Namaste!

Dubrovnik, Dalmatian Coast, Croatia - even more heat, old walled city, fantastic views, fantastic amount of tourists, decidedly unfantastic touristy vibe. Look I don't deny that I am one, but its just that on this of all trips I'd like to avoid those sorts of places that seem to have no energy or interest for anything but tourists (only due to their sheer number). Its a beautiful, beautiful place, the eateries look brilliant, the sea is mouth watering, the town a gem. I wish this is what I am looking for but I guess it isnt. So I'm planning on moving on to Zadar promptly tomorrow. Have been reading about Ljubliana and Zagreb and they sound promising, hopefully a little cooler too.

Someone in Italy asked me why on earth I would go on holiday on my own, which threw me a little. I felt like saying that I'm not on holiday exactly, and then vaguely tried to fashion an argument around travelling being some kind of work... obviously thats not true - in theory at least I should be out to enjoy myself, though I'm rediscovering the uncomfortable challenges inevitable in lone unplanned travelling. Still theres a marked difference between my idea of my holiday, and say the lonely planet's, and the dubrovnik tourist board, and the guy in Italy. Hopefully I will discover what my idea is before this is all over.

In the meantime I can't complain. Apparently the sea is so clean that swimming is like
flying

Acquaviva delle Fonti - Fabio's home: beautiful, comfort, good food, banter, strong wine, driving in the heat, over to the beach for the evening...
 
Won't beat around the bush: have been having a ball. Pamplona was cool, bizarre, no running for me, just watching (when I could take a break from cringing) - then to Barcelona, hectic but oh so much fun, caught up with Benji of Trondheim, a day in Terragona and torredembarra to see how the other side lived as it were this year, Joan, Chris, Katherine, Lucas, os so much banter (macha (sp gilly??))
 
Perhaps random this post but what the hey. will be here for 5 or 6 days methinks, looks like just chilling in store, then oevr the seas.
 
Gaz's travels have blasted off in style. happy.
R

in the Mitchell

a quick image from this year's degree show. By Kristen Macarthur

Almost a month without posting, but denied that precision..

On being without mobility, that is sans mobile phone:
Some enhancement of lucid thinking perceived.
noticable struggle of some others to cope with the concept. Most manage fine after a short while, but for some it seems thinking outside the contexts of immediate access to anyone is beyond them.
Have been at home a week. Have not displayed any desire for mobile phone. Nevertheless have been offered to borrow, or even the chance to buy myself one (how kind) on no less than 4 occasions. I'm counting. I do not apologise for the curt responses given to such offers.
lack of weight in left pocketses, now free for filling with keys, coins, scraps and sweeties, just like in primary school...

Speaking of which my mum paid a visit to St. Thomas primary school, my ex-school, this morning (on business. Business of being Indian apparently, and thus introducing the little horrors to - god forbid - a culture other than their own that, despite the local paper's best efforts to conceal, is amply represented by the residents of this strange small town. Am pondering just how much parading half my cultural background over a week's events in the school really helps awaken young minds to the reality of multicultural Britain. Obviously celebrating and learning about Indian culture is of massive benefit but part of me, that is the part that experienced this particular primary school for 7 years, part of me calls attention to the point that we used to have these same themed weeks on such untrivial topics as 'the colour red' (in 1st class), egyptians, country dancing,... well thats about it actually. Is this one week extravaganza really a good reflection of what is meant to be a society of intergrated cultures? 51 weeks of straight up white englishness and one week of reality? I guess in an overwhelmingly white english primary school it is.. Maybe my point is not the injustice of my former school but the sickeningly unbalanced population of St. Annes. Or rather, the increasingly diverse, but thus ignored population of St. Annes.)

My penchant for long parantheses continues unabated. Please put me in line.