Little Miss Fidget

I am Sher-locked!

2012-01-17T09:13:00.000-08:00

Review and personal opinions on the BBC 1 contemporary crime drama based on Sir Arthur Conan Dole’s Sherlock Holmes mysteries.

Opening titles

I first became aware of the Sherlock Holmes series when my husband mentioned it to me. He had been so impressed by the Guy Richie movie produced in 2009 that I believe this was what aroused his interest in the Sherlock TV series. Up until that moment Jeremy Brett had held a special place in my heart for the role of Sherlock Holmes, he still does in some way as I feel Benedict Cumberbatch’s modern depiction cannot be compared with the Victorian, older portrayal that Brett had of him.

The Sherlock series is a more fast-paced approach to the Conan-Doyle stories, with a perfectly chosen score to accompany it. It’s fantastic to see little elements from the novels, or certain items and ideas from older televised versions of Sherlock Holmes crossed over or altered to set a contemporary feel. For example, John Watson writes a blog not journals, Sherlock travels around in black modern day taxi cabs, the bullet holes in the wall resemble a smiley face as opposed to the initials of the current monarch and there is no longer a scandal in Bohemia but in Belgravia. These are just a few to mention.

Sherlock shooting a smiley face into the wall of 221b Baker Street

Why am I obsessed with Sherlock? Simply because it achieves what I believe makes a good story and that is a fabulous confrontation scene between hero and villain. I‘m glad the series brought Moriaty in when they did and presented us with more of his character as the series went along. At first I have to admit I felt a little disappointed when we were first introduced to him at the swimming pool. Since then he grew on me, the more I saw of him the more he fulfilled the role of a mad, evil genius perfectly.

The confrontation between Sherlock and Moriaty occurs several times, but the juiciest ones being at 221b Baker Street, the swimming pool and on St Bartholomew Hospital’s rooftop. It wasn’t over saturated and the conversations between hero and villain are perfect. The cliches worked because they were meant to sound cliche and were superbly acted out by the characters.

Jim Moriaty (left) with Sherlock (right)

“Jim Moriarty: Is that a British Army Browning L9A1 in your pocket, or are you just pleased to see me?
Sherlock Holmes: [Draws the gun, points it at Moriarty] Both.”

Such lines as the following made the whole thing stunning to watch.

“Jim Moriaty: Sherlock, your big brother and all the King's horses couldn't make me do a thing I didn't want to.
Sherlock Holmes: Yes, but I'm not my brother, remember? I am you. Prepared to do anything. Prepared to burn. Prepared to do what ordinary people won't do. You want me to shake hands with you in hell? I shall not disappoint you.”

I notice that there are several tumblr blogs and fansites that are dedicated to Sherlock, many owners claiming their undying love for Benedict Cumberbatch (who plays Sherlock). I am always amused when I see such things for I believe they have fallen in love with his role, the fictional character of Sherlock Holmes as opposed to his own for which we barely get a glimpse of.

BBC1’s Sherlock is currently on iplayer. Watch it if you haven’t before it’s pulled down. You won’t be disappointed.

As for word on another series - of course there will be one, it was commissioned at the same time as series two.

Links:

BBC:
BBC iplayer
Sherlock BBC Website
Sherlock’s Science of Deduction Website
John Watson’s Blog

Tumblr Blogs:
Sherlock (BBC)
Because You’re An Idiot
Addicted to Sherlock
F* Yeah Sherlock

Cornwall - Tintagel

2011-05-01T11:26:00.000-07:00

During the week prior to the Easter holiday I spent a week in the small Cornish village of Tintagel (2010). Tintagel village and its castle has long been associated with legends and myths surrounding King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table. Using the cottages4you online service we were able to book a house for a week. "We" meaning my boyfriend and I, as well as his parents. I had been looking forward to this holiday for quite a while.

It was a six hour drive from my flat in London and we only stopped once. After a completely tiring drive we found our destination, a little house called Hazeldene, which would be our home for the week. After arriving and unpacking our belongings we decided a night in would do us all the world of good. We sampled the local fish and chips, something Rob's (my boyfriend's) father always does on the first night of any holiday. The place was called "Uncle Jack's Cabin". I tried something on the menu that I had never ever seen before - a mushy pea fritter! It tasted pretty standard, basically what you would expect to find in a fritter of that description: mushy peas and batter. The taste was pretty bland which is a plus since the chips were horribly over fried that they looked like tree bark. Rob and his Dad thought it might have been a one-off experience and suggested sampling them again later on in the week. The visitor's book in our house recommended them highly so they might be right. Otherwise I'm left with the impression that it's the norm around here to eat chips like that. Anyway, enough of the chips. That was our first day over and done with.

Day two was more exciting. We left Tintagel at 10:30am and headed towards Boscastle Harbour. UK readers may probably remember the flash floods that ruined this small idyllic landscape in 2004. I bring good news though - it's recovered well! I loved the area and we spent the whole morning walking around and exploring. There were small cottages that reminded me of a Poirot or Miss Marple novel. Close by was also a museum of Witchcraft, yet it was closed and did not open until April 1st. I vowed to go back and visit, even if it did look tiny from the outside. We stayed and ate a Sunday carvery at a place called the Riverside Hotel. Not as great as the good ol' Crown carvery chain where you pile your plate full of whatever you want for 3.59. At this carvery you had a woman guarding the hot plate and serving the food so you didn't take more than you were entitled to even though it was advertised as all-you-can-eat outside. I managed to trade my meat with Rob for some extra roast potatoes, for that I was happy. Even though they had seasoned them with black pepper that had left an ever lasting taste in my mouth.

Pictures of Boscastle:

Stream

Next we drove to National Trust property "Lanhydrock". An old Jacobean house presented in a Victorian manner. This is because in 1881 there was a fire which caused immense damage to the property and due to the strict moral codes between servant & master, male & female and public & private quarters in Victorian times the house was restored so that every function had a room. It must be one of the best well-preserved houses I've ever seen. There were about fifty rooms which I walked through that day. There were extravagant rooms such as the Dining Room and a Billiard Room, yet I was much more fascinated by the Kitchen that was built like a medieval hall. It was my ultimate dream kitchen, except I'd prefer more modern facilities rather than the big old fireplace for cooking huge joints on. Not only the Kitchen amazed me but the Dairy too, what with a marble slab table in the middle with running water circling the outside. Servants would put puddings on the slab to keep them cool. Such a unique place and such an odd table as well!

The Kitchen

On our way back from Lanhydrock we stopped by at Jamaica Inn. An Inn made famous by Daphne Du Maurier's book of the same name. Over the years this Inn has succumbed to modernisation and even expanded its hotel space. This is probably mainly due to benefiting from the extra advertisement they received from appearing on Living TV's "Most Haunted". Attracting avid ghost hunters as well as fans of the book seems to have paid well over the years. Personally, I found the changes they have made very artificial. I was well aware I was in a pub, no matter how atmospheric they had tried to make it by hanging pots and pans from the ceiling. The motorway that you can clearly see from the car park lessens any atmosphere I may have felt, if any. It was somewhere where I would not venture again or would like to. I was very dissapointed with it and glad that we didn't stay long.

Jamaica Inn

Day two was bad weather. Like the previous day, it had started with no rain but then began to pelt down in the afternoon. We were meant to be driving along the coast today and exploring all the beaches along the way but plans were changed at the last minute and we only visited one port due to the weather. That port was Port Isaac. We relied on the good ol' sat nav to get us there - bad move! The shortest route isn't always the most sensible of choices. Especially in Cornwall with all the country roads! We traveled through a small place called Treknow and the road was so narrow that I was tenterhooks the whole way through. I also heard the car struggle up a hill and dreaded the journey back.

Port Isaac was nice and charming. It's also famous for being the filming location for Doc Martin on ITV1. I also got right up close to a gull. I can't even get that close to my pet budgies so I was really surprised and pleased at my photo opportunity. The harbour was cute as well, not quite up to Boscastle standards but nice all the same. We stopped for cream tea at noon. I don't care if you're meant to have it at 4pm like some idiot commented upon when we were dining. I've never experienced eating scones spread with clotted cream and jam. Again, it was another element of the holiday that reminded me of an Agatha Christie novel.

Port Isaac

Rain had started to fall whilst we were in the tearooms and so our plans for the day had to change. We traveled back to Tintagel and explored the famous old post office, another National Trust property. The post office was built around 1350 as a type of small-scale hall-house. It became the letter sorting office for the local area in the 1870s and closed in 1878. Funny how it should be so renown and such a tourist attraction when it only spent eight years (or less even) servicing the Royal Mail. Up until recently most National Trust properties have forbade the taking of photographs on their properties. Now they permit it in some attractions but restrict the use of flash. The woman was nice in the post office as she understood how dark it was in the house and permitted me to use flash. Therefore I have a few photos.

The north bedroom of The Old Post Office

On Day three the weather followed the same trend as it had been doing for the past couple of days; dreary and dull. We visited a charming fishing village called Polperro which boasts lovely Saxon and Roman bridges as well as a jumble of multi-coloured houses. The tide was out and there was a sinister cave in the beach. I did some exploring although I did not venture the whole length of the cave as it became too narrow. For lunch we dined in 'The Three Pilchards', a 15th century pub with a log fire that spat embers. I remembered the beams being rather low and every man that walked into the bar having to bend down so as to not knock their head. It seemed rather quaint and it was an enjoyable experience.

The sinister cave

Afterwards we ventured to Looe, a few miles along the coast from Polperro. It was a shame that the weather was not better since the pier (called 'Banjo Pier') was closed and the tide was beginning to come in because we arrived there late in the afternoon. We were lucky to get to some shops before they had closed. The sandy beach was beautiful but Rob and I found ourselves running for cover when it started to hail. I never really knew how much small balls of ice could sting a person's face - it was painful! Rob suggested that we find a place to drink a hot beverage to warm ourselves up and because we thoroughly enjoyed the cream tea from the day before I was eager to try out 'Miss Marple's' award winning tea rooms in the centre of Looe. Firstly, I have to give the lady on duty ten out of ten for customer service. She was very cheery and happy (a characteristic which I severly lack!) and what's more was that she was very quick at taking our order and serving the teas. For that I give her alot of credit. Not many places could keep up such a routine. Compared with the tea I was served the day before it was better service and there was more choice (you could chose from either fruit or plain scones.) The tea shop in Port Isaac gave us freshly cooked scones which made it the winner though.

Port Looe

On our journey back to the cottage we stopped off at Padstow as Rob's father wanted to see where Rick Stein's (the famous tv chef) restaurant was located. I had booked a table for his parents for Good Friday so it was good to see the location.

Padstow

Wednesday was a day of immense traveling. Altogether we must have spent over four hours in the car. We had plans but they changed and changed again. In the morning we decided to visit Antony, a National Trust property at Torpoint. The house is still used as a family home so entry into the house is timed and viewing is limited. Most rooms upstairs you couldn't walk into. I didn't mind looking but the fact of the matter was that most of the doors to the rooms hadn't been opened fully so I couldn't even see half the room. What with other visitors as well it was very troublesome. Antony has recently found fame due to it being used for filming in the Tim Burton film 'Alice in Wonderland'. They don't film much there, just the part where Alice goes to the engagement party but that hasn't stopped the owners from cashing in on the fact. They've installed a butterfly trail with certain exhibits like a figure of Alice, the caterpillar, the rabbit hole - I fell down this and my trousers got all muddy, a talking cheshire cat amongst others.

Front of Anthony House

For lunch we ate in the National Trust tea room - big mistake! Small choice, small portions, big price. We bought some soup and it was served to me in a teacup. I'd advise anyone else visiting to take packed lunch to avoid their mad hatter pricing policy.

After Antony it was a long, long, long, long drive to Coverack. It was labelled on the map as a 'pictureque village' and yes it was. That was all it was, it was so small and boring it's the sort of place you visit with a noose in hand. Shops were scarce as well as pubs and the beach was stony, not very nice at all. The only thing remotely interesting about the place was the thatch rooves of many of the cottages there, which is probably where the village gets its reputation of being picturesque. After only 30 minutes we got back into the car and drove to Falmouth to get something to eat.

Coverack

Falmouth looked gorgeous! It was a shame that we arrived past the closing time of the many shops in Falmouth because it would have been good to have gone shopping. There was a pub called the 'Quayseide Inn' that Rob chose to eat in. The best way to describe this pub is to say the name J.D.Wetherspoon as that's what type of pub it was: similar menu, atmosphere, the way you order, service etc. We knew what to expect. The food was ok, not brilliant but ok. They did a good deal - two meals for ten pounds. Once we'd eaten our meal tiredness had set in and we decided to head back to Tintagel.

Falmouth

Later in the week we managed to visit Tintagel castle. Mostly ruins of course and very windy. You learn from the video shown at the castle that it had very little to do with King Arthur. The actal castle was built by Richard, Earl of Cornwall in 1233. There were rumors that King Arthur was conceived in Tintagel, yet the Historia Regum Britanniae (The History of the Kings of Britain - a pseudohistorical account of British history, written c. 1136 by Geoffrey of Monmouth) nowhere claims that Arthur was born at Tintagel, or that he ever visited the place in later life, or that in any sense the stronghold became his property when he was king.

Tintagel Castle Ruins

Other destinations we visited included Newquay, which although it boasts a wonderful beach it didn't seem to do much else. Whenever I see amusement arcades with cranes, fruit machines and coin pushers it puts it on par with Blackpool. One of my most hated destinations in the entire world. I managed to get some nice shots of the beach and was amazed that there was so many mussels attached to rocks. They made such a brilliant capture on my camera. One thingI won't forget in a hurry is the secluded house on the mound. It just seemed so out of place. When I mentioned visiting Newquay to my parents the first thing they said to me was "Did you see the house? Why anyone would build a house there is beyond me!". I believe it was the harbour and Tolcarne Beach that we visited if I remember rightly.

House on the Hill

St Tudy and its church was on our list of places to visit as Rob's father wished to see the birthplace of William Bligh, the Vice Admiral in command of the HMS Bounty in 1789 when the notorius mutiny occurred. There is an interesting plaque dedicated to him in the Church.

Plaque in St Tudy's church

We also ventured back to Padstow for a meal on Good Friday. Rob's parents went to Rick Stein's seafood restaurant, loved it and Rob and I visited a mock Victorian tea-room for our lunch.

Not to mention that I finally visited the Museum of Witchcraft. Freaky and intriguing as well as scary and mysterious. :)

Museum of Witchcraft exhibit

Germany - Munich

2009-08-25T05:03:00.000-07:00

Last month me and Rob went to Munich in the south of Germany for a week, as part of our annual holiday. Since we'd booked this holiday well in advance we had no idea what the weather would be like and were unfortunate to find out just days before we set off that the weather was due to be very changeable indeed.

This time we went budget when it came to the flights, opting for an EasyJet outward journey and an AerLingus return opposed to our lovely journeys taken previously with British Airways and Emirates. That meant no luxuries as a meal on board unless I wanted to fork out extravagant prices for cheap snacks. Rob had spotted that on our journey across we were traveling on an A319/320 Airbus and that the previous two air crashes had involved this model. Not good! I would have preferred it if Rob had kept that information to himself. At least until the journey was over.

I've got to add that I have been to Munich previously and loved my experience then - I must have visited in 2004 with my Dad, a close family friend and his son when we went to celebrate the Oktoberfest. It also meant that we were staying in exactly the same hotel that I had stayed in previously. I'm sick of holidays where you wind up being disappointed with accommodation so I felt if I knew what to expect, all the hotel can do is meet expectations.

The hotel was very close to the main station (Hauptbahnhof), although I still managed to get lost by exiting the station by the back so that I didn't recognise any of the buildings I had done previously in 2004. It was raining then as well, the hem on my trousers had fallen down and made my trousers an extra inch longer, making sure that I got them completely and utterly wet. Not forgetting the tripping hazard they were because I was walking on them the whole way to the hotel.

I was surprised when we got to the hotel as they had refurbished it. Very glamorous. We quickly took our key and went up to the fourth floor to check out our room. A massive double bed, en-suite and a sofa. The view was towards the back unlike last time which overlooked the street but I didn't mind. No mini-bar but you could easily pop down to reception and buy something there. They were always happy to help at reception and spoke fluent English whether you wanted to have a go at speaking German or not.

On the first night we wanted to check out the local area. I decided to give Robert a taste of what the Oktoberfest was like and took him to the Hofbrauhaus which is the biggest pub in the World. It's drinking, food and a brass band in a building with lots of history.

(Inside the Hofbrauhaus)

It's owned by the state government and used to be one of the beer halls the Nazi Party used. After one drink we decided to move on. Let me illustrate how German beer works. 1 stein = 2 pints (or thereabouts).

The next morning we had a hotel breakfast and it was fantastic. I wouldn't normally write about a hotel breakfast but throughout the week I have to commend the Hotel Royal on their superb breakfast. Such a selection and items that a British culture would not even consider putting out for a continental breakfast. First off there was all the normal items like eggs, bread rolls, ham, yogurt, fruit juices and fruit, muesli, cheeses etc and then there came chicken nuggets, bratwurst (sausages - well perhaps this is normal), cake and doughnuts. I actually saw someone eat cake with a lavish splashing of yogurt. Such a sweet tooth so early in the morning. Seems crazy!

(Chicken nuggets at breakfast)

The second day we spent it at the Olympia Park. We went to the top of the Olympiaturm (tower) to take pictures of the entire Olympic Village - it was a great sight. You could even go to top outside with all the strong wind. However, I never stay long outside in high places. I always think I'm going to fall! In the guide book it stated that you could look round the Stadium when there were no events going on. Unfortunately (and we made sure by circling the dam thing!) they had some event happening (which sounded to me like a religious rally.) After this we spotting a little road train that took you around the park and gave you a tour of the park in English and German so I got to learn about the history. I felt very cultured that day!

(View of the Olympic Stadium from the Olympiaturm)

After the Olympic Village I had wanted to show Rob the Englisher Gartens because I had not visited them properly in 2004. It took us a while and a question in German to a local to find them. Before we went in there was a little cafe and I felt it time to eat. I find German cuisine quite difficult as a vegetarian but quite varied if you like meat or specifically pork. They like their meat and if you order a dish the meat comes as the main attraction. Vegetables are like a garnish to them. I ended up having a plate full of potato salad which I must add that they prepare it very different to how they do in England.

We noticed in the Englisher Gartens that some people were sunbathing nude. Not very Englisher about that. We're too prude to even contemplate it. It wasn't even that hot to take your top off never mind your complete outfit!

We tried to explore the Englisher Gartens but got lost. I wanted to find the Chinesischer Turm (Chinese Tower) as situated there is the second largest beer garden in Munich and it's also a nice photo opportunity and tourist attraction. I'm terrible with finding things, my journal entry of this day states "I never truly expected to find it" and I never did. Although Rob did go out on his own one afternoon and found some interesting sights in the garden.

For the third day we let the weather judge what the itinerary would be. We had sunny day to-do list and a crappy day to-do list. What we did came under the latter! It was a museum - The Deutsches Museum, the most popular museum in Germany let alone Munich. It's all about science, something you would never assume from the name itself.

The museum cost Rob 8.50 Euros whereas my ICOM card (something to do with being a member of the international council of museums blah blah blah) got me in free. The museum was humongous and just when we thought that we had done everywhere I noticed a mining section underground. It showed how mining had been done through the ages in Germany and it was re-created underground and gave you a real feel of what it was like down there. Nowadays they have machines that take you down there like a ride in a theme park but back then they used ladders and it must have taken donkey's years to get the mined object to the surface. Then I think of all the people who would have suffered illnesses and bad conditions due to the mines. Images of budgies came into my mind and gas leaks. Yet halfway down it showed how horses were kept down the mine because they assisted carrying the mined objects to the surface. Oh, how they must have suffered! I'll admit though when you first enter it does look like a film set for Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. That feeling wears off when you're walking down there for over twenty minutes wondering when it's going to end and realizing the dam exhibition is one-way.

It pelted down with rain after we left the museum. I felt safer with a McDonalds for lunch as I knew what sort of food I was getting and how it would react with my stomach (which has an acquired palette.) Trouble was McDonalds don't serve the vegetarian Burger in Germany. Guess there's no demand. I settled for the garden salad and fries. I took note that the German standard size for a drink does not exist in England. Here, the large size in Germany is regular. You get a strange feeling of being ripped off somehow!

The afternoon brightened up and we got on the number 17 tram to Schloss Nymphenberg. Although we didn't go in it was great looking at the architecture outside and exploring the gardens. My, were the gardens big! The fountain outside was rather splendid - it won't be an image I'll be forgetting in a hurry!

On the Friday we re-visited a place I had been with my father in 2004. It was the concentration camp at Dachau. I don't know why I'm intrigued by that kind of thing, maybe it's an influence by my father (who is also interested in the subject) and being brought up in this modern age of political correctness that I can't possible imagine a world that let people get away with such atrocities for so long. Back in WW2 people were murdered and experimented on and now we've gone the other extreme of political correctness gone mad. We can't even say certain words without being branded certain names these days (if you ever get the chance to see the west end musical 'Avenue Q', do because it illustrates my point so clearly.

The second time I saw this camp it was more shocking than the first as I spent more time there and read, took more photos and explored more of the camp. The thing about Dachau is that it wasn't a main extermination camp. A lot of people weren't gassed there. People that were killed were mainly killed by injection. I'm told that it was mainly a prison - people did time and left.

Friday afternoon comprised of visiting the Viktualianmarkt in Marienplatz. It's a market where they sell lots of food. I bought Rob a meatball in a bun, which the owner assured me was the best meatball in Munich (yeah, right!) as he pointed to a newspaper article that was probably out of date by a few years and he was clinging onto his fame while it lasted - I don't actually know if that last bit is true. I'm just getting carried away writing all this in one long session!

By Saturday Rob was acting differently, the huge breakfast selection laid out for all the guests was not tempting him. It was the day of the three palaces. The Schleissheim Palaces to be exact. We took the S1 from the main station and made our way to Schleissheim. One thing I must add about Germany is that most things in Munich were easy to find unlike here in Britain where even your SatNav has trouble getting the right route to a location and would rather malfunction or send you off the top of a cliff than get you to your destination. I was not planning on looking at the interior, when it comes to palaces I just prefer to look from the outside and view the gardens. However, I did go inside and the disappointment was severe! I expected to see lovely decorated rooms that were very individual and unique. Instead the majority of the rooms downstairs had the same drab wallpaper and dark pictures that were overdue their restoration work.

The staff were all talking to one another. I work in the same industry I'll let them off, they're bored and no-one but me and Rob were in the palace but we had three of them tailgating us through the entire palace. The words 'German efficiency' flicked through my mind combined with the feeling of breathlessness and asphyxiation. I felt like wearing a sign saying 'Keep 2 chevrons (>>) apart'. Somehow I don't think it would have helped much.

There was another building - a Schloss (castle) at the end of the gardens. At first I wasn't going to visit it. Rob had read in the guide book that it only housed porcelain and it turned him off. Nevertheless my bladder got the better of me and I placed a firm bet on there being a toilet inside the building. We went in. The impression I got of the collections on display was that some old biddy had been collecting all her life, through from when she was a little girl right up until now and then put it on display in a stuffy old house that for some bizarre reason they can get away with calling it a castle. Obvious there's more to the history of the castle and porcelain, I just didn't take the liberty of finding out.

We did so much walking that day. The next day was reserved for the Altes Pinakothek because they let you in for 1 Euro as opposed to full price on the other days. This place held so much promise for me and Rob. The building's exterior was gorgeous. But when we got inside and saw its contents I wasn't phased by any of it. I'd rather have been back at the castle looking at the porcelain again. Luckily I wasn't alone in my train of thought and Rob was the one who suggested leaving.

The rest of the day was quite humorous now that I look back to it. Rob wanted to go to Peterskirche and up to the top of the tower. So we went. They should really warn you that you have to come down exactly the same way as you go up. When you find this out for yourself it's a very unpleasant feeling to say the least.

(the Church from outside)

We also did something quite naughty as well. The kirche (church) had a sign saying no sightseeing because there was a service going on. I saw people come out of the church and lots of tourists going in and taking photos. You can spot sightseers a mile off. It's the dressage, body language, the way they carry their items as if they'll never get mugged. "Hmm, such an expensive camera around your neck", two seconds like that in Peckham and you'll find it on a market stall for sale. Anyway, back to the kirche. I took Rob in and sat in a pew, people were still taking photos and leaving and some others were sitting in pews. I was writing my journal and didn't notice until too late there were no more tourists in the church. All of a sudden everyone is on their knees praying and the guy at the front is talking. It was my first ever Holy Communion, although I did not partake in the wine and bread ritual. I was scared just trying to work out the right time to stand up and sit down during the service. 40 minutes passed before we were let out on the streets again. I wonder if I'll ever end up at a service in the future or will my lesson have been learned.

During the Sunday every shop was closed. It was like Britain during the early nineties when there were strict trading laws. Instead, to brighten the day the main square had a 'Gay Day', a lot of Gay Pride around the city, men dressed up as women and young men singing Tom Jones' 'Sex Bomb' on stage. Stalls were serving food and Rob ate a Curry wurst that looked absolutely tantalizing to the taste buds. I tried some of the curry sauce and it wasn't too hot but was just right for me.

(Gay pride in Munich)

The last full day was reserved for my shopping. I found the sizes more amiable in Munich than in England due to the fact that I can find clothes that fit me there. Also bought some jewelery and presents for others. I felt I didn't want to do much on the last day as I'd used up all my stamina during the week at all the sights.

Overall I love Munich, it's a great city which is less reserved in it's culture than the north of Germany. It's more aimed at the young people but there is plenty to do for the older too if you're prepared to get on a train or tube and travel. Most attractions are just a journey away. Munich is a place where I've always fancied living for a few years of my life to learn the language more. I doubt that ambition will ever come true due to attachments in the UK. I'm looking forward to traveling again!

France - Paris

2008-07-14T05:26:00.000-07:00

Ah, a week in gay Paris and now I'm back I have loads of pics to share. I must have about five hundred all-in-all but don't worry I won't bore you with them ALL!

Day one and off to Paris on the Eurostar from St Pancreas. I have to say, they have made an effort with that station. More than what I could say for Gare du Nord on the other side. Parisiens seem to like more graffiti than the British. Paris was quite an exceptional city on the whole but I did encounter things that I felt were second-rate to Britain. Quite a lot of times I thought to myself that in Britain we have a lot of whiners who complain about the standards of things when really, in contrast to other countries, we come out top. It makes me wonder - why?

It was on day two that my partner and his parents decided to take me up to the arc de triomphe. I had no idea that it was 284 steps and the only way to use a lift was to sit in a wheelchair and pretend to be disabled. The temptation was there certainly. Going around and around on the spiral staircase made me feel like it was never going to end. Even on the way down I was so engrossed in walking down steps I tried to continue walking even though I'd reached the bottom.

(arc de triomphe)

The arc de triomphe had marvellous views, yet the best was yet to come. Rob decided early on in the holiday that we must visit the top of the Eiffel Tower. He couldn't stick with just the first or second floor he wanted to go all the way to the top. Ten points for ambition there Rob. I wasn't that keen. A few nights previous to the Eiffel Tower we had gone up a tower block at Montparnasse till about 10pm in order to view Paris at night. I think that I must have spent most of my time on holiday way above the ground as I seem to have so many photos of the tops of buildings. At the Montparnasse building I even went on the helicopter pad on the roof. My god was it windy!

(View of Eiffel Tower from Montparnasse Tower block)

But the top of the Eiffel tower? That was windier! I stupidly took a little video of the view to act as proof that I actually went up there. It sort of made me feel good knowing I had evidence of being there. Now that was a bad idea as I had to go straight downstairs in the concealed area out of the wind because I became so unsteady. I personally don't see what the fascination is about the Eiffel Tower - wow, yes it's big and you can see the whole of Paris from it but it's not worth waiting two hours just to get up there! Queue for admission, queue for the lifts, you have to change lifts if you want to go to the top. Only 800 people allowed at the top at once. When I was in there I'm sure you couldn't fit 800 people in there. I'm sure the guide book is telling fibs. Maybe if people were midgets and the stewards packed people in like they would slaves in a slave ship then yeah. But not now. Not with how obese society is getting now, no way!

After the Eiffel Tower it was a 50 minute wait to get into the Catacombs at Denfert-Rochereau. "Stop, this is the Empire of Death" is what it reads above the door. In 1786 a monumental project began at the catacombs. Millions of skulls and bones were removed from the unsanitary city cemetry in Les Halles to certain disused quarries. 45 minutes underground and only 200 people allowed in at once because of safety and security reasons. Rob and I were waiting almost an hour when this French family pushed in. I was so angry I wanted to punch them in the face. A male, female and what I gathered to be their child of about 7 years of age. Queue jumpers really make my blood boil. Grrrr!

(Stop! This is the Empire of Death)(Catacombs!)

Other places of interest we saw were the Sacre-Coeur, Notre Dame, the Moulin Rouge and shopping along the Champ-Elysée. I would have liked to have gone to the Moulin Rouge at night but I always seemed very tired when it came to the evenings.

Compared to Britain the prices are quite high in Paris. Trying to find a toilet is also a chore. They have 36 superloos that are now free in Paris but they are awful to use.

I also noticed in Paris that there is a clear black/white divide. I saw no racism in this but I merely noticed that in certain restaurants that the white people would take the order and the black serve the food.

The only thing that I disliked was the beggars. There was one woman with a crutch on the Metro system that was screaming and wailing so loud that she could move a mountain. In my view that is no way to beg for money. It's like a disobedient kid not being given their way. Did she honestly expect any money from people acting like this?

There were alot of Bosnian beggars around asking people whether they spoke English and if you said yes then they would hand you a note saying they were homeless and had five kids to feed. They also pretended to pick up a ring from your foot and asked whether you had lost a ring. I don't know what that would lead on to.

The only money I gave was to a talented busker who played the harp. He was selling CDs too but unfortunately not of him but of other harp professionals, otherwise I would have bought one.

(Harp Busker at the Sacre-Coeur)

One other thing we managed to do before the week was out was to go on a Seine boat cruise. Bad news was that I got sun burnt - great! I don't tan.... I just burn. I suppose I've learnt my lesson about sun cream now!

Review: Nintendo Wiifit

2008-05-09T05:26:00.000-07:00

So now I am a proud owner of the Wiifit board I thought that after three days of full-on exercising with it should warrant me with enough experience to write this review.

I like to refer to my Wii Board as the Wii Scales because that's what they feel like to me. It detects your BMI (Body Mass Index) rate every time you take a body test (which it advises you to take every day) and when it prepares itself for certain activities it seems to know if you are holding onto a nearby object or have one foot off the board. Therefore you have to be a little cautious while it's loading.

To set up your own Mii (or personal profile) is easy. A few questions about your height, clothing and the calandar settings and your away. It's so easy to set goals and change them as you see fit.

The downside is the voice of the Wiiboard. Whoever programmed it to talk like an infant is an imbecile. Well... it's a cross between a child and a computer. It's very sweaky and annoying. I much prefer the voices used for the trainers. Although I have to admit I have only been using the female trainer as I thought it appropriate seen as I am a girl - well I was the last time I checked anyway!

Another disappointment of the Wii Board is that everything is not available to you. You have to start from the lower levels and unlock the advanced settings, which for some people may be a good thing as that's where you should start off at but not when it comes balance games, yoga movements, aerobic training and muscle movements (the four key activity categories.) I wanted access to all the yoga moves not just a mere few. To unlock these levels you have to spend a certain amount of time on the Wii. Which maybe some people don't want to.

It sounds as if I am totally dissing the Wii Board so far but I'm not. It's a fantastic tool for training. It saves me membership for the gym. Even though if you want a tough workout you would have to go to a gym - it is just right for those people wanting to keep general fitness in their own home. It also saves money for a yoga course and gives you peace of mind knowing that you can excercise in your own home. I, personally always feel uncomfortable in the gym, paranoid that people are looking at my stretch marks, forming opinions about me so it perfect for the sensitive of people. In today's society we need more interactive activities or we'll all become couch potatoes.

My favourite activity so far has to be the warrior pose in the yoga movements. It reminds me so much of the fencing lunge position that I was able to master it in quite a short period of time. I think it's also nice to add yoga to my list extra-curricular activities on my cv now.

All in all the marks are as follows:

Presentation: 9/10. Reminded me of Wii Sports. The layout, the Mii characters you have, the graphics. Therefore if you have played Wii Sports you'll know what to expect.

Sound: 6/10 They could have had some more funky music when you do the stepper workout. and as I said before - the sound of the Wii Board as a child was annoying.

Navigation: 10/10 Nothing more to say really, it's a simple layout.

Graphics: 9/10 Easy to understand trainer taking you through every step of the way. The only thing that confused me was the Step Plus exercise (unlocked feature) that started to get confusing when you also had to clap and kick your foot off the board. Maybe I needed to practice at it and hopefully I will do better in the future.

Overall: I'd give this 9/10 and hopefully I'll meet my weight loss goal in just under two weeks time! :P

Review: Agatha Christie - And Then There Were None (Wii)

2008-04-29T07:53:00.000-07:00

Since I had bought Rob a Wii it was time to expand his games collection. I fancied getting something different , was about to get The House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return when I saw a point-and-click game out of the corner of my eye. Of course this is my favourite genre of game and has been in short supply since the late nineties. What with youngsters preferring more action based games like Medal of Honour, Football and those games based on the latest movies. I knew I had to have it at once. It was called “And Then There Were None”, based on the novel by Agatha Christie and produced by an organisation called The Adventure Company. They have previously released point-and-click games onto the PC, including a Poirot investigative game, better known to most as “Murder on The Orient Express”.

Rob told me that the title used to be called “Ten Little Niggers” but later had to be changed to “Ten Little Indians” and then to what it is named now. In the game itself it uses ten little sailor boys and differs from the book – it adds you as an extra character who becomes stranded on an island with the rest of the party.

Ten guests are invited by a Mr U.N. Owen (later to be referred to as Mr Unknown) under false pretences and are each killed off according to the nursery rhyme – Ten Little Sailors. A little gruesome but here it goes:

Ten little Sailor boys went out to dine; One choked his little self and then there were Nine.

Nine little Sailor boys sat up very late; One overslept himself and then there were Eight.

Eight little Sailor boys traveling in Devon; One said he'd stay there and then there were Seven.

Seven little Sailor boys chopping up sticks; One chopped himself in halves and then there were Six.

Six little Sailor boys playing with a hive; A bumblebee stung one and then there were Five.

Five little Sailor boys going in for law; One got into Chancery and then there were Four.

Four little Sailor boys going out to sea; A red herring swallowed one and then there were Three.

Three little Sailor boys walking in the Zoo; A big bear hugged one and then there were Two.

Two little Sailor boys were out in the sun; One got all frizzled up and then there was One.

One little Sailor boy left all alone; He went out and hanged himself and then there were None.

What is different when you play with the Wii is that you have some interactive parts to the game. It took me a while to realise this and I got stuck for about an hour trying to scoop up flour in the larder. Surprisingly I found some batteries stashed in the flour. Some of these point-and-click games seem impossible at times because the clues are in the least likely of places.

I didn’t like the interaction of pumping up an inflatable dingy because it felt like the real thing – moving the Wiimote up and down did nothing for my wrist.

There are various endings you can play so you can go back and complete it a second time and even third. The boredom factor is when you’re trying to navigate around the island. It feels like you’re just moving from screen to screen.

(the Island)

My game crashed a few times too so saving is essential. But to sum it up I would say it was an interesting game. I’d give it 7/10 overall as it doesn’t match up with many other point-and-click games I’ve played, and certainly not a patch on my favourite game – Titanic, Adventure Out of Time. I am eager, however to play ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ whether it be on the PC or Wii.

Presentation: 9/10 There were interesting video clips that weren't boring. The menu screen with the noose swinging from side to side is very dramatic and effective with setting about an atmosphere.

Sound: 6/10 Sometimes I felt the audio was muffled and that I couldn't hear it very well. The background music was well done and not something that annoy you after a while. It's also a good tip to try and get the radio working in the parlor and then you should hear some different music for a change.

Navigation: 6/10 As I said, it did irritate me walking around the island at times because it felt like it was taking ages to get where I want to go. Luckily they have built-in a double-click feature that gets your character to run.

Graphics: 9/10 Very good graphics. The people were very realistic. Although the subtitles were very small and I had to get closer to the TV to read them.

Added Feature: There is also an added feature at the end of the game where you can see the original Dame Agatha Christie ending as it is written in the book. Seen as I had not heard anything about the story before playing the game it was very interesting to see exactly how different the book differs from the game. It's amazing how you can take the story and derive a completely different outcome from it.

South Korea - Seoul

2008-04-26T16:03:00.000-07:00

In March I went to visit my friend Rosanna who is currently teaching English in Seoul, South Korea. She left Britain seven months ago and every time I looked on Facebook it popped up on her mini-feed that she had been doing some new and adventurous which made me extremely jealous. She had invited us before she went but I never took her up on her offer. Once she offered it again I persuaded my boyfriend and in less than a month we were off.

We had to change planes at Dubai and we spent nearly a whole day travelling. When we arrived at Dubai airport we had to go through security all over again and resorted to sitting on the floor as all the seats were all taken. This was obviously an airport where EVERYBODY changed planes. Rob tried to go to the toilet but was shocked to find just a hole. To him the idea of crouching and doing his business at the same time didn’t appeal.

When we arrived at Rosanna’s I just slumped onto the bed and fell asleep. I was so tired it was unbelievable. I dislike travelling at the best of times and with the Emirates flight crew trying to shove a hot meal down my throat every minute of the journey didn’t help... I felt a little sick.

I noticed quite a lot of things in Seoul that was quite different to the culture of Britain. Firstly, a lot of people spit in the streets as if its part of the local etiquette. The taxi drivers do it, the street sellers do it and the pedestrians do it. I remember when I was younger at college I laid my bag down on the floor only to find I had put it on some horrible, yucky saliva. Secondly, there is a lot of pollution - it stinks like rotten cabbage, as if somebody has let off next to you. A lot of the locals wear masks and visors to keep out the pollution. Personally I thought they looked like Shredder from TMNT but then again I do have a very creative imagination.

Another thing was that I felt a lot safer in Seoul. I didn’t expect to get my bag stolen and I wasn’t threatened by any of the children walking down the street. There were no chavs so to speak. Kids are in education constantly - they go to school during the day and have school in the evening as well. It’s as if the government don’t know what to do with them. I suppose it keeps them off the streets.

The majority of the people I saw did not speak any English, which I’ve never encountered before. If you want someone that speaks English you have to go to a tourist information centre.

When we finally got round to exploring on our first proper day in South Korea we went to the N Tower and saw Seoul from way above in the sky. We reached a point on the hill and then took a cable car to the Tower. There was an observation tower where you were allowed to take photos so I quickly took advantage. Outside the N Tower were fences where there were padlocks attached to them. It’s probably best to describe them as ‘Love Locks’ as there were people’s names written on them and love hearts drawn over them in permanent marker.

We spent a lot of time eating McDonalds. They have a twenty-four hour service in Seoul and they do home delivery, although I never worked out how to order it. I tried to get Rob to do as much of the ordering as possible. He had some trouble when he ordered a cheeseburger as the guy behind the counter tried to pour him four Cokes.

Other sites we visited included the 63 building at Yeouido, which houses an aquarium and an I-MAX which we also took went to. They were showing a film about the Egyptians starring Omar Sharif. The cheeky steward wanted our passports as a deposit for the audio guide which would translate the film into English. I refused and so I gave my ticket to the aquarium as a compromise. I know my passport is too valuable to be left with a steward.

The aquarium was small but not too bad. I wouldn’t write home about it anyway. Yet they did have some fish that relate to later in our visit to Seoul. We saw a tank where you could insert your fingers - it was labelled Dr Fish! As I placed my fingers in the holes tiny fishes began to suck at them and remove the dead skin cells. It was ticklish... but fun!

I’d noticed on Rosie’s Facebook account that one of the things she had done was to stick her feet in a tank full of these fish and I had asked her where she did this and so she took us to a cafe called Dr Fish. You would order coffee or tea and then you could pay about 1,000 won extra to spend fifteen minutes with your feet in a tank of fish. It was sooooooo ticklish but therapeutic. For some reason they seemed to love Robert because as soon as he stuck his feet in the fish attached themselves to him and wouldn’t leave him alone.

One tradition that Rob and I do to when we visit a foreign country is to attend a football match and Seoul was no exception. Since it was the weekend Rosanna had no work and decided she would come along with us, yet I feel she had some reservations it might not be her thing at first. When we arrived at the World Cup Stadium we thought that we would never find the way in. We were walking around for ages and we knew we would have trouble getting the tickets what with the language barrier. Rob asked for tickets in the East stand and was subsequently given west side stand seats but we didn’t care. I was not going to get frustrated over trying to make myself understood.

I notice that football in Seoul is more family orientated - as if it were a day in a museum. Kids are dressed up and one sweet kid dressed up as a tiger. Rosanna fell instantly in love and I became quite convinced she wanted to steal the toddler. She settled for a picture in the end, which she has plastered on her own personal blog. Korean football is not as high a standard as the Premier league. I wouldn’t even put it in the same league as Division One. They missed easy clear shots at the goal but the songs they were singing were pre-school songs like Frère Jacka but in Korean and obviously related to football. It was a very different experience to what I have previously encountered at football matches.

No holiday is complete without shopping. All three of us went shopping in Insa-dong which I thought was brilliant and most possibly my favourite part of the trip. It’s quite an atmosphere. There was a street parade and free refreshments. We also visited a tea-room which Korea is renowned for - it was decked out like a train. I took some photos as a memory.

Other markets Rob and I visited by ourselves were Dongdaemun and Namdaemun but none matched the uniqueness and attractiveness of Insa-dong.

We did visit a palace during our stay and watched the changing of the guard ceremony (Deoksugung Palace.) What surprised me was that the grass we saw in Korea was all brown. The only green grass we saw was on the football pitch at the World Cup stadium.

The last big attraction we went to was in Jamsil and that was a theme park called Lotte World. The best way to describe it would be to probably call it the Korean version of Disneyland. I was a little scared when going to the rides as the safety procedures were in Korean and I thought that sometimes I might not be strapped in properly. I didn’t want to fall out! Especially on some of the rides like the Giant Loop that takes you upside down.

My favourite had to be the Ghost House. At first I thought it would be similar to any haunted house - most probably similar to that of the Haunted Hotel at Blackpool (where you walk through and there are scary things about, spongy floors, obscure staircases and creepy noises.) But I was mistaken - it was a video where you were made to put on 3D glasses and you followed the journey of a cat (as if you were the cat) going through an old house, into the cemetery and even walking past the old bones in a near-disintegrated coffin until at the end you finally find out you too are dead and a ghost cat. But a sweet one at that!

The Pharaoh’s Fury was also exciting. You were seated in a safari car and jolted around Egyptian like surroundings. Tomb-like areas were lit up with fire - the smell of gas was so prevalent and overwhelming in one of the sections. Yet I like the ride so much we went on it again.

Rob said he liked South Korea and would love to return, I on the other hand have had enough of the place. I enjoyed it while I was there but Seoul is one of those places where you are glad to be home at the end of it. I slept for a day afterwards. I felt like I could sleep for eternity.

Scotland - Dumfries and Galloway

2008-04-26T11:11:00.000-07:00

Last week my partner and I accompanied his parents to Scotland, where we stayed in a small cottage in a very secluded place called Glentrool Village. The population is 118 and there’s a small primary school smack-bang in the middle of the village. Since I live in London I had almost prayed for this type of atmosphere. The hustle and bustle of the rat race back in London was one of the things I did not miss one bit.

Rob, my partner has always been a city boy and loves city breaks, which made this one separate from the rest. As soon as we had arrived at the cottage and sorted out our luggage we went exploring the local area. We visited Bruce’s stone, located next to Loch Trool which commemorates the Scottish king’s victory in that particular Glen over an English force and then decided to drive around the nearby towns. The main one being Newton Stewart, which boasts a lovely bridge over the River Cree. Unfortunately, it was the evening and darkness was prevailing so none of my pictures came out very well. We also passed through Newton Stewart on many other occasions, but did not stop to take photos.

The second day was the real reason we came to Scotland. We were to stop by at Rob’s grandparent’s in Edinburgh. It took us three hours by car to reach Edinburgh and the road works in the city centre were horrific. Rob was happy because we were in a city and I was pleased to know that we were both getting what we wanted out of the holiday. Last time we visited Edinburgh was 2005 and we had missed out visiting Mary King’s Close. Since I was a child I was interested in ghosts and spirits and even believed I saw one whilst in my bed when I was younger. Now I have the courage to go ‘ghost hunting’ in places I dared not visit I wanted to visit this 17th century close.

Mary King’s Close suffered greatly from the plague and we learned from our character tour guide, whom was dressed as a foul clenger (somebody that removes dead bodies and takes them away) that a little girl haunts the close. She was left by her family during the Black Death and people often visit and leave toys for her to play with as she is lonely. Around this part of the close is a middle-class house, with which human ash and horse hair is used as part of the plaster. The words ‘the walls have ears’ has never rung so true before.

A man was murdered in the close by his mother in-law and wife over a money lending affair. It’s been reported that this murder has been seen being re-enacted at times.

Our tour guide knew his facts but something told me that he had been doing the job too long. As a person working in the tourism industry too I could see that the job had taken its toll... and to be forced to dress up as a foul clenger as well must have just added to his misfortune.

Unfortunately no photos were allowed to be taken of the close but I did buy our photo that was taken by the camera set up in the close.

Day three saw us venturing not so far as Edinburgh but to Wigtown, noted for being a popular book town. As we parked the car a local exclaimed that we must view the Osprey as there is a hide for bird watching nearby. We visited the hide and saw some birds... it was sooooooooo quiet. I took a short video to display here (hopefully it will work!)

Next was the Isle of Whithorn, where apparently they filmed part of the Wicker Man, one of my favourite films. It is St Ninnian’s cave they use for the scene where Rowan is hiding but I never knew until after we returned home so did not visit the site. I did, however visit the chapel that was erected in 1300, although little remains. The atmosphere was so peaceful and the weather so nice (but changeable!) We ate at a pub called the Steam Packet, named so for being a local shipping company or so I was told by the barmaid. Our portions were so big that even Rob couldn’t finish his meal.

It was a good day for Rob on Thursday as it took us to another city, this time Belfast. We drove to the harbour at Stranraer and boarded the ferry. We had the choice of Belfast or the Isle of Arron, personally I think we made the right choice, although Rob’s father fancied the Isle of Arron he was eventually swayed to Belfast.

(view at Stranraer)

The ferry took about two hours as it was delayed. We took the car as well as it was easier and it saved paying for a taxi to get into the city centre. When we arrived we visited the Belfast wheel outside City Hall. It looked like a smaller version of the London Eye but it was a different experience. I felt like I was on a Ferris wheel. The capsules housed a maximum of six people and you were made to sit down. It circled around about four times before stopping. Unlike the Eye which goes around once and houses about twenty people. It also provided us with commentary, which was useful.

I’m a huge fan of the Titanic that I had forgotten it was built in Belfast until the commentary remarked upon it. I could even see the ship builder’s Harland and Wolfe’s two cranes: Samson and Goliath in the distance.

(Harland and Wolfe's yellow cranes at the docks)

I also let slip Rob’s birthday present and I ended up buying him a Nintendo Wii from Belfast. It gave us something to do on our last night in the cottage and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Rob’s mother won the ten-pin bowling and his father at the golf. It was a thoroughly enjoyable holiday.

My New Blog

2008-04-26T08:26:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my new blog. Since the creation of my previous blog 'Curiously Kibitzer' on Wordpress, I strongly felt that it focused upon the criticisms I have of everyday life and my hatred of work rather than anything else. Therefore I sought to create a new journal of my travels, reviewing and detailing the places I've been.

The past year has seen an increase in the amount of activity (although physically you wouldn't notice!) I do, what with jet-setting to South Korea, visiting Vienna, Scotland and next Paris. For this reason I wanted to note down what I had done in a blog.

As for the blog title? I ALWAYS fidget... ever since I was a child; it also stops me from smoking, which in turn is a good thing. Whether it be drumming my fingers on the table of a train or kicking a stone with my foot, I’ll ALWAYS be fidgeting.