The mad month of October

 

I have not posted to the blog for a few weeks due to the pressures on work, on the flying side I spent two minutes below seventy eight hours on aircraft between the 2^nd October and the first of November spread over 14 flights. I worked every weekend bar one in one form or another visited 8 countries and was diverted inflight due to an anti-terrorist scare on a flight I was on.  I will over the course of the next few blog postings try to catch up on things. At least November is slowing signs of slowing down a little on the travel front with my first flight since the 1^st being today the 17^th with a quick 24 hour round robin from Home to Lille and then to Bordeaux and back home again.

Uncomfortable

After Iceland I travelled to Antalya in Turkey where I was providing support to an event management company who were managing a corporate incentive program for an online gaming company. My role was to ensure that the two charter flights that the customer had paid for went without any problems. The event management company had arranged for me to stay in the all inclusive resort that the incentive group were staying in. I arrived late on Friday night and spent most of Saturday at the airport making the arrangements for the departure in the evening I was back at the Hotel but the group and the events management people had the Gala Dinner that is common at these events. This left me to eat on my own and I have rarely felt more out of place. The resort had several big buffet restaurants but all were set up for families or couples, no one goes on holiday on their own!!. I was the only person eating on my own. I felt if everyone’s eyes were on me saying “look at him he is on his own”, I ate quickly and left for the room. Tomorrow is all day at the airport before an early night and then a 4AM pickup on Monday back to the airport so just one more night of “Billy no mates” to suffer.  

Car Rental in Iceland

I spent a night in Iceland this week, this was an unusual map in the car hire centre at Keflavik Airport, It would seem that in Iceland hiring a car only allows you to drive to a small part of the country. I asked an Icelandic friend about the reason for this and it would seem that the driving conditions are less than ideal in the interior with glaciers and crevices large enough for cars to simply disappear into.      

Lost in translation

I found this sign near the Eiffel tower. Make sure you don't loose your children !!!!

Paris has a reputation for good food and I have to admit I enjoyed it immensely but I don't think they were doing their best at making the herring fillet sound appetising  

what a view

I found myself at the Greenwich Observatory recently and was very taken by the stunning view of the London Docklands, I was really taken by the parklands and then the view of the tower blocks. I suppose that, given these tower blocks are home to a significant part of the financial district known as the "City", that the tower blocks in this view collectively have a total economic output higher than some countries.    

Lost in Translation

http://news.tj/en/news/dushanbe-airport-imposed-restrictions-takeoff-and-lending-aircrafts

so .... don't lend your aircraft to anyone; it seems there are no restrictions on landing however

I cant understand why this has never caught on

This is one of the best inventions of French cuisine; I don’t understand why it has not caught on. Cafe Gourmand is a desert common in France; it consists of four mini deserts and an espresso coffee all served on a single plate, the deserts are rarely listed on the menu but on is usually a crème Brule giving a sense of randomness to the dish . The deserts are a perfect size to allow a couple of mouthfuls and getting the coffee at the same time is perfect. All in all a piece of culinary genius