After my slightly cheesed off earlier post from Krakow, I am pleased to advise that while the bank problem remains unfixed, the soothing balm of the Adriatic has left me in a somewhat milder mood!
I am currently on a bus to Split, from where I will hop on a ferry to Hvar for 4 lazy lazy days, before ending in Dubrovnik next Monday. Hallelujah holidays!
Since Krakow we have; taken an entertaining, sleepless night train to Vienna, stayed in a hostel that stunk of rotting cabbage, rowed across Lake Bled in the Julian Alps (stunning!), watched the sunset in a village near Zadar while listening to music and looking at the sea, taken frenzied morning trips to the chemist (don't ask-it involves tummy bugs) and stuffed ourselves full of seafood a la Croatia. Needless to say, the girls and I are chilled. Or chilledski even?
I am breaking my own self imposed rule here by offering purely a narrative account, analysis free. Ah well - perhaps that's part of being truly relaxed - the not being too bothered, that is.
I am yet to decide whether the advent of the blackberry is a curse or a blessing for holidays. Downside - I can see what is going on at work all the time, Upside - I won't have too many emails to return to when I, shudder, return to work. The other thing is that it is remarkably handy to be able to google things to prove yourself right (or occasionally wrong!) when ensconsed in a dinner-time debate. The GPS is also useful (if not entirely understood by it's owner and her companions) and provides the light entertainment of watching onself represented as a red dot, aimlessly circling the strasses and platzs of Vienna, for example. Anyway, we shall see if I can bite the bullet and reduce the use of this wee device for this last week of sun, sun, sun.
Ok - I am nodding off - all that Electric Elephanting has made me weary. The ipod and travel snacks beckon, as does a nap with the practically obligatory open mouth and chin dribble. Mmmm. Glamourous.
Ciao.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Saturday, August 16, 2008
A Test
If I said that the past three months of blogger silence was a test to you, my loyal readership, would you believe me? I doubt it.
I can't diagnose the malady that has prevented me from writing. I've thought about writing and have just not really had anything to say. The advent of the facebook status removes the need for any minor, pressing issues to be blogged & the British summer and the need to make the most of the long days has reduced my (already finite) spare time. Anyway. I now have something to say - I am on holiday.
I am with Ellie and Claudia in Krakow. We are on the first full day of an 18 day day Central European odyssey. Monday night we catch a train to Vienna, then on to Ljubjana & Bled in Slovenia, then to Croatia for a week of beaches and not much else.
First point of note is that last night, I slept under a hammer & sickle flag, in the 'Lenin Room' of the Elephant on the Moon hostel. (It's lovely, super clean, cheap - and as I type this a mouth watering Polish breakfast awaits....mmmmm).
Second point of note is that by mutual agreement, all three of us left warm clothes at home. This is because were were convinced that the weather was going to be so sunny that we wouldn't need anything knitted or fleecy. The upshot of all that is, it's raining. And chilly. So today we may go to the underground salt mines about 90 minutes from here, as apparently that's the best thing to do in such natty weather.
In fact, it hasn't been quite the start to the holiday we imagined. As we sat eating Polishified Georgian food last night in the Old Town, watching rain that was positively torrential, I called my bank to ascertain why I was unable to access any money. 'Your card has been cloned' they informed me, 'And so we put a block on your card being used outside the UK.' 'Oh you did did you? Did you thnk about INFORMING me before you did this?' I replied, extremely cheesed off, 'It's ok', said the call centre man, 'We will allow you to access 100 pounds per day throughout your holiday.' Fortunately I am backpacking, and am not a more wealthy customer with designs upon antiques and art, otherwise this would be even less practical than it already is. To say I am cross is an understatement. The only thing my bank did to redeem themselves, was to credit my account with the 20 pounds, which in my fury I guesstimated would have been the cost of my phone call to the UK.
So, I am going to have to think quite carefully about how to access MY OWN MONEY throughout the holiday, and will be writing a terse letter when I get home. I can't believe they didn't call me before they put a stop on my card, particularly when, as a regular traveller, a cursory glance at the last 2 months statements would have suggested that I MIGHT NEED TO USE MY CARD OVERSEAS.
Right, rant over.
Krakow is a lovely city - Poland's most popular. A population that is Adelaide size-ish, but smooshed closer to the centre in the trademark apartment blocks of post-Soviet cities. We can't wait to do some stuff - I just wish I wasn't looking out the window, across this table full of delicious Polish breakfast food, to see drizzle. Yes, it is DRIZZLE. Not even proper rain. :-(
Right - o. The girls will sleep all day if I don't go and jump on them to wake them, so I think that's what I may do. The promise of ood always works a treat too. On all of us. :-)
Kepp an eye out - I may well blog a few times the next few weeks. Just because I can!
I can't diagnose the malady that has prevented me from writing. I've thought about writing and have just not really had anything to say. The advent of the facebook status removes the need for any minor, pressing issues to be blogged & the British summer and the need to make the most of the long days has reduced my (already finite) spare time. Anyway. I now have something to say - I am on holiday.
I am with Ellie and Claudia in Krakow. We are on the first full day of an 18 day day Central European odyssey. Monday night we catch a train to Vienna, then on to Ljubjana & Bled in Slovenia, then to Croatia for a week of beaches and not much else.
First point of note is that last night, I slept under a hammer & sickle flag, in the 'Lenin Room' of the Elephant on the Moon hostel. (It's lovely, super clean, cheap - and as I type this a mouth watering Polish breakfast awaits....mmmmm).
Second point of note is that by mutual agreement, all three of us left warm clothes at home. This is because were were convinced that the weather was going to be so sunny that we wouldn't need anything knitted or fleecy. The upshot of all that is, it's raining. And chilly. So today we may go to the underground salt mines about 90 minutes from here, as apparently that's the best thing to do in such natty weather.
In fact, it hasn't been quite the start to the holiday we imagined. As we sat eating Polishified Georgian food last night in the Old Town, watching rain that was positively torrential, I called my bank to ascertain why I was unable to access any money. 'Your card has been cloned' they informed me, 'And so we put a block on your card being used outside the UK.' 'Oh you did did you? Did you thnk about INFORMING me before you did this?' I replied, extremely cheesed off, 'It's ok', said the call centre man, 'We will allow you to access 100 pounds per day throughout your holiday.' Fortunately I am backpacking, and am not a more wealthy customer with designs upon antiques and art, otherwise this would be even less practical than it already is. To say I am cross is an understatement. The only thing my bank did to redeem themselves, was to credit my account with the 20 pounds, which in my fury I guesstimated would have been the cost of my phone call to the UK.
So, I am going to have to think quite carefully about how to access MY OWN MONEY throughout the holiday, and will be writing a terse letter when I get home. I can't believe they didn't call me before they put a stop on my card, particularly when, as a regular traveller, a cursory glance at the last 2 months statements would have suggested that I MIGHT NEED TO USE MY CARD OVERSEAS.
Right, rant over.
Krakow is a lovely city - Poland's most popular. A population that is Adelaide size-ish, but smooshed closer to the centre in the trademark apartment blocks of post-Soviet cities. We can't wait to do some stuff - I just wish I wasn't looking out the window, across this table full of delicious Polish breakfast food, to see drizzle. Yes, it is DRIZZLE. Not even proper rain. :-(
Right - o. The girls will sleep all day if I don't go and jump on them to wake them, so I think that's what I may do. The promise of ood always works a treat too. On all of us. :-)
Kepp an eye out - I may well blog a few times the next few weeks. Just because I can!
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