Two and a half hours North of Barcelona lies a small town called Figueres. It was the birth place of surrealist artist Salvadore Dali. We cruised up there through the rolling country side on the train to visit Dali’s museum, which had a strange nauseating effect on the stomach.
Categories: Canon G10 · Coffee · Photography · Spain · Travel
![we sat and ate lunch and watched everyone cycle past [film 7]](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2512/4337217209_f7009d0f23.jpg)
We sat and ate our first lunch in Italy just on the outskirts of the old wall surrounding Pisa. It appeared as though every person in Pisa cycled past us through the wall as we had a cold beer, pizza, and of course a coffee.
![pisa [film 7]](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2779/4337217421_3f2e10427a.jpg)
![[film 7]](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2776/4337960718_fd955aae7e.jpg)
Categories: 35mm takumar · Coffee · Film · Italy · Pentax Spotmatic · Photography · SLR · Travel
Just 30-minutes south of Barcelona on the train is a small beach town called Sitges. We ventured down there for the day, enjoying a walk on the beach and a wander around the almost deserted town. It is popular in summer, and popular at carnival time, which had just started that day. Wandering back to the train station we got caught up in the festivities, banging drums, and crazy costumes. Carnival is to celebrate the end of the winter. That, I will definitely celebrate.
We happened to wander into a museum – trying to find a toilet to be frank. Despite this, intrigue led us further and it happened to have a display about Martin Luther King. It got me thinking about a couple of things. How for one small thing can change the course of so many peoples lives. How he did. And how he had come to be what he became: an accumulation of small things. This is why every little thing counts. Be it, taking the bus one less day, or putting that thing in the recycle bin, instead of the rubbish – just as examples. Every little bit counts. It annoys me when people say but I’m only one person, I can’t make a difference. Tell that to Martin Luther King. Tell that to Rosa Parks, tell that to Albert Einstein, tell that to Adolf Hilter. Those are big examples, but we can also look at small ones, or the interconnectedness of everything.
If I ride to work instead of bus, that saves me £80 per month. That is instead spent on other things. It is £80 less to the bus company, and while it is small it affects their balance sheet, and this will affect their decision about how many buses to run, and how often. This in turn affects the amount of diesel fumes pumped into the air, and also how many jobs for those in the bus industry. While it affects employment in a negative sense, that extra £80 I have and am spending elsewhere helps other industries, increasing the need for employment there. Everything is connected, and has an influence, even if it’s one small decision. Because in reality it’s not small, it’s dominoes.
Categories: Canon G10 · Photography · Spain · Travel
On the North East coast is an assemblence of towns. On my last trip up there I went to Whitby and Saltburn-by-the-sea. This time I continued up the coast to Maske, Redcar, and Stockton. It wasn’t a tourist visit this time, but a visit to meet KC’s family. Nonetheless there is always time to hunt out coffee! Did it pass the test? …hell no!
We woke late Saturday morning and could see bright light sneeking through the curtains. Little did we know it wasn’t the sun, but the snow making a bright reflection. After not seeing the snow for 3-weeks it dumped 2-3 inches on Maske, and laid a sprinkling across the beach. Snow on the beach – not a common sight!
Where’s the creme?
Categories: Canon G10 · Coffee · Photography · Travel · UK · [coffee chronicles]
Beside lamp, Barcelona hostel
You never quite know what you are going to get pre-booking hostels or hotels when traveling. That of course is a part of the fun. Moving on the fly, having the unexpected happen, thinking in the moment, and actually having to be right there – in the moment. Our Barcelona hostel was in a great location not too far from La Rambla, in the Exiample district. Each day we trundled down to Cafe de Quiero and had an un cafe tallat, and un cafe con leche, accompanied by the bread fiesta that is croissants of all descriptions. It happened to be the coldest week Barcelona had had in the last 12-months. Perfect timing huh? Either way the city surprised me. I am not sure what I expected, but I didn’t expect what we got, so I left delighted to have been there for the week.
Markets just off La Rambla
While each morning was marked with coffee, each afternoon we hid from the cold wind in a bar to try the local wine and warm our bones.
On Calle Ferran
And I found Moleskine heaven, the complete collection
Categories: Canon G10 · Photography · Spain · Travel
Categories: Canon G10 · Photography · Spain · Travel
Manchester from first sight does not seem that big. It only has a couple of high rise buildings, perhaps making it seem smaller than it is? The day I arrived here on the train I freaked out. I rolled into Piccadilly station and I couldn’t see any high rise buildings. I instantly thought #fuck!# what am I doing moving here, is it a small hick town? I’d never been here, but it seemed like a good idea to move here on a whim. Sometimes these random stick a finger in the air ideas just happen. My settling in Manchester (for my travel base) was the result of three random occurrences, making my finger rise high and test the air: my travel agent raving about it, and applying for two jobs (which I didn’t get) before I left New Zealand, which just happened to be in Manchester – a place I never considered going to, let alone living.
So when I arrived on the train I considered jumping straight back on it and going back to London. Upon departing the station it became clear that this red brick city had deceived me at first sight. When you start exploring the pockets such as China town, each suburb and other parts of the city, then you realise how big it is – twice that of Auckland according to Wikipedia! And how varied it is with each pocket having its own culture, colour and enticements. Seven months on I keep finding new places within places which is typical Manchester – a lot is hidden away behind its big industrial leftovers.
I was told that the first six months is always the hardest when settling into a new country. I wouldn’t necessarily say it was hard, but adventurous and it feels like I’ve lived a few years in this short time so much has happened. I still laugh at how the locals moan it rains too much. It is nothing compared to Auckland, but I do notice that there is a notable lack of sunlight! And that the strength of the sun when it is out, is a meager half the strength of Auckland’s blue sky days that penetrate your soul.
I think it’s important when you live somewhere that you find your niche, connect with it, and then you can find your home anywhere. When I lived in suburbs such as St Heliers, and Ellerslie in Auckland, I hated that city. It wasn’t until I lived in Ponsonby the last 3-years that I felt connected to Auckland, even though I lived there since I was 19. It takes a bit of work to find your place, but it’s worth it as there is no point being a coffee lover and drinking Starbucks. You’ll never quite feel satisfied. The Northern Quarter, and the Buddhist Centre have definitely given me that connection – my Manchester Ponsonby. I’m extremely lucky to have found a flat in this great suburb of the city centre.
A night out in China Town was on the cards with a wee celebration.
Categories: Auckland · Buddhism · Canon G10 · Coffee · Home · Manchester · New Zealand · Photography · Travel · UK
York
Chorlton Park, Manchester
Categories: Canon G10 · Manchester · Photography · Travel · UK
I moved to the UK 6-months ago with an intention to travel, and experience more opportunities in the land of 60-million people. One of my goals was to travel to one place per month, and so far that has been achieved, even if it is somewhere in the UK. I’m conscious that a lot of people do “OE’s” and spend a lot of time in Europe, while living in the UK, and see very little of the UK. The accessibility to Europe is definitely one of the draw cards to living here.
I had 10-days off over Christmas but didn’t go anywhere. It was maintenance time. Time to reflect, look back on the last year, and plan forward. Each day was a nice balance of this, yoga, meditation, and plenty of sleep. It was ideal hibernation weather with the snow falling outside. Being a goal driven person I can get caught up in my things to do list and forget that it is only when you have reflection time, that you really look at these things to do with mindfulness, and perspective. It’s easy to do, and not really think, why am I doing this?
Johnathan Mead had an interesting set of questions on his website for reflection and goal setting so I sat down and did these before a unique New Year at the Manchester Buddhist Centre. We burnt things we wanted to let go off in 2010, which was very cleansing. This also helped put things in perspective for a year of. This year has been a massive year of change, and growth.
Some of my intentions for this year:
Health and fitness
Community, spiritual and friendships
Gadgets
Financial
Creative
Travel
Other
It’s going to be a busy year.
Categories: Books · Buddhism · Happiness · Manchester · Mindfulness · Photography · Success · Travel · UK
One of Manchester’s greatest resources is unfortunately coming to an end. The contemporary museum, the Urbis is going to be taken over by a football museum in February 2010. The Urbis runs walking tours of Manchester. Everything from music record tours, history, gothic history, underground history, and even a Northern quarter tour (including a coffee), for £3-4. They are an amazing experience, 1-1.5 hours of history and commentary making the city come alive. I’ve done a few, and certainly intend to keep ticking them off until the end of January. It is impossible to know the depth of history in Manchester without someone who knows the idiosynchroncies of a particular post box, or building that now looks like any other building.
Often as I walk and hear the commentaries I think of the irony around my coming here. The industrial revolution was the main cause of the mass exodus from the UK to Australia, and New Zealand. In other words, the reason I grew up in New Zealand. And here I am ‘back in Manchester.’
Categories: Manchester · Travel · UK
