My Adventures in New Bohemia

Battle of Mount Montreal

2009-07-06T06:21:00.001Z

Battle of Mount Montreal - Get a load of sticks, cover in foam and padding and fight a team of similarly tooled-up people.

Haunting Halifax

2009-07-06T06:13:00.001Z

Haunting Halifax - We flew across the MacDonald bridge from Halifax to Dartmouth on the way to the airport after a short, but fun break in Canada. The fog was incredibly dense.

The Specials

2009-05-08T08:59:00.002Z

The Specials - A slightly older crowd than I've grown accustomed to (or grown up with). Either way it was quite an amusing gig. They do have this uncanny ability to make every song sound pretty much like the last one - the wa-uh-wa-uh-wa-uh scar/two-tone what have you. I even bumped into my boss as we were leaving!

Cat under the covers

2009-05-06T19:47:00.001Z

Cat under the covers - All that gives her away is the tail poking out.

Leeds v Orient

2009-05-06T19:42:00.001Z

Leeds v Orient - The game in North East London started out well for Leeds, but the second half quickly started going downhill despite Orient being down to 10 men. It ended desperately with Leeds lucky to scrape a draw.

Roman Jewels

2009-04-05T12:23:00.001Z

Roman Jewels - These beautiful little gems were once affixed to the clothing of the Romans who bathed in Bath's spa. They have the most intricate pictures engraved into them.

England!

2009-04-05T11:49:00.001Z

England! - Not the greatest games against the Ukrainians, but a victory nonetheless. The best moment was when an 85 thousand strong England following belted out 'You're not singing anymore' with 10 minutes to go - marvellous.

Bath Abbey

2009-04-04T17:39:00.001Z

Bath Abbey - I had a very relaxing stroll around Bath Abbey, taking in some of the fantastic architecture. I didnt quite realise the extent of changes made to the churches by the ruling dynasties.

More allergies?

2009-03-28T13:21:00.001Z

More allergies? - I spotted this on my morning muffins. Seems as if there's a new allergy discovered every day.

Copperplate Boozer

2009-03-28T13:16:00.001Z

Copperplate Boozer - So ignore the fact that this photo was taken in the toilets of a local London boozer, why is it that no matter where you are, there is a sort of standard scrawl found written on blackboards in British pubs!

My spice rack

2009-03-05T08:55:00.001Z

My spice rack - I think it might be that time of the year where I spring clean the spice rack! There must be about 5 different types of paprika nestled among the numerous blends of masala.

Students and Teachers unite and fight!

2009-02-28T12:48:00.001Z

Students and Teachers unite and fight! - was the chant from the protest march which wound its way past the office on Wednesday.

Arriba!

2009-02-07T12:46:00.001Z

Arriba! - The local Mexican restaurant had the pleasure of our company for the evening.

Snow man

2009-02-05T19:41:00.001Z

Snow man - He was looking pretty good on the Monday evening but the rains since have reduced him to a shadow of his former self.

Trees! Snow!

2009-02-05T19:26:00.001Z

Trees! Snow! - Don't they look beautiful...

Natural History arches

2009-02-05T10:10:00.001Z

Natural History arches - What a magnificant building - well the 1881 Alfred Waterhouse building, less so the more modern architecture of the ironically named Darwin Centre. We walked into the museum on a Saturday afternoon and promptly walked out again. It was far and away too crowded for it to either be an enjoyable stroll around the various displays or a more ponderous engagement with just one exhibit.

Stained glass

2008-12-07T14:06:00.002Z

Stained glass - Again from the fort in Jodhpur. The stained glass is far from complex and doesn't rival anything I have seen in European countries, but it cast a brilliant light that I had to capture.

More patterns

2008-12-07T14:02:00.002Z

More patterns - I love symmetrical patterns, and the Mehrangrah in Jodhpur didn't disappoint.

Purdah system

2008-12-07T13:59:00.002Z

Purdah system - So now I finally realise why so many of the buildings have such intricate windows; the Meharaja's operated a strict purdah system in which women were hidden from view for all but her family and courtiers. The screens allow people inside to gaze out on the world but prevent people from looking in.

Jodhpur

2008-12-07T13:46:00.002Z

Jodhpur - We arrived in Jodhpur about an hour late, which is pretty good for Indian railways it seems. A young chap from the hotel picked us up from the station in a battered old jeep and whisked us away to our resting place for the evening, down a long, well-lit road; clearly the main centre of commerce. This place is big, it has the hallmarks of a large town or provincial city. Even at night it is possible to discern the blueness of the place. The morning brings another exciting vista, much like what we saw at Jaisalmer but this time with a deep indigo hue.

Jaisalmer arrival

2008-12-05T16:08:00.002Z

Jaisalmer arrival - Well our train may have been 2 hour late, but we finally pulled-up in a dusty and warm Jaisalmer. The station was swarming with touts but navigating a safe passage we made our way to the hotel - what a cool place as well! But climbing up to the Fort walls, we were greeted with an amazing view. The town looked like a giant Duplo set in the middle of a desert plain. As our guidebook says, it could easily have been the product of an overactive imaginative miniature illustration.

Agra's Fort

2008-12-05T15:58:00.002Z

Agra's Fort - We visited the Fort just before midday - it was a real scorcher! The temple was started in 1565 by Emperor Akbar and finished off by Shah Jahan, the same chap who built the Taj who left his white marble trademark everywhere. Where once it was a palace, Jahan's son turned it into a prison for his father - these days it's primarily occupied by the army. The use of Persian-like geometric shapes is present throughout the whole building, making for an amazingly intricate structure.

Arrived in Varanasi

2008-12-04T15:37:00.003Z

Arrived in Varanasi - My goodness escaping Delhi was good but we landed right back into another scrum in Varanasi. There are so many people, our car moves at a maximum speed of 10mph which is sustained for approximately 10 seconds before encountering another human or animal obstruction. The streets of the old town are tight and winding. Much like Delhi there is a crumbling decadence about all the buildings. And dogs, goats, monkeys and cows are everywhere!

Memories of Varanasi

2008-12-04T15:26:00.003Z

Memories of Varanasi - My memories of Varanasiaren't of its over-crowded nature, animals rampaging through the streets, funeral pires, people bathing in the Ganga, the various Hindu temples or any of the "spiritualism" of the place - because frankly it's all a bit hard to discern amidst a sea of crooks and touts - it is the thousands of children flying kites from their roof-tops in the evening. It ranks among one of the most magical sights I have ever witnessed.

The Taj itself

2008-12-04T10:17:00.003Z

The Taj itself - Here is the building itself. We sat on a bench for a good few hours looking at the building and doing a good amount of people watching. We have the luxery of staying the night so don't need to rush around like maniacs snapping picture after picture.