Never thought I would make it

Its been long hard slow rollercoaster white knuckle journey but today I reached a year without a drop of the devils buttermilk. Or Alcohol if you prefer. Head feels clearer life is better and much is improved. A very positive mood.

TagCrowd - make your own tag cloud from any text

TagCrowd - make your own tag cloud from any text

Kieran points me to this.

Monday bit of a bad start

Woke up with the worst headache since detox. Took two paracetamol which eased me off into a deep sleep. 2 minutes later nurse from surgery rang me mam needing taking the medical assesment unit at the royal coz of her red legs.

Touchdown

Didn't sleep. Blind panic and nerves is a great stimulant. Got into Speke early and taxi home. Slept in late. Quiet day sunday. Bit of sun in the afternoon. Then slouching watching England getting beaten.

Last night meal.

Hit the same fish restaurant we did the other night. Justy missed the last two tables outside. What a bummer. I did the almost unheard of ordering the same meal. It was less of a challenge as we were given the english menu. Meal was good. Trotted back and turned in early for the early start. Woke before 9 for the first time in a week. Jean packed, I yawned and looked useless. Saw the landlords got the deposit back minus 14 euros for the towels (as per contract). In car and of to Tarragona. It was good. Lunch at a taverna where I ordered a shrimp omelette which had morphed to a bacon one when I got it. A load of germans came in and with teutonic efficiency made ordering the tapas in this half self service greek taverna look like a piece of piss. As ever I managed to fluff the language and look like a streak of piss. After lunch we scooted to a world heritage site of the circus and forums. Really good stuff. €2.40 to get in top VFM too. Wandered back down la rambla via two cafes. Into the bus station car park then off to find reus. Stopped for some diesel. Poohed myself as only pump available was 12. My spanish numbers stop at 2. So I filled up - €18 and squeezed some more in. Up to 20 walked in smiled and put a €20 note down on the counter. The lady smiled out of pity and bid me farewell. Found Reus abandoned car returned key and sat now in departures. Flight doesn't open for checking in for another 1hr 20. I am bored shitless. Jean says I can't get my laptop out. There are tatooed english ne'er do wells at large. They have their childrens names tatooed in elvish script on the inside of the forearm, a string of barbed wire on the biceps, mild or bitter over each nipple, five o'clock shadow and you should see the men.
The security guards here have night sticks too. One chap I just saw had a badge saying vigilante I which I hope isn't what it sounds like.
Just seen a big long line of happy holidaymakers from salou spat out of a bus and into a queue. The flight was moscow bound. The soviets are enjoying new freedoms indeed. Next to them are the swiss returning to geneva with huge toblerones. At the end of the line are the toon army heading back to teeside. The best bit of this holiday has been a lack of contact with the british. This airport is full of us. I can feel my tan fading. I have never slept on a plane without alcohol or prescription sedatives but today may be a first.

I loved this caff in sants estacion Barcelona

Classic

Reading matter(s)

This holiday I read two crime novels and another part of clive james autobiography. As ever I ended up identifying with the author in a grandiose near deluded way. Granted I have never used a dunny, been to Oz, cambridge or fronted sever tv series. Still I felt echoes of resonance. The man is a fool like me. Channeling his energies into too few projects always prioritising those which pay the least. He has turned procrastination into an art form. He has also suffered from male pattern baldness mood swings increasing girth and an ability to perform bacchanalian acts of excess. The end of this book sees him sober. He seems to be funny without trying and I am trying without being funny.
Its friday night in calafell jean is present shopping and I am not present.
The local police have just pulled up. Policia local, like rome there seems to be a plethora of law enforcement agencies.

view from the boat

On the med

Egg lady

From the market

St Josephs fruit market

A market off La Rambla in Barcelona, apologies for rough edit but its quarter to midnight and I am sat by the pool.

Thursday. Sun is back.

Got the train and hit sants estacion line 3 to rambla and found a market. Selling fruit veg and specialist offal. Saw everything from tripe to tongue and balls to brains. Had a quick pizza lunch then had a delightful cruise on the sea. One and a half hours €10.40 good value. Landed had ice cream now I sit in cafe while she shops and seeks out bog.

Weather got better

After a spell by the pool we are off to Barcelona on a double decker train skirting the med.

Happy birthday have a lazy day.

Jeans birthday. I woke up and went in search of provisions and a birthday cake. Provisions relatively easy, birthday cake less so. They lady weighed it then went off to box it. Actually I think she fecked off for a lucky strike coz I couldn't see her for ages. Left me stood like a dilbert. I waited for an age. She had obviously had a paella too. Anyway she came back saw me and went oohh and swore in spanish. Came back with my little box and stripped me of cash. Home light lunch and chill. Weather overcast so reading and kipping order of the day. Went to calafell for tea. Had a drink then ended up in a loverly fish restaurant with a spanish menu. (Ie no translation). Jean had a calafell salad I had a most delicious prawn salad. For mains jean had a fish and prawn kebab I had a mixed fish sort of fritto misto thing. Delicious. And my first go of baby octopus. Absolutely great. Home via the ice cream shop I had a double raspberry and vanilla pecan concotion nice.

Calafell seafront

Our first view of the Med

American tourists in Barcelona

But I like the pose

summertime busker at parc guell

He was a cool dude

Random Bike outside the best camera shop in the world

I saw all sorts in there including a digital hasselblad.

Wild cats of Tarragona

Snapped these feral beasts under a tree.

Tuesday train to barcelona.

Went from calafell station €12 for the two of us. A nifty double decker french train. Took us into barcelona sants estacion. Bought two public transport day tickets €5 each then off to the bottom of las rambla. Looking for the Arpi camera shop. This dingbat had forgotten to pack his camera battery charger and compact flash reader. This top store (found on the web) had both and a helpful guy whose english was better than my spanish. I was happy. Had a little look around then it was off to a pretty square for a paella. Wandered up the rambla then on to the metro again for the train to lesseps and headed for some gaudi at parc guell. Took some busker shots there. Long walk back to lesseps punctuated by coffee and cake. Rain mostly held off. Down to placa catalunya looking for presents for ally then to the seaside bit at the bottom of the ramblas. B ack to estacion. Muttonhead got us on the wrong train but managed to get us off. 9 stops back then just caught a double decker stopper to calafell. Italian for tea. I had antipasto mixti and jean had some sort of roast veg pie. Mains were smoked salmon and prawn farfalle for me and ragu penne for jean very nice. Home storms in the night.

Monday in Tarragona.

The weather was a little mixed still fit for the beach but up and down. We set of in our wrongway round car. Being british we found the only queue of static trraffic on the iberian peninsula. Still look on the bright side I mastered first and second gear and am now safe up to 10mph. We lunched in a seaside cafe in a nice place called torredembarra. Tapas thing going on with squid as usual. Then on to tarragona. A small seaside town with over 30 roman ruins. This was bigger than barca in roman times. The cathedral was shut for refurb. We had a delish ice cream at a gelateria. Terriffic stuff. Back home cocktail at a seaside bar. Jean had some lemon and lime thing I had a safe sex on the beach (alcohol free). Tapas and then more tapas down the prom. Home and kip. Storm in the night.

Sunday pm

Took a walk up the promenade. Found a restaurant had the speciality fideua preceded by a delicious fruit salad. Espresso home then sit outside fireworks display in the distance then bed.

Burnt feet

Idled by pool. Burnt my feet and head somewhat red too. Breakfasted and lunched at the flat. Idle day. Wandered into calafell in the pm. Purchased a hat. Amused by the fact that calafell seems full of airdressers all it would appear from the blokes specialising in the mullet. Still trendy here. Had some anchoas and chocos (squid) at a bar. Very pleasant.

Sunday.

Easy flight remember looking down at the isle of wight and the solent. Moved across france and then a lovely view of the pyrenees. Landed at reus on time chugged along to baggage. Got hire car a 1.7 diesel opel astra. Drove round the car park then learned how to stall. It was horrendous. Whilst I have driven plenty on the continent this time was different. Gits have sat me on the wrong side and moved the gear stick handbrake and mirror. Oh lordy. I stall frequently. We get lost. Eventually find the gaff and meet the owners who live above I am into the pool like a good un. Mooch of to calafell in the afternoon and have a walk drink and some tapas. There seems to be no english people. Squid and potatoes. Very nice. Back past the house to the supermarket. Mooch around nosing at every thing. Back to the house and relax. It is hot. About 32 I think. Off into caloafell park at the station. Walk along puzzled by the number of italians. Eat at a cafe. Too much tapas squid sardines anchovies and spuds tres bien. Back home and sat outside. Its noisy some concert on the beach. Bed sleep. Very tired after getting up at 3am.

On our way

Strangely quick checking in and security etc. Had breakfast in the caff now much for gate. Boarding at 6.20. More nervous about the journey from airport to flat than speak to reus (pronounced RAYUS). I can see me struggling with the language. Ah well.