Journal Entries
Because they’ll want to know how it really went down
Posted Aug 13, 2008
Woke up. Got out of bed. Dragged a comb across my head.
No, wait, that’s the start of a Beatles song…so: woke up. Around 5:30, cos I hadn’t packed the night before…so I got up extra early in order to pack, iron as necessary, and perform ablutions, and have time for breakfast. We made it out of the house by about 0715 and caught a train to London’s City Airport at 0725. The journey to City takes about 8 minutes, so we were there in plenty of time for our 0850 flight to Dusseldorf. The plane took off with Teutonic efficiency on the minute it was supposed to.
Landed at Dusseldorf and found the train station into the city centre. A bit of faffing about as it appears that the train station is being rebuilt at the moment, and only had one working ticket machine. Hmm…Teutonic efficiency starting to slip a little at the edges.
We arrived in Dusseldorf, where I immediately texted B’Elana and Sho. This proved to be a fairly fruitless strategy, as Bel had given the phone that I had her number for to her son, and Sho hardly ever checks her phone for texts. Nevertheless, we managed to locate the gang of h2g2ers, said hello/made introductions as appropriate, and after a bit more muddling about, we set off towards our hotels to check in and get rid of the luggage.
Having stood around outside the hotel waiting for the party to reassemble itself and have photos taken, we then headed towards the river, to find some lunch and, importantly, begin the process of consuming fermented vegetable products which is part and parcel of a h2g2 meet. As has been noted elsewhere, I was keen to sample authentic German delicacies and was thus directed to order leberkase from the menu. Hmm…interesting food. And you enjoy this, do you? 
For the unenlightened, leberkase is a kind of sausage-cum-paté that is sliced and fried, then served with a fried egg on top.
We were entertained by an Oompah band who showed up. Presumably they do that every Saturday…unless someone arranged it especially for the meet? Come on, own up now, who told them? 
There was drama too, as an elderly lady at the next table collapsed and an ambulance was called. Didn’t appear to be anything more serious than heat exhaustion, (to my trained medical eye! 
) but she was whisked off to hospital.
After that we meandered back through the town, stopping off on the way for a beer (or two) at a local brewery/pub. Eventually we made it to the big pointy building (technical term) and went up in the lift to the viewing platform some 260m above ground level, IIRC. We looked around in all directions, spotted some power stations and wind farms (HI and Hapi were ecstatic about this…the rest of us slightly bemused). Pictures of German townscape and countryside were duly taken. The lift down was an intimate affair, as a queue had formed, so the lift operator was testing the “Max. 19 persons” rule to destruction.
Contact had been made with the 
so we headed towards the pub in which he had ensconced himself, and had 
according to taste and inclination. HI’s icecream confection was called a Himbeer Queen. This led to a spontaneous conversation about 2legs. At around this point, Roymondo (I still can't get used to calling him Socket) texted "nipples!" to me, so we responded with Tentacles! Then we tried to predictively text tentacles in various different languages. Hey, the crazy things we get up to on h2g2 meets, eh?
The final locale of the meet was a steak bar. I ordered fajitas, and was thus provided with a paper bib to catch all the splashes I was bound to make whilst eating them. Needless to say, I didn’t make one – Germans must be such messy eaters! The fermented vegetable product continued to flow (quite literally when Sho got up to leave, sending my flying. B’Elana had had to leave earlier, and when Sho left the party started to wind down. Trillian’s Child, HI and myself wended our way back to our hotels (not terribly distant from each other) and arranged to meet for breakfast at 9am.
(Next morning)
At around 10 to 9 we awoke, and hurriedly arranged ourselves into a presentable format. TC was just heading in through the door as we arrived downstairs, and we enjoyed a typical continental breakfast of bread with cheese, salami and ham.
We said our goodbyes then, and were left with the prospect of entertaining ourselves on a rainy Sunday morning in Dusseldorf, as our train wasn’t due to leave until 1430. Hey, I like a challenge! In the end, we went back to the cafés along the river bank and sat there drinking coffee and doing the Saturday Times crossword, which we had had the foresight to bring with us. We then went back to the station and caught our train to Bruges, which formed the next part of our whistlestop European tour.
RF
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Latest reply: Aug 13, 2008
Cornwall
Posted May 13, 2008
I just got home from a mini-break in Cornwall. Travelled down on Friday, arrived at the cottage mid-afternoon. The weather was cloudy and cool, but the BBC had promised me sunshine and warmth for Saturday! On Friday night we explored the area and had dinner in the local pub - fish & chips and other pub food, washed down with a few pints of Tinner's, the local beer.
On Saturday we planned a long walk. Unfortunately(!) I had injured my foot, so the rest of the gang set off on a hike, leaving me alone in the pub with the Saturday paper.
On their return 3 hours later, we got some pasties, stocked up on food in the local supermarket, then went home.
The fog and general overcastness hadn't lifted all day, so we ritually cursed the Beeb and their inability to forecast their way out of a paper bag.
The evening dinner had been pre-booked at The Beach, the restaurant on...er...the beach. A review of this establishment will (hopefully) be included in a future edition of 
.
On Sunday, we walked down to Land's End - around 2 miles away from where we were staying. This day *was* hot and sunny, and we were looking forward to refreshment when we got to Land's End...to find that the only licensed premise there was closed for a wedding. Presumably the wedding had happened the day before, but the guests were too hung over to leave? Or something? We made do with cups of tea, and walked back along the cliff path.
On reaching the beach we were staying near, we popped into The Beach again for a light whistle-wetter (cold Doom Bar this time) before going back to the cottage. Evening dinner was a pasta style dish - I managed to cook a vegetarian dinner for the "V"s among us, then added some fried bacon to meat it up for us carnivores!
On Monday, another hot sunny day, we took a bus trip out to see the Minack Theatre http://www.minack.com/ - sadly we were too early in the season for an actual production, but it's a fascinating place nonetheless. We found a pub in Porthcurno and had lunch there, before catching the bus back.
In the afternoon, we got into our swimming gear and went swimming off the North Cornwall coast. This is, for those with a flimsy grasp of geography, the Atlantic Ocean. It was 
cold! Most of the other people in the water were surfers, who had the benefit of a wetsuit, at least!
We'd bought some scones the day before, so we sat around in the afternoon sun having a well-deserved home-made Cornish cream . This involves (i) , (ii) scones, (iii) clotted cream, (iv) raspberry jam (in this instance). You combine them in any order that you find feasible (hint: the cream goes on the scone, not in the ).
Dinner on Monday evening was barbecued sausages and salad, using a disposable barbecue. I was nominally in charge of the barbecuing (Step 1: light match. Step 2: light paper. Step 3: leave for 20 minutes. Step 4: place sausages on barbie. Step 5: turn them after 15 minutes). I'll be the first to admit that it's not 
science. It's not even salad. As the cottage garden was rich in rosemary bushes, I chucked a few sprigs onto the flames to try and add some flavour. It smelled nice, but made no discernible difference to the sausages that I could...er...discern.
On Tuesday, I was placed carefully on a train to Paddington, leaving the remaining crew to enjoy the cottage until Friday. HI wanted to tie a tag around my neck saying "please look after this bear" but I refused.
And that was it. I returned here, slightly sunburnt, with a shoulder-bag full of dirty clothes, and the joy of a day at work to look forward to in the morning! 
RF
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Latest reply: May 13, 2008
The Voyage Home
Posted Jun 19, 2007
When I left you last, I was about to go to an AFL game…that’s the one with “no rules” according to outsiders, and “heaps of shit we’re not allowed to do any more” according to the players. Anyway, the people dressed as butchers no longer dress as butchers, and I managed to pick up the rules along the way as well…they’re not so difficult. I had my pie at half-time, and survived that, too. The game itself was quite exciting: the Blues went ahead, then the Doggies (who we supported) caught up and overhauled them by 20 points (it’s a high-scoring game) before the Blues rallied and managed to stay ahead until the end…’twas a close-run thing though, and well worth the admission. Note to people who watch feetball in the UK: the tickets cost AU$19.70, or about £8.50.
After that, I spent an evening in a hotel near Melbourne Airport, before catching a 7am flight up to Cairns. A 3 hour flight later I was in Cairns and finding a bus to my resort, Palm Cove. There in time for lunch, and the weather was warm and sunny. “This is great!” Thought I.
I booked to go on the skyrail http://www.skyrail.com.au the next day, which is a 5 mile cable car through the rainforest, and really 
. Luncheoned at Kuranda, then got the scenic rail home.
For much of the rest of my stay in Palm Cove the weather, whilst warm, was cloudy, so no sunbathing…just sitting poolside and relaxing. On my final night I went to my favourite restaurant, NuNu, and was there befriended by folk at the next table so we had a good night all together.
I flew back to Melbourne on Friday and caught a train up to Castlemaine for my last weekend. Over the weekend I went out for a wine-tasting event and also had a big, final party on the Sunday night, which was also enlivened by the arrival from ACT of my brother’s sister-in-law her and fiancé…so a big family dinner gathering was held.
On Monday, my brother drove me down to Melbourne Airport for the trip home. Should be easy, I’d left loads of time for my connection at Sydney…
WRONG.
The 1115 that I’d booked on Virgin Blue was cancelled. The next available flight to Sydney was at 1415, landing 1535. But this was a domestic flight, and I then needed to get on the international Qantas flight to Heathrow at 1700! I went to the Qantas desk at Melbourne, and they were able to alert Sydney of my quandary…
Got off the plane at Sydney (they’d helpfully placed me in row 2 so I’d be out of the plane quickly), got my suitcase off the carousel, then hotfooted it over to the Qantas domestic terminal to check in – they’d told me at Melbourne I’d be able to do this – and made the check-in deadline with a minute to spare! Then had to make my way to the international terminal, and arrived at the gate just as they were about to close it! So, a bit skin-of-the-teeth-ness!
The flight back was full on both legs, so no room to spread out and get any proper sleep. I arrived at Heathrow at 0700 and then had to battle my way home through rush-hour crowds on the Tube, and got home by about 0915…all set to start work for the day!
RF
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Latest reply: Jun 19, 2007
Australia Diary
Posted Jun 1, 2007
So, here I am in Australia. Landed in Sydney before dawn on an autumn morning, and watched the sun rise. Day 1: spent relaxing in Sydney, went up to The Rocks, bought some opal earrings for HI. Then out to dinner at The Summit, a revolving 47th-floor restaurant at the top (well, duh! ) of one of Sydney’s tall towers.
Next day: I went on a climb of Sydney Harbour Bridge. This is an organised excursion, where they fit you out in climbing gear, and take you up one side of the bridge, across the top, and then down the other side – so that you end up on the same side of the bridge as you left from. All in all, a 3 ½ hour trip, including getting into and out of your kit. The views from the top – and indeed, on the way up and down – are, needless to say, spectacular. At one stage there’s a walkway made of metal mesh: if you look down between your feet, you can see...the harbour (and nothing else in between)! Not for those with a fear of heights. It was a brilliant blue day when I made the climb – bright sunshine and no clouds, so I could see for miles and miles – to the blue mountains in one direction, and New Zealand in another (OK, not quite! ) It was pretty breezy at the top of the bridge, and quite chilly too – so you’re glad of the fleece that you’re equipped with at the bottom when you’re kitted up and don’t think you’ll be needing!
Next day, flew into Melbourne to be met by my sister-in-law, then drove up to Castlemaine to see my brother and his family. Now I’m having a relaxing time staying with them, and going out to see the sights in Melbourne and the surrounding Victoria countryside. I’ve been down to Melbourne a couple of times – sampling the fine dining experiences in some of Melbourne’s top restaurants, as well as visiting Bendigo and Dalesford.
On Tuesday, the weather changed, and from being sunny with blue skies, a front has swept in over Victoria bringing much-needed rain to the state, which is suffering from a 10-year drought. Since then it’s been much colder (it’s nearly winter here) and as it’s up in the mountains, frosts and even snow aren’t uncommon. Melbourne has been living up to its nickname of “the rainy city”.
At the weekend, I’m going to watch an AFL game. My brother, who has lived in Australia for 12 years now, is going to attempt to explain the rules to me, but he’s a bit hazy about some of them himself, so...it should be an experience! Apparently the eating of something called a “four’n’twenty pie” is an integral part of the game.
That's about it for now...
RF
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Latest reply: Jun 1, 2007
Off soon...
Posted May 18, 2007
I'm flying to Australia tomorrow. Woohoo! So (needless to say) probably wont be around h2g2 much over the coming weeks. Try not to miss me too much!
And *NO* Myspace parties in my PS, d'you hear?
RF
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Latest reply: May 18, 2007
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