The Mediterranean Sea

The Mediterranean Sea



So as we left the Massive Central we headed to Andorra, on a day trip before we did this part of the journey I wanted to go to the Mediterranean. To try to find a less developed area, as this was our first time together there. So first thing to do was check rough guide and Michelin map. Any place that is mentioned, even in passing to ignore and then start fine looking on map. Bearing in mind we were just after peak season it should not have been too crowded. So I picked a dot and headed there. If we were regular beachy people I would have packed the right gear, something to break the constant wind which was only slight negative. But it was nice, very very nice otherwise. A free car park right next to the beach which was only filled with a half a dozen cars so you could choose to park in the little bit of shade. Plus there was hessian carpet put down over the sand dune right onto the beach itself. The only commercialism was a medium sizes bar, which we had to stop at and well admire the view before we left. All very nice indeed.

WW2 - They don't forget and have more respect for the past.

We did love this little town and so here is the closing peice on it.   I wanted to try to get an atmosphere of the central town square and the relaxed pace of life, I hadn't at that point realised I had captured another major part of past history; WW2.  I haven't got technology in place yet, but if you look on the photo above on the second from end pillar you will see a plaque, look like it might be a white menu. It isn't. It to commemorate the local town’s folk who were rounded up as sympathisers by the German's in WW2 and shot. Apparently there was an 'active' local resistance and maybe a people supplying route though the massive central surrounding countryside. Germans could not get anyone to inform and owe up to activities so a group of local 'suspects' including the local mayor were rounded up put against the wall and shot dead. A brutal way of dishing out justice and bound not to have got the right people; but when you have an occupying army maybe not surprising. Anyway I am working on getting a better shot of the plaque and I think it is nice that this is left as a permanent reminder to the horrors that happened in the past in what is now an amazingly nice part of France.

Who wants a four hour lunch break?

This is another reason why I wanted to get away from the cities even in more rural Southern France, 2 hour lunch break when almost everything shuts, just really nice rather than the cheese sandwich at your desk whilst answering calls and catching up with less urgent emails. Two hour lunch breaks would be nice. But how about a 4 FOUR hour lunch break? How can you call it full time work and close at noon, shutters go down on shop windows, business close the town siren sounds and everything shuts at noon. Nothing opens till 4pm. Yep business do start at 8am, the boulangera is open and doing a roaring trade at 8am, everyone getting the daily fresh bread or gorgeous cakes, day old French bread is not good and the idea of freezing bread would be unheard of. After 4pm everything open again and re-open for business. They stay open till 7pm so you get a 7 hour day. 5 days a week and you have your 35 hour French full time week. Now if I was anything like bi-lingual and had no liabilities here would I move?

Chic sexy French Towns

So in France, we ventured across the Pyrenees Mountains via Andorra into Spain, the towns are just so nice. So sexy, so French. The pavements in front of the shops are wide. The shop fronts are so old so in keeping with the more relaxed atmosphere. The restaurants or cafes (accents) not sure how to put in UK keyboard. They are so much nicer than an old ham sandwich sitting behind a counter. The service is so French as well. Nothing is hurried, which if you are in a rush is not good, but being on holiday it suits the mood, goes with the ambiance. You are formally greeted in every restaurant and shop you go into. Madam.&Monsuir. Yes a misspelt English translation but they run the greeting in together. Somehow you feel it is meant. Rather than in shops over in USA where given the, "have a nice day" with every purchase whether it is a super sized meal upwards which seems somewhat insincere. Also the service is not just in restraints also normal shops, getting clothes, a bit of aftershave or other half getting making up / perfume. The same greeting is used. You can be fussy and indecisive in choosing what you want and you don’t feel the member of staff is brassed off. The lifestyle is good.

Holidays France England

There is nothing better than getting away from 'home' and breaking the normal routine. I've got back from a real real nice holiday with my other half in France. See some pics from there. What I love is the change and the fact the country is so close to England as yet so different. They use a different currency,€ € yes I had to learn how to access this key stroke the computers even have a not quite QWERTY layout and use the alt control function heaps. They drive on the wrong side of the road and speak a different language. But it is so nice. They are really just like us for all these differences. I didn’t venture into Paris, when your driving it’s really not a good idea and I wanted to visit rural France. Get out of the cities into the countryside more. England does have some nice countryside but some is the word. To get the best of it you need to head out of the SouthEast of the country. Over to the Devon coast, Lake district the problem here is it’s all a bit crowded. Plus you spend half a days hard driving to get there. more tomorrow.

Being in Time

Wow time flies - dose not feel like a three month period has passed since I last posted here.

Holidays really are a great time. I know of a person who didn't bother going away anywhere on holiday. That is a real shame but what did I do to mine? Well Christmas was a sore point, some people have to work and I got hit with all the public holidays. Will be different next year but that's for Christmas 09. I went away with my wonderful other half to Jersey. Now that is an island worth visiting. It was only about 30 - 40 mins fly time from Gatwick with check in and taxi around time takes a couple of hours but very nice place to chill out to, will have to consider going back to the Channel Islands. It made a surprise visit on our wedding anniversary.

Gatwick is like all other airports, pretty faceless places that every travels through, whilst I always feel anxious in flying it does a good job and a heck of a lot easier to get to than Heathrow. Flying British Airways was a real pleasure too. The huge queue for Thompson holidays and people getting cross wasn’t on the BA queue. Also it brought another thing re flying, why do people miss flights. It is not difficult; get there a couple of hours early. A group of girls missed a flight to Manchester or Glasgow by not getting to departure gate in time. What a hassle they went through. If you've got to fly whatever you do get to the airport in time then try to relax.

sick

There is nothing good about having a cold. Lets face it you feel like crap and suffer all sorts of 'normal' cold / flu symptoms. But there is nothing wrong with in a nadir of a cold taking a (single) day off work sick. Look at a persons sickness record over a 12 - 24 month period. Maybe 3 sickness incidents every 18 months is reasonable but some people have so much time off work just not real.

A major employer in the UK (not who I work for and I don't want to be fined) but they say first 3 or is it 5 days of sickness are unpaid. Then onwards you get up to 6 months sick pay. I think that is a much better idea. If after all you really real like crap you would be happy to take a days non-pay to get better but it would be a day or two, not 3 - 5 days to get over a cold.