Today, 21.12.2012, at 11.11 GMT, is the Winter Solstice where the earth's axial tilt is farthest away from the sun. Druids and pagans are among those who head to Stonehenge each December
to watch the sunrise on the shortest day of the year in the Northern
Hemisphere.
Druid
leader King Arthur Pendragon, Aldershot's most eccentric ex-soldier, will be
leading the celebrations. Apparently he will be making a "political
statement" which he hopes will be heard around the world:
"I
will be asking for an end to war, an end to economic slavery and, basically, a
cleaner, greener planet", announced the self-declared reincarnation
of King Arthur.
I don't
know why he is bothering because this year's solstice date also marks the
conclusion of the long count cycle of the Mayan calendar, which many people
believe indicates the end of the world.
Thousands
of believers have gathered in Mexico near ancient Mayan ruins, and in other
supposedly spiritual places around the world.
Panic-buying of candles has been reported in China's Sichuan province where police
have arrested almost 1,000 members of a Christian group which has predicted
that Friday will usher in three days of darkness.
A farmer in Hebei province, Liu has built
seven survival pods which can contain 14 people each. The pods, made of
fibreglass, float on water and can survive storms.
In
Russia, where sales of tinned goods and matches have surged, Prime Minister
Dmitry Medvedev has urged his countryfolk to remain calm.
Authorities in the French Pyrenees are preparing for an influx of believers to
the mountain Pic de Bugarach, where rumours have spread that UFOs will rescue
human gatherers.
So, with
that in mind, I thought I better fire out one more blog, just in case.
And all I
can say is:
I wish I
was back in Fuseta,
Not just
'cause the weather is better.
Wherever
you go, the pace is so slow
without
any bright lights or glitter.
I think I
could live in Fuseta,
I could
still send my blogging newsletter.
No hotels
or pubs, no taxis or bus
But WIFI
for the old internetter!
But I'm no
longer out in Fuseta
I'm back
in the Boro - much wetter.
The
heating is on, shorts and T-shirts are gone
and it's
long johns, pyjamas and sweater.
Can't
wait to go back to Fuseta,
I'm
becoming a bit of a "jetter".
Why stay
at home, working the loam?
When out
there it's startlingly cheaper.
So with
memories of sun in Fuseta.
It's back
to the dire English weather.
Return to
the grind and each night to unwind
Down the
Fox with "Original" bitter!
For those of you who have never been to Farnborough or have manged to erase it from your minds, here's a reminder of what it looks like:
Just looked out of the window and everything seems
stable - the sun is actually shining.
So looks like I'll have to do my Christmas shopping
after all!
I have been fishing during the day although the closest I have come to catching anything is this fearsome character:
Even the evenings have been nice and only a little bit chilly.
But today, Thursday, the 12th of our latest excursion to Portugal, for
the first time we have not experienced blue skies and sunshine but steady rain
and drizzle all day.
Hopefully the weather will improve tomorrow as it is Janice's birthday
and although already recognised as an OAP in the UK for the last 5 years,
tomorrow she will be officially an OAP in Portugal, entitling her, on
production of her passport, to half price rail travel.
In Fuseta rail travel is "the only way to travel" not least because it
does not have a local bus service nor, with the exception of the flat bottomed,
non-wheeled variety that ferries you to and from Ilha da Armona, any local taxi
service but does, for some inexplicable reason, have two railway stations not a
mile apart and on the same line.
By rail you can travel west to Olhao, Faro and onwards to Alberfuira
and Lagos or east to Tavira and Vila Real San Antonio where you can see across the
estuary to Spain.
You just have to take your life into your hands when getting on or off the train - no "Mind the Gap" announcement here.
It was to Tavira that we travelled to yesterday and, having failed miserably to
find a particular restaurant, we headed across the river and got lost in the
alleys and side streets before coming across a couple of English bars.
Following directions from the English locals we got lost again before the
Algarve's answer to Brentford's Archie Karachi tempted us into the Punjab
Palace Tandoori where we sampled chef Vindaloo Vic's delightful "Prato do Dia" of
Lamb Madras, Chicken Tikka Marsala, Tarka Dal, Pilau Rice and Naanwith complimentary popadoms and chutneys, at
the ridiculously reasonable cost of £7 a head.
Well stuffed we wandered back across the river and stumbled on the restaurant where we originally planned to have lunch and then came across Tavira Municipal
Museum which was hosting two exhibitions:
The first, "FOTOGRAFAR. ANDRADE FAMILY LOOKS ON TAVIRA, reflecting
the views of four generations of photographers of the same family, the
Andrades, images of Tavira and it's inhabitants and incorporating the history
and evolution of photography techniques and equipment from the start of the
20th century to the current day. And jolly interesting it was too!
The second "MANIMAE - THE RADIANT DAYS" an
exhibition-reflection on the sustainability of territories, species and human
societies, which, frankly passed well over my head and appeared to be various
collections of alabaster plaster covered rubber gloves.
There was, however, a blank
canvas and a selection of crayons and felt tips for visitors to add their own creation.
As you are well aware by now, I didn't get where I am today by passing over an
opportunity and left my own little masterpiece.
"Cultured out" we returned early to the railway station, stopping
on the way to purchase a pound of homemade sausages from the English "talho" to remedy my
sausage withdrawal symptoms.
No visit to Tavira is complete without a troll round the local Lidls emporium
which is situated next to the station and even more tatty than it's Blackwater
sister. However It never fails to come up trumps and just when we thought we'd forgotten
all about 60's soap powders, it gave us:
Must
sign off now and open another £1 litre bottle of red hoping
that the weather will be kind to Janice tomorrow and leave you with a little toon to conjure up memories of our youth in the 60's.