Arty people

Met Gabriella for a drink last night, she was my flatmate for a year in Scotland.  Only catch up every now and then, but since she is not working and neitehr am I perhaps we'll spend some quality time together.  I was excited about writing this post mostly cause I get to illustrate the post with photos of Gabriella and there are so many great ones to choose from.  This is what she looked like the last time I saw her:

Amazing.  Obviously she doesn't wander round the streets like that, but she's often not far off.  Saw a video of her on youtube when she was at an art installation in the Centre Point building naked from the waist down.  I think I might be more familiar with her vagina than I am with my own groin.  Had a great catch up - she's drinking now where before she wasn't a big fan so our interests have joined together somewhat.  Hung out with her boyfriend who's an artist and other friends of hers from the art world.  It certainly made a change from socialising with lawyers -interesting opinionated people who's whole purpose in life isn't fitting in.  Made me think the art world was really where I belonged.  Luckily there may be a job in the offing from one of Gabriella's friends.  Won't post details til it actually happens, but might provide a great entry to the art world.  Oh go on then, one more picture:

Much like me on a Friday night.

Watchmen

Read the book and saw the movie.  Book is very good and the film is a faithful and superb version of the book.  Obviously like most movies it strips the heart from the text and makes obvious dispensations for the movie audience.  The heroes are more heroic and more conventioanlly super heroes.  Not necessarily a bad thing though, the action was great and rather than trying to capture on film what could never be the director instead created something enjoyable in its own right.  I have a crush on Dr.  Manhattan.  Thank God he doesn't actually exist or I'd be saddled with a life long obsession.  I feel the way about him I feel the way about Francois Sagat - we'd get on if we ever actually met.  Dear me.

I've been reconsidering ... the extra violence and sex in the movie.  Is it a necessary addition to make the story more like a movie, or was it added in by the studio, or is it a generational thing - extra sex and violence is needed to get the same effect?

Saturday is breakfast day

Miriam in a flap packing Charlie for college while his lordship had a lie in.  Had to leave the house to escape the crazy so cycled over to Borough Market to pick up some Monmouth.  Met Brit and Isi, ate a chicken burger and some of Brit's Raclette.  Can't get a better breakfast really!  Cycled home, had a bath, read more of the Watchmen.  Debbo came round about 10:30 and we drove to Warwick Avenue for the last five minutes of Sci-Fi's leaving drinks.  Should've got their earlier, Otter was there and very drunk.  Went with Matt, Genny and James to a couple of bars in Notting Hill and then home.  Pleasant day all round really.

Another stressful day

Curry was delicious last night, Mela on Shaftesbury Avenue.  Reasonably priced, big portions and really tasty.  Fully intend to go back.  Came home to find Amy baking brownies for a bake sale she was having at work.  She forgot to take them in this morning so I cycled them over first thing.  Then hit the gym and killed an hour before another lovely job centre appointment to get free money from the government.  Only had to wait 20 minutes which I think is a record for them.  Was STARVING by the time I was finished so went to Sainos and got an already roasted chicken.  Gone in two meals.  Watchmen arrived today so started reading that, its good so far.  Fell asleep for a couple of hours, restarted my Gaydar account.  Got a surprising level of interest ... none of which I intend to reciprocate so I'm wondering why I bothered.

Spoke to Clare who said she's pregnant.  Only two months though so I'm going to be keeping everything crossed for the next month.  Hopefully it'll be fine.  Also spoke to Debbo and was going to go out for a drink but she bailed.  Walked Pepe instead ... cumped for a dog.  Got dressed for our drink though and managed to fit into some jeans I hadn't worn since 2005, not skinny enough yet but DEFINITELY headed in the right direction.  Well, until Murray came back with bake sale left overs and I helped her polish off a great chocolate and coconut cake.  Nom nom.

Gravy baby

Had a great day of catching up with people.  Saw Brit, Lexi, James and Jack.  Went with Jack to pick up a sign he had made as an example for his business.  I'll hopefully post a picture when there's some publicity shots.  Went for pie and mash, made a doctors appointment, restarted the endless signing on process.  Super fun.  Off to the gym shortly and then curry with the gays later.  Second curry in two days.  God its good to be back

Rage! Rage! Against the dying of the light

I don't think anyone reads this blog which essentially means its me talking to myself.  Ravings of a madman indeed.

Madrid!!!!

Entirely failed on the blogging front recently.  Mostly cause I was either half cut on cheap Spanish Rosado (3 Euros a litre, tastes like the £9 a bottle crap they have over here) or internet deprived.  Rest of my time in La Bisbal was lovely, spent saturday having drinks with some Spanish fancies.  Apparently La Bisbal is quite the place to have a country house if you are a Barcelona fancy.  There was a woman at the party who lived in one of those Gaudi houses in Barcelona, why did she live their?  Cause she commissioned it.  Like I said, fancy (side note: she was amazing and looked like a photo from an Art History book of one of those eccentric millionaires who spent the entire 1930s hanging with Picasso and commissioning great works of art).  Also present at the party was a spanish/american lesbian who presents the weather on CNN, she was also amazing.  But for different reasons.

Whole weekend came to a crashing end with the overnight train from Girona to Madrid.  The fast train takes 3 hours, the slow train 11.  11!!!!!  AAAAHHHHHHHHH.  I can vouch for it as well because I was awake for every one of them ... lying on a metal plank in a room the size of a lift with 5 middle aged Spanish men snoring, farting and pespiring their way through the night.  I lay hugging my rucksack through fear of theft on a 'bed' a foot too short for me drifting in and out of 'sleep'.  Wish I'd been a bit more British about it and just marched up and down the corridor of the train in my nightie and dressing gown swilling gin and demanding a shower.  WWSLD (What Would Shaunagh Latymer DO?  My new inspiration for life).

Worth it though ... Madrid is amazing, has everything London has without the tedious 45 minute journeys between it all.  Drury summed it up the best: 'I'm not sure I like it here: I look at my sister's life in Denver and she goes hiking and biking, throws dinner parties and has a nice time with her friends and thats what I want.  All everybody does here is smoke, drink and party'.  I think I've found home.  One word of warning ... if you go see the Thyssen-Bornemisza collection (http://www.museothyssen.org/thyssen_ing/home.html) then once they've scanned your ticket go immediately left to the end of the exhibition and see the good art.  Save yourself an hour of tedium and miss out the top two floors.  You'll miss a couple of great paintings but you'll also miss a billion terrible ones.  That woman wouldn't know a good painting if you beat her with one.  Although to be fair I guess it would be quite hard to appreciate a painting if someone was beating you about the head with it.  Some of the art was so ugly I swung wildly between laughter and terror.  The gallery itself is also HIDEOUS.  HIDEOUS.  I was trying to illustrate this with one of the ugly pictures from the collection but for SOME reason they're not on the website so I went for one of the more impressive ones.  If you're a billionaire and a Sergent is one of the most impressive paintings in your collection then you done wrong.  Back in London now, thank God.  Yes the world is an exciting and diverse place of wonder and excitement but its wasted on me.  Give me London any day.  Its good to be back.

Lunch booze and fun times

Went crazy and had the 18 Euro menu at the local restaurant yesterday. Worth every penny. Spent the afternoon drinking and preparing for the arrival of Harry's mother. Probably wasn't enough time as she gives the phrase 'force of nature' a whole new meaning. Cut class diction, teeth together as she speaks and the word FUCK at least once in every sentence. Amazing. A role model come to life. Had dinner with her and Crispin and drank too much, ate too much and then compounded it all by staying up late into the night drinking quince liqour.

Today Crispin gave us a lift to the local market while Harry was at the dentist in Girona. Too hungover to function really but was an easy start to the day. Lunch was the ubiquitos rotisserie chicken that is sold all over the continent and was MORE than welcome. The afternoon was a three hour nap, followed by half an hour reading, followed by another long nap. Resurrected just in time for a delicious dinner cooked by Maria. Galtes ... or prok cheeks was the main, white chocolate mousse for dessert. All in all another challenging day.

Gosh, how civilised

Spent a lovely day yesterday - woke up late, wandered into town for lunch at a local restaurant. Food was Catalan (boiled eggs with creamy spinach sauce for starter) and great quality. Plus we had three courses, wine, water and coffee all for the bargain price of 11 euros a head. Can't say fairer than that. The afternoon was spent reading by the pool or on a couch (Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini, slightly cheesy, quite depressing but certainly enjoyed it) until the Spanish had finished their siesta. We wandered back into town to pick up food and wine. Had some jamon, bruschetta and other delicious tapas bits at a local bar. Came back to the house, more relaxation and then Harry cooked clams with white beans, followed by black squid ink risotto to celebrate the arrival of Gayden and Eagle about 11. Food, wine, pleasant conversaion and then bed by 2. Its a hard life.

Maybe Dali's not so crazy

Last day in France and I celebrated with an Almond croissant in the car (first and last pastry in France!) as we headed to Spain! Driving to a foreign country ... very exciting. After a few hours blasting down immaculate French motorways we were waved through and barrier by a smiling guard and into Spain, well, Catalonia really. all the signs were in Catalan and nobody seems to speak Spanish, plus I think I'm on the side of Catalan separatists. Just over the Spanish border we headed East to Cadaques, home of Salvador Dali. Such a pretty coastal town - turqoise waters lapping on a sandy beach with white washed houses clinging to the precarious hill sides all round. Simply stunning.

Even more special though was what we discovered as we headed East where Dali's house actually is. All the way East actually ... to the most eastern point in Spain Cap de Creus. Considering we drove through a landscape merely consisting of rock, plants and grass I can say I've never been anywhere more alien. Strange and exotic rock formations abound. They they repeatedly show in Dali's work and I can see why he was so inspired. Pictures I can google don't do it justice so I'm afraid you're just going to have to go and see it for yourself. I highly recommend it.

Later Andrew drove me to Harry's house near La Bisbal. I say house ... its more a paradise on earth. House, tower (designed by a Gaudi pupil and pictured above), olive grove, dovecot, swimming pool and all on top of a hill so the views are breathtaking. Things you want in a holiday ... a note on the kitchen table saying 'roast suckling pig in the fridge, Maria coming to cook dinner on Friday' and a phone conversation along the line of 'make yourself at home and I'd highly recommend going up the tower to watch the sunset'. Amazing. And I did ... and I cried. Simply stunning. Harry arrived from raving in Morocco, much booze was drunk, substances were freebased and I went to bed happy at about 2. Check out the house at www.torreronsat.com and feel free to die of jealousy. I might never leave

Monday Millau

Early start on Monday so we could head over to Millau and see the worlds tallest bridge. Drove through IMPENETRABLE fog for nigh on an hour. was insane, fog I'm used to ... it going on for miles and miles and miles and so thick you couldn't see more than 10ft out of the car was certainly a new experience. First stopped off in the gorgeous town of Millau and had a wander round. There's an old water mill on a bridge there that juts out over the side of the bridge and rests on supports. I WANT IT! Would live happily there for ever and ever. Loved the town. The bridge was incredible too and was certainly enhanced by the fog:



A very handsome bridge no doubt. So large that from a distance the scale is all wrong an you don't think its that big. As you get closer you realise its a lot further away than you thought and is actually enormous. Quick sandwich at the bridge then we headed of to Roquefort so see the cheese caves. Probably the most French experience of my life ... standing in a cheese cave listening to a talk about cheese in French while a group of French people made jokes about cheese around me. Unfortunately the cheese production is pretty uniform so there wasn't anything special there to buy, on the other hand it means the stuff you can get in Sainsburys is just as good as the stuff you can get in Roquefort itself.

Headed back to Montpellier, drinks in the square as the sun went down, dinner, more drinks. Lovely.

Avignon

Ended up drunker than a skunk last night in a bar just round the corner which happened to be stocked to the brim with hot guys. About 6 in a room holding 25 people, I like that ratio. Was up til 3am drinking red wine by myself, listening ipod and sending texts to people in London. Probably end up costing me a billion pounds or so.

Today we drove to the medieval town of Avignon to see the Pope's palace. There are many reasons why there is one in Avignon as opposed to the Vatican but alas the audio guide was as tedious as dental surgery so I can't relay any pertinent information. The whole town itself is just insanely beautiful and lousy with history. Its a fortified town and pretty much all of the battlements are still standing. We had lunch in a pretty square (obviously) had ricard before the meal (obviously) and red wine from a carafe (obviously). For my main I had the special which was bull stew ... the bull having been recently dispatched in a local bull fight. Who knew there were bull fights in France? I'm glad there are - bull is delicious.

Tired now, early start tomorrow. Only had one bottle of wine between 4 people at dinner. Think I might be turning into a French person.

English weather, French behaviour

Had a lovely dinner last night in what was basically a French man's living room. The menu was described to us by the owner/waiter/chef and was limited in content but not in quality. The experience was significantly enhanced by Bérangère grabbing hold of a ceramic chicken and exclaiming 'Ah! C'est jolie ça!' it was literally a GCSE French class come to life. We didn't make the club since we arrived to catch the bus after 1 which is when the last bus departed. Instead spent a pleasent evening enjoying the delights of the bars of Montpellier.

Today it rained. ALL day. It's only just stopped and it's nearly 9. We drove down to Sete which is a lovely coastal town famous for its seafood. Had a too brief to a Carrefour and headed into town. Had a good look around but no seafood since the market was shut and we were between meals. As I type this Andrew is making pastry for an Aspargus and Cheese tart, four bottles of vin rouge to get through and company to be had in a bar later. Lovely.

I HATE FRANCE

I don't really but it's impossible to be here without quoting the inimitable words of Edwina Monsoon. I do, however, hate French keyboards. I'm typing this on a keyboard where you have to use the shift key to get a full stop, there's a Q where the A should be and a ù instead of an apostrophe. So apologies in advance for any nonsensical aspects. Flight passed without a hitch, I almost got to sit next to the hottest man in France but the woman in my aisle moved up rather than let him squeeze by. Very sad. Bumped into Isi in the airport briefly though, which was great. Was picked up by Andrew in his comedy French persons car, this isn't it but his is VERY similar, just blue:

Stayed up til 3 drinking wine and Pastis, listening to depressing music and setting the world to rights. Trés Français. At least its easy to do the correct accents with a French keyboard. Just had a long walk round the hilly medieaval streets of Montpellier, lunch in a small square with a carafe of wine and stopped in a glorious cheese shop on the way home. Tonight its Moroccon food in the Arab quater then clubbing. Clubbing. In France. Clubbing. Behold the Techno.

The one blot on Montpellier is the Antigone built in the 70s by blind, almost certainly insane people. A little slice of Saudi Arabia in the south of France. Judge for yourself:


It's on the postcards which implies they're proud of it. Hmmmmmmm I'm clearly missing something:

Hello? *peeps nervously round door*

Having recently endured the horror of being made redundant and staring infinite time in the face, I thought it was about time to reignite the blog.  I stopped because my boss pulled me into a meeting and said 'We can tell from the time of your blog posts that you've been writing it at work'!!!  I was all 'and you can tell from the content that my life goals revolve around illegal drugs and falling down when drunk' so my writing career came to a swift end.  Now I'm free, FREE!

The credit crunch, redundancy, unemployment.  Words of horror and terror.  Let me speak to you of my experiences of the world economic crisis: I went from being miserable, incarcerated in a prison camp 9 hours a day five days a week, to being set adrift into a world of near constant sunshine, limitless free time and £11,000 to enjoy it all.  LET MY TALE BE A WARNING TO YOU ALL.  Governments beware ... I went from enslaved, productive member of society, safely contained within the rat race to a free thinking, whirling, happy free spirit ... liable to dash off on holiday, kick up my heels for joy or do something entirely unexpected.  Is that what you want from your populations?!  IS IT?  Who's going to do all the photocopying if everyone's too busy enjoying themselves?  I suggest fixing the world economy immediately or risk total societal breakdown and an unstoppable outbreak of picnics.

So I guess the theme of my blog from now on is going to be my search for a new job/career and, by extension, self.  More of that later though, for now the theme of my blog is going on holiday cause that's what I'm doing tomorrow - Montpellier, Barcelona, Madrid.  I'm hoping I might never return from this trip but instead it'll be the jumping off point for a lifetime of adventures and opportunities.  However, since most of my holiday plans revolve around wine (France, no explanation needed plus Spain = Sangria) I'll probably just be back in three weeks as planned - unemployed, hungover and significantly poorer.