Category Archives: Travel

Spotify, Pandora, Kindle, CDs and Books

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A few months ago I posed the rhetorical question “Have I really bought my last cd?”.

For the best part of six moths I happily went along listening to Spotify and Pandora as a paid subscriber. I discovered new music and old favourites. Amazingly convenient and almost no song not available. Rented music seemed the answer to my almost insatiable love of music.

Then a few weeks ago I had a change of heart sparked by a chance listening to a radio program with The Beatles biographer, Mark Lewisohn which sparked a desire to listen to The Beatles from start to finish and I wanted to own them, not rent them.

So it was back to the CD Shop and a resumption of a long term passion of purchasing music again. It was like running into an old friend. Seeing what was new, browsing the CD racks for something interesting and then the bargain bins with each visit usually resulting in a purchase. The result is that since purchasing The Beatles Boxed Set I have bought a few more CDs and it’s been fun. I doubt I will buy as many CDs as I did in the past, but I know for sure that my love for owning my music burns deep. Renting is convenient but just not the same.

The same chance listening to the radio

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Second Valley, South Australia

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Second Valley is located on the western shore of Fleurieu Peninsula and is surely one of the most beautiful spots in South Australia. The natural beauty of the undulating hills and the rugged coastline is always picturesque whether seen in the dry of summer or the green of winter.

So says Ron Blum as he opens his book The Second Valley A History of Second Valley South Australia

It was during the public ride for the Tour Down Under that I really discovered Second Valley. A day which was so far beyond hot it didn’t matter. I had cramp early in the ride not surprising given it was 40c plus and which made all of the hills a major challenge. The road was melting under my wheels!

I reached Leonard’s Mill and sat in the shade simply to recover before attempting yet another hill. One which on a normal day would have been simple. While I was sitting there a group of locals rolled out of the pub after a cold beer and had a chat. I must have looked quite a sight!

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In any event, I took a mental note of the place as we searched for a new beach house. We had a place at Aldinga but

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Reflections of My Life

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I was listening to the 1969 Marmalades’ hit Reflections of my Life on Spotify.

It’s a forgotten classic by a band from Glasgow, however as I listened to it this time around, it was with quite different ears to those of the 12 year old who bought it in 1970 as a 45. I don’t think it was just being forty plus years older that gave the song a different feel.

It is a very melancholy song. For me, as with so many others, a couple of lines stood out,

The world is a bad place, a bad place
A terrible place to live, oh but I don’t wanna die.

Given the song was written at the height of the Vietnam War its anti-war sentiment is easy to understand as is the reference to the world as a bad and terrible place. This time around though, it was not the Vietnam War that I was thinking about when I listened to the song, but a photo I had seen on our recent trip. I could neither get the photograph or the lines out of my head.

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The photo is on display at the Topography of Terror in Berlin,

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One last city – Paris and then Home

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Off the train and straight into early evening Paris traffic as we arrived at our last destination and headed to our last hotel of the trip – Jules and Jim in the Marais. The hotel was highly recommended, something I questioned as we turned into a very dodgy looking street. The hotel has a narrow entrance opening into a courtyard and bar not at all evident from the street.

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Imagine our joy as we found the lift not working and our room on the sixth floor! The staff were so apologetic and helpful in minimizing the disruption. I felt sorry for the young porter who had to lug everyone’s luggage up and down the narrow staircase.

We arrived to a sharp downpour and a warm night. Very pleasant for a stroll in what is a magical city.

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Our last full day. We decided to take it easy and stay around the Marais.

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My Top 5s – Favourites, Essentials, Meals, Just Odd, Annoyances and Dogs!

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As we were leaving Edinburgh I started to think about my Top 5s

My Favourites

Edinburgh– all of it was fabulous. Architecture and soft colors even made my awful photography look good. We went to our daughter’s favourite bar, The Dome and weren’t disappointed. The Castle was all it is cracked up to be and the views from Arthur’s Seat glorious.

The weather was fantastic with blue skies and warm days- isn’t that how Scotland is for everyone?

Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle

Heising Restaurant, Berlin – a true experience. Don’t know quite what I expected, but it wasn’t devoted service from the husband and wife owners in a 1920s themed French restaurant. This is one not to be missed. Ranked number one on Trip Advisor in Berlin and I couldn’t disagree.

Heising Restaurant - Berlin

Heising Restaurant – Berlin

The British Museum – my favourite attraction in London. This was our second visit and still we have barely scraped the surface. It’s free and the best museum I have been to apart from the Smithsonian in Washington.

Entrance to London's best sight

Entrance to London’s best sight

Changing the Guard not in London but Prague! A made up ceremony with made up uniforms! Such a laugh. Definitely one not to miss.

Changing the Guard - Prague

Changing the Guard – Prague

Hollmann Beletage, Vienna we stayed at some lovely hotels but this was my pick. Funky rooms, lovely garden to have an afternoon snack and quite stunning breakfasts. Kathy would disagree having Das Stue as her favourite. Both were Tablet Hotels and great choices.

Afternoon Snack - Vienna - my favourite hotel

Afternoon Snack – Vienna – my favourite hotel

Ok there are 6

Aperol Spritz – this quickly became our drink of choice. Cold and refreshing, the perfect drink on a hot afternoon of which there were many. Favourites were at Das Stue sitting in their outside bar overlooking Berlin Zoo and The Dome Edinburgh. This was a signature for our trip.

Our signature drink

Our signature drink

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