I have a theory

Planes and size. Number of steps up is a good proxy of size. Jumbo has lifts. 737 had about 20. The little plane outside I am flying on has 3. Aha one for each of my manx legs.

Sunday in Monochrome

Sunday in Monochrome, originally uploaded by kenclarewls.

Sunday Afternoon self portrait

Man flu leads to lack of posts

Title says it all. I feel like poo.

Been to condition management this week Also started my Beating the blues CBT course. Happy days. Too fed up to do the homework. Done my hours at the Sefton Suite which included a Staff meeting and a PR meeting.Started manipulating Rome files for posting to flickr.

Sistine Chapel

Sistine Chapel Wasnt allowed to take pics

IMG_3146 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

IMG_3146 on Flickr - Photo Sharing! Roman Holiday the first snaps the unmodified jpgs

The First Emperor: China's Terracotta Army

The First Emperor: China's Terracotta Army Gonna have me some of that

At the Vatican

Swiss Army dude

4 ladies on the spanish steps

Back to hotel

After souvenir shopping and a rest. Found a banl and a local restaurant/ pizzeria where we had a good meal and time for bed.

Friday - a funny thing happened on the way to the forum

Up late as a policy. Sorted taxi for tomorrow with antonio carlucci lookalike. Breakfasted at a caff run by chinese ladies with slot machines. Had pastries fresh oj and coffee. Farehopped the metro from termini to coliseum. Queued for about 20 mins got in (lovely day) and we were truly overwhelmed by the place. Scale, perspective, engineering, touching the stuff of history - blew me away. Want to watch gladiator when we get home. Absolutely amazing place.

Thursday.

Got into the Vatican museum and it was worth the wait. Only complaint half a day was nowhere near enough to skim it. Some of the painings blew me away. The map room was stunning. The sistine chapel was dimly lit but awe inspiring none the less. The carriage room waqs shut so were a a lot od display cupboards by the time we were hurried out. Top musuem the egyptian section was outstanding.
Got the metro to spagna where we had a panini in a caff followed by a delicious gelato. The sun was nice I sat and people watched as Jean shopped. Back to republica drink and bog stop in ronald mcd's. Got a a grauniad and away home. In the pm went across the road to the restaurant golden grapes. Pricey gaff. I did mussels and clams jean did sliced prawn. Jean had some beef and I did a delicious baked lamb (with complimentary kidney and liver attached). Jean had a lemon sobet with lemon wodka and I had a neapolitan tart. It tasted a bit like toilet duck smells. Pricey meal and so back home.

In the queue for vatican museum

Well at least we know its open had to walk past front door and fifteen minutes of queue. In between a scandavian couple and three polish castratos. All nations are represented here. We made an early breakfast and jumped the metro from republica to cipro using yesterdays tickets. My paranoia of picpocketsa and anything new continues. Rain comes down a plenty.

Vatican

Got the 64 from termini to st peters. Got off at wrong stop. Gobsmacked at Square them moreso by basilica where there was a mass going on. Photographic extravaganza. Overawed. Then to papal post office, posted cards and meandered to the vatican museum which had just shut. Got ripped off in a tourist cafe over the road. Foot sore and Jean bought some plasters. Went back and queued to get back in to St peters this time we headed for the papal tombs. Italian queues are tough places. The tombs were the tops. Saw JPII's tomb which was popular. Would have liked a history book and slower pace. Saw some swiss guards. Went back into the basilica and took more pics.
Got the 64 home waited ages and I was cold. When it came it was the most crowded bus in christendom. We were wrestling. There was a young couple who seemed to be enjoying the physical proximity rather too much. Much raised tempers too. Went to the station had a hot chocolate which was basically a hot chocolate mousse. Then found a chinese signed from the station. Risorgimento was cheap cheerful and a cheese free zone. Really enjoyed the dim sun and dicipus mains the translation was a treat too. Home via supermarket rang ally and resting tired feet. I need an early night. I am cream crackered.

We are off to Popeland

Getting up early evades us again. Mad dreams punctuate my sleep (??too much cheese). See evidence of other residents in breakfast room this am. Usual continental stuff complete ablutions then on the road. Beware benedict here we come.

Tuesday 2

>From the church sat in sun for a bit then spied teatro di marcello remains. Then portico d'ottavia funky work in progress former fish market. So many roman sites you get a bit yeah yeah. Then through the jewish quarter up the argentina gaff and 64 bsck to termini. Saw street drinkers and the roman bargain booze. Got a times. Went back to The hotel jean had a kip.
Went out for pizza in no 39 our street. Didn't feel able to walk far. Jean had mozarella and proscuttio, followed veal escallopes with lemon. I had mushroom fettucine, follwed by squid and prawn. Waiter was good at english till there was a problem. He wasn't impressed he didn't get his tip the house had already taken 10%. It was a pricey for what it was meal back to room room blog and bed. Night night.

Rome Tuesday.

Woke up (after alarm going off twice) at 9.45 we were the last into breakfast. Cheese bread ham croissants coffee juice. Trotted down to museum nazionale romano terme diocleziano. Museum on the old bath site. Even the front garden was stunning with more romano artefacts than the whole of Britain. Paid €9 esch for a 3 day pass to a couple of museums. Entered the bookshop then the display about epigraphy (writing) like. Impressive stuff. Then a stroll round a michaelangelo cloistered garden stuffed to the gunnels with roman gear. Then checked out the sculptures in the middle. Back into the museum for a couple of galleries of protohistory (the pre roman times). Top cemetery and ritual finds my fave was the hut urn - a little house for your ashes. Out of there and over to the termini bus station. Negotiated purchase of a map and all day ticket. Got the 64 to via del plebiscito and mooched to the stunning pantheon and the piaza della rotunda. Sat in the sun. Even stunning was the inside of this old church with a concrete roof with a hole in. Took two pics. Trotted then to piazza navona lovely sunny square with two fountains obelisk tourists cafes artists and sellers.
Then mooched along and took our lunch in l'insalataricca www.linsalatarica.it vittorio emmanuel branch. Top nosh. I had green and white pasta with cream ham and peas. Followed by fishermans salad. Jean had sundried tomatoes and cream cheese on toast followed by house salad (nicoise type).
Walked up ruins at teatro argentina saw the cats and the drunks. Jumped a tram down to the river. Got off at the other side on ponte garibaldi walked down to ponte cestio over to isola tiberina (island). Checked out this small looking church which was called chesa di san bartolomen (now a basilica) it was a wow. Despite miserable git sweeping floor I managed to snap the church and one of the roof.

When in Rome.

Awoke at 3.30 and left house semi comatose at 4.15. I really woke up speaking to a nice lady at Ryan air check in. Then went up for brekkie in the Aintree caff. Joined queue got on our 737-800 and took off. Arrived early jean kipped I had a cup of tea and worried about the wings engines etc. Arrived in ciampino and boarded the Terravison bus €14 return to termini station. We walk from there to the hotel brasile on via palestro. Its hot, we are dry. Shown to room by charming man, comfy and functional.
Mooch off down street and see big ole in the ground. This is the back of the basilica santa maria d'angelo which michealangelo grafted a church on to the impressive diocletian baths (like roman stuff). We wandered off and ad dinner at the pizza trattiora plqace mentioned earlier. Jean opened with deep fried courgette flower and ended with pasta in salmon sqauce. I did a mini deep fried cheese and anchovies pizza followed byva bruschetta with ham mush room and anchovies. Went to look at the diocletoian museum ( shut mondays). Jumped on train spied coliseum. Impressive. Got back on train small kip. Went for walk got lost saqw interesting sights. They included courts saw preidential palaqce some nice archaelogicical sitesthen on building romans revile then up vis del corso enjoyed the trevvi fountain nd the looked for qa gaff to eat www.trattoriatritone.com top meal. Jeqn hqad carpaccio of beef and roman chicken I had canneloni and veal chop. Tiramisu (sin alcool) and qa coffee back home and foot sore.

Monday lunch

www.cucinanazionale.com

Tchibo - Tie Hanger

Tchibo - Tie Hanger I know I am sad but my worthy tie collection needs a good hanger. I much prefer the German word krawattenbugel (umlaut on U).
Wo is meine krawattenbugel?

Parkway

Homage to Kierans favourite railway station.

No dumping here

Special relevance to people with the RNY

Local Pub for local people

Always been a shit house the Allerton, the manor and now born again as the parkway. Mind I went off it someone put an axe through a table.

A post op Shakespeare

I arrived at Parkway

Surprised to see it was empty

Gucci

Gucci tie

Birmingham to liverpool

Bought a crusty nudger and bottle of diet coke. Platform change and on to the liverpool train a sullen hussy had stolen my seat I let her be. Git opposite me is drinking lager and it smells hoppy. Hobart made from australian hops it says. Sorted my ticket read some of mu books and listened to more music. Now in crewe. Ally isn't well she is going to to the walkin at old swan. I am fceeling kind of buttied out. Want some hot fried squid or similar I think.

Wednesday funeral and journey

Woke up a bit hung over from pills between 7.30and 8.15 mooched down to the basement restaurant. Juice coffee and juice of feb veg or kippers. I went for full english. Top sausage and bacon with mushrooms egg tomato and hash brown. Very nice back upstairs and on to the web. Farted about trying to sort some probs with posting anomalies. Spoke to Bob up north. Think I helped the problem. Down in reception after ablutions in good time to be picked up by Ian michelle (bellysmackers) other half. Sound couple. Then off to the cathedral for Donnas requiem mass it was a full on full mass doo. Performed by a family friend it had it all. The Bristol catholic cathedral obviously was knocked up with bits left after paddys wigwam was built. Concrete and glass 1970. Very cold but very nice. Couldn't find anywhere to light a votive candle. Then it was off to an internment at Bristol South cemetery. Then we went to the parish club at sarton for a butty and a cup of tea. Met a few members of the local groujp and contemplated my own mortality. Touched by the involvement of Donna children and it was clear the celebrant was close family friend. Got a lift back to Bristol temple meads and made it with a minute to spare. On to the train evicted a seat napper bagged a brew and spoke nicely to the guard. He was understanding about my railcard situation for which I paid a fiver for a replacement on the phone today. Blogged and listened to my ipod. Got 20 minutes at New street after I arrive at 17.57.

Bristol

Arrived Bristol Templemeads on time. After what seemed an age got a taxi to the Clifton hotel nice guy of a taxi driver. Funny hotel old posh slavery money built georgian mansion coversion I think. I was in the executive single room 74 on the third floor. What a pokey hole. Fruit bowl cd fridge telly single bed tiny bathroom. Sparse but functional. Mooched around whiteladies road. Ended eating in a chinese called the mandarin. Very nice mature lady waitress. She offered me warming tea, and recommended fried qiud in salt and pepper for warm belly. I went for it. Feeling a new sense of adventure I went for mixed seafood with vegetables and ho fun noodles. Ho fun means rice pasta she told me. She seemed incredibly dissapointed that I couldn't eat more. Mooched home jumped a cab - strangely same driver as before. Conclusion big coincidence or small one horse town. Back to hotel and on to net. Website stuff ring vineeta and do a bit of camera mag reading. Slept incredibly well.

Auntie pats funeral

Pat has been there all my life seemed surreal to be carrying her coffin into the crematorium. The bearer party was me and michael (we were the smallest) the twins (pats grandsons) steve and John. I felt honoured to be asked. It wsas scary and I was frightened of dropping the coffin. We didn't and we placed her gently on the catafalque (sp).

Aunie pats funeral

Pat has been there all my life seemed surreal to be carrying her coffin into the crematorium. The bearer party was me and michael (we were the smallest) the twins (pats grandsons) steve and John. I felt honoured to be asked. It wsas scary and I was frightened of dropping the coffin. We didn't and we placed her gently on the catafalque (sp).

Lack of sugar and panic

I haven't done well loooking at my last post its full of typos. Time is passing slow. The delicios buffet car is wooing me with the thought of a cheeseburger and a can of cider. Probably not a good idea. Ticket man still hasn't come to discuss my dilemma I start to panic about the way home already. Trapped in Bristol (aarrghh) what a nightmare. The family would have to arrange for a medical evacuation. (I doubt the one pound travel insurance will cover it). The firm will probably claim being a tosser is a pre-exsisting condition I didn't declare when I booked. They just need to get ally to testify.

So why am I here? I don't mean existensitially but on a train to Bristol (Temple Meads). I am going to a members funeral. Its in Bristol cathedral tomorrow am. I am booked into the clifton hotel. Which is on st pauls road near the whiteladies road. Will need to eat after sussing out room.
Girls out at ma in laws.
Guard has been he didn't bat an eyelid. Git.

Fugitive at large

Man on train in posession of invalid ticket. I have lost my disabled railcard. The lady on the Liverpool train was understanding. Me I am having panic attacks a plenty. She told me to approach the guard before I got on the train, it was at the wrong platform. I was tempted to throw myself under the train to catch attention content myself with panic attacks and feeling too sick to to eat. I selfr prescribe a nedicinal kit kat (4 bar).

5000+ Days - David & Charles

5000+ Days - David & Charles Bought this from Waterstones with my book tokens

Got this one too "photo idea index" by http://www.jimkrausedesign.com/ . Coped a meeting and then went for my interview with Yvonne my Case manager on the

NHS Blog Doctor: It's not difficult, Mr Blair

NHS Blog Doctor: It's not difficult, Mr Blair I listened to the crap that Blair was spouting when interviewed Today this morning (good job I was only half awake). Here is Dr Crippens take on it, incisive as ever.