgin and a holy woman, knows John the evangelist and an apostle.

this is a translation of the french plaque that was with this small, but wonderful work of art in the Louvre, in fact i think this was one of the most wonderful things i saw in the short time we were there....

a view through the magnificent interior of the Louvre.... works of art in a work of art...

Nike - Winged Victory of Samothrace, headless angel.... link included here to read all about this Greek Goddess...

a huge masterpiece... i promise next time i go, will make notes, take my time, and not post un known photos of such wonderful pieces of art with no hint as to their origins!


ditto!

TTFN
Marian

Tuesday, October 06, 2009

Venus de Milo

Venus de Milo..

the Mona Lisa...

four unusual pictures... click and zoom in and you will see what i mean!

view from a window... not a painting! although it does look like one doesn't it!

the old and the new of the Louvre...

TTFN
Marian

Monday, October 05, 2009

just photos...

view of the pyramid taken from inside the courtyard of the Louvre...

one of the many outside walls of the Louvre!

Eiffel Tower...

looking up at where Mom and i had just been!

TTFN
Marian