Boadicea's Chariot

One of our stops on the way to Bratislava was at Karlovy Vary, aka Carlsbad. This has been a spa resort town since the 18th century. The legend is that the hot springs were originally discovered by a hunting hound who had the misfortune to fall into one. His owner, the Emperor Charles IV, was so pleased to have found these springs that he quickly recovered from the loss of his dog.

Continue reading “Karlovy Vary”

One of my younger brothers (younger being a relative term as he’s just celebrated his 60th ) is a yacht skipper and has, for years, owned a sailing business based in the Greek islands.

Nice lifestyle really. Summers spent sailing round the islands, organising flotillas, charters and the like. During the winter he returns to the UK and undertakes short term contracts as a commissioning skipper on new yachts for boat builders, checking specifications, testing equipment, sea trials, worldwide deliveries and so on.

Continue reading “One rung at a time”

It is a rather peculiar experience to be a British person onlooking the Olympics from elsewhere especially as I still read the British papers on a daily basis.

I detect a dissonance between the two.  I have read in the UK papers about the enthusiasm for the opening ceremony which I have to say has not really been reflected here.  In WA state we pick up both Canadian and US radio and television.  Both/all were excessively polite about the ceremony, far too polite! Quirky and creative being the most often used words as various struggled to describe and understand the whole affair, frankly it wasn’t really suitable for a world wide audience.  It was then dropped like a hot brick.  I suspect that it was all too political and a potential minefield to correspondents, there was actually a comment on Canadian radio to the effect that were there no white people left in London? Incredible considering they are the most anal PC bunch known to mankind!!!

Today there has been much made of empty stadia, angry ticketless Brits, Olympic events not open to the public and a general wonder why Locog cannot get their act together to fill the seats.  Romney was slated here for making rude remarks to the Brits re the readiness of the UK to host the games.and duly slunk off to Israel ASAP. I note a couple of commentators beginning to ask whether he had a point!  I have been captive today for a couple of hours in the kitchen making redcurrant sirop so have been treated to a variety of talk shows and talking heads on my mini kitchen counter TV.

I have to say in mitigation the NBC’s coverage of the games is absolutely DIRE, were you to see it you would actually thank God you had the BBC (What a heresy!!!)  We have watched any clips etc on Canadian TV which have made a far better job of the whole affair.

I would be interested to see what Chris and Low Wattage have thought so far of other denizens reactions Also what Bo and Bearsy make of the coverage and reaction in their antipodes..

what can I say