Life in Luxor

Getting materials

2011-02-06T20:47:00.000Z

The problem in Luxor is that the imported items are very very dated - see example of the 70s corner bath. So we have tried to source everything we can from artisans who make everything locally. The metal worker is a great example. He has made a beautiful gate, in a traditional style and is now working on a 4 poster bed, as big as possible.

He is also making all the metal work for the balconies.

Labour here is very cheap. I am embarrassed to say it is just £10 per day. But we employ several people at any time. It gives everyone something and hopefully if we continue with this work on other properties they can be kept in employment. The worker carrying the sack of sand has 9 children, so I can imagine how hard life is for him and his wife, especially if there is no work.

Luxor

2011-02-06T19:25:00.003Z

Since coming to Luxor, along with my new husband we have bought the lease on a property in television street. We are refurbishing it and trying our best to use local labour, artisans and materials. We felt it was important to give as much work as possible to local people and use as few imported items as we could. Not only would this give the appartments and authentic Egyptian look but also give much needed money to local people.

Picasso at the National Gallery

2009-03-17T17:10:00.003Z

This was one of my favourite paintings in the Picasso exhibition. It is supposed to be taken from the Delacroix painting titled 'The women of Algiers' Looks a lot more explicit in this version by Picasso.

The fall of the peacock throne

2009-03-16T16:57:00.003Z

I dont often go to see plays but I really wanted to see this one having read about this particular piece of history.

Based in Iran it tells the story of the doomed window of democracy the country had back in 1953. More than this is also tells of how the West ie USA and UK are able to blackmail weaker countries into having to give up their rights. From what I have already read, I found this portrayal to be accurate and this is not surprising since the writer was assisted by the grandson of the former Prime minister, who was imprisoned by the end of the production.

I liked the main story but as they decided to run it alongside another tale about Alexander and Darius and the actors played up to 3 parts each it sometimes became a bit confusing. If it were not that I knew

The play was very well acted by all the partipants. I liked the fact that we were almost part of the stage. I like the location, the train running over the bridge added to the grittiness of the production. It was like a hidden secret with only a dozen of us in the audience witnessing this play. Very well done.

Posh Fulham supporters

2009-03-16T16:24:00.002Z

No swearing, no singing, no raised voices and not that much support for a very good team. Fulham FC must have the poshest supporters in the country. Indeed it is based in a very affluent area of London and I understand that the socio economic class of the average supporter is in the top bracket. Great for kids and ladies as there is absolutely no fear of any unpleasantness at this venue. I personally would go there all the time if I lived nearby as there is some fantastic football going on here. I enjoyed the Blackburn match on Wednesday even though Fulham lost there was lots of action and some great saves by the Fulham goalkeeper.

My favourite player was this little one from Blackburn.

Everything must go

2009-03-16T15:56:00.003Z

everythingmustgo.org.uk

I was thrilled to have got involved by chance in this installation in Southwark. I only went in to ask directions to the Playhouse and was offered the chance to take as much plastic as I wanted. Some huge shapes in bright orange and red as well as perspex. Jeremy Hutchison, the artist filmed the proceedings including us trying to jam these huge bits into the car. I am excited about making art work out of the pieces and look forward to displaying them. Hope he keeps us up to date with future installations.

Islamic art at Satchi

2009-03-16T15:28:00.006Z

The most effective and impressive installation at this exhibition of islamic art is the work by Algerian artist Kader Attier.

The work is delicate and very fragile and it is clever how he has moulded the aluminium foil around a body shape. Glimpsing inside the shapes there is just blackness which tells a whole story in itself.

The huge number of women depicted show how meaningless they are as individuals. Anonomous figures just shapes without personality or feelings. Faces hidden.

The whole of this exhibition is a fantastic statement about the oppression of women in Islamic countries. Much needed comments by brave artists.

Ambassade D'Ille

2009-03-16T14:59:00.003Z

A very interesting though quite expensive meal can be enjoyed at the Ambassade D'ille in Old Brompton Road.

I was very impressed that the staff courteously called one hour before the booking to ensure we would still be coming. Maybe because there were so few bookings on the night. Only 10 people in total while we were there.

Nevertheless it was a wonderful experience of good service and a whole range of tasty morsels.

The picture above shows the amuse bouche comprising of quails eggs and tiny scallops. These followed root vegetable crisps in a huge pile of battered herbs.

We chose the tasting menu which in reality is good value. Totally delicious fois gras in delightfully modern soup bowls filled with lobster sauce was a highlight for me.

It is well worth going for the additional cheese board (one between 2 is enough for any couple as the choice is huge and generous) A speciality of Lyon is brought to the table along with a trolley of ripe cheeses from France. Three trolleys in all as an extra one comes with the Stilton mixed with Port. You may have as many cheeses as you care here and plenty of lovely bread and 2 sorts of butter, constantly replenished.

Service is attentive and unobtrusive. The staff are friendly and since Hamid speaks fluent french it was particularly pleasant to chat.

Chef toured the restaurant before the end of our meal, but you are able to watch the kitchen on large screens during the meal from some points in the dining rooms.

The rest rooms have some fantastic features with a bubbling geyser to wash your hands.

Our only criticism is the price of the wines - nothing much less than one hundred pounds but as a tip you can have several long drinks to start that are much more reasonable.

To finish we had a liquorice flavoured ice cream served on ice cold steel. See picture.

Dr Atomic is magnificent

2009-03-16T14:28:00.005Z

I had tickets to see this minimalist opera at the colosseum in London.

It opens with a fantastic stage set incorperating the choir in boxes each one with a picture of a scientist working on the 1st atomic bomb.

Later in the production indians in full tribal dress replace them for a fabulous choral scene.

By the end tension is added to the threatening sounds and atmosphere by the props appearing to

There is so much to see and like in this opera. The orchestra and sound effects. The stage sets. The voices and of course the story. It is still possible to get tickets for the show and it is well worth anyones time and the relatively small price of the tickets.

Elaine getting a lot of attention here

2009-02-27T21:18:00.001Z

Opera Snobs at the new production of La Boheme

2009-02-10T13:00:00.002Z

I was lucky to have got tickets for the opening night of Jonathon Millers new production of Puccini's La Boheme at the Colosseum. Broadcast live for the first time on Sky TV from a packed house.

I thought it was a wonderful production particularly the first Act where Alfie Boe and Melody Moore sang those famous arias so movingly. The set was fantastic, almost like an old film of the 30's with an alley between the Parisian cafes setting the scene.

Why do critics have to be so horrible about such an immense achievement as this? It was almost as if the whole production was a disaster when I read some of the write ups the following day. Not to mention member of the audience who make such snobby comments such as 'Terribly under directed in my opinion'. Get a life some of you mealy mouthed people, stop criticising unless you personally can do a whole lot better.

I loved it and am sure most of the audience and viewers of Sky TV arts did too. Stand up for the ENO and the whole production team and singers who did a fantastic job on the best opera.

British museum Nebamin Collection

2009-02-10T12:18:00.005Z

It was thrilling to see the newly opened Nebamin Tomb paintings in Room 61 at the British Museum. Recent conservation work on them shows remarkable detail and has brought out the true beauty of these amazing works of art.

Hard to believe the paintings are 3500 years old. Animals, dancers and fantastic details of Egyption life.

Do go if you can. It is free entry and very exciting to see.

Feng zhengjie

2008-10-13T13:24:00.001Z

Chinese art

2008-10-13T13:17:00.001Z

Took ages to get here but well worth a look

Hassan the taxi

2008-04-15T17:29:00.001Z

Hassan likes to wear his coat even in the hot weather as he has to get up at 4 when its freezing here in fez and he could catch cold

Tai hee lee the most famous actress in korea

2008-04-10T22:45:00.000Z

Here we are on the train from barceloma to madrid where we met this famous actor

Nick Squires playing with Jamie Scott on New Years eve

2008-01-04T20:23:00.000Z

Nick played at the front of Somerset House with Jamie Scott the latest Jazz sensation for the New Years Eve party on BBC1. We all crowded into one room at Lisas House to watch and we all cheered him on. The rain poured and he got soaking wet but we were lovely and dry watching him on TV.

Lisa and the fiddle orchestra

2007-12-25T20:21:00.001Z

Who moved my Blackberry?

2007-12-24T12:30:00.000Z

Who Moved My Blackberry?
by Martin Lukes
Edition: Paperback
Price: £5.89

Availability: In stock

merry krimble everyone!, 23 Dec 2007

A fantastical light hearted read to take your mind off the stresses of life and have a laugh at those less fortunate than yourself. I read this in less than a day and had a good giggle to myself throughout.

Martin - the narrator is the sort of colleague you would want to punch if you had to work with him. The book exposes those sad losers working in companies who feel they need to be trendy, use abbreviations and management speak to impress but it always backfires on him making them look ridiculous- though of course he doesn't realise it.

I loved the lifestyle/business coach 'Pandora' with absolutely no business experience at all charging just £300 per hour for her 'expertise' (her background as a dancer, lived in a bedsit, had cancer but overcame it by positive thinking and of course with the right attitude millions just came to her!! as it does).

I look forward to reading the FT on a Thursday I believe to catch up with Martin's exploits at A-B my only wish is that I read this a year or two ago to give me ammunition when dealing with similarly obnoxious people as Martin.

Famiglia Moro Antonio Mestre Venezia Italia Circa 1940

2007-12-03T14:44:00.000Z

We have found this old photo of my mother's family. The man standing up is my Grandfather who was a black shirt at the time - unfortunate past maybe but he wasn't to know then. My mother is the girl in white at the front and Maria who lives in London is behind her. The baby is Diana who is still living in Venice.The boy is Giusseppe who died a few years ago. My Grandmother died not that long after the picture was taken just before the war.

sarah has just had a lovely new baby 'Milla'. She was 7lb 1oz. Congratulations to Sarah and Nick

Who wants to look like Paula Radcliffe? Janet Street Porter?

2007-11-19T17:12:00.000Z

Janet Street Porter was complaining on Sunday that Young people today want to look like Posh Spice rather than Paula Radcliffe. I personally do not want to look like either but I would love to have the figure of Flavia on Stricly come dancing. For someone to be an icon they have to first be glamorous. When I go to the gym now I think about attaining Flavias shape and I think others should follow- she is a great inspiration for fitness.

Amazon the vine, vine voice

2007-11-14T14:21:00.000Z

I was delighted last week to be invited to be a member of 'The Vine' . Amazon promise to send me free books in exchange for honest reviews on their website. They say that a 'select' group has been invited - well I am in the top 2000. I dont know if that has anything to do with it. -

My first review is for the Sarajevo Haggadah which I started with trepedation as it looked so long but I soon changed my mind and found it one of the most interesting books I have read this year. I now intend to find out more about this amazing book and would love to see the real thing. Here is my review -

I am so pleased to have had the opportunity to preview this book prior to publication. The Sarajevo Haggadah is a real book with a turbulant history and many of the details in this well researched novel are based on historical truths. As I was curious myself about the Hebrew Codex I checked out some details and found that the book has an estimated present value of around $700 million - no wonder this rare and beautiful book has a chequered past. Geraldine Brooks introduces the story via a book conserver from Australia who travels to Bosnia to carry out sensitive restoration. The storyline then hops through a possible past as recorded and as imagined by the writer. Some of the stories are quite harrowing and I was particularly moved by the young Jewish girl who becomes a member of the partisans to save herself from extermination- not a piece of history I had been familiar with. Due to the excellent background details the stories are always plausable and each one is a fascinating insight into the real lives of people of that particular time in history. A love story runs alongside the short stories. To be honest my only slight dislike in this book is the 'Miss smartypants know it all book restorer' who I feel would probably have to be acted by Juliette Binoche or some such person if and when the film comes out. Are there really people out there with 2 degrees and a Phd in book binding, no strings or ties, incredibly beautiful - of course! flitting from country to country on UN missions to conserve valuable books? No doubt all the bright young girls at school will now want to be book binders on the strength of this. Anyhow despite my little complaint a really worthwhile and informative read.

How do people eat these things?

2007-11-13T16:54:00.000Z

Field mice plague caused by worst floods in 50 years (CNN News)
The business management philosophy that one person's crisis is another's opportunity may perhaps never have been taken to such bizarre extremes.
A plague of 2 billion mice in central China was described just days ago as being so bad that it resembled a scene from a horror movie with roads and hillsides turned black with rodents.
But in a remarkable display of entrepreneurship, businessmen are catching, shipping and selling the eastern field mice, also known locally as rats, to the southern city of Guangzhou, where restaurants are reportedly offering rodent banquets to diners notorious for their unusual tastes.

This was an article written earlier this year about rats/mice being eaten in Guangzhou China.

To my delicate western taste I find many of the things on the menu in this area quite horrible to contemplate.

Breakfast even in a five star hotel means a search of what we might consider edible. There were huge vats of glutinous porridgy soup - with no mention of the ingredients. Other pans were filled with noodles in a soup and diced liver could be cooked and thrown on top by the well masked and gloved chefs on hand.

Some eggs looked normal whilst others were a dark greeny black - it was mentioned that they were preserved in horse urine.

The Chinese restaurant had a whole fridge filled with the delicacy 'river crab' which was in season at the time. I thought I would give it a whirl but found it very problematical. First it was wrapped in a plastic band and boiling hot from the steamer. There was thick river mud still on the large claws and the tools given to me were just scissors, a long pointed metal tool and some plastic gloves. I gave it my best shot but got very tired of sorting the whole thing out and gave up on the claws completely. High Cholestorol anyway I hear.

Another delicacy at the hotel were pigs ligaments - just the sound of them put me off and I dont think I could eat them without thinking of what they were.

We had lunch one day in a supermarket in Hong Kong and did not have much luck there. Again the menu had offputting items - most notable being 'steamed fish heads'. Our orders were not that pleasant and not really like the sort of food we are used to in Chinese restaurants in the UK.

Nevertheless there is some great food available. I just wish they would not mix the others on the menu

The shop window

2007-11-13T16:30:00.001Z

Blow fish for dinner and we lived to tell the tale

2007-11-13T09:12:00.000Z

Our supplier Eddie took us to a Japanese restaurant where we were served the delicacy Blow fish sashumi or 'Fugu". The blow fish is most often seen in aquariums rather than restaurants in UK and is a very expensive item. A Japanese chef needs years of training to prepare the fish which is highly poisonous in the liver.

This chef cut it up in to Sashimi and we ate it raw. Blow fish contains Tetrodotoxin which is around 1200 times more lethal than cyanide, one blow fish can kill 30 people. In Japan around 100 people per year die of poisoning by eating blow fish, mainly because they try to prepare it themselves.

When the fish is irritated it blows itself up and usually it dies afterward as seen on the left.

It is very delicious but I dont hold out too much hope that I will have the chance to ever eat it again. When a customer enters the restuarant all the staff shout welcome in Japanese which is quite surprising the first couple of times. We though we were famous when we walked in.

Iran from the aircraft

2007-11-09T09:33:00.001Z

This amazing photo was taken from the aircraft. We flew north from Dubai up through Iran where there are some fantastic rock formations. Looking closely at the picture it is possible to see towns and agriculture.

Asian games 2007 macau

2007-11-03T11:00:00.001Z

We were sorry that we just missed seeing any of the asian games in Macau as we were there on the very last day.

The ladies team from japan won gold for 5 aside football and they were celebrating in the hotel

I was glad to have seen Macau but it would not be on my list of places to visit again. It is really geared up for Chinese gamblers from the mainland and not much else.

We had a great time there nevertheless.

Dongguan to Macau

2007-11-02T16:57:00.000Z

I took these photos on the way this morning. I have just got the blog facility back to will be able to add a few things we have been doing. The lady here is selling grapefruit and eating the profits - the grapefruit are humungous and turn up for breakfast. Havent tried them myself though.

These guys work a the factory we have been visiting - Orbit international and as you can see are very conciencious in all they do. China is extremelly fashionable and in the towns everyone wears the latest fashions and there really is a great choice - not as cheap as primark but very stylish things are available.

Macau the gambling capital of the far east

2007-11-02T16:43:00.000Z

Macau Via the Chinese border
We were driven through 100s of miles of banana plantations and goose farms that form the livelihood of the indigenous Chinese who have not had the luck to have their land bought for development in the booming area of Guandong and we were relieved to have reached the China/Macau border. Bleary eyed we joined hundreds or were they thousands? of Chinese rushing into Macau. Some wheeling washing machines and others carrying massive bales of , I presume, clothing made in China. Many though were just strolling through with hand baggage. Organised and well staffed though they were at passport control we were puzzled by the queues formed by this massive migration. Once through and worried we would not find a room for the night we headed for the nearest travel agents and booked asap despite limited English on their part. It was later that night that we found the real reason behind the hordes crossing the border, no it was not a mass evacuation but weekend gamblers heading for the rapidly modernising sin city of ‘Macau‘. Bolstered by the big boys from Las Vegas injecting zillions into the province it is now close to being the biggest gambling den and town of vice in the world. It’s new found fortunes being based on 1. The break up of a monopoly on gambling by controlling triads in the province and 2. The huge nouveau riche Chinese so nearby and their well know love of gambling.
That night we entered the lately finished Venetia hotel built as an exact replica of the one in Las Vegas but reportedly double in size complete with singing gondoliers and a vast, eager, ready made clientele on the doorstep dying only to get on to the gaming tables and we were stunned! The interior replicates all the sights in Venice albeit in a pretty naif style but with daylight streaming into Piazza S Marco at midnight, the square lined with noodle houses and Chinese food speciality chains, remembering we are in South China and not Italy. We went with the flow and wandered the new shopping malls where 1600 US dollar silk shirts competed with tiffany diamonds to catch the eye of the prosperous gambling man and his lady about town.
The following day we headed for Macau City centre and saw the real development going ahead of unbelievably humungous new casinos - 2000 bed +. The old Lisboa and it’s former owner Stanley Po has built the most gargantuan place opposite in the shape of a lily - you wonder how it stays up and despite it not being finished it is fully operational as a Casino. Games I never knew existed are being played by ever eager to lose their money individuals in the most gold, migraine inducing surroundings I have ever seen - tasteful this is not.
However the owner of the palace of gold has tried to prove to everyone that he is cultured and has purchased the most expensive ever item of the Qing dynasty - a bronze horses head - yes I did at first think that it was a joke on the Las Vegas Barons and their links with the mafia and Frank Sinatra but he spent 64 million Hong Kong Dollars ie around 3 million pounds sterling and it is guarded 24/7 which happens to be the opening hours of the Casino it is displayed in. If you are bored for one minute there are the ever present dancing girls around the clock - they do seem to have a suspiciously similar routine to the Russians in the MP3 nightclub around the corner, who do their dancing around a pole but hey this could be ‘The Moulin Rouge’.
And sex does seem to be a big part of many a Chinese gamblers package and it is not wholly surprising considering the lack of girls in China due to certain cruel policies over the past 30 years. Yes prostitution is big business in the area. I saw weekend packages for Macau at the Hong Kong ferry terminal with ‘Sex all in!’ for the discerning man looking to enjoy the whole weekend in full. Hotels in Macau provide rich pickings for working girls from the world over and it is difficult to escape from. Foot therapy, massage (of course), VIP service, Hotel service are all covers for sexual services and whether you are in the street or innocently going back to your hotel room chances are you will be accosted by one or more of these people.
Just as we were leaving Macau the trial was beginning of the former Macau public works manager who is charged with accepting million upon million of bribes for everything from the long suspension bridge to every casino in town - so long were the list of charges that they took 5 hours to read out in court. I am going to miss old Macau now I am back in the UK. Not for the weather or the gambling, no for the gossip!

The bronze horses head on display in the latest casino

In the restaurant at the grand view hotel dongguan

2007-10-28T12:40:00.001Z

The staff are helpful in deciding what we eat which is great as there are always dodgy things on the menu here ie steamed fish heads, toad and pig tendon 5 Stars for these guys though really good place we love it.

China

2007-10-27T17:12:00.000Z

China
Hong Kong station is well organised. We waited behind the barrier until the time came to go and one official held up a sign for Guanjou and another used a loud hailer and we all burst through to rush for the train.
The train was clean and neat and the hostesses walked up and down with an array of different items to ply. Not at all tempting though, chicken and various slimy things in watery sauces, tea and some books in Chinese. We are hearty eaters but soon lost our appetite looking at that. Credit to them though for offering a non stop service all the way.

Going into Guandong means entering the most industrial and polluted area in the whole world. We passed tower blocks, sometimes scaffolded with bamboo and twine to quite a height - we later found out that bamboo scaffolding is the norm here and there dont seem to be any more accidents and it is environmentally friendly and light too. Shanty villages and even tent homes in the countryside. All shrouded in a fog that became thicker as we went on until it became a brown dense smog.
The taxi in Dongjian had a driver who was either very careful or totally paranoid about being robbed, he was surrounded by a cage. He seemed cautious though and sternly rebuked any misbehaving drivers on the road with his horn. Much of the area we passed is light industrial with workshops below flats. The smog makes it all look depressing.

By the time we arrived at the hotel it was so foggy that we wouldn’t have been surprised if Sherlock Homes had turned up in a hansom cab. The Grand View hotel is 5 star and the number of staff is astounding. 3 are provided in any position when one would normally do. The toilets are manned and disconcertingly they wait outside the door, turn on the tap and politely hold out a towel with both hands. A 5 dollar tip (30p)to the maid almost made her faint with gratitude.
We had to visit the executive foot therapy spa at the hotel where the masseur pummels your feet for over one hour. They are soaked in tea -well I presume that is what it was and you really get an all over massage as well. At the end it feels like new feet.

The restaurant has an area similar to the sea life centre in Bournemouth where all the fish are kept on display. Interesting but it does nothing for the appetite. I am not a fussy eater but much of the food available is quite off putting and strangely bland. I decided to try a river crab as this is quite a delicacy at the moment, male is bigger and better in October. I couldn’t believe it when it arrived. It was hot and bound in a plastic tie. They gave me scissors and a pointy tool and some gloves. In the end there wasn’t much in it and really horribly there was mud all over the claws. Hamid didn’t believe it was mud but some sort of delicacy but I didn’t take any chances and avoided touching that bit. Some of our neighbours on the next tables appeared to be munching right through the bony carcass.

The sea life centre in the restaurant where sharks fin soup, pig ligaments and eggs preserved in horse urine are all available for Chinese gastranomes

Hello missy, hello sir, do you want see copy watch?

2007-10-27T16:49:00.001Z

Hong Kong must be on my list of favourite places to stay. There is a whole lot to do and see without even knowing the area. The markets were our best thing as they have so much to see. Temple street winds through many roads and you can have your palm read or buy a Breitling copy watch, have anything from a huge array of seafood in an outdoor restaurant or have your name written in Chinese.

Dubai - kitchy kitchy

2007-10-27T16:16:00.000Z

After landing in Dubai we had the awful news of a 5 hour flight delay - we decided to leave the airport and take the opportunity of looking around Dubai. It is surprisingly gross and nothing like the pictures. A lot of the buildings look quite isolated, there are no people around, building is going on everywhere, it is too hot. I have made a list of the most kitch things I could find,bearing in mind we only had 2 hours.

At 4th place, the soon to be tallest building in the world which looks like something long demolished in the UK. Maybe it will look better when it is finished.

This forty foot hand holding a mobile phone - some people love it - perhaps its a work of art

This snow storm is fairly kitch but I quite like it really.

These painting were in a fake medina built to look like an old souk. They are paintings of sheik Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum - the ruler of Dubai and the man behind all the construction work going on. Perhaps he is doing a good job, who knows. These paintings are quite funny though, cant imaging who would buy them or who would have painted them. I think they are a winner.

Here is the proof we have been in Dubai

We were surprised to see these 2 gents in Dubai airport, however it is a man looking after his very elderly father - ahhh!!

Gordon Seward the artist

2007-10-19T11:31:00.000Z

Gordon Seward is an amazing artist and what is more went to school in the New Forest at the former Edinburgh House school.

The Kite Runner (Trailer)

2007-10-09T15:02:00.001Z

Here is the trailer for the Kite runner

A thousand splendid suns

2007-10-08T16:08:00.000Z

I have just finished this wonderful book about Afghanistan which I would recommend anyone reads. The author Khaled Housseni is now goodwill ambassador for Afghanistan in the UN

Khaled Hosseini should not just be a special envoy for the UNHCR but a world spokesperson on the plight of women who are abused and ill treated in their homes. Khaled writes with humility and empathy, fiction that is totally believable, tragic and yet proving there can be hope and redemption. The 2 women Mariam and Laila are the heroines of this story, always dignified despite the horrors of both of their situations - married at 14 or 15 to a middle aged bully in a country going through war, starvation and then controlled by the evil minded Taliban. Khaled even manages to give Rasheed - the dreaded husband a personality that has one or 2 redeeming qualities in that he does so love his son. I wouldn't wish to spoil the story for anyone but urge everyone to read this book for a view on Afghanistan and the reasons why these wicked oppressors should not be allowed to gain a foothold there again. Be prepared to ball your eyes out before the end.

I found the poem by Saib-e-tabrizi from which the title of the book comes:

Kabul Ah! How beautiful is Kabul encircled by her arid mountains

And Rose, of the trails of thorns she envies

Her gusts of powdered soil, slightly sting my eyes

But I love her, for knowing and loving are born of this same dust

My song exhalts her dazzling tulips

And at the beauty of her trees,

I blush

How sparkling the water flows from Pul-I Bastaan!

May Allah protect such beauty from the evil eye of man!

Khizr chose the path to Kabul in order to reach Paradise

For her mountains brought him close to the delights of heaven

From the fort with sprawling walls, A Dragon of protection

Each stone is there more precious than the treasure of Shayagan

Every street of Kabul is enthralling to the eye

Through the bazaars, caravans of Egypt pass

One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs

And the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls

Her laughter of mornings has the gaiety of flowers

Her nights of darkness, the reflections of lustrous hair

Her melodious nightingales, with passion sing their songs

Ardent tunes, as leaves enflamed, cascading from their throats

And I, I sing in the gardens of Jahanara, of Sharbara

And even the trumpets of heaven envy their green pastures

Valencia furniture exhibition

2007-10-02T11:58:00.000Z

Some conceptual furniture designs

This carpet looks quite interesting

The Marilyn Monroe house was a big feature at the trade fair in Valencia. This one was taken just inside the house.

We had fun taking some photos around Valencia. This one was opposite the hotel and the one on the right was a shop window in the town.

Mean and moody

2007-10-02T11:55:00.000Z

Same roundabout same day.

Valencia roundabout

2007-10-02T11:47:00.000Z

We were staying at the Eurostars Gran Valencia and this monument is on the Roundabout opposite. Not quie sure what it represents but it seems to be made of lots of ceramic rings. I love the colour. I really wanted to climb up it but it is full of water with a sort of pool at the top.

David Miliband and blogging

2007-09-25T14:05:00.000Z

I met David Miliband at the Marsham Court

I understand he is also into blogging and is even meeting Angelina Jolie next week

See his blog at David Miliband Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural ...

The feminine feminist

2007-09-24T20:29:00.001Z

A recent survey has shown that in the UK girls under 25 are now earning more than boys of the same age. In medical schools the proportion of girls are now higher than men. Girls are generally more successful in education aside from maths and it seems that even in countries where women are considered to be repressed the girls will still take advantage of every opportunity and outshine the men. In Iran for example the majority of engineers are now ladies.We are seeing a possible lady president in the running for the US. Germany has a female president who appears to be doing a competent job. Liberia has at long last got a stable government and hey guess what? It is run by a woman.I do not think that it is that likely that these young people are going to shift position and the probability is a future where women are in more positions of authority. At long last effective contraception has ensured that women do not have to look forward to a life of drudgery and now have the courage to strike out on their own without the yoke of traditional values to carry.But oh dear what is going to happen to those middle aged menfolk we see frequenting the bars and restaurants for their boozy 'business' lunches and the same people who indulge in the old golf course challenge in the middle of the working week. I believe a lot of golf courses will go out of business alongside the traditional lunchtime boozer. Why is it only men that 'have to 'conduct their business dealings in this manner? Can anyone imagine the women of the future carrying on like that ?- oh no of course not they are too busy working and overtaking these tired old soaks. A woman knows that her client is too busy for such nonsense and although she may well visit her customer she ties all the business up in no time leaving everyone free to get home and have a proper meal with their family, suits everyone all round.What I find amusing about the old business bender is that:1. Business is never discussed - that would be rude wouldn't it

2. It's the same old friendly clients that are taken out to eat - so no new business development there

3. The game of golf is just as bad after all what would you do if your client cannot play - drop him?

4. How on earth can women join in on all of this without seeming like a complete tart and upsetting her boyfriend/husband by coming home smelling of drink after having lunch with some old guy she knows and has to butter up?No no no it just won't work.

The business lunch and round of golf will soon go the way of Top hats and tails for the office. Business will become hyper efficient and all concerned will have time for the important things in life - making money, our loved ones and enjoying ourselves with the people we really want to be with.

Suzanne Moore Sunday Mail reporter

2007-09-23T23:36:00.001Z

Lauren Booth and Suzanne Moore and a man in the middle who we understand spins for Gordon Brown. All were a good laugh.

Champagne socialists at the Labour conference 2007

2007-09-23T21:09:00.001Z

This is my friend Rob who is a bit of a hard line labour supporter and we are at the New Statesman reception at the Royal Bath

Alliance Leicester at the Labour Party Conference

2007-09-23T20:50:00.001Z

Peter Brownbill and his colleague of Alliance and Leicester were very upbeat about the bank's performance.

Labour Party conference Bournemouth 2007

2007-09-23T20:47:00.000Z

We attended a reception held by the New Statesman at the Royal Bath. Here is John Snow having a good time.

Michael Palin New Europe

2007-09-20T14:30:00.001Z

I was passing the bookshop in Picadilly and managed to get Michaels Palins new book signed by him. He was as ever very genial and the book looks very interesting. Having been to several of the places he writes about I was very pleased to read about them in the book.

Wicked at the Apollo theatre Victoria

2007-09-20T14:30:00.000Z

I saw Wicked at the Apollo Victoria yesterday. I am sure there were loads of regulars in the theatre as the whistling and cheering was quite unusual. The scenes are spectaclular and particularly like the arrival at the Emerald City with costumes worthy of a Cecil Beaton Tableaux. Some of the special effects are amazing and the show moves on with a fast pace. I was pleased with the tickets as they were only £15.00 for the matinee and we were moved to the front of the circle. Also went by megatrain for just £24.00 return which makes it a very economical day out on a weekday.

Proms in the Park

2007-09-10T11:57:00.001Z

I thought I captured a pretty good picture of Leslie Garret especially as I was so far away

Leslie Garret, Will Young and Terry Wogan. A really great event.

Juan Garcia and Carl Davis conducting

We also saw this rather mysterious figure in the crowd . Looks a bit like this guy pictured on the right.

Royal Festival Hall world press photo competition

2007-09-10T11:48:00.000Z

We visited The Royal Festival Hall and saw the winners of the world press photo competition. There were some really amazing photos including the winning entry taken in Beirut and I would recommend anyone to visit this free exhibition.

This is part of a new installation outsid the building. It seems to be all about fluids entering and leaving the human body.

Hays Galleria and Fish

2007-09-10T11:24:00.000Z

We had a great time this weekend and met some really nice fish filleters from Grimsby. They asked us to go along to the South Bank to see them in the filleting competition. It was amazing, the whole gallery was filled with fantastic fish foods for sale.

I dont know if our friends from M & J seafoods won, we werent able to stay to see the final of the Trafalgar cup or the National Fish Federation Trophy but it was all good stuff and we had some delicious paella and pims too.

Vintage

2007-09-07T10:38:00.000Z

I really love the vintage shop in Winton and these blouses from the 60's and 70's cost next to nothing but look like they should be in Vogue magazine

Stretchy tube

2007-09-03T13:52:00.001Z

I love this stretchy tube from Wolford. It can be worn as a dress or a skirt of a long top.

Wolford have some lovely designs but they are usually quite expensive.

Ie this Valentino ensemble.

Madrid

2007-08-23T16:38:00.001Z

This was our final stop on this trip. We have travelled from Marseilles to Orange to Perpignan and Barcelona. Then to Valencia where we stayed for nearly 2 weeks, from there we took a train to Madrid. The train passes through agricultural areas mainly where they grow oranges and olives. Some of the land is used for environmental purposes with wind farms and solar panel farms. We particularly enjoyed it because we travelled 1st class with champagne and wine and a very good meal, time flies.

We booked accomodation through Ryanair and were amazed at how good value it was. The apartment was massive and in a very chic area near the Prado museum. Less than 60 euros per night for 2. We had a suite with a huge balcony with its own plunge pool too. Downstairs there was a restaurant with lots of tapas and lunch time meal for 10 euros. We visited the Prado to see the Goya paintings.

We found a fantastic place to eat at the cultural centre. It is very grandiose with excellent service. 3 courses there including a very good bottle of red just 24 euros.

I dont know if they made a mistake!

We really loved Madrid and will be going back soon to watch Real Madrid play if possible.

Some exotic features of the cultural centre.

Rabah Bitouche

2007-08-22T15:21:00.000Z

We found this photo of Hamid's Father 'Rabah'. It was taken around 1954 when he was 21. He was born in a town around 150 miles from Algiers and his father owned a hotel there. He started out in business as a Salt trader going out into the Saharah desert and bringing back salt to Algiers, he must have been successful at this as in 1958 he started a furniture manufacturing company in the city.

During this period Algieria was still being occupied by the French (The colons) and they owned most of the land and businesses of any value in the country. Their policies did not allow the indigenous people of the country to be educated past the age of 14 years so it was hugely difficult for Algerians to prosper. Rabah joined the Front de Liberation National (FLN) and from 1954 until 1962 they fought against the ruling French and eventually expelled them from the country. He was imprisoned for a time for transporting documents by motorcycle between towns, it is said that he was tortured whilst in prison. Hamid was born at the time of his imprisonment.

After the successful liberation of Algeria he continued to flourish in business and the company is still in operation being run by 2 of his sons.

I have been reading an old book from the 1930s and it has some very interesting old b & w photos such as this one of The Tuareg in Algeria where the men veil themselves instead of the women

49th Birthday

2007-08-22T15:15:00.000Z

Shiny macs are very fashionable in Spain for the Autumn. I tried a few different ones on but really liked this electric blue colour. As I couldnt make up my mind at the time I didnt get it and now regret that. Very Belle de Jour I think. Here is another example from Mango

The Kite Runner The film

2007-08-21T14:31:00.000Z

The film of the Kite Runner was due out in November and I was really looking forward to its release but it seems it will be delayed now until December due to the actors involved in the rape scene being afraid to continue to live in Afghanistan. Luckily for them Paramount is taking them away from Afghanistan and they will be supported until they reach adulthood at a cost to them of half a million dollars. As the boys only received about $10 000 for their acting part and the film has cost millions and no doubt will reap an absolute fortune I think that Paramount is doing the decent thing in this case. I can't wait to see it.

The latest book by Khaled Houssani is remarkable too.
I have finished reading this book which is really amazing. It is the story of 2 boys growing up in Afghanistan, one the master´s son and the other the servant´s boy. The story is very sad and moving and I would really recommend reading it. If you want to borrow the book just let me know.

At the apartment

2007-08-15T14:04:00.001Z

I am struggling to find anywhere I can download my photos from my camera so cannot add too much to the blog at the moment.

This week I had my 49th Birthday which comes as a bit of a shock. No more 40´s after this year. We celebrated by having a massive fish dinner in Calpe along the coast -somewhere Helena knows very well as she used to live there. The next day I had a go on the big elastic bouncy thing by the beach. You have to be strapped in as with a parachute, going up is great, bouncing on the trampoline as high as possible, saute sally saute the girls were shouting. Coming down is another thing though as my stomach stayed at the top and the higher you bounce the worse the feeling. I begged them to let me off and found to my dismay that a small crowd had gathered to watch!

La balade du linda

2007-08-14T21:57:00.000Z

Linda has been quite enterprising and is advertising her dog walking service - just in case the locals cant speak french here in spain she has kindly drawn a dog picture - we are waiting now for results from the marketing campaign

Callera

2007-08-13T13:31:00.001Z

We are staying with madjid and his family in a lovely apartment in Callera

Trousers too tight

2007-08-13T10:41:00.001Z

The rules of this sport are incomprehensible and i dont know how the bull understands whats going on . The white outfits get ruined with all the blood - motion replays are laughable

Barcelona to valencia

2007-08-11T14:29:00.001Z

After the ordeal at the migrant hotel we took the 1st class for the last bit of the trip

Blog by mobile

2007-08-11T09:00:00.001Z

All of these blogs are from my mobile - it is a pleasure to be on a spanish train after the very dirty french ones like so much in france hygiene is not a priority bad experience in hotel in perpignon last night - worst place ever but no choice -cannot say how awful it was -people cooking cous cous in the rooms tellys on full blast all night ,praying in the hallways-one toilet for the whole hotel-grotty shower for 3 euros extra, 3rd world! In 3 hours will be in barcelona.

Cerbere

2007-08-11T08:14:00.001Z

Taken one day to get from marseilles to the spanish border and still more delays because of accident on track hope to be in valencia by tonight- scenic views

Orange

2007-08-10T14:11:00.001Z

Missed the avignon stop so spent 2 hours in orange which is quite nice delayed the arrival at the spanish border by a few hours

Do you think any one saw me riding the cow?

2007-08-09T20:01:00.001Z

La vache de marseille

2007-08-09T19:51:00.001Z

Dont know why there are so many of these here this is on a roundabout - havent had that much to drink

Technology

2007-08-09T12:22:00.001Z

Have arrived in marseilles in time for fish lunch vive la marsellaise

Xerxes

2007-08-06T14:58:00.000Z

300 is beautifully filmed. The story is of the first battle of the Persian war led by Xerxes against the Athenians. The Persians win this battle against the spartans but go on to lose the war in the end. The battle at Thermopylae is famous for the brave attempt by the Spartans to hold off 100s of thousands of Persian soldiers with just an army of 300 men. According to Herodotus, the grandfather of history, Xerxes army consisted of 2 500 000 soldiers plus another 2 500 000 people in tow. No wonder some of the Greek rivers ran dry on the way.

The lead of Xerxes in this film is a tribute to some fantastic make up technicians who transform the incredibly handsome Rodrigo Santoris into the campest most gold pierced man that has ever walked this earth and according to the history books dating back 2 500 years Xerxes was indeed the tallest and most good looking of all men.

Reading the histories of Herodotus and the film makers are very accurate in their portrayals. A story not included in the film is of one of his slaves, Pythian, begs Xerxes to allow one of his 5 sons to stay behind and look after his land. Xerxes flies into a rage and berates the old man. He then asks that the oldest son is sent to him, he is then killed and his body cut in half down the middle. One half is positioned on one side of the road and likewise with the other half. The whole army are then led through, no doubt as a lesson to any would be deserters.

Reflecting on human life Xerxes cries that it is so short. Artabanus replies 'It is not just that life is short, but also that there's no one on earth, whose happiness is such that he won't sometimes wish he were dead rather than alive - and this is a thought that occurs frequently during one's lifetime, not just once . We are all overwhelmed by tragic accidents and illness that, however short life actually is, it seems long. So people look forward to dying as an excellent way to escape from life with all its troubles, all we get is a taste of how sweet life may be'.

Voyager 1

2007-08-06T14:33:00.000Z

Voyager 1 has been up in space now for 30 years. It has been all around this solar system and is now heading off towards our nearest star. It travels at a speed of 1 000 000 miles a day - yes it really is a million but will still take 40 000 years to get to the next star. The concept of distance is truly amazing. It seems quite unlikely that it will reach that destination due to possible shortage of fuel I think. But we will never know anyway.

Voyager is fuelled by radioactiveisotope thermoelectric generators so is completely independant. Each day Voyager reports back with information and photographs.

Now that Voyager is entering interstellar space it will be coming under fire of all sorts of debris and it is likely to be damaged, but it has done well to have lasted 30 years in the Solar System.

Boscombe market

2007-08-06T11:16:00.000Z

I rarely go to supermarkets and cannot think of many more boring things than going there with a list.

Much better to shop locally and I really like Boscombe market where you can get:

Blatant rip off designer sunglasses for a Fiver

Kalamata olives and other mediteranean delicacies

Cheery Dean on the old Fruit and Veg stall. Get 4big bags of fresh things for a tenner.

I also bought a fresh crab and we had Crab salad, pasta with fresh tomato and garlic sauce, rice with mushroom and prawns in a creamy sauce, avocado and olive salad, loads of plums and melon.

Boscombe also has some lovely cafes to go to, the new opera house and an art gallery has just opened.

All join in now

2007-08-03T15:41:00.001Z

Edith Piaf - Non Je Ne Regrette Rien LyricsNon Je Ne Regrette RienNon, Rien De Rien, Non, Je Ne Regrette RienNi Le Bien Qu`on M`a Fait, Ni Le MalTout Ca M`est Bien EgalNon, Rien De Rien, Non, Je Ne Regrette RienC`est Paye, Balaye, Oublie, Je Me Fous Du PasseAvec Mes Souvenirs J`ai Allume Le FeuMes Shagrins, Mes Plaisirs,Je N`ai Plus Besoin D`euxBalaye Les Amours Avec Leurs TremolosBalaye Pour ToujoursJe Reparas A ZeroNon, Rien De Rien, Non, Je Ne Regrette RienNi Le Bien Qu`on M`a Fait, Ni Le MalTout Ca M`est Bien EgalNon, Rien De Rien, Non, Je Ne Regrette RienCar Ma Vie, Car Me JoiesAujourd`hui Ca Commence Avec ToiNon Je Ne Regrette Rien

Jose Feliciano - Che Sera (Que Sera)

2007-08-02T16:21:00.001Z

The song is about someone leaving his village. All his friends have gone and there are just a few old people left. He is going to the city not knowing what will happen. He has happy memories of his life there but it is over. He is taking his guitar for company when he is lonely.

Perspex shoes

2007-08-02T16:01:00.000Z

I love shoes and these are fab. Might be uncomfortable but what a good look from Top Shop

Jose Feliciano - Flight of The Bumble Bee - Guitar

2007-08-02T12:21:00.001Z

Isn't he amazing?

Another day at the office

2007-08-01T09:50:00.000Z

Just off to work today.

Red Bull event

2007-07-29T19:30:00.000Z

Low flying aircraft display at the O2 arena and on the Thames

Where is Bruce Willis when you need him?

2007-07-29T16:45:00.000Z

A passer by saved us from an uncertain fate yesterday when the lift at the O2 arena broke down and dropped several inches. 8 of us including my pregnant daughter and her baby were trapped inside this sardine tin unable to contact the fire service by phone. The emergency button put us through to a distant town where the operator had never heard of 'Green Witch' let alone the O2 arena. 'Dont try to get out' he helpfully advised, 'we will get someone to you in no time'. It didnt happen, the temperature rose and we felt we were running out of air. Do lifts have air coming in and is it enough for 8 persons?
We had to try last resort measures ie bang on the doors shouting help. Our hero called the fire brigade before trying to get us out himself and prising the doors open.

Sally Wilton

2007-07-27T17:13:00.000Z

The Shah of Iran

2007-07-27T14:25:00.000Z

The Shah of Shas by Ryzyard Kapucinski - one of my favourate writers.

No doubt he had plenty of supporters and still there must be many 'Persians' mourning the 'Good old days' of the Shah. Rich from oil revenue - £20 Billion per year a the time - this guy squandered much of it on his loyal friends and playboy lifestyle whilst the rest of the country lived in poverty, they thought nothing of chartering a plane every single day to transport his loyal supporters to have lunch in Europe or bring in the whole brigade of chefs from Maxims in Paris to cook lunch for those too tired for the journey. Stories such as his expenditure on arms highlight what a big kid the man was, wanting to have the 3rd biggest army in the world. Why? For his own ego of course. Is it any wonder that the Shia population felt bitter and revolted bringing in the crazy Ayatollahs - whoops I feel a Fatwa coming on. About time we had more women in positions of power throughout the world I think.
If you are interested in my reviews you can see them all here writer.http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/pdp/profile/A1J6Y8BJ3Y4TG8/026-8292784-5222042

Punky

2007-07-27T10:37:00.001Z

I felt in a punk mood this morning. I love Punk style and buy things in the Bargate at Southampton, The Indian shop in commercial road Bournemouth or my favourate web site 'Kates Clothing' at www.katesclothing.info. Due to my continued gym attendance I have managed to fit into last years 'Death Kitty' top and skirt as shown here.

Punk is very popular in Italy too and it is one of the few British styles we can be proud of as being truly cutting edge.
I took of a photo of some of these stylish Italians trying their best to emulate our great British taste in Pisa.

This is also a punk skirt and I wore this one for a client appointment yesterday.

Die Hard 4 or Where's your lollipop Kojak?

2007-07-26T10:18:00.000Z

At a loose end last night even after going to the gym and thought I would see what films are on. The only one available was Die Hard 4 - not the usual genre of film I enjoy but I thought I would see anyway. Judging by the number of men in the room it looked like a blokes action film and I am sure they were not disappointed.

The movie is based around a big hub of computers that organise everything in the US including transport, power, aircraft - the lot and devious foreigners are trying to sabotage it all. Luckily for the Americans NYPD 'Bruce Willis' comes to the rescue along with a genius hacker side kick. Bruce is looking worrying like Kojak in this latest Die Hard blockbuster, however for a man in his 50s he's doing alright. Bruce gets the better of the hoods at every stage, even if they do have massive automatic weapons, helicopters and a nasty kung fu bitch that will kick to the death. The fight in the lift shaft was gripping but there is only so much of that I can take. To be honest I didnt see it all and got bored with all the crashes and explosions but I am sure Brucy won the day.

Phil and Debbie in Pisa

2007-07-24T11:02:00.000Z

We spent our last day in Pisa sitting outside a cafe near the tower. Phil and Debbie who we didnt know until that day joined us for an 8 hour lunch and drinks. this photo just proves how I had eaten far too much pasta whilst in Italy.

Italian Deli in Pisa

2007-07-24T10:01:00.001Z

Proscuto, Parma, Parmegiano, Pecorino, all hanging up in the deli in Pisa

Getting fit

2007-07-23T09:46:00.000Z

I had a fright when I got back from Italy and found I weighed 70 Kilos. So been going to the gym every day and watching what I eat and drink. So far already down to 67.6 Kilos. Here is me in my gym clothes. Silver hot pants and high heels are 'de rigeur' darling.

Viareggio is horrible

2007-07-22T15:37:00.000Z

I am sure there must be some nice places in and around Viareggio but we have not had the pleasure of them. We thought we might stop off at Viareggio for a night on the way back from Florence. It was a hot day and the receptionist at the tourist info said that hotel agency was on the way to the beach Hamid was sweating in the heat, what with carrying the suitcases and all. It was very difficult for me to assist a I had to carry my handbag. The agency was closed anyway and there was no place to stay,we did find a great restaurant where we had lovely risotto and wine - it was opposite the railway station from where we whisked ourselves away to Luca - a much more civilised town. Viareggio is very similar to Blackpool but hotter.

O2

2007-07-20T11:52:00.000Z

The dome is now called the O2 arena. I have heard that it is amazing inside and next time I go to London will try to go in. There is plenty of parking there anyway. Yesterday I took this pic from the bus.

Other things I want to do when I next go to London are

1. See David Suchet in the Last Confession at the Haymarket - a thriller about the death of Pope John Paul First.

2. Go to visit the Sacred exhibition in the British Library. I have looked at the website for it and it looks interesting even for an atheist like me. See www.bl.uk/sacred and you can turn the pages of the ancient books.

3. See the Damien Hirst Diamond encrusted skull - has it been sold yet?

4. Maybe see the lord of the rings at the Theatre Royal

Does Hamid look like a lion?

2007-07-20T11:46:00.000Z

Some people say that Hamid looks like a lion and should be in the Lion King. We luckily found a real lion to compare him with at the Natural History museum. What do you think? No he is not wearing a lion king mask!!

Sarah and Rudy

2007-07-20T11:39:00.001Z

The most delicious peaches I have ever tasted

2007-07-20T11:12:00.000Z

Walking down Kensington High Street we passed an Iranian greengrocers with an amazing display of fruit. The owner gave us a peach to try. It was unusually flat and came from Persia - so he said. After trying it we bought 10 of them, a few cherries and 2 figs. The price? Just under 10 pounds!!! But they were worth it. I have never tasted anything so nice. We took them back to Sarah's and they loved them too. The fruit on this stall was really unusual so I took a photo.

Algerian Visa

2007-07-20T10:44:00.000Z

We went to the Algerian Embassy yesterday in Holland Park to apply for a visa. We waited one hour and had all the requirements apart from an invitation.

We had time to visit the Natural History museum nearby and had a look at a couple of exhibitions. The Antartic exhibition was quite good but really for children. We had to go into a freezer which was minus 10 degrees.

Sushi and cooking bar Florence

2007-07-18T10:24:00.001Z

One of the great things about going out in Florence are the bars. Not only are they ultra modern with lots of beautiful young people but they also serve food - and what's more it is free! We went twice to a great place near our hotel called Flor in Viale Filippo Strozzi. They call this a cooking bar but it also had it's own resident Japanese Sushi chef preparing little snacks all evening on the house. Lots of lovely little dishes of Sushi and Sashimi. Throughout the evening another chef is preparing small samples of pasta, tasty bruchetta (a traditional Florentine appetiser) and all manner of other tasty morsels. Every so often a waitress will visit your table and place an assortment of snacks to eat. There really is no point in booking a restaurant because after visiting this cocktail bar you are full. We thought 'Why don't they do this at home?' wouldn't it be great?

Opera Concert in Firenze

2007-07-17T09:57:00.000Z

We decided to find the best 5 star hotel in Florence and go and sit by their swimming pool for the day. Eventually we came across the Hotel Minerva
and how lucky were we. Not only did we have a great time sitting by the rooftop pool
but we made friends with the bar manager 'Said' who is from Morocco.

Said looked after us very well indeed and we stayed until 2.30 the following morning. We also met Sarah who invited us to an opera concert that evening in a church nearby. The highlight of the concert was a japanese soprano Asako Uchimura famed for playing the part of Cio-Cio-San in Madame Butterfly. For more information on these concerts in Florence and the area go to info@concertoclassico.info

Lisa and Dominic

2007-07-16T12:32:00.000Z

Lisa, my daughter and her husband Dominic have been married for 10 years, they are both 31. Lisa is the current Lib Dem councillor for Boscombe West.

Luca and John Legend

2007-07-15T15:16:00.000Z

John Legend - so near and yet so far

During our stay in Tuscany we visited Lucca and stayed for 2 nights. The hotel the cab driver took us to was in the main square and it was the start of an arts festival. Great we thought! we will have a free view and as John Legend was on the next night we booked another night. John Legend may be a great singer but the vibrations from the rehearsal and the concert were pretty bad - so bad we left that part of town and went for a drink in a quieter place . Even though Elton John was playing the following night we decided to leave.

The picture above shows the house where Puccini lived for a time.

Kismet - a pantomime

2007-07-15T14:58:00.000Z

A couple of weeks ago I went to see a production of Kismet at the London
Coloseum. I particularly wanted to go because of Alfie Boe who I heard on the radio.

Alfie was great and he sang 'Stranger in Paradise' brilliantly. The show though was pretty poor and rather embarassing since it was set in Baghdad. A bit of a pantomime really.

Anyhow there was a great atmosphere in the theatre and I hadn't been in there before so it was an experience.

We left London well before midnight and we heard the following morning that someone had attempted to bomb the Trocadero at Piccadilly that night.

.

Scooters

2007-07-15T13:21:00.000Z

Firenze and every other town is packed with motor bikers and often push bikes.

Siena and the Pucci exhibition

2007-07-15T13:18:00.000Z

In Siena we found a permanent exhibition to the dress designer

Emilio Pucci. All of the clothes date from a show in Siena itself and it was ok.

Hamid in Firenze

2007-07-15T13:16:00.000Z

We stopped for coffee at every opportunity. Here is Hamid in Firenze

Lovely food in Italy

2007-07-15T12:24:00.001Z

While we were in Italy we had some fantastic food. Here are some examples.
The figs were amazingly sweet and so were the tomatoes.

This market was in Pisa.

Pisa

2007-07-15T11:35:00.000Z

Here I am at the leaning tower. We climbed to the top at sunset. My battery ran out in the camera which was annoying so no nice pictures of views.

My own version of the leaning tower