Cats, dogs and....

Ok so your walking home though your nice little piece of suburbia and what might you expect to see? Some cats, a dog maybe even small children breaking into other peoples houses (or is that just rochdale) but not by any means a whopping great Peacock!

There it was bold as brass not a care in the world strutting down the street towards me. I think maybe I was in shock or maybe just confused stopped in my tracks and just watched as it pecked its way over to my feet.
In my head it went something like this:

" eh? Something not normal here .... What's out of place? Best wake up , might need to do something. ...
There's a big blue bird the size of a dog walking towards me - forget to tell legs to move
I have a word for this ..... Peacock that's what it is ha (feel smug) There is a peacock strutting towards me, glad I sorted that out.
Hang on ... There is a peacock pecking towards me!
What do I do? Where did it come from, is it someone's escaped pet? Who keeps peacocks as pets stupid. Why is there no one else around to see this?
Its-at-my-feet
Why am I stood staring at it? - cos its odd obviously
Wait till I tell .... No one will believe me .... I have a camera in my pocket haha!
Get it slowly ... Where is it going? HEY stop come back I need to take you picture!"

It was a very Blue Peter moment then, it was fine until the bird saw my camera then Whoosh it was off. Why are animals so camera shy?

Anyway this was the best picture I could get as it fled - proof I not making it up.

Hoodys

Ah always a pleasure to see the razor like wit of our local youth had at work. This is a shot from the entrance to the shopping centre near where I (used to) work. As you have no doubt guessed Hoodies are banned in our centre (although I wear one, hood up, on a daily basis just to confound them as I work there and can't be kicked out). The only comeback, beyond making the security guards run, that our locals could manage was this sign. Ever so neatly vandalized to read hoodys die in hot cars ?? now what's that all about?

Not wanting to sound like my grandparents but maybe they should learn to spell before vandalizing anything else.
It actually reads "Hoolyys" which I'm assured is supposed to be Hoodies.

Rome Day 3

After our silly late night we still had to get up at 7 to try and fit everything else in today.
ITS THE LAST DAY :-(
First stop was a trip back to the Vatican so we could do the museum/Sistine chapel tour. We took the metro (subway) for the first time - because of the speed needed not cos our legs were agonizingly painful by now (was that convincing?).
We got there at 9am but the que was already HUGE, it stretched 2 entire sides of the Vatican city wall!!

We stood with a coffee admiring the que for a moment when some dude came badgering us to take his tour instead. -You can wait in the que for like 2 hours at least or pay me an extra £30 and go in 10 mins on the tour?- bought him a coffee and left as a tactic to get away.

Why donÂ’t tourists from other countries understand the benefits of a good que? ItÂ’s not till you go abroad that you really see how English a thing queuiis. TheThe Vatican was no different with people trying to take each other at every opportunity, cutting across the inside at corners, using the nick knack sellers as distraction to advance into your place. It felt like a very slow formula 1 race Â… F3000 maybe?
ThatÂ’s the other thing the English like Â… to grumble at things not being done "properly" (being beaten). We were not beaten. :-)

Inside there is a surprising amount of gold everywhere, which can be overwhelming and ridiculously long corridors! (my feet still ache at the thought).




The popeÂ’s Egypt collection was pretty impressive (one of the best in world they say) like this chapter from the book of the dead. Just like in "The Mummy" only Â… nothing like it at all really.

Next we set offcoliseumolosseum but stopped along the way @ a Italian resturantreturant (pure tourist tack but cheap enough). The pasta part was fine but I just could not stopgaggingf gaging on the meat part. I'm sorry, call me un-cultured if you like buI where i come from beef should not taste like seafood. Urgh just thinking about that makes me want to heave.

One stereo typed viewcoliseumolosseum
To get this shot though Kate haperchedpearsomeone'ssomeones wall very precariously.
We queuinge queing thing again and went into the place ... :-) I was well chuffed cos last time I was here it wasn't even an option to get inside. ..... It isn't all that though. :-( I though it was pretty interesting with all the stuff about how they used to flood the place to recreate sea battles and stuff. And climbing up dead high was fun too but Kate didn't like it one bit something to do with "all the macho killing & fighting going on , all too much testosterone". Obviously not a mans m..girl.

After all our speed sightseeing we headed back to the hotel for a quick change and find a nice bar.
We pulled a wine bar out of the guide and set off - turns out it is only like 2 blocks from our hotel (still we must have walked at least 6 getting lost). We were pretty gutted when we got there ... not cos it was bad but because it was sooooooo good! 2 blocks away why didn't we find it sooner DOH!

The wine was amazing (they wouldn't even give ituntilu untill they were satisfied it was a good bottle) and to top it off we met George Cloony got his signature and everything. Ok so it wasn't exactly him but we did meet this really nice couple and the guys wife was convinced he looked like Ieorge (i really did get an autograph too). They taught us about how to eat Italian snacks the good way and told us all about the Mafia and how they *** censored*** so that the truth about what the Mafia really get up to. Of course if I did tell you I would have to kill youKate
Oh kate would tell meIodon'tf i dont say that I ate sconcoction oncotion made with Sheep cheese too, so there you go ... I did.

We bought a bottle to take back to England with us, would have bought morweren'te wern't skint by now, and headed back.
In a really quite random way we got caught in a Hail storm going back to the Hotel, big chunks the size of marbles, did I mention the just being in a t-shirOuchrt? ouch.

I'm not going to mention anything about anything else asinvolvesinvloves leaving, something neither of us was particularly interested in doing.

That was our 3 days in Rome.

Rome Day 2

We woke up really late today (11am) realizing that we had not brought our mobiles and neither of us wears a watch any more so had no way of knowing the time.
A problem later solved by doody little clocks attached to lamppost on most street corners. Romans must not wear watches either.

We found the Spanish steps after a while of watching Kate turn the map round and round and discovering her only real problem was not knowing left from right! hehe A girl thing I'm told.


Didn't think much of them really. They don't actually seem to lead to anything or have any decent explanation of what its all about. All the normally pretty fountains at the bottom were being "refurbished" as well.
Everytime anyone i know has been to Rome at least 1/4 of the things so see are busy being refurbished, dug up or covered in scaffolding. They have started putting life size prints of what is usually there over the scaffolds now which is good for those who really only want to drink coffee in amongst old pretty looking stuff I suppose.

We did find a very cute old man dressed as a soldier though :-)

With our £3 can of coke we checked out the local artists at the top of the steps. There were some very cool looking ones of locall scenes painted inside a water droplet. But since the Roses incident Kate was too suspiciouss to get one. " I didn't see him painting one though so how do I know its real and not just a blown up postcard?!"

Wandered down past the designer shops Gucci etc. Kate kept looking out for Posh n Becks "Milan isn't that far" unfortunatelyy Madrid is in a different country LOL!
What was cool though was McDonald's Golden arches were actually Golden! Fist time I have seen them anything but the usual syphilitic yellow.

Stumbled across the Piazza del Popolo next which we were pretty sure is one of the places in the Da Vinci code? It had these twin basilicas which were pretty in it anyway so we stopped and played "spot the nationality" of the tourists.

Next we set off for Vatican City crossing the Tiber which is brown and ugly. We decided to stop for something to eat before we got there and got beckoned into this little cafe.
Tourist trap strike 2 for us right there.
It wasn't terrible and we got to sit at tables outside so that was cool. Just had the little bowls of pasta they do over there 2 coffees and a salad. Kate tasted "proper" olives for fist time and decided she likes them now seeing how they supposed to tase not like the bitter supermarket variety back home.
All was well then we got the bill .... I can't even bring myself to tell anyone how much it cost. Put it this way it was grossly more expensive than a later trip out to nice restaurant with multiple courses, wine and all the trimmings.

il bastardo

After this touristy embarrassment we headed intoVaticann city (after walking halfway around the outside by mistake that is).
When we were walking up towards the main Piazza Kate was like "is that it is that the Vatican , am i really here!! &^%£&$£* ahhhh [scream, giggle]" while grabbinging my arm hard enough to draw blood.
We had gotten there too late to many of the exciting stuff but wandered round drinking "holy" water from the pedestals. That stuff is so pure and tastes much better than any bottled mineral water around there, best of all its free.

We did get to go in St Peters Basilica though (definitely in the Da Vinci code) after a little more queuing that is .......
See me trailing at the back there?
There were metal detectors to go through again but even though i set it off (my belt) the highly trained Swiss guard didn't seem bothered at all but were busy chatting. I could have had a bomb or anything :-)

After getting through we got to go and stand where the pope gives his little speeches from and look out at our flock whilst waving imperiously.

Inside was very impressively large and decorated with all sorts of finery. It was rather dark though and with there being statues and tombs (which freaked kt some) all round the sides rather spooky too.
Most of all because just like in the book monks all hooded and secretive looking would appear and disappear right next to you from secret doors and passageways you never saw. Mucho freako

Just above is the famous statue Michelangeloelo but by far my favorite was this pope dude to the left. I would swear he was trying to hail a cab and just got frozen all Han Solo stylee.

After the Basilica, we didn't get long as it was closing & missed the catacombes all together :-( we pottered down the river to the Coloseum past the forum. We passed this thing they call the Wedding cake too (white building down there). It's actually some old court type thing "liberty to the people" and all that but does look ridiculously like a cake.

Here we see the Fourm by night, a very impressive sight if not looking like it on my picture here then just trust me. We stood and watched all the funky old buildings while the sun set - very pretty with the mountains in the background too.

We got to the coloseum and it was shut .... shut hang on it wasn't even an option to go inside last time i was here! We are definitely coming back to check that out.
General sitting and enjoying the fact we were sat next to the coloseum and telling ourselves how cultured we are went on here.

By now our poor little legs weabsolutelytly screaming at us so we headed off for the hotel.
Stopping on the way obviously for a slap up feed trying all the weird and wonderful local delicacies with 4 courses and plenty of wine.
The waiter was quite cool even if they did bring the starter and main course out together. He even used a blowtorch to caramalise kt's dessert.

To top it all we were serenaded by a guitar and sax duet. The music was bad but they were very funny to watch being all Italian and flamboyant.

When we got back to the Hotel (very late/early) we had every intention to blog the day but ...... we passed out.

Always the sign of a successful day.

Rome Day 1

Setting Off
Well for us the day started at stupid O'clock with a bleary eyed creeping out of our houses and zig zagging across the motorway to Liverpool.
At the airport we started the trip with a good argument and fits of giggles when we discovered how over-early we were ("it's like soooo your fault, I was just driving").
The check in desk hadn't even opened yet :-(

John Lennon Airport (will they ever get over the beatles in Liverpool?) is a funny little place that feels like someone's garden shed. My favorite bit being the "smoking area" a tiny corner roped off with about a thousand people wedged in all puffing away franticly and how everyone else would visibly gag n heave walking past it.

Arriving
The first thing we noticed when getting in to Rome was how warm and sunny it was. The second thing we noticed was how the locals obviously did not agree.
We were happy in our T-shirts but they were all wrapped up in full duffle coats, hats and scarves!
Is it "Mad dogs and Englishmen" or just the Italians living up to their rep for being rather soft?
Either way Blue sky's and clean air beats Manchester hands down.

The Hotel

This is the view out of our window. We were worried what we would be getting but it was fantastic little place 4* all marble and big rooms right next to the metro. The staff were very cute too and didn't let us struggle on in Italian but spoke great English.

Down side was it seems to be school trip season and the whole city was swarming with excitable kids and frantic teachers. Our hotel had its own group, Russian we think, bounding around the place. It was very entertaining to see who was sneaking in to who's rooms all the time and pass the teachers having impromptu meetings about some naughty child. You don't even need the words with all the same gestures and pointed sighing that our old teachers would do.
Ah sweet memories of trouble causing.

What we did

First stop after unpacking was to the Trevi Fountain and some fresh gelati (ice cream).
The ice cream over there is fab, its all home made and dished out in sizable portions. All kinds of random flavours, my mango one was delicious.

There were loads of guys selling stuff there (all very short and looking a little Mexican to me). Kate got pinned by one (note the roses) "I give you, give you, is free - for luck si" and left me getting tapped up for the cash :-)

Being all innocent she was quite miffed when she worked out what just happened and spent the rest of the trip being very suspicious of random small people trying to offer her anything.

.

On the other hand there was a very enterprising local cashing in on the need for someone to take your picture without handing your camera to a stranger.
A printer round his neck and a CD burner strapped to his back, this guy was very cool. No need for speaking either as he had covered the remaining parts of his body with his services in different languages.
We both thought this was the kind of idea our friend Mark would have, respect to the entrepreneurial mind.

Next was the Pantheon or as Kate kept calling it the "Parthenon" (wrong country dear) and our first decent Italian Coffee. It really does taste better.
It is so much different to our English variety that Kt (not a coffee drinker) was happily supping expresso all day.
My particular favorite has to be a Cafe lungo which is like a normal expresso but pulled in a different way making it smoother and more flavoursome.
Monday morning Nescafe will no doubt be very disappointing after this week.

Before i get in trouble ... The smoke kt is holding is just for the cosmopolitan effect

We spent the rest of the day walking round (a lot) and got lost more than a few times which I'm sure will become a theme.

Finished off the day with some pasta at a "local" risturante.
The food was very nice indeed (but maybe because we hadn't eaten properly for over 14 hours). The wine was basic stuff but very drinkable indeed and seemed to be on tap.
We felt wholly ignorant with our lack of lingo (was not a tourist type place, no English) and the owner seemed pretty miffed but became a lot friendlier after we struggled out our 3 Italian words.
In contrast he seemed to get more and more miffed with an American couple who would "speak to him in I-talian"
It seemed a recurring theme in Rome that they preferred you to try a little how ever badly than to confidently speak whole sentences with a bad accent.
Humility & stupidity vs Arrogance?

Well I can't say much else as I don't even remember getting back to the hotel. Kate blames the wine but i prefer to think it was all the walking tired me out.

Snow in Solitary

Today I went to work under a bright blue sky clear as a bell and like most began to burn obligatory 8 hours, 33% of a days life, with my nose to the grind.
perhaps unlike most my fascist establishment of employ has not a single window. No doors to the outside world, no skylight not even a termite hole to reveal what is happening elsewhere in the world.
So it came as a bit of a shock when hometime came and we found .....

SNOW ! ... In March too!

A mini blizzard, the place was thick with the stuff like it was Christmas or something. Can someone tell me how that went and happened?
What is up with the weather in this country anyway. Sometimes I think its as crazy as the people.

But I love snow so its fine by me :-)

The Eternal City

Well as my Trip to Rome draws closer - it's only been 6 yrs that I've been on promise to take my lady Kate to see the eternal city - I decided to check up on the sites a little.
Don't want to look a dinkus when we get there.

I stumbled across this site Rome & Nolli It's like an educational site for students but has a very cool interactive map on it. You can see the different buildings and landmarks from through the ages and watch the evolution of the city. Loads of stuff to play around with




Not that any of that tells me where to wine & dine when I get there
Oh well back to the drawing board.