The Warsaw That I Saw Was Not An Eyesore.

I got chills, they are multiplying

2012-01-28T12:59:00.000+01:00

So as I type this, the temperature outside is -13.3C. Normally around the January/February changing of the months it is the coldest in Warsaw. This year with the very mild winter we have had then plunging into the double figures of minus temperature has been a really huge shock. If you are ever interested in the weather in little old Warsaw then you can check it here, at the website of the technical university. It updates every 5 minutes and, being technical boffins, I am sure they are accurate.

So with all this coldness about I thought it was time to show some photos that reflected this.

Frosty trees

Frosty bits

Frosty tips

Frosty twigs

Frosty tips

ok I am running out of rhyming things - Frost

Frosting points

spikey sticky

Spiken and Lichen

Everything will be all white

Setting sun

All blue

Will it be the end of winter?

What is it?

2012-01-27T22:16:00.001+01:00

Haven't had one in a while, let me know your thoughts. I am leaving it small too, just make it a little tougher, though, it is pretty easy.

Oz Day

2012-01-26T17:21:00.000+01:00

Happy Australia day!! Well in a sense it is no longer Australia now that I am typing this as in Australia it has moved on to the 27th. But, I am holding a torch up for it still. I have just proceeded in making my first ever pavlova and it looks more like a squashed hat. I am having some international guests come over tonight, but not I am going to try to get another one done before they get here. Also we have the Lamington, ANZAC biscuits, and a couple of meat pies. Should be a hoot with a couple of glasses of wine. The mean time I shall stream the Triple J's hottest 100 as mood music.

Mount Lamington sitting outside to stay cool and fresh

The first failed pav and the Anzac biscuits

Liquid refreshments

Aussie Aussie Aussie Pie pie pie

Roo pie

That sad pav again.

Now some food.

2012-01-24T22:13:00.001+01:00

I haven't posted anything about food for a long time. Apart from the Christmas gingerbread house, I guess. So just a quick one today then, to warm you Northern Hemisphere residents up.

I've been baking bread like crazy of late

So why not use it to save dishes

Add some delicious cheddar cheese

Pile in the pumpkin soup

A sprinkle of basil

Chief taste tester.

She seemed pleased.

Pumpkins aren't so popular in Poland even if they grow quite well here. It just hasn't been a traditional food source, I guess with them originating somewhere in the Americas maybe it was thought of being too exotic. In the last 3 years I have noticed an increase in Pumpkin availability in the markets which is a great thing. As a kid growing up, there was little more that I hated more than pumpkin. But, I found out why. It tastes horrific if steamed with other vegetables. We make soups, breads and roast it here and it is great. We are also thinking about adding it to pierogi as well, maybe curried.

For a decent soup recipe:
1-1.5kg pumpkin
.5-1kg potatoes
A good pinch of ground white pepper
A tablespoon of salt
a pinch of nutmeg
a couple of bay leaves
Enough chicken stock to be about 2cm below the level of vegetables.

Cut up the pumpkin and potatoes (skinless creates a smoother soup). I tend to cut the potatoes smaller as they take longer to cook so cubes of pumpkin should be about double the size of the potatoes. Add stock, bring to the boil then turn back to simmer until the potatoes are soft. Then mash to your hearts content. If you like a thick soup use a blender and maybe reduce a little if it appears too watery for you. We like to leave ours a little chucky, so we just use a hand masher and that is it. Ready to serve. We find it is best to cook, and then sit outside (in the minus temperatures) then reheat as the flavour is better. I have no idea if this is passible in food hygiene courses. Someone with knowledge would have to let me know, either way, it tastes great!

2012-01-20T22:17:00.000+01:00

The river Biebrza at Goniądz is famed for its crystalline water and the beautiful wilderness around it. It is in the middle of nowhere, and being the middle of nowhere the roads are like driving on velvet. If that velvet has been land mined and was a testing ground for high explosives.

The family that paddles together stays together

Paddle ho.

I heart fluffy clouds

See, more clouds.

Stroke, stroke. Forwards go forwards

This makes me think of Dutch paintings like Vermeer.

Look at this unison.

Now someone isn't even trying

Gotta love a man with the hooters.

Me being an impressionist

More Vermeerian

Weedy good.

Reflections of a deck

Pier reflections

It was all just too much for some.

There you have the Biebrza, beautiful not just because it is beautiful but because there are few people there.

Sokolka photoworld

2012-01-19T19:18:00.000+01:00

Time to head to the East of Poland for some of the late last 2011 photos. Showing some of the landscapes about the area commonly referred to as "Poland B" for the feeling of its residents that it doesn't gain the investment of the rest of the country. It may be true, I am yet to see the books balanced per population, but what the lack of highways, airports and train lines does is that it makes it a beautiful wilderness, full of forests, which are full of mushrooms and wildlife. All of Poland's remaining Zubr (Bison) live in this region and when you are here it just has a real earthiness to it.

Weedy

Weedy sun

Pow.

Fruit and fly

Lonely Apple

I am Beaver

Leave it to Beaver

A great straight drive

The final Axe. Take that dead tree

You have to admit this ruptured boiled egg looks a little like a chicken coming out, no?

Next we shall paddle the Biebrza River.

Warsaw Streets ahead

2012-01-14T15:37:00.000+01:00

So, after pillaging South Australia for photographs, I thought I would skip Singapore for now, and come back to Warsaw. Yes, it is bloody freezing today outside. In fact we have had our first "snow" fall. I say "snow" as mostly it was ice, and if it hasn't melted totally has turned into some kind of slippery horrid mess. As many of the first snows do. Still, it was overnight snow and we haven't had a decent day snow, unless you count yesterday when I was walking to the tram in horizontal wet snow, resulting in being drenched on only one side of my body. Not the nicest of feelings in about 0C, but such is life.

The photos you are about to see are actually from August last year. I still have about 4 months of photos to go through, so it will never be a dull moment that is for sure. Going to Australia for a month really put me behind with keeping up to date. For two reasons, one it ensured I wasn't able to process and put up blog posts as I was always busy and two, because it meant I took about 38GB of photos and another 9GB in Singapore. So, yeah. There has to be plenty to get through still. Hope I can do it, and do it quickly to keep you entertained.

I think building details are really lost on modern architects, luckily we still have remnants

I can't even tell you why I like this, I just do.

This is really freaky if you scroll up and down over this picture.

Slodki slony means sweet and salty. Not sure I want a salty pavlova though.

I could make a "reflections" pun here, but it is actually a building in Atlantis.

Locked in.

Hey pretty lady, why the sad face?

What an odd shadow, no?

Around Warsaw you see so many old metal objects peeking out of walls, the uses of which have been lost. I always wonder what they were for.

But is it just me going nuts or is there a face of one of Statler or Waldorf aka grumpy men from the muppets here?

Lion about.

If this is Lion's House, does this mean that the lion sleeps today?

Building Pasties or tassels??

Flags with meaning.

More flags with meaning.

I really love Ivy, not sure why everyone else hates it apart from the leaf mess, the damage to buildings and maintenance

Papierowka in the window. Simply yet lovely display.

Half a litre of beer is about 1.4AUD, .94GBP, or 1.44USD, and a sausage is double the price always makes me giggle.

And we finish at the ponderosa of Nowy Swiat.

Our last day on the Isle

2012-01-11T18:30:00.000+01:00

The last day was a big one for us, and so there is plenty of photos from it, rather than drag out the KI experience any longer, I thought I would put out a big last post. I hope you can bear with me! It is big!

The American river Swans and Sails

Marty River

Light Pelicans

Traditional Mr Pelican

A great picnic area at American river

Awaiting a present

This gives you a clue to the present

The fantasticness that is fresh oysters taken from the sea only minutes before and then thoroughly doused in Worcestershire sauce and bacon.

They are of course called Oysters Kilpatrick, and they are fantastic.

Just a slurp away from happiness

And we are done!

to give you an idea of prices,exchange rates are AUD to 1.02USD, 3.59PLN, 0.66GBP for your reference.

A board of delightfulness!

I loved this little map of whale/dolphin sighte seeing

The magical Oyster Farm Shop in American river.

Cape Willoughby, we nearly stayed here but it was booked out

Just a beautiful place

This day was actually about mid 30's too

So made it a little toasty.

Remember, Snakes live here.

1852 made it the first lighthouse built in South Australia.

Something in your eye Marty

Not the Whether station.

South Wright Whale bones at the base of the lighthouse

The beautiful bay next to the lighthouse.

The Chapman River Wine's savoury platter.

The inside of Chapman River Winery Cellar door.

More interior

Our left over glasses from where we sat and had lunch.

The gallery

Snails on the way out.

The Chapman River reserve

The actual Chapman River.

BBQ spot

Probably one of the most beautiful views of a cellar door. Dudley Winery.

Looking across Little Cuttlefish Bay to the Mainland.

Next stop was the Bay of Shoals Winery

We are there.

The owner was addicted to Pelicans.

A little light shopping for the cellar

Then we roll onto the old ferry at Penneshaw to head home.

Fare thee well KI, fare thee well.

There you are. Told you it was long. Everything you see above and before on KI I totally wholeheartedly recommend!

Not quite a beach

2012-01-06T18:32:00.000+01:00

The Sahara. Is sand. The Sahara. Is big. The Sahara. In KI.

On Kangaroo Island there is also a series of sand dunes called, yes, Little Sahara. Of course it is better than the Sahara, because if you get thirsty you can jump in the car and go down to Vivonne Bay and get a beer or soft drink and then go to the beach.

Tough getting a picture of this with all the glare from the extremely white sand.

The kids trails across the sand.

You can see that the sand is always on the move like all dune systems

Looks steep, right?

Wind ripples on the crest.

The highest point of the dunes.

So to give you an idea of scale. Marty on the top of the dune.

On her way down

Still coming down

And still coming down. Not such a little Sahara after all.

Still so much more to see on this little island!

Kangaroo Island Beaches

2012-01-06T16:54:00.001+01:00

Being an island, the beaches of course are everywhere. They are also quite amazing. One of the fabulous beaches that is little visited, but is really something pleasant is Bales Beach. It is on the South Coast and near Seal Bay so sometimes you will get lucky and see a seal lounging about, apparently, as we didn't see one.

The panorama of Bales beach

On the beach.

Rocking on.

Urchin about.

Half Urchin.

Beached az

"Marty, will the crab be ok?" "Yes Garth, it is just resting." Phew.

Blue starfish.

Palm star.

Dune life.

As beautiful as Vivonne Bay, Stokes Bay and Bales beach are, it is Antechamber bay that is surely the best in my eyes. It is on the north coast looking towards the mainland and has beautiful clear blue water, a long uninterrupted white sand beach and the best part is there was not a soul about. Simply a beautiful place.

Antechamber bay panorama

The calm and stunningly blue waters

A white empty and nearly untouched beach.

Kangarooing around

2012-01-04T17:43:00.001+01:00

So many fun things, the Lavender farm on KI is great, not just for all the lavender products, but John will give you some great info, and if you catch him on a day when he isn't busy he might even come out and give you a little tour too.

Head down bottom up for the bees to make honey.

Don't forget to try the lavender scones too, surprisingly nice. Who would have thought, the odour of all our grandmothers in a scone!

For those with a love of very rich things, try the lavender fudge. Something I just can't explain, but in a good way.

It is also where I landed this great Damsel Fly pic (admittedly after many attempts, the little buggers keep moving)

Food from KI

2012-01-04T17:08:00.000+01:00

One of the greatest things about Kangaroo Island, if you put aside the beautiful beaches, the amazing wildlife, the fantastic isolation and the "how's the serenity" (from a classic old school Australian comedy movie) feeling, it is the food. The place is crawling with fantastic things to eat. There are many artisans and if the population was bigger it would be amazing to see what else they came out with.
So here are a few of the things we visited and/or tasted.

You can eat them.... but I didn't this time.

In Kangaroo Island they have the only remaining population of Ligurian bees, originally from Italy, but due to disease and pollution in Europe there are now none left.

Aren't they darn cute?

And if you go to Cliffords Honey Farm, you can see them, and better yet taste their magic in the form of honey icecream

There is something that is now farmed in Kangaroo Island too, it is the Marron. Which is a large growing fresh water crayfish, similar to the yabby (yabbie) or the Polish rak.

You can buy the marron, fresh and in all different sizes.

So can see them feeding in the holding tanks.

Then you can see them on your plate.

This was the biggest platter you could get there. The Marron Platter - prawns, scallops, and of course Marron hot and cold.

They are just so delicate and delicious

They are clawfully good. Sorry, that is a bad pun.

Oh dear, probably my most favourite of foods, scallops!

Feeling a little bit devilish eating something so great.

Then feeling sad it is all gone.

Of course we need to finish with cake.

Next stop Kangaroo Island Spirits, a small distiller on the island

Even flavouring vodka with samphire, giving you a feeling of the seaside.

The copper kettle which makes all the wonderful spirits.

The cellar door and home of the magic, seriously you should try the gin and the zenzerino, both are fabulous. One of which made it home as a Christmas present for my father in law.

On KI there is a beach that was voted the best in Australia, due to its pristine appearance, safe swimming, crystal clear water, and also the chance to surf. We came for another reason too....

What is in the box?

It is the locally famous whiting burger. The King George Whiting is thought of by many as the best eating fish in the world. It is priced around $AUD40 (140PLN) per kilogram, but still is worth it.

The boss seems to agree.

There is more food from the isle to come too. Hope you aren't feeling too hungry.

Last year, New Year

2012-01-01T21:58:00.001+01:00

Thanks for reading all. It was a great 2011 now we add another number and enter the year of the London Olympics and even more importantly the Euro 2012 here in Poland and the Ukraine! Exciting times.

Last year I made 101 posts! Wow, that is a lot for someone who used to hate writing. I cracked the 10,000 page views number, and all this with only 20 people following the blog! Funny world out there.

Anyway, in the new year I hope to finally finish the Australia/Singapore trip and also many things that happened last year. Then get onto many new and exciting ideas! Hooray, I hear you think.

I will also be changing the format somewhat, let's hope you like it.

Again thanks for reading and I hope you had a great and safe New Year

Welcome to 2012! Happy New Year!

Kangaroo Island part II

2011-12-25T23:39:00.000+01:00

More of Kangaroo Island....... For an island with such a small population there are certainly lots of different things to see and do there. There is some really great spots for photography and you can get some dramatic light with the clouds over the Southern Ocean and sunsets and sunrises (not that I saw any of them due to enjoying my rest). One of the most dramatic and beautiful locations is known as Remarkable Rocks in the Flinders Chase National Park.

Ok, these aren't them, but I did like the joke.

The way there

So to be honest, I don't think I will comment on the photos as they are simply beautiful and don't need my words.

There you have 20 odd photos of one of the most inspiring and beautiful places, in my eyes.

It is Chrimbo time!

2011-12-24T20:38:00.000+01:00

This year has a feeling of less festivities as the holidays are actually the weekend! So, it just feels like a weekend where you again eat too much and spent too much. For many, I am guessing, that is just normal. The biggest difference this weekend will be spending time with the extended family and our now traditional architecture project. House building by the company of Gingerbread & Sons Pty. Ltd.

Some accurate plans have been drawn up

Wine assisted templates made

Then baked and trimmed for slight accuracy

Supplies are being both counted and consumed

We chose to use some fancy imported goods this year

Including my all time favourite Violet Crumble (aka honeycomb in chocolate)

Dark chocolate is melted for mortar

And applied with extreme accuracy

A quick blast outside in the sub zero temperatures and the chocolate sets and you get a domek shell

Then it is time to glorify it!

Australian Freckle roof!

Violet Crumble windows, ginger gummi bear flourishes

Gingersnowmen guarding the door and the raspberries

Some coconut snow

Home is where the heart is.

And the dom is done

So once again Christmas snuck up on us quickly this year. A trip to Oz, the first wedding anniversary and all these things have meant a fabulous year. Thanks to all the "followers" of this page and the regular readers. I look forward to next year with more photos, a new look blog and hopefully lots of comments from you all. Stay safe, keep smiling.

Books of 2011

2011-12-22T09:38:00.000+01:00

One of the greatest parts of my life here in Poland is, funnily enough, not owning a car. It allows me, a relatively slow reader, the chance to read books on my lifetime of travel on public transport. If I am not checking out the grannies and all their shenanigans, the girls in heels or the old men talking to themselves, I am reading. The times I have to stand really makes me feel a little anxious. Not because I am lazy and want to sit, but because it normally means it is super busy and I can't read. Plus, it makes the trips seem a lot longer. This time last year I had knocked off 32 books, where as now it is a lowly 18. The difference this year is that I have chosen to read a lot larger books. It fills up the bookshelf quicker and makes me look like some kind of intellect! Haha. Once, due to my love of hard covered books, I was asked if I was reading the bible on the tram! How funny. I do like fiction based loosely on facts though, so you never know.

Front cover
Oscar and Lucinda - Peter Carey (544 pages)
Well this was a slow long and relatively painful book. If it wasn't an Australian author, I would certainly have given up early on this one. The last 50 pages really started to get interesting, but that was too little to late to save it. I wonder what the movie will be like as it was reviewed well in Australia when released. 5/10

Front Cover

Ghost Ships: A Surrealist Love Triangle - Robert McNab (276 pages)
Ok, to be honest, I had no idea what this book was about when I picked it up off the shelf of our bookcase. I jumped on the Metro and opened it to find that it is more a text book based on some of the origins on Surrealism and in specifics Max Ernst and Paul Eluard. The Ghost Ships title refers to how travel to Indochina was a recurrent theme to them and a huge influence on their lives especially creatively speaking. It kind of confirms to me that travel helps you be creative. The book was really interesting but as "a read" it was probably not awesome. 6.5/10

Front cover of the UK edition
Down Under - Bill Bryson (400 pages)
I started this book a couple of years ago and never got it. I just couldn't enjoy his style, but I never really knew why. I think I find him annoying because at times I see his sense of humour similar to mine, so I guess I see why some people find me very unfunny. I think maybe we are both very humourous people yet we are unable to convey this on paper, maybe we are all about sign language and body humour. That said it was nice to learn more about Australia and the places I could still go to.Still I didn't enjoy the book that much.Maybe better for non-natives. 6.5/10

Front Cover bilingual edition
Spacerownik. Warszawa śladami PRL-u (Book Of Walks - Landmarks of People's Poland in Warsaw) - Jerzy S. Majewski   (255 pages)
This is a really lovely book about Warsaw. It doesn't glorify the Socialism era but it does go some way to explaining about the world that has been inherited by the Varsavian peoples since those days. It tells of the house, the estates, the cultural and public buildings. It explains the ideas and the concepts of why this was done and what the real goal was. It certainly opened my eyes to what is around me on a daily basis. It really was interesting. 8/10

Australian edition front cover.

Lunch in Paris: A Love Story, with Recipes - Elizabeth Bard (320 pages)
This was a book left over by my sister when she visited for the wedding. I picked it up as I was looking for something light. This was certainly that. It is a nice enough book as it has recipes, and as a person from another country living in Europe you see some similarities between my life and hers. I guess it ended up being a little light on and some of the recipes were to say a little simplistic, like Port Melon: get a melon, take out the seeds, and pour in port.... OK, great. So as a nice piece of fluff with some nice food talk then this is it. My sister finished it in a day, I finished it in less than a week of commuting. Decent 6/10

From the telegraph review
A Country in the Moon - Michael Moran   (368 pages)
Well I was really looking forward to this after there were some really big reviews here in Poland about this book, you can also check The Telegraph for a review, too. However, if you were to exclude quotes from Norman Davies and his impeccable research and the Chopin/classical music fawning, there really is little to this book. As Michael is an Australian living in Warsaw, I was hoping for some wonderful insight. What I ended up with was a historical book and very little insight as to how Warsaw/Poland was in the 90's and early 00's. Quite sad really. But if you know nothing of Polish history then this is a decent read it kind of highlights Davies work, if you don't have the drive to push through his detailed writings. 5/10

Dust cover
Articles of Faith - Russell Brand      (208 pages)
It is a collection of articles by Mr. Brand from his days with the Guardian. To be honest, if we hadn't of bought this book second hand and very cheaply there would have been little chance I would read it. It is one for people who are English football fans or actually tragics would be a better word. Brand is a long suffering West Ham and England fan and he talks about this regularly along with alluding to his life outside of the world of following football. It is EXTREMELY light in reading and to be honest, it took me two days of public transport to finish and I am a slow reader. Kind of gives you an idea of the content. Full of some fun drawings but also horrific photos of the horseheaded Brand, it can be embarrassing to read on public transport with his big ego extending off the pages with photos of him pretending to be contemplative or thoughtful. Whilst he gives many literary and society references and at times uses eloquent language, he really is a tool. That said I enjoy reading about Football so he passes, but just barely 5/10

Dust cover
Thames: Sacred River - Peter Ackroyd    (608 pages)
Quite clearly Ackroyd is totally in love with London and uses the Thames to assist him in his justification. I have lived and worked in a couple of places on the Thames and also enjoyed driving or jogging up the valley when I lived in these locations. First things first, this book is 608 pages long, for me this might as well be the Bible. Combine this with my love of hardcover books means that I was lugging around about a kilo of book to and from work for the few weeks it took me to read it. I am sure Harry Potter fans would mock me for even stating this, but to me it contributes to the feel of the book. The book is heavy with facts, stats, quotes and random musing/observations. It was certainly interesting for me especially as I was able associate many of the places I had visited especially in my time living in Thatcham. I did enjoy it, but he was a little disjointed as you could tell he wanted to put in as much information as possible but it didn't quite flow for this reason. I would have loved more tales of the 18-20th centuries but alas this wasn't so dominant. Still it was a decent read. 6.5/10

Fry cover
The Fry Chronicles - Stephen Fry    (448 pages)
While Stephen is someone I knew but didn't know much about, I have always enjoyed his elegant manner. You may know him from TV shows like QI, Blackadder or A Bit of Fry and Laurie. He is certainly a talented man, and where as someone like Russell Brand will try to be verbose and impress you with his diverse and deep language skills, and fails, Mr Fry does it with ease. Using wit, a little pomp, and great humility. I was extremely surprised at how much I enjoyed this book and so I will now need to search out his earlier biography, his fiction works while I eagerly await his next installment into his life as this one leaves us at the age of 30, there is still no doubt plenty more interesting tales to hear. 8.5/10

Life cover
Life - Keith Richards       (624 pages)
Well, Keify, I am impressed. Impressed that you remember anything at all about his life as you appear to be pretty happily wasted most all the time.
You can see even though the editing that he has a brain that isn't quite what you would term "normal" or "functional". Without doubt he has a talent for music and has a huge passion for it, but he will surprise you when you read it. For a boy who was booted out of school, addicted to most anything he could find, he still recalls things with precise detail. Possibly more precise detail than is believable. He contradicts himself constantly, this could be in relation to women, band members, or drugs. Take your pick. It's not that his life wasn't/isn't interesting, as it is, it is just that he struggles to communicate even with the help of James Fox to try and make it readable. It really isn't in the end. He sometimes goes into things in such minute detail that it is frustrating and at other times when you want to hear more he passes over it. I think the best term for this book would be "missed opportunity". Unless you are a massive Stones fan or a junkie. 4/10

Paperback Front cover
The Liar - Stephen Fry      (400 pages)
Very funny to read this after reading the Fry Chronicles as you can see so much about him in the story. He even uses a quote from one of his earliest plays in the book which made me giggle knowing where it started its life. Overall a nice read, it won't change your life but it will keep you busy with some giggles, some grimacing and some insight into the private boys colleges of England! Decent enough 6.5/10

Dust Cover
Wolfram the Boy Who Went to War - Giles Milton    (352 pages)
This was a great book about the life of someone in Germany during the Nazi regime. It talked of how it was being a young man who was an extremely talented artistically and how his life was impacted and he didn't always understand. It was another book by my favourite author Giles Milton, who is just really good at researching and asking the right questions. A great read for anyone who has an interest in art, war, history or just really interesting family struggles. 8.5/10

Dust Cover
Sweet Life in Paris - David Lebovitz    (304 pages)
This book is another story of an American moving to Paris and realising that it isn't the same as America. Well, surprise, surprise, surprise. It is very much in a similar mode to E.Bard I read previously. "I can't believe the French do it THAT way" etc. It is also interspersed with recipes, some fantastic sounding. and others purely for the American market an example is "Pita Toasts" Cut pita bread into triangles, brush with oil sprinkle with salt and bake until crispy. That takes up a page. Please excuse my French here, as I do not swear often, but Fuck Me. That is NOT a recipe, that is merely a way to heat something that is already made. He does give us some better insight than Mrs Bard does but he is a chef and so he should give us more information and experience. The fact that he makes something that could be so fantastic so simply shockingly hideously devoid of excitement kills me. Unfortunately I gave Bard 6/10 so I must give him the same. 6/10

Dust Cover
What You See is What you Get - Alan Sugar   (609 pages)
Well, to be honest, I didn't know much about Alan Sugar. I knew he owned Amstrad, I knew he was on the Apprentice and I knew he was a very wealthy man. I thought it could be an interesting read to see the how, where, why etc. I can't really sum up the 600 pages easily apart from the fact that it was actually a really fabulous read. I am still trying to figure out why I enjoyed it so much...... It is full of stories, tales, problems, solutions and failures. I think I like that he is rather blunt and straight forward, but isn't trying to be obnoxious about it. I think for anyone interested in early technology and the development of the industry then this is a good read for you. It also incorporates his time at Tottenham which I enjoyed as well, basically it talked about entreprenuership, football, early computers and travel. Lots of things I like. 8/10

Paperback Front Cover.
The History of Australia - Manning Clark (640 pages)
Well I am guessing the title kind of gives away the plot. I have always wanted to read it and here in Poland I actually found a copy in the American Bookstore of all locations. It was, alas, only a paperback and now a little tattered after all the daily transits that it made being so long and also being a rather factual book at times it was really heavy going at 6 in the morning. But, I got there and enjoyed most of it. It was a really interesting read and probably best for people who have a little base knowledge of Australia and its current and past situations. 7/10

Dust cover sleeve
Proust's Overcoat - Lorenza Foschini (160 pages)
A rather short little book after some rather lengthy ones. It was very simple and to be honest was read in easily under a week as the book size is really small. I have not been familiar at all with Proust's work and so had only an interest in what the book would actually be about. But being about a collector of his things and the extremes that the collector went to to get them really was a bore. 4/10

Dust Cover
The Travels of Marco Polo The Venetian - Marco Polo (Peter Harris and W. Marsden) (421 pages)
So it is "the" travel journal of Marco Polo. I have been interested in explorers for a while now working through them in various forms, so I thought I should go to the master of all explorers and read this. The book is indeed very interesting, but as it is a diary of some inconsistency it does lack a little punch at times. I would say, if you have the patience you will enjoy it, and make sure to read it going through the appendix references all the time it makes it more logical and relevant to today's geography. 5/10

Dust Cover
Red Plenty - Francis Spufford (448 pages)
An interesting book, walking through the life of people that eventually connect through different lives and situations. I thought it was going to be more factual. It is based on fact, but it is not exactly what I had expected. That said it was a nice read, pleasant and easy to get through. If you are into Russia after WWII then it is for you. 6.5/10

2011 the Best photos winners

2011-12-19T19:16:00.000+01:00

A huge thank you to the 102 people that voted on the photos it is really greatly appreciated and the response was truly overwhelming. I will put the top 5 of each category below. It is funny that this year my favourite black and white won, where as last year it was my favourite colour photo. Oh well, you can't always be right.

First Place

Second Place

Equal 3rd place

Fifth Place

As for the Colour gang, this is how they ended up

First Place

Second Place

Third Place

Fourth Place

Fifth Place

So, there you have it. Another year is voted for and already fading into the distant past. When it comes to the best of photos anyway. I thought for new readers then they may like a little recap here are the top photos from the previous years with links to the whole catelouge of that years photos.

2010
Black and White (The whole list can be seen here)

Nuclear Leaves

Colour (The whole list can be seen here)

Night Lavender

2009
Black and White (the whole list can be seen here)

Bottle Art

Colour (the whole list can be seen here).

Wonky Windows

Thanks again for those who voted!

So the winners of the randomly selected prizes were obtained by giving everyone a number in the order in which they voted on the photos (thank god for time stamps) So the winners are Electron Cloud (82) and E.S (Ewcia) (42) the numbers were made by the first two hits on the random number generator website random.org

Now proud winners send me an email, with your addresses and I can send you your winnings sometime early in the new year. Congratulations!

2011 The Best Colour Photos of the Year

2011-12-12T14:51:00.000+01:00

So every year I like to put up what I think are my best colour (and black and white in another post) photos, have people vote for their favourites and then we compile a top ten of the most liked photos.

It is pretty simple just flick through the photos below and add a comment to give your vote for which is your favourite or favourites (as you can, of course, like more than one) and then I tally them up and the winners announced in a glittering red carpet ceremony. Or due to the fact I own no carpet, I will probably just put them on here.

Last year I had selected randomly a voter for a special prize, so I shall do it again this year. So, have a look, let me know and maybe you could win too. So here they are and in no particular order.......

A - Night Wisla

B - Over compensation

C - Getting Jiggy

D - Damsel not in distress

E - I'm King of the World

F - I'm on the first flight out.

G - Weather beaten

H - I can also eat food

I - The dark cometh

J - Spring has Sprung

K - Lighting issues

L - From forest with love

M - Reflections of the night

N - Church in a glass

O - Space

P - Illusion in 3D

Q - Little Nick of Torun

R - Lady Shrek

2011 The best photos
2011 The best photos

2011 The Best Black & White Photos

2011-12-12T14:26:00.000+01:00

So every year I like to put up what I think are my best black and white (and colour in another post) photos, have people vote for their favourites and then we compile a top ten of the most liked photos.

It is pretty simple just flick through the photos below and add a comment to give your vote for which is your favourite or favourites (as you can, of course, like more than one) and then I tally them up and the winners announced in a glittering red carpet ceremony. Or due to the fact I own no carpet, I will probably just put them on here.

Last year I had selected randomly a voter for a special prize, so I shall do it again this year. So, have a look, let me know and maybe you could win too. So here they are and in no particular order.......

1. Light & fluffy

2. A frog in the hand is worth slime in the palm

3. ROAR

4. The soft and the shiny

5. Backyard Praga

6. Little Cinderella was here.

7. Robot vision

8. Shady business

9. Singa-night-light

10. The Crystal balls

11. The light path

12. Birdouflage

13. Sun on looker

14. Warsaw by eve

15. Water studies

16. Bling bike

17. Hoodwinked

18. Innerflora

19. Nerve tree

20. Cruising

21. City fan

Kangaroo Island, part 1

2011-12-10T18:29:00.000+01:00

There is a little island to the South of Adelaide called Kangaroo Island. It is one of the most amazing places that I have had the privilege to visit. I thoroughly recommend it to anyone. On the island (which is 4,405 km² or the size of two Luxembourgs or half of Belgium) this makes it Australia's third biggest island behind Tasmania and Melville off the coast of the Northern Territory. To give you an understanding of what I like about this island is if you compare the islands' 4400 people to Luxembourg (half the size) and its 511,000, population it puts things in perspective. It is a barren place, at times desolate and empty. It suffered from large scale bushfires in 2007 which destroyed lots of native bush and killed many animals. This said it is still full of wildlife, large nature reserves and even larger farms. Amongst all of this you can though find some amazing 'non-natural' wonders. I will talk about these in the next few posts. Don't get me wrong, the main reason to go there is actually to see many of the natural wonders, but there are some other things you wouldn't expect. With honey, wine, natural eucalyptus oil, lavender and many other numerous products being created by local artisans.

So to celebrate our long awaited honeymoon, Marty and I hit the water in the form of the ferry from Cape Jervis on the mainland to Kingscote, the island's biggest township.

Looking back as we set sail

The school kiddies having fun with the wind

Losing some vision and stability

So it is time to be on the Titanic, I hope not!

We didn't stop there though instead and hit the road to our accommodation at Emu Bay about an hour away to drop off our things and then to progress on to one of the islands numerous fantastic beaches. Stokes Bay.

The beautiful Stokes Bay

Hidden from view of the carpark but large rocks

The amazing super white beach actually has great variety of mineral colours

And some odd white growths about.

Where we stayed, Emu Bay

Home of the odd Pelican or two

Ok, catch you later mate.

Alone, so alone.

Amongst the Rock pools

The rocks around the jetty

Some classic onion weathering

Love the formations

The jetty the home of some great fishing apparently, I didn't bring a rod.

We had our next wildlife connection on the way to Flinders Chase National Park in the South West corner of the island.

An unfortunate road kill, the beautiful monotreme that is the Echidna

The echidna spines.

The road to Flinders Chases Admirals Arch

Just off to the left of the road is the Cape Du Couedic Lighthouse

Marty and I really love Lighthouses

So we spent a while strolling around the area

The small building here is the kerosene hut

Where fuel was kept for the lighthouse to run.

We were lucky to get some great weather.

Marty pondering about the world of being a lighthouse keeper

Only 102 years old! Almost new!

So farewell Cape Du Couedic Lighthouse onto....

Admirals Arch

Look sea slugs!

Slugs everywhere!

People on the walkway looking for slugs

Ohhhhh they aren't slugs they are seals! Silly me.

Some of the native ground covers.

If you jump on the small side road you can get a view back to the lighthouse.

And of the Encounter Bay

The location of the lightkeepers house, where he had to get supplies from the bay up this cliff

Well rather large cliff actually.

I don't know that it would be the most fun thing in the world to get your supplies up and down this cliff face. It must have been a great relief when they built the flying fox to get things up and down.

The deep South

2011-12-05T21:44:00.000+01:00

Many people call the area about an hour south of Adelaide, the retirement belt of South Australia. It is full of retirement homes, hospitals, and once affordable housing. It is also home of the best surf close to the city, wineries, the mouth of the biggest river in Australia and the best bakery in Australia (not that I have tried all of them of course). So lets hit the A13 southwards.

First stop was Goolwa, an end point of 2,375 kilometres (1,476 mi) of meandering and wandering of Australia's largest waterway River Murray. Where it would flow to the ocean when there is enough water, along with Lake Alexandrina and The Coorong.

"Secret Women's Business" was related to an indigenous claim originally stopping this bridge connecting mainland to Hindmarsh Is.

Oscar W, you have tormented me and my sister for years.

Towards the mouth from the pier scene of many a wool and wheat bale.

River Red Gums never went too far from the river after all.

I read about the Steam Exchange in the Advertiser, the only useful think I found in that paper in 4 weeks! I had the Truffles Porter left and the boss had the IPA. Both pleasant but nothing to spin around on the floor going woop woop woop woop about.

The inside the drinking barn of Steam Exchange

Pale and Ale

The brewery outside

Follow the path down from Commodore reserve on the edge of Horseshoe Bay to the beach.

And enjoy your spoils from the greatest bakery in the world the Port Elliot Bakery. Here is a Steak and Bacon pie and a Sausage roll with a blueberry scroll

The kids just seem so darned excited.

Marty has her hands wrapped around a Tuna Mornay pie.

This could be the neck of someone who eats too many pies, or just a rock formation.

Lichen and sky.

Next stop Antarctica

Horseshoe Bay

Marty and the pines

Marty rocking it


What crabs must see.

Sister and Cow at the Alexandrina Cheese Company

Great place for a milkshake

And of course some cheese, if you get the chance try the fresh cheddar curds.

Port and the Barossa

2011-12-04T16:54:00.000+01:00

What is there to do at Port Adelaide other than shop at a dodgy second hand market (which I like doing by the way). Well you can always head to the lighthouse. No, I don't mean the actual nautical steel investment, although of course you could do that. I mean The Lighthouse Hotel. Forgive the rather sad website, as it is a great little place to have a bite to eat, well priced and good food. However the best thing is the beer. They brew their own and there are at least 6 on tap. I had a sampler when there which included:

Front to back: Honey Wheat beer, House Cider, Lighthouse Gingerbeer, Tusker Draft Rootbeer and the Archie dark ale

It was a nice thing to do in the middle of a beautiful sun shining day. So after that we went to the Brickworks markets, a place that when I was a child I enjoyed. Now, however, it is a slowly dying indictment of what has happened to many things that we more community oriented before people flocked to Shopping centres to buy things they really don't need and eat food they really shouldn't. It really is a shame, I hope someone takes control of it and really makes it into something great.

Instead of hanging around, we jumped back into the car to head to Brighton's Jetty Road strip where we grabbed a coffee and cake before a stroll on the jetty.

Some of us had too much fun eating.

And then put our feet up.

While I sipped my coffee

and ate my choc-mint hedgehog

Kerrin had an orange sponge cakey thing

On the jetty we could measure fish..... had anyone caught any of course.

Marty was just squinting instead

Some shared chips by the sea

The shark chopper was on patrol

As were seagulls looking for chips

Little Mali was more busy trying to look cute

Or at least sing a song.

The next day we jumped in with the sister and partner to hit the Barossa Valley. One of the fun places around Adelaide to taste wine.

Here we were surrounded by classic Australia

Even tin sheds to make it more classic, just needs a kelpie

Of course, pubs are classically Australian too.

There are many things to reflect on..... even tiles

I find it Australian that the museum looks like a pub

The Barossa is a great little day trip or even for the bigger drinker, a longer stay. It has around 170 wine companies and over 75 cellar doors that are open mostly 7 days a week. We only visited a few in probably one of the "most famous" brands Penfolds (where I recommend most things red that you can't sample with the exception of the Cellar Reserve Sangiovese), Rockfords (I recommend the Alicante Bouchet or Basket Press), Kellermeister (I recommend the Boots Cider and the 2008 Wicked Witch), and Kies (where I recommend the water and conversation with the lovely lady in the cellar door).

Somewhere I try to get to when in the Barossa is Rockford's Winery

To sample what they have lying about

And if the boss is happy, I can buy some :)

After lunch we moved onto the more serious side of things, Penfolds

Except not everyone seems to think I am serious.....

Robert Louis Stevenson once said "Wine is bottled poetry", which I could agree with as long as people think that poetry shouldn't be left to people in black skivvies sitting in a smoke filled room or drug induced haze telling others that they just "don't get it". Then again many wine snobs are a little like that.

Where as I prefer the words of Aristophanes which probably are most apt at the end of my blog post, where as he said

“Quickly, bring me a beaker of wine, so that I may wet my mind and say something clever.”

Alas, I have not wet my mind before this. Sorry reader.

Australia II - more than just a yacht

2011-11-28T18:06:00.000+01:00

If anyone ever gets to the city of Adelaide, the easiest thing to visit and for my mind the best is the Adelaide Central Markets. I posted about this place last time I was in Adelaide for a reason. I just love it. Like I love Hale Mirowskie and my local sprawling Ursynow market place here in Warsaw and all the ones I have visited through Italy, France, Croatia, Holland, Spain, Portugal, England, NZ, and a few other countries. But, for me the Adelaide Central Markets compare to all the best I have visited in Europe and are better in some ways as they incorporate cafes, souvenir shops, restaurants which spill out along Gouger Street to the North of the markets. Here you can buy anything from French sheep cheese to kangaroo to partridges to crocodile to fresh Asian vegetables. It is all here under one roof, easy to access, and with the cheapest car park in the city centre. If you really feel like something high end you can even pop out to the Hilton hotel which sits next to the markets and try some of local quasi-celebratory chef Dennis Leslie's well-refined South Australian produce at The Brasserie.

Me, I am too poor for that and dress a bit like a hobo so don't quite fit in there, so instead we ate on the run, also as we didn't have time and because I was desperate to get into my favourite laksa at Asian Gourmet right in the middle of the market. Let's go shopping!

Marty jumping into a French pastry at Breads 'N' More

Duck handling at one of the cafes

I love how "House of Organics" lay out their shop. Always a visual delight

This photo is for all the Polish men. I know they love Sausage... pun?

And again.

Probably the best Cheese Shop in the market.

Marty wondering why it is called Smelly....

Yeah I blame the Poles too.

What could these mean?

Oh yeah! Seafood Laksa Time!

Angelakis Bros. for all the best Fish and some really great game too. Shame no one else wanted to eat these with me.

So instead I invested in tentacles, and plenty of them! On the BBQ are delicious!

Recently when in Sweden I was saying how expensive Kurki were then I found them in Adelaide $AUD150kg means on current exchange rates is nearly PLN500, Sweden was PLN67 here we pay about PLN20! Wow.... Export Market?


Give you an idea about the Central Markets

So off home to the gang, to cook up some purchases

We wanted to combine a few tastes, so I stuffed a squid tube with prawns and a little garlic, adding our Polishness in the form of Pearled barley with olive oil and a simple salad of greens with ruby grapefruit and a light yoghurt dressing.

It was accompanied by a gorgeous twilight

As it fades it reminds me of Poland and our beautiful Spring/Summer twilights

Even the Adelaide glow looks decent in twilight

The next day when in Adelaide's shopping "High street" Rundle Mall we saw the Christmas decorations had gone up

Where is also plenty of street art in Rundle Mall

And a little street photography

And a of course their big Santa needs big balls

Off the Mall are many quaint arcades

You can even see some quaint architecture

At the end of another tiring day, it was time for a glass of wine and a chance to unwind.

With a great little sunset helping us

Colouring up a treat

And wishing us well on our holiday.

Adders for 2012

2011-11-26T19:06:00.000+01:00

As you may have guessed from the previous travel based posts we were on our way to Australia, Straya, the land Down Under, Oz, or as I call it Home. Yes, even though I have a visa here and still feel Polish in some ways, I don't think, without fluent language, any ability to drink straight vodka and a driving death wish, I can truly call myself Polish.

So, how do I bring you the amazing time I spent back in Adelaide without putting you through the fun of sorting out all my "old" stuff in a huge garage, learning to kill millipedes by the millions, eating all the "favourite" foods, or drinking copious amounts of wine, beer, cider, port, whiskey, vodka, oh, yeah, and water. Got to have water......

Rather than bore the pants off you with my extreme witty wordsmithery, I think I shall just post photos up and see how they are received.

Rainbow

Or is that Rainbows.....

Gotta get over that hill for a pot of gold!

Everyone wants to get in on the photos

Sunsetting

Looks good in B&W too

Speaking of B&W that is the colours of the local gang

They even try house breaks

Anyone who reads this, knows I like my food but these guys make it hard to....

The non-stop pressure makes you relent sometimes.

So, instead off to the beach for our "traditional" sushi, oh look soft sand!

Good to see some dune life

Big white beach

Sushi to go

I think the quote here is "Yum!"

Can't talk eating

Jump if you are happy

I love this sequence

Paddle fun

Beach bits

More beach bits.

Creative Spam

2011-11-26T12:53:00.001+01:00

Ahhhh sometimes you get emails about your blogs, sometimes you get comments. Most of the time people just read it, and pass by, or steal photos for school projects or the like. Then you get something like this.....

Hello!

I just want to thank you for your wonderful blog garthsgranduer.blogspot.com.

I read the post "Singing in Singas" and then I spent another hour on your blog by reading your posts with pleasure :)Every article is interesting and easy to read. I really like the "On a big airplane".

I work for Jooble company, we aggregate job adverts around the world.

My job is to persuade bloggers to link to our site.

I really love my job! We have a friendly team and good management, but unfortunately I have no idea how to convince a blogger to link to us, I'm afraid I might lose my job because of it :(

And that is why, instead of sending letters to thousands of different blogs, I am reading yours.

Honestly, I am not really sure if the link to our website in United Kingdom - jooble-uk.com, will be appropriate for your blog, but if you believe it will and you can add it, I would be really grateful to you! Our site is really cool, it can greatly help hundreds of people to find jobs.

I wish you to have a good day and excellent mood! Thanks again for your nice blog. Write more! Thanks!

Best regards,

Serge Lavange
Account Manager

Seemingly personal yet there in lies the fault. Spam and one from a bot like this one relies on someone believing everything they read. Being a blogger you actually end up more defensive than many people as you get a lot of this sort of "link to my site" traffic. Either way appealing to a simple mans vanity may work on occasions, I at least had a good laugh at this one. I'd prefer if he had just got me a deal on viagra or want to put the $US10M from Uganda into my bank account.... I will live in hope.

P.S. I know it is not true as I have analytics to tell me how long people spend on my blog ;)

Singing in Singas

2011-11-11T21:56:00.001+01:00

So a whistle stop tour of Singapore on the way to Straya. Like every trip to Asia, in fact every trip to anywhere, it is basically about food for me. So let's start with our first food tour near our overnight stay in downtown Changi.

The lighting of our first open air restaurant.

Chicken wings, limited supply only!

Don't forget your dipping sauce

Sugar Cane Juice.... as sweet as it sounds

Steamed Chicken with chilli

Heavily steamed Marty

Okra with Sambal

Fried Cuttlefish Paste

You can take a Pole out of Poland but you can't stop them getting their dumplings fix, these are prawn

As we started to leave it really got pumping.

For the kids who think they need it.

Where we went night swimming in our hotel

Great stop to paddle and watch the planes land

Breakfast for me in Asia, will almost always be noodles. Mee goreng and egg here.

Marty went with the chicken mince pancake

Enough time for a stroll along the boardwalk

A really, really great thing, strolling in the shade while the sun belts down

Then off to the multi-terminal airport that is Changi. Of course passing my favourite restaurant for fish cakes.

And some more seafood

And super spicy (perfectly if you ask me) minced chicken

All enough to keep you wide awake while you while away the 10 hours in the airport

If you are in the Changi airport make sure to go to the butterfly house to relax a little.

Next a big plane to Straya

On a big airplane

2011-11-09T14:03:00.001+01:00

Sometimes you just need to get on a big jet plane. Like Angus and Jules here. So off to the airport we go. Being a tourist lets you enjoy many facets of life, which is a huge part of why I (we) travel. It allows you to appreciate where you live and where you could live, but mostly what life can bring you and you can share with others. Come take a flight.

Reflection on travel

Can be full of warnings

Sometimes lonely

Sometimes through others eyes

Far away

Or up close and personal

It should bring your life colour

Whilst organising it all

So after our quick up and down flight from Warsaw we get off our plane in Germany and stop for our classical pre-long haul flight fare.

A schnitzel, what could make it better?

A beer lurking in the background!

Bring on the trip.

And the night starts

2011-11-03T23:28:00.000+01:00

So as the night started to fall we drifted about to see what happens.

The crowd starts to disperse

Taking the kids home

But no reason for missing that last icecream.

Yeah time to go.

Head down and head home

A golden eagle

The place of the devils pierogi

The wall mural or old dumpling

Tower Power

There is even a stained glass shop

Townhall

The streets are clearing

Then the lights start to take effect

Glowing all pretty

Even Nickers gets into it with a solid glow, or is it a fake tan?

The only way is up

Even with the lights on the sky still makes the picture

But it shows how lights can make shapes otherwise blocky more interesting.

Here the light shows two characters eating into the pierniki reserve bank

The remaining emptiness

Now the night has really set in.

So it all comes down to the lighting now

Nothing like the evening movement.

Now Nickers is conducting wedding ceremonies

I do like the little kid on the back right.

For me, black and white can suit the medieval feel of Churches

Tea shop

She really needs that tea to stay awake.

Even though in Torun you can actually see the stars from town they still bring them to you in true customer service.

To see where they fit in, here is a quick panorama of the square.

Mouse traps anyone? Classic, a mouse trap store. Scary.

So is there anything scarier to a grown man in Torun, than mouse traps? Yes, of course.

Jail at night, see the figures in the window watching you.....


Or better yet a woman staring at wedding dresses!

And so folks, here ends our lovely tour of Torun. I thoroughly recommend it to all.

Donkey attack

2011-10-23T21:48:00.000+02:00

Something I noticed standing at the corner of Żeglarska and Szeroka in the heart of Torun, was that donkey. This donkey is well made and really quite cute. But it is also stupidly popular with everyone, in the space of 5 minutes, you can tell from the shadows, I took the photos and people with the donkey. I think it would be great to have a webcam on him.

The donkey sculpture is a recreation of an old wooden medieval donkey that once stood in the same place as a means of punishing criminals. You will notice that there are straps on the donkey, which are attached to a metal rod along its back. Originally, this would have been extremely sharp. The prisoner would have been forced to sit down, tied to the donkey and then flogged. Serious cases, even had their legs weighed down so that they would have suffered maximum pain!

Alone for a brief moment.

I love the passing girls expression.

Oh yeah, this looks fun.

Let me hold you there dear. And the bystander expecting tears.

Here he is saying "come on and ride me"

"I'm allergic to animals"

"Let's feed you to the donkey!"

Then later that evening

Newly wed friendly

Oh man, check out that ass

and finally from Russia with love.