bohemian rhapsody

Budapest was great. There was snow on the ground and it was very cold (minus temperatures all the time we were there) but we enjoyed it immensely after a shaky start.

Things started badly when I realised we were flying from Luton and not Stansted. I'd already pre-ordered currency to collect at Stansted so I had to call and get that changed the night before we left. It got worse as we looked at the check-in screens at Luton and realised that I'd somehow got the flight time wrong. Luckily we still had time to catch the flight but only just – we had to jump the queue at the security checks.

il est neige

For the past two years its snowed in the week before HP's birthday. It's trying to snow now – brief flurries. I hope it doesn't. Snow is forecast later in the week in Budapest but that would be OK – make it more romantic in a way. Hopefully it won't be as cold as the time we spent New Year in Bruges and it was -11 or something!

do not pass go

We're off to Budapest at the end of the month for HP's birthday. Well, we will be if my replacement passport gets here in time!

It was a toss-up between Prague, Krakow and Budapest. I've been to Prague before – about 10 years ago when I went inter-railing. It's great and I'd love to go back but I couldn't find a good, reasonable hotel right in the centre. I know good weekend deals are available at some of the business hotels but we like to be central. It was a similar story with Krakow but I was still really tempted as it looks like a great destination. Plus its not yet a tourist trap like Prague.

Normally at this time we'd be searching for things to do, places to visit, restaurants and cafes, etc. but that's all on hold until my bloody passport arrives.

day trip to London

We went to London yesterday to do some Christmas shopping. We drove down and parked in the spiral underground car park at Bloomsbury Square: the traffic wasn't too bad and we were enjoying a cake and a coffee in Borders by 10.30.

The shopping went well but Covent Garden market was a little disappointing. We bought a few things there earlier in the year and saw more stuff we'd like but yesterday it was all tat.

We had a cheap lunch at the Moon and Sixpence in Wardour Street where I was disappointed to see that Europa had been replaced by a copy shop. Another Underworld landmark gone… We nipped in to the 100 Club to see if my Dad's cartoons were still on the walls – one of them was but the others were taken home by the previous owner when he retired. Still it was nice that his son (who now runs the place) had fond memories of my Dad.

Then it was off to the hell of Oxford Street. Never mind the congestion charge and the bloody Olympics, why the hell don't they pedestrianise this street? I was already carrying all the shopping bags as part of my squinny limitation exercise but HP couldn't help herself after another fruitless visit to one of the big department stores in our quest for some string-back leather driving gloves (a jokey present for her Dad who recently bought an MG BGT). We sat outside a cafe and had a coke to cool down and relax a bit. Brian Blessed and Jonathan Ross walked by (not together). I was so tempted to shout "Gordon's Alive" at Blessed but kept quiet after remembering that episode of Father Ted where he shouts "I don't believe it!" at Richard Wilson/Victor Meldrew.

In the evening we got half-price tickets for Blood Brothers and that was great. I'm not a big fan of scousers or musicals but it was really entertaining with great performances by all the cast. The two male leads were fantastic at playing young boys. Tremendous fun and a nice way to end an enjoyable day.

szervusz

When REM annouced details of their upcoming european tour, I thought it might be a good idea to go and see them in Prague (next January) and combine it with a few days away (as we’d just done in Stockholm with Rush). HP agreed that it would be nice but for some reason I never got around to booking anything. I did look for some hotels on the web but could never decide on one. We also looked at Budapest after HP saw some photographs and a recommendation from a colleague’s son.

Time passed but the thought of going away in January stayed with me. I’d pretty much gone off the idea of seeing REM at the same time but it’s HP’s birthday at the end of January so that became the reason for going.

hey!

Hey is Swedish for hello. To me it sounds so friendly and informal and reminds me of this Larson cartoon.

After an early flight we arrived in Stockholm at around midday. The hotel was unremarkable but it was well located between Hotorget and Sergel’s Torg and the room was very nice and comfortable. We checked-in, freshened up and wandered down to Gamla Stan. Most of our short stay was spent in or around Gamla Stan: it’s quiet cobbled lanes complete with tourist shops, art galleries and cafes gave the illusion that we were somewhere a lot smaller than a capital city. On that first trip we found a restaurant for later that evening, Mårten Trotzig, and stopped at a cafe for cakes and hot chocolate.

skye high

We were on holiday last week on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. We stayed in a lovely pub in Stein, a tiny place in the north west of the island. We didn’t do very much – that’s the point of a holiday, right? – so it was very relaxing and enjoyable. As you’d expect from its location there was plenty of seafood available so we had some great meals. And the twisty, hilly roads provided an enjoyable driving experience: Maude coped admirably with it all.

culture vultures

We went down to London on Saturday. Considering it’s less than an hour’s train journey we don’t go very often: I think this is only our third trip there together in as many years. We killed some time window-shopping in the Burlington Arcade while waiting for the Portland Gallery to open: saw a hideous dinner service for only £7200! The gallery had an exhibition of Jack Vettriano paintings which was interesting. I found it very curious that he often paints exactly the same picture twice but in different sizes. They were selling signed, limited-edition prints but the only one we liked was sold out. Just as well really because once we got home we realised that it was far too big for the location we had in mind.

In the afternoon we went to the Edward Hopper exhibition at the Tate Modern. That was good but unfortunately my favourite painting, Room In New York, wasn’t on show. After all the art it was off to Covent Garden to do some shopping. HP got a poncho (she is convinced they are coming back into fashion, if they’re not already – we spotted several at Tate Modern) and we added to our collection of original paintings. Nothing highbrow – just a couple of pictures of cats!

Sunday evening was spent in the park listening to a free concert by the London Philharmonic as part of the Italia-themed Peterborough Festival. Luckily the weather was OK and there was a good turn-out with most people bringing their own picnics (including us). The music itself was good, if a little obscure for the type of event. Thanks to a stroke of luck with parking we were home in ten minutes. Overall, a very enjoyable weekend.

been there

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bloody Ryanair

In the middle of January Ryanair will change their timetable between Ancona and Stansted. For me personally, the new times could not be more inconvenient.

At the moment the only flight from Ancona to Stansted leaves at 21.30ish. The return flight leaves Stansted at 18.00. This isn’t ideal but as it’s OK for me to use a work day for travel (as long as I make up the time) it means I can have a weekend at home and be collected/dropped at the airport by HP.

The new times are abominable. The flight now leaves Ancona at 15:15 (good) but arrives at Stansted at 16:30 (bad). This means HP can’t pick me up and if she could she’d have to battle the rush hour traffic on the A14 and M11. The return flight leaves at 11.15 (not too bad) except on Sundays when it goes at 6.55 in the morning (arse). So now, to have a weekend at home I have to miss a day and a half of work and have to get a taxi to and from Stansted. Bollocks!

Looks like Forli or Roma from now on. Both are about 2.5 hours drive from here but I can live with that.