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Croatia 2025
  • Colin Young
Juli 2025

Croatia 2025

Another fun filled family holiday Weiterlesen
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  • Beginn der Reise
    10. Juli 2025
    Colin YoungCroatia 2025Reisender

    Flying (Ryanair)

    10. Juli in Kroatien ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    Chris de Burgh's first album "Far Beyond These Castle Walls" includes his massive hit (in Brazil) "Turning Round". The song opens with the words "Flying, I thought I'd never....." A sentiment I identified with wholeheartedly when I heard that we would be using the services of Ryanair to reach this year's holiday destination. It's fair to say that I am not a huge fan of this particular budget airline. Before moving on, in an attempt to keep these holiday reports informative as well as (hopefully) mildly entertaining, an interesting fact about the song. The title "Turning Round" was changed to "Flying" for the single release, taken from the first word of the first verse. Each verse opens with a similar word, Flying, Lying, Crying, Dying, Sighing and Trying and I suppose Flying was used as it is the least depressing of the 6 options available.

    Yes, it's that time again and I almost feel sorry for you. I believe this to be my 6th holiday blog and I have to confess to quite enjoying writing them. However, where previously I have hidden behind the guise of a fledgeling blogger, I fear this excuse is most likely to be no longer applicable and I do feel the pressure to do better. And while I am bearing my soul, I also feel the need to confess that I purchased a Bluetooth keyboard to connect to my phone / tablet just to simplify the creative writing process. This year, Laura expressed a desire to revisit Croatia and despite me expressing a desire to stay home, I find myself sitting on the poolside patio, armed with my new Bluetooth keyboard and staring at the clouds floating overhead in search of some inspired offerings. I'll let you be the judge....

    We are in Sukošan, about 7 kilometres southeast of Zadar. Initially a small medieval settlement founded at the bottom of a shallow and sheltered lagoon known as Ziatna Luka, (Golden Harbour), the town has grown and is now one of the many tourist destinations on Croatia's Adriatic coast. In the centre of the old village, with its labyrinth of narrow streets bordered by old stone-built houses, is the parish church of Saint Casanus. The current building with its Romanesque and baroque details was constructed in the mid 17th-century, but there is believed to have been a church on this site since the 11th-century.

    Our residence for the week is somewhat more modern, having been built earlier this year. It has 3 double bedrooms, air conditioning throughout and its own private swimming pool, situated within the south facing rear garden. And for the retired gentleman of the party, it thankfully also has a shaded outside dining area. Our party has divided into its usual teams, with Ben and I tech-focused and enjoying the air-conditioned indoor space, while the others lie around the pool area enjoying the late afternoon sunshine. There is a plan to venture out later to find some nourishment and explore the town and marina.

    Before that, there is one final thing to say about Ryanair - it has been building inside me since yesterday and it is my hope that by sharing this with you, I will experience a sense of inner peace, or as they say here 'unutarnji mir'. If you don't want to pay extra for a specific seat (and I don't) Ryanair makes you wait until 24 hours prior to departure before checking in. Leaving aside the unnecessary 6 am alarm call and the numerous clicks required to navigate the "no I really don't want to pay for a seat, that's why I didn't do that when I first booked", the seat allocation algorithm finally relents and awards you 2 seats. They are at opposite ends of the aircraft but they do come with a helpful popup; "Don't like your allocated seats, click here to change them". At a price, naturally. However, I do feel I got one over on their mean-spirited algorithm. We had 2 bookings (it was cheaper that way), so when I checked in the other 4 travellers, they were also seated as far from one another as possible. Without the knowledge that we were all travelling together, the algorithm just assigned the seats adjacent to the previous booking. So despite their best efforts, we were more or less sat together in 2 groups, with Jackie, Ben and Lucy up front and the rest of us at the back. Take that Ryanair! And yes, I do feel better.    Weiterlesen

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  • Colin YoungCroatia 2025Reisender
    1

    When You Gonna Wake Up

    11. Juli in Kroatien ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    "When You Gonna Wake Up" is a song from Bob Dylan's 1979 album, Slow Train Coming. The first of three albums he released exploring themes of Christianity, it won him a Grammy for best male rock vocal, and a lot of angst from the music press and die-hard fans. I have the album in my vinyl collection and still enjoy listening to it, especially when I am out walking on my own. I should clarify that I also have a digital copy of the album on my phone, in case you thought I carry a turntable, amp and speakers with me when I'm out walking.

    When you gonna wake up were also the words that I wanted to shout from the top of the stairs this morning. I woke at 7.30, but mindful of Laura's instruction not to get up and bash about noisily before 9 am, I stayed in bed until the appointed time. To be completely honest, I mistakenly thought that Laura meant that we would all rise at 9 and rejoice in some cheery banter before organising a family breakfast, but it was not to be. By the time the rest of the family appeared at 10.20, I was getting stir crazy, hungry and craving a caffeine fix. To be fair, our flight yesterday took off before 6 am, and we had all been up since 2.30. Breakfast required a short walk to the supermarket for fresh bread and croissants but was well worth the effort, and the complimentary filter coffee provided by our hosts went down a treat. Fortunately, food and caffeine are powerful mood enhancers and harmony quickly returned to the household. I am just slightly concerned the others may view the late breakfast as an early lunch.

    There is something cathartic about relaxing in a new environment with very little structure other than the concept that food and perhaps a small beverage or two will happen at some point.  It seems that confession is not the only thing that is good for the soul.  As an aside, I am loving my new Bluetooth keyboard. So much easier on the thumbs, especially for one whose advancing years are breaking into the arthritic phase of life's journey. Perhaps you will read that and worry that it will encourage me to be more verbose, however I promise to exercise restraint, in the interests of your continued participation in my musings (and for the sake of your sanity). In a brave move, Team Shady has relocated outdoors to the dining table. The wall of the apartment and the overhead awning are providing excellent coverage for everything except the Wi-Fi. Team Sunny is back around the pool, indulging in various forms of relaxation. As the sun reached its zenith, Kevan came to the patio for a bit, clutching his iPad, but after 5 minutes or so he grew tired of our (lack of) company and set up a rival shade hugging team under the trees.   

    Hunger and a collective reluctance to walk further than necessary in the heat prevented us from visiting the old town last night, so that was our plan for tonight. It was a pleasant stroll of just over a mile into the centre, where we found an excellent restaurant by the shore, with spectacular views across the bay. The bay was home to luxury yachts of varying degrees of grandeur, none of which were manned (or is it crewed?) - Laura watches Below Deck on Netflix, I'll ask her. In tune with the nautical surroundings, I ordered the shrimp risotto, which was delicious but also challenging as in how to delicately extract the flesh from the whole large shrimp placed decoratively in the middle of the dish. A brief chat with our waiter confirmed my suspicions - grab it, break it, peel it, eat it - it was messy. Fortified by our evening meal we explored the narrow streets of the old town, finding both the medieval church of St Cassius and the smaller Church of Our Lady of Mercy, built in 1650 during the Siege of Candida and the plague, and dedicated to the Virgin Mary as an expression of gratitude for protection during those troubled times.

    There was a wine and ham festival in full swing in the main square, which was tempting and although I couldn't say for certain, it seemed like admission was free. It was buzzing and if we had been on our own we would have gone in and imbibed. However, since Jackie and I are the only wine drinkers in the present company, we denied ourselves and opted instead to slowly stroll back home, accompanied by an unnecessary ice cream.    Weiterlesen

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  • Colin YoungCroatia 2025Reisender
    1

    Zadar-a boom-de-ay

    12. Juli in Kroatien ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Perhaps my decision to introduce each day's blog with a song was misguided, but I did, hence the odd title for today's report. And if you are shaking (or scratching) your head at my tenuous attempt, maybe I should have gone with Zadarska Balada by that well known Croatian octogenarian, Dani Marsan. "Ta-ra-ra Boom-de-ay", to give it the proper title, is a jaunty vaudeville and music hall number first performed in the 1880s and oddly is also the theme tune for that once seen, immediately forgotten 1950s US children's TV series Howdy Doody. Just try singing the words "It's Howdy Doody time" in place of "Ta-ra-ra Boom-de-ay" and I guarantee it will be stuck in your head for weeks to come.

    Situated on the Adriatic coast, Zadar is the oldest continuously inhabited city in Croatia and is the administrative seat of the northern region of Dalmatia. It is the second largest city in the region, with a population of 72,000. That's a lot of Dalmatians, far more than Mr Disney ever envisaged. It is also our planned destination for this afternoon, after the obligatory R&R by the pool. Even team Shady is out and about - me recumbent on the poolside sofa and Ben under one of the large patio umbrellas. It is very peaceful, with the gentle lapping of the waves stirred up by Laura and Jackie swimming lengths of the pool and the incessant song of the cicadas in the trees as a soundtrack. Male cicadas, the Welsh male-voice choir of the insect world, have a huge noise to size ratio and sing to attract a mate. As they appear to sing all day, it is a strategy that may not be working.

    In a new experience for this sexagenarian, I used a ride hailing app to arrange our taxi to Zadar. I chose Bolt over Uber as it is a European company. It is a small and insignificant protest against the global reach of US imperialism, but it makes me feel better. I should stress that I am not a fanatic - I have an Amazon Prime subscription and I still call an extra long black coffee an Americana, and not a Canadiana like one of my friends. The app was easy to use, even for a first timer, and our request for a big, 6-seater taxi was accepted then just as quickly declined. With no other big taxis responding, we booked 2 standard cars, arranging to rendezvous at Zadar bus station. The cars arrived within minutes of each other and a 6-seater pulled in immediately behind the second car, presumably the one that briefly accepted our booking. I caught the driver's eye, raised my shoulders and spread out my arms in that international gesture that says "well one of us screwed up but I don't think it was me". He smiled and drove off. In retrospect, the bus station was probably not the best place to meet as it was about a 15 minute walk away from the old town and it was hot and uncomfortable, even in the shade.

    The origins of the city of Zadar can be traced back more than 3000 years to around 400 B.C. Roman and Venetian ruins run throughout the old town, including the ruins of the first century Roman Forum adjacent to the impressive Cathedral of St Anastasia. The current cathedral building was constructed in the 12th-century on what was originally the site of a 4th-century basilica. Lucy, Kevan and me climbed the cathedral's 56-metres tall bell tower, putting both my fear of heights and my dodgy knees to the test. But the spectacular views of the old town and of the round, 9th-century Church of St Donatus immediately below us certainly justified the effort. Most of the flights of stairs were in a spiral, and easily manageable, but the final straight flight of steps, passing above the bells and onto the roof had my fear of heights on hyperdrive. The bells celebrated our achievement by ringing loudly as soon as we returned to ground level and I will be forever grateful that we did not spend 5 minutes longer at the top.

    At the end of the peninsula, we reached two of Zadar's most recent and innovative attractions both by the architect Nikola Bašić. The Sea Organ is a series of underwater pipes that create haunting melodies as the waves push air through them, similar to the sounds that a whale makes. Next to this is the Greeting to the Sun, a collection of 300 multi-layer solar panels arranged within a 22 meter diameter circle. The installation collects solar energy during the day and creates a mesmerising light show at night, which unfortunately we missed as we left before sunset. It is well worth Googling and there are numerous YouTube clips of the light show.    Weiterlesen

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  • Colin YoungCroatia 2025Reisender

    Here Comes The Sun (again)

    13. Juli in Kroatien ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    George Harrison was reportedly sunbathing in Eric Clapton's garden when he was inspired to write the classic Beatles number "Here Comes the sun". I have it on good authority (Wikipedia) that John Lennon refused to have anything to do with the recording and I like to imagine that he took exception to the inaccuracy of the opening line. It doesn't take an astrophysicist to know that relative to our planet, the sun doesn't actually come or go anywhere and "Here spins the earth" or "There go the clouds" would have been a more appropriate choice of words.

    Living on the edge, and after a full-on afternoon and evening yesterday, we have decided that today would be a 'do nothing' day. Relax, stay around the pool, stay home for lunch and cook our own dinner. It is good to have a chilled day, recharge the batteries, read a book, engage in meaningless conversations (you know who I'm talking about) - good for everyone that is except the team blogger. I have to confess to being unhappy with the word blogger in the previous sentence, I know there is a better word for it and I did a quick Google on "what do you call someone who documents what a group does on holiday", but I didn't feel the top answer "just plain weird" was particularly helpful. 

    It has been a good day for inactivity. The weather forecast for our week here required just the full sun symbol. Up till now, the temperature has been hot, but not hot-hot, staying in the high 20s (on the Celsius scale) or the low 80s if you are old school. There is a feeling that it is getting hotter each day, and the BBC weather service is confident we will rise into the low 30s by Tuesday. My mum always used to say that I didn't know how to sit still, and that is a trait that I took with me into adult life. But, with yesterday's blog tucked away, I found time to sit on the sofa beside the pool, surrounded by family, with a cup of coffee on one hand, a book in the other and a look of contentment on my face. Such simple pleasures in life cannot be overstated.

    If you are familiar with these holiday musings, you will know that I am not a huge fan of outdoor swimming pools. There is a mental barrier between testing the water with a tentative toe and actually getting into the pool. My mind screams at me not to do it and tells me just how cold I am going to feel when I hit the water. It usually takes at least 5 minutes to apply logic (and historical evidence) to the argument and just get on with it. This year, perhaps deliberately at a subconscious level, I even forgot to pack my swim shorts, and until today I had managed to avoid the pool altogether. But the problem with a down day for someone who struggles to stay still is that eventually for the sake of your own sanity you have to do something, even if it is jump into the pool. What's the worst that could happen - I'd get cold and wet, but on the plus side I'd have something to write about. So I borrowed Ben's spare pair of shorts, secretly proud that my BMI still allows me to wear the shorts of a healthy teenager, and approached the edge of the pool. I stuck in a toe and the usual mind games began. I feel that I won the mental tussle quicker than usual and launched myself into water. It was cold, but not as bad as anticipated, and not cold enough to justify changing the title of today's report to Berlin's "Take My Breath Away".    Weiterlesen

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  • Colin YoungCroatia 2025Reisender

    The Air (conditioning) That I Breathe

    14. Juli in Kroatien ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    "The Air That I Breathe" by the Hollies is one of the enduring songs of the 70s for me. The lyrics paint a picture of such peace and contentment and are perfectly complimented by the music. Hats off to The Hollies! Well no actually, the song was written and recorded by Albert Hammond 2 years before the Hollies 1974 hit made it famous. And in fact Phil Everly and Cilla Black got their hands on it before The Hollies. I recently discovered a website called Second Hand Songs that lists original artists and all cover versions for a huge catalogue of music. For example, did you know that Beethoven's fifth symphony is actually a cover version and was originally written by - only kidding, but be honest, were you even a little bit taken in?

    Planning for these family holidays generally follows a familiar sequence of events. Laura suggests going on holiday abroad and asks us to come with them. I say no, not in July, it's too hot, but then feel guilty. I eventually say OK and I am sure inwardly everyone else is thinking "He always does that, why not just say yes right away and save everyone the hassle". Jackie then proposes numerous potential apartments to rent and I apply them to my 2 filters. Firstly, is it anywhere remotely near where we are flying to (you'd be surprised how many suggested properties fail at the first hurdle). Then, if we are in the right geographical area, does it have air conditioning? You won't be surprised to learn that for me that is more important than does it have a pool.

    Last night was uncomfortably hot, a late cloud cover trapping in the heat of the day. Sitting around the patio table at close to midnight, it was still 21 degrees. Thankfully, my second filter ensured our villa has air conditioning throughout. At home, air conditioning means turning up the central heating, and the radiant distribution of the heat generated is more or less silent. And therein lies the issue with ACUs - generally they require a fan to distribute the cold air. Fine during the heat of the day, but in the still of the night it is more problematic. Firstly, there is the noise : effect ratio to contend with - turn the fan down too much and you won't get sufficient cooling, too high and you won't sleep. Then, assuming you hit the sweet spot, you sleep through the times when the ambient temperature crosses the comfort line, such that the night is punctuated by being wakened because you are too cold, or too hot and having to turn the ACU off, or back on. It wouldn't be so bad If I could get the requirements of my ageing bladder in sync with the requirements of my body temperature sensors. Maybe then I wouldn't come down for breakfast like a half-shut knife.

    If you avidly read these blogs to find out what Colin did and what Colin did next, then I must apologise. As the days get hotter and hotter, the inclination to do anything much at all diminishes to the point where "Nothing Ever Happens" by Del Amitri is in danger of becoming the title of tomorrow's report. As the week has gone on, I have developed a strategy for dealing with the intense heat of the day. I can lie out on the poolside sofa for the best part of the morning, reading my book and generally joining in with the family banter. But once the sun arrives on the patio, or to be more exact, once the rotational forces at work on the sofa bring it into direct alignment with the sun, I become helpful. "I'm just going in to make a coffee, would anyone like one" or "I thought I would start lunch, is this a good time for you". It is a strategy that has served me well up till now, but having documented it am slightly concerned I will be found out. Just slightly, as I suspect the troops have quite enough of me in real time without the need for a refresher course.....

    Although we mostly hung around the villa today, we did head down to the marina later in the afternoon as Lucy wanted to swim in the Adriatic. There is a pebble beach not far from us which is ideally suited for the purpose and Kevan and Lucy did venture in, as the attached photos show. They reported that the temperature was warmer than the pool and I took them at their word. I had been back in the pool this afternoon and I fully subscribe to the theory that you can have too much of a good thing.    Weiterlesen

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  • Colin YoungCroatia 2025Reisender

    Walking On Sunshine

    15. Juli in Kroatien ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    "Walking on Sunshine", released as a single from their debut album in 1983 was Katrina and the Waves' biggest hit by a long way - so much so that people often mistakenly put the band in the One-Hit-Wonders category. In fact they were together for more than 15 years, recorded numerous studio albums and had 2 other charted singles. If like me you are a fan of that outrageous parade of kitsh, cringe-inducing performances known as the Eurovision Song Contest, you may know the band better for "Love Shine a Light" which won first place for the UK in 1997. Ironically, the song was written years previously, but never released on an album, as the band felt it was too Eurovision-esque.

    The BBC weather prediction that the temperature in Zadar would rise into the low 30s was accurate and it has been incredibly hot all day. It was already on the verge of being uncomfortable when Jackie and I made the early morning sojourn to Tommy Supermarket to fetch breakfast and it wasn't long afterwards that even the sun worshippers relocated; first into the shade and eventually back indoors. We had plans to do something either interesting or exciting today, but that has now been shelved, and we are in crisis mode as there are only 2 days left and we haven't done anything interesting or exciting yet. It did briefly get a bit tense, but we all agreed to do something interesting and/or exciting tomorrow, so the ship has been righted. Part of that process involved Kev and I walking in, if not exactly on, sunshine down into Sukošan to see if there are any interesting or exciting boat trips that leave from the pier. There aren't, but we have booked one departing at 1 pm from Zadar pier tomorrow. Now that will be exciting, or at the very least, interesting.

    I was asked the other day if I used AI to write these vignettes, so, given there isn't much going on today, I thought I would give it a try. I asked ChatGpt to write a short paragraph about being too hot on a summer holiday. I will let you decide whether I should persist in my labours or embrace the future. "The sun blazed overhead, turning the sandy beach into a sizzling griddle and the air into a heavy, breathless blanket. What was meant to be a relaxing summer holiday quickly became a test of endurance, as sweat trickled down my back and even the ocean felt more like bathwater than a refreshing escape. The ice cream melted faster than I could eat it, and every step across the scorching pavement made me long for shade and air conditioning. It was beautiful—but just too hot to enjoy." To me it seems to just be a collection of improbable tired clichés. Sand like a sizzling griddle? Air that breathes (or doesn't)? Who hasn't mastered the art of eating (or licking) melting ice cream? Granted, I may be biased and you may be inclined to differ.

    Hunger drove us out into the sunshine at around 7 pm and we had a nice walk in the relative cool of the evening down to the centre of town to find some sustenance (and pizza). We ate at a really nice restaurant, which had an upstairs balcony that overlooked the al fresco dining area and Laura and Lucy kindly recreated a scene from Romeo and Juliet for our pleasure (and for my blog). On the way home, the sunset was so dramatic that I was moved to not only photograph the scene but also WhatsApp it to some friends and family. One friend asked if the photo was a teaser for todays blog and if the title was going to be "Nightswimming" by REM. Sadly, today's efforts were mostly written by then, but given that it was such a warm evening and such a cool song, I decided to oblige. So at 11.45 pm, Lucy and I got in the pool and quietly did some night swimming. I know that I am entering dangerous territory and I have to stress that this was definitely a one-off. So don't anyone think of trying to convince me that "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" would be a good title for tomorrow.    Weiterlesen

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  • Colin YoungCroatia 2025Reisender

    (We Are) Sailing

    16. Juli in Kroatien ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    Long before Rod Stewart made the song famous, I was enjoying "Sailing" as written and performed by the Scottish duo known as The Sutherland Brothers Band. If you are of a certain age you may be more familiar with their later single, "Arms of Mary", a collaboration with the band Quiver and released under the inspired moniker of The Sutherland Brothers and Quiver. I half-remember that the original version of Sailing has an outboard motor playing throughout, but listening now on Spotify, I think the sound changes pitch occasionally so it may be produced using the bass notes of a keyboard. If you know better, please let me know.

    The reason for today's title is that the 4 outdoor, sunshine loving members of the troop have gone on a sightseeing and snorkelling trip on a small boat. From the photos and videos we are receiving back at base, I am so glad that I sat this one out - I have previous experience of a boat pitching and rolling and it didn't end well. Having said that, it does seem to be ticking the Do Something Exciting and Interesting Before We Go Home box. The tour company's website advertises the experience as follows: "This tour offers a relaxed island-hopping experience aboard a traditional Dalmatian boat, with plenty of time for swimming, snorkelling, and exploring hidden coves away from the crowds. Enjoy the laid-back atmosphere with chilled drinks on board, including a local wine, and soak up the views as your local skipper shares insider tips and stories." Jackie is the only wine drinker aboard and I am just slightly concerned that with free-flowing local wine available, I may need to change today's title to "What Shall We Do With the Drunken Sailor".

    It has been a hive of activity in the villa this morning, with flights to be checked in for, taxis to be booked, last minute washing to be put on, cases to be packed and overdue blogs to be posted. In fact, by the time I waved team speedboat off on their Bolt taxi I was a bit frazzled and grateful for the chance to grab a coffee and some peace and quiet. Ben and I plan to Bolt into Zadar to join the others at 5 pm, but first we have been instructed to jump into the pool and send photographic evidence. We have not bothered to set a meeting point, relying instead on the relatively recently discovered WhatsApp feature of live location sharing. Internet-based technology has certainly simplified many aspects of our daily lives, navigation being a prime example. Back in the day, when Lindisfarne sang "meet me on the corner when the lights are coming on and I'll be there, I promise I'll be there" such meetings were by no means a guarantee and I admire their confidence. No chance of sending a text to say "sorry, missed the bus, I'm going to be late" or a quick call to say "I've been standing here for the past 20 minutes and there's no sign of you, are you sure I am at the right corner".

    We met up with the sea cadets as planned and it was good to see that they had made it back onto dry land without incident. By all accounts the boat trip was a huge success, even though no mermaids, sea monsters or dolphins were encountered. Lucy was carrying my rucksack hung very low over one shoulder and being a gentleman I offered to carry it for her. But she declined as she was using the bag to shield the wet patch at the back of her shorts. A visit to a nearby trattoria was hastily arranged, to give an opportunity for the seafarers to change out of their wet swimwear. But as we sat around the table chatting in the afternoon sun, afternoon drinks merged seamlessly into dinner. It wasn't long before we headed off back to our villa to finish packing and to eat and drink what was left in the fridge. It has been a quick week and we have had a lot of fun. I love these family times, which is why I always agree to come, even in July, when it is too hot.    Weiterlesen

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  • Colin YoungCroatia 2025Reisender

    Leaving On A Jetplane

    17. Juli in Kroatien ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    "Leaving on a Jet Plane" is Number 3 in Billboard's top 20 goodbye songs, and the first to involve a form of transport. For the curious, No Doubt's "Don't Speak" and "I Will Remember You" by Sarah McLachlan are Numbers 1 and 2 on the list, respectively. Although Denver's lyrics are primarily about leaving the love of his life, the lyrics in the first verse seem particularly appropriate for our scheduled departure time: "But the dawn is breakin', It's early morn, The taxi's waitin' He's blowin' his horn".  To be honest, the sun rose at about 2 hours before we got up and the taxi was 20 minutes late so no horn tooting was required, but please grant me some poetic licence.

    I have had fun thinking about daily events in terms of song lyrics and if you have also been entertained then my work here is done. There were some that I wanted to use but the opportunity didn't arise, so given that nothing happened today other than we got up and flew home, here is a brief synopsis.

    Brand New Key, Melanie
    Dedicated to the joy of using my new keyboard and pain-free thumbs. You may be more familiar with the alternative version by The Wurzels, The Combine Harvester (Brand New Key). If you are, then shame on you.....

    Why Does It Always Rain on Me, Travis
    It is always good to have something put aside for a rainy day, but it is better that I didn't get to use it.

    Sunset Song, Richard Thompson
    For Maia, who loves sunsets, and in memory of her Uncle Bill.

    We Are Family, Sister Sledge
    Family bonds are precious and worth looking after.  If your children and grandchildren still want to spend time with you, be grateful and never take it for granted.

    Whistle for the Choir, The Fratellis
    For the parents seated directly behind my seat on the flight home - if you're going to buy a whistle to amuse your child, take it from them before you get on a plane.

    Flying Over Water, Jason Isbell
    For me, because we did and because it is a great song. 

    My Book, The Beautiful South
    For Jackie and Laura and the 2 suitcases of dirty clothes, if only for the lyric "Back to Reality"

    So Far Away, Dire Straits
    For Ryanair's truly awful seating policy. Would I fly Ryanair again? Possibly, but reluctantly. Would I pay for a seat? No chance - and no offence Jackie, I love sitting beside you, I just don't think I should have to pay £30 for the privilege.

    And finally...

    It's All Over Now, The Rolling Stones
    Because it is, but only till next time...    Weiterlesen

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    17. Juli 2025
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