Travel Diary. Previous Visits.

A quick reference of my previous holidays featuring my own star ratings and picking out my best and worse moments from these trips.
The picture here is of Siena in Tuscany, which is the scene of the famous Palio horse racing that takes place amongst 17 local villages. The rivalry is intense as all the towns folk and children work intensely throughout the year with only one thing on their minds, winning.
It is my dream to spend a week here following the build up and race. To lose is to bring shame onto their own village.Horses blessed in church!
Amsterdam *** Good-Rijks and Van Gogh museums. The people. Bad-Drugs.Addicts.Crime.
Barcelona **** Good-Gaudi Designs.Walks.Las Ramblas. Bad-Pickpockets.
Lisbon *** Good-Easy to walk.Nice buildings.Sintra Town . Bad-Begging
Rome **** Good-Forum,Colliseum.Vatican City. Food. Bad-Tourists everywhere.
Tuscany ***** Good-Florence,Sienna,San gimigano,Lucca Bad-Need a car
Naples **** Good-Vesuvius,Pompeii,Herculaneum Bad-Traffic is a nightmare. Dog turds,yuk!
Tunisia * Good-Camels .Plane back Bad-Rude locals. Trains. Women treated as dogs.
Paris ** Good-Excellent to walk. Galleries. Bad-Dirty streets. Saw a stabbing at the station.
USA **** Good-Friendly people.great parks,good food Bad-Shootings.Cult fanatics
Malta ** Good-Valetta Harbour.Gozo. Bad-Can easily get bored after one visit.No sand on beach
Cyprus ** Good-Nicosia.Fresh fish meals. Bad-Taxis driven with no speedos.Too many Brits!
Benidorm *Good-Weather,beaches. Bad-Built for tourists, little historic value. Boom over.

Travel Diary. Pompeii and Vesuvius.

A short train journey from Napoli has brought me to Pompei on a scorching hot day to walk amongst the streets of 79 AD, and I don't think that I have ever seen anything so impressive.
I am walking down a street with shops either side, tracks of cartwheels ground into the stone roads, graffiti on the walls, and into a courtyard leading into someones home. The walls have the remains of red plaster that is adorned by pictures of servants carrying pots , and delicate patterned borders. Huge pots used for grain storage are buried into the ground. Further in and a huge stone bath appears with wall fittings to store the towels, and toilets. Out into the street, through the brothels, and there at the end is a magnificent stadia for entertainment with gladiatorial events. This was a real golden age for the merchants and noblemen that could afford this rich lifestyle. I also wonder if we have really advanced that much in our present day?
This site is huge, after four hours I am really finding the heat unbearable, and whereas you can find a breeze at some point in Naples to cool off, the walls here are sheltered.
On to Vesuvius by minibus. The driver thinks it's cool to look at his mobile phone whilst driving up the mountains winding roads, and cheers up when another driver pulls alongside and passes him a beer. He tells us we have only 1800 metres to climb to reach the peak which sounds good but it is one hell of a vertical climb. The crater is 80metres across and very impressive. From this point you can look down onto Naples, Sorrento and see the lava flows towards Pompeii. You sense that when it erupts again, and it is over-due, Naples could be doomed.( The last eruption was 1944 killing 20,000)

Travel Diary. Naples.

My first impression of Naples is one of chaos and anarchy. This is raw Italy. Cars rule.
This is a busy seaport used for cargo and ferries to capri. Local fishermen bring in their catches of fish, octopus and shellfish to be bought on the quayside by local traders. There is no beach, so the rocks of the sea barriers are used for sun bathers and swimmers. The evenings serve up an explosion of street traders selling everything from leather to phones, fruit to fake Armani.
To understand the Neopolitans you need to look into the history, the politics, and the location into further depth. Naples is a City that is over-populated and the people need to make a living in anyway that they can. I felt a real tension to survive exists here out on the streets.
( There is a strong under-current of a black market economy in a country run by a Prime Minister who owns several TV stations, glossy weekly mags, not forgetting A.C.Milan football club, the peoples reaction is to avoid paying tax at all costs.)
There are poor areas of the city, but surprisingly, few beggars. I was warned by an Italian friend to check my life insurance, and not to wear a watch, when I asked for advice. I am on my guard, but I do not feel threatened. I am aware that whatever I do, I am annoying someone. Whether trying to cross the road, asking for a train ticket, buying food, I do not see a friendly face staring back. After a while you expect this and adapt to become more assertive. Now this city is in my blood and my adrenaline is pumping, it has become exciting . There is a belief with the people that they are overlooked everywhere by a strong protective " Mother " that brings them hope, prosperity, and fertility, but make her angry and she will seek her revenge. And they are right, because wherever you are Naples you are aware of the outstretched arms of the "Mother" - Vesuvius.

A Touch Of The Country. Enfield.

One of my favourite early morning walks is along the Enfield Loop, which was designed to supply water into London , but has since become partially built over as other sources were found. It is now only a partial loop, but the open stretches are a real wildlife santuary. These geese are part of a huge flock that I have seen grow into around sixty in number in the Park , which is alongside the golf course and close to the town centre.
Todays visit was slightly marred by the open park fields being full of scattered rubbish left by the previous days sunbathers, or by foxes ripping open rubbish bags that were not cleared by the park staff.

Congestion Charge. My view.

Londons Mayor Ken Livingstone has this week talked about new changes to the way that the now famous C charge will bring in extra revenue to fund local transport. Firstly, the area will widen to take in the West London, Kensington district. Secondly, we are to have a vehicle emmision tax for all the gas guzzlers with high pollution levels. i.e. the 4x4 jeeps. This could be as high as £25 per day to enter the charge area.
My view is this. I bring into the area a converted vehicle that runs on LPG gas and is totally exempt from the charge, but not being a selfish guy, I think it is unfair that anyone living in the areas should pay any charge at all, there is a reduction ,but with so many other parking restrictions to face, including permits to park outside your own home, enough is enough.
I also see the school run of mothers in their 4x4's blocking up the streets of Hampstead each afternoon and mornings. I believe they have the right to drive these, most of them feel they are safer for the kids if there is an accident. But facts are that anyone they hit with the high fronts would be a lot worse off. The Mayor would be better off taking a professional approach and educating people about the problems that these vehicles create.
If I was Mayor I would bring in a vehicle width tax instead, so in ten years all cars would fit neatly in the parking bays and create more space on the roads for overtaking.

The Sultans Elephant in London.

A real unexpected treat for all Londoners and visitors arrived in May, as the French Theatrical ensemble brought us this massive,"walking" elephant. Worked by a few dozen operators pulling levers to operate the hydraulics, it happily moved from Horseguards Parade, where it "slept" overnight, and up through Piccadilly where it stopped for lunch and a refill of water.
The look on the watching childrens faces was precious, even when the trunk launched a real downful of water at them.

Sunday. London sleeps.

If ever you are lost for something to do on a Sunday morning that's not gonna cost you a fortune, here's my tip for a trip!
Hyde Park, early. Walk towards the Serpentine Lake, sit outside the Cafe with a cappucino and laugh at the tradition of the swimming club there whose members swim around even if the temperature is freezing. Feel proud that as much as you love to swim, your brain is tuned to be sensible and not perverse. Take a walk around the Princess Dianas Memorial ,which is a clever design of running water around fancy concrete that is designed by people who were not clever enough to realise that she would rather have given money to children, just dumb.
Leave swiftly and head towards the Wellington Arch roundabout at the bottom of Park lane. Amuse yourself by seeing that the crossing point has the green light for people,bikes and horses when it's safe to cross. On the roundabout is a series of monuments remembering the fallen of the world wars and other Empire battles. The Royal Artillary bronze sculptures of soldiers is staggering in detail. The Australian wall of rememberance is quite modern and has a cascade of water running over the top of the marble. At the opposite end is a fine bronze of a young man with the cutest rear end in London, somewhat seeming out of place. Head through the big arch, cross the road and see the new burning monuments to the dead of the commonwealth. A slow walk brings you to the Canadian memorial which has carved maple leafs in marble with water flowing over the surface. Just before Buckingham Palace view the Canada gates. If you have arrived before 11.30 am, you are just in time to see the changing of the Queens guards. Soldiers marching with a brass band head towards the Palace and swop with the old guard. Sounds dull but tradition has its place. Remember that the traffic is diverted to make way for thousands of visitors with their cameras trying to get a good shot. It's a good people only thing.
Through the beautiful adjacent park, get a good look at the Pelicans and the manic peanut seeking squirrels, and check out Horseguards Parade. Take time to feel sorry for the horse guys as they become engulfed by people irritating them ,and the horses ,to get a photo alongside.
Next up is Trafalgar Square. Nelson's Column is under refurb at this time, leading me to wonder how they got the scaffolding up! This is Londons main meeting and event venue. Thanks to the Mayor, there is usually something good going on free!
Beleive me when I say that London sleeps on Sundays and the people take it over.

The London Bombings 1st Anniversary.

I was heading into the West End along Edgware Road when the radio was full of reports of what was first thought of as some kind of mechanical explosion on the underground tube network. Within the next hour reports from the police became clearer, especially after the bus at Tavistock Square exploded. My mobile phone started to receive calls from my office, family and friends asking if i was ok. I was lucky enough to be able to turn the car around and head right out of the area and spent the evening watching Sky News as the carnage unrolled.
The following week was full of stories of imense bravery and courage as people told their stories.
I was at work when two minutes silence was observed one week later. This emotional time will always be remembered by me because the traffic stopping in Regent Street, bus drivers and the passengers standing with all the shop and office staff out on the pavement, in silence. At this time I thought that these people who lost their lives or badly injured, were just going to work to do what we all do, to earn the money, to pay the bills ,to aim for a better life.
One year on, I guess that London will never be the same. The sense of being under attack will haunt all of us, but we will remember the people who saved life as well as those that had fallen.