by Leslie on June 10, 2009
This is an unashamed plug for a friend who runs a walking holidays company. Macs Adventures arrange hill walking tour and cycling holidays all over Europe. Being a bit of a hill walker myself this gets my interest.
However I first thought when looking at walking holidays - Why would I pay for someone to arrange this for me? I am the eternal student, in my head anyway, and I think about the cost of things. But on second thoughts I discovered that I am not so right in this.
For about the same price of doing it all myself, phoning dozens of Bed and Breakfasts and trying to get a reasonable price, having one that is the right distance from the last one - so that I get a good long walk during the day, and having a B&B that caters to hill walkers - well I begin to see the sense in having someone else do all this work for me.
For example, if you are walking the West Highland Way in Scotland, you have to sit down and work out how far you intend to walk each day and if there is a B&B at the point you want to stop. The other point is the rucksack. Why carry you own all day, when included in the holiday you can have someone ferry it to your next stop and all you have to carry is a reasonably light daypack. [click to continue…]
by Leslie on June 2, 2009
Getting a bit tired of paying way over the odds for weekends cottage rentals we decided to try a hostel last weekend. I managed to find Cnocnafeola a hostel in the Mourne Mountains on the internet. I wonder how we used to find places pre-internet, for so many things now I along with millions of others automatically turn on the computer to research any number of things.
I had forgotten the pleasures of staying in hostels. One of the great things is chatting to other people. One of the awful things about hostels is also other people, but more of that later. I always find it a bit difficult when I go walking somewhere I haven’t been before. It can be hard to know the best routes, on Friday evening I got talking with some guys who knew the area well and I got some great advice for starting points for some loops. The other great thing about this hostel was the maps and routes in every room. They have a folder with ten of the most walked routes in the area with full descriptions and maps, many others could take note of this it was a great help.
One of the first things to note is how much hostels have changed over the last 15 - 20 years. No more cleaning the hostel yourself in the morning. I used to always find this part a bit strange - you would pay whatever it was to stay over night, but on top of that everyone would have to clean part of the hostel in the morning, ah the 1980’s. [click to continue…]
by Leslie on May 28, 2009
Hopefully next week I will be back to adding some photos here and writing more often again. I had moved web hosting for this a few other sites on the same server. It was a job I thought might take a day… Oh I wish. Anyway it is all done, but the transfer of the files by the hosting company has stopped me being able to upload photos here. So next week I will re-install the script again and be able to add my photos.
Life has been very busy, work and a lot of stuff around our wedding. We were in Prague for a few days seeing people and deciding on some things for the wedding. We were only there for five days - that never makes for a relaxing visit - too many people to see and too little time. It is better when we have more time to relax into the visits.
This weekend we are off walking for a few days in the mourne mountains and I will be switching off the computer for the whole time - quite something for me. It often gets to a point that we have to escape the city for some time into the countryside. Both of us are just a bit too busy right now - work and study - when life get like that it is too easy to lose focus on the things that really matter.
Have a good weekend, and remember the sun tan lotion.
by Leslie on May 25, 2009
We were in Prague last weekend sorting out some of the details for our up-coming wedding, came away feeling like I should feel rested - but felt quite the opposite. We were there for 5 days, when there is so little time every meeting gets squashed in. I must say, for someone like me who likes their space it all become too much too quickly.
The photos are of a little town just outside of Prague called Pruhonice where we are having the wedding reception. It looks like it is a good choice - one that we made from the internet and then asking others to visit it and send us some photos. Now please relax these photos are not the place where the reception is being held, this is one of many thousand castles in the Czech Republic. [click to continue…]
by Leslie on May 10, 2009
My other half decided today that my old T shirts needed replaced and suggested with an iron will that I go with her shopping to find some that don’t look like I have been wearing them for ten years.
So off we went to Marks today in Liffey Valley. I picked up a few T shirts that will do me fine - we are heading to her home of Prague during the week, so I am sure she wanted me to be a bit more presentable - ah come on I think, they know me already.
I wandered over to have a look at the jackets, because I know I could do with something newer in that area also. Someone had already ripped off the Euro sign they stick over the sterling amount.
I like Marks exchange rate £79 = €120 - not bad eh? Cheating bastards.
It was my second time in Marks & Spencers this week, must be a record for someone who hates to shop. My Dad was over visiting and had wanted something - that changed as soon as he saw the Euro price, my God he said that is X amount cheaper in Glasgow.
I told him I don’t shop in Dublin unless I have no choice. So what do you do? I shop in other places, when I visit Glasgow, it is so much cheaper; last year we were in Canada and I shopped there and spent enough to do me for a year.
The t-shirts I bought today cost €30, whereas if I had driven to Belfast which I prefer, I would have paid £18.
Tesco have decided at last to cut its prices in the south, as there are too many like me who will no longer shop there preferring to shop in Sainsbury’s in Newry at much reduced costs, including the petrol. Tesco’s defence was sourcing in Ireland - Marks don’t have that excuse, all their over priced goods are own label.
And the biggest problem I think these shops will have going forward is not the price it is the resentment they have caused by ripping us off over and over. I hate whenever I end up in Tesco for whatever reason, Alde is fine. Marks is now heading that direction also.
And while I am on this rant, it is a pleasure to be served in the North of Ireland; the service is far superior to Dublin. It is remarkable in Dublin only when you have good service, which is rare.
by Leslie on April 26, 2009
I hardly ever consider getting the bus a feasible option. I used to get the bus quite often, but I discovered that it is much easier for me to walk around Dublin or what has become more normal, just grab a taxi.
Yesterday I got the bus for only the second time this year. My other half gets the bus quite often and tells me that it is a very easy way to get into the city.
Firstly I stoped using the car to get around Dublin a couple of years ago. It takes too long to start with and then the cost of parking - my last parking ticket in a city centre garage cost me €16 - friggen hell, and only for a few hours - in these times of recessions it is fairly obvious that there are a few things that are not coming down in price.
So that are my reasons for not using the car around the city, time it take, cost to park, and my general proximity to everything by foot or cycle.
But as I say the bus has never been high on my mode of transport - unlike the local train, the DART, the buses are NEVER on time. So it is pot luck on getting the bus. However my other half keeps telling me to walk around to the bus stop as the routes that pass where we live are many. It seems she has already discovered the point near our house where many of the routes converge.
If you are looking for the Dublin bus schedule follow this link - but don’t expect them to turn up on time.
by Leslie on April 8, 2009
Ah, Brian Cowen, bless his cotton socks - as an ex of mine used to say.
But really he waited around so long to get the top job, to be King of Ireland, head of all he can see - and it came tumbling down around his feet.
No wonder he is so angry - I walked passed him on the street before he was Ireland’s top man and he really wasn’t shouting at passers by or kicking cars - but the news reports now refer all too often to Brian Cowen angrily denounced.. Brian Cowen angrily defended…
He is so good at defending he is due a spot on the Irish team - well the belly might keep him out.
And what is the problem with his belly? Apart from being normal middle aged size there seams to be no reason to have the cops out defending his dignity - because seriously the man has no dignity the way he thinks it is still fine to make everyone else pay for his mistakes when he gave the tax breaks to all his pals.
But would I do anything different? Doubt it. “Hey Leslie would you throw me a few euro in the next budget.” Aye Sean what would be in it for me my pal?
But really all joking aside, I don’t want to see any physical harm to come to him, so a few words to the wise - what!!! Like the man is not wise already - €300,000 per year.
Firstly lose some weight
Next time you’re outside, walk for 20 or 30 minutes - then after a few months try going a bit faster. I know you don’t have time - but just remember you’re the King of Ireland they can all wait on you.
Stop eating the pies! No not even on weekends or when you feel like the world is collapsing around you and you need that little midnight snack after a few beers - say after me - no more pies.
Try counting to ten - now I know you have to speak, and speak quickly to drown out those gob shits on the other side - but no one has said you can’t count fast.
And lastly stop getting so angry it is a dam disgrace when the King cannot control his emotions.
Live well and long you have another three years of us baying for your blood. Long live the King.
by Leslie on April 5, 2009
cornea dystrophy - not a pretty face
If you are waiting on me getting back to you or feel like I am ignoring your emails, this is why. I have had problems with my eyes for the last year and i have had an operation on each eye to fix them. It has worked great on my right eye - however my left still causes problems from time to time.
I had never heard of cornea dystrophy before having the problem myself. What happens is the cornea get torn by my eye lid, it normally happens in the middle of the night so I get woken by the pain, and take my word for it it is very painful. Sometimes it heals quite quickly and others like just now a bit longer - a week or so.
If it continues to happen, well another operation again - which is not great and bloody painful for two days afterwards.
So forgive me if you are waiting on some response at present - I will get there this week sometime.
by Leslie on April 1, 2009
I thought I had a great plan of action to avoid the hassle of the paperwork in the Czech Republic re getting married in Prague. But the planning of the civil service in Ireland dashed that plan.
Neither of us are Irish, we live here and plan to get married in Prague in Sep. This is our second attempt, the last one ended in frustration - my frustration I must admit - between the incompetence of the British Embassy who did not forward the marriage papers I had paid for and the horrendous paperwork required by the Czechs.
So we decided a month or so ago to give it another go, to get over this hurdle as I see it - ah interesting thinking there Leslie.
I called the register of marriages in Dublin to be told that the first appointment they have is not until June - when the three month notice is added to that it takes us past the date for the church wedding in Prague - fun. So I was looking for sympathy when I was telling a friend about all this and I would have to be dealing with the Czech paperwork once again - I got no sympathy but instead a kick up my arse telling me to get on the phone around the rest of Ireland and find somewhere else.
Oh, he was so right. First phone call and I spoke to a very helpful lady who found us a date early in May and I heaved a sigh of relief.
I said to her “we live in Dublin”
“I’ll not hold that against you” she said
“We’re not Irish” me again
“We’ll not hold that against you either” ah she was a pleasure to talk to and she managed to reassure all my little control freak needs explaining to me the process here. My mood has lifted and I feel almost happy.
Anyway, why is there only one registry office in Dublin? Many other counties have two and none are as large as Dublin, seems a bit crazy to me - though it does push business out to other counties, maybe that is the point of it all.
I may start believing there could be a God if this all goes okay…
by Leslie on March 31, 2009
I read this interesting article in the Irish Times. At the end of the article I was left asking myself - Do Catholics Commit more crimes than Protestants? I see little evidence that this is true - it is easy to compare the crime rates between the UK and here - but hold on, there is massive under-recording of crime in Ireland, due to the differences in reporting.
But what about corruption? Are Catholic countries more corrupt? It does appears do.
The hypothesis behind this argument goes like this; the Catholic Church believes that sin is inherent in humans, therefore they have placed themselves as the forgiving big daddy, Catholics go to confession and are absolved of their “sin” and guilt. In summary Catholics can walk away from their “sins” and commit more without the restraining feelings of guilt.
Protestants apparently do not have this luxury; they must live with their guilt and “sins” - therefore their feeling stop them “sinning” again. (Though they may now be using counselling as a replacement for Priests)
The empirical evidence illustrates that Catholic countries are more corrupt, Spain, Italy, and Ireland. In the last twelve years of living in Ireland I have not seen one high profile minister resign from office due to their wrong doings or even just incompetence or mistakes. It does not happen in Ireland. With all the money spent on tribunals and committees to find the truth we have come no closer to convicting anyone of the certain theft by politicians, by way of bribes.
The ex-taoiseach Bertie Ahern stood in front of a tribunal telling his stories about cash he received from “friends” and his dealings with foreign exchange - no one believed him - but now I hear talk that he would be a great President for Ireland - how low can a country go. The idea that he should command the respect that Mary Robinson and Mary McAleese have is abhorrent to me.
I do not think that British politicians are angels, but I see them forced out of office and forced to resign when they have over stepped the mark - this does not happen in Ireland. In this country I do not hear backbench politicians speaking out again the greed of TD’s. In part this is due the censored inept news reporting by RTE, the national broadcaster, but also due to the TD’s being paid off with committee and junior minister posts that pay them more salary for keeping quiet and not rocking the boat.
Personally I do not think in general that Catholics commit more crimes, but I do think that Catholic Counties are more corrupt. What do you think?
This is an unashamed plug for a friend who runs a walking holidays company. Macs Adventures arrange hill walking tour and cycling holidays all over Europe. Being a bit of a hill walker myself this gets my interest.