London, Amsterdam and Beyond

My darling Kate added pictures and captions to her blog about our holiday.
She visited me in London for a few days and then we went to the 'Dam together. You can read up on all the fun by clicking here.

Fat Cat

This kitty was pictured in METRO London paper. It is not my cat but could be.
Dewey went to the vet and now weighs 13 pounds...one pound overweight.
Let this be a lesson to you, Dew.

'Happiness' Tips

The Guardian daily paper published an article today offering ways to cheer yourself up. Feeling a bit glum (as we all do at times), I thought I'd pass the advice along to my readers. I love articles like this because they seem like page fillers. Can we really use the advice?

'5 Ways to Lift Your Mood'

1. Make a note of three things that went well today and why.
2. Identify your strengths and every week, aim to use them in new, creative ways.
3. Imagine and write about your best possible self in 10 years' time.
4. Write someone a thank-you letter.
5. Commit five acts of kindness a week.

'5 Reasons I Could be Happier' (this is from me, not the Guardian)

1. My upstairs neighbors left a note under our door this morning explaining in detail how they would like us to 'sort out our rubbish.' Unfortunately we do not have a large bin for our bags (they do) and towards trash day it gets a bit hectic. I was out in my PJs early carrying bags of trash around the back of our flat. Nice.
2. I have been waiting for 2 hours to use the only voice-over booth on the campus of the University of Westminster. I roamed 3 floors of the library just to use a computer to write this post. Facilities here are lacking.
3. I am poor. I ordered a cup of coffee this morning at the crappy shop by the station and it was £1.50!! Was expecting something more like 70p. They forgot to put milk in it and I didn't realize it until I was on the Tube. Drat.
4. I waited in line at the Barclay's bank in Harrow for 30 minutes to pay rent. There had to be about 20 people smashed into the bank lobby (some with ripe BO) and 2 tellers.
5. It took me more than an hour to get from Putney to Harrow this morning via the Tube. A woman came in with a tissue and wiped off 3 seats before deciding to sit down next to me. She ranted about how dirty London is until I got off 6 stops later.

Seriously, have yourself a happy day. :)

Zulu's in Fulham

Happy Birthday, Des!



We had such a fun night last night celebrating with our friends. Desiree celebrated her 25th by organizing an evening at Zulu's. South African comedian Kevin Perkins performed as his alter-ego Michael Naicker. Hilarious - but Kings had to explain some of the jokes. (Some of Kevin's gig is in Afrikaans.) Des's husband Craig asked Kevin to announce her birthday. Good times.

Setts in the City

I watched a nature program the other evening (yes, my social needs are maturing) and found out that badgers live in the city of London. They are nocturnal so people rarely see them. Apparently they build setts (small burrows/nests) in different areas and then scrounge on bird feed, flower bulbs, fruit, vegtables and scraps.

Londoners can attract badgers to their gardens by keeping the lawn mowed (badgers like insect larvee and worms) and providing scraps of bread, fruit and vegtables. Also badgers like peanuts.Well...I put out a small bag of peanuts this week for the wild birds in our garden and the next morning it had been torn from the tree and devoured. I think this is the work of a little grey squirrel but interesting to think badgers live in the city.

Any good ideas for a name for a pet badger?

A Dinner Guest

I went on an interview for a babysitting position with a family which lives near Waterloo. (I'm going to work part-time while I write and look for a full time media position). After the meeting I decided to walk back to Waterloo along Kingsway Rd. I stopped into a Wetherspoons to get a bite to eat. (Cheap, quick food.)

As I was standing near the bar, reading the menu, something caught my eye. A small mouse was dining on some scraps left behind by another patron. I stood there horrified but did not scream. I put the menu down and walked out of there as fast as my legs could move. I realize mice need to eat too but I'd prefer not to have them as dinner companions.

Eeeeeeek!

Largo Argentina Rome

As we were making our way to Piazza Navona one afternoon we stumbled onto this ancient site. You can literally find something historical around every corner in Rome. This is a sight which was discovered in the early 1900s but then treated as a holy place after the arms and legs of a marble roman structure was found. The site was host to 4 Republican Temples and is now used as a no-kill cat shelter. Many locals know this site as the House of Cats.

From Wikipedia: "Located in the Largo Argentina is the Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary, a no-kill shelter for homeless cats (of which Rome has many). The presence of the shelter proves to be a point of interest for both tourists and locals, as the historical area abounds with various breeds of cat, cavorting and lounging about on the ancient (and semi-ancient) ruins.
In recent years, American, Australian & European students with laser-pointers have been seen playing games with the cats, initiating chases and even inciting bouts of aggression among the resident felines."

Clever Adult Beverage

Our last day in Rome - we made our way to the Rome airport Ciampiano and had a few hours to kill. We went to the 'junk shops' as Kings calls them and ate our last Italian meal of Parma ham on bread with fresh mozzerella. We decided to order a beer and the Tuborgs came out. These bottles do not have twist off bottle caps but something new...pop tops. Clever. No more searching everywhere for an opener or using a lighter to try to pry it off.

The Vatican City

We spent two half days around the Vatican City. We learned how to buy a bus ticket and made our way from the east side of Rome to the west. This involved crossing the Tiber (that's where the pictures below came from).

Tourists can see Piazza San Pietro from miles away. The dome on St. Peter's Basilica is a landmark which draws millions of visitors each year. When we arrived on Saturday the queue stretched around the huge square but it moved quickly.

Inside tourists pushed into St. Peter's but once in the door, everyone had plenty of room. The church is huge, surrounded by large wooden confessionals and alters. The large wooden altar you see above is said to be the place where Peter is buried.

We also went into the Popes' tomb area and saw where Pope John Paul II is laid to rest. There are still candles surrounding his tomb and tourists bring fresh flowers daily.

On Sunday we came back to the Vatican City by taxi and asked the driver to drop us near the entrance of the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel. We got out and went to find the end of the queue. It stretched all the way around the outside walls of the Vatican City.

I was determined to see the Sistine Chapel but Kings wasn't too keen on waiting in line for 3 hours. Just when things started to get desperate a woman came through with an offer from a tour company. No waiting in line, a tour guide for a fixed price. It wasn't cheap but we jumped on the chance.

The Vatican Museum was impressive with a collection of sculptures, tapestries, paintings and artifacts found in Rome. Apparently many of the statues on display now were found over the centuries buried in the Roman Forum. The Tiber river regularly flooded its banks and buried the ancient civilization with small layers of silt over time.

The Sistine Chapel (click here for descriptions of Michelangelo's works which make up the ceiling of the chapel) was absolutely amazing. Our guide told us that the torso sculpture below (housed in the Vatican Museum) was a piece studied frequently by Michelangelo. He would study this for hours and use his practice work to design bodies for paintings and sculptures. No one knows who created this broken work but archaeologists are still looking for the limbs.

Guards walk around inside the Sistine Chapel shouting at anyone who dares to take a picture. Yes, Kings took a picture on the sly. (I pretended like I didn't know him to avoid being kicked out.) They also play really loud PA announcements reminding all visitors to be silent inside the chapel. Silencio!

Forest Fires

When I worked at WYMT-TV in Hazard, KY and WATE in Knoxville, TN we did live reports on forest fires for weeks. These areas are very close to the mountains and border national parks. So, there's a lot of fuel in the form of timber. Someone would carelessly let go of a cigarette after a dry spell or leave a camp fire burning and the hills would smolder for days.

The fire in California is a different story. Those crews are working on defense and they need the offensive edge soon.

As a reporter at WATE I got an assignment to ride with the governor of Tennessee to see the destruction from the blazes. We were in a black hawk helicopter. They took the doors off of the sides so the camera guys (mine being The Kevin) could get better aerial shots of burned out land and homes. It was about this time of the year in 2003 - geez I'm getting old - and it was freezing. My gloves were actually frozen to my hands. I think I remember having a bit of mucus on the side of my face in one of our clips. (We didn't get a makeup crew.)

That was a scary day, though. To see the fire damage can do from above is off-setting. To watch a fire and witness how quickly structures can be destroyed makes me feel small in humble way. I was thankful for the people around me that day helping others and noticed how many families bounce back from tough situations. Would I be able to do the same?

One more story and I'll sign off... Another time covering a fire in the Smokies. I was doing a live shot with Paul and Farquar and we were supposed to set up a sat shot next to a small pond where Army helicopters were picking up water to dump on the fires. They would roar in one by one and the wind would rush like a funnel. We set up the shot but every time the helicopters came in I couldn't really report 'cause it was too loud. Powerful live pictures though. We were close to the action. I went back and looked at the air check from that day's reports. My hair was blowing about so much I resembled Cousin It. Great.

Pantheon

This amazing building is said to be the oldest and best preserved of its kind in the world. It was originally constructed as a "Temple to all gods." Our tour guide at the Sistine Chapel said this building was built as early as 27 BC by Agrippa. It was then destroyed in a fire and the current structure is thought to date back to 125 AD.

We found the Pantheon by following the small, winding cobblestone streets of Rome. Civilization has built up around this magnificant site. The most striking feature is the round hole in the roof that is the only source of light inside. As the sun moves in the sky, the rays illuminate the inside of the Pantheon.

Outside the square or piazza is still a hub of activity. For centuries people have traded outside the Pantheon trying to get worshippers and tourists to buy their goods. We sat on the stairs in the center and did some people watching in the sun.

Piazza Navona

One of my favorite areas of Rome is around Piazza Navona (central city). We walked through small back streets where only scooters could rush around people walking. At the square we shopped the market of artists work and found a ristorante outside. Singers set up with their instruments outside and serenaded us in Italian through the meal.

Crossing the Tiber

On Friday and Saturday we walked across the Tiber River towards Piazza Navona from the Vatican City. The weather was beautiful - sunny and 75 degrees F.

The Roman Forum

The second day we ventured back to the Colleseum and surrounding neighborhood which is the Roman Forum. We strolled along the cobbled streets and felt the coolness of the Travestine stone around us.

Our guide book showed us a picture of what the forum looked like back in the day. Grand, spacious and filled with sculptures and art. The columns (although now broken) gave a spark to the imagination. We thought about what it must have looked like in 450 BC.

The pictures above show the area leading down to the Colleseum. This is the route where the processions down to the stadium followed.

The Trevi Fountain

The Trevi Fountain is located north of the Colosseo in Rome. It is a few blocks east of Piazza Navona and smack dab in the middle of a small square. Tourists gather around and rush down the stairs to the famous landmark to throw in a coin.

Legend says if you toss a coin into this fountain you are helping your chances of returning to Rome. I threw a coin (click on coin to see the video) in for my family and friends and Kings threw in one for his.

To me, Rome is a friendly, historical, traditional community with heaps of culture to enjoy.

Always a city I hope to visit again someday.