Talented Hyperactive Amateur

Chris introduced me to Lasse Gjertsen's video Amateur which is a fantastic piece of video editing and a great track besides. Has to be seen!

"I can neither play the drums nor the piano."

If you like this one, you might enjoy his original video Hyperactive which is pretty funny!

November Passion

I was excited to see that my mum's been writing more nature-inspired poetry, this time a November Passion. A vivid and affecting picture of Christ's death...all the more poignant because we know that spring will come!

Kanji from a Gaijin

I've been enjoying reading my brother's reflections on Japanese life and culture as seen by a gaijin and his thoughts on the Japanese language. If you're confused about the various Japanese alphabets read his excellent explanation of kanji.

7 go to Scotland

No, I haven't broken down again...

...this is our picnic spot!




Has his guitar shrunk?

"Beyond explanation"

Storming the castle?

Hmmm...



First stop.. the coffee shop!

It's moving!

Boat ride

Are you sure that's the right button, Seymour?

Falkirk Wheel

Going up...

And up...

And up...

And up.


Emerging from the tunnel at the top, it's back to the wheel for the trip down.

This aqueduct feels like you're sailing off the edge of the world.

It just stops!

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Falkirk Trip 2

It's morning in Stirling and we awake to a thick cover of mist


Stirling Youth Hostel



This mysterious and dramatic graveyard felt like a set in The Lord of the Rings:


Waterfall walk



We stop for a graceful picnic in the middle of a village...:-)

Real-time train map

This site shows a live train map for particular stations in the UK.

It's a very clever google maps mashup, with data on train position and speed being pulled from the National Rail network. The trains move in real-time! Very cool.

Maps are cool

I've recently been enjoying some of the delights of Google Maps & Google Earth via the strange discoveries of the community at Google Sightseeing, whose tagline goes 'Why bother seeing the world for real?'

Highlights include:
- the Interdimensional Portal in the town of Dronten in the Netherlands - one of many it seems!
- the longest conveyor belt in the world in Western Sahara
- the Gun lake
and best of all, the Giant Alien Bug!

Brilliant!

I also discovered that although Google maps has not been updated with high-res pictures of Durham, Microsoft's 'Live Local' shows the white house very clearly!

Credit card fun

I'm probably the last person on the Internet to come across the 'The Credit Card Prank' and the ensuing Visa-related silliness, but they literally made me cry with laughter. It's the author's tone more than anything, but the transcripts of the conversations with the Visa company are completely hilarious as well. Definitely my kind of humour!

They reminded me of Johnny's Facade's adventures with Powergen last year (although sadly I can't find it). Maybe this will give him further ideas!

Hungarian Folk Dancing in Budapest

It's dark, but you get the idea!

Caving in Budapest

Pictures from Budapest

I thought this scary bloke on his scary horse was excellent. No better pictures sadly. Look for him in Heroes Square.

Trip to the zoo


We were very amused to come across these two giant tortoises...
(there's even a video somewhere!)
- and what's that strange and scrawny bird?


Széchenyi Thermal Baths - the best swimming pool ever!

But it completely knackers us...

I wake him up for an expedition across the park...to find some Hungarian Folk Dancing!
(video to follow)

Canoeing in Cesky Krumlov

Not really pulling his weight at this point... :-)

Our crazy Dutch friends


It was soon after this that my camera got a little wet... and therefore there are no more pictures until Budapest!

Pictures from Prague

Waking up on the night train from Krakow





Wenceslas - one of them, anyway!



Czech beer proved a -cheap- favourite!

We were really pleased to come across Yves Arthus-Bertrand's famous 'Earth from the Air' exhibition. It's a spectacular set of photos and well worth a trip to see if it comes to a city near you.

The scary washboard man (see the video ) also played it with whisks.


I liked their pretty blue uniforms!


St Vitus' Cathedral


The spires were one of my favourite things about Prague:

Gorgeous at dusk


The sun setting in gorgeous fashion behind the Castle held us captive for a good few minutes!




Frescoes in St Nicholas'
When we spotted the leg dangling above us we were alerted that perhaps the figures weren't the only things 'painted on'. The overall effect was impressive!


The Jewish Quarter is well worth a return visit.