The Last Days of Disco

2006-08-31T03:38:00.000-07:00

Please find below lots of photo's from the 'Great Ocean Road' (GOR). The GOR is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Australia and as such comes with high expectations. It is impressive and the photos will account for that, but the most visited spot is the Twelve Apostles and the first few photos are evidence of what its like going to see them.

Yes its grumpy old man time!

Now I don't expect to have the place to myself, but Australias a big place and this was ridiculous...... Okay take photos but why not take them of the amazing scenery instead of each other in the middle of the path.... for hours.....

one or two tourists taking photos

and a few more

the.... hold on

the... of ffs

THE 12 APPOSTLES WOO HOO!

Not an Appostle

Lots of water

Not the '12' but no-one in the way

The road itself

Australia 2006 Warrnambool

2006-08-30T04:45:00.000-07:00

And so to Warrnambool, start of the great ocean road and home of Mr Robbie Beard. Multiple Choice Robbie to those unfortunate to have known him in that stage.

This included me hiring a car, which was to be an astra but I got upgraded to a tank. Me and 3.2 litres V6 of fun, of course I stuck to the speed limit religously.

Warrnambool was most notable for the 80's night at Robbie's Aussie Rules footy club - an experience to day the least

3.2 litre V6!!!

Grrrr

The open road

Mr Robbie Beard

Outfits almost as good as the camera work

Australia 2006 Adelaide

2006-08-30T03:45:00.000-07:00

Unfotunately the best pics from Adelaide did not save properly so I have not got many left. Whats below is a brief summary of a top week. The Weekend was a bit of a blow out due to the worst Jet lag I have ever had, still managed two nights out and a trip to the german town of Harndorff (not to be missed) on Sunday.

The Adelaide Devils pictured below are the hottest Basketball outfit south of Darwin, but I has to watch them get tonked 42-6. News just off the press of a big win tonight 30/6/06.

Later in the week Paddy and Amy Bowler took me wine tasting in the Maclaern Vale. Lots of cheap but fantastic plonk and a mean steak sandwich.

Star Centre

Mean Machine

less than £2 per litre

expertly done

Paddy Bowler

This is how I live

2006-06-21T04:50:00.000-07:00

8am - rise, make cup of tea, read
9am - make seond cup of tea
11am - wonder into town for a coffee and watch ugly germans walking about
Mid-day - read football news on tinternet
1pm - back to Kamp Tenis for lunch, think about going for a run
2pm - swim in the sea with naked ugly Germans, think about going for a run
4pm - think about going for a run, go to sleep for a couple of hours instead
6pm - think ab.... oh sod it finally make myself go for a run
7pm - cook dinner
8pm - head for town to catch last game of the day
11pm- bedtime

this I have done with little change for the whole of June. It only varies depeding on which World cup games I want to watch, in these cases substitute swiming, sleeping or running for sitting in a bar.

Pictures are drying up because I really have not been anywhere or done anything that I have not posted before, I will try harder.

Tour De Brac

2006-06-17T01:54:00.000-07:00

Day 15 in the Big Brother Tent and the house mate had another England game to watch. I am not going to start about the England perfromance, suffice to say we celebrated in the much practiced style of pool at Moby Dicks then a drunken meal. All jolly good fun.

The following day to avoid the hang over I decided to explore the island' so I hired a.... well lets call it a two wheeled car for mothers sake. It was a great day in the end beautifull weather and empty roads meant that I was more than happy just riding round the coastal roads. I stopped in the town of Sumartin for lunch on a jetty with the most amazing view of the harbour and the sea. I had Tuna and potatoes and though they cremated the Tuna on the grill overall the meal was more than acceptable costing little more than 4 pounds.

Then it was back on the Ped to scoot off round the island once more, passing through some fairly non-descript if pretty little towns along the way. On my tourist map that had the main attractions marked, was a town called Dol. All there was to indicate the attraction of the place was a wine barrel a glass and some grapes, that sounds like my kind of place I thought.

Dol is a tiny little village tucked away at the back end of a valley which is reached by a single track road lined on either side by vine yards. In the Village I discovered 'Konoba Toni' pretty much Toni's Place directly translated. At Toni's, Toni pours the wine straight from big urns at the back of the restaurant. There is nothing like riding throught the vineyards and trying some of the produce at the end, even if in all honesty the wine was not up to much. Its all in the expreience I suppose, I was suffuciently enamoured to buy a litre of the plonk (costing just under 2 pounds). I ended up sat on the terrace reading and snacking on a plate of white bait (with mashed Courgete?!?) which Toni kindly knocked together (not to bang on about price but it only cost 3 quid). It was when Bruce called me to see how I was getting on and I explained my situation that I felt a bit guilty with my own indulgence. Some how I managed to overcome this.

By the time I had ridden home and caught the first half of Mexico vs Angola (not stop roller coaster ride that one, it was as painful as watching England), I was completely wiped out. The plan today is pretty open, I am in Supetar at the moment, but I am genuinely thinking of going to Toni's for lunch again. he has the football on too. Great place Croatia.

I love Tea

Reading

Vara Dero

Post football friends

Lunch

and the view

Sea

the open road

Dol

View from Toni's

Fishy

Lots of Vino

my Vino

Toni

This way

The hog

Born to ride

Time for bed

Go Aussie

2006-06-14T04:24:00.000-07:00

Justifying that even the convicts can show us how its done. Still it gave me the excuse to hang out with a bunch of understandably pleased Aussies for the night.

Weather has thoroughly picked up all of this week, it likes to cloud over for a couple of hours and we even had some rain yesterday but this is a nice relief for the steaming heat.

The major flaw in my plan to watch every single world cup match is the lack of a tv in my tent. The tent is lacking in other areas..... no shower, kitchen, underfloor heating, enough room to stand up straight (even on my knees). Not that I am getting slightly tired of life under canvass, but my back is! So watching football includes sitting in a bar, I am becoming master of making a 60p coffee last 45 mins.

Croatia game last night was a blow out after the Kaka goal though Croatia were clearly the better side in the second half. Everyone went home after the game understandably but that suited me as I seem to be inventing a reason to avidly support at least one country every day (for 'avidly support' read 'drink beer'). Not that the overall detox is going bad but after last nights game at the Moby Dick I discovered I did not have enough cash to cover my tab (a massive 3.20 pounds) J the barman waived me off with a 'pay me tomorrow Sam'.

They'll miss me when I am gone.

2006-06-14T04:03:00.000-07:00

Kamp Tenis Laundry Service

Simpsons Sky

Slatni Rat (check out that water)

Slatni Rat #2 (check out the hunk)

Centre Court Kamp Tenis

Dinner with well mannered Aussies

Moby Dicked

Birthday Wishes

2006-06-14T03:58:00.000-07:00

Many happy returns to Samantha, sorry I'm not there to celebrate. There's a Cocktail with your name on it when I get back though.

doo doo doo doo Shaka Hislop

2006-06-11T12:17:00.000-07:00

Of course my affection for those plucky underdogs T&T is well documented. I have been backing them all the way, the dark horses of group B. They have everything..... Dwight Yorke, he used to be really good in the dark ages when he played for Man City.... and they have this white guy (yes White!) who plays for Scunthorpe or Bristol City or Newcastle or someone crap anyway....... and they have the mighty SHAKA. Who after completing his mission to play for all 92 league clubs in his career (despite being decidedly average at all of them), has decided to take the world cup by storm. Apparently being all blonde and superior isn't enough to get past a 90yr old journey man keeper even when the opposition is needlessly reduced to ten men. Sweden put in a lack lustre performance, let down by a handful of ageing not, match fit, supposed 'world class players'.....remind you of anyone?

Only the ultra pessimistic English can be quite so negative about winning and being two points clear at the top of the group after the first game. A win against plucky dark horses of the group T&T will virtualy put us through. Yes I think that a few of our players could watch the video of Luton midfielder Carlos Edwards commited performance or even OAP Dwight Yorkes for that matter. In the end we won.

So I celebrated.

Watching the game in the imaginatively named 'Cocktail Bar' which as it go sat fourth in my list of potential venues, but as I passed it to get cash out there appeared to be 20-30 brits in place and a spare seat right down the front. Golden. I took my seat next to a couple down the front, Sally and her Serbian boyfriend Brian. Well his name started with a B and ended in a N and had an incomprehensible mix of vowels in the middle so I called him Brian. Being a happy go lucky chap who had lived in the uk since fleeing the war as a refugee in the early nineties Brian overlooked me calling him Brian and we proceeded to thoroughly enjoy the game. Sally was more of the 'we're playing in white aren't we?' supporter but was having fun too.

After the game we watched the T&T (plucky dark horse etc) vs Svvvveden YA! in the Moby Dick playing pool then on to the best restaurant in town to buy a fish the size of Moby Dick and drink lots of wine. All this was organised by Brian who is of fluent in the local language, very handy indeed, he ordered some shots of paint stripper mixed with rocket fuel to 'wake us up'. Wake me up it did, it also means that I can't remember getting home and a minute of the Argy vs whoever they were playing (which was on in the restaurant). Fish was nice though, I think, looks nice in the picture eh!

In other news Anglo-Sausage relations on the campsite are going well, one of them even lent me his frying pan. All I need to do is get him to stop walking around in just sandles and multli-coloured speedo's (he's 60..... not pretty) and we will be away. Apart from that, those who follow my ever fluctuating weight will be pleased to hear that I have shed about half a stone of weight.

More tomorrow, I have sacrificed the first half of Angola vs Portugal already. Must watch football....its been almost 3 hrs!!

Pictures

2006-06-11T11:57:00.000-07:00

Pictures seperately (in an experiment)

England hopefuls vs Paraguay hopeless

1-0 v.pleased

Sally and Brian

Imaginatively named 'Cocktail Bar'

As drunk as we look (before meal)

Grrr

Big fish

Surrender

I can hardly think

2006-06-10T05:05:00.000-07:00

The moment has come, 2 years since the last disappointment and we are all back again ready to have our hopes dashed. But wait maybe not this time, maybe just this once I can support the winning side. Apart from the Zenith Data Syatems (email Pete for explanation Sharon) that is some thing that appears to allude me. Still I believe and I'll be there cheering my arse off like a lunatic. I'm even growing to like Crouch.

Some numbers for you, because I am getting too excited to think of much else to put:

Days: 10
Sunglasses: 3 (long story but if I break or lose this pair I squint)
Books: 4
Football matches: 3
Germans: 17 (on campsite)
Englishman met in Bol: 1 (Brendon)

Shit I am just going to sort out these photos and then go and take my seat, theres only 2 hours till kick off.

Please just this once let it be me.

Come on the boys

Whats the story

Morning Glory

FFS

Books

high st Bol

World Cup Fever

Poland vs Equador

Brendon

D-1 one more sleep till football heaven

2006-06-08T08:18:00.000-07:00

I have just spent the last two days in Hvar Town on Hvar Island (pronounced Var, endless opportunities for puns but it depends how var your willing to take it).

The next island along from Bol is a life time away in terms of tourism and nightlife. I met a couple of Aussies on the boat over and many many more in the town itself. The boat only cost about a pound but we were met on the harbour by lots of pleased looking cabbies telling us 'bus broken'. Apparently a reasonable charge to cross the island is about a tenner they were charging 30 pounds as there was no other way across the island from where the ferry docked, they like their closed markets over here!

Hvar is an ancient town with history everywhere including a citadel on the top of the hill. I was staying at a hostel called Green Lizard which turned out to be a clean and friendly place with lots of Aussies around for entertainment value.

It was cloudy all yesterday which is why the photos will look a bit dull. Hvar is the trendy place to park your yacht and go for a cocktail at the Ibiza-esque 'Carpa Diem' bar, and when in rome...

Had to come back via Split due to a weird ferry system that kind of only goes one way. Back in Bol no to get my house in order before settling down in front of a telly for the next month.

Sunny Hvar

Green Lizard

Newish Church (ie built in AD)

Seriously old church (ie older than nan)

View from the Citadel

Stuffing face whilst I wait for the rain to stop

Arty Shot

Hostel living

Carpa Diem

Scaling Vodiva Gora

2006-06-05T10:27:00.000-07:00

On the first truely hot day I have had I decided to climb the mountain behind the campsite. Setting off about two hours too late I ended up climbing in the midday sun. mother will be pleased to know I lugged both a jumper and a rain coat on the 6 mile round trip in 30 degree heat, well the weather has been changeable and you never know.

I was pursued up the path by a group of Germans, its difficult to do anything here with out being accompanied by Germans. Current numbers on the campsite are: 17 germans (all in camper vans), 4 Italians and little ole me. I reckon if it comes down to it the Croatian guy who runs the site will back me up and hes called Darko (no really) so he must be hard.

reaching the top was worth it even if it invloved negotiating several fences. On the fences were signs that could have said anything (my Croatian aint so strong) ranging from 'this way please' to 'Fools and Germans only'. The view was amazing and I even put up with being dive bombed by massive green beetles who thought that my hat was a big flower.

At the summit there is a cafe ( and a road that the Germans can drive their camper vans up - smug gits). In said cafe I was unsurprised though understandably miffed to pay the best part of a pound fifty for a small bottle of water. Let me explain that water does not cost that here, cars dont cost that much here, i pointed this out to matey in the cafe and got blank look that was somewhere between totally not caring/understanding what I thought and 'do you see any other places to buy water here?

There was supposed to be an alternate route back down tking in some of the coast so I enlisted the help of a handy German (theres a few about) to ask matey to take time off from jangling my coins and looking pleased with himself to tell me where it was. According to the Water Mafia the alternate route was not safe because of snakes. Now lets get this straight i could not imagine that the other path would be entirely dissimilar to the one that I had just come up. Certainly it would be pretty damn hard for a snake to know which path he was terrorising. I asked matey how much time he had spent checking the path I had taken for snakes to come to the conclusion that one was open and did this have anything to do with having to meet the water sales targets of his water mafia don corleone? Cue same look as before but with more not understanding.

Finally after acertining that it was not possible to handglide back to the campsite. I decended safely down the snake strewn path the way I had come. Crocodile Dundee would be proud.

I am now coming to terms with the fact that I am camping in a country that has snakes.

Due to the Kamp Tenis being the slowest on record this is the only photo it will let you have

On the left (in the distance) (terrible photo)

Idiot

Chair lift perhaps?

None Shall Pass or Stright on you're doing well?

Here snakes lie

Croatias Beetroot Army

Croatia 0 Poland 1

2006-06-04T11:22:00.000-07:00

After a spirited performance in the first half my adoptive country went down to a soft header from a corner. The 'guys' from Moby Dick were obviously distraught, well I say obviously the only words of English they knew between them were Rooney and Metertarsel but i got the impression they were miffed.

Cracked rissotto at the first time of asking last night, its just badly cooked rice after all. Okay what I ate you wouldn't except in a restaurant but it was a shit load better than the steak stuffed with cheese and ham I had tonight. Steak turned out to be pork and it was so tough i spilt my drink trying to cut it. I was only eating out because I forgot it was Sunday and the shops were shut.

Sun came out this afternoon which will become a mixed blessing tomorrow when I am due to scale the Adriatics highest peak (the more astute of you will obviously comment that as an ocean the Adriatic is not known for its mountains, but don't shoot the messenger I speak the words of the Rough Guide). At 778m Vidova Gora rises out of the sea from Bol, in fact Kamp Tenis is the ideal start point for an accent. pictures to follow tomorrow wish me luck.

Cro-a-tian Red and White Army!

Imperial Croatia

Room with a view

Sunny Croatia

2006-06-03T08:28:00.000-07:00

A third day of rain is further dampening the camping spirit but the purchase of a second saucepan has opened up a vast number of cooking options, so not all bad.

I treated myself to a night on the tiles last night as it was Friday and I was hoping to expand my conversation to something beyond 'cappucino please'. This was achieved by teaming up with a group of squadies on their last night of leave before returning to Bosnia.

Bol is not exactly kicking on a Friday night but it was fun and helped me sleep through the storm last night!

Bring on the sunshine.

Britains finest

This much I know

2006-06-02T06:31:00.000-07:00

Camping is more fun with camping equipment

As I move into the second day of my experiment to see if 40 quid tents are water proof, I am starting to think that a month after canvass might not have been the cleverest option. The sun madea brief appearance today over lunch leading to a flurry of photographs the result of which can be seen below.

To explain I had a brief jaunt round Split on my first full day and having taken in the Dolectian Palace, a wierd crumbling Roman ruin where due to years of neglect houses have been built in between vast pillars and Cathederals, I decided it was time to Split myself (lol).

My target had always been the islands off the coast and Split was relatively expensive and crowded so I hopped on a ferry to the island of Brac and caught the bus to a small town called Bol.

Here I checked into the imaginatively named Kamp Tenis (its next to the tennis club), its got an awesome view for me to wake up to and it is nice and clean so it could well be home for a while. A short walk down the path is the most famous beach in Croatia 'Zlatni Rat' but I have not been down ot it as it has been raining nearly constantly since I got here. Further on is Bol a small fishing town where I have discovered the real reason for staying here. I have found a Bar (called Moby Dicks), that has a big screen outside. In the picture it looks like a flagpole in a flower bed, but I have been promised by Petra (amongst other things) that it will have every game shown on it!

Now this of course has reduced my'where to watch the football' panic levels to 2-3 but they will never get below that as I still have to worry about these jonny foreigner tv stations cocking up open the day.

Right I am off to pray for sunshine and think of dishes you can cook with one saucepan (purchased yesterday).

Roman Ruins, Split

Ruins/building site

They liked it so much they stayed

Kamp Tenis

Flag pole, flower bed, football, genius

Mefor the next month!

Leaving Las Vegas

2006-05-31T11:44:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone for a great send off, you all made my time in the tuns really special.

I'll add more photos later.......

Goodbye to the Tuns

Hello Croatia

Welcome to the Three Tuns

2006-02-23T08:23:00.000-08:00

So I have been sitting at the end of this bar for six months now, thought it was about time that I let the rest of the world in on the fun! As I have come to accept that people are useless at visiting me at the pub I thought I would start a blog to show you what is going on, and boy let me tell you there is a lot happening (current customer count:1 total for day:6).

This week I have mostly been working as I will be all weekend too. It's the end of the month so nobody has any money which means it is even quieter than normal in the day.

Anyway here are some pics to get us started........

Christian science reading room

It was very quiet in the summer

The Castle opposite the pub

And they knew it was a sign

Look customers!