Had a very strange evening last night going out for my friends Shell’s birthday. I ended up bumping into three groups of people that I hadn’t seen since the same day last year.
All of this took place in Southamptons retro 80’s nightclub, Reflex. First off was my friend Shell’s ex-boyfriend Steve who we spotted wandering round the club who I had last seen at the Beggar’s Fair up in Romsey last July. Next I spotted Barry and Alan from the Romsey Sub-Aqua Club who again I had last seen at the Beggar’s Fair last year. Then wandering around my friend Kirsty says hello to me. Again I had seen her last on the same day last year this time at her house warming party which is a slight change.
I’m increasingly feeling that I’m living in a small world where there aren’t enough original extras to go round. My loger Amanda works with Shell’s mum so there’s no escape there. Carl who I work with goes to Glasgow for a weekend and bumps into Chris McCormick who I used to work with at Esso.
Last day of the holiday today and we head back this afternoon. It’s been great to be away for a week with good friends seeing somewhere new. I’ve been so immersed in being out here that I’ve forgotten about work. Great holiday on that point.
Norway is quite unlike any other city I’ve visited in England. It’s relatively small compared to English Cities, constrained by the mountains that surround it so it can’t sprawl for ever and dominated by the atmosphere of the city centre but yet doesn’t feel crowded like so many English cities. Perhaps it’s that there isn’t the volume of traffic going from A to B that dominates English cities?
Had a happy half an hour trying to take pictures of penguins at the Bergan Aquarium using my digital camera. I’ve been surprised at how nippy penguins are. I can imagine that they could give a shark a run for their money if they were being chased.[thumb:942:r]
Spent today kyaking on the Norweigan Fjords. Clean blue water, clear sky, very little in the way of breeze. Great weather. Also took the opportunity to have take a swim in the sea. Don’t know if I’ll have another chance out here so best to make the best of the opportunity.
Spent today touring Bergan and seeing what was there. I was amazed at the number of cyclists we saw giving that Norway is mountainous. We found that the bus network has been excellent in getting us around from Montana and over to various places.
The old wooden building on the quayside remind me of Rye. Rye not being so bustley or touristy but similar with it’s slatted wooden buildings.
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After walking around for a while and after playing Tantrix and Hearts late into the evening Geoffrey and Jeremy needed a well earned nap lying on the grass.
I woke up to find, I’m on holiday in Norway. First proper day here and we’ve been climbing the hills behind the Montana Youth Hostel where we’re staying. [thumb:899:l]
The view is great and you can see the whole of Bergan. Climbing up through the treeline the pine trees give way briefly to deciduous trees before becoming being replaced by grass.
For the trip I made up some tour t-shirts so we tool the opportunity to pose at the top of Ulrich and take a photograph for posterity wearing them before they were wrecked.
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Coming down was exciting. We decided not to via the route that we came up with it’s aid of steps and hand rails but to instead to follow down a stream to the Black Lake. Exciting and I managed to skid mark my shorts.
It’s the start of a weeks holiday. this time to Bergan, Norway with three school friends, Alex, Geoffrey and Jeremy. Have been surprised to come across the QE2 up in Bergan. Something that’s so familiar to my time in Southampton and to go on holiday and find it was unexpected.
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What really seems to stand out here is that Bergan is relatively flat and then the mountains are really steep. Very different to Kent with its rolling hills.
The weather had been a bit gloomy but has cheered up quite a bit. The weather is best described as nice. Not too hot, not too cold. I’m guessing just perfect for walking in.
Had a cultured evening seeing MacBeth performed in the open air at Boughton Monchelsea Place with school friends. Very strange to think that it was 12 years ago that I did my GCSE English and I had to study it. Several of the speeches still stick out in my mind
Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow
Out damm spot I say
Is this a dagger I see before me
Off to see The Importance Of Being Earnest this Friday for some more culture. Strange to think I studied it when I was bout twelve but I’ve never seen it performed.
Managed to get my first sail in of the year. Yes I know it’s July and I meant to do it two months ago.
It wasn’t that an auspicous start to the day as I thought I’d managed to dent the back of my car reversing. Fortunately I hadn’t done any damage at the low speed I was moving so that was a relief.
I spent a very sunny Sunday morning out on Southampton morning out of the SWAC sailing a RS Laser. Took a while to rig the boat together as I wasn’t sure that I was doing things right. Sorted that out or so I thought. Managed to tip it over trying to get the rudder in setting off. After having tried out for a bit I spotted that I’d managed to not put the battons in the sail. Managed with out.
A bit of patchy breeze but I was sailing. Had a couple of power boats tearing up and down Southampton Water at the edge of sailing area just to make it more interesting. The sky was a little more interesting as I noticed black smoke emitting from three of the Fawley flares.
At the end of it I had the satisfaction of getting back ashore in one piece without too much faffing.
I spent this afternoon over at the Chichester Real Ale and Jazz Festival. Had a great time catching up with my friends Kate, Andy and Greg drinking great beers that I’d never heard of before listening to some great Jazz.
I polished off the day with seeing 20,000 Leagues Under The Office. The first half was a series of comic songs performed by a male duo on the banjoelea. The second half was the main part of 20,000 Leagues Under The Office. Quite a good series of sketches centred around the idea that a lift didn’t stop at the basment but kept going and going and going and going with the occupents not prepared for such an epic adventre.