Just bought a Google tablet so I'm just trying to blog on it. Already downloaded too many useless apps and draining the battery too quickly. But it's fun. :-)
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Snow long, Dublin.....
Right, last weekend was my only really free weekend before my work kicks off in a big way for about 2 months. So I booked a flight from Cardiff to Dublin on the Friday to return on Sunday. I've only ever been to Dublin once before, that was with Paul Sellenger, and we flew in and drove the next day for the week in Ireland. (Can't remember all that much, ask Paul, all we really remember is cheap smoked salmon and LOTS of Guinness).
The weather has been cold since Xmas, but the report said they were expecting below freezing temps and snow storms for South Wales last Friday morning. I thought...meh, it won't be that bad in Cardiff, we're right on the ocean. WRONG!
Woke up that morning and this was the view from my window...and it only got worse.
Radio said there was chaos on the roads, the M4 closed (so I couldn't go to work if I wanted to) and Cardiff airport closed. Checked the website, it said that my flight was still scheduled and I should check in, but all the roads to the airport were closed. So, what are you meant to do? I got in the car and drove out there...very slowly. I haven't really driven in the snow before, when I got to a big roundabout I hit the brakes, the ABS kicked in and I just skidded slowly backwards around the roundabout. Lucky the roads were relatively empty.
Got to airport and checked in, but every other flight out was cancelled. An hour later my flight was confirmed cancelled, so they put me on a flight for that afternoon. I went home, kept checking the updates and watched the snow come down harder. Finally saw that the afternoon flight was cancelled too. Aaargh! Rang Aer Lingus (no jokes please) and they put me on a flight for the next day, but it wasn't worth going then so they refunded me. All I wanted to do was go to the Guinness Factory I have my ticket still, so I'll just have to wait.
At 3pm, the guys I go to the local with rang to see if I'd got away. They were at the pub already...well no-one could get to work. (I know everybody says this, but it's not as if it's never snowed in the UK before or they don't get enough warning, but the snow does really shut the country down) So I thought I have a few Guinnesses anyway. It was fun, snowball fight in the so-called beer garden, lots of people there with the same excuse (couldn't get to work).
After too many hours and too many drinks it was finally time for the challenge I'd been dared to take...that British delicacy...pickled eggs!
That didn't end well. I can still taste them....I will have to blog about the food situation here another time.
So last week I was out in Pembrokeshire for work the whole week, it was cold but didn't snow where I was working or staying, but it would have been a effort if I wanted to get back to Cardiff. It was sleeting the whole way back yesterday, took 5 hours to get home, but the snow has all melted now and its back to the usual miserable grey skies. Not even cold enough for long johns (they're the best!).
I've just joined the modern world and bought a tablet today, a Google Nexus 7, I don't know how I ever got on without one before...even though its still charging and I haven't turned it on yet. There's the rest of my weekend gone.
Oh yeah, Happy Australia Day. I dropped into the only Aussie Pub in Cardiff, Walkabout, this afternoon....really don't think we'll be going back tonight...pretty tragic in there.
The weather has been cold since Xmas, but the report said they were expecting below freezing temps and snow storms for South Wales last Friday morning. I thought...meh, it won't be that bad in Cardiff, we're right on the ocean. WRONG!
Radio said there was chaos on the roads, the M4 closed (so I couldn't go to work if I wanted to) and Cardiff airport closed. Checked the website, it said that my flight was still scheduled and I should check in, but all the roads to the airport were closed. So, what are you meant to do? I got in the car and drove out there...very slowly. I haven't really driven in the snow before, when I got to a big roundabout I hit the brakes, the ABS kicked in and I just skidded slowly backwards around the roundabout. Lucky the roads were relatively empty.
Got to airport and checked in, but every other flight out was cancelled. An hour later my flight was confirmed cancelled, so they put me on a flight for that afternoon. I went home, kept checking the updates and watched the snow come down harder. Finally saw that the afternoon flight was cancelled too. Aaargh! Rang Aer Lingus (no jokes please) and they put me on a flight for the next day, but it wasn't worth going then so they refunded me. All I wanted to do was go to the Guinness Factory I have my ticket still, so I'll just have to wait.At 3pm, the guys I go to the local with rang to see if I'd got away. They were at the pub already...well no-one could get to work. (I know everybody says this, but it's not as if it's never snowed in the UK before or they don't get enough warning, but the snow does really shut the country down) So I thought I have a few Guinnesses anyway. It was fun, snowball fight in the so-called beer garden, lots of people there with the same excuse (couldn't get to work).
After too many hours and too many drinks it was finally time for the challenge I'd been dared to take...that British delicacy...pickled eggs!
 |
| Mmmm...pickled egg |
 |
| Tastes as good as it sounds |
That didn't end well. I can still taste them....I will have to blog about the food situation here another time.
So last week I was out in Pembrokeshire for work the whole week, it was cold but didn't snow where I was working or staying, but it would have been a effort if I wanted to get back to Cardiff. It was sleeting the whole way back yesterday, took 5 hours to get home, but the snow has all melted now and its back to the usual miserable grey skies. Not even cold enough for long johns (they're the best!).
I've just joined the modern world and bought a tablet today, a Google Nexus 7, I don't know how I ever got on without one before...even though its still charging and I haven't turned it on yet. There's the rest of my weekend gone.
Oh yeah, Happy Australia Day. I dropped into the only Aussie Pub in Cardiff, Walkabout, this afternoon....really don't think we'll be going back tonight...pretty tragic in there.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Blwyddyn Newydd Dda!
That means Happy New Year in Welsh, though I didn't hear anyone say it that way in da club. Gangnam Style ushered in 2013 in Cardiff as I suppose it did every else around the world. Over it.
New Year's Eve started off with drinks at my Kiwi friends Josh and Pip's place the we met the others down the local pub, The Packet. That was boring so we jumped in a cab and into Cardiff city for some clubbin'.
First on was called Retro, but I don't know what's retro about Call Me Maybe and Gangnam Style, but what the hey. Don't know the names of the next two clubs but the last one was the best, called Live Lounge I think, it was packed but great music and a great crowd. I would never go the a club at home any more...way too old... but here all ages like to go out to clubs, I definitely wasn't the oldest bloke there.
The city was full of people and there are lots of pubs, clubs and cafes open. Cardiff is really well organised for this sort of thing, whether its NYE or a big game at the Millennium Stadium. All the streets are closed off to traffic and all the entertainment is within walking distance. Police are around but not in your face and there are plenty of taxis and night buses to get people home.
Cardiff is meant to be the binge drinking capital of the UK, but I didn't see any fights or street pizzas (vomit) on the pavement like you would in Melbourne. Weird having NYE in the middle of winter though.
No night out in Cardiff is complete without a visit to Chip Alley at the end. Its a laneway full of chippies and kebab shops, always popular after 1 am. I can't do the chips with chicken curry sauce which is the food of choice in Wales, but at 3 am chips with cheese and gravy with a weird deep-fired Welsh rissole on top was just the thing for our walk back to the Bay.
Sorry about the quality of the photos, crappy phone camera.
Not really suffering today, I've just been out for a walk around to the Barrage, and watched the boats come in and out of the locks, the sun was actually out and no rain for the first time in a month. Got the last Batman movie on Sky tonight, but I'm really hanging out for my hangover cure, a Four'n'Twenty pie!
Happy 2013 to you all!
New Year's Eve started off with drinks at my Kiwi friends Josh and Pip's place the we met the others down the local pub, The Packet. That was boring so we jumped in a cab and into Cardiff city for some clubbin'.
First on was called Retro, but I don't know what's retro about Call Me Maybe and Gangnam Style, but what the hey. Don't know the names of the next two clubs but the last one was the best, called Live Lounge I think, it was packed but great music and a great crowd. I would never go the a club at home any more...way too old... but here all ages like to go out to clubs, I definitely wasn't the oldest bloke there.
The city was full of people and there are lots of pubs, clubs and cafes open. Cardiff is really well organised for this sort of thing, whether its NYE or a big game at the Millennium Stadium. All the streets are closed off to traffic and all the entertainment is within walking distance. Police are around but not in your face and there are plenty of taxis and night buses to get people home.
Cardiff is meant to be the binge drinking capital of the UK, but I didn't see any fights or street pizzas (vomit) on the pavement like you would in Melbourne. Weird having NYE in the middle of winter though.
No night out in Cardiff is complete without a visit to Chip Alley at the end. Its a laneway full of chippies and kebab shops, always popular after 1 am. I can't do the chips with chicken curry sauce which is the food of choice in Wales, but at 3 am chips with cheese and gravy with a weird deep-fired Welsh rissole on top was just the thing for our walk back to the Bay.
Sorry about the quality of the photos, crappy phone camera.
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| Fuzz on horseback |
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| In Da Club! |
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| Welsh raver |
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| Queue at Chip Alley |
Not really suffering today, I've just been out for a walk around to the Barrage, and watched the boats come in and out of the locks, the sun was actually out and no rain for the first time in a month. Got the last Batman movie on Sky tonight, but I'm really hanging out for my hangover cure, a Four'n'Twenty pie!
Happy 2013 to you all!
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