An Ache For The Distance

Anno Italiano - 15th Jan

2012-01-15T14:58:00.000+01:00

Italy over 365 days with 365 photos... www.annoitaliano365.blogspot.com

Anno Italiano

2012-01-11T00:47:00.000+01:00

Italy over 365 days with 365 photos... www.annoitaliano365.blogspot.com

Duomo di Milano

2012-01-03T20:16:00.000+01:00

Winter in Milan

India Photo of the Weekend - Kay in Bangalore

2011-11-26T19:51:00.001+01:00

An "only in India" moment...

A Taste of India

2011-11-12T23:45:00.001+01:00

A little taster of the India trip from 2010, click on India Through The Lens for more...

Summer 2011 Italy

2011-10-31T09:59:00.000+01:00

Another summer draws to an end and all that's left is a fading tan and a collection of photographs. These are some of my favourites taken in Northern Italy & Switzerland. Long live flip flops...

Sunset from my balcony, Como-shire Italy

The town by night (another balcony shot)

The road to Splügen in Switzerland

Camping in Chianti - Tuscany

Maneuvering Sam through the streets of Siena - Tuscany

Admiring the lean

Lake Como on the Lecco side

Sunset over the Ligurian Autostrada

Summer snow on the Swiss Alps

Cooling off in Lake Como

La Dolce Vita

Switzerland

Italian from a Scottish perspective - Gola

2011-08-06T13:30:00.000+02:00

How times change. When I was younger I once put off joining a local football team for four months because of my football boots. Golas just weren't cool. Rather than risk social humiliation, I waited until Christmas. Santa eventually came with a pair of Adidas boots and I was able to devote my Sunday afternoons in exotically windswept locations like Arbroath losing football matches (normally in double figures) safe in the knowledge that my social credentials were firmly in tact.

Of course, with hindsight, it was stupid to wait for four months. I mean the boots were terrible, my best friend regulary took the piss because somehow they became shinier when exposed to mud,
but nowadays Gola is well and truly in. I could have been a pioneer...Well maybe... Maybe in Milan I would have been a pioneer, in Dundee I would more likely have had eggs thrown at my windows. That may sound like an unusual consequence but I knew how the system worked, I had thrown the eggs!

In Italy however you wouldn't get it in the neck for wearing Golas. Not only because they're now cool and fashionable but also because Gola in Italian actually means "neck". You have to wonder though whether Italians actually know of or wear the mighty Gola brand, I mean would you walk around with the word "neck" across your bag or shoes? Seems a bit daft, although people often have "Bench" etched across their collars despite it clearly not being a place to park your arse...

Either way, it's nice to think of Italians going to the doctor to complain about their golas...

Angry Butterflies For Two Please...

2011-07-30T23:57:00.000+02:00

Ever wondered why a "prosciutto focaccia" costs almost twice as much as a ham sandwich when they're essentially the same thing? I'll tell you...because it's Italian!

How angry is your butterfly?

This has nothing to do with Berlusconi giving the Italian economy an inflationary bunga bunga, but more the style and sophistication associated with the Italians and their cuisine. I mean something like "fagioli stufati e tostato" sounds a lot better than beans on toast and, as with the focaccia, would probably be twice the price of it's English-named counterpart.

But what we English monoglots fail to pick up on is that Italian food is as descriptive as it is delicious. Order some farfalle pasta for example and you'd be asking for a plate of butterflies. Would you like your butterflies in a crushed, angry or charcoal burned style? Strange in English but perfectly acceptable as pesto, arrabiata or carbonara.

Not happy with angry butterflies? What about little worms (vermicelli) or thin little strings (spaghetti)? And why not finish it off with a "pick me up" (tiramisu) and a blotchy stained coffee (macchiato)?

Although whatever you order at your local Italian restaurant, be very very careful when ordering penne pasta as you're a slight mispronunciation away from asking for penis. Thus, if the waiter sniggers when you ask for penne arrabiata, you know you've just asked for an angry penis...You've been warned...

Sleeping Indians...

2011-07-21T00:02:00.000+02:00

Grabbing some Z's

Have you ever been on a bus or train in Asia and wondered how the hell everyone managed to fall asleep so quickly? It doesn't seem to matter whether they're Malay or Mongolian, Asian people will generally drift off before the bus gets to 4th gear.

And how do they effortlessly manage to keep their dignity intact? Anytime I fall asleep on public transport involves a generous amount of drooling, a nasal symphony and occasional, seemingly electrically induced, jolts into consciousness. Yet you rarely see Sri Lankans slobbering on themselves or Chinese chewing their own cheeks during travel naps.

Asians just seem to be best at spontaneous snoozing, and Indians in particular are the coma kings. It doesn't matter whether it's on some comfy concrete or with air conditioned bliss, Indians take any opportunity to visit the land of nod.

Maybe it's a Bollywood thing and they simply want to dream about being Shah Rukh Khan? Or maybe because cricket matches last for days? Whatever the reason, doctors of the world take note. Want to find a cure for insomnia? Ask an Indian...

Sunset Snooze

A/C Indian Style

Comfy Concrete

What Your Books Say About You...

2011-07-17T19:54:00.000+02:00

...mine say I have a doberman puppy...

Photo of the Weekend (Devin Hoskyn Paisley)

2011-07-10T16:18:00.000+02:00

Simply cool....

Third Eye Photography

Photo of the Weekend - Hamburg Sunset, Germany

2011-06-26T19:49:00.002+02:00

Photo of the Weekend - Scottish Traffic

2011-05-22T19:36:00.000+02:00

By Stefanie Woodcock

The Neglected Kiwis - Opshop

2011-05-21T12:36:00.000+02:00

It doesn't matter where you are in the world, New Zealand is a long way away. This physical distance has allowed them to hide not only hobbits, but also their music industry. In an age where the only musical difference between English-speaking countries seems to be who won X-Factor/Pop Idol, the difficulty in naming a single Kiwi artist is all the more amazing.

In 2008 for example, the most played song on New Zealand radio was from a group called Opshop. To most English speakers, the name is more likely to conjure images of a commercial back street surgery in Calcutta where Sanjeet offers kidney transplants at discount prices rather than Kiwi rocksters. In fact in the same year, their anonymity was proven at Heathrow airport when they arrived in the UK for a tour. Not only were they detained for 10 hours for visa regulations, UK immigration then refused to waste good British ink in their passports and instead shoved them on the next flight back to New Zealand! Why don't they do the same with Britney Spears? I'm sure she'd love Christchurch...

Anyway, in homage to the unknown, enjoy New Zealand's favourite song from 2008, Maybe from Opshop.

Double Photography - Pushkar India

2011-05-16T13:08:00.000+02:00

The locals might let out a bemused sigh at the sight of snap happy tourists photographing each other whilst nikoning the shit out of everything around them but the revived memories are worth it (if "Nikon" ever achieves verb status I'll take the credit please...) A photo to compliment a photo gives your sagging memory a digital kick in the balls and restores a scene in your mind back to 3D status... Cow shit and all...

Photo of the Weekend - "Fishing" in Australia (Sean Bambury)

2011-05-08T17:40:00.003+02:00

A Tiger Shark with a half digested seal...

Scottish Elections 2011

2011-05-03T21:22:00.003+02:00

It's time to get a tad political, the Scottish parliament elections are to be held on May 5th and for the first time in Scottish political history, the Nationalists (SNP) aren't going in as underdogs. Having successfully run a minority government for the last 4 years, the SNP have shown the country they're able to govern, improve the lives of Scots and disprove the London theory that somehow the northern Celts are incapable of looking after their own affairs. Despite the economic climate, they've achieved a lot in the last four years and let's hope Labour's scare mongering tactics don't hinder their plans for the next four. Plus, any party with Monty Python humour deserve to be in power...

*Click here for post SNP election victory analysis from the BBC's Andrew Black*

An Italian Insight

2011-04-29T18:28:00.001+02:00

*Warning: This post contains content of a grammatical nature*

The Italian media could collectively produce a book with all the words written about Silvio Berlusconi and his Bunga Bunga antics but the reality, as I found out last week, it far more concise.

In a lesson with an Italian student I was teaching the expression "I can't help + gerund." I offered up my typically patriotic example of "I can't help feeling proud when I hear my national anthem" and asked if he could think of an example with his country. "Yes..." he replied, "Silvio Berlusconi, he can't help f*cking the girls..." Laughter exploded for a point well made!

The week before, I had been practicing conditional sentences with a different student when he offered up another little gem of an insight, "If Libya hadn't signed a cooperation treaty with Italy then they wouldn't have gotten into the trouble they're in now..." A little perplexed, I asked if he was sure the sentence was right. "Absolutely..." he said, "...if you sign a kind of peace treaty with Italy then you know that in the end, you'll not only be at war, but also that Italy will be fighting against you!"

You have to love the blunt honesty...

Photo of the Weekend - Mumbai Taxi (Jake Kirsch)

2011-04-23T13:08:00.001+02:00

Blog - Around the World with Jake & Nicole

Photo of the Weekend - Isle of Coll, Scotland (Andy Clark)

2011-04-17T12:34:00.004+02:00

Toilet facilities in the West of Scotland....

For another toilety tale, check out the Thargo Thunderbox

Faces of India - Pre-Tash, Turban Tash & Tilak Tash

2011-04-14T22:57:00.002+02:00

Thargo Thunderbox - Red Nomad Oz

2011-04-07T13:01:00.002+02:00

The Thargo Thunderbox

Only in OZ – The Thargo Thunderbox!

So what's your favourite euphemism for 'toilet'? Conveniences, amenities, lavatory, can, john, privy, loo, bathroom, washroom – hang on, WASH-room? Is it just me, or is this just wrong??

But I digress.

I'm sure there's a personality test in there somewhere.

Australia's unique position in the public toilet pantheon includes our own super-special, purpose-built slang terminology. Want to 'visit the bathroom', 'have a tinkle' or 'take a dump' downunder here in OZ? Throw away your phrasebook and just say 'Where's the dunny, mate?'

But all these terms pale into insignificance compared to the far more evocative 'Thunderbox'! Come on, admit it! You've got a pretty disturbing mental image now, haven't you?!

The people of Western Queensland's Thargomindah have taken this euphemism to a world class level with their OZ-ified alliterative triumph – the Thargo Thunderbox!

This epitome of an outback dunny, on display in Thargomindah's main street in the old works depot even looks like what you'd imagine a dinky-di Aussie Thunderbox to look like! Perhaps it's the corrugated iron – favoured outback building material – or maybe it's the setting. Or maybe it's just me.

But whether or not the Thargo Thunderbox is open for public use is debatable. I think it depends how many beers you've had at the pub.

I think I'll wait for someone else to let me know!!

Happy travels!!

For more outback tales on the Red Nomad's blog CLICK HERE

Photo of the Weekend (Duc Pham)

2011-04-03T22:08:00.000+02:00

Made in China, Old & New. Imperial Palace, Beijing

Currency Clichés

2011-04-03T17:02:00.003+02:00

Last week I meandered over the border into Switzerland for the day and in Lugano got my hands on some Swiss francs for the first time.
As with any new currency, I took a minute to give it the once over and it dawned on me how much the local money actually says about a country. Whether it's euros or rupees, I realised that every type of currency gives you a little insight into the country and it's mentality and to prove my point, I spent a Sunday morning compiling a list and dribbling egg yolk on my keyboard...

The Swiss Franc

Cuckoo clocks, toblerones, army knives, bank accounts and neutrality are all things the Swiss are extremely good at. Deciding on a single colour for their banknotes is a bit more demanding. Much like the country's non-committal approach to military affairs or a single language, Swiss francs can't quite decide what colour they want to be. What colour is a 10 franc note? Yellow, with blue...and white...and orange...a little violet...and maybe a smudge of green...

Non-committal but very pretty....

The Pound Sterling

Regal by appearance but inherently weak. Put a fiver in the washing machine and the Queen comes out the other end looking like Ghandi. One of the few currencies where sellotape plays a vital role and is widely accepted. Although if it's a Scottish or Northern Irish pound then forget spending it in England, sellotaped or not...

The Euro

Stylish pastel shades, classical motifs and durability...The old world in money form. The Eurocrats in Brussels came up with notes that not only represent old Europe but also the new. Size and denomination show the power divide as the financial big boys in Frankfurt thumb through giant 50's and 100's whilst the monetary minnows are left with midget sized 5's. However, if they really want to articulate modern Europe then the Greek & the Irish coins should probably snap in half every now and again...

New Zealand Dollar

The kiwi dollar is a piece of 1970's New Zealand. From a time when mutton and butter dominated the kiwi economy and life was beige in extremus. Exotic life was hinted at with pictures of Hillary & Everest but cardigans were king.

Australian Dollar

The Aussie dollar, simple, sturdy and instantly recognisable for what it is, just like an outback dunny. A little see-through window provides hours of potential entertainment and it's plastic coating means you can go for a swim with your cash. Extremely practical...

U.S. Dollar

If banknotes were a representation of a country then America would be the land of long, skinny, elderly white men with bad hair. Disneyland Florida proves the skinny part to be unfounded and Obama has given America a new face which leaves the dollar looking slightly archaic.

Perhaps the US treasury should consider the hoax article on the weekly world news website (Obama on New Dollar Bill) for a bit of a revamp...

Iraqi Dinar

A few years ago I had an unexpected stopover in Bahrain and found myself in the markets in Manama haggling over an Iraqi banknote featuring Saddam Hussein. I had no intention of going to Iraq but wanted the note simply because it was big, pretentious, full of moustache and the perfect representation of a dictator...

Indian Rupee

The Rupee, like many Indian institutions, has some British characteristics. If the Queen looks like Ghandi after a washing machine spin then Ghandi looks like Mother Theresa after a few years of passing between sweaty hands in tropical climes. Some rupees in circulation are limper than a dead mans wrist and others are so worn and battered that even Indians refuse to accept them. Despite the wear and tear, Ghandi is always smiling and with ever increasing worth, just like the country.

2011-04-01T22:46:00.002+02:00

AnyTrip.com Announces 50 Travel Prizes Giveaway

(1^st April 2011)

AnyTrip.com, a fee-free booking service for travellers and holidaymakers, celebrates its launch by giving customers the chance to win one of 50 great travel prizes. Prizes include an iPad 2, a Kindle and up to £500 to spend on booking a hotel or hostel with AnyTrip.com.

The travel competition is running until April 30^th. To enter, customers need to answer a simple question: Which of the following is a popular tourist attraction in Paris?

To find out more and enter the competition, please go to http://www.anytrip.com/win-travel-prizes/

AnyTrip.com covers 97 countries and boasts thousands of properties in 770 destinations. It provides great-value accommodation around the world, and on confirmation of booking customers pay only 20% of the price upfront with absolutely no booking fees. AnyTrip.com also allows customers to book flights, tours and car hire through trusted partner sites. Customers are given great product choice and value for money, whether they are booking an entire holiday or just one part of it. No registration is required to book and all properties are rated and reviewed by customers.