ness goss

Booooo-tys Riverside Bar

This has been sitting in drafts for almost 2 years. All I remember of starting this post is that this pub was horrible. The food the main withdraw card. If you are in Limehouse or Westferry looking for a nice pub lunch, head to Gordon Ramsays' The Narrow or further afield to Bethnal Green or London Bridge. That's all I have to say!

Svvvvvveden!

As per my previous blog ramble, I have been grounded in London for way too long. Solution: Scan Ryanair for a random cheap flight to somewhere you havent been. Destination: Gothenburg City. Partner in crime: Rezza. Weather: horrible.

(long) Day 1
We get up at 2:30am (by nothing other than the taxi guy calling to say he is waiting outside for us!)chucking on some clothes and scrambling downstairs, we find the cabby asleep in the drivers seat. Standing in front of the window does not alarm him; I have to call him to wake him up! We get in the cab and he asks us how to get to the bus stop (which might I add is just up the Road!) (Instead of sleeping maybe prepare your trip dude!) Anyway, a gentle bit of direction, a Tom Tom and a street directory later, we arrive at the Terravision bus stop - Bromley by Bow.
Miracle #1: the bust turns up ON TIME at 3:15am!
After a cruisey Stansted checkin and departure (yes your eyes are not playing tricks on you), short flight and nice extended sleep, we arrive in Sweden. Everything is in English. Where is the accommodation? It has to be in the small town somewhere (near the casino!)
After leaving our luggage, we ventured out for a look see (the bits we HADNT already covered) like The Avenue. Nice...
Back to the room for a bit o rest and then we get ready for what is planned as 'Big Saturday night at the Casino'. We had heard that it was nearly as good as Adelaide Cas, we hear that there were bars, and restaruants - we heard wrong. Quite dowdy, with 2 tiny bars and a few slot machines, we played the Choco wheel and then settled on a seat in the Poker room with our new found friend Elizabeth, a cocktail and the bar staff. Elizabeth had only lived in town for a month and was ready to move on.
We all decided we'd ditch this place and headed for the big cheese, The Avenue. Random annoying cultural thing #1: All venues have a coat check on entrance. Nice you say? Not if they MAKE you pay for it! and then Hard Rock try to charge the equivelent of £10 to get in! We decided that this wasnt the place (with no one in it!) we wanted to be. So we headed across the road to somewhere dry to retreat - The Scottish pub! It was like another world in there, obviously no fee to get in! people were everywhere (mostly on the floor) dancing to cheesy 80s tunes (from the last time they went out).
We were tired and not impressed. We headed home for a good snooze.
Day 2
Up and at em for brekkie! We left the hotel and headed for a potential 'cruise' across to a small olde worlde island. 'Sorry, only in summer' are you sure it isnt summer (Note sarcasm in voice after thrashing through the blistering wind and rain to get there!)
So we head to the tram nearby and took a scenic tram tour to the coast to take a ferret to another island. We find out if we get off, we ahve to wait 2 hrs for the return - so we just stayed on the ferry and took in the scenery...
On our return we decided whilst in Sweden (and its raining_ we need to go somewhere 'traditional' and dry.... Ikea!

Catch me up

I understand its nice (hot) weather in Adelaide - sunny here too but as cold as a penguins butt! I think you call that scitzophrenic! However I shouldnt complain, it has been quite mild all year until this week. The only other cold snap was 26 Dec - 1 Jan in New York.

I know youve heard it from me before, but I absolutely love USA and going back after 8 years just reminded me how good it was - expecially now I have lowered my standards in London! ;) Everyone got on the plane back depressed with the thought of going back. Renae met me there from Oz and she loved it too.
We spent a lot of time shopping (actually much to Julez' delight) a little bit of sight seeing, but it is hard trying to organise 7 people when there is so much to see and do!

Other than that I was exhasted from travelling to Riga (see blog piccys below for highlights - cushiony tea house, bobsleigh and garlic breath!!) and Paris (Bruce Springsteen concert) just before Christmas, Christmas weekend 'lunch' at my place for Julez mum and her partner John - which was really nice to have a family Christmas at our place!! Work being madly busy and looking after Renae etc etc - as soon as she left London we both got the Flu. Needless to say I have laid low taking it easy in preparation for Mum, Dad and Bretts visit. I am getting very itchy feet though, the whole being in London this long without a trip is getting too much for me!
Mum, Dad, Brett, Julez and I are off to Italy and Germany for a week at the end of March. Tuscany and Umbria then fly from Rome to Munich and then back to London. The following weekend we are heading to Scotland and the weekend of the 19th is Julez birthday so we might head somewhere for that...tbo. The following week they head home (23rd) and then Brett is heading to Turkey for ANZAC Day. Start of May long weekend a girls trip to Budapest is organised. At the end of May I am going away for a week with Nat to Greece via EasyCruise! Ive also planned a weekend in June to Hamburg to see Kylie for Azza's 30th. Other than that the diary is free for a prospective trip back to Adelaide for my cousins wedding - they have only been engaged for about 6 years.... ;)

In other news our landlord decided they would let us know they are selling our flat, so our contract ends April 12 - right smack bang in the middle of Mum Dad and Brett being here of course! Something I was not planning on! At least they will be here to assist with the move (lucky its just clothes - or maybe unluckily because of the amount I have accumulated!) ;)
So the last 2 weekends I have been rigourously looking online for properties to buy - it is quite expensive, however cheaper than rent and ill have an investment (in ££! ;) for when I head home.

Its up to you...NY NY

Workies Xmas dinner 2007

Before we left the house - Vanessa and Shahida

On arrival (Me Amazon woman - her Shahida)

V and James (Melbourne!)

Me being silly for a change

Matt swingin the night away

2 years in the making

Happy Anniversary to Rezza and I - we have made it to the 2 year mark in London. And hasn't it gone quick! All those people that I have missed for so long, but all those new friends and token family I have met along this journey makes it soo much easier to be away from my beloved home town.

We celebrated on a quieter note Wednesday at an old London fave, Carluccios in Covent Garden. Had a nice meal, glass of wine and talked about the year ahead, visitors, trips, parties, general plans, work etc.

All in all its been 2 years of lots of adventures (both in and out of London!) Big career opportunities, experiencing new cultures, adapting to weather extremities and of course meeting Julez! Not sure how much longer it will be, the world is my oyster!

Riga Riga Garlic-eater!

Rigan egg liquer in shopping basket - even at 1.59 lats it was nicer than the Black Balsam

V and Lisa relaxing at the tree tea house on all those cushions!!

Oylimpic bobsleigh track in Sigulda

Here we go! Lisa, V and Kathryn 90km/h down an iceslide - those ropes aren't just for holding on tight! ;)

The BMW Olympic team!?

The after party - back in Riga (about 5 hrs before our Monday morning flight!)

The Lady of Latvia

Funny signage earlier the morning before...

Skybar cocktails - this is the only pic without and array of colour on the table! (before or after Puke??)

I wanna know what love is

Foreigner were born the same year as I. So to say the least, Julez is also a bit young to remember such number one hits of the rock band Foreigner. When we heard that they were going to be playing a gig in London we booked immediately.

Not many other rock bands can boast the quintessential list of number 1 rock ballads as they do. Those that were played last night Cold As Ice, Hot Blooded, Urgent, Waiting For a Girl Like You. Last but not least, the karaoke Singstar classic I Want To Know What Love Is. I was sure that the lead singer Kelly Hansen was the original vocalist, but recently found out that he was the former frontman for the late 80’s group Hurricane?

If there was a prize for the youngest couple in the house, we would have won hands down. Sir Ian Botham and the people of his age took majority. This was also obvious by the fact they lined up before the doors opened. Unbenownst to these 'no longer frequenting gigs crew' that the the venue usually opens about 2 hrs before the act goes on. In this time we managed a lovely 2 course thai meal.

Kathryns hooooome!

So we spent 22hrs in Newcastle. Why? For a girls night out of course!

The journey was over 3hrs each way, but it was well worth it (especially just to see Sydney Harbour mini me Bridge) Man it looks like Sydney Harbour (except for the white picket fence!!)

See the bridge above..?

A girl after my own heart!

1 blog in September

It has been a while, however I thought this was an apt time to issue an update, just before the month ran out.

29 September
3am wake up. Kath and I headed via cab to the Temple Walkabout to mix with the Aussies. (Funny how busy London is at this time of the morning - however most people were getting cabs HOME). It was the last Saturday in September. Geelong v Port. With an Aussie pie and 2 cans of Tooheys Extra Dry, the morning kicked off to a good start.

Lining up at the Walkie.

The Aussie coming out in Kathryn.

Rez drowing her sorrows - at 5:30am.

Now as a true blue South Aussie, although a Crows supporter, I thought necessary to serve my state proud (one of the only opportunities one has in London) by barracking for the Power. Oh and did they need it. They weren't even in front once. I hit the wall early. By the end of the 3rd 1/4 we left to catch the final moments at home.

28 September
Gwen Stefani concert with Rez - Wembley Arena - 7.5/10
She was a real crowd pleaser. Working the room, wicked dancers and ending the night on a high with 'What you waiting for'.
This stadium only holds 12000 - 50% of those ppl being under the age of 12).

25 September
Met Kelly for a quiet few SA roses and catch up.

23 September
Nat back - Nats gone again
Met Nat in the arvo for a walk along Southbank, few bottles of red and a typically London farewell - Sunday roast dinner before she heads off to a life of herrings and pot in Amsterdam.

V, Nat and Ben.

Workies!

18 September
Kash J and I went to see Kosheen at koko.

That chick is wicked live - sounds almost the same as on the album. I hope that their new stuff is as good as their early 2000 stuff. Too bad there were 3 other bands beforehand that went overtime. 7/10

15 September

Julez gets back from a week long trip to Germany. Mike and Sandra celebrate yet another birthday at Bierodrome - Nat and Julie come along for the ride.

J, me and Nat.

Me, Nat and Julie.

13 September
A 'quiet' dinner for Sandras birthday the day before. As usual, we ended up dancing the (school) night away in Soho!

Sandra and (mostly) Redstone relatives.

Dancing the night away in Soho.

8/9 September
Mike and I head for our quarterly trip to Manchester to run riot. Well, in this instance, it is actually to farewell dear Courts as she heads back to Oz :(

Mike releases his evil side by writing 'vanessa is cheesey' on the train window in cheese, smears my face in Tzatziki and rolls olives (there are no Jaffas in the UK) down the aisle. At least this time we bought the red wine on the train...

Mike 'cutting' the cheese.

Stuart, Rach and girl of honour, Courts.

It speaks for itself.

V @ V 2007

Our campsite

Dyl and I wear our sunglasses at night (Corey Hart)

The V crew - Friday night

Horseyback rides

and a bit higher at Mika!

Summer in London

Summer to me is beach, sun, sand, Glenelg, thongs and a tan. This year in London summer has taken on a whole new meaning.

Yesterday was glorious, and not just in London terms. The sun was shining all day and there was not a cloud in the sky. (see above for proof!)

The day was pre planned Winter to me is all of the above with a subtle difference - Aussie Rules Footy. On this fine August day in London, two worlds collided.

The local derby. 23rdclash of the titans. Crows v Power.
If you have been keeping tabs on the London life 007, you will see that a few weeks ago we purchased Setanta, who have the rights to play AFL games in London. Yesterday was no exception. We got to see the game LIVE! (Albeit 10:30am ball up)

Port vying for 2nd place and the Crows waining in the bottom 8, it was possibly not going to be the prettiest game for the croweaters.

How were we wrong (and not for one minute did I think anything less from the back to back champions. Game was a tab scrappy due to the wet weather, however a good opportunity to teach the token Kiwi and Poms a lesson in life (ah SA life that is).

To commemorate the event and pay homage to our Aussie Rules day, we did snags in bread with dead horse, followed by some random Oz Shop purchases. Coopers Pale, Cheezels, Burger Rings and Kingston bikkies. Unfortunately for Rez, her team didnt win on the day but everything happens for a reason. This gives the Crows a possible glace toward the finals. Hopefully we will have the opportunity on the last Saturday in September, to meet once again in this fashion.

After all the excitement, we moved on to Greenwich Park to celebrate this sunny occasion. Kash and Jon turned up, we threw the Frisbee and went home to continue - Karaoke singstar style!