April 2015 Things

I have had a difficult time adjusting to life in Berlin. I am now back into my usual routine and that should help to made the full adjustment in April. The weather is terrible, which means it is not 30°C with high humidity. This morning we had snow. Where is Spring?

I have booked my flight and hotel in Spain for the first week of July. I shall stay in Berlin until then even though I am getting 'itchy feet'. I am not going to Dublin for my birthday because the Dubliners are coming here. Looking forward to seeing them again. August will see me away from Berlin, but more of that in later posts.

Nothing special or different in my diary during April except a note to listen to the BBC News more often. There is an election on the 7th May so I plan to listen to the campaign as it gathers pace during the month. If the Conservatives win, they will call a Referendum on leaving the EC. If so, I expect most Brits to vote to leave. I am already prepared for that to happen. Goodbye Brits!

Who has a birthday in April?  Horst hits 81 this Saturday and I have been invited to a small, family event based on coffee and cake to celebrate the event. Petra celebrates on the 8th with her family not far from here. Daniel in Sydney will be 36 on the 9th followed on the 11th by Dennis in California. No doubt he will celebrate with his wife and now very tall teenage twin sons! Neil hits 58 on the 13th and will celebrate on the Rhein with his lady. Henri is my great-nephew and will be all of 5 on the 18th. Mathias my business partner will celebrate his 51st with his wife on the 19th in Berlin. Peter in Altlandsberg will celebrate his 52nd on the 22nd and the birthday month ends with Birgit F. who will toast her 51st year on 24th April. Happy Birthday to all and each and have a great time with family and friends!

Dozing

I dozed through yesterday. It was nice! I had no appointments and the weather was fine. I planned a bicycle ride in the afternoon but didn't make it.

A book and dozing got in the way. I started a new chapter in my book. 'IDEAS'. I've talked about it before. I read one chapter and stretched out on the couch. That was it. On waking I read more and then dozed more.

This pattern ended in the evening when I watched football on TV in HD. It was a friendly game between Germany and Australia. I was surprised at how well the Australian team played and I think the German players and manager were.

It ended 2:2 but the Australian team dominated most of the game. Germany is playing Croatia on Sunday and this time it is for a place in the championship.

I am back into my usual Berlin routines including a lot of nose blowing at this time of year. Yes, I came back to all my allergies. Berlin water and air also showed its presence on my hair, skin, fingers and nails. All the problems are back.

I wonder if I shall end up looking like this gent?  There is only one long term solution and that is to live somewhere else. How about NSW or Victoria? :-))

Presentations

Since my return from Australia I have been asked to give two presentations. The first was on the Friday following my return. Stefan asked me to present some photos and a narrative about my adventures to the Photoshop Gang.

I gladly agreed and you can see me with my hand up pointing at a screen. Stefan took a photo with the camera on his mobile phone. Unfortunately the camera did not catch the detail on the screen. Even so it was interesting to re-live it all the day after my return.

This afternoon I went to my local library to meet Mathias' Gang. He teaches English there and asked me to give a presentation. Again I happily agreed. I had met the class before so knew their level. I prepared a map of Australia with details of size compared to Europe and of my tours in the south east.

You can see the class with the maps at the end of my presentation.They kept awake and asked some interesting questions. One lady is going to Melbourne in September to stay with her niece so it was nice talking about the city/area and giving her a few tips. I told her to visit Sandringham, which she agreed to as soon as she saw the beach photos:-)

a la Marcel

Marcel came to visit yesterday. Our first meeting in about 7 weeks. He had called earlier to catch up on news and then he said he would visit and cook something, watch a film, stay over, have breakfast then slowly return home to a jogging/training session. I agreed at once.

I asked him what he was going to cook. He said he didn't know but it would be Hungarian and a la Marcel. Hence the title of this blog post! It was great to see him again and he looked very well. He is doing well in his studies and has exams looming but said he felt confident. I am sure he will do well.

We went to the supermarket and bought the ingredients for our meal. He started at once and with lots of comments and jokes - as per usual! He found the recipe on an online Hungarian page and it was as follows: Par cook potatoes and chicken breast slices but separately. Slice both into a glass dish and add sliced tomatoes, spices and onions. Sprinkle cheese over the top and cook in an oven.

Serve hot with a cold glass of white wine = delicious! I felt a lot better as the evening wore on. We watched the latest film directed by Clint Eastwood and then it was time for shut-eye. He was very lazy and slow this morning and didn't want to get out of bed. I bribed him with hot tea.

He is now jogging and I am going to cycle in my local park soon. Thanks to those who called me about my problem of adjusting to life in Berlin. Yes, I have decided to post other reports and photos about my Australian adventures as a form of adjustment therapy. There are some really good photos for you to enjoy.

For Barbara

This post is for Barbara, but the rest of you may read it :-))   I have just got home and found my telephone blinking. It was a message from cousin Barbara calling all the way from Silsden. I write this blog for her and sister Frances.

Barbara has followed every step of my recent Australia trip and reads my blog regularly, even if I post from Berlin. She said she was concerned about me for she had not read a blog update since 9th March which was my first full day in Bangkok.

I checked the blog and all machines were showing 'Settling In' to Berlin posted on Saturday 14 March. I am going to call to reassure her that I'm okay even if still not sleeping properly and feel listless. I think my problems are psychological. I don't want to be here but in Sydney or Melbourne.

Thanks for your concern liebe Barbara! Here is a special card for you. I got it in Sydney. It is called 'Mother of all Hens 2014' and created by Nicole Levy-Atkinson. I really like the simple structure and wonderful arrangement of colours. Seeing them always makes me smile :-) Hope you like it.

Settling in

I'm settling into life in Berlin but I would rather be in Melbourne or Sydney. I got to Bangkok airport okay and went through all the security rubbish and time wasting until we could board the plane. It was fully booked.

I had an aisle seat with lots of leg room and a quiet young Bangkok lady in the seat next to me. In the seat across the aisle was an older Bangkok lady of larger proportions and with lots of bags on the floor. She spoke good German and said she was returning to her family in Stuttgart.

Nice conversation then lights out and try to sleep for the next 12 hours. I could not but the 'large' lady could and with some gusto. She quickly settled into large and loud snoring. I wondered if her husband used earplugs or perhaps was deaf.

We landed at Vienna and there I had a nearly 3 hour wait for my final flight to Berlin. The plane was full and most were men of a 'business appearance' = same colour and cut of suit, white shirt and mainly plain blue ties. All were busy pressing buttons on their 'smart phones' even though connection was not allowed. I think it is a collective brain sickness.

We finally landed at Berlin Tegel Airport. I got into a taxi and settled into a nearly one hour journey. On entering my flat I noted how tiny, cold, dusty and dark it seemed. I went shopping and started the washing machine before attacking the dust.

I had and still have a problem to sleep and I lost my appetite. That is called 'Settling In'. Perhaps I shall have arrived by next Monday when I go to my travel agent to book my flight to Orviedo in the north of Spain. That is for early July, meanwhile I am considering my birthday in Dublin.

Here you can see what my priorities were when shopping in Bangkok.Mmmmhhhh... Digestive biscuits and Kit-Kat. I can't buy McVitie's in Germany so I took the chance to stock up. Actually they don't taste as I remember from my childhood. The other photo is of the building site opposite my flat. You can see the workers were very busy during my absence. 

Hello Berlin

I have packed my bags and shall soon store them in the lobby until I go to the airport this evening. I hope to go on a group tour but the latest is that we don't have enough people for a group. Perhaps in an hour or two.


Hot and humid weather in Bangkok. Cold and wet in Berlin. I'm not looking forward to the long flight. I have a stop over in Vienna so I hope they remember to transfer my bag to the Berlin flight!


Thanks for following my adventures and to those of you who sent comments via e-mail. See you soon in Berlin!

PS: I think they lost the O and apostrophe from my name. My nearly namesake sold BMW cars :-)

Palace and Temple

I've had a very interesting day. Let me take you through it step by step. It began with an early call. Yes, out of bed at 6.00am. I am not a morning person so it was a painful as ever to get into gear at that time. I shaved, showered etc and made it to the breakfast room for 6.45am.

A light breakfast then off to get my rucksack and wait in the lobby. I got there at exactly 7:30 as requested. I waited, and waited. Others came and went with other tourist groups and I sat there alone. I finally talked to the reception staff at 9.00am and explained the situation. They called 'Ronny' who I had made the booking with


He is responsible for the German language tours. He screwed up badly! He said the guide and driver had gone to the wrong hotel. I told him to go to hell and I would book with another company. End of that conversation. Two staff members listened to me speaking in German and after said they did not understand what I had said but it was plain that I was angry. What a nice understatement! .

They looked in the brochure of the company the hotel has a contract with. We found a tour beginning at 12.00 noon. They called for me and booked it. I retired for a rest and lo the car arrived on time and with a very nice young lady called Alicia as our tour guide. The others in the group were a family from Vancouver. Intelligent, well travelled and perfect company.

We set off on a tour that turned out to last for over five hours. Our guide liked the small group and was not in a hurry. The main visits were the Main Palace and Temple complex built in the mid-1800s. They are close to the curve in the river in which the later centre of Bangkok emerged. It really is a huge urban sprawl dominated by
cars.

This is the main problem for the city was laid out around the river with lots of canals for river/water transport. That was then the main way of moving people and goods. Then came the petrol engine. The rest is history. Bangkok is really a petrol engine dominated area. Many people wear masks but I am not sure if that helps.

On return to my hotel I sipped a cool G&T after discussing my plans for tomorrow with two of the hotel staff. They agreed I could use facilities even though on paper I had to leave my room by 12.00 noon. They said I could go on another tour, return and then shower/freshen up at the swimming/gym/sauna facilities on the 9th floor. I could then go to the airport to wait until my flight left at 11:55pm. What a time to take off!

Having got all that organised, I went to the hotel restaurant and had an excellent meal based on fish. The service was also very good. How difficult it will be to return to Berlin as a 'normal-person' after being a 'VIP' in Bangkok.

Worra Scorcher!

"Phew, worra scorcher !" was always used by the magazine Private Eye to describe hot and inclement weather.... in the way only Private Eye could do for its stories were always linked to 'sex scandals' of that period. I am not sure they are still doing it. But a classic of its time!

That is what I thought as I emerged into my part of Bangkok early afternoon. It was 30+°C and with high humidity. It was like walking through a steam bath that didn't stop steaming. It is many decades since I experienced such weather and that was in north India.

I started the day by trying to merge my time period in Sydney with Bangkok = by waking early. I got a call from reception at 8.00am = midday Sydney time. I had not slept very well but galloped through the shower. I later emerged at level B1 on the lift sign. It was reserved for Breakfast level 1. What an array of food.

I marched around the displays and worked out that if I started on water/juice and worked my way through everything on offer I would need about 2 hours to eat/drink my way through breakfast.  I noted a couple of 'over large' guests and decided not to try the two hour breakfast test!

After that I retired to my room to call the tourist company and book tours for tomorrow and Wednesday. I prepared photos for the blog post I did this morning. Then I girded my loins and set out to explore my bit of the city.

I walked 5 minutes to a local bank and enjoyed half an hour in the company of an employee who changed money and wanted to know about life in Germany/Berlin. What a pleasant young lady and I said I would certainly return to her should I need more money. That was the start of a nice afternoon.

I worked out how to use the underground system and it seemed to have been designed by the person responsible for the Beijing underground. In fact I wondered if I were in Beijing as I travelled to my destination. It was not far away and after a short walk I arrived at a 'Shopping Mall'. It was also exactly like the ones in Beijing!

I had a great time finding things including real McVities Digestive Biscuits. What a surprise. I can't buy them in Berlin. But I had a problem to find Schweppes Tonic Water to thin down my bottle of Gordon's Dry Gin. I succeeded, but only available in small cans and not in large bottles. Must talk to Schweppes about this on my return!

I also bought different kinds of bread/rolls/cakes and got into interesting conversations with the ladies selling these wares. A coffee break, walk into the park, enjoy the lake and trees then slowly back to the hotel as it got dark.

I had a free drink of fruit juice on my return and saw a few people enjoying the swimming pool on the 9th floor. I didn't know we had one. I may check it out later tomorrow and see what I remember from my last swimming lessons in Shirley's pool in Florida a few years ago = sink or swim!

Here are a few more photos of the area I am in. One shows the river I mentioned earlier which flows slowly into the sea south of Bangkok. More of that in my next post.

Arrived Bangkok

Yesterday I packed my bag, got in a taxi and finally entered a Thai Airlines Jumbo-Jet for the flight to Bangkok airport which is in the eastern suburbs of the city. I really like the uniforms, smiles and hands held as in prayer when the staff greet you. I replied with 'Namaste' and same hand position as a hostess burst out laughing and said that was an Indian/Hindu greeting.

Later she came to say there was a row of four seats empty and I could have them. Nice. This time I put up all the armrests and tried to sleep. I could only doze but I found it restful between large hot meals. I think this is one of a few airlines to have kept the old dining tradition = no fast food. They even served wine and spirits for free!

I watched two films between dozing. Both were new and featured two Irish actors in the lead. Pierce Brosnan was in The November Man and I can recommend this film. The other featured Liam Neeson as an ex-cop in New York hired to look for the killers of the wife of a drugs boss. I found the character actors very good and the story reminded me of one of those old black and white gangster films. Also worth seeing.

I did all the stuff you have to do at an airport these days and finally got into a taxi. I hired it from an official desk there which is recommended by the police and travel agencies. My hotel has 27 stories and I am on No. 24. A very nice room with a super view over a main road leading to the old centre which is now a main tourist area. I have booked to see it all with a German speaking group tomorrow morning. Pick-up at my hotel at 7:30am!

On Wednesday I shall book for a tour of the town via boat. A river flows through Bangkok and empties into a sea south of the city. That evening I shall again be at the airport and heading for Vienna before changing planes for Berlin and landing on Thursday.  Keep smiling and thanks to my readers in Russia who have really followed my adventures!

Mardi Gras

I have just returned from my first Mardi Gras. No, it was not in Rio de Janeiro. It ended two streets away from Ian and Birgits house here in Sydney and that is where I watched it. It started at 8.00pm and ended after 10.00pm. It is now 11.00pm and a police helicopter is circling overhead. What a noise - go away and let us sleep!

I discovered it was an event organised by many associations, political parties, sport clubs and all under the banner of the Gay and Lesbian Association. That was soon clear after a few minutes of watching the procession.

The event was well organised and the participants clearly enjoyed themselves as you can see from the photos. Not all looked like models. Most looked like Mr and Mrs Joe Public with the same bulges and body shapes as the rest of us have.

Earlier I had packed my big bag ready for the taxi at 12 noon. I then go to the International Airport and at 3.30pm fly to Bangkok. I do not want to leave. I would rather stay here. It is amazing how this place has absorbed me in the month I have been here.

I hope to update the blog from Bangkok and share my experiences with you. Please allow a couple of days for me to get there, see something, take a few photos and then post an update. Bis dahin!

Centennial Park

My last Friday in Australia. I went back to The Rocks, then to the Opera House and into Botanical Gardens. They are all on the waterfront in the city area. As the sun got hotter I took a bus to a new part of town.

It is on the border of the area where I stay and is called Centennial Park. The area takes in two other parks called Moore Park and Queens Park. They are smaller. I was surprised I had not visited them before. It was perfect weather for a visit.  Even so the locals are now talking about the start of Autumn. I joke not!

You can see how autumnal it was from the photos I took. On entering the park I stopped for a coffee break at a small cafe. Nice to sit in the shadow and I soon noticed the parks/area were/was very popular with mothers pushing prams. It was also a meeting point for them to meet and chat as well as sip coffee.



I walked along the sides of gardens and lakes, saw a 'gaggle' of swans, and watched white cockatoos chirping at each other. I stopped for a tea/cake break in an old stone shelter and enjoyed the shadow as I sipped my tea. A group of people in nice clothes arrived and then I noticed it was a wedding party. A couple got married next to 'Duck Pond' and I watched it all as I sipped another cup of tea.

Later I went with Ian and Birgit to a restaurant of their choice. It was a very good Italian one. They were my guests and I told them they could have whatever they wanted. It was my way of saying thanks  for letting me share their house and home. A very happy evening.

They are flying to Hong Kong tomorrow for a break. It is possible they will be living there part of each year from next year so they invited me to stay with them. I shall have to put more pennies under the mattress this year.

Wollongong

Wollongong is a town south of Sydney on the coast. It has an Aborigine name and rose to fame as the centre of a coal mining area, home to new settlers who worked in the mines and later as a holiday centre with a large beach. I saw it first from the plateau above when I returned from Canberra.

I went there at the invitation of Colin. One of his neighbours is a member of a Senior Walking Group and invited him to join them on a walk to Wollongong. He accepted and asked me if I wanted to come. I immediately said, 'Yes'.

I had to get up very early. Yes, at 5:30 am. I haven't woken so early since I used to work shifts when I was in my early 20's. I made it thanks to Ian putting a cock crowing tone onto a mobile phone = acting as an alarm clock.  Slow shave and shower, got dressed then out of the house without breakfast.

Caught the bus, got out at Central Station, found platform 25 and jumped on the train to our meeting place. I got there just before 8:00am in time to meet my new 'Walking Gang' at 8.10am. We got onto another train heading even further south and so a new adventure started.

Most of my new gang were retired teachers or teacher trainers. They were all my age or a few years older and enjoyed going on walks on the first Thursday of each month. We got out of the train a few stations before Wollongong to start our walk.

We started with a stop for tea/coffee which I used for a breakfast break. Very nice scenery through fields, woods, along lakes and then into the town via a hiking path. Also lots of interesting conversations/jokes/comments to make the time together even more relaxing.

We stopped for a light lunch in the town centre with even more conversations and jokes. I really enjoyed being with people of my age and talking to/with them. On my tours I have sometimes missed not having others to talk to and share experiences.

We caught a return train and they left as we entered the suburbs of Sydney. I was pleased to be asked to join the group again when I next arrived in Sydney. What a nice idea. I returned to Central Station then took the bus home. Happy memories of a special day made so by a group of very interesting people. Thanks to each and all of you!

Bridge that Gap

I found my way along Argyle Street to the steps that take you up to the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Building started in 1923 and ended in 1932. 16 construction workers died in the process. There is a plaque to them on the side of the bridge.

It is the sixth longest spanning-arch bridge in the world and the tallest steel arch bridge, measuring 134 m (440 ft) from top to water level. It was also the world's widest long-span bridge, at 48.8 m (160 ft) wide, until construction of the new Port Mann Bridge in Vancouver was completed in 2012.  (Thanks to Wikipedia for that! )


I set off to find the north side which I did after
taking my time to look at all the views as I crossed. I  took a few photos en route. There are tracks for trains and roads for cars. I took the train back into the centre  after I had completed the walk. It certainly was an interesting experience.

Big Ship

Last Tuesday I set off on a new adventure in Sydney. The weather was sunny and warm so ideal for another day of exploration. I went to the Circular Quay and then walked into an area called The Rocks.

The Rocks was the original settlement of convicts and later settlers from the UK. It is now a big tourist centre. It is also next to a wharf where only the biggest of the big ships berth.
On that day I was surprised to see the cruise ship Queen Elizabeth sleeping at that berth.

I just had to have a photo so here it is with the Opera House in the background. I explored the area then went to to a German restaurant for lunch and even had a glass of Löwenbräu Bier to cool me down.   I later set off to find the way to the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

March 2015 Things

As I start the month I also start my final week in and around Sydney. Today I went in search of a local hairdresser, with no success. Perhaps because it was Monday morning. Tomorrow I am going to explore The Rocks section of Sydney, climb up to the Sydney Harbour Bridge, cross it and later revisit Manly for another walk on the beach.

On Thursday I shall meet Colin and go on a days walk with him and a gang of local 'Oldies'. On Friday Ian and Birgit will be my guests for a splendid evening of eating and drinking. It is my way of thanking them for being my hosts. Next day they are flying to Hong Kong so that will be our final evening.

This is a photo of the Parliament building in Melbourne to remind me of a wonderful week there.


On Saturday I shall go to a Mardi Gras festival/procession not far from where I stay. Sunday is packing my bags, into a taxi and off to the airport to catch my flight to Bangkok. I shall be there for three days before the final flight to Berlin via Vienna.


Back to normal life in Berlin which means going to the Philharmonie on Sunday 15 March for a concert. After that are SPD meetings, seeing Frau Fox, Daniel, my Oldie breakfast, camera club, keeping fit with Kerstin and my Photoshop Gang.

Who has a birthday in March? All my computers celebrate being 7 years old starting with my MacBook on 19th March :-))  Colin in Australia will be 64 on the 19th. It is a day he shares with his cousin Johanna in Berlin but she is few years older. Dr. Günter P will celebrate another birthday with his family on 22 March, Dr. Bernd W. near Bernau will celebrate his big day with family on 28 March and that is it.  Happy Birthday to each and all!

Bye Melbourne

Yesterday afternoon I said goodbye to Melbourne. Not only the big city but the little suburbs down to Sandringham where Peter lives. I went for a walk along the cliff tops to the south of Sandringham and took these photos.

I have more shots of the centre of Melbourne and of the streets around Peter's flat such as the library and Metro station, but I decided on the beach shots. They better represent my memories of the place and how much I enjoyed walking on the cliffs and along the beaches.

As I took these two photos the sun was pushing through to warm up the sunbathers, joggers and families enjoying the facilities. In Sydney two days of 36°C heat ended with a violent storm, high winds and heavy rain. I didn't know that as I enjoyed the sun on my walk.

As I packed my bag, I turned on my phone and picked up a message from the airline warning about the storms and possible delays. I pushed on with travel plans. A sad goodbye to Peter, for he had been the perfect host, then into the city. I picked up the airport bus and everything was okay.

Checked onto the flight and then the wait. And wait then announcements about a delay. Not only my flight. Sydney airport had been closed because of the storm. Nothing to do but try to sleep or eat/drink your way through the waiting time. I chose to doze.

Finally onto the plane, further delays then takeoff. We had to circle Sydney airport for 40 minutes before we could land for there was a backlog of flights waiting to land. Then through baggage, onto a train then the bus to Ian and Birgit's place. I arrived over two hours late but at least in one piece! How I miss those cliff/beach walks!

Olli the Ele

Saturday was Peter's birthday. We met up in the evening and he chose a local restaurant for his birthday meal. The served Spanish side dishes and a special one.

Here is a photo of Peter finishing a plate of the special food with a few chips. The author of the recipe is Joyce Radin. Here is how to make it:

ELEPHANT STEW
Serves - 3,685.  Preparation time - 2 months. Ingredients - 1 large elephant.

Method: Secure one large elephant. Kill, clean and cut into cubes. This will take two months. Put in a large pot and simmer over a kerosene heater at 465°F for 14 weeks. Make gravy to cover. About 30 gallons should be sufficient.

If more meat is required to enhance the flavours of the stew, just add one tiger caught very early in the morning for freshness. Skin must be removed and also teeth and claws for health reasons.

The stew can be frozen for up to 5 years.  

Mmmmh....delicious with all the side dishes we had. Try it for your next birthday. Cheers to Olli!