Something I Didn’t See in Croatia

Try as I might, I never found the Centaur.

I wonder if I should tell them they spelled it wrong?


I was expecting something a bit more like this:

(It’s like I’m taunting you, isn’t it? Here’s ONE picture from Croatia…but not the whole bit!)

Look What I Won!

This arrived Tuesday.


I entered a contest the past several weeks from the Times Educational Supplement. The winner each week received a picnic hamper. Evidently, I must have won last week! I am now the proud owner of a Picnic at Ascot picnic hamper. Yeah, it’s actually a picnic backpack, but look at all it came with!

That would be:
1 backpack with insulated food compartment
2 plates
2 sets of forks, knives, and spoons
2 goblets
2 cloth napkins
2 mugs
1 set of salt and pepper shakers
1 wooden cheese board
1 cheese knife
1 corkscrew/knife/bottle opener tool
1 bottle stopper
1 insulated thermos
1 insulated wine bottle carrier

According to the tag, ‘All backpacks and coolers are insulated and constructed from a strong but lightweight 600-denier polyester, making them both water and stain resistant.’ Wow! 600-denier! That’s like twice as good as plain old 300-denier.

Plus, it says it’s ‘For all seasons, for all occasions’!

And if you’d like to order one yourself, just go to www.picnicatascot.co.uk or here.

Blimey! Now I suppose I have to go picnic someplace…

The Notting Hill Carnival

Billed as ‘The Largest Street Fair in Europe,’ the Notting Hill Carnival is an extravaganza of people...

food...


...and music.

It’s loud. Very loud. See this stack of speakers?

That’s a small stack. And there were two more sets hooked up along with this one. And that’s just in one small block. It’s more common for there to be several competing sound systems in each block.
Some even bring along an elaborate set-up to go along with it.

This blue guy was part of that set-up.

There are also elaborate costumes.






In the end, I didn’t stay too long. It was just too loud.

What I learned from my Kit Kat bar

Thank goodness for chocolate. I mean, my goodness. Were it not for this helpful candy bar and its useful advice, who knows what I may have thought I was?

A Taste of Croatia

Until the pictures are ready, here are a few to tide you over.

Saturday in London

I started off by heading towards the Tower Bridge.


I was planning on going to the Design Museum (I’ve only been trying to get there since February). But, I got sidetracked by this:


It’s called Dreamscape 2005 and it’s a huge, inflatable art installation. Well, I’m certainly not one to miss a huge, inflatable art installation, so I paid my £5, took off my shoes, and put on a bright red tunic. (Really.)


Before I tell you what I walked into, you need to see the surroundings again.

It’s a grey day. There’s construction around. It’s in this gravel lot called Potter’s Field. Behind me is Tower Bridge and lots of traffic.

Then, I walked in to this:


It’s this amazing space filled with nothing but colour to wander through and explore. There are relaxing background sounds which mask the outside noise. It’s completely unreal.













Afterwards, I finally made it to the Design Museum.

There is one floors devoted to the design of modern life and one floor showcasing highlights of European Design, including this interesting exhibit of light bulbs in water called Flood:


There is also an exhibit of the Evolution of Surfboards.

Later, I went to a performance of a play called Letters of War, performed on the HMS Belfast by the National Youth Theatre.

After that, I noticed a large cruise ship heading towards the Tower Bridge.












I also took these pictures.