The European Leg of the Tour - Part 2
Portugal - Praia de Luz Feb14th - Feb17th
As I sit on the balcony of my Dad's villa in the Praia de Luz in the Algarve, I can't help but wonder at the true beauty that Europe holds. Ahead of me in the west is the brow of a hill that is almost entirly covered in other such holiday homes and places of abode throughout the year. Some may look more grand, but I can't help but feel that they wouldn't feel as homely as the current raised veranda that I currently occupy. It's nearly 6 in the evening and the sun is making one final attempt to warm all that it touches with it's clear spring sunshine.
(10 mins later)
I arrived here at lunchtime after an early rise - not something I am all that familiar or comfortable with. A 90 minute delay due to some issue at Manchester and the bloody French air traffic controllers striking about something or other - perhaps they took offence to the suggestion that they should spend more time managing the planes rather than sitting drinking coffee and smoking their ever so strong cigarettes. I wonder how the no-smoking ban, that seems to be sweeping Europe presently, went down in France, or if they bother sticking to it at all.
Today is Valentines day - no cards for me.... Not a great surprise really seeing as I am of no fixed abode. I hadn't realised when I agreed to come out here with Dad and his girlfriend / partner / pseudo wife, that it was going to be valentines day - mind you the fact that we flew out on the 14th February should have given me a bit of a clue really!!! Guess I hadn't really been paying attention to the dates. Mulling it over - I realise that it's just tough - I am going to be away for a stretch (insert any amount of time here - try the first thing that comes into your mind) and I want to spend some time with him and Pam, so they're doing their valentines meal after I've left on Friday.
It's been really good to spend some time with Dad over here, he's way more chilled out and stuff, can see him spending most of the year out here when he retires in a few years!
Home - Ormskirk!
Fly back from Portugal into Manchester - being as I am so well organised, I hadn't actually sorted out where I was going to stay that Friday, due to see Johnny and his girlfriend on the Saturday, but they were busy on the Friday night. So, plan B was put into action (trouble was there was no Plan B just yet)..... I drove to Ormskirk to go and see Jean - how to describe Jean, guess she was a sort of nanny, but not really what you think of when you think of a nanny. She worked for Mum and Dad from when I was about 5, she would come and pick Nick and me up form the bus stop after school and keep us entertained till Mum or more likely Dad got back. Dad would normally get home first seeing as he worked reasonably locally. Mum worked for various consultancies through the years starting at IBM though more than I could name - and back to IBM again. Thus, she was often commanded to work all over the country all week. Those people that have worked in this environment will testify that it's bad enough when you can live in the place you work then return home at the weekend. But having a family with small kids, Mum would be all over the place in couple of days, suffice to say that she would often not get home till after Dad! Anyway, back to Jean!! She is the most adorable lady who for as long as I can remember has lived in the same house in Bickerstaff. She was like a part of the family, so I popped in to see her for one of her special cups of coffee. Not sure what it is about her coffee, but I have never tasted one like it - milky and sweet and with a funny froth on the top - not from no fancy frother mind - just the way she mixes all the stuff together, like I said, it's special!
After seeing Jean, not really sure what to do but thinking that no-one is going to be around till after work, so popped over and saw Johnny's Mum. Who proceeded to try and persuade me that going to Australia wasn't what I should be doing - purely from a selfish point of view though she readily admitted. Sue's like my adopted mum, not that I needed another mum, but I think she wanted a different son to Johnny (soz mate, only joking) :-) . Realised what my Plan B was while chatting to her so called Sid in Southport, hoping he'd be up for a few bevies (and able to provide me with a bed for the night). Nope, at Liverpool Lime Street station on his way to Cardiff, gutted. So that was Plan B out the window, both Jean and Sue had said I could stay there, but I fancied a few beers down the pub and didn't think they'd be that up for a bit of a drinking session down the pub.
Yorkshire - Huddersfield 17th Feb
So where do you turn when all other options are kinda up the spout. Lil' Bro', gave him a call and cained it over to Huddersfield to catch up with him and his girlfriend Sarah. After pretty much emptying my entire bag all over their hall, looking for something, not sure what - think maybe I just don't feel comfortable unless I have my shit all over the place! Went to a couple of bars in town after a quick pizza from the oven, then onto the casino. I can't say that I am exactly an experienced hand at the casino, in fact this was only about the 3rd time I had ever been to one. Blackjack looked a bit too much like I'd have to have my wits about me - so roulette it was. I started off trying to pick numbers that I thought would come in, but I'd had too many beers to do that, so I just started throwing the chips onto the table - now this technique may not be to everybody's taste, but I walked out of there doubling my money havin hit the number 3 times in about 2 hours, bonus. During this 2 hours, Sarah had planted herself at a blackjack table and carried on drinking, she was doing really well the last time I looked at the stack of chips she had in front of her. Was talking to Nick about the merits of just throwing chips at the roulette table, when we noticed Sarah was no longer at the Blackjack table anymore - the croupier pointed at the toilet and made sign language to indicate she'd probably gone for a sleep, which indeed she had. That was the reminder that it was bed time, so we cashed up and left.
Saturday - got up and watched Liverpool Vs Man Utd in the FA Cup, we had lost to Utd in the league about 2 weeks previous, costing me a tenner to man that looks a little like the FA Cup, Tom Hallam. Another tenner was riding on this FA Cup game. I watched it in Nicks front room, both shouting and swearing at the tele as various people didn't do what we wanted them to. We came out on top, winning 1 nil thanks to the Good Touch For A Big Man, Peter Crouch As a Liverpool fan, any game where you beat Utd is a little bit special, and this was no different.... So Nick and I were both pretty excited, we don't have a chance of winning the Premier League this year, and we don't look like we can win in Europe, so this could be our only hope of winning any silverware this year, only time will tell.
Back to Ormskirk 18th Feb
Drove over to Johnny's timed it so he was just getting back from Anfield perfectly, had a Pizza then went down the boozer, without Julie, whose due to give birth in March sometime, pretty much the day I leave I think. Went to a few of the old haunts hat we used to goto when I was young, the Queens Head, Buck I'th Vine and then to Disraeli's for last orders - this place made me feel very old indeed!!
Newcastle 19th & 20th Feb
Quite a long way from Ormskirk to Newcastle, but good old Sat Nav makes it nice and easy to get around. I have been promising Alice that I would come up and visit her in her native land for years but from Brighton it's soooo far away (no excuse I know as she has been down to Brighton from Newcastle loads of times!!!). Anyway I got to meet Mel, Alice's boyfriend, a proper Geordy lad and a passionate follower of Newcastle United FC . Got taken into Newcastle town and shown some of the sights of the great city, such as the Tyne Bridge, seen here with Alice and Mel:
Alice, being Alice wanted to go and play Bat & Ball, so Mel drove as all to Tyne Mouth Beach so Alice and I could play. Mel wisely went and drank coffee in the cafe, it was bloody baltic!!
Was really cool to see Alice, she really hasn't changed a bit since we were at Uni, which is good as she was top notch then, and still is now!
Edinburgh 21st Feb
Drove up to Edinburgh to see John Broster who I went to school with. He works in IT for the Royal Bank of Scotland, doesn't really get on with it, so he's going to take a 2/3 month sabbatical, do a course on how to be a chef. He's sent out a load of letters to restaurants saying he'll work for free if they will give him a chance to prove himself. Brave, last I heard he's got an offer at a place. If he ever writes a book, here's the pic that's going to be on the inside of the cover!
Was going to stay for 2 nights but he's off to Banff skiing - lucky puppy!
Glasgow 22nd Feb
Popped along the motorway to a place I've never been to before, but always wanted to. Glasgow, got some great architecture there, and one of my favourite artist's (Charles Rene Mackintosh) did a lot of it. Had a fairly quiet night, after watching the men's curling (Scotland, I mean Great Britain, lost in the semi's in the Winter Olympics) around a few bars with Marina, which in itself is fairly unusual, normally when Marina and I are out we get hammered!
The drive back to England was wicked, through the hills with snow on them, the sun shining (didn't think that happened in Scotland) glistening off it. Saw a sign to Lockerbie (where Marina is from and most of the curling team we watched the night before) so drove down to have a look at the ice rink:
Leeds 23rd Feb
With the demise of the O2 project the whole team was dispersed across the country, Gareth and Nic are up in Leeds. Nic's gone up there as the role (in theory) will be great for her career. I think Gareth has gone up there to get a project away from home out of the way so when his baby arrives he can tell IBM to give him a job close to home. Gareth did his usual and got a family room so I had somewhere to sleep the night. We (well, me) started early, then went and played pool, had a bite to eat and finished fairly late.
I felt awful the next morning, so glad I didn't have to go to work!!!
Next.... Skiing and beyond!!! Sorry I'm not keeping this updated very well - theres just so much to do and see at the moment!
As I sit on the balcony of my Dad's villa in the Praia de Luz in the Algarve, I can't help but wonder at the true beauty that Europe holds. Ahead of me in the west is the brow of a hill that is almost entirly covered in other such holiday homes and places of abode throughout the year. Some may look more grand, but I can't help but feel that they wouldn't feel as homely as the current raised veranda that I currently occupy. It's nearly 6 in the evening and the sun is making one final attempt to warm all that it touches with it's clear spring sunshine.
(10 mins later)Today is Valentines day - no cards for me.... Not a great surprise really seeing as I am of no fixed abode. I hadn't realised when I agreed to come out here with Dad and his girlfriend / partner / pseudo wife, that it was going to be valentines day - mind you the fact that we flew out on the 14th February should have given me a bit of a clue really!!! Guess I hadn't really been paying attention to the dates. Mulling it over - I realise that it's just tough - I am going to be away for a stretch (insert any amount of time here - try the first thing that comes into your mind) and I want to spend some time with him and Pam, so they're doing their valentines meal after I've left on Friday.
It's been really good to spend some time with Dad over here, he's way more chilled out and stuff, can see him spending most of the year out here when he retires in a few years!
Home - Ormskirk!
Fly back from Portugal into Manchester - being as I am so well organised, I hadn't actually sorted out where I was going to stay that Friday, due to see Johnny and his girlfriend on the Saturday, but they were busy on the Friday night. So, plan B was put into action (trouble was there was no Plan B just yet)..... I drove to Ormskirk to go and see Jean - how to describe Jean, guess she was a sort of nanny, but not really what you think of when you think of a nanny. She worked for Mum and Dad from when I was about 5, she would come and pick Nick and me up form the bus stop after school and keep us entertained till Mum or more likely Dad got back. Dad would normally get home first seeing as he worked reasonably locally. Mum worked for various consultancies through the years starting at IBM though more than I could name - and back to IBM again. Thus, she was often commanded to work all over the country all week. Those people that have worked in this environment will testify that it's bad enough when you can live in the place you work then return home at the weekend. But having a family with small kids, Mum would be all over the place in couple of days, suffice to say that she would often not get home till after Dad! Anyway, back to Jean!! She is the most adorable lady who for as long as I can remember has lived in the same house in Bickerstaff. She was like a part of the family, so I popped in to see her for one of her special cups of coffee. Not sure what it is about her coffee, but I have never tasted one like it - milky and sweet and with a funny froth on the top - not from no fancy frother mind - just the way she mixes all the stuff together, like I said, it's special!
After seeing Jean, not really sure what to do but thinking that no-one is going to be around till after work, so popped over and saw Johnny's Mum. Who proceeded to try and persuade me that going to Australia wasn't what I should be doing - purely from a selfish point of view though she readily admitted. Sue's like my adopted mum, not that I needed another mum, but I think she wanted a different son to Johnny (soz mate, only joking) :-) . Realised what my Plan B was while chatting to her so called Sid in Southport, hoping he'd be up for a few bevies (and able to provide me with a bed for the night). Nope, at Liverpool Lime Street station on his way to Cardiff, gutted. So that was Plan B out the window, both Jean and Sue had said I could stay there, but I fancied a few beers down the pub and didn't think they'd be that up for a bit of a drinking session down the pub.
Yorkshire - Huddersfield 17th Feb
So where do you turn when all other options are kinda up the spout. Lil' Bro', gave him a call and cained it over to Huddersfield to catch up with him and his girlfriend Sarah. After pretty much emptying my entire bag all over their hall, looking for something, not sure what - think maybe I just don't feel comfortable unless I have my shit all over the place! Went to a couple of bars in town after a quick pizza from the oven, then onto the casino. I can't say that I am exactly an experienced hand at the casino, in fact this was only about the 3rd time I had ever been to one. Blackjack looked a bit too much like I'd have to have my wits about me - so roulette it was. I started off trying to pick numbers that I thought would come in, but I'd had too many beers to do that, so I just started throwing the chips onto the table - now this technique may not be to everybody's taste, but I walked out of there doubling my money havin hit the number 3 times in about 2 hours, bonus. During this 2 hours, Sarah had planted herself at a blackjack table and carried on drinking, she was doing really well the last time I looked at the stack of chips she had in front of her. Was talking to Nick about the merits of just throwing chips at the roulette table, when we noticed Sarah was no longer at the Blackjack table anymore - the croupier pointed at the toilet and made sign language to indicate she'd probably gone for a sleep, which indeed she had. That was the reminder that it was bed time, so we cashed up and left.
Saturday - got up and watched Liverpool Vs Man Utd in the FA Cup, we had lost to Utd in the league about 2 weeks previous, costing me a tenner to man that looks a little like the FA Cup, Tom Hallam. Another tenner was riding on this FA Cup game. I watched it in Nicks front room, both shouting and swearing at the tele as various people didn't do what we wanted them to. We came out on top, winning 1 nil thanks to the Good Touch For A Big Man, Peter Crouch As a Liverpool fan, any game where you beat Utd is a little bit special, and this was no different.... So Nick and I were both pretty excited, we don't have a chance of winning the Premier League this year, and we don't look like we can win in Europe, so this could be our only hope of winning any silverware this year, only time will tell.
Back to Ormskirk 18th Feb
Drove over to Johnny's timed it so he was just getting back from Anfield perfectly, had a Pizza then went down the boozer, without Julie, whose due to give birth in March sometime, pretty much the day I leave I think. Went to a few of the old haunts hat we used to goto when I was young, the Queens Head, Buck I'th Vine and then to Disraeli's for last orders - this place made me feel very old indeed!!
Newcastle 19th & 20th Feb
Quite a long way from Ormskirk to Newcastle, but good old Sat Nav makes it nice and easy to get around. I have been promising Alice that I would come up and visit her in her native land for years but from Brighton it's soooo far away (no excuse I know as she has been down to Brighton from Newcastle loads of times!!!). Anyway I got to meet Mel, Alice's boyfriend, a proper Geordy lad and a passionate follower of Newcastle United FC . Got taken into Newcastle town and shown some of the sights of the great city, such as the Tyne Bridge, seen here with Alice and Mel:
Alice, being Alice wanted to go and play Bat & Ball, so Mel drove as all to Tyne Mouth Beach so Alice and I could play. Mel wisely went and drank coffee in the cafe, it was bloody baltic!!
Was really cool to see Alice, she really hasn't changed a bit since we were at Uni, which is good as she was top notch then, and still is now!Edinburgh 21st Feb
Drove up to Edinburgh to see John Broster who I went to school with. He works in IT for the Royal Bank of Scotland, doesn't really get on with it, so he's going to take a 2/3 month sabbatical, do a course on how to be a chef. He's sent out a load of letters to restaurants saying he'll work for free if they will give him a chance to prove himself. Brave, last I heard he's got an offer at a place. If he ever writes a book, here's the pic that's going to be on the inside of the cover!
Was going to stay for 2 nights but he's off to Banff skiing - lucky puppy!Glasgow 22nd Feb
Popped along the motorway to a place I've never been to before, but always wanted to. Glasgow, got some great architecture there, and one of my favourite artist's (Charles Rene Mackintosh) did a lot of it. Had a fairly quiet night, after watching the men's curling (Scotland, I mean Great Britain, lost in the semi's in the Winter Olympics) around a few bars with Marina, which in itself is fairly unusual, normally when Marina and I are out we get hammered!
The drive back to England was wicked, through the hills with snow on them, the sun shining (didn't think that happened in Scotland) glistening off it. Saw a sign to Lockerbie (where Marina is from and most of the curling team we watched the night before) so drove down to have a look at the ice rink:
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Leeds 23rd FebWith the demise of the O2 project the whole team was dispersed across the country, Gareth and Nic are up in Leeds. Nic's gone up there as the role (in theory) will be great for her career. I think Gareth has gone up there to get a project away from home out of the way so when his baby arrives he can tell IBM to give him a job close to home. Gareth did his usual and got a family room so I had somewhere to sleep the night. We (well, me) started early, then went and played pool, had a bite to eat and finished fairly late.
I felt awful the next morning, so glad I didn't have to go to work!!!Next.... Skiing and beyond!!! Sorry I'm not keeping this updated very well - theres just so much to do and see at the moment!
