Saturday, January 17, 2004
ISTANBUL, Turkey - Erm, still here. Despite a steady flow of free beer and pastries and much mirth going on Travelators the wrong way (aren`t we monkeys!), it`s wearing a little thin! Must be obvious I suppose, from me having nothing better to do than writing to tell everyone that ... there`s nothing better to do.
Well, there is the Duty Free Bazaar downstairs, full of hookahs and glitzy belly-dancing gear. Posy very nearly bought herself a delightful green sequined tassly number, thought we might like it. She`s awesome - we`ve been putting the world to rights, talking about all the wonderful places that she`s been to, and that I want to visit! There was also a wonderful anecdote about a party at the Bonham Carters`s (yep, THE Bonham Carters`s) that she attended, involving Charles Kennedy and a wheelchair betwixt the canapes, but I think you have to be here to appreciate it...!
A pleasant way to pass the hours! This time yesterday, we were having a scrummy Greek meal in Horsham. But, um, I`m keeping fairly quiet about that round here ...
Well, there is the Duty Free Bazaar downstairs, full of hookahs and glitzy belly-dancing gear. Posy very nearly bought herself a delightful green sequined tassly number, thought we might like it. She`s awesome - we`ve been putting the world to rights, talking about all the wonderful places that she`s been to, and that I want to visit! There was also a wonderful anecdote about a party at the Bonham Carters`s (yep, THE Bonham Carters`s) that she attended, involving Charles Kennedy and a wheelchair betwixt the canapes, but I think you have to be here to appreciate it...!
A pleasant way to pass the hours! This time yesterday, we were having a scrummy Greek meal in Horsham. But, um, I`m keeping fairly quiet about that round here ...
ISTANBUL, Turkey - Ha ha! Am at Ataturk International Airport, the connecting flight to Delhi is delayed by at least seven hours, probably due to smog their end ... but I don`t care!
We happened to meet a lovely lady called Posy - retired, from Bucks - who is in the same boat, and managed to blag our way into the `Millennium Lounge`, where we`re partaking of the delights of the bar, all at Turkish Airlines` expense! Marvellous. We`re trading travellers` tales - seems she`s been all over the place, so that plus Turkish beer should make for an entertaining evening...
We happened to meet a lovely lady called Posy - retired, from Bucks - who is in the same boat, and managed to blag our way into the `Millennium Lounge`, where we`re partaking of the delights of the bar, all at Turkish Airlines` expense! Marvellous. We`re trading travellers` tales - seems she`s been all over the place, so that plus Turkish beer should make for an entertaining evening...
Friday, January 16, 2004
HORSHAM, West Sussex - It really is great down here. Jamesy gave me a grand tour of all the sights: there's the Causeway, the Royal & Sunalliance buildings, the Old Town Hall and the big wet ball on a stick sculpture, which was apparently inspired by some poem of local son Percy Bysshe Shelley.
And did you know that Horsham is one of only two towns in the country to be arranged round what they call a carfax, or circular-bit-in-the-middle? There's more to it than hailstones and car parks, that's for sure!
I've learned a lot tonight. I've eaten scrummy Greek food. I could almost be on holiday.
And did you know that Horsham is one of only two towns in the country to be arranged round what they call a carfax, or circular-bit-in-the-middle? There's more to it than hailstones and car parks, that's for sure!
I've learned a lot tonight. I've eaten scrummy Greek food. I could almost be on holiday.
Thursday, January 15, 2004
STAFFORD, The jewel of the north-west Midlands - Well, I've got my mozzie net packed, my anti-malarials are kicking in and I've got enough chlorine tablets to turn sheep dip into finest Evian. I'm all set for my epic journey tomorrow - to Horsham.
A bit of background. Horsham recently came to prominence when it featured in that Christmas bestseller that Santa may have popped in your stocking - "Crap Towns: The 50 Worst Places to Live in the UK". A little unfair, I thought (I know about these things, on account of living near Stoke). Naturally, as any prospective traveller would, I've read widely around the history, society and culture of my chosen destination, including such little-known classics as Wilfred Thesiger's lyrical meditation, "Desert, Marsh and Roundabouts: The World of West Sussex", Bill Bryson's more cock-a-snoop "Notes on a Multi-Storey Car Park" and Jan Morris's erudite "Horsham, and the Meaning of Nowhere", its metaphor spread thick like the concrete it describes.
My conclusion? It's not as bad as people make out, though you still shouldn't drink the water, nor rile the locals with your strange Midland ways. Did you know, that the biggest recorded hailstone in the UK weighed in at 142 grams and fell on Horsham on 5 September 1958? Dead interesting.
It's also got airports nearby, and Andrew and James both live there, so we thought it'd be a good place to hang out before we fly out to India on Saturday morning. Will keep you posted ...
A bit of background. Horsham recently came to prominence when it featured in that Christmas bestseller that Santa may have popped in your stocking - "Crap Towns: The 50 Worst Places to Live in the UK". A little unfair, I thought (I know about these things, on account of living near Stoke). Naturally, as any prospective traveller would, I've read widely around the history, society and culture of my chosen destination, including such little-known classics as Wilfred Thesiger's lyrical meditation, "Desert, Marsh and Roundabouts: The World of West Sussex", Bill Bryson's more cock-a-snoop "Notes on a Multi-Storey Car Park" and Jan Morris's erudite "Horsham, and the Meaning of Nowhere", its metaphor spread thick like the concrete it describes.
My conclusion? It's not as bad as people make out, though you still shouldn't drink the water, nor rile the locals with your strange Midland ways. Did you know, that the biggest recorded hailstone in the UK weighed in at 142 grams and fell on Horsham on 5 September 1958? Dead interesting.
It's also got airports nearby, and Andrew and James both live there, so we thought it'd be a good place to hang out before we fly out to India on Saturday morning. Will keep you posted ...
