tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31851195234816722932024-03-08T11:33:52.086+00:00Contrary TowersVictoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13459548281281231817noreply@blogger.comBlogger324125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3185119523481672293.post-1686931654503994222023-07-29T17:01:00.001+01:002023-07-29T17:01:05.550+01:00How can you change your fitness at 50?<p>Here are some things I've been doing recently!</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Trying out an alternative diet and lifestyle</li><li>Challenging myself with new workouts </li><li>Enjoying coffee in new locations!</li><li>Becoming 50 years old!</li></ul><p></p><p>I've been needing a new perspective for a while now; change can be a terrifying positive! To reimagine the words of Shakespeare, "some are born amidst change, some achieve change, and others have change thrust upon them". Being the agent of your own change is a challenge, which is why the 3-month fitness regime last year was useful. But what happens when you are told you *must* make changes?</p><p>In my case, it was dietary. Diets are a PITA because unless there is some kind of end goal, what's the point? I'm hopeless at sticking with them because life always gets in the way. But what happens if ill-health gets in the way of life? After a scary seizure back in May, I did the whole health check-up thing and discovered low blood pressure and high cholesterol levels. </p><p>So what have I changed?</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV_uEfaCvXUxHzbTBHku--n9V5-ikLdC5Rg8vYFDBh793_2MsaxYqW75r8dzDKyUeyc8cTSFm_YR0z8dhi9MR9sYMlgtITlsmfoeAR2Tk-_BVp-xadNvb-QxfBxcrFEwra_YqAfIeV7OTZ9HbG0MC8W6MOmG8dBRAr5ijZYCDy6lptBLNJ0BubYtQLXCo/s1920/quinoa%20fritters.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="quinoa patties" border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV_uEfaCvXUxHzbTBHku--n9V5-ikLdC5Rg8vYFDBh793_2MsaxYqW75r8dzDKyUeyc8cTSFm_YR0z8dhi9MR9sYMlgtITlsmfoeAR2Tk-_BVp-xadNvb-QxfBxcrFEwra_YqAfIeV7OTZ9HbG0MC8W6MOmG8dBRAr5ijZYCDy6lptBLNJ0BubYtQLXCo/w180-h320/quinoa%20fritters.JPG" width="180" /></a></div>Of course, I could maintain a dietary status quo and simply take medication. It would be the easy way out. Eating in the traditional Croatian way isn't inherently unhealthy because it is fresh, homemade, and wholesome. Cheese, meat, ham, fish, eggs, baked goods, butter, mayonnaise, oils, and so many veggies - inherently, nothing wrong with all of those, in moderation. But my system struggles with meat and it has taken time to admit this!!<p></p><p>But why should my health suffer because I'm too anxious to please, to clear my plate, and to not cause trouble!? It's a choice, isn't it? How do I achieve healthy cholesterol level changes? By taking control and being responsible for my health.</p><p>A librarian will always hit the books to find some proper information about this. September's health programme taught me the importance of protein to build muscle and maintain fitness. I needed inspiration and I wanted to understand more of the science behind dietary fat. How do you plan meals and food shopping trips? I cannot afford to fail this so I need something that I can stick with. </p><p>I'm uncompromising on milk in my tea and coffee - but all the other dairy is out. This is what I took away from the reading I did - here is my daily food plan </p><p>Breakfast options</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Protein powder, seasonal fruit, cucumber, plant-based milk, oats, peanut butter - this is a massive breakfast and a great start to the day. It's varied enough with flavours and options to keep it interesting. If I fancy something savoury - </li><li>Beans on toast</li><li>Fish with fresh bread</li><li>An occasional poached egg!!! I love eggs and they are free-range and organic. What's not to love?</li></ul><p></p><p>Lunch/Dinner options</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Tofu, vegetable and noodle stir fry</li><li>All types of bean patties with a mix of flavours to keep it interesting. For example, black bean and chilli, brown bean and onion. These are great in tortillas with added sauce and salad.</li><li>Quinoa and sweet potato patties (in the pic above!). Soak that quinoa!!! Finally discovered that this stuff is edible if it is soaked for an hour in water beforehand.</li><li>Courgettes with tomato and soy mince stuffing. </li><li>Cauliflower steaks with various toppings</li><li>Anything with tinned or fresh fish! Tomato and tuna pasta is great. Fresh grilled fish with potatoes and greens is a meal fit for a birthday queen.</li><li>Fishcakes - potatoes and whatever fish there is!</li><li>So many tomatoes and courgettes from the garden!</li><li>Adding nuts and seeds to everything!</li></ul><p></p><p>Recently I've also been experimenting with chickpea flour. Cauliflower and chickpea flour fritters are epic and I really enjoyed the banana and chickpea flour bread. This is something that I am happy to incorporate into my diet. Soy mince is a great addition and I will be happy to experiment further but soy steaks I think I can omit! Gross things!</p><p>How do I feel about all this? Someone asked me if I feel deprived? No, the benefits outweigh any disadvantages. My gut has never felt healthier and I am extremely - ahem - regular! It's a bit of a challenge to eat out or at family get-togethers because it's all about the cheese and meat! If I am strict when I can be in control, then that allows me some leeway when I am out. Moderation is everything.</p><p>I haven't really lost any weight but I need to commit more to the exercise. If I am going to do something this drastic with the diet, it seems a shame not to tweak my workout programme to match. Summer is here which means that it can be too hot to be outside but I've done 2x 5-day Fitness-Blender challenges and everything is aching in just the right way. Paddle boarding is great and I'm walking as much as possible, heat permitting. With a daily average of 420 movement calories being burned, that can make a real difference, </p><p>Sometimes coffee is the only thing you want to do when you are sitting in a cafe under a shady tree on the beach! We've been to some beautiful places and I am grateful to my beloved. But you can always have a cool swim as well! Just don't have that doughnut...</p>Clareangelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01101039129856260435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3185119523481672293.post-88683631476088518022022-05-22T20:32:00.000+01:002022-05-22T20:32:01.106+01:00Life, COVID, and other unhealthy interruptions<p>Anyone remember January? Last week I was telling a friend of a friend how terrible I was at sticking to plans (pfffft plans) and that if I fell off a healthy schedule at the start of the year, I'd wait til the next January before starting again. She was horrified. This immediately got me thinking about how I could kick myself into touch again. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinXlItX-voGPUhiq43w1jFpa6v7GiYJF6n7J8Hf_tPe3WkeV0yTseawURLMFDqXB_-yKgGTExNzJ3CbO--WRZQFK1YVCeO5y_NOFsOMeuc0CD9Pkwbp_EH3-zHfh_ijAvGxtq5K96bwFM3epkjlREWzjv_9O89tRmZQHQ4oeNR8R2N5gwjnsjh3d24/s3088/IMG_6347.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2320" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinXlItX-voGPUhiq43w1jFpa6v7GiYJF6n7J8Hf_tPe3WkeV0yTseawURLMFDqXB_-yKgGTExNzJ3CbO--WRZQFK1YVCeO5y_NOFsOMeuc0CD9Pkwbp_EH3-zHfh_ijAvGxtq5K96bwFM3epkjlREWzjv_9O89tRmZQHQ4oeNR8R2N5gwjnsjh3d24/s320/IMG_6347.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><p>It was a horrible February and March with a bout of the fashionable flu that was going around at the time. After avoiding it all last year, my man came home with it in Spring. Sharing is caring, after all. It's taken me a while to get back on my feet but I feel I am ready to get going again. </p><p></p><blockquote>Strength is all about uncovering personal weakness and getting back on your feet, with kindness and patience. </blockquote><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Where am I now</h4><p>In mid-March, as soon as I felt able post-COVID, I found my trainers and headed out along the coastal path. I've been doing the 9 week Couch to 5K programme. It. Is. Tough. It's now the end of May and I'm only on week 7. I'm happy to redo weeks, go back to an easier run if I want, and generally not go bananas. Damn Achilles' tendon and knee need to go at their happy pace. </p><p>Since the weather got more friendly, I'm 4 weeks into some serious interval training sessions with Jess at <a href="https://www.fitandfkd.com/">FIT n FKD</a>. She is also the reason why I'm here again and committing to mindful fitness. This 45 mins on a Friday morning leaves me aching, hot, sandy, and glowing. It's highlighted how out of shape I am, but she is so positive, I feel I can get better! You can see the pink face.</p><p>Once again - it's now May!! The sea is a balmy 19.4 degrees and I'm enjoying every refreshing minute in the glorious water. Swimming is helping with the aches caused by doing (failing to do) <a href="https://www.verywellfit.com/how-to-do-the-bear-crawl-techniques-benefits-variations-4788337">bear crawls</a> across the beach. It's still hard to get in, but my excuse is enjoying standing there and watching the fish explore the debris turned over by my feet as I inch my way to the deeper water. </p><h4 style="text-align: left;">The outlook is sunny</h4><p>All in all, it's not too bad. I've only gained a kilo in the past 3 months which is a result and I think the exercise that I have been doing has made an impact. I have a conference to attend in July so I hope to be in fine shape by then. I'm planning veggie burgers, pasta in tomato sauce and nice salady things this week. </p>Clareangelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01101039129856260435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3185119523481672293.post-82385538053670782132022-01-13T19:42:00.000+00:002022-01-13T19:42:52.917+00:00Are you feeling comfortable?<p>A thought occurred to me the other morning whilst I was out jogging. The little electronic voice in my head tells me at every run interval to "run at a comfortable pace" and this got me thinking about my January determination to get healthier. The whole exercise is about becoming more comfortable in my clothes, getting comfortable in some new yoga positions and never being comfortable at work!</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Working at a comfortable pace</h4><p>It's hard to move when you're tied to a computer. I said in an earlier post that work was a blocker to health but it's been a relatively good work week - challenging, mutable, and buckets of learning new stuff, as usual. It's interesting and I'm not sure whether it's related, but I've found I'm far more chilled this past few weeks. </p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Slip into some comfortable clothing</h4><p>I've never done yoga 10 days straight! It's a 2022 miracle and demonstrates that I was really ready for some regular exercise. Yoga With Adriene has been challenging because it's been strong, mobile, and restful. There was one day that I felt I couldn't continue because everything was aching but as if she was reading our mind, we had a session where it was gentle. Blissful. </p><h4 style="text-align: left;">No need to comfort eat</h4><p>The more I sit up tall and run with pride, the better I feel about my stomach. The muscles are definitely tightening which means I am feeling more comfortable with my silhouette and less likely to overeat. I'm constantly hungry which is making me feel energised and determined. There has to be a way to stop eating buttered toast and honey but as I managed before, I'll just have to keep running. </p><p>Bad, bad bread. This isn't comfort, it's an essential!</p><p>Macaroni cheese, pizza, minestrone, roast chicken and sweet potato mash, yes ok, this is the best kind of healthy eating. Icy Bura has been blowing for a week now and there is a medical need for solid calorie loaded nosh. But I've enjoyed small portions!</p><p>Let's keep this going - at a comfortable pace. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Clareangelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01101039129856260435noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3185119523481672293.post-84112261589192068472022-01-07T16:23:00.000+00:002022-01-07T16:23:40.164+00:00Let them eat garlic<p> Just checking in... kako smo? How are we? I'm in my favourite beach bar as the sun goes down. I must confess that the first week of the year has gone well in pretty much every way and I'm thankful for the blessings around me (as opposed to counting them, which is what I generally do when I'm feeling fed up!). </p><p>One thing I love when I'm on a healthy living kick is the apparent lightness of stomach. It's not a visible thing, but I seem to have an easier relationship with my gut. I've been eating nuts, dried fruit, oats, bananas, broccoli - everything which makes for a happy tum. I'll see how I feel later after the rogue panettone I had for breakfast!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEha7sKRsx4MYXvPPV3uRSovp3ZOFWQoYQbvrjEW6zjAsea77PLHyaW2N30ituM7Xbg4Tb5yay2k49VGctVA5eoCFVIPdb29hhOXYb49eC9askyqZCzzT8ZxOtucRDmQgn-FJjqVwtFBvItZClV9lBD-WIFzwYAoYA2YxnHwiMsjET52eIrVj8nR8vzC=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEha7sKRsx4MYXvPPV3uRSovp3ZOFWQoYQbvrjEW6zjAsea77PLHyaW2N30ituM7Xbg4Tb5yay2k49VGctVA5eoCFVIPdb29hhOXYb49eC9askyqZCzzT8ZxOtucRDmQgn-FJjqVwtFBvItZClV9lBD-WIFzwYAoYA2YxnHwiMsjET52eIrVj8nR8vzC=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Running News</h4><p>Let's shake it up and talk about themes rather than boring day by day. I am proud of the running that I've been doing - on Thursday I went back to a previous easier interval training session because I am nervous of injury. One minute walking and two minutes running for a total for 30 mins felt like a real win and my ankles/knees didn't complain. </p><p>When I'm out in the morning, I am so happy to see nature all around me. The bird life is extraordinary - the little darting field larks pop out when I run past; bobbing wagtails scoot in front of me; charms of goldfinches circle overhead to drop and land on trees nearby, and attracted by all the small birds, birds of prey circle overhead. As I see each one, I bid them all good day! It makes running much more pleasurable.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Yoga News</h4><p>Well. I must confess I've never taken a programme seriously but I've managed to turn up everyday for Yoga With Adriene's "Move". I did "<a href="https://youtu.be/HnEqUkVNmPU" target="_blank">Deepen</a>" earlier today and there was a lot of hip opening work, whilst yesterday's "Flow" nearly finished me off. It's been challenging but so far, I'm really staying open minded and going with it which is a positive sign.</p><p>Having bunny occasionally join me on the yoga mat is also a delight. I mean, you're gonna hold your planks for longer if there is a small fluffy creature underneath you! When you're told to go to child's pose, what is more adorable than a bun licking your toes? Yes, pure childish giggling nonsense is the best way to do yoga!</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Fooooood News</h4><p>I've already mentioned that the choice of breakfast additions have improved. I enjoy adding dried fruit to my porridge. Don't laugh, but I store my oats in a recycled roast pepper jar - despite thorough cleaning and repeating washing, my oats have a definite pepper flavour. This means I have to add more sugar to taste (or untaste). Idiot. <br /></p><p>I've managed to mostly stay under 1500cals a day. It's not really about the weighing or counting, it's about the general quantities - as long as I go to bed hungry, I know it works. A hearty breakfast, something soupy for lunch and a mid afternoon snack is the way forward. My mother in law did salt cod this week and has decided that the cure for everything is garlic. </p><p>Did I mention garlic.</p><p>The reason people wear masks in Split is to protect themselves from my garlic breath. Strangely I haven't had a cold yet this year! Keep eating garlic, folks, clearly it works.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">All in all</h4><p>I'm still stuck on 75kg BUT I have been informed that there is something more sleek about my upper thighs and butt. I've not noticed a difference in my jeans as yet but, as I mentioned above, I feel "lighter". Frankly, I'm happy with that - as is my gentleman!!</p><p><br /></p>Clareangelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01101039129856260435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3185119523481672293.post-22707912704375743432022-01-04T14:37:00.001+00:002022-01-04T14:37:12.502+00:00Let's keep with the programme<p>It's been a week since the Grand Plan was initiated and now this is where the going gets tough. Today is my first day back at work and I'm back into a sedentary routine. Unless I can keep going with the running, HIIT, yoga and walking, I'm going to be back to square one. </p><p>On the bright side, I'm 2kg lighter at 75kg, which must be water and/or prosecco loss. Certainly the jeans are still a bit tight but that is probably the mother-in-law's glorious fried chicken and epic stuffed cabbage. What can I say, it's been sunny but very cold!</p><p>What happened?</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Thursday</h4>I said I was going to run. I didn't! Shit happens. Instead we went on a small trip up the coast - as the poor man has a bad knee so we are limited to short walks. We walked up to various viewpoints, what we lost in length of hike, we made up for in huffing and puffing up steep hills!<div><br /><h4 style="text-align: left;">Friday</h4>New Year's Eve! I swam and washed off all the 2021 pain - tingling, alive, blue, and utterly mind-blown! The other plan was for 10,000 steps min walking and that is what I achieved. Don't tell anyone that some of it was earned whilst walking around town during hunts for drinks! Wine, Irish coffees, prosecco...but there you go! Happy New Year</div><div><br /><h4 style="text-align: left;">New Year's Day</h4>What a sunny one! And so much food for breakfast and lunch - I made pancakes to ease the hangover pain, and we had stuffed cabbage and mashed potato for lunch. I had to have an afternoon nap and that is the best way to see the first day of the NY. </div><div><br /><h4 style="text-align: left;">Sunday</h4><div>Here we are and we took a trip to where our drinking water comes from! The source of the river Cetina is a heavenly place. We ended the day with a romantic walk to watch the sun go down. </div><div><br /></div><div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Monday</h4></div><div>A day of rest with lots of short walks. Given we'd seen the sunset the night before, we got up and watched the sun rise. Coffee in Podstrana, shopping in Lidl, life clearly doesn't get much better. When I got home, I started with the Yoga with Adriene "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFKE7WVJfvaHW5q283SxchA">Move</a>" for January. A winning day with over 2100 calories burnt!</div><div><br /></div><div>As I head into a new week, it's always amusing to make predictions because you know it is pure fiction. </div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Today</h4><div>A glorious early morning run, with some spontaneous HIIT on the beach. I will do the yoga later today. Maybe even a walk. There was talk of shrimp risotto later - I have already eaten more than I should. What a pain! Porridge and dried apricots, broccoli and cauliflower soup (with irresistible bread). </div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Wednesday - Friday</h4><div>Wednesday is a rest day with a lovely morning walk! Will do the extended HIIT work out which won't attack my knees! Will repeat today's running intervals on Thursday because it was a toughy! Given that the man is still at home, on Friday anything could happen! </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Clareangelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01101039129856260435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3185119523481672293.post-10895511475979587552022-01-03T10:24:00.004+00:002022-01-03T10:25:25.909+00:00To remember a friend<p>I cannot write anything today without acknowledging the sad loss of a wonderful person. We may have lost touch over the years, but people who touch your heart and inspire you to become your "best self" at must be remembered. That person was Kate Pitt.</p><p>In 1999, a professional support lawyer at Sidley & Austin introduced me to a marvellous City of London Choir called EC4. Despite being challenged both in the singing voice and music reading department, they welcomed me warmly. Before departing British shores, I participated for many years and we all awaited Lowry's massive admin emails with great anticipation, knowing we were in for a lot of fun, hard work and great memories.</p><p>For over 10 years or so, that choir took me through love, loss, break-ups, new jobs, and remained a constant source of delight and energy. I would arrive at St Brides for evening rehearsals utterly exhausted and within 10 mins be glowing; standing pilates, breathing exercises, mmmmming and ahhhhhhing and feeling joyous. </p><p>Our wonderful leader would extract every last piece of talent and ability. We created music fit for the Royal Festival Hall, the Guildhall, churches all over the City of London, and most memorably for the Queen at a concert in aid of <a href="https://www.coram.org.uk/how-we-do-it/our-creative-therapies">Coram</a>. We also participated in Big Sings, Songs of Praise and multiple Christmas Concerts. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDt0uEy3qLSJOkxE02uEk3oYvud6B_eEuJvaFyVKF79r9d0RVSZPzvXZscPQ6-WZe-lzYXDwxCRhsN8sXTzU6qpKa01cADU0cKQWR6vVEQCN0NS8zVd6zLm1mVAkPXuwLjObXFPrxGVnopKal7fV17bHcFFfB7Vl5ZFY59q6fRw94sFGndmWyUh-sU=s4000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDt0uEy3qLSJOkxE02uEk3oYvud6B_eEuJvaFyVKF79r9d0RVSZPzvXZscPQ6-WZe-lzYXDwxCRhsN8sXTzU6qpKa01cADU0cKQWR6vVEQCN0NS8zVd6zLm1mVAkPXuwLjObXFPrxGVnopKal7fV17bHcFFfB7Vl5ZFY59q6fRw94sFGndmWyUh-sU=w320-h240" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>When I joined the choir, Kate was one of the first people that I was to get to know. She was always exceedingly kind, patient, generous, sociable and lovely. Her laugh, her bubbliness, and confidence blew me away - and that's before she started singing. Her voice would have me in tears with its rich and sweet quality - even now as I listen to EC4's Mozart's Requiem, she is here with me. </p><p>And then there was the friends I made during that time. What a time it was! Unforgettable birthday T-shirts, amazing get-togethers and evenings out that I can't even remember! Kate, I'm sorry we haven't seen each other in years, but you are remembered, missed and loved. </p>Clareangelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01101039129856260435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3185119523481672293.post-74845469962034716532021-12-31T16:33:00.003+00:002021-12-31T16:33:35.004+00:00Boobies bobbing and belly blubber floating!It seems Operation Bikini Belly is off to a flying start. Gosh! What an image and exactly what the good people on Znjan got today. As this last day of 2021 was gloriously sunny and the sea like a mirror, I wanted the tingly goodness of icy water on my skin. Boobies bobbing and belly blubber floating!<div><br />Not to mention that 30 second swim must have burned 1000 calories. I felt very alive!<br /><br />As this remains a contrary diet, I neither managed a run nor yoga yesterday. Turns out, still not big on planning or even executing planned plans. This is what I did instead:<br /><br />We walked a total of 5000 steps up to some great viewing points! It was a day of steep hills, incredible beaches, scented forests and open skies. Sometimes it’s not about the exercise, we all need days-out like this simply to enjoy and re-energise. I must note that snacks would have been a good idea, as I was hangry by the time we got back at 5pm!<br /><br />But I avoided the junk food and energy drinks and stuck to the cream of cauliflower soup, followed by mackerel with cabbage that I’d got ready the day before. The reheated creamy soup was frankly the best I’d ever tasted; it’s funny I’ve forgotten what it is like to really appreciate what hunger does to taste.<br /><br />Today has again just been about enjoying the moment. An early start meant a coffee on the beach and a wander round Lidl. I picked up baked beans cos yummy, and somebody else chose tiramisu and popcorn. As he says, he will lose weight in his own sweet (very sweet) way.<br /><br />Before Christmas I ordered some jumpers as I was totally depressed by my ancient and worn out collection. In the sale, I got a glorious fluffy red one, two striped ones (*sigh* no clue how I got two of the same), and some sexy thermals. But being rather down on myself I also ordered some pyjamas in XL.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dearest reader, they are huge.</div><div><br />Huge. HUGE!<br /><br />As a result, my man now has some fetching berry coloured pjs with a pattern of happy leopards leaping all over them. I’m grateful that they hang on me because at least that means I’m not extra large!<br /><br />My brunch of poached eggs on avocado and bread was smashing. Must say, it’s one of my favourites. This evening I’ve considered boiling rice for sushi, prepping celeriac for soup…. Or simply bread and cheese! And in the end, I opted for apple and celeriac soup, whizzed up with some cream.<br /><br /></div><div>Later, there will be fizzy wine and cocktails as it is New Year!! Let’s peace out, relax and make merry.</div>Clareangelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01101039129856260435noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3185119523481672293.post-52011011927063362652021-12-29T15:40:00.001+00:002021-12-29T16:32:33.414+00:00My jeans don't fit like they used to; Or, I'm now a fat bottomed girl!<p>I did the unthinkable just after Christmas. </p><p>I read a tweet about "which is more frightening: a lateral flow test or getting on the weighing scales". Fuck corona, I'm far more worried about my weight. Anyway, I did the ultimate test and found out I was 77kg and that was horrible. I didn't have to know the actual numbers, I know I am bigger than I was, simply because my jeans don't fit. With this in mind, what should I do next?</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">First off. Don't panic! </h4><p>I'm already running 5km once a week and have no ill effects from my intermittently naughty achilles tendon. I've also double checked my local hotel gym and I am happy to invest some money and time in that. I can live with sauna heat and swimming in winter. </p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Secondly. Think positive </h4><p>Let's take some sensible baby steps and make some changes for the next 6 weeks. Scrap that, let's just take the first week. I've already done one day, and this is the second day - so only 5 days of this week left to go. I have a plan and I've been shopping for nice food things.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Thirdly. Get support</h4><p>My man is also positive about Operation Bikini Belly because he has also weighed himself and had a mild panic attack. He has sworn off sausages for the next few weeks, which is epic for him! </p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Fourthly. Why this extra weight has gone on?</h4><p>When I said to the man I need to be more disciplined when it comes to food and exercise, he replied that our comfortable and relaxed life has made us fatter! I've never been happier in a relationship and there is no pressure to be a certain way. This enjoyment of roast lunches, cheesy burek, garlicky soparnik, and lots of meat has certainly contributed to my heaviness.</p><p>Sitting at a desk for a million hours a week is also an issue. My energy levels have dropped off a cliff and on certain days I can go from bed to desk and back to bed with a film without a blink. It's a disaster for the belly. With more exercise, I'm hoping that I can raise my stamina and energy!</p><p>Bloody hormones. They are the bane of my life - when I first went on HRT, the weight fell off and I felt incredible. 10 years later, I'm back to square one and my metabolic rate has dropped again which means my arse has expanded and expanded. </p><p>Enough excuses, it is what it is and if I don't want to feel uncomfortable in my favourite jeans, then I have to do some thing.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">The Plan</h4><p>This is my plan for the rest of the week. It seems a bit keen to get cracking on this over Christmas but it's nice to do exercise whilst not at work!</p><p>Monday </p><p>I had a wonderful walk into town and decided to go up into Marjan forest for the first time in ages. It was muddy, glorious, and the perfect temperature for walking. Food-wise, it wasn't perfect but after 20,000 steps and burning of 2500 calories, I decided it didn't matter that much. Two poached eggs for breakfast, a small beer whilst waiting for my mate, and a convivial dirty Chinese takeaway of noodles and duck in the evening! We even managed to limit the festive G&T's which was remarkable. This was the only start to a <a href="https://contrarytowers.blogspot.com/2012/06/contrary-diet.html" target="_blank">contrary diet</a>!</p><p>Tuesday</p><p>Weigh-in day - 77kg. Started off with a walk around town with my mate and we got up to 15,000 steps. I was left to my own devices in the afternoon and headed to the aforementioned gym for an hour - cycling, weights, HIIT. Then an hour in the swimming pool and spa. For food, I had toast, yogurt and a pizza slice for lunch. What can I say, we were in town and hungry! Evening snack of a banana and a mince pie - once they are gone, they are gone!</p><p>Wednesday</p><p>This is the day that I'm committing the plan to paper. It's also a day of relative rest as I've recently rediscovered some muscles. Just a stroll to get to 10,000 steps - the walk to the supermarket means I've stocked the fridge with healthy stuff, and bunny got some greens when I went for a walk to the beach! Yoga to ease the stiffness later. I enjoyed avocado and crab sticks on bread for brunch, and will have veggie soup for dinner.</p><p>Thursday</p><p>Tomorrow I am due to run again. I mentioned earlier that I was running sporadically and I am proud to think that I will finish December on a high - I will beat July's total and will finish just behind April with about 30km ran in a month. This nowhere near my old statistics but is better than nothing. #BeKind. I aim for 40km a month as I head into Spring. There will be a HIIT workout to cool down later. Fruit smoothie for breakfast and I believe there is mackerel for lunch!</p><p>Friday</p><p>New Year's Eve! Let's aim for 10,000 steps min walking, some yoga, and a HIIT. </p><p>Saturday/Sunday</p><p>I am hoping to go on a sunny day trip with my beloved on Saturday. I'm even hoping to get into the sea this weekend because the forecast is looking great. Let's stay flexible, eat sensibly, and be loving and positive. </p><h4 style="text-align: left;">The Wednesday Shopping</h4><p>I always know when I'm healthy food shopping as my basket weighs a ton. Yogurt, frozen fruits, fruit juice, a cauliflower, tins of beans, tuna and tomatoes, oats, avocados, onions - this is all lovely stuff for easy tasty food for this week. </p><p>Right, I'm off. I'm hungry now and fancy some cauliflower and bean soup! See you tomorrow for a mood update. </p><p><br /></p>Clareangelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01101039129856260435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3185119523481672293.post-47842304061908348382020-11-13T16:25:00.003+00:002020-11-13T16:25:49.899+00:00Experimental writing 1: A missed connection<h4 style="text-align: left;">Prologue</h4><p>It had always been the colours. Everything about this place had enriched her vision; it wasn’t just the the blue of the sky or green of the woodlands. It was also the clarity of thought which the open sea offered. She trod water and against the turquoise depths, looked down at the new jewels on her finger. The glittering wedding ring of emerald green and sapphire blue seemed to be part of the water, part of her. She moved suddenly, twisting and diving, a perfect physical expression of the pure joy she felt. She was finally at peace with all facets of her life for once. It seems miracles do happen.</p><div>***</div><div><br /></div><div>She was excited about the thought of spending a couple of months staying with her best friend. When you meet your soul mate time apart doesn’t seem to count, so even though it had only been eight short weeks since she had been on Sark with Vicky, she was looking forward to more time on the island with her. She had enjoyed the time there earlier in the year and a germ of an idea was forming about a move to the Channel Islands. She just needed to be certain it was right.
</div><div><br /></div><div>After several years abroad, she had certainly not given up on the idea of remaining in Dalmatia but there were European events to consider; who knows if she would be able to stay indefinitely, even if it was now her only home. She considered getting her own little clifftop stone cottage and join the friendly, slightly crazy community of people on that isolated rock. She could do lonely and windswept, and, she mused, it would be nice to be reunited with her books too. Whatever the outcome it was better than being back in London, or some other place in the UK.
</div><div><br /></div><div>The UK in 2019 was an unwelcoming and unfamiliar place. She often had to return there for work purposes and despite the intensity of her job and the consuming nature of interesting conversations with like minded people, it was no longer her spiritual home; that busy world had faded from her mind and she no longer suffered pangs when a new exhibition opened. FOMO had FO. She only missed certain friends, and she often thought of her family. Meeting with her brother in Brighton whilst she had been at a conference had been a real treat. There is nothing like a hug from a family member to make you feel warm and loved. Anyway, all she knew was that the first time she sailed out of Poole towards Guernsey, she didn’t look back, but faced forward, leaving exhaustion and hangover work conference fumes behind her.
</div><div><br /></div><div>***</div><div><br /></div><div>"Wake up, wake up”, screamed an alarm clock at 5.30am.
</div><div><br /></div><div>It was an early start on this particular two day voyage. Getting from Split to Sark was a logistical nightmare and involved a change in Germany, an overnight stay in an overpriced Guernsey Airbnb so she could get the first ferry out to Sark. Typically she hadn’t checked the calendar properly when she’d booked the flights and she had managed to include a bank holiday weekend which meant everyone was going to the Channel Islands at the same time as she was. Or so it felt.
</div><div><br /></div><div>A sleepy lift to the airport and a hug from a friend sent her on her way. She was soon regretting her decision to arrive early as she waited and waited for the gate to open. As it happens the flight was delayed leaving and she experienced a fleeting unease about her connection in Stuttgart. She dismissed it remembering how she’d managed to catch every other connecting flight during those awkward off-season trips. She was determined not to feel anxious, what could possibly go wrong?
</div><div><br /></div><div>Thirty minutes into the short flight, through her headphones, she heard her name being announced over the tannoy. What on earth was going on?
</div><div><br /></div><div>“Excuse me, I understand you have a connecting flight? Would you come to the front of the cabin?”, the flight attendant explained. "You will get off first and must run through the terminal because you have no time to lose. We will ask them to hold the flight for you and you will be fine but you must not stop and have a beer.”
</div><div><br /></div><div>Having a beer wasn’t really her first thought when she had a tight connection to make. Although she oddly felt in need of a stiff drink now - full anxiety mode had kicked in. She sat there, green-faced, clutching her handbag, poised and ready to fly off the plane as soon as it was ready.
</div><div><br /></div><div>It was inevitable. She had finally met her airport match and her travel luck had run out, along with the once-a-week flight to the Channel Islands. Clearly they hadn’t received the message that someone else was joining them from another flight. She wandered miserably back through the terminal towards baggage reclaim, where she waited ages for her bag to appear. Frankly she was just relieved that it hadn’t decided to take the flight without her! She had no idea what to do next, so went to have a conversation with a brisk but kindly lady at the airport information desk. She was offered another ticket which promised a 15 minute run through Birmingham International airport, and an over-night in Jersey. Another Airbnb at stupidly inflated prices, IF she made that midlands-channel island connection.
</div><div><br /></div><div>“Seriously? You want me to get on a flight with another tight connection, after missing this one?” The patient woman looked sympathetic. Close to tears, Clare made an instant decision and begged for a flight back home to Split and was efficiently provided with a ticket for the next day and hotel vouchers. Slightly dazed and unthinking, she checked in and entered a smart hotel bedroom. Hot, dishevelled and tears starting to fall, she sat on the bed. Vicky was given the story and both of them decided this was the best thing to do, despite the obvious sadness. There would be other opportunities.
</div><div><br /></div><div>There wasn’t much else to do but get changed and get something to eat and drink. The wine waiter decided that she was in need of cheering up and instead of the glass she’d ordered, he brought the entire bottle.
</div><div><br /></div><div>It was an uneventful journey home and the same friend that dropped her off, picked her up at the airport. The Dalmatian “what can you do" shrug was contagious, and the warm hugging weather did it’s best to cheer her up. How sad can you stay when the sun and light gives you such a welcome home? With this in her mind, she decided to book a proper tourist boat trip for her bank holiday treat for the coming Monday. What better way of contemplating the future is there than bowling along on the waves of the Adriatic?
</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Clareangelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01101039129856260435noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3185119523481672293.post-3544502107902235412020-08-28T17:49:00.001+01:002020-08-28T17:49:22.741+01:00High noon in Sark<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQt2m6Zbf1eoP1YA1smUEmZECASloS-IbuHUZ6j3V3aJZ2nsFdhrC_xBKmpCGberyltFdjhdy0lh7N8p0uZmRa96AcRBBYkddCkp5CXhWx_wZXjJLrK0I-vHBZwn5lVTl3Xw0aBY_TqK4U/s1280/Public+Meeting+2020.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="926" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQt2m6Zbf1eoP1YA1smUEmZECASloS-IbuHUZ6j3V3aJZ2nsFdhrC_xBKmpCGberyltFdjhdy0lh7N8p0uZmRa96AcRBBYkddCkp5CXhWx_wZXjJLrK0I-vHBZwn5lVTl3Xw0aBY_TqK4U/w152-h210/Public+Meeting+2020.jpeg" width="152" /></a></div><br />Where to start?<br /><br />After the previous <a href="http://contrarytowers.blogspot.com/2020/08/a-very-fine-mess.html">night's debacle at Chief Pleas</a>, the directors of the <a href="https://www.sarkshipping.gg/">Isle of Sark Shipping Company</a> (IOSS) hastily convened a <a href="https://twitter.com/AlmostSenseless/status/1298654483589869571">public meeting for noon on the 27th of August</a>, not only that, but they also released a document detailing their <a href="https://bit.ly/IOSSResponseToChiefPleas20200826">response</a> to the Chief Pleas allegations (<a href="http://bit.ly/ChiefPleas20200825">item 5 if you're interested</a>).<p></p><p>If you're an <strike>avoid</strike> avid reader of the Sark Newspaper, you might have seen that on <a href="http://www.sarknewspaper.com/Flippers/Sark-Newspaper-21-August-2020/10/index.html">pages 10/11</a> there was a piece, in the usual damning style, that questioned the need for such a hurried event, especially as it was in the middle of tourist season. Rather inevitably it forgot to mention that the more usual time for a public forum was impossible owing to the tiny issue of a pandemic. The time set though was a far more worker friendly one of 6:30pm, and, whilst many would still be busy, this is also after the last boat returns to Guernsey thus ensuring as many people as possible could attend.</p><p>Five of the IOSS directors turned out for the meeting, Yan Milner (Managing Director), Paul Burnard (Finance Director) and three of the four non-executive directors, Peter Gill (Chairman), Richard Graham and Andy Cook. Unfortunately Mark Dunster couldn't attend</p><p>Let's just nip back to that <i>Sark Newspaper</i> article where the current board where described rather poetically as of the <i>"off heads, on cabbages" school of management</i>. Hmm, okay, let's look at what this field of cabbages is made up of...</p><p>Peter Gill, previously a Guernsey Harbour Master, has spent all of his life in shipping and managing shipping.</p><p>Yan Milner, ex Condor Ferries and knows a bit about the merchant side of running a shipping company.</p><p>Paul Burnard, ex <a href="https://www.bdo.gg/">BDO</a>, extremely experienced in financial matters, as Peter described it "far beyond the needs of this company", he is also a member of the ethics committee of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, and a Jurat.</p><p>Andy Cook, a Sark resident. I met and know Andy through the Sark Electricity User Group, he's diligent, a cogent thinker and brings a wealth of knowledge, experience and, of course, an interest in what is best for Sark.</p><p>Colonel Richard Graham, formally the Lieutenant Governors ADC in Guernsey, hence bringing the knowledge and connections this inevitably fosters.</p><p>Mark Dunster</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5SHdGi5HY4bl74w3z6MoKBituUn937gwnHEroDnG4xv5WO9ewcghwmxQzJAc2yNzEj_VJC_gi2sR_PayS_AcYX-aEbVj2fTycrFb6gjvWu2FHvAvtBVQP3KeJDM_rkarUXChHP9uK3QNs/s500/pngguru.com.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A cabbage." border="0" data-original-height="428" data-original-width="500" height="88" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5SHdGi5HY4bl74w3z6MoKBituUn937gwnHEroDnG4xv5WO9ewcghwmxQzJAc2yNzEj_VJC_gi2sR_PayS_AcYX-aEbVj2fTycrFb6gjvWu2FHvAvtBVQP3KeJDM_rkarUXChHP9uK3QNs/w102-h88/pngguru.com.png" title="A cabbage." width="102" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Le chou</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Cabbages? Surely not, perhaps it's a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sercquiais">Sercquiais</a> word for someone whose skills and experience can only be attacked by name calling as the sky fairy forbids recognition of abilities when they don't suit your agenda. Who knows?<p></p><p>Peter started by acknowledging that their communication with the public had not been as good as it ought. This was a theme that would come up time and time again, I suspect that they will do something about it. However, he also stated that, unilateral communication aside, they were open and transparent. Sadly, the same can't be said for Chief Pleas. Whilst we're talking of communication, guys, seriously, if you're reading this, put your directors biographies and qualifications on your website!</p><p>Back to the talk.</p><p>Peter went on to state that the board of the company is charged with operating and acting in the best interests of the company, which is by definition, in the interests of the Isle of Sark. If you didn't already know, IOSS is owned by the Isle of Sark, unusually, the directors do <i>not</i> have shares in the company. He went on, that's not to say they have to do what the shareholders say they should do.</p><p>On to the Sark Venture. This came out of service early in the year and was expected to be unavailable for a very short while. Unfortunately, whilst out of service they discovered other issues with the vessel and, along with requirements of the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/maritime-and-coastguard-agency">MCA</a>, it meant they head to extend the period it was out of service.</p><p>Do you remember the issue over the MCA? No? Okay, well, the MCA had confirmed by email that they would not be able to travel to Guernsey to certify the vessel and if moved to the UK they would not attend it as it had come from <i>overseas</i>. Fair enough. However Conseiller Guille, it's coming back to you isn't it, said he'd unilaterally contacted the MCA, though he's not authorised to speak for the company, and, apparently he his informed by the senior surveyor that they'd had a change of heart and they could take the vessel to the UK to have it surveyed. Bless, there will be more on this. A huge change of circumstance and Peter was very pleased to hear this.</p><p>However...</p><p>On returning to Guernsey the next day, they immediately went to see the Guernsey Harbour Master to explain they'd now been told they could take the vessel to the UK and have it surveyed there and that the MCA were happy for them to do this. Hurrah!<br /><br />The Harbour Master was a little surprised, Yan Milner was flabbergasted, why? Well before taking any voyage, the master of any vessel must assure himself that the vessel is seaworthy, seems obvious to me. But how do you do this? Well, first you need to ask yourself, is the vessel stable? You'll do this by referring to the vessel's stability booklet. However... as a result of the shiny new (French, remember?) engines and, owing to previous MCA concerns, the vessel stability booklet was now null and void.</p><p>Oh. Can you see where this is going.</p><p>So you can't use this booklet as a means to establish the vessel is seaworthy. Now I'm sure Conseiller Guille is a fine naval architect, but this little detail must have slipped his mind. I'm sure he would have remembered eventually. They asked the Harbour Master whether he could assure them that they could make the voyage as they were unsure even though the MCA had agreed with Conseiller Guille that this was the case. Further could the Harbour Master agree, in writing, that he, or the MCA, or anyone, could be held responsible and that it was safe to do the voyage to the UK. The Harbour Master didn't actually laugh, but he did say he would contact the MCA to establish how they'd come to this decision... </p><p>Later that day, he came back to say the MCA back pedalled a little and had agreed to reconsider. Whilst this was going on, Peter had a brainwave, we have an air-bridge with the Isle of Man, and as they have a shipping register along with surveyors who could visit and do the survey. WooHoo!</p><p>Peter asked the Harbour Master to suggest to the MCA that if they wouldn't do it, would they accept an Isle of Man inspection? After all, they have equivalent competence!<br /><br />The MCA didn't like that. They are the competition, and wouldn't accept and Isle of Man surveyor. Oh.</p><p>Now on the back foot, the MCA agreed that all that needed to happen was for Yan to agree with them a date when the surveyor could visit. The date is pending and this is probably the only positive thing that's come from Conseiller Guille's ham fisted attempt at interfering.</p><p>Next. Peter went on to reference to a recent <a href="https://twitter.com/SarkTwit">Paul Armorgie</a> interview that expressed how good a summer Sark has had, indeed IOSS have committed to carrying circa 20,000 passengers, that's crossings already done and those booked. These were done on their own bat, the last instructions received from the representatives of the shareholders, that is through Chief Pleas, was there was to be effectively a winter service of only two cargo boats per week for the foreseeable future.</p><p>There have been no further instructions.</p><p>The company decided to lay on the services beyond those required and, fortuitously, this has made the company (owned by Sark) better off to the tune of around £250,000. This is a good thing™. Furthermore, they also required that IOSS made all staff redundant beyond those needed for the basic cargo service. Let's repeat this...</p><p><b><i>Through Chief Pleas, presumably Policy & Finance, all IOSS staff other than those needed for a cargo services were to be terminated.</i></b></p><p>Remember that bit about them not having to listen to the shareholders, fortunately they did what was best for the company and the Isle of Sark, the primary directive. The redundancies alone would have cost around £50,000. But there's more and we'll come back to that in a while.</p><p>At this point a member of the audience asked a very simple question, who are the shareholders? As if the island owns the shares then she, as an islander, doesn't recall being asked if those were suitable instructions. Quite right, I certainly wasn't asked.</p><p>Until about six or seven weeks ago, the shares were held in trust by the Seigneur, the Prévôt and Treasurer of Sark, the company was then instructed by Policy& Finance Committee to transfer those shares in to the name of the Chief Pleas of Sark. Now here's the thing, I've just gone back through resolutions of Chief Pleas back to Easter and... nothing. Nothing appears to note, authorise or, presumably, discuss this transfer. I'll go through the agendas and Hansard after I've written this to see if I can find anything that reports that happening.</p><p>You might, dear reader, be unsurprised to learn that with the possible exception of Conseiller La Trobe-Bateman and the directors of IOSS, this was news to everyone. It got a little loud at this point.</p><p>There was a clarification that this was allowed as P&F did have the mandate to do so, but that doesn't take away the fact that this was kept quiet. And to think P&F complained about IOSS not communicating.</p><p>On to Yan Milner.</p><p>We'd been warned that, unlike Peter, Yan liked to talk. To be honest, he was a pleasure to listen to, informative, engaging and clearly passionate about what he does.</p><p>He started out by saying in the previous they had carried more passengers than in any of the previous ten years. Since he took over things have steadily improved and, coupled with efficiencies and changes they had a strong balance sheet. This meant they had reached the point where they were in the position to purchase a new vessel, so they went through the correct channels and gained permission from Chief Pleas to make the purchase. That purchase went through and whilst, owing to the pandemic, it's still with the previous owners, they are looking after it. This was also driven by a move from the MCA to remove old tonnage and in the case of the Bon Marin de Serk they were in a position to either sell or scrap the vessel. They found, via a broker, a buyer in Finland who was ready just before lockdown to sign. By all accounts this was a better sale than they expected and certainly more than they would have received if it had been scrapped.</p><p>The buyer is still interested and they are looking at ways of getting the boat to him or him to the boat.</p><p>With the Sark Belle there was a buyer that wished to take the vessel immediately, however they asked him to wait as it was early in the season and they wished to ensure it was available as a backup as they bedded in the new boat. Sounds sensible and pragmatic to me. Unfortunately, the buyers business was operating excursions from cruise ships along the Firth of Forth, needless to say, this has been impacted by... All together now, the pandemic.</p><p>He's still interested but the sale is on hold until things clear, there is however another potential buyer.</p><p>Back to the Sark Venture. This would remain as a general purpose vessel, so backup for both passenger and cargo crossings, as well as excursions from cruise ships to Sark. The big problem with the Sark Venture was the engine being near the end of its life and, as was seen last year, there were increasing problems. But that wasn't all, it was the perfect time to install new RADARs, plotters, refurbish the cabin, needless to say with an old boat, as they took it apart they found more issues. He mentioned that as this was a passenger boat, you couldn't just do a quick bodge job. For instance, any welding had to be done by an approved coded welder, hard to find, not cheap and, as it turned out, they didn't plan on said welder being sent to prison. That didn't help.</p><p>And then there was the pandemic. Suddenly they didn't have £1.3 million worth of passenger revenue and all of the equipment and contractors has to be paid for somehow. Even the cargo revenue was down. As directors they couldn't ask for contractors to work for them if they knew they were not in a position to pay them. It doesn't matter if the creditor wasn't asking for payment, the fact remains you can't do it. This is to protect not just the directors, but also the company. As for administration, it's there to protect the company and keep it running. It's not the same as liquidation.</p><p>At the same time, they spoke with the States of Guernsey, part of this was to gain assurances that if needed, their work boat would be available to keep the flow of cargo to Sark.</p><p>Work didn't stop on the Sark Venture, it slowed down. At the time the company said that once they were in a position of positive cash flow, work would resume as normal. Pragmatic. And this is what happened. As an aside, there had been a date set of mid-April for the MCA to perform their inspection.</p><p>Yan also touched on the fact that if they had sent the Sark Venture to the UK, if anything had happened, he would have found himself in front of the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/marine-accident-investigation-branch">MAIB</a>, the Harbour Master and probably the Police. In short, they couldn't consider sending the vessel away. Even though he was 99.999% certain it would pass the test, that wasn't good enough. He then explained how the stability tests are based on the date from previous tests. For instance, a few years ago the results were miles out from where they expected. The result of this would have been reducing the cargo capacity of the Sark Venture to 15 tons with nothing on the roof owing to a raised centre of gravity. They did check, and found this wasn't the case, but that doesn't matter, it's what the surveyors find from calculations made on the stability model. Don't worry, I'm not going to now delve in to research as to why this matters. We'll trust the experienced expert.</p><p>They maintained the cargo service, they forecast figures in to 2021 and, having been told to not expect to see any passengers before next season, i.e. 2021. This was in May, as mentioned above, they were asked to make staff redundant, which Yan was reluctant to do this, firstly because new regulations in Guernsey said that unless you were a certified hand, or a certified engineer, or a certified master, you can't operate as crew. Coupled with the need for Sark pilotage he doubted there were more than a dozen people in Guernsey qualified to drive a commercial vessel to Sark. Don't want to lose that. If they lost them, they might not be able to replace them.</p><p>Instead, they used the director's good relationship with the States of Guernsey and it was agreed to furlough the staff, not ideal, but it meant they remained as available.</p><p>And then... June arrived, along with the Bailiwick Bubble, and suddenly a passenger service was needed again. Remember that bit about doing what was best for the company and the island? Good. They had avoided the £50,000 redundancy payments, the staff were ready to go and... the co-funding received from the States of Guernsey remains. If they'd been laid off and then re-employed this would not have happened. Result? £50,000 down and a full wage bill from little reserves. Not by any stretch of the imagination ideal.</p><p>How did this happen? Well, the talked, they listened, the looked ahead. In short, they managed the problem, no knee-jerk, no "I know better", simple, pragmatic management. I for one was grateful for this as on the 1st of June friends of mine from Guernsey came to visit and I couldn't have been happier to see them!</p><p>They had no idea how many passengers to carry. Yan explained how they calculated their market size, I might come back to this and add the figures. But let it just be said his process and calculations seemed reasonable. He went on, explaining the marginal cost of each vessel rotation, you can't just keep putting on boats, remember, this is in the interest of the company and ultimately Sark. The initial changes with the timings, peak sailing being moved from 10am to 9:45am, was simply because of... You guessed it, the pandemic and social distancing, namely to avoid the clash with visitors to Herm on the Trident. Pragmatic.</p><p>Initially they prioritised people travelling to stay rather than day-trippers. As demand has increased they have increased the number of rotations, the sailings. It's always about keeping the revenue above the cost. Think of this next time you're almost the only person on the boat in the winter, your ticket price is a fraction of what it costs to run it. It might be that it's not as convenient as it's been in the past, this is a year round service which means the company must balance its budget. And that means compromises.</p><p>He continued talking about load factor, how many passengers you get on the available crossings as compared to the amount of space. This is what drives profitability, which means you can invest in equipment, boats and, needless to say, making sure there is a service in winter when there are very few people using the service. This latter point, I feel, is key. You can't fritter away money just to ensure anyone can travel whenever suits them. You wouldn't get that from an airline or a train company, so why expect it of a boat. Talking of airlines, many of them will completely shut down routes over winter as they is little demand, in some areas, I'll use Croatia as I know it well, it's down to occasional flights from the bigger airlines and the state carrier to keep things moving. Sark Shipping is the state carrier, but it doesn't give them a bottomless pit of cash to draw on and I'm sure as tax payers we'd rather they didn't keep coming back to say "please sir, can I have more".</p><p>In short, they are doing well and it's efficient.</p><p>Yan did add, if it was his company and his money, he would run it exactly the same way. It was the sensible way.</p><p>Some other decisions were made along the way, one of which was to improve the experience for Guernsey visitors, for instance, if the weather was rough, they would give the option for day-trippers to cancel and move their crossing. If the weather was marginal and they might drop from two rotations to one, they would give priority to staying visitors over day-trippers when filling the one vessel, as he pointed out, they are not holidaymakers, they live in Guernsey, they can be flexible. Thank goodness. The reaction to this was positive. The decision was, again, pragmatic.</p><p>Next up... Paul Burnard to take us through the <a href="https://bit.ly/IOSSResponseToChiefPleas20200826">statement they'd released</a>. But first, as he had a little more time having moved another meeting, he ran through the original P&F report...</p><p>He started by saying to say it's [the report] inaccurate is being extremely generous to the authors of the report.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYJmtaygvQ3FXtFanSLa9q0MsRa7NUXpjXbuoFjo7UYSCFosDtOTY5bcpsMQSL2DvuO4qDNCgibh45PMY1A4Xt8SeSYjuVCMv22bb1sq9HVabxtz9UPqjkKRHSFmvseo7XdlRihYBsuNG3/s525/Screenshot+2020-08-28+at+15.55.32.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="69" data-original-width="525" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYJmtaygvQ3FXtFanSLa9q0MsRa7NUXpjXbuoFjo7UYSCFosDtOTY5bcpsMQSL2DvuO4qDNCgibh45PMY1A4Xt8SeSYjuVCMv22bb1sq9HVabxtz9UPqjkKRHSFmvseo7XdlRihYBsuNG3/s0/Screenshot+2020-08-28+at+15.55.32.png" /></a></div><p>He said, that's wrong. They purchased the boat on the 20th of March 2020, before the island had gone in to lockdown. They did not use deductions made for employee tax and social security payments as those deductions were not to be paid to the States of Guernsey until the 15th of April, by which time they would have had revenue to cover those deductions.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj124_RkiAv5XX_eRq5lkc6Rk5TWJrptkoFp62HkXFDlxXtPmU2Z-Dtmy21G9FgLlY2T-W6C-0MAnlhs2kIs3k96oooJkebnylGUcXK9U9jMfeycrmfAvzr9-Y5flFodgtUDfEkkP8Porv5/s525/Screenshot+2020-08-28+at+15.59.15.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="83" data-original-width="525" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj124_RkiAv5XX_eRq5lkc6Rk5TWJrptkoFp62HkXFDlxXtPmU2Z-Dtmy21G9FgLlY2T-W6C-0MAnlhs2kIs3k96oooJkebnylGUcXK9U9jMfeycrmfAvzr9-Y5flFodgtUDfEkkP8Porv5/s0/Screenshot+2020-08-28+at+15.59.15.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Chief Pleas approved the guarantee on the 19th of February. Why did it take so long? Well that will appear in the next blog post. The second part of this paragraph stating it was to fund general expenses was, as he put it, just not true. What the bank actually said was, they couldn't take a bond over the boat at the moment because it's in France (and under a French flag) so will you, Chief Pleas, release £200,000 of the loan to enable the company to keep going until such time that the bank can take on the bond over the boat. That's not what was said in the report. Chief Pleas refused to sign that guarantee.<div><br /></div><div>He skipped ahead at this point. Which lead to me trying to find the relevant paragraph.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8QWyusB4oHye5QGFiTDkHZOZnsFjAOVT3YfCxJ5AK1bjpGg3eL0ss0l_Qm1Qb1DNwILKS3Q8pz1EhOviKvy11WtRS_4VfbpGnBfL2arg3dB9oNEWEAgxzmSApE5-ziMMlBf6ciZF7n7NZ/s521/Screenshot+2020-08-28+at+16.06.39.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="86" data-original-width="521" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8QWyusB4oHye5QGFiTDkHZOZnsFjAOVT3YfCxJ5AK1bjpGg3eL0ss0l_Qm1Qb1DNwILKS3Q8pz1EhOviKvy11WtRS_4VfbpGnBfL2arg3dB9oNEWEAgxzmSApE5-ziMMlBf6ciZF7n7NZ/s0/Screenshot+2020-08-28+at+16.06.39.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div>This redundancy exercise was never, as Yan said, agreed by the board. They would have cost the company £50,000 and a few weeks later they would have had to reemploy the staff, they wouldn't have got the redundancy packages back, plus, there would have been no States funding as they would have been classified as new employees.</div><div><br /></div><div>As for the further financial injection? He clearly stated, that's not true. </div><div><br /></div><div>What is true, he went on, is at the time all of the company financing was rearranged with the bank and the bank placed a condition on Chief Pleas that said, on top of us advancing a loan of £350,000 to the company and an overdraft of £220,000, £570,000 total, all the board requested was the borrowing of £350,000. However, a member of P&F, without the board's knowledge, went to the bank and negotiated a deal making the island liable for £220,000 more than the board wanted. The bank also said to Chief Pleas they needed to put in £30,000 to support the companies immediate cashflow. As it happened, they put in £20,000. A few weeks later, once operations resumed, Paul received a call from the bank manager who said he'd received a call from Conseiller Raymond asking if the company could repay them the £20,000 they've committed to put in. Unsurprisingly, the bank manager said no.</div><div><br /></div><div>It was this last act that lead directly to Paul offering his resignation from the company, even though the report said...</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0qy8g0p9ND6hNThro6AJBLkVnEWfqQkAVsesG8bU3h7zXZSz001ROtHI5npDxGBmIxreFg7J60-PRWHMk9_Cmmev3Zq9E_zv18K0sQdwVNNU26vy_sBdyvwVKagOohaSvPoBVYM7eOCB-/s520/Screenshot+2020-08-28+at+16.20.45.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="67" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0qy8g0p9ND6hNThro6AJBLkVnEWfqQkAVsesG8bU3h7zXZSz001ROtHI5npDxGBmIxreFg7J60-PRWHMk9_Cmmev3Zq9E_zv18K0sQdwVNNU26vy_sBdyvwVKagOohaSvPoBVYM7eOCB-/s0/Screenshot+2020-08-28+at+16.20.45.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I'm big on details, I'm not so sure P&F are. Paul resigned on the 25th of July. These inaccuracies paint a very different picture to reality, the report is looking like a work of persuasive, plausible fiction. Though in this case, names haven't been changed to protect the innocent.<div><br /></div><div>The report goes on.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdewgJ69eAj9VS0jze0X6JqrZ8rm4jIP1mg87llnN-G16J2FQ2ig29RMms4Lj7TsjlIqH0J0tMm6R81uuzP9ZTxSO-Xh_fq5FGVhJH9y2hfCc2ZlHpPwFNitRoUvfxT76xITCSi60eYt_W/s498/Screenshot+2020-08-28+at+16.25.35.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="83" data-original-width="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdewgJ69eAj9VS0jze0X6JqrZ8rm4jIP1mg87llnN-G16J2FQ2ig29RMms4Lj7TsjlIqH0J0tMm6R81uuzP9ZTxSO-Xh_fq5FGVhJH9y2hfCc2ZlHpPwFNitRoUvfxT76xITCSi60eYt_W/s0/Screenshot+2020-08-28+at+16.25.35.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Paul: They haven't, he had clause 3.4 ingrained in his memory.<div style="text-align: left;"><blockquote><i>Finance & Resources Committee will appoint a liaison officer who will act as the principal point of liaison between Chief Pleas, Finance & Resources Committee, Harbours & Shipping Committee and the Company on a day to day basis.</i></blockquote><p>Oh dear, they haven't appointed one of those. Mind you, it's only been two years, and we know it takes ages to do anything, which is presumably why they gave other Conseillers only a few hours to read and digest a report. Then 46 hours to review it all before returning, I'll not bore you with the details again. </p></div><div><div>Right, back to their response to Chief Pleas.</div><div><br /></div><div>1) The purchase of Corsaire de Iles 2. There were no conditions place on that purchase regarding how it would be funded. That's what the directors are for, Paul then reminded people of the previous years meeting when he'd predicted they would have £900,000 in the bank by the end of the financial year. Sure enough, he reported, they had £900,000 in the bank at the end of the financial year. It's almost as if they are doing their jobs well. As soon as the purchase was agreed by Chief Pleas, the company paid the deposit of £127,279 to the vendors of the boat. It was non-refundable and if the company had withdrawn from the purchase, they would have lost the money. This is not in the interest of the company or the island. Owing to the extended delay in Chief Pleas signing the guarantee, the company had no choice but to find other means to pay for the boat, using both their cash reserves and part of the overdraft facility. Even after finalising the purchase, they had £30,000 headway in their overdraft facility. </div><div><br /></div><div>2) was skipped as, well, it was quite simply untrue.</div><div><br /></div><div>3) Pushing the company to administration. It was not the board that did this, it was <a href="https://bit.ly/IOSSResponseToChiefPleas20200826">P&F's actions</a>. The company's tax and social security contributions amounted to £50,637. Paul had negotiated a repayment programme of 3 monthly instalments of £16,879. They paid the one at the end of March, informing P&F of this in a conference call, which involved one of the financial supporters from the States of Guernsey, P&F said it was all fine, not a problem. When it came to paying, the company asked for funds and P&F said... No, we're only giving money for the wages. Errr, were they listening at all? The company had given an undertaking to the States of Guernsey, who were supporting them to the tune of £10,000 a week to support the wage bill, and even though the company had made the undertaking, P&F said, no, you can't pay it. P&F also said, send us a list of creditors and, presumably going through the list, "oh, not them, they've only been there six weeks, they can wait".<br /><br />At this point I should point out that I used a number of words that my mother wouldn't approve of. Actually, I wouldn't approve of either.</div><div><br /></div><div>Remember the brief bio I did above? Paul, being a member of the ethics committee of the <a href="https://www.icaew.com/">ICAEW</a> and a Jurat and all that, well, this means he has to be squeaky clean and they could not put the company in a position where they reneged on an agreement with the States of Guernsey or didn't pay suppliers. Though only advice he could reasonably give was to put the company in to administration. Never mind the personal liabilities, the company would have been at risk. This would be very bad for the island.</div><div><br /></div><div>Just remember, this was triggered by P&Fs actions.</div><div><br /></div><div>4) Failure to implement redundancies. Within 10 days of being told by P&F that they needed to implement redundancies the world, well, our little bit of it, changed again. How they laughed.</div><div><br /></div><div>In short, if they'd done what the masterminds of P&F had insisted on, the Isle of Sark would be very different today, and not in a good way. That P&F were using this as a stick to beat them with simply beggars belief.</div><div><br /></div><div>5) The board has mismanaged the finances. If they'd followed the instructions of P&F, they would have lost credibility with their suppliers, and with the States of Guernsey, spent £50,000 on unnecessary redundancy packages, furthermore... the revised bank financing, arranged by P&F, without any reference to the board, has cost the company an extra £14,000 in bank and legal charges. Plus, the island is liable for £120,000 more of guarantees. Also, the company has had to grant mortgages over all five vessels because of the negotiations that Conseiller Raymond did with the bank. The company were only looking for a mortgage on the boat they were buying.</div><div><br /></div><div>Well done Conseiller Raymond, take a gold star, you've exposed the island and the company, and it was all done without reference to the company.</div><div><br /></div><div>Some good news!</div><div><br /></div><div>As of Wednesday this week, the company had £45,000 in the bank, that means, with the overdraft facility, they have £265,000 head room! More to the point, this is £265,000 better off than where they thought they would be when the financing was arranged.</div><div><br /></div><div>And this, dear hearts, is what P&F call financial mismanagement. I think not, though I'd question P&F's judgement.</div><div><br /></div><div>To finish off the presentation, Peter referred to a time about 18 months ago when Conseiller Guille decided, unilaterally, to attend a board meeting. He was shown the door as he'd neither been directed to do so my P&F nor had they informed the board that he was their liaison officer. This is your occasional reminder that as of last night they still don't have a liaison officer. If only they had an efficient civil servant to tell them what they need to do.</div><div><br /></div><div>Anyhoo, Peter felt that Conseiller Guille didn't appreciate this. But it was a private meeting. Sorry bonny lad.</div><div><br /></div><div>Peter went on to tell us that they only found out the previous day that their staff had sent a letter of support to all Conseillers, he, and the rest of the board, appeared to be genuinely moved by this and that they were eternally grateful for the letter and they would like to thank them.</div><div><br /></div><div>Paul made a further comment on communication. He was trawling through the Chief Pleas looking for some information for the public meeting on Monday evening, you know, the one the <i>Sark Newspaper</i> felt was a little odd, he saw there was to be a special meeting on Tuesday and that there would be a proposition made regarding Sark Shipping. Quite rightly, as an executive director, he contacted P&F to say that in the interest you should let the board know what the proposition is about.</div><div><br /></div><div>Astonishingly... this was met with silence.</div><div><br /></div><div>Yan's final statement was to say he felt privileged to work with his fellow board members, that he trusts them, he'd even trust them with his money. There might have been laughter. He went on to say, that what the board do is not because it's their jobs or livelihood, that doing things risks their reputations with the rest of their work. Further, he said how much he loved what he did, his enthusiasm for the job, but, that if it was required for him to go he would accept gracefully on the proviso that this was done properly.</div><div><br /></div><div>And this seemed to be the view of the entire board. Any change had to be done properly. This would mean new directors being approved after interviews, references, in short, a proper process.</div><div><br /></div><div>At this point I will stop writing as I need a cup of tea, it's meat draw night and, also, the Sark Hillclimb. My impromptu day off has been spent trying to bash my scribbled notes unto something that vaguely makes sense. Unlike the P&F report, obvs.</div><div><br /></div><div>But I will say this. The board were candid, honest, clear, intelligent. They know their stuff. They know the business. They made the right choices in difficult circumstances.</div><div><br /></div><div>After the end of the presentation, the talking and questions went on for another hour, and, I will come back to this because I feel it's worth recording.</div><div><br /></div><div>What's odd though is trying not to leap forward to what happened a few hours later during the reprised Chief Pleas meeting. I'd like to say that P&F managed to show they had listened and were statesmanlike, but, spoiler alert, it was clear they hadn't. The write up won't quite be <i>a giant rollercoaster of a novel in four hundred sizzling chapters, a searing indictment of twisted politics in Sark, with some hot gypsies thrown in</i>. Though, I imagine it could be.<br /><br />We know what the ending is, you'll just have to wait to see how I present it.<br /><br />Adieu.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div> <br /><div><p><br /></p></div></div></div>Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13459548281281231817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3185119523481672293.post-45094998457729679202020-08-26T16:34:00.000+01:002020-08-26T16:34:41.070+01:00A very fine mess.<p>In the heady days of 1980s video game development, we had a phrase: "a millisecond is an eternity, but three months is never enough". This might seem a strange place to start in a summary of last night's decidedly peculiar Chief Pleas Extraordinary Meeting, but there is a point and that point is the perception and use of time. When I talk of perception of time I don't mean anything like the perception I wrote of <a href="http://almostsenseless.blogspot.com/2012/06/distractions-and-alchemy-of-time.html">some years ago</a>, but rather what is perceived to be acceptable by some and yet simply insane by others.<br /></p><p>The issue at hand was concerns of the Chief Pleas Policy & Finance (P&F) and Harbours, Shipping & Pilotage committees. The method of redress sought was the removal of the current Sark Shipping board of directors and replace them with three new named directors, with immediate effect. Now you might think that an issue of this complexity and magnitude, not to mention significance for the island, would mean Conseillers would be given all of the relevant information and evidence long in advance of the meeting, but no, this was not to be.<br /><br />Indeed the proposed agenda, as of yesterday morning, had a note to say the report and supporting documentation would not be available until the afternoon. It did eventually appear and was limited and, on reading, fairly damning.</p><p>Unfortunately, it was also somewhat disingenuous, poorly laid out and lacking in any supporting evidence. Now I can appreciate that some of the more sensitive material might not be expected to appear in a public agenda, however there was no indication that transcripts and evidence were given to Conseillers for them to digest.</p><p>That aside, the issue here is time.<br /><br />I first saw sight of the report around noon, though I believe it was issued to Conseillers at about 10am, without the supporting documentation. This gives nine hours for Conseillers to read, digest, understand and draw conclusions. Unfortunately there were issues.<br /><br />The first issue was it was one side's view, as clearly shown later that day when Sark Shipping issued another open letter to Conseillers expressing their disappointment that it had not been shared with them officially, rather it was up to a single concerned Conseiller to forward the report directly to them.<br /><br />Can you imagine going to court and only the prosecution being allowed to speak and give evidence? No? Well this is what was happening and certainly left little time for Sark Shipping to defend themselves against the accusations.</p><p>Sark is a working island and as Conseillers are unpaid for their services to the island through Chief Pleas, the majority work for a living. Which is an issue if you have to read, digest, understand and draw conclusions from information that was not made available to them until nine hours before the meeting. Why? Because many were working.<br /><br />For example, one Conseiller in particular, when approached on this matter, stated they had left home at 07:00 and had seen nothing of the report, but was then going home to look at this. Assuming for a moment that most work nominally normal hours, it's likely they had perhaps at best two or three hours to digest what they had received. Two or three hours is insufficient time to digest around eleven pages of report and supporting documentation as well as, because they wish to be diligent, reading the open letter from Sark Shipping.<br /><br />This is unacceptable. And not in a disingenuous, play-to-the-camera Liz Truss kind of way.<br /><br />If you follow me on <a href="https://twitter.com/AlmostSenseless" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, you'll already know that the result of the meeting was a two day deferment, so before I cover the detail of what was discussed, let's look at this.<br /><br />Two days. 48 hours. Surely that's enough? Well, no. It's not 48 hours for a start. The Speaker announced the meeting would reconvene at 19:00 on the 27th of August, as he said this it was around 21:00. 46 hours. Presumably people will want to sleep and if they manage a glorious 8 hours a night, this brings us to 30 hours. Unfortunately as many of the Conseillers will have work to deal with, we lose perhaps another 8 hours a day, a nice fat 14 hours left. Of course, there will be other things to deal with, family to see, food to eat, beer to be drunk. Let's be generous and say they now have 10 hours.<br /><br />In those ten hours, presumably in the evening, they are going to attempt to make sense of the report without being able to easily plan, call, email or whatever those involved to gather further evidence and confirmation of what is being stated. Unfortunately, of those 10 hours, some of them were post meeting. So we lose perhaps another two or three. Let's call it 7. Those seven hours are, realistically speaking, going to be this evening, so if someone finishes work at 5pm, heads home, ignores the family, eats as they read... They are still looking at working until midnight.<br /><br />They will be tired. They will have barely begun to unpick what is being said by both sides. They will have had no chance to challenge the strength of the statements made.<br /><br />In short, act in haste, repent at leisure.<br /><br />Could this be the reason why Conseiller La Trobe-Bateman insisted that they wouldn't budge on the 2 day timeframe? Surely not.<br /><br />Two days may have seemed perfectly reasonable on the face of things. It patently isn't. The perception of time can be a cruel mistress.</p><p>So about that meeting.</p><p>Conseiller La Trobe-Bateman began his introduction by stating that this report had been written in conjunction with the law officers and that whilst it coming at short notice, it was above board. Of course this rather assumes that the law officers were given all of the facts in a completely transparent matter.<br /><br />And there we have the crux of the problem with this whole affair, in fewer than two dozen words he has said it's short notice. At this point you would expect he'd apologise and ask, in the spirit of not just doing the right thing but being seen to do the right thing, for a respectable deferment to allow members of Chief Pleas to fully digest what was written. Of course this didn't happen.<br /><br />He began to give his brief overview of the report.<br /><br /><i>"Over the last 18 months both committees have been working with the board of Sark Shipping to ensure our lifeline service is robust and fit for service"</i>. Well, quite, that's what we would expect at the very least.<br /><br />He then explained that at the beginning of last year there were concerns that all vessels, other than the Sark Viking, were nearing the end of their operational life and would need would need significant overhauls. He helpfully reminded us that the <a href="https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/ships/shipid:190056/mmsi:235024629/imo:8303056/vessel:BON_MARIN_DE_SERK" target="_blank">Bon Marin de Serk</a>, which was misnamed in the report, came out of service with no apparent replacement.<br /><br />This is disingenuous, as he well knows. The implication is nothing had been done and yet the P&F support documents clearly states that the vessel identified in January 2019 (M.V. Star Riviera) had fallen through in October 2019. More than a month after the Bon Marin de Serk was taken out of service. Clearly this showed up as the Sark Shipping board of directors worked through their due diligence and, however inconvenient it might have been, had to withdraw from the purchase.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf-Mj7n9j0OE6D3SOnDiGM6K1xBfgRQZh4Ua_f-Zcv5tGA4k5SA0hziZls7tbXtkn5U77BBp-q_w6Vurviw2042Vg_xqTMOL1YTE8p19F-hZP6Bk4eVe7_HjT0SM2ehisO3JwNNTyijFE2/s527/Screenshot+2020-08-26+at+11.46.48.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="527" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf-Mj7n9j0OE6D3SOnDiGM6K1xBfgRQZh4Ua_f-Zcv5tGA4k5SA0hziZls7tbXtkn5U77BBp-q_w6Vurviw2042Vg_xqTMOL1YTE8p19F-hZP6Bk4eVe7_HjT0SM2ehisO3JwNNTyijFE2/s0/Screenshot+2020-08-26+at+11.46.48.png" /></a></div><p>How could someone have forgotten such an important detail from a report that they were involved in creating, just hours after it was released. Strange.</p><p>He then moved on to the big one, <i>"In May this year, Sark Shipping threatened to put the company in to administration"</i>. Well, it's difficult to tie up the loose ends on this one without a full and detailed review. However in the report there is reference to the purchase of the replacement vessel (M.V. Corsaire des Isles) and how it had been pushed ahead without telling P&F. This, unfortunately, is a reality of business and I suspect, contractual obligations. The purchase began on March the 19th based on Chief Pleas having agreed support on February the 19th. Great. Well, except that the guarantee documentation wasn't signed until the 6th of April. Without having sight of the contract I suspect that the reason Sark Shipping "pushed ahead" with the sale was because they had too.</p><p>Conseiller La Trobe-Bateman called this purchase <b style="font-style: italic;">reckless</b>. With a suitable sense of drama he described how it was completed after France had entered lockdown. Quelle horreur! Non, ce sont des contrats.</p><p>If only Chief Pleas had appointed a liaison officer as was required by their memorandum of understanding with Sark Shipping, this break in communication could have been easily bridged.<br /><br />Combined with the sudden and rather drastic drop in revenues owing to the pandemic and full lockdown, the very revenues the business case would have needed to complete payment for the vessel, this would, I imagine have stretched Sark Shipping massively and their <i>"threat"</i> to go in to administration was less a threat and more a statement of one of the possible outcomes.<br /><br />But <i><b>threat</b></i> makes a better headline. A bit like reckless.<br /><br />The reality is, on this part of the affair, the company was kept together. There is a danger of just focussing on this one company without using a wider context. Across the Bailiwick, Europe, the World, many companies were struggling equally, many had had gone in to administration, it's what happens when things go horribly wrong. The very fact that Sark Shipping <b><i>isn't</i></b> in administration and <b><i>has</i></b> weathered the storm, with a little help from Chief Pleas, is a testament to the directors.<br /><br />He then went on to discuss the Sark Venture being taken out of service and how this time grew. More importantly he touch on how the P&F committee hadn't been made aware that the engines were of French manufacture. If only they'd had a liaison officer to reveal each and every detail. You know, the one they were supposed to have. This decision, he stated, lead to complications owing to the pandemic. Well, yes, I suspect that at the beginning of January, nobody had any clue what was going to happen in the next two months and the decision to use an engine from this particular manufacturer was the right one at the time.<br /><br />Next up he stated that allegedly, the Marine & Coastguard Agency (MCA) would not be prepared to travel to certify the vessel on completion. <b><i>Allegedly</i></b>. Okay, we'll be coming back to this, for the moment though, this is what allegedly looks like...<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Gfq7wnHDADgGsEibmro-LO1Svk8K51KUOWlg_3tL_UJrUlwG-AN_Wfp8mJumy3iCu_SfCxGTfBBcgDrk1t-UuutFqgobAWPJNRqg0cTjorspH_pf_YzJmTRvKq4WIoE1df85BaRweEr-/s1021/Screenshot+2020-08-26+at+12.29.47.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="468" data-original-width="1021" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Gfq7wnHDADgGsEibmro-LO1Svk8K51KUOWlg_3tL_UJrUlwG-AN_Wfp8mJumy3iCu_SfCxGTfBBcgDrk1t-UuutFqgobAWPJNRqg0cTjorspH_pf_YzJmTRvKq4WIoE1df85BaRweEr-/s640/Screenshot+2020-08-26+at+12.29.47.png" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>This, dear hearts, is what one might call actual evidence. Not hearsay, not picking up the phone and allegedly chatting to someone. An electronic trail that can be checked with the MCA. I imagine there will be more evidence where this comes from.<br /><br />Whatever there is, this directly contradicts Conseiller La Trobe-Bateman saying the MCA wouldn't travel is a lie. It is true, the MCA said it was true just 7 days before. So either Conseiller La Trobe-Bateman is confused, misinformed or, for the purposes of this railroading exercise, telling a lie. Who knows, I wouldn't like to judge.<div><br /></div><div>A further option was presented where by the vessel could be taken to the UK for certification. Unfortunately, for the purposes of manufacturer guarantee, a representative had to be there for the commissioning of the engine. Again this was impacted by the pandemic.</div><div><br /></div><div>He went on to state that they had contacted the manufacturer who had said the commissioning inspection could be handled by an English company and after contacting the company they assured P&F they would be prepared to travel. At this point you'd expect any reasonable person to pass this information on to Sark Shipping so that they could take advantage of this offer. This has all happened since the 10th of August during their last meeting with Sark Shipping. I trust there is firm evidence of this communication and not just hearsay.</div><div><br /></div><div>Shortly after this there was a moment where, given what I said above about time, I had to suppress a laugh... "<i>most of the non-executive directors are extremely busy in their fields of work and this might be part of the reason for the lack of due diligence on their part</i>". Oh the irony drippeth.</div><div><br /></div><div>How can the hardworking members of Chief Pleas give their full attention and due diligence whilst being extremely busy and having so little time in which to complete this task before Thursday at 19:00?... As I write that's less than 31 hours away.</div><div><br /></div><div>At this point he moved on to naming the proposed directors. <a href="http://www.sarknewspaper.com/Flippers/Sark%20Newspaper%2020%20July%202018/6/">Julie Mann</a>, John Guille and <a href="https://guernseypress.com/news/2014/12/06/insurance-director-fined-200000-by-watchdog/">Richard Wickins</a>. At this point, I should note that John Guille had not declared his interest and not recused himself from the proceedings. Oh dear.<br /><br />As Conseiller La Trobe-Bateman wound things up, making further damning statements, I couldn't help but wonder whether the evidence to back these up was to be presented to the other members. </div><div><br /></div><div>Next up it was Conseiller Raymond, he started with the words "the debate today". Debate, really? Is that even the Chief Pleas way of doing things? It felt more like a hatchet job. He began to drone on, I'm sure he's a lovely guy, but he's not the most engaging of speakers. However, I pricked up my ears and began scribbling again when he said...<br /><br />"...the Shipping Company is overdrawn" having paid out the the new engine. Perhaps his information is out of date because this is what Sark Shipping wrote earlier in the day as an open letter:<br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUxX4xIW_5knETkWVhzUQ2v-jkUTlmvWC_-ZnhiLzC5cr-oAB08aOcYgTrVHMTNK_AxMN4GfuI2WHLUJsVmQQ6xV6WfJm0D5SY2JWrSRUh1I6fm_1lmqpimF0fXoi_cFH_vYNK4KukKWZ2/s742/Screenshot+2020-08-26+at+13.10.03.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="66" data-original-width="742" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUxX4xIW_5knETkWVhzUQ2v-jkUTlmvWC_-ZnhiLzC5cr-oAB08aOcYgTrVHMTNK_AxMN4GfuI2WHLUJsVmQQ6xV6WfJm0D5SY2JWrSRUh1I6fm_1lmqpimF0fXoi_cFH_vYNK4KukKWZ2/s640/Screenshot+2020-08-26+at+13.10.03.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />Right... Once again, this is a point where things should stop as clearly there is a material difference with the two sides. Of course if this was a court, and I don't mean a <a href="https://guernseypress.com/news/voices/comment/2020/08/26/chief-pleas-acting-as-a-kangaroo-court/" target="_blank">kangaroo court</a> as rather deliciously described by the Guernsey Press, evidence could be presented to show how this important piece of information is, well, wrong. It may very well be true, needless to say, and, if so, said evidence would cast Sark Shipping in a poor light given their earlier open letter. Sadly, for both the reputation of Chief Pleas and the island, it is P&F that is hogging this dim light.<div><br /></div><div>He droned on with further detailed information, it's a shame we can't record this, it would help me sleep. I imagine this was all documented, I can't imagine Conseiller Raymond making anything up. Though I do dispute his statement that the directors approaching Chief Pleas to state that if no financial support was forthcoming they would have to put the company in to administration (still not a threat) was in breach of their fiduciary duty, far from it, this is precisely what directors should be doing if there is a significant risk of the company becoming insolvent. He stated that they could have resigned at that point, well, yes, but they didn't as, in my view, they were trying to find solutions to keep the company running. To resign would be running away. Besides, once in administration I suspect the administrators would remove them from office.</div><div><br /></div><div>Next up was Conseiller Guille, needless to say he didn't state his interest in this affair, as one might expect, regardless of how obvious it was. He stumbled on with some description of the options regarding new vessels, expressing surprise as to why things were moving so slowly. Much was re-iterated from earlier, though not in quite as coherent a manner.<br /><br />Eventually though we got to the point where he stated he'd contacted the MCA and claims they said that it would be possible to send inspectors or receive the Sark Venture in the UK. I trust this wasn't just a phone and that there is an email trail as it goes completely against an email, the Conseiller Guille himself seemed to refer to, from just 7 days previously. Using this as a smoking gun to support what the directors were saying is troubling at best.</div><div><br /></div><div>Wandering on he touched on how it was "a supply of misinformation from <a href="https://www.sarkshipping.gg/">IOSS</a>" that lead to this evening. Hmmm. As a final hurrah, he poked a stick at the potential option of using a Trident vessel in the event of Sark Belle developing a fault. Let's for the moment assume that the Sark Shipping directors were of the belief that this was both possible and discussion had taken place to say this was the case, if so, why has this now suddenly changed in the eyes of Conseiller Guille. Thankfully he stopped speaking.<br /><br />Throughout all of this, I couldn't help but wonder where the breakdown of communication actually was, there were a great many accusations being thrown from the safety of, I presume, parliamentary privilege. And yet these flew in the face of statements by the directors of Sark Shipping, a limited company, registered in Guernsey, that has to conform to company law.<br /><br />Something is very wrong in the Isle of Sark.</div><div><br /></div><div>Questions...</div><div><br /></div><div>Seven Conseillers put there hands up, crikey...</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Conseiller Makepeace went first. He had a strong start, asking for this item (5) to be deferred. No mucking about there Frank. His view? <i>To allow time for both Conseillers and Sark Shipping directors alike to have time to fully study the report and make informed decisions and responses</i>. He pointed out that he shared the views of the majority of Sark tax payers that said item 5 should be deferred.</div><div><br /></div><div>He went on to say: <i>it's now been 12 years since the reform laws and yet we have a committee of Chief Pleas showing a lack of respect and disregard for other Conseillers. He went on to say it beggars belief that a committee of Chief Pleas could deliberately withhold information from both fellow Conseillers and the Sark public until the last minute and further to deny people the right to study documents in a timely fashion</i>. And there you have it. </div><div><br /></div><div>This is the issue.</div><div><br /></div><div>We don't know if Sark Shipping directors have been negligent in the manner they have carried out business, but we certainly can't trust what has been presented as it's been done in such a secretive manner and with no opportunity to review in a timely fashion.</div><div><br /></div><div>In response Conseiller La Trobe-Bateman said they had been waiting on an employment lawyer as well as the law officers. Wait, what? A lawyer, don't they, well, cost money?! And not to put too fine a point on it, but that doesn't excuse trying to railroad this proposal through on a nod.<br /><br />Quite frankly, Conseiller La Trobe-Bateman, your reasons are <b><i>not</i></b> good enough and do not justify trampling over the business of clear, effective governance.<br /><br /><br /><br />Conseiller Ventress opened by stating he supporting Conseiller Makepeace in asking for a deferment. He went on to explain that he, like many Conseillers and members of the public he is concerned that the lack of time to read, digest, evaluate and question the documents and above all the information put to P&F. He said he has decided there is no reason to rush and deal with this tonight. If the motion to defer the item failed, he would have no option but to vote against all the propositions. He pointed out that should the propositions be accepted it would leave Sark Shipping with no board and no formal handover or knowledge of the current situation. This is a bad thing™. He went on, this was <i>despite everything they had been told tonight</i>. He further detailed that despite every issue created by the pandemic, he felt the current board of directors had performed well even with much criticism from certain quarters.<br /><br />I wonder who he means by that...<br /><br />Consiller Drillot felt that he couldn't see a way forward with the current board of directors, I think he was rather missing the point of why trusting such a hasty process was a bad idea. He moved on to damning the board and their approach, claiming there were no signs of paperwork to show plans were in place to build a new boat even though the boats they had were old. At this point I wondered whether he's read the report or, for that matter, listened to what had been said earlier regarding the trail of new vessel acquisition as outlined by all three of the original speakers.<br /><br />He went on to state that he was in the privileged position to be able to go forward and chat with the crew whilst travelling on the various vessels, he claimed that a lot of the board directors did not even use the boat. Hmm, well some do, and some, in this Guernsey registered company that has Guernsey resident directors, don't have a need to travel on a regular basis using said boats. He then speculated that they, the directors, <i>"probably didn't talk to the crew half of the time"</i>. And then he dropped a bombshell, "my concern talking to the crew for the last three years at least, was that they have no respect for the management, for the board".<br /><br />Oh.<br /><br />So, here's the thing, yesterday, at 16:35, an email was sent on behalf of all staff and crew of IOSS to all Conseillers. Unfortunately this didn't make it to the relevant people as, apparently, there are problems with the "all" email address. Oh dear.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaryI4WXU8X4LYgQMYtU7BQXg8pY6Xa3_Vfh6lowDEm2AiUaAARfl_KNUCY0qFEi8sTgsxD8ikefjSyNNZwUvzaOHGKVtspVG8qTCBKfQVRjr1ushoonS1Ag6O0fM4O0_8UK5o0KtjlU_W/s2130/EgWWzYOWsAIaRj6.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2130" data-original-width="809" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaryI4WXU8X4LYgQMYtU7BQXg8pY6Xa3_Vfh6lowDEm2AiUaAARfl_KNUCY0qFEi8sTgsxD8ikefjSyNNZwUvzaOHGKVtspVG8qTCBKfQVRjr1ushoonS1Ag6O0fM4O0_8UK5o0KtjlU_W/s640/EgWWzYOWsAIaRj6.jpeg" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Perhaps Conseillers Drillot has mistaken in his understanding of what the crew said, let's face it, at any company, or business, in any village, town, city, country or even small island, will, from time to time, moan about t'management. But to present an interpretation of here-say as being fact? That's just plain wrong, or, here comes that word again, disingenuous.<br /><div><br /></div><div>He then went on to say they had lost some good staff and crew owing to mis-management.<br /><br />Where. Is. The. Evidence?<br /><br />On he went, he claimed with two boats we could have had more visitors. Perhaps so, but as with any limited resource you will eventually reach capacity, whether it be 1 boat or 6. The reality is that for a business you have to balance to costs. That said, Sark Shipping themselves admitted that there are days when a passenger may not get their preferred time of travel, this also happens with trains, aeroplanes and the likes, it is a reality of life. They also showed the actual capacity in their "<a href="https://bit.ly/IOSS20200825">virtual public meeting</a>", an example is below for July. Play spot the 100% capacity, fun for all the family.<br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8bxRZQ40x4BZbQ82MZUghlK1iwtUO3mpXg5T4q33zp3DdUs6VpfSlrCYBNy8OUTCqji9xpS8nXVSzK8h2qeVftX-DD3kky6LVatM9y4LayIHATZ57rgUpGJcCAPwlLgqbbiEbb0JUqMmg/s1065/Screenshot+2020-08-26+at+14.58.01.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="1065" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8bxRZQ40x4BZbQ82MZUghlK1iwtUO3mpXg5T4q33zp3DdUs6VpfSlrCYBNy8OUTCqji9xpS8nXVSzK8h2qeVftX-DD3kky6LVatM9y4LayIHATZ57rgUpGJcCAPwlLgqbbiEbb0JUqMmg/s640/Screenshot+2020-08-26+at+14.58.01.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>He droned on a bit more about the issues of weather against travel. Of course he blindly ignored the reality of what had been said earlier regarding issues with commissioning the Sark Venture. But we've already covered those.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then he dropped another bombshell. He said on one point he agreed with the board, that they could have had a Conseillers meeting with them. Wait a minute, hadn't it been said time and time again by the original speakers that meetings were being held. And yet, this Conseiller, apparently a member of the relevant committees, felt differently. How odd.<br /><br />He professed that the other Conseillers should trust them, that they have chased down every avenue. Trouble is, I don't believe they have and, so far, they've done nothing to convince me otherwise as they are glaring gaps and inconsistencies you could sail the Sark Viking through. He also felt that nobody from these two committees could have come up with this decision overnight. Perhaps, but they've still not shown it's the right one.</div><div><br /></div><div>Conseiller Williams after a preamble stated she would quite like to have a copy of the information presented before she made any decisions, further, if she had to vote on the propositions she would have no option but to vote against them without the relevant time and information. Crikey.<br /><br />Conseiller Plummer started by stating she has spoken to many people who have expressed their concerns with the timing of the evening's planned decision. To give balance she pointed out that there have been those that said enough is enough. It was her view that the decision should be deferred.<br /><br />Conseiller McHugh said she joined Conseiller Makepeace in calling for a deferral, she did say that she believed what had been said in the reports, however she couldn't support the speed with which the propositions had been tabled and hence there should be a deferral. She asked a very salient question... If the directors were to be removed en masse, who would negotiate the terms for the new directors...<br /><br />At which point the naughty public clapped and we had our wrists slapped by the Speaker!<br /><br />Anyway, Conseiller La Trobe-Bateman stated that as Conseiller Guille was not going to be paid then it was not going to be an issue. Sorry darling, but that's not how it works. A contract needs to exist for the protection of both the company and the individual, regardless of whether or not they are being paid. You might get away with this for someone coming in to wash a few dishes, however, in the case of Conseiller Guille he was proposing getting involved with all sorts of things, all with nasty liability and, needless to say, as an executive director.<br /><br />Do try again.<br /><br />He went, in the case of Julie Mann this might possibly be an issue and possibly be done my Conseiller Guille and Richard Wickins. Possibly. You see, to me, that is not a clear plan. The very inclusion of two "possibly" screams making-this-up-as-we-go-along. Not a great start.<br /><br />Conseiller La Trobe-Bateman finished by again stating that Consiller Guille's contract would be irrelevant because he wasn't being paid...</div><div><br />Of course this lead to laughter from the public gallery because, well, FFS, what the actual was he talking about? Which lead to another wrist slap from the Speaker and a threat to clear the Public Gallery.<br /><br />It's almost a shame he didn't.<br /><br />At this point I should mention the Public Gallery. It was packed, all seats filled, people both sitting and standing in the aisle, this had drawn out many people. Earlier, there were people outside lobbying the Conseillers as they arrived. This wasn't a small item on a windy night in Sark, this was big news and it was clear that few, if any, supported the propositions. They should have expected a response from the public.<br /><br />Conseiller Craik was grateful for the information received and the further explanations given, however, she was of the opinion that the propositions should be deferred so that they could absorb the information as well as to give the board of IOSS a chance to respond. Very fair and reasonable. She did also say that she felt mistakes had been made by Sark Shipping, but that the speed that this item had been brought was unacceptable.<br /><br />At this point Conseiller La Trobe-Bateman stood and said that if this was to be deferred that he proposed that a thorough and independent investigation into IOSS should commence immediately. He further proposed that given the level of misinformation that had been provided by Sark Shipping executive directors (his words, not mine) should be suspended with immediate effect pending the outcome of the investigation.<br /><br />Right...<br /><br />Conseiller Blythe burst into life and said "<i>I think we're all in agreement with the propositions</i>", mmm, no. he did go on to say the only issue was the speed with which they were presented. That's not how this works, the very fact that others are asking for a deferment indicates that they went to check they are reaching the correct conclusion, whatever their initial thoughts were. Perhaps he'd lost focus. And, he went on "sometimes it just has to be done and we should just vote for it now".<br /><br />Again. Act in haste, repent at leisure.<br /><br />Conseiller Makepeace pointed out that it was known a week before there would be a delay getting out the papers and a suitable date should have been chosen to allow time for the papers to be reviewed. As he said, there is no excuse. He went on to remind the Conseiller that their loyalty should be to the Sark tax payer and it is them to whom they serve and deserve better than this. He reiterated his request for a deferal.<br /><br />Conseiller La Trobe-Bateman popped up again to say that if it's the will of Chief Pleas that they defer...<br /><br />After a brief further statement supporting deferral by Conseiller Williams, Conseiller La Trobe-Bateman suggested they step outside.</div><div><br />Ooh, fight!<br /><br />No, wait, turns out it was to discuss this as a committee. The Speaker said as there had been a proposer, seconder, third and fourth, he would call a short recess for them to come to a decision on the deferral time. He explained that the deferral could not be indefinite and must have a finite time and take in to account the time needed to organise external agencies...<br /><br />They recessed for 20 minutes. The room became very loud. There wasn't enough time to nip to the pub.<br /><br />And we're back in the room.<br /><br />The Speaker called for Conseiller La Trobe-Bateman to give their response. They wanted a deferral of two days.<br /><br />That's not going to give a lot of time for the thorough and independent investigation he proposed about 25 minutes earlier. What? Cue more murmerings from the public. He said that would give plenty of time to get the views of the public and it'll be all sorted by the weekend.<br /><br />Right... <b><i>*looks to camera*</i></b><br /><br />The Speaker asked if that's your proposal to defer for two days, without any fresh reports. Conseiller La Trobe-Bateman laughed and said "<i>that's a good question</i>".<br /><br />Seriously, what were they doing outside?<br /><br />To be fair to the Speaker, it felt like he was trying to get him to consider what had just been said. His response? "we'll probably dig out some more information, I think there'll be more verbal reports". Not evidence then.<br /><br />Probably, that's almost as bad as possibly.<br /><br />The Speaker asked Conseiller Makepeace to speak. His reponse "I think that's ridiculous, two days isn't enough, we're expected to get statements and contact Sark Shipping and the public, two days is not enough. Two weeks is a more realistic time". Quite.<br /><br />Conseiller Ventress and Craik also felt they needed more than two days. Conseiller Craik asked for further information to be forwarded on to all Conseillers.<br /><br />A vote was called.<br /><br />The proposal for two days was supported by nine votes to five.<br /><br />This is as much a joke as a travesty. In just a couple of hours Chief Pleas, excluding the notable exceptions in their ranks, have managed to make Sark look, quite frankly, ridiculous. In the time I've lived here, the clear view received has been that Chief Pleas does little more than rubber stamp the reports and proposals given by Conseillers. There is a glimmer of hope that perhaps there are now a few people that are prepared to stand up and say what they think without feeling they need to join the club. But they've a long way to go and, sadly, a battle ahead to show that democracy hasn't shrivelled up and died on this rock high above the sea.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sadly though, we'd still stuck with a lack of clear, evidence driven, government, where decisions are based on here-say presented as fact. Even when it's not. Then there is the issue of how the island must look to the Crown Dependencies section of the Ministry of Justice, or even to the Lieutenant Governor in Guernsey, the man tasked by the Queen to watch over us.<br /><br />It is, deeply disappointing. More importantly it completely goes against the simple principle that: <i>you must not just do the right thing, but be seen to do the right thing</i>.<br /><br />Shame neither part of that happened.</div>Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13459548281281231817noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3185119523481672293.post-80821692359820102282020-04-21T23:59:00.000+01:002020-04-22T00:12:42.168+01:0028 Days LaterAs of midnight tonight it's been 28 days since Sark went in to almost total <a href="https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/5ff82f30-38d7-4ae5-98f1-e93b4ee65820/downloads/Covid%2019%20emergency%20measures%20(2).pdf?ver=1587480095528">lock-down</a>.<br />
<br />
Unlike in most places even the two food stores were closed with only home deliveries being permitted to make sure people could still eat. Which is nice. Trouble is that many of the islanders work on the island doing things that just were no longer allowed, whether this be on the land, in bars, restaurants, shops and even, of course, hotels.<br />
<br />
I'll come back to hotels.<br />
<br />
I make the place sound like a heaving metropolis, but it's really not. The point is that there are an awful lot of people on the island that suddenly couldn't work and, unlike in many places, there is next to nothing by way of support. Don't get me wrong, you should be aware of this when you live here, but it's still a stark and difficult situation here.<br />
<br />
But it gets worse.<br />
<br />
Sark has been both blessed and cursed. Blessed because, so far, there have been no positive cases of the Novel Coronavirus on the island. But similarly, cursed. Cursed because how on earth do you re-open the doors to a place that makes a great deal of its annual income from spring and summer tourism when by doing so you bring the risk of exposing the small population to something they've potentially not been exposed to before. It's true that some work has been permitted to restart, but even that comes with <a href="https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/5ff82f30-38d7-4ae5-98f1-e93b4ee65820/downloads/Update%20for%20Outdoor%20Working.pdf?ver=1587480095261">restrictions</a>.<br />
<br />
But what about me?<br />
<br />
Well, in the first instance, I'm fortunate in that I work remotely and from home, so in many ways I'm unaffected. But the impact is no less apparent. I would be lying if I said I'm fine, I'm really not. In the same way that anyone in isolation isn't going to be fine. The escape is to go walking, for no more than two hours of course, however as that invariably means I'm walking with no conversation other than the thoughts in my head, even that is getting a little old.<br />
<br />
I'm really bored of the thoughts in my head.<br />
<br />
It's true that I'm quite capable of being relatively isolated for long periods, normally I'm happy in my own company. This is different. This has no apparent ending, no release, no plans to look forward to. As I said to my mother on Sunday, I'm taking it one day at a time, sticking with a strict regime of waking at dawn, starting work and not thinking of what the next day won't bring.<br />
<br />
As things were beginning to grow difficult through February, I was quite aware that plans would fail to materialise. So I made alternate plans. For instance, back to the hotels, it was my Sark anniversary on the 20<sup>th</sup> of March, I toyed with various ideas but settled on booking a table pour une, pull on my glad rags, throw my heels in Imogen's basket and head off to <a href="https://www.stockshotel.com/">Stocks Hotel</a> for an evening of decadence and fine wines. Perfect.<br />
<br />
And then Stocks, quite rightly, announced that they had taken the unilateral decision to close their doors until the end of May. Bugger. Okay, fine, pizza in the Bel Air it is then!<br />
<br />
Or so I thought.<br />
<br />
During the day of the 20th there was a Bailiwick wide order brought in to close all pubs etc. as of 18:30 that day. Okay, fine, I'll raid the freezer and drink cheap wine. It's almost the same.<br />
<br />
Spoiler: it wasn't.<br />
<br />
The next big plan was of what to do about my birthday in May. The original vague plans to do something somewhere are almost certainly on ice. Stocks is out as they are closed to the end of May. The pubs? Well, no idea. So I suspect it will be me, <a href="https://twitter.com/MontyTheBear">Monty the Bear</a> and a bottle of whatever plonk I can get, along with a burrito at that fine authentic Mexican place, Casa Contrary.<br />
<br />
Hmm, it'll be a little like my 49<sup>th</sup> when I took myself off to <a href="http://contrarytowers.blogspot.com/2016/05/the-great-escape.html">Venice</a>, alone (if you ignore said bear), because I was determined to do what *I* wanted to do for the first time ever.<br />
<br />
Venice is definitely out.<br />
<br />
Also on ice was the plan to put Marlene back on the road, do a mini-roadtrip visiting friends and family in the UK before importing her to Guernsey and finding a nice place for her to live ready for jaunts over to France and, hopefully, the next Contrary Roadtrip. Not going to happen.<br />
<br />
And France is currently out too. As is the UK, and I'm not that keen on going there.<br />
<br />
Tricky.<br />
<br />
I'm a very shy individual. I tend to keep myself to myself and other than brief conversations in the pub, I will happily sit in the corner reading whilst sipping a glorious glass of cold <a href="https://www.rocquettecider.com/">Rocquette's</a> fine cider. It's not helped by the fact that I spend the working week alone, and working, so don't really have anything interesting to talk about. Can you imagine how little I have to talk about now after more than four weeks of almost zero human contact. Which is making writing surprisingly difficult to do.<br />
<br />
I've managed to find things with which to entertain myself, of course, I've spent time exploring the virtual worlds as I can't travel for real, this in itself has made a nice change from just making stuff for sale or by commission. There's been lots of Netflix and Prime, needless to say. Though, unlike most of Twitter, I've only managed to get through 6 bottles of wine over the last four weeks.<br />
<br />
Unlike the film, 28 Days Later, there is no script to follow, no spoilers or alternate ending. My life currently feels like a Belgian Art House movie where little seems to happen and I'm not sure what the plot is, though the main character is seem to be getting a little more raggedy as time goes on.<br />
<br />
So as the clocks in the house tick towards midnight and, without ceremony, mark the end of the first 28 days, I shall head to bed, and no doubt dream of journeys.<br />
<br />
Journeys that, for now, I can no longer take.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi85b_Ab-8uIx3ld50TTdmvZJSct8RIuIIHKLVSp25ox4Z2SINOQ_s80VZ66mkeimKYdOsP7kLLVSe53KIN68shCPAwEyJ8O3inYiC9P__GwGpBjZ_SMm_9zog8ux2zgH2XtA-ZHtcpZ9d/s1600/Snapshot_015.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="879" data-original-width="1600" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi85b_Ab-8uIx3ld50TTdmvZJSct8RIuIIHKLVSp25ox4Z2SINOQ_s80VZ66mkeimKYdOsP7kLLVSe53KIN68shCPAwEyJ8O3inYiC9P__GwGpBjZ_SMm_9zog8ux2zgH2XtA-ZHtcpZ9d/s640/Snapshot_015.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13459548281281231817noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3185119523481672293.post-80748908116056800262020-03-22T14:00:00.003+00:002020-08-10T10:13:05.745+01:00So you want to move to Sark?It's been a year and <strike>a day</strike> two days since I moved to Sark, rather disappointingly I've not written about it much other than my decision to <a href="http://contrarytowers.blogspot.com/2019/03/youre-moving-where.html">move here</a> and that first <a href="http://contrarytowers.blogspot.com/2019/05/100-days.html">100 days</a>. Oh, and what happened when my well went <a href="http://contrarytowers.blogspot.com/2019/10/watergate-analogy.html">dry</a>... To be fair to myself, the wandering one, and other half of Contrary Towers, also hasn't written much, but then she writes for a living and is happily ensconced in Croatia.<br />
<br />
I've had a lot of comments on <a href="https://twitter.com/AlmostSenseless">Twitter</a> about the move, change in lifestyle and, inevitably given the current pandemic, how I'm fortunate to be in such a safe place. Indeed, as I write, we are fortunate in that so far there have been no cases of this latest Coronavirus and the ensuing COVID-19. I've also had questions about the realities of moving and living here, these have come in many forms, but mostly they are driven by the simple fact that it's really difficult to find anything out about the place.<br />
<br />
Or at least it was when I was looking.<br />
<br />
So here it is, my little guide to life 104m above the Bay of St Malo, <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@49.429521,-2.3833875,13.43z">49° 26' 2.3352'' N, 2° 21' 49.1004'' W</a>.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Can I live there?</span></b><br />
<br />
Well, they let me in.<br />
<br />
Unlike Guernsey (and by definition Alderney) and Jersey, there are no special requirements to moving here, no license, permits, having a certain size bank account. Nothing like that. As Sark is a Crown Dependency, and not part of the UK, you do need to be at least a British Citizen <i>or</i> you would be permitted to move to the UK. That said, and this is a bone of contention, I am unaware of any checks being made.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Finding a place to live</span></b><br />
<br />
One of the most often received comments from visitors during the summer, when they learn I live here, is what paradise it is. It's fair, in the summer it is glorious, but in winter, whilst no less glorious, it's different, an awful lot different if you're used to living in Central London. Or any other place that's built up.<br />
<br />
So my first bit of advice is, quite simply: visit in the winter.<br />
<br />
Whether it be a fact finding visit, or, as I did, looking at houses, do it when the weather is less than clement, when the restaurants are closed, the carriages aren't running. More importantly, don't stay in a hotel, though the hotels here are fantastic, you need to find out the realities of what it's like to be here and fend for yourself.<br />
<br />
Of course if you're thinking about just buying a place that you're only going to be in for three months of the year because it's so quaint then, please, I implore you, don't. If you do, that delightful little cottage that you will use to impress your friends with will not be available to people who actually do live here year round.<br />
<br />
And to be quite honest, if you're only here for three months during the summer, you won't discover the gem at the heart of Sark: the community.<br />
<br />
I'd also advise, with my sensible face on, that perhaps renting here for the first year is a good idea. You'll learn an awful lot about the character of the island, both physical and community, within that year. For instance, I live on the West of the island. It's a but windy. You might notice, looking at maps, or by visiting, that most properties are on the East, where it's sheltered. Of course sometimes the prevailing wind loses interest and it blows from the East, like today, but mostly it's westerly. Days, weeks, months of westerly. The good news though, is that Sark buildings, are built to survive the wind.<br />
<br />
Anyway.<br />
<br />
There is an <a href="https://sarkestateagent.com/">estate agent on Sark</a>, a good place to start. Obviously you could try a Google search for Sark properties, but these will tend to be the ones for sale. The key thing to note here is that there are properties available that are not necessarily listed, unfortunately that means you need to know somebody by being here.<br />
<br />
If you are now fervently reading the pages of the <a href="https://sarkestateagent.com/">estate agent</a> then please focus only on the "<a href="https://sarkestateagent.com/property_buyorrent/open-market-properties-sales-and-rentals/"><b><i>open market</i></b></a>". Why? Well, to be <i><b>local market</b></i> you need to be "locally qualified", the requirements being...<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>You were born here, or</li>
<li>You've lived here at least 15 years, or</li>
<li>You are part of a family of someone that happens to be locally qualified</li>
</ul>
<div>
And the definition of a <b><i>local market</i></b> property? Anything built after 1976.<br />
<br />
Simple really.<br />
<br />
<b><i>*looks at notes*</i></b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Ah yes, travel. The downside of looking at places here, in winter, is that getting here can be... difficult. At the moment it's <b><i>really</i></b> difficult, but that's all because of said pandemic. To get here you'll need to go via Guernsey, other options are available, but they mostly involve summer months and <a href="https://www.manche-iles.com/">Manche Îles</a>. If you're coming from the UK then, as I write, your choices are <a href="https://www.aurigny.com/">Aurigny</a> and <a href="https://www.blueislands.com/">Blue Islands</a>. There are probably others, but I've no experience of them so, by definition, they don't exist.<br />
<br />
These will get you only as far as Guernsey, for the next step you will need to book a crossing with <a href="https://www.sarkshipping.gg/book-online">Sark Shipping</a> or, if you're feeling flush and/or you can't make the journey times work, a private charter with the <i>very</i> lovely <a href="http://www.sark.co.uk/boat-charter-14040/">Ray Lowe</a>. There is a fairly good chance you might have to stay overnight in Guernsey either arriving or leaving, or both, but fortunately St Peter Port is quite civilised, they even have ATMs!<br />
<br />
The process of booking all of these things isn't that difficult, but it will involve some juggling. I'll happily give advice if you're so interested.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Moving here</span></b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Dear lord. Moving house is stressful enough. Moving to a rock in the middle of the sea is... more.<br />
<br />
Before I even visited here to look at places I did an attempt at the logistics. And gave up. The problem is, wherever you move from, you have to get your stuff to Guernsey, and then from Guernsey to Sark. And then from Sark harbour to where you live.<br />
<br />
You can't just hire a man-and-a-van.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Here are the steps.</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Book removal van</li>
<li>Pack stuff</li>
<li>Load stuff in to removal van</li>
<li>Unload stuff from removal van, in Guernsey, and put in container(s)</li>
<li>Pay import duty</li>
<li>Send container(s) to Sark</li>
<li>Move container(s) from Sark harbour to where you live</li>
<li>Unload container(s)</li>
<li>Return container(s)</li>
<li>Go to the pub.</li>
</ul>
<div>
Fortunately, there are people that do this stuff for a living. I was given two names, <a href="http://www.randrguernsey.com/">R&R Removals</a> and <a href="https://www.whiteandcompany.co.uk/removals-guernsey/">White & Company</a>. I happened to choose R&R so I can only talk about them. They arrange everything, that's it. True I had to choose between doing my own packing and having them pack for me, needless to say I chose the latter as I lived alone and had work to do, but otherwise they did the lot.<br />
<br />
The price? About £5,000 in my case.<br />
<br />
But keep in mind that they did a day and a half of packing and filled in all of the steps, which meant my moving process went from the above to...<br />
<ul>
<li>Book removal van</li>
<li>Go to the pub</li>
</ul>
<div>
That might be slightly oversimplified, but you get the idea. I should point out I did a full move, everything from clothes, equipment, furniture and on to even bags of coal. A one way trip.<br />
<br />
As you might imagine, this is not something you can do in one day, there were two ferries involved (Portsmouth to Guernsey and Guernsey to Sark) and an awful lot of loading an unloading, so here is a very rough timeline you can work to...<br />
<ul>
<li>Wednesday: collection day, removals people turn up, pack and load like mad</li>
<li>Thursday: see above, in my case.</li>
<li>Tuesday: your stuff arrives in Sark. In my case, mostly</li>
<li>Wednesday: you arrive in Sark with removal people</li>
<li>Thursday: In my case, the rest of your stuff arrives in Sark.</li>
</ul>
<div>
Estimate a week to move. Remember, your things will have to leave your place, travel to Portsmouth in a van, be unloaded in Guernsey, be loaded in to containers for shipping to Sark, shipped, moved, unloaded and containers removed. There are a lot of steps. I am deeply grateful that there are people that know how to do this stuff.<br />
<br />
If you decide against the insane one-way trip option where you bring everything then it will likely be cheaper.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Getting about</span></b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Sark, rather famously, has no cars. Or motorcycles. We do have horse drawn carriages, though mostly these are used by tourists or occasional special visits. But to drive those, or tractors, you do need a licence, as <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSzLDbUHsWM">Martin Clunes</a> found. In the case of tractors you will only be allowed to have one if it's essential for your work.<br />
<br />
Otherwise you choice is walk or get a bicycle.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
If you have a bicycle you will need to pay bicycle tax, this is currently £11 a year, the 2020 tax was paid on the 31<sup>st</sup> of December 2019. If you acquire your wheels mid year then you need to bimble down to the Constable's office, this is the new building attached to the Chief Pleas meeting room on La Chasse Marette, top of the stairs, first door on your right, 2:30pm-5pm, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.<br />
<br />
As of 4<sup>th</sup> of July 2019 you can have an electric bicycle as they have been deregulated. Well, sort of, there are still regulations, 250W motor power, top speed 15mph. When you consider the speed limit for tractors is 10mph this is epic!<br /><br />If you have need of an electric mobility buggy then I'm afraid you'll still need a doctor's certificate, insurance and, I believe, a test. I really should look in to this.<br />
<br />
Back to bikes. According to the law you should have a working bell and front white light. This comes as some news to many of the people I know, but I'm a details girl so I actually read the law.<br /><br />You can of course hire bikes, and many visitors do. They also promptly lose any sense of road craft and ride like complete fuckwits thinking there will be nobody else around. I've not had a spill yet, but came close one day at Clos a Jaon crossroads when a visitor crossed flat-out taking advantage of the downhill section on La Chasse Marette. Don't be like him.<br /><br />There are no taxis on Sark.<br />
<br />
That said, since the dawn of time, La Douzaine have been promising a public consultation on whether to allow rickshaws to provide such a service. Spoiler: there hasn't been one.<br />
<br />
Ride on lawn mowers. We race them! And in 2019 there was the first ever hill climb up Harbour Hill. It was brilliant.<br />
<br />
There is hope that eventually there can be a move to electric vehicles, unfortunately whilst this would improve air quality the speed of change here makes glaciers look like they have a train to catch.<br />
<br />
Public transport.<br />
<br />
We have the toast rack. Currently £1.20 with one stop. I have guided many a shocked tourist to where they are going after they asked which stop they should get off for place X. In winter you'll find it on the harbour, in summer it's at the bottom of Harbour Hill, can't miss it.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Getting and moving stuff</span></b><br />
<br />
Most cargo is moved on the island by the carters. I think there are two, <a href="https://www.jimmyscartingsark.com/">Jimmy's Carting</a> and <a href="http://www.islanddeliveries.sark.gg/">Island Deliveries</a>. I use Jimmy, not just because he's my next door neighbour, and the first thing I did even before I actually moved to the island was emailed to set up an account. After any carting, whether this be visitor bags, shopping or a sofa from <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/566763770079663/">Sark Classified</a>, you will be invoiced for that month's deliveries and you can pay by bank transfer.<br /><br />If you're on-island and you want something moved from A to B, you contact the relevant carter tell them what and where and it magically happens. Similarly if you're going off-island you message said carter the day before, say which boat you're on, and where you are, and they will give you a time by which your stuff needs to be collected. This is where living next door to the carter has its advantages.<br /><br />If you're off-island, we'll call that Guernsey though I believe there are other land masses out there, you make sure the stuff you can't be arsed to carry has a label, green for Jimmy, some other colour for Island Deliveries (I have no idea), you can get these labels at the Sark Shipping offices at White Rock. Attach them to your stuff, follow the lead of other people in where they should be placed and things will be loaded on the boat.<br /><br />So long as things have a label and a destination they will get there.<br /><br />Post. It's impressively quick. If somebody posts something from the UK and it can make the trip to East Midlands Airport and onwards to Guernsey then you will find your post arriving the next day. Of course if the boats aren't running because the weather is difficult then this doesn't apply. Our postmen are lovely, I say postmen because as far as I'm aware, there is only Simon, Ringo and the-bloke-in-shades-who-I've-never-spoken-with. Simon in particular knows everything and on moving here he is a font of all knowledge.<br />
<br />
The Post Office is in Gallery Stores, you can't miss it, there is a gold post-box outside. The Gallery Stores is epic and I'll talk about that more later. It's a proper, wonderful, old fashioned service.<br /><br />The prices for post vary as to whether it's within the Bailiwick, UK, Europe or the rest of world. The complication comes when receiving things, if it's a letter and somebody sticks a stamp on it, it will get here. If they go to a Post Office then you may or may not have to fill in forms depending on which one you go to, I've had reports of both when things have been sent to me.<br /><br />Why? Well, I've not said this before but... We are a separate jurisdiction, in other words, we iz overseas!<br /><br />This messes with people's heads.<br /><br />And it can cause problems. I'll cover some of this later.<br />
<br />
On the upside, there is no VAT on Sark. Or for that matter, any of the Channel Islands. This means if you're ordering something from Amazon with a Sark delivery address you might very well find it cheaper. Whatever the moral issues with Amazon and how they treat staff, Amazon is your friend. A huge amount arrives on-island from them, Amazon Pantry is particularly popular. But not all companies will do this. I'm in an ongoing battle with Apple, eBay, Google and Adobe with regards to VAT and jurisdiction. In fact, all of the above refuse to recognise my actual address. But that's a different matter, all I am saying is expect complications. Yet more of this later.<br /><br />Anyway, back to receiving stuff.<br /><br />I can't say I've seen any letterboxes on Sark, I'm sure some exist, I've just not noticed them. You leave your door unlocked, the postman/delivery person/whoever puts things in your house, you pick them up. I did ask once what happens if I'm off-island, stuff will be kept back. Or, you agree where they can be left.<br /><br />There are no "sorry, you were out" cards.<br /><br />The counter to this is walking in to the Gallery Stores for something else and being given a parcel because they knew there was one for you. It truly is a world apart.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Communication</span></b><br />
<br />
The international dialing code for Sark/Guernsey/Jersey is 44, just like the UK. So you'd be right in thinking that you'll be fine using your phone here?<br /><br />Think again.<br />
<br />
It's not. If you are using a mobile phone, you <b>will</b> be roaming. If you call or send an SMS from a UK number to a Channel Islands number it <b>will</b> be charged as international.<br />
<br />
There are three local telecom companies, <a href="https://www.sure.com/guernsey/">Sure</a>, <a href="https://www.jtglobal.com/guernsey/personal/">JT</a> and <a href="https://www.airtel-vodafone.com/">Airtel-Vodafone</a>.<br />
<br />
I happen to use Sure, mostly because I liked the deal they offered. There is a choice of wired broadband or wireless, as it happens I had a wireless router so I went with that option, that and because the house I moved to hadn't been occupied in some years so whilst it had a phone line, they found no record of it and it would have cost circa £130 to connect. 3G and LTE (4G) coverage is good and given I work from home and depend on low latency I am more than happy. I currently pay £35 a month for 200GB of data. Even with the amount of Netflix I watch this is enough, but keep in mind I live alone so it's mostly just me.<br />
<br />
Needless to say I have a phone with two SIMs, one for my UK contract (you can't transfer numbers to here using PAC) and one for local messages and calls, remember, if you call or message somebody on the island from a UK number it will be rated as international. My UK provider, Three, happily accepted my new address.<br />
<br />
<b>Social meeja</b><br />
<br />
Follow me on <a href="https://twitter.com/AlmostSenseless">Twitter</a>, also the venerable <a href="https://twitter.com/SarkTwit">Paul Armorgie</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/pencadlys">Sarah Beaumont</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/Sarksailinginfo">Sark Shipping</a>. There are two groups on Facebook you should join, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/saveoursark/">Save our Sark</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/566763770079663/">Sark Classified</a>.<br />
<br />
Other useful accounts are <a href="https://twitter.com/SarkSheepRace">Sark Sheep Racing</a> and the forthcoming <a href="https://twitter.com/SarkDairy">Sark Community Dairy</a>.<br />
<br />There are others but I'm now a bottle of wine down so, y'know, editorial decisions. Besides, most of the things posted by others are retweeted by the above.<br />
<br />
<b>Apps</b><br />
<br />
There are three I use regularly.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.windfinder.com/#11/49.4313/-2.2800">Windfinder</a>, this is brilliant and in time you'll understand which wind will stop the boats running. There is also an actual app for this, check your favourite app store.</li>
<li>Marine RADAR, useful for working out when your visitor will actually arrive so you can meet them at the Bel Air. Nay, essential.</li>
<li>FlightRadar24, handy for seeing which flight is overhead and to see how early visitors are going to land at Guernsey Airport because they pad the time so much.</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Tax</span></b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
There is no income or inheritance tax on Sark. But that doesn't mean there are no taxes.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The tax year runs from the start of January to December, if you are new to the island you will receive you tax identification number (TIN) when you receive your tax form in January.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I've already mentioned the bicycle tax so I won't cover that, there is also a tractor tax which is probably irrelevant if you're just moving here (£100/year) and a mobility scooter tax, I think, though no idea how much that is. In fact, check that yourself.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The main taxes come in two forms, the Property Tax and the Personal Capital Tax.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Property Tax</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
If you've been looking at properties at the agent I mentioned earlier, you will see them talk of so many "Sark Quarters", the quarter is from Norman law, remember Sark is one of the remaining parts of the Duchy of Normandy. In simple terms it's a unit of usable floor space. The amount that applies to a property is recorded in the Cadastre (the Sark land registry). Chief Pleas will decide how much it is per quarter and you will have to pay it. For 2020 the Quarter Rate is £15, not the £14.50 shown on the agent's website.<br /><br />This payment is for the year ahead and is payable by the "possessor" of the property, which means if you are renting the landlord will have paid the rate for the year and you will probably be expected to pay the landlord pro-rata. But that's the first year. Once you reach 1st of January then you are the possessor, so you pay the tax. This is not necessarily a bad thing. I'll come to that.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Personal Capital Tax</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
You have options.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The Sark system is simple and also, interesting. Nominally you are taxed based on your worldwide personal assets, not income, with a minimum amount and a maximum. Simple. For 2020 the minimum is £450 and the maximum is £9,000.<br /><br />The actual rate is 0.39% of your assets, so if you have less than £116,667 in any assets worldwide you will pay £450. If you are Bill Gates, you will pay £9,000.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I can hear you saying, those don't sound like options. This is where it becomes interesting. On the tax form you are presented with eight options for the personal tax.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>You can pay the forfait. This is the forfait factor x Quarters x Quarter rate, as this years forfait is 2.0 then you'd be paying the property tax plus twice the property tax. Perhaps. OR</li>
<li>If you are a member of a household where the Possessor (there's only one of them, sorry) has paid the forfait then you pay the minimum tax. OR</li>
<li>You pay an amount based on your world wide assets, obvs after calculation it would be between £450 and £9,000. OR</li>
<li>You pay the minimum amount because your assets are below the minimum amount. They might ask you to prove this. OR</li>
<li>You pay the maximum amount. OR</li>
<li>You have fewer assets than the minimum, you're under 69 and you're paying property tax... Then there is no personal tax. Yay!</li>
<li>You're a possessor living outside of Sark, declaring the property was not available to you for 90 days or more in the preceding 12 months then... you pay no personal tax. I have a bit of an issue with this one as it's truly open to abuse.</li>
<li>You've less than £150,000 in capital assets and you're over 69 or holding a medical certificate saying you can't work, then you pay no personal tax.</li>
</ol>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
Simple really. You'll get a discount if you pay your tax in full by the 31st of January, you can pay by instalments over eight months, other options are available. I knew I should have written this in January.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
You become resident on Sark for tax purposes after 90 days, however, if you are coming from the UK it will be 270 days before you stop being resident for tax purposes there. As you might imagine there is an awful lot more to this, and I'm not going to explain it, contact HMRC or a proper tax adviser. Expect to lose the will to live after reading endless documents.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Now before you get too excited, I should point out the negatives... It is expensive to live here. Which brings us to...</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Energy</span></b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Ah yes, energy. Every silver lining has a cloud.</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It's expensive. But don't worry, everything is so yay! The reasons things are so expensive come down to simple economics, it's a tiny market, so no economies of scale and everything has to be brought in by Sark Shipping.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Electricity</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The good news: I believe all supply cables are buried. This means that even when we are enjoying the best that the Atlantic can throw our way the power stays on. Over this year I've only seen one power cut and that was down to equipment failure.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Electricity is currently priced at 54p/kWh with a £2 a month standing charge. There is a 50p/month discount if you receive your bill by email. Bills are issued early in the month and are payable within 28 days of the invoice date, rather annoyingly the invoice date is quite a bit earlier, for example:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Invoice date: 2020-02-29</li>
<li>Invoiced received by email: 2020-03-11</li>
<li>Payment expected by 2020-03-28</li>
</ul>
<div>
What's particularly annoying is that you will notice if you read your invoice, I do, that it might say "Reading taken in 02/03/2020", it's not the reverse order date that bugs me, it's that the reading on the invoice is apparently three days after the invoice. Hmmmm.</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
You can pay your bill electronically. If you're renting a property then it's likely the agent will have emailed the company to say you are the new tenant, there is currently no paperwork or formal agreement.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
If you are fervently following the news regarding Sark you may be aware that the <a href="http://www.sarkelectricity.com/">electricity company</a> was recently bought out, the new owner is promising much, though it remains to be seen whether or not he delivers. One of the big issues is that whilst the price is currently 54p there are no guarantees that this won't change dramatically soon as it's there because of a Price Control Order (PCO) issued by the <a href="http://www.epc.sark.gg/">Sark Electricity Price Control Commissioner</a>. A legal challenge has been raised by the company. For reference, the price before this PCO was 66p/kWh with a threat of 85p/kWh, though the previous owner backed down on the latter.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
For news on things relating to electricity here then follow Sark Electricity User Group (SEUG) on either <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sarkelectricityusergroup/">Facebook</a> or <a href="https://twitter.com/SarkElectricity">Twitter</a>.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Gas</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It comes in bottles. And it's expensive. The major supplier of gas on the island is Ross Henry and, according to my last bill from him, a 47kg bottle of Propane is £144.95. I only use it for hob cooking and this lasted about ten months, but then I live alone.<br /><br />I could write a whole blog post on how to calculate the available energy in a bottle and give estimates of how long it will last based on your hob burner size, but I won't do that. At least not yet.<br /><br />The good news is that as with most things on Sark, if you run out during the day then a quick SMS to Ross will lead to his tractor turning up half an hour later and your new bottle installed.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Heating Oil</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This comes from Gavin Nicolle at La Seigneurie Farm, Gavin also services boilers, and is the vet. Obvs. You can contact him by phone or SMS and, fortunately, you don't have to have a full load of oil which is handy for budgeting. According to my last bill, oil is currently 70p/litre, however this does fluctuate with wholesale oil prices.<br /><br />One thing to try and avoid is running out as if you do so then oil will be delivered and, if it wasn't Gavin doing the delivery, he will come along in a while to bleed the system. Needless to say when this happened to me it was before the oil monitor I've been working on was installed. It best to keep an eye on things!<br /><br />If anything goes wrong with your boiler then it will be Gavin who comes along to fix it. He's very quick and, unlike in the UK, if he can he will repair a fault rather than getting new parts. A good example of this was when my heating pump failed, stopping the boiler, it turned out the bearings had died, so Gavin arrived, removed the parts, took it to his workshop, rebuilt the bearings, and reinstalled all within about 90 minutes.<br /><br /><b>Renewable Energy</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
There is talk from the new owner investing in renewables for the island as a whole. If you would like to install your own solar array or wind turbine then planning permission will be needed. Of course to make things more complicated there is a new law being developed that relates to the licensing of the generation of electricity. Probably best to check with <a href="https://twitter.com/SarkElectricity">SEUG</a> to see where things stand.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Logs</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
There are lots of log burners on the island though the only supplier I know of logs is our Seigneur, I suspect Gallery Stores also sells them. I'll update this when I next visit the stores.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Petrol and diesel</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3E9V1JbKxSuLXI-KSJkudjNGrAh5MFTPq439fFqDrrcsUIV2hLuafKlJ0G9uER1nyPhaoR4WtBxvYM5Y46a9272_IExYasc1RInSHPpXGJCiZ9lUosHAkKZL8ntHK6hrPw8nuz5evmEdO/s1600/IMG_20190630_140805.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3E9V1JbKxSuLXI-KSJkudjNGrAh5MFTPq439fFqDrrcsUIV2hLuafKlJ0G9uER1nyPhaoR4WtBxvYM5Y46a9272_IExYasc1RInSHPpXGJCiZ9lUosHAkKZL8ntHK6hrPw8nuz5evmEdO/s200/IMG_20190630_140805.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div>
The filling station is behind Gallery Stores, needless to say, this is not self-serve. As you might imagine they don't like you walking through the place with fuel cans so... leave you can near the pump, go in to the hardware section, speak to whoever is there, you'll go back outside with them, they'll fill your can and then you can go back in to pay. Cost is, from memory, roughly the same per litre as Guernsey.<br /><br />If you are only going to use the petrol for a two-stroke machine then you can ask them to add the oil there and then. Which is nice.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Be aware, you usually can't buy fuel at the weekend when the hardware department is often closed. Or perhaps I've just gone on the wrong weekends.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>Diesel can also be bought from the power station at the top of Harbour Hill, I've no idea how this works as my chainsaw doesn't run on diesel and I don't have a tractor.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Waste</span></b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
If you weren't told when your bin day is then you can either ask a neighbour or call the Public Works Office on 832576. Rubbish should be separated in to burnables, glass, cans, pressurised containers (aerosols) and so on. If you don't have a <a href="https://twitter.com/BorisTheBin">bin</a> then you can buy one from Gallery Stores hardware department for about £20, these have clip on lids so you don't have to play hint-the-lid when it's windy. It also means that the gulls can't get at your rubbish.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Rubbish should be put out between 7am and 8am on collection day.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
If you have something larger to collect than contact Island Works and they will pick it up, there is a charge for this of about £5 an item. You'll be billed quarterly for rubbish collection, according to my last bill it's £22.20/quarter.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div>
There's no mains sewage on Sark, most properties are connected to a septic tank, shared in some cases. Apparently the charge for emptying is £18.37 a load, though I can't for the life of me find the last bill I had with this on! To arrange an emptying call Public Works on 832576 or 07781 104846</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Water</span></b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiToczRDtCvUVvaYPnjHWIebfIIkWXrB-d1xyFZLEEUahE2XUCGuyRfqeMEjTDtzlmfChCCX0tj2wvC2wSL10CH1yseR0TTiEPZgxHPD1m3HYwV4uwwlz25BRQKafCxOt0ENcQ4JRawV_bX/s1600/IMG_20191015_144211_423.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiToczRDtCvUVvaYPnjHWIebfIIkWXrB-d1xyFZLEEUahE2XUCGuyRfqeMEjTDtzlmfChCCX0tj2wvC2wSL10CH1yseR0TTiEPZgxHPD1m3HYwV4uwwlz25BRQKafCxOt0ENcQ4JRawV_bX/s200/IMG_20191015_144211_423.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div>
As with waste, there is no mains water. Your property will be either borehole, well or catchment, or some magical combination. This means you will also be burning electricity to pump the water in to the property!<br /><br />When it's been dry a catchment may run out of water, in which case contact the Fire Service on their non-emergency number of 07781 110806, you'll be charged about £25/bowser load (600 gallons), this water hasn't been treated so you will need either your own treatment facility or take suitable precautions. If it's been very dry, as happened in 2019, a well may run out, mine did and people were struggling to remember when this last happened. If so, then it's the same as for catchment.<br /><br />And then do a rain dance.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Booze</span></b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We have that.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
There is a small amount of beer, wine and gin production on the island, hopefully in the next couple of years cider too! Everything else is imported though duty is lower than in many places.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
You will note when visiting the pubs that many locals drink cans, this is simply because they are cheaper than draught!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Off-sales can be bought from the Bel Air, Mermaid Tavern and Island hall. I've not tried at the various other restaurants and hotel bars!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Food</span></b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_TVm1uBI6QuFd4wYtvhtuox9NuPosxoXekAZZyALQYjOKMtDt0UtJ3jtlM7_ot4WeJYtCYAjdt-Z2H-vElMu58RZOWB7YBkapepZ3nnT2f2C1oHwrjv0_vDQqIxw_VFuWd1ady6YOJc0_/s1600/IMG_20190208_155756.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1494" data-original-width="1487" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_TVm1uBI6QuFd4wYtvhtuox9NuPosxoXekAZZyALQYjOKMtDt0UtJ3jtlM7_ot4WeJYtCYAjdt-Z2H-vElMu58RZOWB7YBkapepZ3nnT2f2C1oHwrjv0_vDQqIxw_VFuWd1ady6YOJc0_/s200/IMG_20190208_155756.jpg" width="198" /></a></div>
<div>
A lot of vegetables are produced on the island, similarly eggs, pork, beef, lamb and presumably chicken. There is no bakery, so either buy bread that has ultimately travelled all the way from the UK, or learn to bake, or wait until I can raise sufficient funds so I can re-open the bakery. Milk production should resume once the Sark Community Dairy is a) built and b) running.<br /><br />Chocolate is made on the island by <a href="https://www.caraghchocolates.com/">Caragh</a>. It's very nice.<br /><br />Everything else is imported. There are two food outlets on the island (plus various Hedge Veg). Food Stop (on The Avenue) stocks lots of Waitrose things, newspapers and, importantly, wine, beer, cider and spirits. Mon Plaisir Stores (on Rue du Sermon, near the Methodist Chapel), stocks things from Iceland and Co-op, but they also do a lot of local meats and you can arrange for fish, crab, lobsters etc. by speaking with Helen or Rose. Unlike Food Stop where things like bacon are pre-packaged, at Mon Plaisir the packaging happens locally. So, for example, don't ask for a pound of bacon, ask for so many slices.<br /><br />All of the local meats are epic. Once you've tried them it's difficult to go back to anything else.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Lots of people do Shopping Day trips to Guernsey to stock up on things you can't get on-island, similarly Amazon Pantry is extremely popular and useful. As you'll no doubt be receiving visitors, don't forget to ask them to bring things you can't get here!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">DIY, household and gardening</span></b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The Gallery Stores has it all. As well as being the Post Office, there are sections for household goods, tools, paints, building materials and gardening supplies and equipment. As with everything on the island it's best to ask if you can't see what you need.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Financial stuff</span></b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I've already covered tax and VAT somewhere above.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Mortgages</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
As I write there are no mortgages on Sark, though is might be changing soon with the land reform.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Travel Insurance</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
You might find that your current travel insurance provider will no longer cover you when you come to renewing with a Sark address. If this worries you then it's worth contacting them in advance.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Banking</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
There is only one actual bank on Sark, HSBC on Rue Lucas, you can't miss it. There is no ATM here but there is a counter service during the week, be aware, they close for lunch. Quite right too. I was told when I arrived that it would be two years before I'd be able to open an account, as it turned out this wasn't the case for me, I don't know if I was helped by the fact that one of the bank staff knew where I lived and that I was actually living here all of the time. Your mileage may vary.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Keep in mind that organising things such as broadband can be complicated by having just moved to the island and not having a bank account locally. That was fun.<br /><br />In terms of changing address on existing accounts, my UK bank, Lloyds, were quite happy to change the address, though they did send forms to confirm where I would be resident. The problem was I couldn't give my TIN (as mentioned above under tax) as it's not issued until the Sark tax forms come out.<br /><br />There used to be a NatWest branch on the island, counter services for this are now handled by the Post Office in Gallery Stores. However, I found when I was first looking at banking that NatWest in St Peter Port, would not allow me to open an account because I had a Sark address. They do have a fab view from their windows, worth a visit just for that.<br /><br /><b>Cards and things</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
All of my actual credit-card providers let me change my address. Yay.<br /><br />If you have a Curve card, which I utterly loved, you are out of luck, you will try in vain to change your address, it won't accept it, so you'll call them and they will tell you you can't have it anymore as you are neither in the UK, EU or EEA. Fair enough.<br /></div>
<div>
Revolut may or may not be a problem, I'm currently trying to confirm my identity, and couldn't fully change the address as they had no Guernsey option. I might be coming back to this, a shame really as it's very useful for travelling. Not that we can travel at the moment...</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
PayPal will happily let you set the correct address, yay! eBay won't. Nor will Apple. Or Google. If you follow me on Twitter you will see my occasional rants at them, not just about VAT, but also setting addresses.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Medical</span></b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We have a small Medical Centre on the island, opposite Island Hall. Dental services are handled in a small room in Island Hall when the dentist is here. Normally there are morning walk-in sessions, but these are currently suspended owing to the on-going pandemic.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I will have to dig through my records to find out how much a consultation with the doctor is!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
When you are thinking about medical insurance, there is no scheme on the island, then look for Island Insurance, the Medical Centre can give you details of companies that do such a scheme. The difference between this and normal medical insurance is that it takes in to account the fact that people get older and become unwell, this means that whilst it looks more expensive to begin with, it doesn't suddenly increase in the event of a problem, rather it rises relatively gently over time.<br /><br />You will have to separately organise Marine Ambulance cover, this is handled by <a href="https://payments.stjohn.gg/application/">St John Ambulance</a> in Guernsey and is currently £119 a year for an individual or £180 for a family. If you become ill and have to be evacuated to Guernsey then you would either be taken on the Flying Christine, or, if the weather is awful, the Guernsey Lifeboat. On the island the ambulances are, inevitably, pulled by tractor.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Prescriptions are subsidised by the <a href="https://sarklatrobeguide.com/the-professor-charles-saint-sark-medical-trust/">Professor Charles Saint Sark Medical Trust</a> and a great deal of island fundraising is aimed at supporting this. So get involved! Prescriptions are currently £5.50 an item. If you order a repeat prescription by either phone, SMS or email then they will be left in the conservatory at the front of the Medical Centre along with an envelope showing how much you need to pay, there is a small box where payments are posted.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Employment Law</span></b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
There isn't any. Nor are there any unemployment benefits or any of the things you might be used to in a larger jurisdiction.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Government</span></b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
You've probably heard of Chief Pleas, the Sark parliament. This is now democratically elected, however you can't vote until you've lived here two years. Similarly you can't stand for election until you have lived here two years.<br /><br />As we are a Crown Dependency, all laws ultimately have to go to The Crown's Privy Council for Royal Assent.<br /><br />I could write a book on my thoughts of Chief Pleas, so I won't bore you further.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Education</span></b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="https://www.sarkschool.co.uk/">Sark School</a> is the only school on the island and caters for children from 3 to 13. Beyond that Children would need to continue their education either in Guernsey or the UK, or wherever you decide to send them.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Law and Order</span></b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Constable</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The Constable and their deputy, the Vingtenier, are volunteers elected each year by Chief Pleas for a year in the role. The two are on call twenty-four hours a day. They are supported by a number of Special Constables.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
If there are any serious issues then Guernsey Police will be called in to assist.<br /><br />Of course Sark also has the worlds smallest active prison. You really don't want to spend a night there, so behave.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Court</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The Seneschal of Sark presides over the island court, the Seneschal sits alone. The actions of the court are supported by the Prévôt (sheriff) and Greffier (Clerk of the Court). In the event of more difficult matters, or where there is a conflict of interest, then deputies to the officers or Lieutenant Seneschals may be appointed.<br /><br /><b>Clameur de Haro</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
As Sark is steeped in Norman Law, Clameur de Haro still applies. It doesn't get used too often, but it's always there if you need it. If you're really interested in the local way of applying it then contact <a href="https://twitter.com/SarkTwit">Paul Armorgie</a> as he's used it in the past.<br /><br />You'll need two witnesses...<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Haro! Haro! Haro! À l'aide, mon Prince, on me fait tort.</i> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Notre Père qui est aux cieux.</i><i>Ton nom soit sanctifié.</i><i>Ton règne vienne.</i><i>Ta volonté soit faite sur la terre comme au ciel.</i><i>Donne-nous aujourd'hui notre pain quotidien.</i><i>Et nous pardonne nos offenses, comme nous pardonnons à ceux qui nous ont offensés.</i><i>Et ne nous induis point en tentation, mais délivre-nous du mal.</i></blockquote>
</div>
<div>
Failing that, there's a summary in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clameur_de_haro">Wikipedia</a>.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Driving licence</span></b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Speak to the Constable about the process for getting a tractor driving licence.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
If you have a UK licence then you <b><i>must</i></b> exchange it for a Guernsey licence within 12 months of moving here. As it is you won't be able to put your shiny new Sark address on a UK licence. Similarly, if you still own a car in the UK, then you can't change the registered keeper address to Sark.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The <a href="https://www.gov.gg/drivinglicence">licence exchange</a> process is fairly simple unless like me, you're over 45 and you have certain classifications on your licence that you'd like to keep. If so then you will need a medical from the doctor. There are two different medical forms, make sure you have the right one! If not, like me, you will end up making two trips to St Sampson to sort out your licence.<br /><br />Deep joy.<br /><br />Whilst we're on the subject, if you bring your car to Guernsey <a href="https://www.gov.gg/article/120184/Vehicles">permanently</a>, i.e. over six months, and you can find somewhere to store it, remember no cars on Sark, then you will definitely have to pay a First Registration duty (on a sliding scale depending on how many trees yours eats, mine eats trees and squirrels) but you may also have to pay a Customs Import Duty under some circumstances.<br /><br />On the plus side, you will get a very cool registration number!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Facilities</span></b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
If you have a need to hire a room for an event, you can find reasonably priced rooms at both the <a href="https://www.sark.co.uk/island-hall-16578/">Island Hall</a> and the <a href="https://www.sarksanctuarycentre.com/">Sark Sanctuary Centre</a>.<br /></div>
<div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Finding out more</span></b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Ask, there are plenty of people on the island who will happily tell you about life here. Of course there is an awful lot covered elsewhere around pubs, hotels and so forth, but that's not what this blog post was about.<br /><br />When you're doing your research you will, inevitably also come across the so called <a href="http://www.sarknewspaper.com/">Sark Newspaper</a>, if you read it then please keep in mind it doesn't give anything like an accurate picture of island life, if anything you might find it puts you off because it paints an extremely negative and vexed view of the island. Which is a great pity.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13459548281281231817noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3185119523481672293.post-35278997059876618852019-10-31T23:09:00.000+00:002019-10-31T23:09:02.022+00:00A reflectionThey say a week is a long time in politics, this of course has been shown beyond any doubt in the events that have unfolded recently in a country I used to call home. But what of a year?<br />
<br />
I've been reflecting a lot over the last few days, I do that, but especially at this time of year as it's an easy time to remember.<br />
<br />
Of course looking back both the painful and good memories come flooding in, once again I've been glad I live alone so nobody else has to witness the mess. But it suddenly occurred to me; just what was I doing in the less memorable years? So I looked, rather inevitably I took advantage of Google photos and it turns out I could track back at least to 2010 to see exactly where I was on this day.<br />
<br />
As I looked at the photos I realised something, the me of that day had no idea what the hell was coming next...<br />
<br />
<b>2010: London Zoo</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5zdgJl6BQ1KdTwQ0MmbjNlx3fyBczsTBzLzF5BXp-d6ED6jxFGqIYelfu-Vk1HeoL1DolutInE5TuckhyWQcVpckg9hs18sow6uRvFynZGbxYzzvTqzkGbhpCAOXc_z3HA4cFCargAPEM/s1600/31102010032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1477" data-original-width="1477" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5zdgJl6BQ1KdTwQ0MmbjNlx3fyBczsTBzLzF5BXp-d6ED6jxFGqIYelfu-Vk1HeoL1DolutInE5TuckhyWQcVpckg9hs18sow6uRvFynZGbxYzzvTqzkGbhpCAOXc_z3HA4cFCargAPEM/s200/31102010032.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Ah yes. At this point in time I'd scurried off to London to work as ends needed to meet and food needed to be on the table, it was a difficult time. I do remember that I was walking on eggshells, carefully following the line that separated one argument from another. But at this point I had no clue, no idea that it would be but a few short months before being rather unceremoniously informed that my marriage had reached the end of the road. It was, quite simply a path that I couldn't see. And yet with hindsight it was so obvious.<br />
<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b>2011: The Crown, Victoria Park</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisc1BM1g8jiRw2dx85kQPEb6gqEH9X-P1BjnPn1rzhfuuUheZ3GJycmnvPjKaIz_Knwn2n7WzBadX_ZGMTPMawDflGyiYsx04kkPdWG1A_fvss4V_kmXXTAb09xtkKP_dkO9s_czbetBh7/s1600/2011-10-31+17.54.43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisc1BM1g8jiRw2dx85kQPEb6gqEH9X-P1BjnPn1rzhfuuUheZ3GJycmnvPjKaIz_Knwn2n7WzBadX_ZGMTPMawDflGyiYsx04kkPdWG1A_fvss4V_kmXXTAb09xtkKP_dkO9s_czbetBh7/s200/2011-10-31+17.54.43.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
When Monty met Bizzle. Obviously I was only there as Monty's chaperone, I know Bizzle was a bad bear likely to lead him astray. By now the events outline above had not particularly neatly unfolded and I was in a strange place. And I don't mean Barnes, though that was, of course, where I was living at the time.<br />
<br />
Looking back through the previous months there were huge gaps which rather reflected the darkness.<br />
<br />
I know I had plans, though I know the unravelling that was going on made them all singularly difficult, which is probably why I didn't see that a year later...<br />
<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b>2012: Limehouse Cut</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8E0W-xKTF-fUMHrkURG27vQj4tj0KJEEqf1kmXuqNOMnWyuDJ26i3-aR-N8DQKKagC-omA54xH7lUIc-LwgVvxK8sUPzcXmbRA2oOTDKR8EJ1uUt72JhSIm2uCa2ZpmXTqYfs_DNWAwlo/s1600/2012-10-31+07.48.55.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="536" data-original-width="453" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8E0W-xKTF-fUMHrkURG27vQj4tj0KJEEqf1kmXuqNOMnWyuDJ26i3-aR-N8DQKKagC-omA54xH7lUIc-LwgVvxK8sUPzcXmbRA2oOTDKR8EJ1uUt72JhSIm2uCa2ZpmXTqYfs_DNWAwlo/s200/2012-10-31+07.48.55.jpg" width="168" /></a></div>
Rather unexpectedly I found myself sharing a flat with my best friend and Contrary Towers was born. We'd been there since March, which rather proves the point of not seeing what was coming next. And at the time I had no idea I would be there for the next 3+ years. Things were moving, changing, morphing. And more importantly in 2012 things were stabilising. After years, oh so many years, of being what others expected me to be, to do my duty, to conform, I became... Me.<br />
<br />
Selfish, single minded, me.<br />
<br />
At 45, I finally, well, nearly, got to do what I wanted to do.<br />
<br />
Bitch.<br />
<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b>2013: Limehouse Cut, again.</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjdYybWnwtPTGxTKHeFnlf4oufsjA7mJyFpvwC9xVtPbIi9IgQmacw4MX8_2pE59GCR5WImsyVAAdbdWBfOvlIaD3M2dFYlVOnJSxeaHVFx-1kLcj9_7maQ4MEsiCQpIyIFR8VdOJiMEgQ/s1600/SAM_0483.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjdYybWnwtPTGxTKHeFnlf4oufsjA7mJyFpvwC9xVtPbIi9IgQmacw4MX8_2pE59GCR5WImsyVAAdbdWBfOvlIaD3M2dFYlVOnJSxeaHVFx-1kLcj9_7maQ4MEsiCQpIyIFR8VdOJiMEgQ/s200/SAM_0483.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
By All Hallows Eve 2013 I'd acquired a wand, given by the daft sod who would become my flatmate in 2016, but I didn't know that then. In fact, thinking about it, I was quite pissed off with him at the time, though not for the wand. I can't really think what it was all about. Not to worry.<br />
<br />
Though looking at the picture now I'm wondering where the hell my boobs went.<br />
<br />
What I do remember was I was home alone, missy was away somewhere or other and, as a result, she missed the fireworks that were either for an early Diwali or a very early Guy Fawkes. I didn't expect them. I was sitting on our balcony, a glass of wine in hand, when the first firework exploded. I put it down to kids. However, after about 20 minutes I decided that maybe it was actually organised...<br />
<br />
I had no idea that the next year I would actually be in...<br />
<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b>2014: Norfolk</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwcI66mmt3Tz2t1Y2huqoYo6lewNkQ-Jw6BlbCRPnKuqbDtRLjUy8_U4ULdA5zpU0IkBLzQMfoWR060I4e2iS_h3SgJJ4pgL1k5Ts-nMZ_fJXTtNfsTEpqxNqm0VcOzVzP9qSJTtH2miZS/s1600/IMG_20141031_162512.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1160" data-original-width="1600" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwcI66mmt3Tz2t1Y2huqoYo6lewNkQ-Jw6BlbCRPnKuqbDtRLjUy8_U4ULdA5zpU0IkBLzQMfoWR060I4e2iS_h3SgJJ4pgL1k5Ts-nMZ_fJXTtNfsTEpqxNqm0VcOzVzP9qSJTtH2miZS/s200/IMG_20141031_162512.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Eh? To be fair it was half-term and was really trying to make an effort, contrary to what I imagine my ex would have been said and, almost certainly, is still saying, even though things aren't exactly being made simple. So I behaved. And carved a pumpkin. It must be said, these are a lot easier to carve than the turnips I used to do when I was young.<br />
<br />
As memories go this was a bit of a non-time. This is almost certainly a bad thing as I'm really good at blanking that kind of nonsense. I just wanted to go home. I wasn't looking forward to the next All Hallows Eve, but then I didn't know that the next one would be...<br />
<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b>2015: She, Soho</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgABMQCQ41wMqoqfaJs7Ll0UCDkNK2mL0Z4TtbAM1jawvraqMgwL6hiKA3hTtYOJS9mevIUEuMMJRz1KA8VUj15uSS99BdM3RKgFXIHIWIJ1vhpotpHXZaqMjViGYnU7YRhy-xBE4gEAHxE/s1600/IMG_20151031_210311.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgABMQCQ41wMqoqfaJs7Ll0UCDkNK2mL0Z4TtbAM1jawvraqMgwL6hiKA3hTtYOJS9mevIUEuMMJRz1KA8VUj15uSS99BdM3RKgFXIHIWIJ1vhpotpHXZaqMjViGYnU7YRhy-xBE4gEAHxE/s200/IMG_20151031_210311.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
Well this beat being at home. I'd been working that day, things to finish, and afterwards I popped in to She for a cheeky cocktail before heading home, as you do. I can't remember exactly why I agreed to the whiskers and moustache, but it seemed like a really good idea at the time.<br />
<br />
That night though, in context, felt like the end of an era, the last madness before a coming storm.<br />
<br />
And I definitely didn't expect that the next year I would be in...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqvfQmEIP7rZBqvw2Krlk5zpxxznOkzt_ZRs3yzGRwH7uObU-JKTFX08-uxzi0g145ahfXzHVaj9WAiGliWxu5IDikRuXuymgVadSxUtlqfSwXhCwbGuOjPM4ZSIRZXgpMmjA87f0NwY4F/s1600/IMG_20161031_175135.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1197" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqvfQmEIP7rZBqvw2Krlk5zpxxznOkzt_ZRs3yzGRwH7uObU-JKTFX08-uxzi0g145ahfXzHVaj9WAiGliWxu5IDikRuXuymgVadSxUtlqfSwXhCwbGuOjPM4ZSIRZXgpMmjA87f0NwY4F/s200/IMG_20161031_175135.jpg" width="149" /></a></div>
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b>2016: New York</b><br />
<br />
And then the storm hit. Or didn't.<br />
<br />
Have you seem "The Crown" on Netflix? In series 1, episode 2, you see the young Elizabeth blissfully off on her Commonwealth Tour unaware that her father had died and her life had changed.<br />
<br />
That was me, sort of. Mine had changed a few days earlier, on the 28th, when, unexpectedly, my partner died. Because he'd previously done disappearing acts I put not having replies down to that. I dutifully wrote messages, gave updates and said goodnight to somebody who didn't make it to the end of play on the Friday. And I had no idea. I took missy to the airport as she headed home, I packed, I faffed, I messaged, I boarded a plane and I flew to New York. It was another couple of days before I was tracked down and contacted.<br />
<br />
I fell apart.<br />
<br />
Yet in the same light that I had no idea I would be there, I had no idea on this day in 2016 that all of the plans I'd made, we'd made, had evaporated. Gone. No more.<br />
<br />
What makes it worse, in hindsight, is that the friend that I was with then, well, she is no longer talking to me. And I have no idea why, nor would I get a reply if I asked. The kids apparently call this "ghosting". I can't begin to tell you how much this hurts.<br />
<br />
However, what I can tell you is that I sat on that plane heading to JFK I really had no idea a year later I would be in...<br />
<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b>2017: Brighton</b><br />
<br />
Well, Woodingdean, just outside Brighton. A lovely private hospital having some major corrective surgery to fix a long standing problem. Go me! That evening I feasted on not very much and jelly whilst being completely horizontal and not allowed to move. It has to be said, my costume looked before authentic and scary.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXEcn7Ha2aFsEVpCaFCPp61dyX8qIGF3wpufe4FNwIEW9TZOiUXFYSGrgqQ6Jui5f90lZ0ZkLWTdoFYx0ClRNwno_OHb4y7GnEUElwcs6GHk-evpVKlM8DuzOktTu8qUkrFJraicdCvXh2/s1600/IMG_20171031_151951.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXEcn7Ha2aFsEVpCaFCPp61dyX8qIGF3wpufe4FNwIEW9TZOiUXFYSGrgqQ6Jui5f90lZ0ZkLWTdoFYx0ClRNwno_OHb4y7GnEUElwcs6GHk-evpVKlM8DuzOktTu8qUkrFJraicdCvXh2/s200/IMG_20171031_151951.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
I didn't think much about what would come in 2018 as to be honest I was falling asleep every three minutes, not making much sense and being even more spaced out than normal.<br />
<br />
There was no wine that evening. Mind you, a mixture of general anaesthetic and morphine is guaranteed to make you a party animal! Sort of.<br />
<br />
I can say though that this was a good reason why I had no idea that the next year I would be in...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8gIkhNlbNIVWx_l0tMipIqRAVQF-RdPO6HCSNPMmnTX8ptO0J2TUb1FSiYgJnc-EpJ9BEqDfvZqgDCN11yCbsoTJjY7hKlsK16BKbp3W8P8XvzdHXnByQeo3YoJc3zw_dBy2tEhCYS4NM/s1600/IMG_20181031_203351_471.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1081" data-original-width="1080" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8gIkhNlbNIVWx_l0tMipIqRAVQF-RdPO6HCSNPMmnTX8ptO0J2TUb1FSiYgJnc-EpJ9BEqDfvZqgDCN11yCbsoTJjY7hKlsK16BKbp3W8P8XvzdHXnByQeo3YoJc3zw_dBy2tEhCYS4NM/s200/IMG_20181031_203351_471.jpg" width="199" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b>2018: Epping Upland</b><br />
<br />
Eh? I really shouldn't have been quite so doped up the year before, maybe I would have been able to predict me becoming so exasperated with London life that I moved out to a stupidly remote place to live mostly alone in an old farmworkers cottage. Definitely not Limehouse Marina. Oh, just realised, in 2016 and 2017, whilst I lived by Limehouse Marina I was never there on the evening of the 31st.<br />
<br />
Whilst it had been a tricky year, a really tricky year, I was happy enough with the situation. I know it wasn't to everybody's taste, but I had emotional wounds to heal and it worked for me. In fact it was working so much that I'd checked with the agent to ensure that I'd be able to renew for another year, plans had been formed.<br />
<br />
So once again, I had no clue that with a <a href="http://contrarytowers.blogspot.com/2019/03/youre-moving-where.html">swift change of circumstance</a>, I would find myself on this All Hallows Eve on...<br />
<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b>2019: Sark</b><br />
<br />
Sark. It's been 225 days since I moved here.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1jC1C-SKPJ_8HUBl4YuQjdbf0dVT9bkPbZcFCDNZjV9bMBya8s_I8fNvXOK9eXEYakZXMgq9_Z7YHIyAo9ADxs3ISZGm4tvNWwoNuUhGVdgxHmczILpJBqDnmW-UujcaQh5l7UMq6_gdS/s1600/IMG_20191031_203040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1jC1C-SKPJ_8HUBl4YuQjdbf0dVT9bkPbZcFCDNZjV9bMBya8s_I8fNvXOK9eXEYakZXMgq9_Z7YHIyAo9ADxs3ISZGm4tvNWwoNuUhGVdgxHmczILpJBqDnmW-UujcaQh5l7UMq6_gdS/s200/IMG_20191031_203040.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
And yet; going back to my opening line, my feelings could have been very different this evening. Today was supposed to be the big day, according to the dogma driven politicians, that the UK would leave the EU. Unlike the politicians though, when I make an actual plan, I stick with it, I was determined to leave the UK before it left; of course the 29th of March came, went and the band played on.<br />
<br />
Unlike the politicians I've learned that you can't predict the future, you can't state with certainty that something will happen. You can't stake your reputation on the unknown.<br />
<br />
And I'm now sure I have no idea where I will be, or what I'll be doing on the 31st of October 2020.<br />
<br />
Que sera, sera.Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13459548281281231817noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3185119523481672293.post-32024539568496708062019-10-23T13:40:00.000+01:002019-10-23T13:59:04.103+01:00Watergate - an analogy<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmER_0WftqN5fzFN9CbQl1r6QyiivkBF_26OMyWyRJ_g__gNOyCwKW1cVHt82yKgffAcrqb3EdmL8Eq1EMtZrSY3kJwVD2APPmLutD5h-FXmni_Y-c7TxNSeUhiWGATlVMqTFgtyLNx7LF/s1600/IMG_20191008_140109_400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmER_0WftqN5fzFN9CbQl1r6QyiivkBF_26OMyWyRJ_g__gNOyCwKW1cVHt82yKgffAcrqb3EdmL8Eq1EMtZrSY3kJwVD2APPmLutD5h-FXmni_Y-c7TxNSeUhiWGATlVMqTFgtyLNx7LF/s200/IMG_20191008_140109_400.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not a bath.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
If you've been following me on <a href="https://twitter.com/AlmostSenseless">Twitter</a>, you're probably aware of my ongoing problem with water. Or a lack thereof. The problem is fairly simple, my water comes from a well, though this in itself was contentious, the well fills from the ground water and an *electric pump draws the water up, pressurises a tank to 3.5 bar and is then delivered through the house by pipes.<br />
<br />
A modern miracle.<br />
<br />
The contentious part is that many people on the island believed that I am on a borehole, as most now are. But I'm not. To settle this, the lovely Aunty Helen called her brother to ask about it as he'd done the renovation work when her aunt and uncle lived here. Sure enough he confirmed that this work was done before the borehole that feeds other buildings in Mon Plaisir was sunk. In fact, it was done before the other buildings had been built.<br />
<br />
During the conversation she pointed out, quite rightly, that originally there would have been no running water and it would have all been drawn by hand-pump from the well.<br />
<br />
Ah, the good old days.<br />
<br />
And that got me thinking. Surely running water is like the European Single Market.<br />
<br />
Why? Well, as with the Single Market, and as hailed by brexiteers everywhere, we used to get on without it just fine. We can easily return to those times and there will be blue skies, girls in pinafore dresses, picnics and lashings of ginger beer.<br />
<br />
Not to mention the sparkly unicorns.<br />
<br />
The problem is this. Since the conversion the nature of the infrastructure changed.<br />
<br />
A new fangled electric pump was installed along with pipes and taps to give just-in-time delivery. No more going out to the hand-pump, pail in hand, as the wind whistled by at 50mph with horizontal rain. A flushing toilet was installed, no need for an outhouse or for a chamber pot to relieve those middle of the night calls of nature. And a shower, what bliss, heated by an oil boiler, stored in a tank and delivered under pressure to make you clean and refreshed for the day ahead, those glorious bygone days of fetching the tin bath, boiling water on the range and spending a quick moment in an inch of lukewarm water.<br />
<br />
Once a week whether you needed to or not.<br />
<br />
Even the heating changed, instead of fires in each room a move could be made to a new fangled system, timer and thermostat controlled to ensure a house was cosy whenever you wanted it. Bliss.<br />
<br />
Or at least it would be bliss so long as the frictionless movement of water from the well to the house was maintained.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHWW4rco36AZ2dLryN9I99cRlAZBAKrgEZ31NmJs2h51-B2ZFJ_usLnnQxQ2TsoIeKs1SBuI2czoCDCGnpFlk1nmHaYQ9sxH_IdfE7FsY2IR6-1YpPGvy_33RCsTX2J-PzmfztEyqxwyYJ/s1600/IMG_20191015_144211_423.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHWW4rco36AZ2dLryN9I99cRlAZBAKrgEZ31NmJs2h51-B2ZFJ_usLnnQxQ2TsoIeKs1SBuI2czoCDCGnpFlk1nmHaYQ9sxH_IdfE7FsY2IR6-1YpPGvy_33RCsTX2J-PzmfztEyqxwyYJ/s200/IMG_20191015_144211_423.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Firemen showing me their hose...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And this is what has happened in the UK with the European Single Market, the infrastructure changed, the supply lines aligned with great efficiency to provide a seamless means of getting stuff from A to B when you wanted it without effort.<br />
<br />
But if you take that away... Things break. My actual Wexit.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
Suddenly the toilet no longer flushes, the shower doesn't work, the washing machine stands idle. I have neither a tin bath nor a tub and mangle to replace what I've lost, but even if I did I would have to schlep down the lane carrying endless buckets of water to boil very slowly in a range of pots and kettles to clean with. And my dishes are piling up.<br />
<br />
Of course, I adapted, you have to, as the UK will adapt. But I can promise you that having to stroll across the island to the public loos when you wish to do more than spend a penny, is not pleasant in a storm. Neither is waltzing down that muddy lane with jugs for water to cook with. Or buying bottled water at a premium.<br />
<br />
Fortunately I have plenty of wet wipes to keep myself clean. Ish. If I had a bath I could of course have taken a leaf out of the 1950s handbook and boiled water for that luxuriating one inch soak. But I don't.<br />
<br />
It's a good job I live alone.<br />
<br />
The analogy goes further. As a deal is struck to bring water back in to the system you will find things have changed. Dumping 600 gallons of water in to a few hundred year old well using a firehose is guaranteed to stir up the mud and sediment that lurks 28' below the surface. This isn't good.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7XRT3Z1LorZVVHBz-9DoE02jX0A6GcjbZwrZSJYgWbpVmF9RfcUIcavtrv4hgqz_daikKdF8nI6BFRpTluc3TuNpfbWIKycYR33PaS5h5ovqcgICzKLs0kE1jQBE3SEEhAiAVA-VGX1sx/s1600/IMG_20191023_124713.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7XRT3Z1LorZVVHBz-9DoE02jX0A6GcjbZwrZSJYgWbpVmF9RfcUIcavtrv4hgqz_daikKdF8nI6BFRpTluc3TuNpfbWIKycYR33PaS5h5ovqcgICzKLs0kE1jQBE3SEEhAiAVA-VGX1sx/s200/IMG_20191023_124713.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
So whilst some services return, I can flush the loo, the washing machine remains idle, the cooking water comes from down the lane, the shower is unused, dishes are unwashed and drinking water comes in a bottle. Over time the water settles and bit by bit I can use more of it. But the seamless integration that existed before Wexit is a distant memory. And all the while I'm aware that it's a matter of time before the water stops again.<br />
<br />
Of course I'm hoping that I will find things better under the WTO (Well Turned Off) rules as a deal is forged with the borehole outside Mon Plaisir Stores. But even that is filled with uncertainty as I don't know when it might happen.<br />
<br />
Island life.<br />
<br />
* also an issue<br />
<br />
<br />Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13459548281281231817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3185119523481672293.post-79639240471302655992019-05-19T12:45:00.001+01:002019-05-19T22:19:53.581+01:00100 days...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvfWwCLJBD71jAJP9142U75hE8gr-61OpLsFTuRvTqccHWafA8_jubBm7svotMGOisGgwzVHLZ5s6z4eXz9PVg2VhA3Cq7l_T1cE6HzTrE374itCBT9KCoeGOu5_puBjATz9pfojo4GYSb/s1600/IMG_20190326_143327_819.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1079" data-original-width="1080" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvfWwCLJBD71jAJP9142U75hE8gr-61OpLsFTuRvTqccHWafA8_jubBm7svotMGOisGgwzVHLZ5s6z4eXz9PVg2VhA3Cq7l_T1cE6HzTrE374itCBT9KCoeGOu5_puBjATz9pfojo4GYSb/s200/IMG_20190326_143327_819.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
As you walk along Rue du Sermon in Sark, heading from the Clos à Jaon crossroads towards Le Port, you'll see a little pink stone farmhouse nestled behind <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Mon-Plaisir-Stores-Sark-Island-1929273340639791/">Mon Plaisir Stores</a>. 100 days ago as I write this, I saw this cottage for the first time.<br />
<br />
100 days.<br />
<br />
In the far flung former colonies there is great play made of the first 100 days of a president in office, or, of course as it is now, the Wotsit in Chief. So when I realised it was 100 days I had to write. Let's face it, I've been threatening to write about the move itself as well as the realities of living on a rock in the middle of the sea.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAnhtiDljhUwghkWE54c4uAfBVdrR59ZDxCkqSm23Xrmu8ZqEpeyweWogMm-etmwdus2Rs6TFqHDvb1YPkZeh_Z11oTC-G0zKmriOS0NXfxoVLTgrq_fEOWD4z2XjpfN5-HxneeB3RsNzM/s1600/IMG_20190208_163537_821.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAnhtiDljhUwghkWE54c4uAfBVdrR59ZDxCkqSm23Xrmu8ZqEpeyweWogMm-etmwdus2Rs6TFqHDvb1YPkZeh_Z11oTC-G0zKmriOS0NXfxoVLTgrq_fEOWD4z2XjpfN5-HxneeB3RsNzM/s200/IMG_20190208_163537_821.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wet. Very, very wet.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I often fret that I've not managed to "do" much, let's face it, whenever I'm asked how I'm settling in I usually include the fact that I've still got three boxes to unpack. I have. They are being singularly stubborn and refusing to distract me from other things to get them done.<br />
<br />
But it got me thinking, just what have I done? Well...<br />
<br />
I visited Sark for the first time, I discovered just how wet and windswept I can get and still keep smiling. Location might have made a difference. I put in an offer for a place, arranged removals, slept little, panicked a lot, packed endless books, lost my marbles and yet somehow managed to get from there to here.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0zdW-4FohO_eqDLiYJ2oWzlfweB_MDnGjyItoVS8_PsAjecg4NkFEcTGvdFaXZmIDyAPkbjVMXMu349PBq2ob-_jkigTAB3V_rp29P7uyzlPtDJT5r8MR71cMnOh_FMIzdz3x6dNXgAP9/s1600/IMG_20190215_190757_075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0zdW-4FohO_eqDLiYJ2oWzlfweB_MDnGjyItoVS8_PsAjecg4NkFEcTGvdFaXZmIDyAPkbjVMXMu349PBq2ob-_jkigTAB3V_rp29P7uyzlPtDJT5r8MR71cMnOh_FMIzdz3x6dNXgAP9/s200/IMG_20190215_190757_075.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not Sark.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In the 40 days between visiting and then moving here I also managed to squeeze in trips to Barcelona and Nice as well as forays to different parts of the UK to deal with various issues.<br />
<br />
The funny thing with these trips, as well as my final bumble in to the West End for going away drinkies, was that they helped me realise that I really was ready to not being constantly surrounded by endless noise, chaos and... Anonymity.<br />
<br />
Don't get me wrong, I love the experiences and no doubt I'll be travelling again soon, but for now I'm happy to adjust to a new way of life.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3t9FwqTAhIqUA89bEprO2dnWRxL_aGk57Dd0q2GgDt_ph0cH92LV8JgMCa5sJWM652zGEIBFeBTZoRQNvxx8RqzUXZJkKrhwMSsHPyOJqBdYsRPhx_Cierl8CJcOmwG3lORLlGeccO7Bz/s1600/IMG_20190223_141346_261.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3t9FwqTAhIqUA89bEprO2dnWRxL_aGk57Dd0q2GgDt_ph0cH92LV8JgMCa5sJWM652zGEIBFeBTZoRQNvxx8RqzUXZJkKrhwMSsHPyOJqBdYsRPhx_Cierl8CJcOmwG3lORLlGeccO7Bz/s200/IMG_20190223_141346_261.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Un rock star.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The last trip to Nice was memorable for a couple of reasons, one because we stumbled on a fabulous little restaurant, <a href="http://riviera-buzz.com/features/food-drink/item/738-chez-moi-in-nice.html">Chez Moi</a>, the other... turns out the Hotel had a dark past as the former Gestapo headquarters in Nice. I guess they liked how convenient it was for Gare de Nice Ville...<br />
<br />
I did try not to dwell on the connection.<br />
<br />
Ooh, what am I thinking, now we're talking about food... In Barcelona I rather inevitably went back to Bar Restaurant Victòria on Carrer dels Àngels, it's as good as ever, especially if like me you're allergic to tourists... Another highlight, foodwise and if you like dead things, was <a href="https://arcanobcn.com/es/arcano-restaurant/">Arcano</a> on Carrer dels Mercaders. The steak was really good and the view... <b>*fans self*</b><br />
<br />
Somebody will check the address and see that it's down a side street. Ladies, just go, you'll understand.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGmLcJXCvGU8c01-9l8Md5MFSajYccF7dys-vRt067xzsz8Xbn3_IYbj4OQkoJ4_-X2Km2Lxd2tIdjyj6VOJKw-ryWxGxDN6Rk-onYwKPAl6pJTsHjBR3XaJ_IPFd09LY2xC8sAlk0-mPm/s1600/IMG_20190213_132652_815.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGmLcJXCvGU8c01-9l8Md5MFSajYccF7dys-vRt067xzsz8Xbn3_IYbj4OQkoJ4_-X2Km2Lxd2tIdjyj6VOJKw-ryWxGxDN6Rk-onYwKPAl6pJTsHjBR3XaJ_IPFd09LY2xC8sAlk0-mPm/s200/IMG_20190213_132652_815.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bloody bear.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Finally, cocktails, I can't recommend <a href="http://www.puravidacocktailsbarcelona.com/">Pura Vida</a>, again on Carrer dels Mercaders, enough. A fantastic, if tiny, wee place.<br />
<br />
I really need to do more blogging, I'm way behind on trips!<br />
<br />
Where was I? Oh yes. Back in the realities of oh-feck-not-long-before-I-move I had three weeks after returning from Nice before I would be handing over the keys in Epping Upland. But here's the thing, as I will write at some point, to move to the Channel Islands requires a certain amount of logistics which means I had 16 days before the boys from <a href="http://www.randrguernsey.com/">R&R</a> would be turning up to pack everything...<br />
<br />
*shrieks*<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOYCjBRZb4g9YGgq9qqVhaz357Sbi3Owl_cQRgm_EdMFxH8FtXEWxr6KM9PYoxb1sfRbZDgDf4tfW7Zr6Z2PI4-pvD5Nev9Ak5KSy7Dc4dAsSaVZtI4srK0pF3hPjXRy2w0G07FK41DT5C/s1600/IMG_20190226_085937_607.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOYCjBRZb4g9YGgq9qqVhaz357Sbi3Owl_cQRgm_EdMFxH8FtXEWxr6KM9PYoxb1sfRbZDgDf4tfW7Zr6Z2PI4-pvD5Nev9Ak5KSy7Dc4dAsSaVZtI4srK0pF3hPjXRy2w0G07FK41DT5C/s200/IMG_20190226_085937_607.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Epping Upland</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Wait, when did that happen? I must have booked them at some point in the previous few weeks. Keep in mind that it was 40 days between arriving on Sark and arriving on Sark to move in. Come to think of it there were a mass of things I organised. How did I do that <b><i>and</i></b> manage to keep working? Perhaps I'm not as hopeless as I think.<br />
<br />
In this time I managed to also take a trip to see my surgeon for a check up to see if the prolapse repair worked (it did) and, more importantly, the travelling one rolled back to the UK for a couple of weeks so that she could organise her things and give me moral support. By organise things we mean sort out anything that needs to be dumped or taken to the charity shop, moral support though? Giggles, morning natters and evenings in the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/locations/229020770987190/travellers-friend-epping-green">Traveller's Friend</a>, my nearest pub in the next village.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7L7MQ2bG_Bv0Exc5Rz9h2H2pIUmACtlAmzNGzrCAlx6q_COdRCQI0GCgAPoDrLZ7qs7jlHMflOx80THkGsF8PjMgm323fsno2Cu1uwQxoj7Ltt9W8JXBk6IeaUv_5OUOXbkNMzI2e1noY/s1600/IMG_20190313_120245.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7L7MQ2bG_Bv0Exc5Rz9h2H2pIUmACtlAmzNGzrCAlx6q_COdRCQI0GCgAPoDrLZ7qs7jlHMflOx80THkGsF8PjMgm323fsno2Cu1uwQxoj7Ltt9W8JXBk6IeaUv_5OUOXbkNMzI2e1noY/s200/IMG_20190313_120245.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Missy was sent packing the day before R&R turned up and I went from worrying about all the things I had to do to feeling helpless as they were now doing the actual move. And very impressive they were too.<br />
<br />
For the avoidance of doubt, as you can see in the picture to the right, Epping Upland was lovely but quite isolated.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbj1g-eaZQsOQkPx2yV4emKNIsNV13-m1Cf8CXfE0twAy3BOMSSGWQFz9R2wxvlQIkBmYLfJVWx27QjAv7uxOjXcJaKN-DdsZjokYDnAgWaqAwS_hP4volXryckVVqMBMqNahJSRfpaj5C/s1600/IMG_20190313_145322_536.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbj1g-eaZQsOQkPx2yV4emKNIsNV13-m1Cf8CXfE0twAy3BOMSSGWQFz9R2wxvlQIkBmYLfJVWx27QjAv7uxOjXcJaKN-DdsZjokYDnAgWaqAwS_hP4volXryckVVqMBMqNahJSRfpaj5C/s200/IMG_20190313_145322_536.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
The packing went over two days. Well, a day and a half. Fortunately more moral support turned up in the form of my lovely friend <a href="https://twitter.com/PaulBruceHaden">Paul</a>. Also handy as he would go to Epping in search of emergency supplies.<br />
<br />
I never want to move again.<br />
<br />
Way to stressful.<br />
<br />
Somehow though I made it to handover day, said goodbye to Rosie next door, managed not to cry too much and then jumped in the SLK and headed to Yorkshire...<br />
<br />
For fish and chips. As you do.<br />
<br />
Here's another number.<br />
<br />
60.<br />
<br />
60 days since I moved to Sark. But there was one day in Guernsey.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX1z2Gg1FAn3HDE6egcgg61ZrY6jCIYBWXNS0T1xzdrZelEU1MTMUNmFgYlAUC6fX1gmLHpgyIC3OZLh7BUqyjITH-AuTSemPAeHdd3Uhp0GJxqZrdBCCCnsPJ7EmDbJTYdr2-VxtZUmlP/s1600/IMG_20190207_185110_412.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX1z2Gg1FAn3HDE6egcgg61ZrY6jCIYBWXNS0T1xzdrZelEU1MTMUNmFgYlAUC6fX1gmLHpgyIC3OZLh7BUqyjITH-AuTSemPAeHdd3Uhp0GJxqZrdBCCCnsPJ7EmDbJTYdr2-VxtZUmlP/s200/IMG_20190207_185110_412.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
After the fish and chips in Yorkshire it was an early start for the flight from Manchester. Monty was happy as there was fizz on the plane. Monty is always happy with fizz. I'd also arranged to meet up with a friend of mine and former flatmate of my former flatmate, like a friend of a friend but with more insider knowledge.<br />
<br />
As my friend <a href="https://twitter.com/BistuaNuova">Ermin</a> lives in Guernsey it meant I had a quick run down of things I should know, or not, and a brief tour of St Peter Port.<br />
<br />
I also found my trusty boots had decided that they didn't want to be with me anymore, they heel developed a puncture and I was listing to one side. I'm sure there will be a few people that will wonder how this is even slightly different from normal. Fortunately, Millets were selling off their old stock so I picked up a pair of sensible rough walking shoes ideal for life on Sark. Goodbye slingbacks and ridiculous heels, I'll miss you.<br />
<br />
The only fly in the ointment was I received a phone call... From R&R, only two of the three containers had made it to Sark...<br />
<br />
After a fabulous evening in Da Nello as guests of Ermin and his brilliant and lovely wife <a href="https://twitter.com/LauraGsy">Laura</a> a good night's sleep was had before yet another early start.<br />
<br />
Moving day.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZKhS9pAKVvnnlamNoUhXXbZE4R_SQVRqAonqKKrhqXn7w2xN2laZP7yPsLMzmnAocaQOrYW5iNzSq9j8Sa3KonJVqPzJbUQKot0lLAsmS1qVjYFAkVloLFnxGbpZGNwJ1YleufYhf6U1S/s1600/IMG_20190208_134551_379.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZKhS9pAKVvnnlamNoUhXXbZE4R_SQVRqAonqKKrhqXn7w2xN2laZP7yPsLMzmnAocaQOrYW5iNzSq9j8Sa3KonJVqPzJbUQKot0lLAsmS1qVjYFAkVloLFnxGbpZGNwJ1YleufYhf6U1S/s200/IMG_20190208_134551_379.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">February sea...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
At least the rain was holding off and it was no way near as rough as it had been 40 days earlier in February. I was glad to see the removals guys on the boat.<br />
<br />
I was slightly fretting, in the same way that the sea is slightly wet, about what the third container contained. I just hoped it wasn't my bed, or worst still, the kettle.<br />
<br />
As is my wont, I spent the hour trip preparing plan B, there wasn't a lot else for me to do other than meet the <a href="https://sarkestateagent.com/">estate agent</a> and stand there telling people where to put things.<br />
<br />
I'm bossy like that.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjbjTjakBLy-7YpSIVXsbnf_DIbb-Xtk2uU-HLevouiBZAWLQmT3pwpbwyKJt2zBh-eshaHOueJs-_elVBUiFZp4rdQY3cfGZ05OVW9sV1SXUX_WN8PMkLXf3jOlflWpDYvLLgRqa2hOiD/s1600/IMG_20190321_011155_021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="654" data-original-width="653" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjbjTjakBLy-7YpSIVXsbnf_DIbb-Xtk2uU-HLevouiBZAWLQmT3pwpbwyKJt2zBh-eshaHOueJs-_elVBUiFZp4rdQY3cfGZ05OVW9sV1SXUX_WN8PMkLXf3jOlflWpDYvLLgRqa2hOiD/s200/IMG_20190321_011155_021.jpg" width="199" /></a></div>
So what next? Well, over the next 60 days I've simply made a home. It took some effort as first I had to get past the enormous pile of boxes, the pile that grew when my neighbour <a href="https://www.jimmyscartingsark.com/">Jimmy</a> turned up with the missing container.<br />
<br />
Eventually the scaffolding came down from the chimneys, the boxes were mostly emptied and, most importantly, I got back to work. At first I was in the lounge as the third bedroom which would be my study was, well, full.<br />
<br />
Progress seemed interminably slow as, of course, I was also working during the days which meant I mostly did a sorting at weekends with a little in the evenings.<br />
<br />
And Friday is meat draw.<br />
<br />
And sometimes you just have to go for a little walk.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpFomLXTQpyu31SHvJyVRMHilfx1dFvhouRCmdR2YdS56RiIL8DUYTV7b8hhXWlV3g3wRKy1R4BPy5RhWsrqGKOTsqw-2r4eLG2TzhyphenhyphenNhoVXZ81pZZj68lzdnGKzv3lMWARAmddSxyezzU/s1600/20190407220841_IMG_5909.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpFomLXTQpyu31SHvJyVRMHilfx1dFvhouRCmdR2YdS56RiIL8DUYTV7b8hhXWlV3g3wRKy1R4BPy5RhWsrqGKOTsqw-2r4eLG2TzhyphenhyphenNhoVXZ81pZZj68lzdnGKzv3lMWARAmddSxyezzU/s200/20190407220841_IMG_5909.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
The lounge was made ready just in time for the littlest offspring to visit over Easter. It's not quite how I'd like it as the daybed is for my study for when I need <i>thinking time</i>. But it would do until I can afford another sofa.<br />
<br />
The dining table, well that's currently my desk. And will stay so until I can manage to order the desk I'd like, which, this being Sark, is really tricky. But that's for another blogpost.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaU7pDMGJsxd1voB2zpUjRx8j0aMdc44I1_Fu65qOaFikJWeragIKgGutu43xr8JnGgwmc_N-Pysipzb8lz5aXxl2NVrNMz18Mso99l3fLDoXq0bDndulXJeN9yGOX2TawcuhPFXxDiXb8/s1600/IMG_20190404_221750_375.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaU7pDMGJsxd1voB2zpUjRx8j0aMdc44I1_Fu65qOaFikJWeragIKgGutu43xr8JnGgwmc_N-Pysipzb8lz5aXxl2NVrNMz18Mso99l3fLDoXq0bDndulXJeN9yGOX2TawcuhPFXxDiXb8/s200/IMG_20190404_221750_375.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
The important room though was pretty much sorted, the kitchen. As with Epping Upland when I first arrived I pretty much lived there.<br />
<br />
Needless to say other things have happened. I've had visitors on four of the weekends, which has been lovely. One was written off after spending the entire day in the pub, something I just don't do.<br />
<br />
I've explored a little, particularly when the littlest offspring was here. Friday's are the night I always go out-out as I love how busy the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/belairsark/">Bel Air</a> becomes for the meat draw. It doesn't hurt that I've managed to have a winning ticket a few times.<br />
<br />
Lunches have been had in the Island Hall or even a solo picnic on Port à la Jument beach. There have been pizzas at the Bel Air, fish and chips at <a href="http://www.sark.co.uk/ajs-cafe-18836/">AJ's</a> and even supper at <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Seigneurie">La Seigneurie</a> were I was fortunate to meet some fabulous new people.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg03lyiCjmhncEwWfy3ARBQbpwKMqA1U6cCErzKpN-QlaoV8PDEfNzAKVK5MsrJPjs54eFqrg9VTSV_FL8C-BbkylNwmjYaxAeX6JdqvJRlERzrho6V7Avzv3iihR5IplKRgGNwQQ5A_JPl/s1600/IMG_20190427_151921_561.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg03lyiCjmhncEwWfy3ARBQbpwKMqA1U6cCErzKpN-QlaoV8PDEfNzAKVK5MsrJPjs54eFqrg9VTSV_FL8C-BbkylNwmjYaxAeX6JdqvJRlERzrho6V7Avzv3iihR5IplKRgGNwQQ5A_JPl/s200/IMG_20190427_151921_561.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Closer to home I've bought a lovely British racing green bicycle called Imogen, the first I've had in years. She's not quite as quick as the SLK but she does have the advantage of being far easier to park. And cheaper on fuel (about a pie a week). I've baked lots and lots of bread and this has me pondering a mad idea.<br />
<br />
I've also managed to re-discover my creativity. Maybe not with writing yet, I'll get there.<br />
<br />
I also know there is no rush.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk7Bz9NPqnsvEMHgZlxmcFtrPCrXPyb5dBVX_lKV6npL5y7XHJcKyuJ-i6F716KbnRu8oYevOP4KdJkw4kJ-Wb1nht9ZOnemQXl1I-wTp5xdeQFgLGbjZnOEAzsvGDfLj3m_CqlvyAg_b7/s1600/IMG_20190509_203423_128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk7Bz9NPqnsvEMHgZlxmcFtrPCrXPyb5dBVX_lKV6npL5y7XHJcKyuJ-i6F716KbnRu8oYevOP4KdJkw4kJ-Wb1nht9ZOnemQXl1I-wTp5xdeQFgLGbjZnOEAzsvGDfLj3m_CqlvyAg_b7/s200/IMG_20190509_203423_128.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A photo.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
For example, last week, I think, I did something I've not done in ages, I planned a photograph. On the perfect day, sun just right, windy and the tide coming the right way, as the Guerns were partying away on their <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberation_Day_(Channel_Islands)">Liberation Day</a> I climbed down to Port à la Jument with my tripod and took a photo. And you know what?<br />
<br />
I felt at peace.<br />
<br />
I've even restarted running. Now I've not done that in ages owing to, well, injury, surgery and then moving somewhere where it was very difficult, ploughed fields are impossible. So I'm restarting and whilst I'm only at week three I can't think of a better place to go for early morning runs.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5hOMyiO8GObDzhawRxVYLhpyGzzRa2QDLVxB2l_g7JIBg9pmbotQI3QyK_yvVNEr6dWi6fRK6cuXO0doAKG2iISeo4-zeWS8NQ1INyQrFVuwgzYhXve8IAj_S5ySPnVtioukrKihc3TX/s1600/IMG_20190515_065136_289.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5hOMyiO8GObDzhawRxVYLhpyGzzRa2QDLVxB2l_g7JIBg9pmbotQI3QyK_yvVNEr6dWi6fRK6cuXO0doAKG2iISeo4-zeWS8NQ1INyQrFVuwgzYhXve8IAj_S5ySPnVtioukrKihc3TX/s200/IMG_20190515_065136_289.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
There are definite upsides. Whereas in London a 6am run means you have to deal with seeing all the really fit and toned people making like gazelles as I do my award winning interpretation of a hippopotamus wearing Nike, here all I have to deal with are the sheep laughing at me and occasional free range chickens executing their right to roam.<br />
<br />
It's truly horrible.<br />
<br />
Yes the roads are not perfect. And perhaps a little stony. None of that matters. The air is clear, the breeze keeps me cool and the view is calming.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAwGnz3lgAGxiejPv8g03WETq41Zdqjug8PNsCY3U1uuO43TyifNML8P0xdcuRlnU1OwPZLAZX3GyoMS2_CxQwTViS5s3BOhM6ExZ5wuza7M8mFABm9f5jYd-TewwFINKJJXkVCNdlAsPC/s1600/IMG_20190518_130530_917.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1119" data-original-width="1119" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAwGnz3lgAGxiejPv8g03WETq41Zdqjug8PNsCY3U1uuO43TyifNML8P0xdcuRlnU1OwPZLAZX3GyoMS2_CxQwTViS5s3BOhM6ExZ5wuza7M8mFABm9f5jYd-TewwFINKJJXkVCNdlAsPC/s200/IMG_20190518_130530_917.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Yesterday was momentous. At day 99 I discovered that the potatoes I'd <i style="font-weight: bold;">planted</i> had started to grow. This was a massive surprise as I wasn't sure whether I'd done things quite right. I'd wondered how best to deal with some sprouting potatoes and found an <a href="https://www.gardengatemagazine.com/articles/vegetables/edible-plant-guide/how-to-grow-potatoes-you-can-harvest-from-summer-to-fall/">article</a> that seemed to fit the bill perfectly.<br />
<br />
Time will tell.<br />
<br />
So what next?<br />
<br />
Well, more of the above. But none of it in any particular hurry. As I finally finish the last of the jobs needed to make the house just right I will have more time for activities other than just working and sorting. What direction these take I don't know and I'm not sure whether it matters. If you move to a place because you want a more peaceful life then why create artificial stresses?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAd-mWf7XIWIlgI8ysji5hxApSaTsSpZtBm5kpTHGMw0wNRhUqcGTUIXHdV1ncLftWbIQVaNWTW74v1E-mdAa-yTdGHLbULqoY5hnUlT-_msoA7xRePpH7bR26RAKS6IgSy65sS-bG1zOb/s1600/IMG_20190501_160151.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAd-mWf7XIWIlgI8ysji5hxApSaTsSpZtBm5kpTHGMw0wNRhUqcGTUIXHdV1ncLftWbIQVaNWTW74v1E-mdAa-yTdGHLbULqoY5hnUlT-_msoA7xRePpH7bR26RAKS6IgSy65sS-bG1zOb/s200/IMG_20190501_160151.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
I'm sure all will become clearer over the coming weeks and months. My days will continue to be punctuated by the rising sun as the birds, horse's hooves and occasional tractors provide a soundtrack.<br />
<br />
In the meantime I shall sign off, I have bread to make, the rest of my washing to put on. And, of course, I need a cup of tea.<br />
<br />
Oh.<br />
<br />
And there are three boxes left to unpack...<br />
<br />
<br />Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13459548281281231817noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3185119523481672293.post-7105362605499140092019-04-23T14:57:00.000+01:002019-04-23T15:07:16.969+01:00Mystery, minarets and mint tea<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMf6DAxJ_2ijQzoQA7B63rAlRz-FXY-H0gSYiuJwheiehy6uvkjP73ICwJEJMb36gltTmTvB7VPjgdPAmD-q19pokPhJg5I6aUq2KFpq5lQi-kHamx_XZpkQSWYrc6lTZmjpQvZjqWirU/s1600/clare+on+a+ferry.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMf6DAxJ_2ijQzoQA7B63rAlRz-FXY-H0gSYiuJwheiehy6uvkjP73ICwJEJMb36gltTmTvB7VPjgdPAmD-q19pokPhJg5I6aUq2KFpq5lQi-kHamx_XZpkQSWYrc6lTZmjpQvZjqWirU/s200/clare+on+a+ferry.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy Ferry Face</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It started in Bosnia - like most exciting, earth-shattering things do. That country has a magical draw and I need to spend more time there. Of course, it could just be the melancholic thoughts caused by too much beer and burek. But I digress already.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Many years ago I made a friend there, and on the rare occasions we meet, he still manages to challenge and expand my mental horizons; some people just have that effect. May 2016, sat in that dim* Sarajevski Celtic bar, he revealed he was from Turkey and it sowed a thought-seed. He said he was never coming back to Istanbul...but I’m happy he was here to go out for an epic pizza with me, although that’s his story.<br />
<a name='more'></a><div>
<br /></div>
<div>
...<br />
<br />
After my<a href="https://contrarytowers.blogspot.com/2018/07/ukrainian-train-journeys-and-other.html"> Ukraine trip</a> last year I wanted to fulfil another dream destination. After several months of procrastination - picking up the pieces of my latest disastrous run-in with love - I announced to the <a href="https://contrarytowers.blogspot.com/2019/03/youre-moving-where.html">Island-bound one </a>that I was off to Istanbul. She nodded absently, probably thinking of taking her chainsaw to my library for easier packing. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Istanbul: the city of mystery, minarets, and mint tea - not to mention pepper grinders. One of my most precious possessions is a small Turkish pepper grinder which my dad bought for me many years ago. So there are some fragments of my dad are here too. I remember some of the Turkish ceramics in my Torquay home - in another lifetime.<br />
<br />
The planning process needed a calendar, pen, paper, advanced Brexit insight (hahaha), visas, and resulted in a minor nervous breakdown and skin rash. Work still needs me in London regularly, I can’t be out of Croatia for more than 30 days, I need to be in Split from 11th May, Bournemouth in June ... and I have no place to stay in London. And yes, I still appreciate the odd weekend not travelling. Still, all worked out but it has pushed back my trip to Sark, sadly. <br />
<br />
With islands in mind I decided to take my Easter holidays on the local Princes' Islands - specifically <a href="https://wikitravel.org/en/Istanbul/Princes%E2%80%99_Islands">Büyükada</a>. People say that it is a mere day trip, which is why I knew that 3 days wouldn’t be long enough. Half of the island is forested, whilst the town there is a charming collection of cafes and old wooden villas. From the moment I disembarked in the rain, I was lost. Literally and figuratively; I hadn’t downloaded a map, my apartment wasn’t in the right place on any maps, and I was in love with the place. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I did what any sensible person would do - I sat in a sheltered cafe, had Turkish mint tea and a large sticky cake. <br />
<br />
...</div>
<div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr_RhCY2lpwFQo_cnKtw-hp5M9FoJguQQxw5yLDsVj-muXV5N_fJ-g5sri-Xu8T0UJ3QXjpFeBkoKCYNtZgkaN8lg4bsis2w1fYhRYodDqsCrRnTOor83zyfcZX98mbYRUYg6zHvEuM-U/s1600/views.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr_RhCY2lpwFQo_cnKtw-hp5M9FoJguQQxw5yLDsVj-muXV5N_fJ-g5sri-Xu8T0UJ3QXjpFeBkoKCYNtZgkaN8lg4bsis2w1fYhRYodDqsCrRnTOor83zyfcZX98mbYRUYg6zHvEuM-U/s200/views.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<div>
A few days in Istanbul and a fellow visitor had shown me how to use the excellent public transport system. Practice had mostly involved hopping on and off ferries, and admiring the cityscape from the sea. Although the the uphill underground F1 Taksim - Kabatas funicular was excellent fun. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMtSaWpQ0sZy-Uvabw3jggFaCZOVGb5iCZqjAogyyIaXTHTUR-XGBg-hLWmjILM71tWCSfUQysoE2MvFiAqQnromuDiRl7v4n_rFCqLmynrV3V5vaomHiAJbXlterqZYTVMpznvNgQ7dA/s1600/fayton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMtSaWpQ0sZy-Uvabw3jggFaCZOVGb5iCZqjAogyyIaXTHTUR-XGBg-hLWmjILM71tWCSfUQysoE2MvFiAqQnromuDiRl7v4n_rFCqLmynrV3V5vaomHiAJbXlterqZYTVMpznvNgQ7dA/s200/fayton.jpg" width="200" /></a>The Sea of Marmara, the Bosphorus - names with dreams and mythology attached. My water obsession was rewarded on Friday morning when a school of dolphins played tag with cormorants as we sailed past. Not sure how many people saw them because there was only one idiotic person sat on deck in the cold rain (see pic above). These sea creatures made my morning as we headed out to Adalar. <br />
<br />
The freshly baked sesame seeded bread rings were pretty good too. <br />
<br />
As the rain cleared, my backpack and I set off up the car-free streets to find where I thought my place was. The faded grandeur of the wisteria-scented princely residences was echoed in the soft clip-clop of the many <i>faytons</i>. Many people have little electric scooters but I saw people carrying shopping, bikes, equipment in these elegant horse-drawn carriages. As I headed into up the forest I sensed my apartment was really not close so I headed to the museum to get some directions. Turns out that my apartment was 100m away from my starting point. Least I’d burnt off my (very sugary) cake. <br />
<br />
I meandered back into town and had a phone call with my host’s friend. This language makes Croatian feel like a stroll through the woods. My apartment was quirky; this attic had a basement, obviously. But the views were exactly as promised. Although I was tired and hot, I quickly unpacked and left the place because I needed milk, wine and WiFi! I was also determined not to cook** over the weekend because - damnit - I needed a break. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
* Dim - also aptly means smoke in Croatian. </div>
<div>
**I had already broken the stove so I was scared to turn the gas on</div>
</div>
</div>
Clareangelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01101039129856260435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3185119523481672293.post-74358924078145842442019-03-15T16:37:00.000+00:002019-03-15T16:57:09.944+00:00You're moving where?It's been a while since I last wrote.<br />
<br />
In fact, looking at blogger I see there were several posts that I never published. I'm not sure why. So you must forgive my complete lack of writing mojo, it's something you have to do often to let it flow easily. This isn't going to flow easily.<br />
<br />
But I do need to write because I keep getting asked the whys and whats of "you're moving where?".<br />
<br />
Several weeks ago I wrote to my landlord's agents to ask what the scores were about continuing in Epping Upland. They were fine, no changes, I'd move to a rolling agreement with just a month notice and I could start thinking about doing boring things like repairing the skirting board and perhaps a little light redecoration. It wasn't ideal, for many reasons, but I was relatively settled.<br />
<br />
And then...<br />
<br />
Well then missy decided that she, quite rightly, would like to fund a more permanent place in Croatia. It had to happen sooner or later and meant that I could think about somewhere that didn't have the issues which came with the place. Namely... traffic noise, no easy way to get to the pub in the next village and a lack of community in winter. It wasn't too bad in summer, but winter... Well winter was rubbish and fairly lonely.<br />
<br />
Don't get me wrong, I knew it would be like this, but I wasn't getting to see anyone.<br />
<br />
So I started looking, something big enough for one but not shoebox, something affordable, something with a community. A veritable Kinder egg of the accommodation world. Yeah, right.<br />
<br />
Affordable for one meant nowhere nearer than a stupid distance to London, which meant that any savings I might make on the accommodation would be utterly broken by the travel budget. And as I'd already learned community is something impossible to measure unless you've spent time somewhere.<br />
<br />
I even looked at a few places along the south coast and was left with that sinking feeling of being a parody of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waiting_for_God_(TV_series)">Waiting for God</a> without a Tom as a foil to my inner Diana. I was definitely not ready for that.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhdY9s9lKEP3hX0wkh4lOn7aMV9Lyl1nteDduv9hn3nvyC7FdEMoDV7P4GeC6xfGe8l0fp6qNtbxhMxXCoAX99FaccBQ-qnaO3ZhOQe1Gx2h-yIG-41Jm_cZrJEXMIB1n8kroXwRS3SqsZ/s1600/IMG_20190210_123704.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1459" data-original-width="1600" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhdY9s9lKEP3hX0wkh4lOn7aMV9Lyl1nteDduv9hn3nvyC7FdEMoDV7P4GeC6xfGe8l0fp6qNtbxhMxXCoAX99FaccBQ-qnaO3ZhOQe1Gx2h-yIG-41Jm_cZrJEXMIB1n8kroXwRS3SqsZ/s200/IMG_20190210_123704.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Which brings us to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sark">Sark</a>... I'd been fortunate enough to visit the island in February during a gale force 8-9 storm with hellish rain. And I loved it. There was most definitely a community spirit. I had more conversations with people in a simple walk than I ever did in weeks in Epping Upland or even Epping. And definitely not in the two years I lived by Limehouse Marina. Did you know that in those two years I could count the conversations I'd had with my neighbours on one hand. Three of those were with the same chap in number 88.<br />
<br />
Great.<br />
<br />
And then there is the UK. I'm fed up with it. I'm fed up with the rudeness and how selfish everyone is. And the endless anger. When did it become acceptable to have stand up rows in the street because people don't let you do your own thing in a world where everyone is centre stage. But also... brexit. A simple idea that has directly contributed to a rise in the unpleasant index of a once supportive country. When this all kicked off two years ago I had a very clear vision of what was to come, nothing has happened to show I was wrong. At the time I decided that I would get out, leave the UK, I just didn't know where and I knew that it would be potentially impossible to move to mainland Europe in the meantime. Okay so there was a point where it wasn't just a possibility but was <b><i>the</i></b> plan. But like people, plans die.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Wnz0W_yYufHxJK_fQzlIh4xkuNJRcPP4AmzWXNyUsaH-di2AKxQolDbUwhl8bgg4RH2X_kmO2B5Mqtfy8DYCjtmsKqwZ-ergWbyQjbVzo1xZfjhd_Lt-E9vBzWaRUqZxvgUs9DTUdo2T/s1600/IMG_20190208_195240.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1598" data-original-width="1600" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Wnz0W_yYufHxJK_fQzlIh4xkuNJRcPP4AmzWXNyUsaH-di2AKxQolDbUwhl8bgg4RH2X_kmO2B5Mqtfy8DYCjtmsKqwZ-ergWbyQjbVzo1xZfjhd_Lt-E9vBzWaRUqZxvgUs9DTUdo2T/s200/IMG_20190208_195240.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
So a lovely place with friendly people, pubs and no cars or streetlights. Outside of the UK. It was sounding good.<br />
<br />
Especially as I lay there at 5am listening to the beginnings of the constant drone of vehicles driving past the cottage that wouldn't abate for several hours before starting again in anger.<br />
<br />
There was something else. As much as I theoretically lived in a bucolic idyll it was not ideal with the littlest offspring to visit as he couldn't just go wandering off exploring the lovely countryside without crossing an incredibly busy B road with no footpath. It simply wasn't safe.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvbWFVqxpS0XMZFuIE_tEVPWn0ieI6IBSmOOKTehU-kIoRZE6VBhJ97ZuU0Raq8HdFpaAlHCYt4zqZd_JT-pPCdIXV0wj_3Ak-lGko_RZ9ZRevExD7B4koRyXVOm42omT-hhav0v9_ysZS/s1600/IMG_20190208_160105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1453" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvbWFVqxpS0XMZFuIE_tEVPWn0ieI6IBSmOOKTehU-kIoRZE6VBhJ97ZuU0Raq8HdFpaAlHCYt4zqZd_JT-pPCdIXV0wj_3Ak-lGko_RZ9ZRevExD7B4koRyXVOm42omT-hhav0v9_ysZS/s200/IMG_20190208_160105.jpg" width="181" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Food is available...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So what if he could visit? And those visits could be weeks at a time with him being able to go off, hang out with other kids and explore? The kind of thing I did growing up in the 70s. And on an island.<br />
<br />
It sounded... perfect.<br />
<br />
Okay there were problems. Getting there is a bit of a pain, but this is not unsolvable.<br />
<br />
So with this in mind... I found a place and put in an offer.<br />
<br />
It was accepted.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf8EbeegC6TP62ANaeKpOC8apDIkGwJD8gtv1lU_GwVfOBmeYRqae43iy1RCrzZZpfDwZK31eyYmQArmYlw9dVj_y6-uwej5k82CunxWWc-bcRg_MAKvfHCOeUM47pIhydksPNONTem0oU/s1600/IMG_20190208_155756.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1494" data-original-width="1487" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf8EbeegC6TP62ANaeKpOC8apDIkGwJD8gtv1lU_GwVfOBmeYRqae43iy1RCrzZZpfDwZK31eyYmQArmYlw9dVj_y6-uwej5k82CunxWWc-bcRg_MAKvfHCOeUM47pIhydksPNONTem0oU/s200/IMG_20190208_155756.jpg" width="197" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...and proper tea!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Since then things have fallen in to place and, incredibly, the dots of steps have been joined by tenuous lines. And those tenuous lines have become solid. So solid that as I write this my worldly goods are in a lorry heading to Portsmouth and I'm working wherever I can find a place to sit. I think the move has to be the subject of another blog about the realities of moving to an island. In the channel. With no cars.<br />
<br />
It will be worth doing.<br />
<br />
It will be exciting.<br />
<br />
It will be an adventure.<br />
<br />
First though I have to complete the move and paperwork. For now I'll leave you with the latest thing I've changed; The marker on Google maps for... home.<br />
<br />
I arrive next Wednesday.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheSdieO5uj9Mdoew26Q1APzNEoNw__NTpsa9SRWhsRNIRD3FPCpeuQSNP-6eJZkH83vuNFXXtNj2MjyDbzyct1GlUtoH3W1mlSrfUaSYenYU02Ky2all9vBATfTqaVrl6h2f38fUn76VIj/s1600/Screenshot_20190315-145636.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1426" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheSdieO5uj9Mdoew26Q1APzNEoNw__NTpsa9SRWhsRNIRD3FPCpeuQSNP-6eJZkH83vuNFXXtNj2MjyDbzyct1GlUtoH3W1mlSrfUaSYenYU02Ky2all9vBATfTqaVrl6h2f38fUn76VIj/s640/Screenshot_20190315-145636.png" width="485" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13459548281281231817noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3185119523481672293.post-70008045058542731492018-12-29T16:10:00.001+00:002018-12-30T15:46:49.486+00:00Surprises, love and laughter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0T0mLxN4zG7nlwi3r-SOvwAn3zZBcDlBPUCvv5msGdpmQdHUSdjHQ1y52kLPvgzCBgXrOAmnklHNSAt-PT_VMZw_LR5FPQjEiBVCyDo-An1UW-XODU13ZiKjjJY4pfteVGgMPKqZ6B_k/s1600/beack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0T0mLxN4zG7nlwi3r-SOvwAn3zZBcDlBPUCvv5msGdpmQdHUSdjHQ1y52kLPvgzCBgXrOAmnklHNSAt-PT_VMZw_LR5FPQjEiBVCyDo-An1UW-XODU13ZiKjjJY4pfteVGgMPKqZ6B_k/s200/beack.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div>
Mama Mia, here I go again*. I'm writing in the sun. On an <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Komi%C5%BEa">island</a>, in a cafe by the sea. The locals are talking more than usually incomprehensibly, and I have had a couple of beers, which means I probably will be writing in dialect shortly. All that is missing is the other contrary one writing opposite me.<br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The last blog I wrote was on Mljet and since then I've had an eventful few months. I've passed a horrible work related anniversary, experienced life in yet another Croatian town, and surprisingly become girlfriend to a rather lovely gentleman. That story is true romance; my best friend in Split knows everyone in our tiny neighbourhood so when she met a familiar face they had a brief exchange of pleasantries. After commenting how fragrant this gentleman was, she messaged him and he later dropped his phone number to me on a piece of paper. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I'm an old school romantic so this totally blew my mind - especially as I thought he hadn't even noticed me. I messaged him and we arranged a coffee in my favourite bar overlooking our city of Split. This led to many late night philosophical conversations under the moonlight, as well as complete disbelief as to how we had never met before. We are neighbours, dammit!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It's not been without hiccups. After all, he has had time in Ireland and I have regular trips to London but it works because we have something really special. Anyway, put it this way, he has been happy to join my crazy travelling life. Turns out you need someone cuckoo to complete your world; if this means entertaining an entirely opposite worldview, a certain amount of compromise with a good dollop of understanding, then it just confirms that it was meant to be. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Our first international trip in November was a humdinger. We considered a major road trip but neither of us really have the stamina or bravery of certain ne'er-do-wells, so we stayed relatively local, ending up in Montenegro via Bosnia. Frankly after getting lost up mountain goat tracks, and experiencing a non-functioning bank card reader in a Montenegrin gas station, I wonder how me and her ever made it across Europe. Maybe she was the adult... Still, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sveti_Stefan">Sv. Stefan </a>was idyllic and I wonder if the apartment's jacuzzi will ever recover. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
He is a Dalmatian man, and I'm part mermaid so water is truly our connection, and the natural driving force of our adventure. Thursday took us to Bol on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bra%C4%8D">Brač,</a> and fuelled by the usual burek and coffee, we both leapt into the sea. After that there seemed no good reason to prevent us going to Vis for the weekend. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Vis has <a href="https://contrarytowers.blogspot.com/2016/04/what-goes-on-up-mountain-stays-up.html">many memories</a> for me, and he had never been to this very different island, I was happy to select <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Komi%C5%BEa">Komiza</a> as our place to be. As if by some instinct, our tiny home is in the <i>Molo Bonda</i> part of town - where the fishermen lived and processed their catch. Our tiny ground floor beamed apartment is steeped in history and now has the homely scent of kobasice with kiseli kupus. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
After marenda on the beach this morning, we took a stroll around town and went up to the church of <a href="http://www.holidays-in-komiza.com/hr/brod.php">Sv. Nikola.</a> We were in good company as <a href="https://www.dalmatia.hr/en/culture-and-sights/komiza-the-pope-s-visit">Pope Alexander III </a>visited there in the 1100s. After managing to get us as lost as ever - I'm sacked as navigator since Bosnia apparently - we discussed pirates and headed back to the <a href="https://web.facebook.com/caffecortomaltese/?_rdc=1&_rdr">tiny riva</a> for coffees and beers.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeH-3gK3LdJc3pJETqcAB29QLyxwhzS_jzOeFMQU9PRl8cfpu1QUqvPqlxEoNyPVLJdeKYA4-YC4gUKRqNEODkJO-Adm75G7SbGV7_3MHwYRbN_X7J5HRoPSfq81HN7OOoSSpOYAlnZE0/s1600/chat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeH-3gK3LdJc3pJETqcAB29QLyxwhzS_jzOeFMQU9PRl8cfpu1QUqvPqlxEoNyPVLJdeKYA4-YC4gUKRqNEODkJO-Adm75G7SbGV7_3MHwYRbN_X7J5HRoPSfq81HN7OOoSSpOYAlnZE0/s200/chat.jpg" width="200" /></a>Since then I have been musing how life both changes - and stays the same. I'm enjoying my life of contrasts. High tech, London work done within a ferry ride of ancient tradition; sunshine and relaxation within a world of seasonal hospitality hardship; combining a domestic situation of deep religious observation with sceptical fact-finding. Ultimately we find our commonality through love, laughter, friendship and thus, it brings us all together.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
As the sun disappears in a smear of winter red, the village quiet gives way to another evening of local conviviality and twilight chatter. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
*Sorry, the Abba based musical was filmed here and I was lucky enough to see the film in Split's summer outdoor cinema which was very cool. Also in joke hahahaha!</div>
Clareangelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01101039129856260435noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3185119523481672293.post-65187508356084419922018-10-01T15:35:00.000+01:002018-10-01T15:35:19.339+01:00Going backwards; or up the creek without a paddleThere is something magical about canoeing; the gentle plap-plap over the waves, the swirl of the water under the paddles, and the light fizzing around like pop on a hot day. Leaning over to look in to the deep blue-turquoise water is as close to heaven as I can get. So this is why on Thursday after an obligatory trip to Pomena for some cash, I popped in to our local Little Heaven and asked for paddles. The sensible one had gone to get water and put her money in the apartment; mine would have just got saltily damp in the event of an emergency landing. My water would have just got wet.<br /><br />More of that later.<br /><br />So we had a vessel each (I don't do sharing), appropriate clothing, everything stowed in the wrong place (me), and were ready for launch. We shoved the first one into the water, then the other...luckily one had a leading rein so we could stop it making a bid for freedom. Being chivalrous, I assisted the careful one to clamber elegantly aboard, and off she went proudly displaying walking boots as figurehead. Astonishingly I got myself settled without mishap.<br /><br />Although having my rucksack - containing phone and bottle of water - utterly out of reach was annoying.<br /><br />Off we went, boldly striking out into the blue. There was no longer a gale blowing but the stiff breeze was still making paddling a challenge. My shoulders were pre-emptively groaning in anticipation of the next morning's physical effort. The athletic one was already miles away and heading for open sea; I was happy to let the wind guide me and I gently drifted to the other side of the lake. The goal was to get to Veliki Most and possibly to moor up for a swim.<br /><br />The Big lake for the most part is more like canoeing on the open sea, though we had already noted that there was unlikely to be a contretemps between us and a high-speed catamaran. My 40-something birthday canoeing trip to Lopud for tea and a bun had obviously stayed in our memories... But this was a far more peaceful experience; paddle, stop, paddle, drift, stop, paddle, ooo swat wasp. I was getting a little thirsty but the bridge was coming into view.<br /><br />I have wanted to paddle under the perfectly elegant bridge for a while. It marks the change from Big Lake into Solinski Kanal and the direction of water flowing underneath changes depending on the tide. In this case, we shot through without need for a paddle. You emerge into the calmest aquamarine pool of perfection - it is this colour simply because it's sandy underneath and not too deep. The long nosed fish which I have just failed to identify were happy to mill around beneath me. <br /><br />The highlight of the trip was the flash of copper and deep iridescent blue...a busy kingfisher was taking advantage of the stillness and was catching his lunch. He flitted between the foliage and disappeared into the undergrowth. Stunning and a moment to cherish forever. <br /><br />The moment of calm turned into something else as suddenly the wasps decided that they wanted to come canoeing too. Whether it was the warmth, lack of wind, or moisture on my skin, there was an increasing annoyance of them. And it got worse. I was following the speedy one to the channel's barrier and there looked to be a sensible spot to pull up and retrieve my water - which as you recall was inaccessible, stowed in the back of my vessel. <br /><br />Never before have I had such a tussle of wasp v dehydration. I was in a swarm. I grabbed my water bottle, not caring if anything was re-waterproofed and leapt back in to the canoe in a complete cloud of the evil ones. Inevitably I was stung. Shaking, I paddled away as fast as possible, eager to escape back on to the water. It wasn't the most pleasant of experiences but it could have been worse. <br /><br />We headed back through the channel and under the bridge. We waved to the people above us as they were the lovely couple who would be sharing a taxi to Sobra the following morning. As quickly as they appeared, the wasps ceased to trouble us - they must dislike the wide open deep water. We paddled back towards home, and hysterically disembarked. There was much slipping on the rocks, and a paddle splooshed into the sea. Oh. There was no quick way to retrieve it and it just floated there, taunting us. Out of reach.<br /><br />We stood there, doubled up laughing, unable to move . Finally I yanked on one of the dry canoes as it was in the way, having forgotten that it was tied to one of ours, safely bobbing about. Dithering, some wise-spark yelled to get my shoes back on. In this way I could negotiate the rocks to retrieve the still-in-the-sea one's figurehead boots. Ah yes. She was getting impatient with my continuing hysterical giggles. We hauled one of the canoes ashore, and fished out the errant paddle. Finally everything was out, and bags were safe and dry. <br /><br />Unlike my bum. I think at this point it resembled a prune. A salted one, with an extra sprinkling of salt. <br /><br />We retired to our favourite bar, hot, sweaty, wet and the older man laughed at my mokra guzica... With this hilarity in mind, I had to attend my company's annual meeting. So it was a very swift beer before heading back to make myself respectable and serious. Work over, I rejoined the sunny one, and was more than ready for the goat pekar. Kakve dan je bio!!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Clareangelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01101039129856260435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3185119523481672293.post-43545255927400130142018-10-01T14:41:00.001+01:002018-10-01T14:41:53.064+01:00Up the creek with a paddle.The plan.<br />
<br />
Go to town. Get cash. Hire a pair of kayaks. Try not to drown. Eat goat.<br />
<br />
So, confession time. It's really difficult writing about things that have happened a few days ago, especially when the most reliable dataz is in the Mali Raj. Where there iz booze. The confession is I got my days wrong, we didn't have goat last night, it was something that would happen tonight. How could I forget that? Easy... Airhead.<br />
<br />
Anyhoo. Kayaks.<br />
<br />
The last time I was in a kayak was for Missy's birthday two years ago. Now that was a fab day. Getting up at how early and then borrowing some of Marija's kayaks to head to Lopud for tea and doughnuts. All before returning before the fee paying tourists turned up. Amazingly I didn't write about the night before at the time. Maybe one best kept for my posthumous memoirs. All I'll say is that rumours of me dancing in Teo's bar in my nightie are entirely true...<br />
<br />
The walking was definitely getting easier, though I still arrived in Pomena looking a little like somebody had thrown a bucket of water over me. It's never good being a fat lass. Funds secured we headed back to Babine Kuće. Our intention was to hire from our local favourite bar. The fact that it was our only bar was quite academic. As we approached I decided to nip back to base to collect my water bottle because I'm an idiot and I'd forgotten it earlier.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNloGfNdIJ2bIvHUk9nMiGNDMfykGnHwQK1GCKZorFaQKXuMFB9YmyN7JmEvVDkW-RssMR80-NRaU2uID1ignxasdvddYbVamO5OD2Pp1LYBaSVLclu0o3TzJzmhzt92njcLzAetXNJhMq/s1600/IMG_20180927_120656.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNloGfNdIJ2bIvHUk9nMiGNDMfykGnHwQK1GCKZorFaQKXuMFB9YmyN7JmEvVDkW-RssMR80-NRaU2uID1ignxasdvddYbVamO5OD2Pp1LYBaSVLclu0o3TzJzmhzt92njcLzAetXNJhMq/s200/IMG_20180927_120656.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
By the time I returned the nautical one was standing with two paddles and her best confused face. She wasn't sure where the kayaks were. Fortunately, in a rare moment of being observant, I'd noticed them earlier so off we trotted to chose our rides.<br />
<br />
Yet again I was reminded that I really ought to get some of those whizzy shoes you can wear in water as frankly my Gore-Tex hiking boots weren't exactly the ideal thing for plodging. Which was why they were redeployed as a figure head on the newly named "VJS Old Boot". A fine vessel. Shame I hadn't noticed that I was sitting on a buckle. More on this later.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYi9_oFMqJzguIuu1nOu5SqiAOfNNetV4ccY3vPXRiz1THVGkqkNS5JUW83HudK1XDkDN2XNyvfvbK7mQ106QH_ExWxO6-bUfOP67_G3V9QYEG0UhhAJhEZkE8FcjhxcTiAPVorXglneBs/s1600/IMG_20180927_121826.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYi9_oFMqJzguIuu1nOu5SqiAOfNNetV4ccY3vPXRiz1THVGkqkNS5JUW83HudK1XDkDN2XNyvfvbK7mQ106QH_ExWxO6-bUfOP67_G3V9QYEG0UhhAJhEZkE8FcjhxcTiAPVorXglneBs/s200/IMG_20180927_121826.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Missy paddled off like a duck to water as I faffed putting things in to a sealed bag. By the time I finally started moving I realised she was a duck to water that likes going backwards. I don't think she'd read the manual.<br />
<br />
It really was a horrible way to spend the day.<br />
<br />
What was also really horrible was that we kept having to share it with wasps. Quite why so many would be wandering around in the middle of a lake was utterly beyond me! Stupid creatures.<br />
<br />
We vaguely paddled off in the general direction of Soline so that we could go under the lovely bridge and through the Solinski kanal - not a euphemism. Normally we would be taking many photographs but the constant swatting of the wasps made this a precarious thing to do. Every now and then we'd get a fabulous breeze which would make things difficult for wasps so there would be a little relief. Trouble was, it was also difficult for the dainty one, she'd given up fighting the breeze and was now a couple of hundred yards away. Oh. Bye!<br /><br />We regrouped as the bridge loomed passing through in perfect formation, well, perfectish. With swatting. But it seemed to impress people on the banks. The good thing is we could now actually see the bottom. The Veliko Jezera is incredibly clear but also incredibly deep so it was quite a novelty. Unlike the wasps. Which weren't.<br />
<br />
In the distance I could see something across the water which looked vaguely like an obstruction, as I approached I could see that it was actually navigable, you just had to do a couple of turns, a bit like the sort of thing you see on paths to stop cycles, only bigger. I at first presumed it was to stop vessels from entering the lakes, which to be honest seemed unlikely as the water was, well, rather shallow. Later I read that it's a mechanism to let rubbish leave the lakes but prevent stuff from getting back in.<br />
<br />
Frightfully clever these Croatians.<br />
<br />
As I turned I saw that the adventurous one had beached her kayak and was busy pull it higher on to land. It wasn't as I thought so we could go for refreshments at the bar we'd been to a few days earlier, but rather because she'd put her bag with water and phone out of reach in the stern of the boat. Daft mare.<br />
<br />
But before I realised this I thought I'd also best beach the kayak only to find she'd discovered every wasp that we'd missed whilst out on the water. And they liked her so much. It was all a bit scary. He pushed me back so I could at least make a get away whilst she desperately tried to get going as quickly as possible. It was not going well.<br />
<br />
Amazingly she was only stung the once.<br />
<br />
We headed back. Passing under the bridge once more we saw the couple that she'd accosted the other night to share a ride to Sorba. I think they might have by now realised we were a bit mad. Better than being dull.<br />
<br />
Somewhere on the Veliko Jezera we found a spot to just sit. Little breeze. No wasps. We nattered. I went to take a picture and saw the boss had messaged me on Skype so I replied and said I wouldn't be able to look at the problem just then as I was not in the best of places. Needless to say I then sent a picture of us on the lake.<br />
<br />
I think he now hates me just that little bit more!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN2jGZAKykOLiuQbbFFqDGJfWLTGzZNzhwzFYoAvLFbNbUFpzTgTmVo8hsmLE1eIPgT3WtcvMs6O8V8a_nsfbDWNYkqlSnWKhh-Z2M65GDPg9iF-Dk5PEN-OvmZBrpD1mbl3kpsVxX7iPt/s1600/IMG_20180927_203903_527.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN2jGZAKykOLiuQbbFFqDGJfWLTGzZNzhwzFYoAvLFbNbUFpzTgTmVo8hsmLE1eIPgT3WtcvMs6O8V8a_nsfbDWNYkqlSnWKhh-Z2M65GDPg9iF-Dk5PEN-OvmZBrpD1mbl3kpsVxX7iPt/s200/IMG_20180927_203903_527.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Paddling back was a mixture of wasps and no wasps, but still a lovely way to spend time, however we decided enough was enough, navigated back to shore and once we were out and the boats carefuly stowed we scampered off to Mali Raj for much needed refreshment.<br />
<br />
Eventually my guilt kicked in so I scampered back to base to collect the iBastard and do a little work. The busy one was going to be working later anyway as she had a company meeting to attend - virtually - so it seemed like good timing.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjDmsStloKQj7e-Cs0Np79sxWTRS4rCn5p3QRGXTNWYaVl_b0k0ALNPjVp1qCoOHr2Cf78SHMxppOrn7vMSVaO0KjERSzxhbUr2qJA2P2CC6hkytZCfDTK51xC0IwHbO3FhR37sywsS9n5/s1600/IMG_20180927_202540_808.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1463" data-original-width="1463" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjDmsStloKQj7e-Cs0Np79sxWTRS4rCn5p3QRGXTNWYaVl_b0k0ALNPjVp1qCoOHr2Cf78SHMxppOrn7vMSVaO0KjERSzxhbUr2qJA2P2CC6hkytZCfDTK51xC0IwHbO3FhR37sywsS9n5/s200/IMG_20180927_202540_808.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
She had a little time to play though, but one thing puzzled me, she kept wittering on about making herself look presentable. I really couldn't see what the problem was.<br />
<br />
Well, okay, maybe her glasses were a little salty.<br />
<br />
And her skin. And clothes. Actually, come to think of it, I could probably do with a rinse too.<br />
<br />
Of course I didn't at all troll said boss with pictures of Hildebrand's Croatian office. That would have been mean...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizPGWTucmoa1Xagt6DHRiLSfkRQvMiCy0-EVzH-UeDzDXyI4Q3LUtSxS8-dZk4Kao526d7KnPSu28JQuGPWYBSzfhoUuKMmghOfkVThf9-XvktWTJ7sNAybgA1qfJ6iIdWjejpRFWMsufK/s1600/IMG_20180927_145509.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizPGWTucmoa1Xagt6DHRiLSfkRQvMiCy0-EVzH-UeDzDXyI4Q3LUtSxS8-dZk4Kao526d7KnPSu28JQuGPWYBSzfhoUuKMmghOfkVThf9-XvktWTJ7sNAybgA1qfJ6iIdWjejpRFWMsufK/s200/IMG_20180927_145509.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
As it turned out there wasn't a problem as such but it did highlight something else I need to do to prevent user generated issues. Now this is the point where most people express amazement that I'm working on what is most definitely a holiday. But this is normal, when things happen they have to be dealt with and if I don't I'd only worry about it all.<br />
<br />
As the afternoon wore one I did two things, one was practice saying <b><i>još jedan molim</i></b>, probably the wrong thing to say, but I didn't have a handy polyglot to check with. And it's important to practice. The other was to write. I'm slowly getting back in to the swing of writing again though I'm still struggling to find my mojo.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKpJCu9zfLbIoRKhn92rX3m97E3TmLZX7ftx-Jd5BX58X7SrI0Gmb6mVY14Leo5U1GOPXtaZRZJdKkZbOdwONITjqj-g5V4ENy2Jz9PFHR6cp6MTxAm3zj2-d0h75KhEO9Tp-oBHvVUJnp/s1600/IMG_20180927_193346_831.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKpJCu9zfLbIoRKhn92rX3m97E3TmLZX7ftx-Jd5BX58X7SrI0Gmb6mVY14Leo5U1GOPXtaZRZJdKkZbOdwONITjqj-g5V4ENy2Jz9PFHR6cp6MTxAm3zj2-d0h75KhEO9Tp-oBHvVUJnp/s200/IMG_20180927_193346_831.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
As day drifted in to evening and the sun began to set Goaty McDinnerface made its appearance. Of course you will know this if you read yesterday's thrilling instalment, but this time it actually happened. And there were pictures. Brief ones as we positively stuffed our faces.<br />
<br />
A meal so good it had to be blogged about twice.<br />
<br />
I could have happily had it again, but, y'know, diet...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJeI6C6c7T5N_c_3F5wV-r44Rs-vtZRwsbzthoP2n-mrg9Ojb7EQM_1mvu7d0HVqNsPRefG-qtXBNjAD4RJ41Tc4jO5MaFx1J22OYQ_j-X3DlEdIEeZJA5RWm-jJTRHYGNTDBYVFQ8EnO6/s1600/2j4dal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJeI6C6c7T5N_c_3F5wV-r44Rs-vtZRwsbzthoP2n-mrg9Ojb7EQM_1mvu7d0HVqNsPRefG-qtXBNjAD4RJ41Tc4jO5MaFx1J22OYQ_j-X3DlEdIEeZJA5RWm-jJTRHYGNTDBYVFQ8EnO6/s200/2j4dal.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Now normally this would end with tales of late night cackling as just had one more. And then one on the house. But tonight we had to head to bed early. The ferry would be leaving at jeeeeeez o'clock from Sorba which meant our taxi would be arriving at 5am.<br />
<br />
If the doesn't like getting up early one complains even once...Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13459548281281231817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3185119523481672293.post-69190593186730466872018-09-29T21:18:00.001+01:002018-09-29T21:18:10.637+01:00My kingdom for a loafThis blog isn't going to make much sense. We are once more back in Mali Raj and it's Antonio's birthday. Antonio is the barman/waiter/goodness knows what else. He's lovely. As are all the staff here. They've just brought us cake, it must be true.<br />
<br />
Back to the blogging. You might recall that yesterday missy had been out and found she couldn't get bread because, well, too late. Today though, she went with lashings of time. Trouble was, even though she asked in her best Croatian and was extremely polite, she received a very firm no. Oh dear.<br />
<br />
Not to worry. There was a pekara in Polače. And that was only 2.4km away. OVER A BLOODY HIGH HILL. AND ROCKS. Did I mention the rocks? It must be said, there is nothing like a gentle 3 mile round trip over a BLOODY HIGH HILL to make you really appreciate your breakfast.<br />
<br />
Nothing.<br />
<br />
So I pulled my boots on and even though I was still aching from the walk back the night before, we headed off in search of bread. Now normally we'd make this ourselves, trouble was we had a distinct lack of oven and frankly that's a problem.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXescqTRa2H3KmJbgGPiVzbB0zrpZLfJlzbQaloU9qiISTZAg8UPbt2zDokSS0SKcGlUTME79a2oL93CXZ6IvRao_ZCZfLAq-D0cilGR06GuAQEznhHeuLtO4vGSnI7VKwqP1N4-O6LIqY/s1600/IMG-20180926-WA0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXescqTRa2H3KmJbgGPiVzbB0zrpZLfJlzbQaloU9qiISTZAg8UPbt2zDokSS0SKcGlUTME79a2oL93CXZ6IvRao_ZCZfLAq-D0cilGR06GuAQEznhHeuLtO4vGSnI7VKwqP1N4-O6LIqY/s200/IMG-20180926-WA0002.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bread and manic grin.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Again, obviously, I didn't complain about the walk over said hill, don't believe anything she says to the contrary. The good news is the pekara did a) open and b) have bread and c) would sell it to us.<br />
<br />
It really doesn't get better than this.<br />
<br />
Low aspirations? Maybe. Anyway, we headed back over the hill for breakfast. If you happen to be on Mljet I can thoroughly recommend the experience. Best done first thing before breakfast, or in the dark. Great fun.<br />
<br />
We decided that as breakfast was done we needed to walk round the little lake and, for added excitement, we'd pop in to Pomena to hit the cash machine as, well, cash is a good idea here. Rather inevitably we scampered round the really difficult parts rather than use the easier paths. It's a matter of pride.<br />
<br />
It was also rather civilised as it means you can mostly avoid people making things feel just that little bit more isolated. And it feels just a little more adventurous. The bonus was that I stumbled on some discarded sunglasses. Or lost. Well, stupid people, leave them in the woods and they will be recycled. And the glamorous one did need some new glasses.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfeDH7C5mENTWuyAhSSJLRNiXA6fLVRPnlBMAFo_4ZCwH7ZbT4iYVIqct1_euiErfLeIQMGzWXlNRNL25CD0HlXTGjHe8Kf60CyF0qRV0AyHVFs5KKGvKLzTggszOyRgcvgLBo_5RRKUKH/s1600/2j0t77.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfeDH7C5mENTWuyAhSSJLRNiXA6fLVRPnlBMAFo_4ZCwH7ZbT4iYVIqct1_euiErfLeIQMGzWXlNRNL25CD0HlXTGjHe8Kf60CyF0qRV0AyHVFs5KKGvKLzTggszOyRgcvgLBo_5RRKUKH/s320/2j0t77.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
In Pomena missy decided it would be a really good idea for us to to a place at the end of the front. She'd been there a couple of years before. When it was summer. You can imagine how that went...<br />
<br />
...still the extra exercise is always appreciated. And we ended up back in the place we'd been in a couple of days before.<br />
<br />
This time with extra wasps.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXGxeSJTcWG0iHJ2Zv1y4OGsTq1ron3xPbmj_jtXp1RrBm_uC4-nc8rKwwu0WlDSUU9Vq8v33O3h1LGkKa6wv5NUr_N-qbdCTgTC3n8TbpD9J_BvZb42rKNW9VZw1F12GZZ0YLEjAFUZ_T/s1600/IMG_20180926_134937.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXGxeSJTcWG0iHJ2Zv1y4OGsTq1ron3xPbmj_jtXp1RrBm_uC4-nc8rKwwu0WlDSUU9Vq8v33O3h1LGkKa6wv5NUr_N-qbdCTgTC3n8TbpD9J_BvZb42rKNW9VZw1F12GZZ0YLEjAFUZ_T/s200/IMG_20180926_134937.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Questioning life's decisions.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Seriously, what is it with these stupid little feckers, do they actually like beer? Do they end up in it and think "ah, perfect, just what I wanted" or is it more a case of them questioning their life decisions and wondering whether the queen wasp will remember them as their life slips away. Or worse, after I extract them and demonstrate just how cross I am.<br />
<br />
It wasn't pleasant. Not a single patron found it pleasant. We're just more belligerent.<br />
<br />
Heading back the short way, though no less rocky and after the usual stop in Studenac for supplies, we even had to scamper past about a million kids that looked to be heading out way.<br />
<br />
On the far side of the hill we saw a couple of ladies with bikes who seemed determined to carry them up the steps. The nice one warned them that said million kids were heading this way. I somehow forgot to mention that they'd passed the sign for the actual cycle path 200 yards before. To be fair I heard them say something about it probably being about the same.<br />
<br />
Readers, they were about to be very disappointed.<br />
<br />
Sure it's longer, but oh my goodness, it goes round the hill not over it! The moment passed and meandered back with the intention of going for a swim. As you do.<br />
<br />
Of course having changed and set off I got to the first big drop in the path before realising that I needed Sticky Mc Stickface or I'd be in trouble. Irritating. By the time I caught up with the advanced party she was already splooshing around like she always does. This was apparently much to the disgust of a german couple. One that was even less impressed that she had a friend. Whatevs.<br />
<br />
We'd decided the night before that Goaty McDinnerFace would be perfect for 7pm, so as it was nowhere near that we headed down to Mali Raj nice and early to do a little writing and watch the sun set. Which it did. I also checked in on "Swarm" and saw a comment about there being "nothing good here". What utter bollocks. This place is brilliant. And the baby goat when it was served up? Brilliant. Honestly, if you're ever on Mljet head to Babine Kuće and the joys of Mali Raj. If you are lovely to them they will be lovely to you. Simple really.<br />
<br />
It was at some point during the evening that we heard a couple talking about going to Šipan and asking the waiter (Antonio) how best to get to the ferry at you-are-kidding-me o'clock. He picked up his phone, called his mate and arranged a ride. The luggy one heard this and we quickly agreed that the theoretical trip there should be a reality so she danced over, introduced herself and the deal was struck, we'd go halves on the fee. Once Antonio sorted it with his mate.<br />
<br />
Perfect. And just the sort of thing you'd expect in a decent place. So there.<br />
<br />
All in all a thoroughly acceptable day. And tomorrow? Kayaks...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnvwUoln8dSXxh7vzdeaX3xJl5tJGfi5jn1dV6lu0KZ065SLRO65vSm-WtosVa-lXHzd9Tym2EdljywpfzgaifhOAbsY2kgzygIhTDb0rLf4Zx0JRkhofiJKAXk0LkFb0T8JAFZjydQl5A/s1600/Screenshot_20180929-211654.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="719" data-original-width="720" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnvwUoln8dSXxh7vzdeaX3xJl5tJGfi5jn1dV6lu0KZ065SLRO65vSm-WtosVa-lXHzd9Tym2EdljywpfzgaifhOAbsY2kgzygIhTDb0rLf4Zx0JRkhofiJKAXk0LkFb0T8JAFZjydQl5A/s400/Screenshot_20180929-211654.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13459548281281231817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3185119523481672293.post-16456650522688205522018-09-29T21:17:00.001+01:002018-09-29T21:25:59.885+01:00No more tears - just the science of coming homeThere's a thing. Mljet is a relatively easy place to get to and from...as long as you start or end in Dubrovnik, Split... or Šipan. There was a vague purpose for spending time on Mljet in the first place because all hearts must mend eventually. And it has been amazing to be here finally feeling happy and whole. In a reversal, I wondered whether it would be wise to pay a visit to my old home in Suđurađ. <br />
<br />
When I left there in April 2017 it felt slightly bittersweet with an air of finality. Home was still home, but was no longer; I'd sadly moved on. The moment we landed in Šipanska Luka at a ridiculously early time, I had an air of melancholy unreality. Happily I must have made quite an impression during my time here, because familiar faces turned from polite disinterest to genuine recognition - in moments. This made me feel quite tearful, in a way I rarely feel. <br />
<br />
This two faced place never fails to amaze me; despite the near end of the summer season the many pleasure boats continue to pour in, and the opportunity for people spotting is endless. On the other hand, the icy walk through the polje this morning demonstrated the beating agricultural heart of the island. Cows were being tended to; grape pomace lies in heady heaps; fattened cabbages await winter pulling; and the olives are well on the way to being ready. <br />
<br />
Enjoying the coffee and soaking up the early morning sunshine in <a href="https://pub-balun.business.site/">Teo's bar </a>was very pleasant - watching the village come awake is a simple pleasure. Eventually hunger drove us to picnic snacks on my nearest favourite beach. There are so few people there; people from the pleasure boats either don't have the time, or the inclination to stray out of the village. Which means they miss the actual life going on but as the companioning one knows, I have very little to say about idiot tourists.*<br />
<br />
<insert your own melancholic shit here><br />
<br />
Having made myself all melancholy (shit happens), my amazing friend Marija invited us to see her family and have a taste of the rakija and wine making process. Now as you all know, science and history thereof is my life and the very best outcome of science is the stuff you can eat and drink. What is cake making, if it in't science? Anyway, much of what I have enjoyed exploring is alchemy... So to see an actual still in action is pretty much renaissance science in motion.<br />
<div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFmc9i3vVA4pDvpIu-fBK0FdCjyNqlTcVMimI9v_n2tl3-5AhuSDiE2MpQgEeOcTIuJMwkDcx_ks-TzjrHq-nAR49bDJhuX7_L4ziIHzW92GZcTCt9C84QAbUPgij1bMffiJOWJi3SAhs/s1600/still.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFmc9i3vVA4pDvpIu-fBK0FdCjyNqlTcVMimI9v_n2tl3-5AhuSDiE2MpQgEeOcTIuJMwkDcx_ks-TzjrHq-nAR49bDJhuX7_L4ziIHzW92GZcTCt9C84QAbUPgij1bMffiJOWJi3SAhs/s200/still.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<div>
Fascinated, I watched as the deep purple 'waste' grape material was put into a large lidded metal container and sealed with water around the top. The dried garden herbs had been carefully chopped and layered; mint and fennel were the secret ingredients here. The stove underneath was stoked to cook the mix, and we sat back to fuss the cat who was thoroughly enjoying the warmth. The smoke unfurled into the olives above and we sipped our wine and munched on home smoked bacon.</div>
<div>
<br />
Next door's sheep popped by unexpectedly and there were shouts of ide, brzo, 'cha... and mint sauce, lamb chop! I'll leave you to sort out who said what.<br />
<br />
The fumes from the fruit and herbs headed upwards in to a metal tube; then went through a coil to be <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizYHk5EipjekP_l0-erHtesB_vJu21wzuoIWAhUo_IQ7-EehLAn-ZcskngFhLMHuZ8HgRHpyxZbzVn5MRyuNNMVs832sJ9uk1xzHQ7zI4rjKKYVJJZ4Nou_E3R6HWqyo5mdbu-5B-11ZE/s1600/cat.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizYHk5EipjekP_l0-erHtesB_vJu21wzuoIWAhUo_IQ7-EehLAn-ZcskngFhLMHuZ8HgRHpyxZbzVn5MRyuNNMVs832sJ9uk1xzHQ7zI4rjKKYVJJZ4Nou_E3R6HWqyo5mdbu-5B-11ZE/s320/cat.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
cooled and condensed. The tiny precious drops fell like tears into a hanky... to be collected in to a saucepan. As it filled, it was occasionally emptied into a large round flask and the odd finger managed to sneak in and test the strength. Each batch would start strong, and then mellow and dilute. The art is to mix them to ensure consistency...and presumably avoid blindness or brain damage.<br />
<br />
Also it's getting dark and what the heck is happening in here?<br />
<br />
It was like magic if you can imagine a life surrounded by grape fumes, goats, and pine wood smoke. It reminded me of all I had left on the island. And I have never felt so sad about returning to tech, East London and the world outside. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And on that melancholic note, let me remind you we are currently being serenaded by Antonio and his friends. Karaoke Mljet style.That is to say all is well in the world, and there has been birthday cake.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
*the water in the lakes is NOT brackish ffs.</div>
</div>
Clareangelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01101039129856260435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3185119523481672293.post-32837129337712688512018-09-29T18:34:00.002+01:002018-09-29T18:34:38.402+01:00Best foot forward<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8npUpwosPbkJklnuZ0brIl5pxnbV49nN-Onsw-VsXUog_PHsh-0UBCT8bI_qN1HxNwu9tIxRT9Mdt6Ir2n4peCBovXlrgeYBrHagbpsXz1LsIrwXk11mlOvtOEq1_C1EKr25I2QpdzN8e/s1600/IMG_20180925_075952.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8npUpwosPbkJklnuZ0brIl5pxnbV49nN-Onsw-VsXUog_PHsh-0UBCT8bI_qN1HxNwu9tIxRT9Mdt6Ir2n4peCBovXlrgeYBrHagbpsXz1LsIrwXk11mlOvtOEq1_C1EKr25I2QpdzN8e/s200/IMG_20180925_075952.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
We were going to get up really early. We really didn't.<br />
<br />
We'd been told on arrival that we could buy bread from a van in the village and that it would arrive around 9:30. The hungry one scampered off to fetch bread, eventually returning with a sad face, it turned out the van had arrived much earlier it being out of season and clearly the memo hadn't been read by our lovely hosts. But fear not, she twinkled at the people in the restaurant which meant we managed to get bread and our delicious continental breakfast was on!<br />
<br />
We'd need it to power us through the day ahead. Or something like that. The vague plan was a walk round the lake then a simple afternoon writing.<br />
<br />
You know how much we like sticking to plans.<br />
<br />
Today I would break out the walking boots I'd brought with me, given I'd already test walked the paths in ballet pumps this seemed like a sensible idea. I also elected to go with jeggings as I really didn't want to be scratched to death. That was a rare sensible face.<br />
<br />
It was almost 10am by the time we rolled out, me looking looking like Lara Crofts older fatter sister, the dainty one looking, well, dainty. We were ready for a serious stomp.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj317uwn0YPl1E6p02_zrk-dgFr71k03LE6DZZt5eePv4E3ggzqUrxaQfTpLEDp-Q0LtZk4K9OD8Eh4BlLH_XcAUmf84Jz6SbVcKsRpiENP8u0PDognMlPHcIt1mqEx859sE8TgGgcGmckM/s1600/IMG_20180925_105326.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj317uwn0YPl1E6p02_zrk-dgFr71k03LE6DZZt5eePv4E3ggzqUrxaQfTpLEDp-Q0LtZk4K9OD8Eh4BlLH_XcAUmf84Jz6SbVcKsRpiENP8u0PDognMlPHcIt1mqEx859sE8TgGgcGmckM/s200/IMG_20180925_105326.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
Which lasted all of 20 yards. We both had a bad case of <b><i>newplaceitis</i></b>, a fatal condition that leads to inevitable wows, squeals and gazing upon new sights. Hopeless. I was particularly taken with the way that locals used ingenuity and a keen eye to make use of whatever materials were to be found laying about, I'd seen this the day before with small tree trunks, or very straight branches, being used to provide <a href="http://contrarytowers.blogspot.com/2018/09/running-away.html">tying points for boats</a>. Today though it was resting places for boats made with just a few trunks to minimise resistance whilst making sure they didn't sit in water, but my favourite was the fencing made with carefully chosen branches. Perfect.<br />
<br />
What was less perfect was my knees, I realised quite quickly that as I was falling apart I needed a walking stick to allow me to control ascent and descent. Simple, we were surrounded by sticks, how hard can this be? After a number of regular stops to find something good enough the helpful one asked what I was looking for. A stick I said, but nothing so far that's suitable. Oh, like this one?<br />
<br />
I can really go off people.<br />
<br />
I was also pleased, yes it was just the right length, had a wee fork at the end and wouldn't take too much effort to remove small branches. Ace. Needless to say we didn't ask Twitter to name it and instead saved time by declaring it Sticky McStickface.<br />
<br />
Now able to move with more ease we marched on. The seemingly endless green and blue<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeyNpMl-DMg1ZmEea9XWqrufrv_cfPZemkJL2Ep8ga8RY1eqDAHQef4n8Qjmz8L8srd8rApjtpMlkX1iejQc01qcdGBBnfNAK4O_mnjUsmKKqoHL326Bqu1BHkGNmGV4kDARcjw_1Y-H9u/s1600/IMG_20180925_115151.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeyNpMl-DMg1ZmEea9XWqrufrv_cfPZemkJL2Ep8ga8RY1eqDAHQef4n8Qjmz8L8srd8rApjtpMlkX1iejQc01qcdGBBnfNAK4O_mnjUsmKKqoHL326Bqu1BHkGNmGV4kDARcjw_1Y-H9u/s200/IMG_20180925_115151.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
accompanied by the sun twinkling at us with the water was so lovely. But progress really wasn't great, not that this mattered, it wasn't a race. If we'd wanted to go quickly go could have made our way up the bank a little to a narrow road and scampered along. But where's the fun in that?<br />
<br />
Every now and then I would see red markings on rocks that seemed to indicate we were on the Central Line. It just didn't smell quite like it. This belief was reinforced as we reached an interchange with the Circle Line. We might have been hooting with laughter at the thought.<br />
<br />
As we approached the perfect little bridge that crossed the channel at the end of the lake we made a decision, we'd go for coffee in Soline. And when I say coffee I meant pivo. Obvs. Soline is a bit of an interesting place. Sure it's tiny and has a bar which is in itself usually enough to make anywhere interesting. Actually, large and bar is interesting too. Maybe I just like bars.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
I digress.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvfH1nYjGl3nBxyzvwmmHlyWye3htCbTwfvEZuXHqNoQE8xWHEViC_S3cCNnc2xrWSJ4Ih9GfY37WErKDEq5tljvLOQvFX3ghYjlxPtOXczzwSxfxFRBJNge7_sPUSZAopT959DRXp_2cB/s1600/IMG_20180925_150726_193.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvfH1nYjGl3nBxyzvwmmHlyWye3htCbTwfvEZuXHqNoQE8xWHEViC_S3cCNnc2xrWSJ4Ih9GfY37WErKDEq5tljvLOQvFX3ghYjlxPtOXczzwSxfxFRBJNge7_sPUSZAopT959DRXp_2cB/s200/IMG_20180925_150726_193.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monk studying the bible. Maybe</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Apparently the Benedictines first waltzed in to the place around 1151 in search of somewhere to build a monastery, more on this later. They also filled the natural (read rocky as everything here is rocky) pools which of course would evaporate leaving salt, perfect for y'actual chips guvvnor. Mind you, I don't think they had chips then. Dark ages, dark, dark, dark. Probably better for the diet.<br />
<br />
I digress again.<br />
<br />
Hence the name. Running past the place in to Veliko Jezero (remember, Big Lake) is the Solinski Kanal, again more on this later. One of the most obvious things is that there is one hell of a water flow as the tides turn because it's really not very wide at all and the Big Lake is, well, big. Engineering 101, wide area in to small equals high pressure. Just the thing for driving mills and oddly enough there was a mill there at one point.<br />
<br />
I was slightly disappointed to observe that a tidal generator hadn't been put in as this is the perfect location for placing one, but, to be fair, it would look a bit poo on the tourists brochures. The last thing of note, other than the fact that the Pivo was suitably cold and the wasps were unsuitably bastardly, was that until 1825 the place was uninhabited. Seems unlikely, it was now 12:08 and we were definitely in residence.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXNE5mHKS9Fk8n29CqdTWJNly9nC3-xSlh1pdFo559xd_odSiIR7SGqnhkjP-wks75QFOX8JpVrzgGlTCHKB66szLNtkEtHkm8Yp9cQ3aGlmX7FG0MDKUCamuT1gqamrEvoQg53hGUHfbx/s1600/IMG_20180925_150609_458.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXNE5mHKS9Fk8n29CqdTWJNly9nC3-xSlh1pdFo559xd_odSiIR7SGqnhkjP-wks75QFOX8JpVrzgGlTCHKB66szLNtkEtHkm8Yp9cQ3aGlmX7FG0MDKUCamuT1gqamrEvoQg53hGUHfbx/s200/IMG_20180925_150609_458.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
After a natter and swatting a few wasps we headed off once more we were off again. We ambled down the road a little heading towards the bridge and stopped for a moment to ponder just why there was a basketball hoop on the side of the road. Or maybe it was netball. Either way, they key thing here is: Side. Of. The. Road. Admittedly we hadn't seen many cars so I imagine it was a little like playing in the streets in the 70's.<br />
<br />
It has to be said, this was nothing like the street of my youth. Pretty didn't cover it and the colours were endlessly fabulous.<br />
<br />
As we crossed the perfectly arched bridge I managed to resist a game of Pooh Sticks. It just didn't seem right to drop a twig in the clear glinting waters below. We continued marching on.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIA1w9_Mp6jc2lSF8LHk-n6VWRYDFS67-z7awer1W-ye63GfaurWtEOSNFB7dwsrvdP7PJUYhsi67mjgKMEQCSHFXZN6TEyN7W_P59XDu5dRDl51FBBNl_CsQ4vnBxII1cpK7bYaAGzm6S/s1600/IMG_20180925_132123.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1388" data-original-width="1388" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIA1w9_Mp6jc2lSF8LHk-n6VWRYDFS67-z7awer1W-ye63GfaurWtEOSNFB7dwsrvdP7PJUYhsi67mjgKMEQCSHFXZN6TEyN7W_P59XDu5dRDl51FBBNl_CsQ4vnBxII1cpK7bYaAGzm6S/s200/IMG_20180925_132123.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
To our right the Monastery of St Mary become increasingly obvious. As did the seemingly endless chug of boats chugging across the lake towards it laden down with tourists. I'm sure that Crkva Sv. Marije is worth seeing but my inner aversion to people complaining about *old things being so old was kicking in.<br />
<br />
The place was certainly within easy swimming distance so one could sneak over, but I'm not sure whether my dripping swimsuit would be considered suitable attire.<br />
<br />
Actually, for that matter, I wasn't sure whether this was a working monastery or if it had merely become a tourist trap. More research needed.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW1WhExuiRA9VPKN1wUSY_yH81dXwaGqEV5a1rBiMRQy-OGzas2rFlmnwjhc9xxAqivwraTAhn-K0OoXzh377tNKxV49h7q5UJwYNssaCUwZVgzHVC0-bA181VDnCmyWawTjr4yUl_OzWv/s1600/IMG_20180929_111633.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW1WhExuiRA9VPKN1wUSY_yH81dXwaGqEV5a1rBiMRQy-OGzas2rFlmnwjhc9xxAqivwraTAhn-K0OoXzh377tNKxV49h7q5UJwYNssaCUwZVgzHVC0-bA181VDnCmyWawTjr4yUl_OzWv/s200/IMG_20180929_111633.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Take a fleg.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
A little further round and we came across something that made me change my mind. I saw a small boat and two people were climbing in. As we got closer we could see that it was a thing, if you take a fleg and wave it then you get a boat. What's not to like? Fleg. Boat. Food. Not sure we would be able to fit it in but it sounds like a giggle.<br />
<br />
On the subject of linguistic awkwardness. I did learn from the polyglot one that when pizza first arrived in Croatia it made people blush. Because it sounds like pićka... Let's just say my former flatmate would be shocked that I used such language in a blog post.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYDrXjMD8lk3CdEUFncU2l0NAVv2qivK951oOqXBCMyFWnydnT6I7cGer8UPlwnLGzFDrwqmPCcuzsmbLVATz4BQ9oYMYfJUo5zyGN8PI0YnSi7wb9BxMtmKAA7_Q8NL03QX6fN3yVYara/s1600/IMG_20180925_150034_814.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1449" data-original-width="1449" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYDrXjMD8lk3CdEUFncU2l0NAVv2qivK951oOqXBCMyFWnydnT6I7cGer8UPlwnLGzFDrwqmPCcuzsmbLVATz4BQ9oYMYfJUo5zyGN8PI0YnSi7wb9BxMtmKAA7_Q8NL03QX6fN3yVYara/s200/IMG_20180925_150034_814.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
As we marched on it became increasingly difficult to remain furkling in the undergrowth so we largely stuck with the road, which is a little less interesting, but an awful lot faster. We were now strolling along at almost full London speed of somewhere over 4mph.<br />
<br />
This might have been helped by the idea of the culinary one taking the leftovers from the previous night's meal, adding a few croutons made with olive oil and the remains of the hard-to-get bread from breakfast.<br />
<br />
Sounded like a plan.<br />
<br />
And then... We would swim! Obviously after we'd sat around for an hour or so. We'd found a couple of fairly perfect looking spots on our earlier walk, both of which within maybe ten minutes of our apartment. The water was glorious. The breeze light with occasional gusts of brrrrrrr. The delicate one was the first to break, I was fine, I just had to keep an eye out for any passing whaling ships.<br />
<br />
For normal people the return to base after a long walk and cold swim would be a cheeky nap. We had a cup of tea and as we needed supplies we decided to head over the hill to Studenac in Polače. Now the dainty one kept laughing at me as I passed occasional comment on how much my body was now objecting. Yes I appreciate the "old way" wasn't over a mountain, but it was still very steep, we went from sea level to about 216' and back again in 2.4km. Not horrendous, but it is if you're seriously out of shape because you weren't allowed to exercise on medical grounds. And it was rocky. To be fair, everywhere is rocky. Even the **water is rocky. This apparently is what gives it the distinct whitish colour.<br />
<br />
Bura clearly still meant it. My hair was telling me this so I didn't see much. But were were both aware of the smell of smoke presumably emanating from Pelješac. There was a Bura driven wild fire there and judging by the thickness of the smoke in the air it was quite devasting.<br />
<br />
Still, the remains of the Roman villa were suitably impressive and as we meandered down the middle of the island main road (the 120, there aren't any others with numbers) we pondered about the difference between Pomena, Babine Kuće and Polače. All quite different. This felt more touristy. More out of season even. Great Yarmouth but with fewer amusements, more bike higher and a glorious sunset. Not Great Yarmouth then. You get the idea though.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVzdgR9IRdnwQyloHioQ3yX28L3zCMIz7xVYou8VBKI_7XUcHMCUqb_hGEqX_pM3QAOvJLDn7oKf3C5lSIKckwpSZp4FZ64XNK9FgItweBsgy0g29kp9CEKyMuOYVMTxPTXJdMjxYiEeeX/s1600/IMG_20180925_174131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVzdgR9IRdnwQyloHioQ3yX28L3zCMIz7xVYou8VBKI_7XUcHMCUqb_hGEqX_pM3QAOvJLDn7oKf3C5lSIKckwpSZp4FZ64XNK9FgItweBsgy0g29kp9CEKyMuOYVMTxPTXJdMjxYiEeeX/s200/IMG_20180925_174131.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
The good news was not only did we find the Studenac, we also found a pekara! Huzzah. We didn't realised how important this would be at this point. Anyhoo, along we wandered, and then we wandered back. The highlight was passing a slightly dilapidated <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Taunus">Ford Taunus TC</a>, quite the thing in it's day and just that little more glamorous than a Cortina.<br />
<br />
Not that this takes much.<br />
<br />
We decided we should have a quick drink before heading back over the mountain so it after careful consideration (read: the first place that looked open) we sat outside the Calypso. A fine establishment. With beer supplied we proceeded to natter, look at videos of the fires and generally enjoy the craziness of a bar next to the main road. At one point there where TWO CARS going in opposite directions. It was quite mad. At some point the ***sensible one scampered off to check when the Studenac closed.<br />
<br />
Of course as we are of a certain age we eventually moved inside to continue cackling. Inevitably as we went to pay up and leave we confused the hell out of everyone. But that's okay. It has to be said, the Studenac in Polače isn't great. Or at least not as good as the one in Pomena. But the ***sensible one managed to find good things to eat whilst I avoided looking at everything that was more than just vaguely dirty. Which is a win.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfflQYRgBcBbjjn3hxHU_vAVLEN4x36MYQt6Hryu2oLBj_ZUY4FN9t82YigtTjISuB3OuwsmNpH3Lq_GhKZyDW-QXxBEEi8J0w_QqACWoaVqMvPXl3XsK4qJhJOCAhWZDIPCKwcmpfVkDn/s1600/2j0kt8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="470" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfflQYRgBcBbjjn3hxHU_vAVLEN4x36MYQt6Hryu2oLBj_ZUY4FN9t82YigtTjISuB3OuwsmNpH3Lq_GhKZyDW-QXxBEEi8J0w_QqACWoaVqMvPXl3XsK4qJhJOCAhWZDIPCKwcmpfVkDn/s320/2j0kt8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Walking back was interesting. Not only had my 51 year old hips decided that they'd rather be sat in a bar not moving, but my 51 year old muscles were definitely not singing the popular song by The Proclaimers. And we still had to go over the hill. In the dark. On rocky paths<br />
<br />
I almost never complained.<br />
<br />
On the plus side there was dirty sausage and cheesy snacks. Oh and winez. So all in all it wasn't a bad deal. And whilst it really is quite a steep hill it did mean I'd burned off my food before I had it. Maybe.<br />
<br />
The evening ended, rather inevitably, in Mali Raj. Which to honest is about the best place to end and evening. Especially as we ordered dinner for the following evening... Poor baby goat!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwosjt-ZxJNypZ8U8UBYPi9WlmOZQu7hhcNRyLIToanl0stq1usKiFZ76C6DNA7iEDxfgDOJaFZkzMi7JZB0R59EHpC9WY1yzcVyI_wpPbKVXQPSZG6BPSlwOUy7x9hPWLHOHqIoFlzsu3/s1600/Screenshot_20180925-195801.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwosjt-ZxJNypZ8U8UBYPi9WlmOZQu7hhcNRyLIToanl0stq1usKiFZ76C6DNA7iEDxfgDOJaFZkzMi7JZB0R59EHpC9WY1yzcVyI_wpPbKVXQPSZG6BPSlwOUy7x9hPWLHOHqIoFlzsu3/s400/Screenshot_20180925-195801.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
* I was writing this in our usual drinking hole in Babine Kuće, the wandering one turned up and proceeded to tell me about a group of English tourists that she overheard saying "it's not as charming as in the brochures". I rest my case.<br />
** Apparently, according the same group, the water was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brackish_water">brackish</a>. It so was not. The water evaporates which means it's decidedly more saline than the sea. It's a thing. You should see the state of my swimming costume after coming out of the water and it drying, Monica Lewinski would have been shocked.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
*** Terms and conditions apply<br />
<br />Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13459548281281231817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3185119523481672293.post-15569244531531510662018-09-28T09:29:00.000+01:002018-09-28T09:40:42.736+01:00Running away...I'm a bit rubbish, I've still not written about my amazing recovery road trip, but hey, I'm contrary so I like doing things out of order. Besides, I'm here now.<br />
<br />
I'm on Šipan, specifically I'm in Suđurađ, sitting outside Teo's place, in my favourite spot, looking at the house I still want to live in. But I won't write about here, I'm first going to go scurrying back to Monday... And a ferry ride to Mljet.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhuxNGT_6aiMTqIH-Rvw86wXFsmRtwkuALl5-u5q47pXuf71NTctkY7zlhPiSeVRkAopb9-ObzlpCm6H0eWVWd031DprpVUrweh9Whq0BdRR404-qy5kAlG0WEGS1ofjTcrYzYF2wK-VRP/s1600/IMG_20180924_103029_990.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhuxNGT_6aiMTqIH-Rvw86wXFsmRtwkuALl5-u5q47pXuf71NTctkY7zlhPiSeVRkAopb9-ObzlpCm6H0eWVWd031DprpVUrweh9Whq0BdRR404-qy5kAlG0WEGS1ofjTcrYzYF2wK-VRP/s200/IMG_20180924_103029_990.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
It was an early start. Off course I didn't complain at all about this. Much. But early starts aren't without compensations and as the sun gently rose over Split I warmed to the idea. Actually, maybe I was a bit too warm. Wait a minute, this was decidedly clammy. Oh.<br />
<br />
At least the tired looking one had made tea.<br />
<br />
Packing and repacking was a frenzied affair. Not particularly helped by remembering that I wanted something or other out of the bag <b><i>after</i></b> I'd zipped it up <b><i>again</i></b>. And repeat.<br />
<br />
Fortunately, I'd neglected to bring any suitable clothes for warm weather owing to the fact that I'm a complete airhead. Fortunately the philanthropic one came to my rescue in the form of a wrap round skirt, perfect for going over a swimsuit, and a pair of shorts so ripped that they almost qualified as a skirt.<br />
<br />
I'd fix that later.<br />
<br />
I had at least remembered by swimsuit owing to the fact that I'd actually put that on my list. Indeed it was the only piece of clothing on my list. You'd think I was better at this travelling thing by now.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn1RycxjSWyKQlIiNoDCrD7oBqMSZrO734Wy35g29SD_tdMvx1uMC_51YDQe2Uwqm8mkQFfZuZ6VTn6tZmkv8kTnCUyBTPQ6wYsSL2KasQsphafZCRF9VdihIXyZm0vsTk_cDYYsvzcZ7r/s1600/IMG_20180924_093404_466.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn1RycxjSWyKQlIiNoDCrD7oBqMSZrO734Wy35g29SD_tdMvx1uMC_51YDQe2Uwqm8mkQFfZuZ6VTn6tZmkv8kTnCUyBTPQ6wYsSL2KasQsphafZCRF9VdihIXyZm0vsTk_cDYYsvzcZ7r/s200/IMG_20180924_093404_466.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Air. Head.<br />
<br />
After a mildly sweaty scamper tickets were bought and we boarded the catamaran with loads of time to spare. The upside of us both being slightly anxious about missing things is there is never any argument about arriving early to anything. I was impressed, the boat was lovely and roomy, the seats comfy. And of course there was the promise of coffee and pastries once we set sail. Or whatever it is that catamarans without sails do.<br />
<br />
I could have happily dozed, instead we nattered, continued catching up and, rather inevitably, the excited one kept scampering up on to deck.<br />
<br />
And look out of windows. Some things just don't change.<br />
<br />
It was a fab journey, a few hours, several stops and an awareness that the sea was becoming decidedly bouncy. It turned out that Bura was chasing us down the Adriatic. It had already hit Split with a passion and the balminess of the day before was replaced with torrential rain. I thought happily of the various tourists who had arrived with nothing but clothing for warm weather when I was definitely ready for changeable... I'm such a bitch.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPmgBUWqljv9wqUrG5QVmc-ZH5C8cTjW5c5Fj6NSrWrmDfmpKR01vhHZmtGU8H4ZmPk4DVKUAiIJMnbZtAtPvWaSGf2dscYr9yHRYsndBIvddvXayKtMk2SlpGnrK0nKoa-ITu-YWzwfIP/s1600/IMG_20180924_110533.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPmgBUWqljv9wqUrG5QVmc-ZH5C8cTjW5c5Fj6NSrWrmDfmpKR01vhHZmtGU8H4ZmPk4DVKUAiIJMnbZtAtPvWaSGf2dscYr9yHRYsndBIvddvXayKtMk2SlpGnrK0nKoa-ITu-YWzwfIP/s200/IMG_20180924_110533.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
Whilst the sea was choppy it transpired that it was still warm as we made land in Mljet. Bugger. Oh well, I like sweating, I really do. We had plenty of time so a reviving beer was in order before we trekked over to Babine Kuće.<br />
<br />
Much appreciated.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgTD-lF1vLx6yflpHmamDleLJcjD5pD6fp2gEz4nLNBfehmnGI9CIviIl-p-kdxNxBReJPsnZi4UK4wQgeDxXrRUYSDAZgIjI1pKBxHHSwcS5rEBvHLE1AKOcv_he_bBzzXfsCZX93xwAw/s1600/IMG_20180924_120808.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgTD-lF1vLx6yflpHmamDleLJcjD5pD6fp2gEz4nLNBfehmnGI9CIviIl-p-kdxNxBReJPsnZi4UK4wQgeDxXrRUYSDAZgIjI1pKBxHHSwcS5rEBvHLE1AKOcv_he_bBzzXfsCZX93xwAw/s200/IMG_20180924_120808.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The correct way to dress.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Unlike the wasps. Pesky little buggers, they were determined to get in your drink at any cost. Why they didn't just get their own I don't know. It did mean that the relaxed drink had the side benefit of a callisthenics workout.<br />
<br />
Swat wasp, lift drink, swat wasp, lift drink, swat wasp, lift drink.<br />
<br />
Time to move on. We picked up some milk in the Studenac before heading in to the forest and the path to the village. It wasn't far. She said. There is a path. She said.<br />
<br />
What she didn't say is that the path rises to a height of around 40m having started at sea level. It was rocky, gravelly and it's fair to say I wasn't really dressed for the conditions. And my wheely bag? Well it was distinctly unhappy.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyRiZ5fX49ZMMdwQFF8cQsyreL9aJDjGUWE9yyU7oN5qJTX9jeDuQjzxH8C_CBJ4gsQOKXwmOdSME8bhjc4tbRoSiL1Ow4LzEYYqYaXz_t7daiiSEyHhTLteHOAh5MwsADzQh4RF6B-ZWT/s1600/IMG_20180924_120643.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyRiZ5fX49ZMMdwQFF8cQsyreL9aJDjGUWE9yyU7oN5qJTX9jeDuQjzxH8C_CBJ4gsQOKXwmOdSME8bhjc4tbRoSiL1Ow4LzEYYqYaXz_t7daiiSEyHhTLteHOAh5MwsADzQh4RF6B-ZWT/s200/IMG_20180924_120643.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The plus side!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Have you ever seen Death in Paradise? Fix the image in your head of the inappropriately dressed Inspector struggling along the beach with a wheely bag and you'll be there. That was me.<br />
<br />
Hello, I'm English.<br />
<br />
*sighs*<br />
<br />
On the plus side...<br />
<br />
Maybe she would be forgiven. Eventually.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZacX4sqSgaV2kxw6Jd6irQ4P45zMUN9Wk7H0vl0QThyphenhyphenM9RupVM1T3YeMVloH9p20I7lXUk6u-ViyEbylAjo9RDbJrSU2xnDDTn8T3j14bUvwAHwn7w2UgYqg1rqHPR-fbwC6tnvwDKzsb/s1600/IMG_20180924_121658.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZacX4sqSgaV2kxw6Jd6irQ4P45zMUN9Wk7H0vl0QThyphenhyphenM9RupVM1T3YeMVloH9p20I7lXUk6u-ViyEbylAjo9RDbJrSU2xnDDTn8T3j14bUvwAHwn7w2UgYqg1rqHPR-fbwC6tnvwDKzsb/s200/IMG_20180924_121658.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
We reached the guard post where we were informed that even if we were staying in the national park for a week, we would still need tickets to get in. That might not have been mentioned in the AirBnB notes. It did though provide an opportunity for me to cool a little as the local lingo speaking one acquired the necessary permits.<br />
<br />
And check we were on the right path to Babine Kuće.<br />
<br />
It's an funny little place. But oh my it's lovely. Sitting by the *Veliko Jezero it has a restaurant/bar, Mali Raj - you'll hear much more about this later - and, err, it's by the lake.<br />
<br />
But the view... Horrible. I wouldn't recommend this place at all.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUw4mzPsC4aiqxMnkUw8sl9K358K4WvReYZ36fbya5QjBz-8d5VwHrrv9mhpNciIAXzLIiyZ2mjGAfExc8RvI88rV7KT-LIhHv8uDCiJyERIWX7f4HXbkErOAmDJv7uxiPCOKPtTgtNFQ_/s1600/IMG_20180924_125954_370.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUw4mzPsC4aiqxMnkUw8sl9K358K4WvReYZ36fbya5QjBz-8d5VwHrrv9mhpNciIAXzLIiyZ2mjGAfExc8RvI88rV7KT-LIhHv8uDCiJyERIWX7f4HXbkErOAmDJv7uxiPCOKPtTgtNFQ_/s200/IMG_20180924_125954_370.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
Unless of course you like big lakes, craggy hills and endless shades of green in the surrounding forests. As national parks go this is a pretty one.<br />
<br />
We walked through the village and found where we would be staying. Almost the last house. And up steps. Many steps. Many, many steps. Did I mention there were steps?<br />
<br />
And cake.<br />
<br />
Oh, <b>*interested face*</b>. The lady of the house had prepared us tea and cake to welcome us, all was forgiven. And so very civilised.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoDqy8jsuXA40pG0Jzf76fZtZ8l0KTIfzlU2BmGbq9xU7dUHZGIr3sOAgQmShekB6XpJRmUl5PqPLR-pUzzbLnYUDCE9JWzvCYC7OZ4biLdoDdluJgueMy_WeIndsy3AmqU5A8kOvew22V/s1600/IMG_20180924_124558.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoDqy8jsuXA40pG0Jzf76fZtZ8l0KTIfzlU2BmGbq9xU7dUHZGIr3sOAgQmShekB6XpJRmUl5PqPLR-pUzzbLnYUDCE9JWzvCYC7OZ4biLdoDdluJgueMy_WeIndsy3AmqU5A8kOvew22V/s200/IMG_20180924_124558.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
It was becoming apparent that bura had caught up with us, so we did what any sensible ladies of a certain age should do when faced with an oncoming storm, we walked back to Pomena in search of something to eat.<br />
<br />
It was fab.<br />
<br />
When I say fab, it was windy, very windy. The temperature was dropping rapidly and by the time we reached Pomena the sea was in full unhappy mode. Big waves, lots of spray, strong winds.<br />
<br />
But no rain.<br />
<br />
Any sensible person would have headed for cover. We walked along the front to witness the full impact. It was impressive! Now this is going to be a first... Video!<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ixh__75S4w0?rel=0" width="560"></iframe>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
Why have I never thought of posting video before?<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizoYcPCvwi1U1m_6tblVVYHI6694xsr_dKDBPDXJTF7jGqispeF6uToPCPcCWwbGsUxxwa_Y3_FDtjXmmleICSbSYeFaz3h7tn4b39xZP9ig-6CAxNaenOP1_INacyZqwiT2yAr-O5ntzv/s1600/IMG_20180924_132033_349.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizoYcPCvwi1U1m_6tblVVYHI6694xsr_dKDBPDXJTF7jGqispeF6uToPCPcCWwbGsUxxwa_Y3_FDtjXmmleICSbSYeFaz3h7tn4b39xZP9ig-6CAxNaenOP1_INacyZqwiT2yAr-O5ntzv/s200/IMG_20180924_132033_349.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy Monty</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Anyhoo. The day was drawing on and we had a rare moment of being sensible, instead of eating in Pomena we'd head back to base after picking up a few more supplies in Studenac. I really wasn't keen on us walking back after dark, after a few drinks. Through a forest. In a storm. Really not wise.<br />
<br />
So, wine, mushrooms, tomatoes, garlic, something for breakfast and nibbles acquired it was home for tea.<br />
<br />
The food was lovely. The chef one contrived a pasta, the wine was lovely, the starter nibbles nibbley. As we ate it became obvious that bura was abating so we thought we'd have one last walk before an early night.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvZrOUOSdUGxDjSo96Td6gvtdcCYxUbbaV2q-Q67_AcaLeEz3KW7fhgXonxZegSnWShnTWADQbKSjFhghQxZUGSSu_qZXBH1RL-y0zchxncp6IYxoluuGQ1BifTauEM66s8aWo9FqfdGue/s1600/IMG_20180924_203317_329.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="703" data-original-width="703" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvZrOUOSdUGxDjSo96Td6gvtdcCYxUbbaV2q-Q67_AcaLeEz3KW7fhgXonxZegSnWShnTWADQbKSjFhghQxZUGSSu_qZXBH1RL-y0zchxncp6IYxoluuGQ1BifTauEM66s8aWo9FqfdGue/s200/IMG_20180924_203317_329.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Which would have been that if it hadn't been for me deciding we should visit the bar for a nightcap. Which turned in to another. And then another, though this one was on the house so I don't think it counts. It was clear the staff there were lovely and as we were by now the only customers it was quiet and you could hear nothing but quiet conversation. And cackling. Obvs.<br />
<br />
Finally, it was time for bed. A long day of walking and exploration was planned and we really needed a good night sleep!<br />
<br />
But more of that later.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrqOMy2Tmrkyr4tSKKZoX49YSYc8VfTMLs37aAgyM-3yDFUNfs0qBUP-XNavwPUrzFkAd2JQmL3yy0CyRrV4gdMBy0GbI4c1z0RgqcLIYdHrNHmfGCAzrdy3PzD6bstZN_hYcZkFzosHr1/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-09-28+at+08.43.59.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1174" data-original-width="1216" height="385" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrqOMy2Tmrkyr4tSKKZoX49YSYc8VfTMLs37aAgyM-3yDFUNfs0qBUP-XNavwPUrzFkAd2JQmL3yy0CyRrV4gdMBy0GbI4c1z0RgqcLIYdHrNHmfGCAzrdy3PzD6bstZN_hYcZkFzosHr1/s400/Screen+Shot+2018-09-28+at+08.43.59.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
*big lake, got to love Croatian naming conventionsVictoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13459548281281231817noreply@blogger.com0