tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14594319795394768502024-03-10T10:12:47.656+01:00Weighty mattersSunrise over the Irish SeaMarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04464946195661953578noreply@blogger.comBlogger2809125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1459431979539476850.post-64796594645680340662022-11-29T12:45:00.004+01:002022-11-29T12:45:57.607+01:00Mary and Joseph<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT8b7Q_QciKtA-sTmgW5AyMmnQl_dzilK62AQlc4TmRIpQPnq7WFG_lvcHpcDSV5y0A2k6YI-37g0BZ4rAlUqf_AVRG7oSjYP5GZPRancdMRhus2wicqs_qTIlBgwpEomhwazFcSmSxlxzyXxjyC0Eoi2DX0pP_gLGKhVBccmK69nix8L4gEj1FI42/s750/B396C392-DF59-4AA4-A684-A2D4167F6BB4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="551" data-original-width="750" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT8b7Q_QciKtA-sTmgW5AyMmnQl_dzilK62AQlc4TmRIpQPnq7WFG_lvcHpcDSV5y0A2k6YI-37g0BZ4rAlUqf_AVRG7oSjYP5GZPRancdMRhus2wicqs_qTIlBgwpEomhwazFcSmSxlxzyXxjyC0Eoi2DX0pP_gLGKhVBccmK69nix8L4gEj1FI42/s320/B396C392-DF59-4AA4-A684-A2D4167F6BB4.jpeg" width="320" /></i></a></div><p><i>Today in church we were introduced to Mary & Joseph at the start of their Advent(ure) as they set out on the long journey to Bethlehem.</i></p><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i>We pray that they will find safe passage on their journey.</i></p><p style="text-align: justify;">A few years ago I knitted some Nativity sets. They were quite small, but I liked them a lot. My sister in Northern Ireland bought one set, another went to Scotland and one remained with me.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Imagine my surprise and delight when I found they were on a journey. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigNOYCF7XgmLx-I0MkQW4gZXzPHsPQuKfgf-Tww8I2rapmgtJdugS6nQ-nWflO5btXiWfFDUEscAg-2tjvrByDqpNFizOiImar2oJeouijmpsG1lnp-dE9-38TyAtwduehvufE6rj_X8lYmZgLW6HUrSEOb_bBpl6EOyo9lK0Ge-S0BYpbkXYxITvP/s926/CDA0BACA-5C74-4079-AF80-568C3E292D70.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="926" data-original-width="746" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigNOYCF7XgmLx-I0MkQW4gZXzPHsPQuKfgf-Tww8I2rapmgtJdugS6nQ-nWflO5btXiWfFDUEscAg-2tjvrByDqpNFizOiImar2oJeouijmpsG1lnp-dE9-38TyAtwduehvufE6rj_X8lYmZgLW6HUrSEOb_bBpl6EOyo9lK0Ge-S0BYpbkXYxITvP/s320/CDA0BACA-5C74-4079-AF80-568C3E292D70.jpeg" width="258" /></a></div><p>“<i>What</i> <i>on earth does this do?”</i></p><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i>Looking for transport for their journey, they come across something unusual.</i></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Photos all courtesy of St Mark’s Church in Portadown, Northern Ireland. </p>Marahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04464946195661953578noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1459431979539476850.post-27610017196614894792022-07-25T11:53:00.001+02:002022-07-25T11:53:03.759+02:00Weekly Travels 22-26<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdOJsbBGZzyhno_EV8m2DELvWnyQcImRo-N3hms2AJR8c2UxYDbJ6SRy4yYBeIzzXrrmLcPcYmhcyHO1qT2SCSMytO0LyBe3b3QHsYtAdLlpXz1l8M7fGjLf_jYkEFR8AIokAvBQjB5oTblVBN90_Yfh3G0nNO6zD_6S9pCKMLv_YCp98mtqcU_L56/s2796/627B6F66-5922-4790-99C1-9BEE31275678.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2796" data-original-width="1933" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdOJsbBGZzyhno_EV8m2DELvWnyQcImRo-N3hms2AJR8c2UxYDbJ6SRy4yYBeIzzXrrmLcPcYmhcyHO1qT2SCSMytO0LyBe3b3QHsYtAdLlpXz1l8M7fGjLf_jYkEFR8AIokAvBQjB5oTblVBN90_Yfh3G0nNO6zD_6S9pCKMLv_YCp98mtqcU_L56/s320/627B6F66-5922-4790-99C1-9BEE31275678.jpeg" width="221" /></a></div>The computer is downstairs and when I first tried it last week, it worked a treat. Not however, today. So, back to the phone it is. Last week’s challenge proved to be difficult, but I do have a point to give to Yamini for knowing it was Leni Riefenstahl, a film maker from Germany.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">It was Claus who sent me the card and he made sure this was a woman with a decidedly contoversial life as she filmed the Berlin Olympics of 1936 and was a fervent supporter of that moustachioed idiot they had ruling Germany from 1933 until he committed suicide in 1945. Leni did however have a great talent at film making. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguRlSoF6jUpFQyo5Thy9X_Sgawry3_q9A6JJkl6b66mZDA8HbA6hi_ZoFidP_A09lwk5BSKQ-uvQKrs_KmkmAgPKts5bpfKPj8BptNevLDZ3QAhQSLBh-8bV-pxcZ7QCjUrvAlXaTXKwyX7TehLCJg-c8ENCGu-HAjt3WkpC_JGYBMDBf_oOGJyad3/s2953/3218D981-EAE9-4686-9F3E-28000FD884B8.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1482" data-original-width="2953" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguRlSoF6jUpFQyo5Thy9X_Sgawry3_q9A6JJkl6b66mZDA8HbA6hi_ZoFidP_A09lwk5BSKQ-uvQKrs_KmkmAgPKts5bpfKPj8BptNevLDZ3QAhQSLBh-8bV-pxcZ7QCjUrvAlXaTXKwyX7TehLCJg-c8ENCGu-HAjt3WkpC_JGYBMDBf_oOGJyad3/s320/3218D981-EAE9-4686-9F3E-28000FD884B8.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>On to this week’s challenge now. Where is this? Have you ever been? Tell us your story. Answer next week.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">PS, this is a cropped postcard, so I might or might not have been here 😁.</div>Marahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04464946195661953578noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1459431979539476850.post-10225984662980088462022-07-19T13:17:00.001+02:002022-07-19T13:17:08.954+02:00Weekly Travels 22-25<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEwuWKDo5Sfst0NcpcE0q6w7p_bf_jwgkbkRx3GyKe1CVNN-tKpU7nLGbnOsOm8wChLsg8wfFxRXc5OGic7kY9T9sAgHHrLwmEv7qjem3IvVCzReuKPl2exSc8zC2LXunPCmzgIobI7-kxxwjCq_NswLHrKod3Hr057qBuplaALDbD0COU_eHXHKM3/s2587/1C7F3C82-6A16-40FE-B792-D6D8D8C0CF13.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1789" data-original-width="2587" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEwuWKDo5Sfst0NcpcE0q6w7p_bf_jwgkbkRx3GyKe1CVNN-tKpU7nLGbnOsOm8wChLsg8wfFxRXc5OGic7kY9T9sAgHHrLwmEv7qjem3IvVCzReuKPl2exSc8zC2LXunPCmzgIobI7-kxxwjCq_NswLHrKod3Hr057qBuplaALDbD0COU_eHXHKM3/s320/1C7F3C82-6A16-40FE-B792-D6D8D8C0CF13.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>David from Australia sent me last week’s challenge slash postcard. And the person depicted on the card was Barry Humphries in the guise of Dame Edna Everage. Points go to Hilary and Yamini. Well done Possums!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghe7bhqta9GbD_nsYQ7pq4Tp29IERNkEdLJoLNufhbbP43h6a5U_76NSbhB7qCbaS1XY9ZeOYfslfbeNzEZ57zbZUKCBt1bMmWLgyTiuwxp-vg7zahya-5xyQLp3SS4TMys6nVjttHuIk7eC-B15ye1uFMaoXNavKHGs1WQP-1WT9j4n5my6BUHGfO/s2796/0709A9CF-634B-4AF9-807C-C88B306BDB86.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2796" data-original-width="1933" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghe7bhqta9GbD_nsYQ7pq4Tp29IERNkEdLJoLNufhbbP43h6a5U_76NSbhB7qCbaS1XY9ZeOYfslfbeNzEZ57zbZUKCBt1bMmWLgyTiuwxp-vg7zahya-5xyQLp3SS4TMys6nVjttHuIk7eC-B15ye1uFMaoXNavKHGs1WQP-1WT9j4n5my6BUHGfO/s320/0709A9CF-634B-4AF9-807C-C88B306BDB86.jpeg" width="221" /></a></div>This week’s challenge is again a person, because even if I have my computer up and running again, I quite like this bit of the challenge. So, who is this, where does this person hail from and have you ever been to the country this person comes from? Give us your story. Answer next week.</div>Marahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04464946195661953578noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1459431979539476850.post-20107114650589111502022-07-14T11:28:00.002+02:002022-07-14T11:28:14.205+02:00Weekly Travels 22-24<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVzivCVg-qddPEiyj5PP-W1LkO9gvK7dYRm7RTnKCb5A2Mde18Ag3QHXLT7wmM7i9_tHDc-F7JBGNgqx1Rmu-zw6YFdwOkWG3p_4V93x1P_o7TQ4SavqeQpO8hr8sDBjddOLareeai4wdtOY_oTe2fkOR5zsY2rO6rqO5jN7MtvbfUXrHiJVilX0rV/s3627/FF7C6EC7-B4FE-4065-8DBF-7D8BE5AB7352.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3627" data-original-width="2506" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVzivCVg-qddPEiyj5PP-W1LkO9gvK7dYRm7RTnKCb5A2Mde18Ag3QHXLT7wmM7i9_tHDc-F7JBGNgqx1Rmu-zw6YFdwOkWG3p_4V93x1P_o7TQ4SavqeQpO8hr8sDBjddOLareeai4wdtOY_oTe2fkOR5zsY2rO6rqO5jN7MtvbfUXrHiJVilX0rV/s320/FF7C6EC7-B4FE-4065-8DBF-7D8BE5AB7352.jpeg" width="221" /></a></div>Well, last week’s challenge wasn’t necessarily the worst. Mustafa had sent me the card all the way from Jordan and it was of course Petra. That was all it said on the card, so if there is more to it than that, I wouldn’t know as I have never been to Jordan. </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Points go to Yamini, Gerrit and Gera.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaZfwKsO3BKpPyb7k5U5bhG4mevflkj9Dw27q5QJRg2ktFf1bYFsmAQ7Jig8nU7NbgUbELGOa5R6LwL7kAUpriZA8gnlVszfGZDw8o9Zfu8VuqaZUPe-cVlqB4Z9LYS-W116UIcm8z5DOkIW3yHvWxL_WSaEyPaH-k0UnHwKgH4-dYbzqwOwotGhrF/s2587/8312C5D9-EDBB-4804-836D-B8374C84645B.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1789" data-original-width="2587" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaZfwKsO3BKpPyb7k5U5bhG4mevflkj9Dw27q5QJRg2ktFf1bYFsmAQ7Jig8nU7NbgUbELGOa5R6LwL7kAUpriZA8gnlVszfGZDw8o9Zfu8VuqaZUPe-cVlqB4Z9LYS-W116UIcm8z5DOkIW3yHvWxL_WSaEyPaH-k0UnHwKgH4-dYbzqwOwotGhrF/s320/8312C5D9-EDBB-4804-836D-B8374C84645B.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>This week it’s another postcard, but this time once again of a person. So, who is this and where does she come from? Details gets points people! Answer next week. </div>Marahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04464946195661953578noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1459431979539476850.post-84435943217227434682022-07-04T10:33:00.005+02:002022-07-04T10:33:51.510+02:00Weekly Travels 22-23<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQClouxA-AEr69kTSq_5zNzufFRL8DR59W5nuhbkWWU8iVyKK1o9W-mm7NLO0qhZOK0mZVTQzGvq9XQMyvgQz6EpbuJjHklVathdMwcCh8-zlGOcUmnpxnT3ll36PGvuqC_XCCvysgO69yJCgHonpUy_u5nHpD5xbs-emw_Z2DKazLSrtuxsK0qo5p/s2261/AFA98727-DB8F-4E95-8A41-35B9929FA4F0.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1509" data-original-width="2261" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQClouxA-AEr69kTSq_5zNzufFRL8DR59W5nuhbkWWU8iVyKK1o9W-mm7NLO0qhZOK0mZVTQzGvq9XQMyvgQz6EpbuJjHklVathdMwcCh8-zlGOcUmnpxnT3ll36PGvuqC_XCCvysgO69yJCgHonpUy_u5nHpD5xbs-emw_Z2DKazLSrtuxsK0qo5p/s320/AFA98727-DB8F-4E95-8A41-35B9929FA4F0.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>Wow, you certainly know your stuff folks! And even though several names got bandied about (even Laura Ingalls of ‘Little House on the Prairie’ got mentioned by my Mum), the correct answer was of course: Anne of Green Gables. A fictional character living on Prince Edward Island, Canada. Yamini and Debby get half a point each (no Canada mentioned). Hilary gets 3/4 point, Gera gets a whole point. But I think we can all agree that Millie & Walter deserve a point and a half for their answer!</div><div style="text-align: justify;">My story? I saw the series years and years ago in my teens, but only read the book quite recently. I know a series is out there, but I don’t know if anybody can surpass Colleen Dewhurst as Marilla Cuthbert.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV2IxJVbQ-tasejhbh1_XESu4mg0NRdyRIzIl_ojF424izAyzZDOEkA6uRdvAtM6YDuhq7Pn3qz7ip1eOGEk0OAvW7LuQ4gVk7zfGAc-Mxz059PSYmLUhX7TTOYfgGo3EeKc1KwWemBJkEK5iFBCXRMiOSHpNXNDrxI_fPRJ1FkbbeK7lsW-RHuBRM/s3627/D524A06D-E67E-4D24-8429-AEA456CC5879.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3627" data-original-width="2506" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV2IxJVbQ-tasejhbh1_XESu4mg0NRdyRIzIl_ojF424izAyzZDOEkA6uRdvAtM6YDuhq7Pn3qz7ip1eOGEk0OAvW7LuQ4gVk7zfGAc-Mxz059PSYmLUhX7TTOYfgGo3EeKc1KwWemBJkEK5iFBCXRMiOSHpNXNDrxI_fPRJ1FkbbeK7lsW-RHuBRM/s320/D524A06D-E67E-4D24-8429-AEA456CC5879.jpeg" width="221" /></a></div>On to this week’s challenge and thanks to the world of postcrossing it is a location one again. I may or may not have visited this place. So where is it? Have you ever been? Tell us your story. Answer next week.</div>Marahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04464946195661953578noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1459431979539476850.post-6754851296918535242022-06-28T08:00:00.007+02:002022-06-28T08:00:00.215+02:00Weekly Travels 22-22<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNIXQ6pCYhMys4k0SWNaNNpnzFuzF5z2-J8HcjsAOODUnR0FuYZr4qMikzVB613AgJgDoENWKTreWjOeIRst0qsPFVSuKsLracrMqZ5PfeA-xhuXS3CDNAorfdp2Xdp7qTxCmuwAVlIxAWIRcGade4SSU-3aJlXyfVk0hGf7ZZUZ90nOjv3-Enwo0X/s4032/A1D23F65-7102-454C-A98A-00BC67ADFA08.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNIXQ6pCYhMys4k0SWNaNNpnzFuzF5z2-J8HcjsAOODUnR0FuYZr4qMikzVB613AgJgDoENWKTreWjOeIRst0qsPFVSuKsLracrMqZ5PfeA-xhuXS3CDNAorfdp2Xdp7qTxCmuwAVlIxAWIRcGade4SSU-3aJlXyfVk0hGf7ZZUZ90nOjv3-Enwo0X/s320/A1D23F65-7102-454C-A98A-00BC67ADFA08.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div>Last week’s challenge was definitely easy and difficult in one. I think everybody realised this was a church, but that is not enough folks! I wanted to hear ‘stave’ church and only one person said that and knew where it was. Gerrit gets s whole point. And 1/4 point to those who had Norway somewhere in their answer: Harm, Gera and Yamini. </div><div style="text-align: justify;">My story? On my very first visit to Norway in April 2012, I saw this stave church in Heddal, about 120 km West of Oslo. It think it was open, but too dark for photos. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5HbrOlL2UE7DhFpkH592mhilJvO5JgTYyRdH-Z9T2kPD-T3_vzBOSRy_7F0jXwREMKZCiaSiWr3AdT3OUmgru8RBeVWcFdrlntyntFSGwhqukd2b1aTFfihk1dqsCHAAqnFWplr0pdjCIY8EAwpA5LbaRNew2rm4BhGyqn1s-Gkbtx0Ui6rFyUtVY/s2261/22D5D5F9-309F-4962-9F05-06CAE4CC037F.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1509" data-original-width="2261" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5HbrOlL2UE7DhFpkH592mhilJvO5JgTYyRdH-Z9T2kPD-T3_vzBOSRy_7F0jXwREMKZCiaSiWr3AdT3OUmgru8RBeVWcFdrlntyntFSGwhqukd2b1aTFfihk1dqsCHAAqnFWplr0pdjCIY8EAwpA5LbaRNew2rm4BhGyqn1s-Gkbtx0Ui6rFyUtVY/s320/22D5D5F9-309F-4962-9F05-06CAE4CC037F.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>On to this week’s challenge. Which is a bit different as I have run out of good scenic postcards. Although I do still want as much info for the points of course. So, who is this and from what country is she? Have you ever met this person or been to that country? Tell us your story. Answer next week. </div>Marahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04464946195661953578noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1459431979539476850.post-43054514391262749322022-06-24T12:05:00.004+02:002022-06-24T12:05:35.715+02:00Heads up<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0W48vf8d31cB-tyMVunWksqk3dVASuIHUix7JWIoKdRih45znTSYqlHqwLQ64spZdRPmuI7A9pDqCuiHgPzfI7qOzQopBSCE0paNByt9fFSnPY3lAnRVoqhDmxQlREEquwbp-G3Aq6K7jjjR17qjOR9kA-xdNAelPvwL7Sfx4b8EypH9kcsuIRDcz/s2048/EED1C748-6968-4BE9-9277-701C56098DE0.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0W48vf8d31cB-tyMVunWksqk3dVASuIHUix7JWIoKdRih45znTSYqlHqwLQ64spZdRPmuI7A9pDqCuiHgPzfI7qOzQopBSCE0paNByt9fFSnPY3lAnRVoqhDmxQlREEquwbp-G3Aq6K7jjjR17qjOR9kA-xdNAelPvwL7Sfx4b8EypH9kcsuIRDcz/s320/EED1C748-6968-4BE9-9277-701C56098DE0.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div>As my computer still isn’t sorted, I am now working off my phone. Which lets me blog okay, but will not let me comment on blogs that require google log-in. Something to do with browser settings. So, some of you may get comments under the anonymous tab, others may not because I cannot comment anonymously. And yes, I do sign with my name. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Just to let you know.</div>Marahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04464946195661953578noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1459431979539476850.post-7867173040956522202022-06-23T10:03:00.002+02:002022-06-23T10:03:20.269+02:00Things<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigyBoJspvBRrC-L47DmtAXRK9IfWvR5g2MG71LctCiNZt1DlHu6VZzNa58B0O-rrZRRGE8OAWVpBs4gm3vWy9lKnJFAOfmbLsdkEGg8W4lt4u8Mg3I3PIrGcEPNieEzD5fGLy_LPleTf16-A_zU9BvrBsEXqcuy9Znv5_r-3zyMp6fsh9H1Nxo6CZt/s3088/E797C91E-4BC3-413F-BA22-62EB962C75A1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2320" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigyBoJspvBRrC-L47DmtAXRK9IfWvR5g2MG71LctCiNZt1DlHu6VZzNa58B0O-rrZRRGE8OAWVpBs4gm3vWy9lKnJFAOfmbLsdkEGg8W4lt4u8Mg3I3PIrGcEPNieEzD5fGLy_LPleTf16-A_zU9BvrBsEXqcuy9Znv5_r-3zyMp6fsh9H1Nxo6CZt/s320/E797C91E-4BC3-413F-BA22-62EB962C75A1.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div>It’s been a while since I last reported on what’s happened with me. So long in fact I never even mentioned my sister being here back in May and the two of us going to Cologne for a few days. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguHmBZ6b2oEXLQnHF0LXsMPKSCWMr08APkZvC0Rwf1TTjfMRMKT3CSMNqSZ_6ifJyYy7ABCQLtj7qurl3IpgRcx6LWxPNJ5WVgg1Bpeax-zJWgXoSrx9kj2jXJOsaM3LXG0_nkW5RD4f2vTeX_TMSIg4kuGX7SgOdT-Gi75PSwVLjp1CppgdejNtGk/s2048/4C82CA10-6092-47D1-9620-0CADA8573911.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguHmBZ6b2oEXLQnHF0LXsMPKSCWMr08APkZvC0Rwf1TTjfMRMKT3CSMNqSZ_6ifJyYy7ABCQLtj7qurl3IpgRcx6LWxPNJ5WVgg1Bpeax-zJWgXoSrx9kj2jXJOsaM3LXG0_nkW5RD4f2vTeX_TMSIg4kuGX7SgOdT-Gi75PSwVLjp1CppgdejNtGk/s320/4C82CA10-6092-47D1-9620-0CADA8573911.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>As always hampered by a headache attack and a knee playing up, we still managed to have a good time. We visited the cathedral, did a bus tour and on our last day we went to the zoo. Plus we did some shopping. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj08ok3NiJ4JGSRmD215zHYcrvQG1x7bBRQoGbz_BGXbUGaEy8ZIXTeVJDKS_FR_SaKZlYpnszNhHCVdke2wNg_R5hJ_OTIo7_sZmz4FFLVB_TE_ilFHIalv8YRsrLXg_AWFDNYjaghyCFbUWyW4IO3teYwGIYa_91lYtcviOmGCag10ZrPtl4q_hQv/s4032/66001F4C-0984-4D59-98D2-1B7A22AF81C3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj08ok3NiJ4JGSRmD215zHYcrvQG1x7bBRQoGbz_BGXbUGaEy8ZIXTeVJDKS_FR_SaKZlYpnszNhHCVdke2wNg_R5hJ_OTIo7_sZmz4FFLVB_TE_ilFHIalv8YRsrLXg_AWFDNYjaghyCFbUWyW4IO3teYwGIYa_91lYtcviOmGCag10ZrPtl4q_hQv/s320/66001F4C-0984-4D59-98D2-1B7A22AF81C3.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div>The rest of the week saw us visit the Sand sculpture park with our parents (plenty of photos, only accessible via computer) and some more shopping. But we kept it fairly easy and laid-back. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXHlXLayHm64b6u2SI8xCKtY_2e7OrruG3idHk0T5WV8omX5kouebmYJfJ3V2Xrgm9q0cGv3Yfu8Tq4V2PKcJVPTtY2ngkLvEdYf6ds1ihW42KoA_ESIq7gZJ2SPfhpiPDCs0izsUO0CRrwqoiaIM3nXRxkqG5LaZlSD-6hmDvOj8QpE6Mev3S5FKe/s2046/F8B0C414-2368-4C32-981C-8D084F680CCF.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2046" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXHlXLayHm64b6u2SI8xCKtY_2e7OrruG3idHk0T5WV8omX5kouebmYJfJ3V2Xrgm9q0cGv3Yfu8Tq4V2PKcJVPTtY2ngkLvEdYf6ds1ihW42KoA_ESIq7gZJ2SPfhpiPDCs0izsUO0CRrwqoiaIM3nXRxkqG5LaZlSD-6hmDvOj8QpE6Mev3S5FKe/s320/F8B0C414-2368-4C32-981C-8D084F680CCF.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div>I have been doing some work in the garden. Clearing weeds, cutting back trees, planting berry bushes, finding berry bushes. I have had a few guests: a small toad, a blackbird, kitties, a small white dog. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2j2M9ICmJe6QragIpMSfz5lkXGQiFyHxXOcsBBHzzq4rPq-uyzKooC7a0xFYQA_Z_-Fu_FFhmrSjsURbLVYc7rWWTHHtqTS4R2NJ2HEQ4rc9APxKhMIw4n4Zv0IuUpx4x5gaMmJIbdL8RgNY23KEwRTlIfBDUmSvFOinRq8s7int-6Faip3xb0Jfe/s4032/A8CA6FBC-D16C-4519-92F5-F86374430F4A.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2j2M9ICmJe6QragIpMSfz5lkXGQiFyHxXOcsBBHzzq4rPq-uyzKooC7a0xFYQA_Z_-Fu_FFhmrSjsURbLVYc7rWWTHHtqTS4R2NJ2HEQ4rc9APxKhMIw4n4Zv0IuUpx4x5gaMmJIbdL8RgNY23KEwRTlIfBDUmSvFOinRq8s7int-6Faip3xb0Jfe/s320/A8CA6FBC-D16C-4519-92F5-F86374430F4A.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div>As for work, a few days after my sister left, I got my license and was allowed back behind the steering wheel again. It was tiring at first, but it’s been over a month now and I am happy to say all is well. The hands are doing fine and not giving me too much bother. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcFC7mA-oQvbZnt9EJGWIw2V_uPxhN3zjUQE68gsxCO-V7SSwJVZmSwGmP6AjcHilmsF8rBbpVnF7KUBPCg06vwcjkVxJNiPbvDB9fpCgBS3f-yBUNld2hVtN3Fm3Yiz7oqW0f8vYkhUrgnXEJT70dtq0QOoaXsMrgI5Xa-Pxk4_jatXIPM8NSVLAM/s2046/8F8CE81E-0908-4927-A5D6-101B0CF69000.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2046" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcFC7mA-oQvbZnt9EJGWIw2V_uPxhN3zjUQE68gsxCO-V7SSwJVZmSwGmP6AjcHilmsF8rBbpVnF7KUBPCg06vwcjkVxJNiPbvDB9fpCgBS3f-yBUNld2hVtN3Fm3Yiz7oqW0f8vYkhUrgnXEJT70dtq0QOoaXsMrgI5Xa-Pxk4_jatXIPM8NSVLAM/s320/8F8CE81E-0908-4927-A5D6-101B0CF69000.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>So, that’s me in a nut shell. </div>Marahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04464946195661953578noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1459431979539476850.post-44065520148211940302022-06-20T17:07:00.001+02:002022-06-20T17:07:25.009+02:00Weekly Travels 22-21<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibptdbczXfoyYr0rgDtX_ouJrAjqECcYoR9QQiWr6Q60-uggfxGjnctAdDJ-ZNjpP53XwKjI1O9S0quiioGCXYlbfw6JmutlrxuMXao7UcmEQkoSRfVLRNcpCPa7tZwShadFWFQBMpe1W5UZBpDsTx2DAnjok6UfraKOeZEdk_lnPKXtYR0qJTxkn4/s3088/20BBE819-C063-4056-812C-91F864EE72E2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2320" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibptdbczXfoyYr0rgDtX_ouJrAjqECcYoR9QQiWr6Q60-uggfxGjnctAdDJ-ZNjpP53XwKjI1O9S0quiioGCXYlbfw6JmutlrxuMXao7UcmEQkoSRfVLRNcpCPa7tZwShadFWFQBMpe1W5UZBpDsTx2DAnjok6UfraKOeZEdk_lnPKXtYR0qJTxkn4/s320/20BBE819-C063-4056-812C-91F864EE72E2.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div>This computer of mine is really not cooperating for whatever reason. Probably because I am not using it often enough. I am working on getting it downstairs now, so I will (be tempted to) use it more. In the mean time I don’t have access to my travel photos or my blog, which in turn means I have to depend on the postcards. But another problem has cropped up: no viable cards. I do think I finally found a solution though. First however…</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp11-VXummDnPXs2D4mwHs9kQ-596-Ub6ElqrI10jB96sd3mAa_4ZhSt1Fzg8H_TTJVDUu9dDwfMgiKlwbhdk-Evq-Z5Dy0CttpBOMh3vWUuyluqgFCYkkZ0rceUgZqsRa3wS0AZw0KkScEquVvYVMnAeaYDUVScTyYcp1IUTgd-c2lG4tEhKVBdvV/s2602/D326582B-13E4-4B9F-9870-A0FC9EC09DEB.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1694" data-original-width="2602" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp11-VXummDnPXs2D4mwHs9kQ-596-Ub6ElqrI10jB96sd3mAa_4ZhSt1Fzg8H_TTJVDUu9dDwfMgiKlwbhdk-Evq-Z5Dy0CttpBOMh3vWUuyluqgFCYkkZ0rceUgZqsRa3wS0AZw0KkScEquVvYVMnAeaYDUVScTyYcp1IUTgd-c2lG4tEhKVBdvV/s320/D326582B-13E4-4B9F-9870-A0FC9EC09DEB.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>Last week’s challenge was (according to the postcard) Alexanderplatz in Berlin. Yeah, I didn’t get that either. The most prominent feature though is the ‘Fernsehturm’ or TV Tower. Points to Yamini, Gera and Gerrit. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnG4DxnQVGqavuC1eMWxP8y7yFcjEYQdskbQBtvL4s0N0llNHZBolFShsvVbLBMx0V3dGoov6V2jFP9RHiTUDVyk3eUDsbZj8qhonrjql3YPjnY_VP9tmlUJkd_NBHdL6N9md7H050zPBrusn1MiUvXH3GSsXgR25coAKCS9ucOPMgGuYbaJ7Qypl8/s4032/51DADF77-1224-4478-AC0F-B2AC99C62AA9.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnG4DxnQVGqavuC1eMWxP8y7yFcjEYQdskbQBtvL4s0N0llNHZBolFShsvVbLBMx0V3dGoov6V2jFP9RHiTUDVyk3eUDsbZj8qhonrjql3YPjnY_VP9tmlUJkd_NBHdL6N9md7H050zPBrusn1MiUvXH3GSsXgR25coAKCS9ucOPMgGuYbaJ7Qypl8/s320/51DADF77-1224-4478-AC0F-B2AC99C62AA9.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div>This week’s challenge is a photo of a photo. What and where is this? Have you ever been? Tell us your story. Answer ‘at some point’!</div>Marahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04464946195661953578noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1459431979539476850.post-59241768144284970672022-06-08T13:14:00.001+02:002022-06-08T13:14:31.093+02:00Weekly Travels 22-20<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeYoSPVy12ysybcRCJyIZ01ZbHjUBhN_h1xtjun5syS2STeVOX3JVFM_i5vjRZ6lML4UtBd9qAYhNdkl_e6JdWMIxnr04BCvk4PN5ur3c0umcAujj2NSzPoB6slQ9XcTAZvf-amGdbVJKe6NQVV-5cAkzhZZivegZESGSaU1EfH_0JWrlTcpVQEmh0/s3456/A89673B9-EA9D-42DF-9FEB-6FA67062BC20.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2304" data-original-width="3456" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeYoSPVy12ysybcRCJyIZ01ZbHjUBhN_h1xtjun5syS2STeVOX3JVFM_i5vjRZ6lML4UtBd9qAYhNdkl_e6JdWMIxnr04BCvk4PN5ur3c0umcAujj2NSzPoB6slQ9XcTAZvf-amGdbVJKe6NQVV-5cAkzhZZivegZESGSaU1EfH_0JWrlTcpVQEmh0/s320/A89673B9-EA9D-42DF-9FEB-6FA67062BC20.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>Perhaps a better way of calling it. Still trying for Tuesday though and failing spectacularly immediately. On to the challenge at hand. This was the bobsleigh track in Winterberg, Germany. Only Gerrit got the complete answer and gets a whole point. Millie &Walter realised it was somewhere in Germany and get 3/4 point. Yamini, Fun60, Gera and Hilary each get 1/2 point. </div><div style="text-align: justify;">My story? I visited Winterberg less than two years ago and saw this track from quite close by. I still want to go down in a bobsleigh some day. I will pass at the tea trays…</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYGZ3ZHqJSr9GJyizpFnRHXSU8ifpOnOfv1sFKvJ3DY-aJWRyecR3ULpsJsSaJ4kzwQ9fGqRuw3m08d3A5agTMCRz77xCKGHWWiC5OtsgfkSmF4y4VDeznAkwgIQDXEKkUB9xRSHBSjmuGilRnOTYtEGMxLVEUPshlTYG3VnsqqZY1bpscZfLcNmkD/s2602/154624B8-BF27-4FD4-B310-9AD5EC024519.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1694" data-original-width="2602" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYGZ3ZHqJSr9GJyizpFnRHXSU8ifpOnOfv1sFKvJ3DY-aJWRyecR3ULpsJsSaJ4kzwQ9fGqRuw3m08d3A5agTMCRz77xCKGHWWiC5OtsgfkSmF4y4VDeznAkwgIQDXEKkUB9xRSHBSjmuGilRnOTYtEGMxLVEUPshlTYG3VnsqqZY1bpscZfLcNmkD/s320/154624B8-BF27-4FD4-B310-9AD5EC024519.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>On to this week’s challenge, which is another Postcrossing card, so keep in mind there is a chance I have not visited. What/where is this? Have you ever been? Tell us your story. Answer next week. </div>Marahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04464946195661953578noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1459431979539476850.post-32407994630160261742022-06-02T14:00:00.000+02:002022-06-02T14:00:00.327+02:00Normalcy and frustrations in one<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmar7YPlTgP4fqGd0bVQj306mNSE2avrHkdr5e8fCDg5JX-ZEbAWA1NFvvr_V1z7upEimkQWxRywr5SmEI_5n76rxIdE3kY6rWY3FpIo10Z79B-jYyVfNoM4_qUsohT70y8QtD1VZDOAoE4AWIXZx2d5Dg7CQjarUs6XcZoM2rJI_fBVh4u_mYjlKI/s3264/IMG_1884.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmar7YPlTgP4fqGd0bVQj306mNSE2avrHkdr5e8fCDg5JX-ZEbAWA1NFvvr_V1z7upEimkQWxRywr5SmEI_5n76rxIdE3kY6rWY3FpIo10Z79B-jYyVfNoM4_qUsohT70y8QtD1VZDOAoE4AWIXZx2d5Dg7CQjarUs6XcZoM2rJI_fBVh4u_mYjlKI/s320/IMG_1884.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>I finally started working again about two weeks ago. It has not been easy, especially the first few days were quite hard. I was used to sitting at home doing sod all and all of a sudden I had to pay attention to traffic and such again. It was tiring to say the least, but I am glad to be back at work regardless. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It also means that things are slowly returning to normal. From next month my wages will be back to what they should be instead of sick pay, which was about 90% of my base salary, no extras. One thing that was very much unwanted was the uniform though. When I started sick leave I was a bit heavier than I should and I managed to keep it off for the first month or two. After that, I just put on. Which now has to come off again. Back to normal!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCzlZUMSagd9Y9bsYyzBogkEziB02YPzrwSs3Penf_-Zn8bFl41iQ5Gd6tfbiBinOPpsOXPG6bBCFTeGHfTGneCVKaFPC60xKE4MotKjIXyxOOOF9Sd-hWznt7JpH2I3wVvLPdNXfwgOilvUysIqf-Nbkn-3KolqFKlEG1nA8CLBr6Qhwh9GfsgW_U/s3264/IMG_1910.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCzlZUMSagd9Y9bsYyzBogkEziB02YPzrwSs3Penf_-Zn8bFl41iQ5Gd6tfbiBinOPpsOXPG6bBCFTeGHfTGneCVKaFPC60xKE4MotKjIXyxOOOF9Sd-hWznt7JpH2I3wVvLPdNXfwgOilvUysIqf-Nbkn-3KolqFKlEG1nA8CLBr6Qhwh9GfsgW_U/s320/IMG_1910.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>There are also frustrations. Well, one frustration. Yes, I am back at work because I got my driver's license back. Which then turned out to be wrong and I have been on the phone so often to get it sorted. Every time the answer is the same: our fault and send it back. Which means I am not allowed to work. One ^%#& even said that it 'wasn't her problem' in an incredibly snotty voice. There was a raspberry involved. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Yesterday I went back to get it sorted again (third time is a charm they say) and I hope that by this time today I have a correct license in hand. I won't bore you with the details, but needless to say it got my stress levels up big time. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiScf3oUYVstbMxx5qEPSyFFOR_rwZ9kRhs1gMNt1uJFT0qnjRxPhXhuxNLaJzEI7QDjS5e9h18S4SH-kYlFcmPVueQB-3TF45Lq4kSfIz5qFkv9qZ2C9tZUHfdQcnJMo6xwcaruRgilpk2AIbOTXN4A_wB3zNtb2hM27Pv5o5M1da-eeLbkDQBBDP/s3264/IMG_1949.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiScf3oUYVstbMxx5qEPSyFFOR_rwZ9kRhs1gMNt1uJFT0qnjRxPhXhuxNLaJzEI7QDjS5e9h18S4SH-kYlFcmPVueQB-3TF45Lq4kSfIz5qFkv9qZ2C9tZUHfdQcnJMo6xwcaruRgilpk2AIbOTXN4A_wB3zNtb2hM27Pv5o5M1da-eeLbkDQBBDP/s320/IMG_1949.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Other than that the garden is looking better all the time, as I keep pruning, cutting, removing, mowing and all the other things. A fence is due to go in in the autumn as the conifers that are between my garden and the public space are nearly all dead. I am still nowhere near done, but it is starting to look good. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The hands are doing fine as well. The right is no problem at all, the left is still a bit sensitive, but I can do everything that is needed. </div>Marahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04464946195661953578noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1459431979539476850.post-89887563390623617292022-06-01T14:06:00.003+02:002022-06-01T14:07:13.861+02:00Tuesday's Travels 22-19<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQAv7KMkmdveI7uvhUGVBxPZpC5x8Qv1vqxnUqpcgxbs8fQn8WHbRchbhQCmBIbr43qft9_HaRTCw40d3qCL4c5AwUxeeQhjUBTvwstcccImg1SitM5bM8zx94CatFzeGgM2zml1Px7EmkgJAqTsHn5MfKgKQON_7qk56IO68WqQfcUtGNHu3KOWWQ/s496/2022-18,%20Liberty%20Bell,%20Philadelphia.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="242" data-original-width="496" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQAv7KMkmdveI7uvhUGVBxPZpC5x8Qv1vqxnUqpcgxbs8fQn8WHbRchbhQCmBIbr43qft9_HaRTCw40d3qCL4c5AwUxeeQhjUBTvwstcccImg1SitM5bM8zx94CatFzeGgM2zml1Px7EmkgJAqTsHn5MfKgKQON_7qk56IO68WqQfcUtGNHu3KOWWQ/s320/2022-18,%20Liberty%20Bell,%20Philadelphia.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>I am back at the computer again! And here to tell you about last week's challenge. Which you all knew as the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, USA. Points to Gera, Hilary, Yamini, Millie & Walter, Fun60, Debby and Gerrit. </div><div style="text-align: justify;">My story? I obviously have never visited, but it was one of the cards I received through Postcrossing. When I run out of photos of places I have been, I can use those. As long as I crop a bit better than I did this time around...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2vc8oR37zB1_9hIBhvyOoJyB0IxHCGThAEDWNxuD2I2Na9IhmTjWr4JQpxZ7VvK77A2nETQCcL4BbUofQmwc_UKZsLDKldjGWw4ntoGrqm2l9TH0LHfZ6WbfepHL8qZB7kpRgHZhIDXlo8glPURnu5b44wKm3BwJRF1ebyICOXNlBa8c_KuNNwFUv/s3456/2022-19,%20Bobsleebaan%20Winterberg,%20Duitsland.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2304" data-original-width="3456" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2vc8oR37zB1_9hIBhvyOoJyB0IxHCGThAEDWNxuD2I2Na9IhmTjWr4JQpxZ7VvK77A2nETQCcL4BbUofQmwc_UKZsLDKldjGWw4ntoGrqm2l9TH0LHfZ6WbfepHL8qZB7kpRgHZhIDXlo8glPURnu5b44wKm3BwJRF1ebyICOXNlBa8c_KuNNwFUv/s320/2022-19,%20Bobsleebaan%20Winterberg,%20Duitsland.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>On to this week's challenge. What and where is this? Have you ever been? Tell us your story. Answer next week.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">PS: Update: I got my days muddled up: I thought today was Tuesday. So sorry.</div>Marahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04464946195661953578noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1459431979539476850.post-64488004554749475422022-05-24T12:22:00.002+02:002022-05-24T12:22:57.315+02:00Tuesday's Travels 22-18<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXlIdXehe0LSz_SHPI5KT713MkICVy1qFfcnX0QlsBMSa-dK2GYX808UAdf1BuXOElvpWCgUgptypMudmlB1XwSXLl_PctpfIzDBEpIuqtBPVFMLHBM0tV4apov1NWQBJ5anNOh_FtrjE4LyEWRO-6sMGiNeynEGz95k-uI6lp_hTuGcXDR2Ml5Wk5/s3618/F09C3E0F-7A6F-4325-B30B-4AC64DA4323F.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3618" data-original-width="2575" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXlIdXehe0LSz_SHPI5KT713MkICVy1qFfcnX0QlsBMSa-dK2GYX808UAdf1BuXOElvpWCgUgptypMudmlB1XwSXLl_PctpfIzDBEpIuqtBPVFMLHBM0tV4apov1NWQBJ5anNOh_FtrjE4LyEWRO-6sMGiNeynEGz95k-uI6lp_hTuGcXDR2Ml5Wk5/s320/F09C3E0F-7A6F-4325-B30B-4AC64DA4323F.jpeg" width="228" /></a></div>I am having some issues with my desk top computer folks. It contains all the photos I use for TT and basically won’t let me do zip. I am now writing this on my phone. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">However, I can tell you who got points for last week. I thought nobody would get (point for me), but no, Yamini knew where and what it was: Mucross House near Killarney in Ireland. Congratulations. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNc29p17kZnxpRUu_Kc_hYSBTpuycHjOFrhlmgF8TkNs7Q-zOd4VfONoLYB7Xh6SGXveHdI--JrQeQulQl6f0uv1ilF1EET33h4dJfODpE5LhrTkXDTddK09wHzT8n201Zpcw_pw9URXHCrHakMMCTQB7YeGa2OXd6fQBGxCpea_LfXmMV1AdtE5xE/s496/1C505D89-F5F9-4243-950F-0D5B394CA5B9.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="242" data-original-width="496" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNc29p17kZnxpRUu_Kc_hYSBTpuycHjOFrhlmgF8TkNs7Q-zOd4VfONoLYB7Xh6SGXveHdI--JrQeQulQl6f0uv1ilF1EET33h4dJfODpE5LhrTkXDTddK09wHzT8n201Zpcw_pw9URXHCrHakMMCTQB7YeGa2OXd6fQBGxCpea_LfXmMV1AdtE5xE/s320/1C505D89-F5F9-4243-950F-0D5B394CA5B9.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>This week’s challenge is a bit different as in having to find something on my phone that does not contain text. So, where and what is this? Have you ever been? Answer next week!</div>Marahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04464946195661953578noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1459431979539476850.post-22240268244787006952022-05-17T13:39:00.004+02:002022-05-17T13:39:31.973+02:00Tuesday's Travels 22-17<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8OvJsqz2VUmrbUGatbDHE9x-BP8HjD2MKYmq12WEoSzernzylEP8-XDu20wVeBXl4x2PFVQMyPsH8h1RPS1PLDRH62Y8Tp44mQiVzWvkybsCQO1qVMqyTHNjxAStqCeEE81gOe0YNy-DBVWW59fygHtjERAFYkLktEuWx8h-jI8ZAj3plWkS52Zno/s3264/2022-16,%20Krijtrotsen%20Dover.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8OvJsqz2VUmrbUGatbDHE9x-BP8HjD2MKYmq12WEoSzernzylEP8-XDu20wVeBXl4x2PFVQMyPsH8h1RPS1PLDRH62Y8Tp44mQiVzWvkybsCQO1qVMqyTHNjxAStqCeEE81gOe0YNy-DBVWW59fygHtjERAFYkLktEuWx8h-jI8ZAj3plWkS52Zno/s320/2022-16,%20Krijtrotsen%20Dover.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I wouldn't blame you if you have already given up on me. If not: thank you so much. I completely forgot the first week and then last week (even with a concerned email from Yamini), I just never got around to it. However, I am back now and here to tell you that the last time the light did come on, it was of course on the White Cliffs of Dover, England. Points go to Gera, Bettina, Fun60, Yamini, Hilary, Millie & Walter and Gerrit. </div><div style="text-align: justify;">My story? I have seen these Cliffs quite often. Each time I traveled between England and France, they are there. Now, you might also have heard the song about those very cliffs. Just saying: there are no bluebirds in England, but apparently it sounded good in the song.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN20DdbELuIlkGnFiuhz3D5mMoNeV11DBjQMsLXK3YJDqzIUVbVSRZMsDk8spxVCooPFyMhuIyHS13Hk86mDAQUTQO7I9lCF-pT1-PhLdR83YGWJ0Mq9boswJFggPAub-_ZVNRqEZBCmWufMSo6EvBBoUQTIOofUftLBA2O3CGMUxY2PfJKVCfjheN/s640/2022-17,%20Muckross%20House,%20Ierland.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN20DdbELuIlkGnFiuhz3D5mMoNeV11DBjQMsLXK3YJDqzIUVbVSRZMsDk8spxVCooPFyMhuIyHS13Hk86mDAQUTQO7I9lCF-pT1-PhLdR83YGWJ0Mq9boswJFggPAub-_ZVNRqEZBCmWufMSo6EvBBoUQTIOofUftLBA2O3CGMUxY2PfJKVCfjheN/s320/2022-17,%20Muckross%20House,%20Ierland.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>On to this week's challenge. Where is this? Have you ever been? Tell us your story. Answer next week (yes, NEXT week!).</div>Marahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04464946195661953578noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1459431979539476850.post-75406265153771766022022-05-02T08:00:00.001+02:002022-05-02T08:00:00.236+02:00You've got mail<div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeJRDUrfdkymHMCS_-Rj5ioJ6MaGzhhKFSgnL31FoRrKwy0admh9oFeLPrp_kMCaRI6lnJlIRWh-av5EBX646P336wz_0PWFzeBDhh-UoYNU7E9_RnCCS3ap3WXrRFR_8a57pc_KWLFQMaNNtXUOopAtUMh2K4OH1XVZn4QDOD3SaT0liK-0wVsZLV/s500/post%201,%20UK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="375" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeJRDUrfdkymHMCS_-Rj5ioJ6MaGzhhKFSgnL31FoRrKwy0admh9oFeLPrp_kMCaRI6lnJlIRWh-av5EBX646P336wz_0PWFzeBDhh-UoYNU7E9_RnCCS3ap3WXrRFR_8a57pc_KWLFQMaNNtXUOopAtUMh2K4OH1XVZn4QDOD3SaT0liK-0wVsZLV/s320/post%201,%20UK.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Manchester, UK</i></td></tr></tbody></table>Did you see the photos used in last Friday's post? Not my usual standard to be sure, but they were taken with my phone of postcards I have recently sent. I promised you a while ago I would tell you all about a new old hobby of mine, so here I finally go.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgheaR4YfjycCp9ZDwnxc70ySFprYhGlkPlx-U0JH92aFPsJipSzbWksv8Kl1OzZMbW8_ZvYPopB9pod3wNgZNC_ZqvxVSQMsYFCUVuc2h5Hi1oRSqZWexcMHr0suKtHx_lPQG_8SLFC_Up6U5RfhSvpMcNBeNeKFbRFfizZJ3CvA28CjW_oSx6rYR9/s500/post%202,%20Austria.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="361" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgheaR4YfjycCp9ZDwnxc70ySFprYhGlkPlx-U0JH92aFPsJipSzbWksv8Kl1OzZMbW8_ZvYPopB9pod3wNgZNC_ZqvxVSQMsYFCUVuc2h5Hi1oRSqZWexcMHr0suKtHx_lPQG_8SLFC_Up6U5RfhSvpMcNBeNeKFbRFfizZJ3CvA28CjW_oSx6rYR9/s320/post%202,%20Austria.jpg" width="231" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Empress Sissi from Austria</i></td></tr></tbody></table>Back in 2006 I joined Postcrossing. A site that promised contact with the world and the only thing you needed to do was send postcards. Easy. And for a couple of years that was what I did: I sent out postcards to strangers all over the world. Australia, Canada, Egypt, Romania, Germany, Norway, even the Netherlands. In return I would get postcards back from strangers from all over the world. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvKPQZfkIU8wZmelQSE4UyM3Xra6uRNiME7TFjNpdhS4DLB9IoQkRDwMB0RFek0Y99jL-6-62oyZA2u7HTZOfdMiuoPte7K_N1VzU2cmu-G6cve7OkrKo9YeyW4D8doS7t7IOhGbbIoyqwZKzcNPOlIjgX0Tte7gvi59TUilTD3RpAwk5tLu1Dlmzb/s500/post%203,%20Lithuania.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="353" data-original-width="500" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvKPQZfkIU8wZmelQSE4UyM3Xra6uRNiME7TFjNpdhS4DLB9IoQkRDwMB0RFek0Y99jL-6-62oyZA2u7HTZOfdMiuoPte7K_N1VzU2cmu-G6cve7OkrKo9YeyW4D8doS7t7IOhGbbIoyqwZKzcNPOlIjgX0Tte7gvi59TUilTD3RpAwk5tLu1Dlmzb/s320/post%203,%20Lithuania.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Lithuania</i></td></tr></tbody></table>I preferred to get cards that showed me famous people (living/dead/fictional) of the country or region they were in, but was just as pleased with flowers, animals or city scapes. It was an expensive hobby (the stamps alone cost a small fortune), but it was great fun.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWjdeMM0VGTVjtqIfd2Wp7qAx0Pw_eAcGElD6MRUjVMl_w6at1PxKrAbyp2_XHQADgBob3lbZy1j7GeQ5RKxwq7ZeeiY9xejksmb0cKYdJH2xa2rf7-sJtjN8mBo6Y5v_Fedr9aG18qhoisZaoe2dQRxsgo_46Vwq5SwOwRUNgHzA5P7UAlDGXbxmZ/s500/post%204,%20Finland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="500" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWjdeMM0VGTVjtqIfd2Wp7qAx0Pw_eAcGElD6MRUjVMl_w6at1PxKrAbyp2_XHQADgBob3lbZy1j7GeQ5RKxwq7ZeeiY9xejksmb0cKYdJH2xa2rf7-sJtjN8mBo6Y5v_Fedr9aG18qhoisZaoe2dQRxsgo_46Vwq5SwOwRUNgHzA5P7UAlDGXbxmZ/s320/post%204,%20Finland.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Finland</i></td></tr></tbody></table>But then I stopped. Not sure when or why exactly, but I stopped sending cards. And when you don't send cards, you don't get cards. The hobby ended.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCXuNC-xqUpChIzcTzOf3jRD8SFO_7Bsm7EOADIWkto-daR3rVq88TvSw5wGdyuxqFFg-8xtfLMEDO2B8KtoZ3mN1OQ_HwJfpPoGzhlsETcTQTkuf0BYrCMV_1w_iOtdJRrvy5fh6ru4AOwT-qwenYFhhu0o2VZN9XcYeWtt1CFSY_ZwMixfm99Ud1/s500/post%205,%20USA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCXuNC-xqUpChIzcTzOf3jRD8SFO_7Bsm7EOADIWkto-daR3rVq88TvSw5wGdyuxqFFg-8xtfLMEDO2B8KtoZ3mN1OQ_HwJfpPoGzhlsETcTQTkuf0BYrCMV_1w_iOtdJRrvy5fh6ru4AOwT-qwenYFhhu0o2VZN9XcYeWtt1CFSY_ZwMixfm99Ud1/s320/post%205,%20USA.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>United States</i></td></tr></tbody></table>Fast forward to earlier this year and I was feeling a bit sorry for myself. My sister had left again and I was on my own. The only mail that was arriving was junk mail and uninteresting official stuff. Then I remembered Postcrossing. I didn't know what my old login details were, but it was easy to create a new profile. Late January I sent out my first five cards to Germany, Japan, USA, Russia and Singapore. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzKIdBYNh4EJlmrmfCBL79RTAFM32mX09GNYOqgiC2VI6vmtSWkGF78SDNl0xTeoyRf8GTA2V2I-WNM-JlUYV0pdKg0_17UupnJ4JDLbIUYTsG1Rtu1uLGlv0Ay3a4Dhke4XQ2B7vSJOHp_USeV7R79dmbA8lXp6Yj8hsVIVh93L0W3iOE-zBMd2Vq/s500/post%206,%20Netherlands.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="375" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzKIdBYNh4EJlmrmfCBL79RTAFM32mX09GNYOqgiC2VI6vmtSWkGF78SDNl0xTeoyRf8GTA2V2I-WNM-JlUYV0pdKg0_17UupnJ4JDLbIUYTsG1Rtu1uLGlv0Ay3a4Dhke4XQ2B7vSJOHp_USeV7R79dmbA8lXp6Yj8hsVIVh93L0W3iOE-zBMd2Vq/s320/post%206,%20Netherlands.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Frysian language one from the Netherlands</i></td></tr></tbody></table>As soon as one of my cards had arrived (Germany was fastest), I started to receive cards as well. So far I have sent 47 cards (of which 36 have arrived) and received 39. I received a Japanese figure skater, a Russian kosmonaut, a French church, a Taiwanese temple and bees from Manchester. People have written to me in English, German, Dutch and even Frysian (which I don't speak, but can read). They have written about their jobs, their hobbies, their towns. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL1L_kp-hv5h-F76Wt7w0gvEVC-r4xeq_9ifHtLJO4Ixrh1LnGolrFmeRjRjIYiZ4hRbqNkWRuZcgJF8s6vZKuUtDLVOPk800CfcMrqQmXBsW8U8K_e4Ftjsptn-b6GaW8qZV9_-TNb4iNsDEo1TARxRf2z4jEG1A4kYAT40QcZcwEDoEKcTangTkv/s500/post%207,%20Malta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="500" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL1L_kp-hv5h-F76Wt7w0gvEVC-r4xeq_9ifHtLJO4Ixrh1LnGolrFmeRjRjIYiZ4hRbqNkWRuZcgJF8s6vZKuUtDLVOPk800CfcMrqQmXBsW8U8K_e4Ftjsptn-b6GaW8qZV9_-TNb4iNsDEo1TARxRf2z4jEG1A4kYAT40QcZcwEDoEKcTangTkv/s320/post%207,%20Malta.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Maltese buses</i></td></tr></tbody></table>Of course the stamps still cost a fortune and the postcards themselves aren't cheap either. If you can find them to start with! Back in the day it was fairly easy to find postcards, but people don't send them that much anymore, so they have started disappearing. And they have become more expensive as well. Paying over a euro for a single postcard is more norm than exception. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvS8_5nnWUEIhfN-pzGZjUDzy9Y3gH6jDgaHjAVG3TNudDynu72wr8jEGrB9nrflGlbdaAolJQNVxBeZMftjpQSA1-8fixdbEd1UfCGe4Ew1oDDY0aVCbsAfVxN31OiSvLb4cZ0D0AkySf3DK9wfB5U-KY8duEExM7QDDdrHXFHrM3QWKWeJouDjuZ/s500/post%208,%20Canada.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="336" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvS8_5nnWUEIhfN-pzGZjUDzy9Y3gH6jDgaHjAVG3TNudDynu72wr8jEGrB9nrflGlbdaAolJQNVxBeZMftjpQSA1-8fixdbEd1UfCGe4Ew1oDDY0aVCbsAfVxN31OiSvLb4cZ0D0AkySf3DK9wfB5U-KY8duEExM7QDDdrHXFHrM3QWKWeJouDjuZ/s320/post%208,%20Canada.jpg" width="215" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Canadian Mountie</i></td></tr></tbody></table>One day however, I found myself in a second hand shop and their was a whole basket with postcards. Costing only 10 cents each as well, so I went through them and came out with 17 new cards. Since then I have been hitting second hand stores to try and find cards. The biggest haul so far was just last week when I paid one and a half euro for a stack of postcards. After counting them once I got home it turned out I had 65 postcards. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibC0VZtIyE7XN7SDAe2xf8Y5dk4VZ1pOqLatzOV5EoZw1mbYSG1SjuM3KPydTFh3obRvjc81h-FrpShNl7eSiOZXorUn5XBNLF7YG8U2jLOpeozDbVQxCXcUybyfO2g_5HhyOTOVeeIRg3-wyZUZh5LuH2n8EqnWIuWXCK457KRj5c-4KkUEr3XGcE/s3456/IMG_1933.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="2304" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibC0VZtIyE7XN7SDAe2xf8Y5dk4VZ1pOqLatzOV5EoZw1mbYSG1SjuM3KPydTFh3obRvjc81h-FrpShNl7eSiOZXorUn5XBNLF7YG8U2jLOpeozDbVQxCXcUybyfO2g_5HhyOTOVeeIRg3-wyZUZh5LuH2n8EqnWIuWXCK457KRj5c-4KkUEr3XGcE/s320/IMG_1933.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>All cards so far</i></td></tr></tbody></table>I use my doors to display the cards received and I am nearly one door (one side) down. Eight more to go before running out of space. Let's see whether I can fill them all. As long as I send, I will receive!</div>Marahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04464946195661953578noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1459431979539476850.post-86607105120758010542022-04-29T10:15:00.006+02:002022-04-29T10:18:44.233+02:00Tears of frustration<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0X83degawh73uwaCPOD7nYLNH3MPc_4afk3294D2CjJ2nqqPImT5tdRWQk8GvkAbD04rrlUOY1dcg2lM2OV6kG1xnzuL3HbAgqvniXqFf09J6VZsxTX4wMGhFMwa3gIu1PN-wnk-MPE5b8J9ZwkGlGWPwX1tYlqYx3fS0PMCvWLjHM19EpkPkCRWq/s500/post%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="367" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0X83degawh73uwaCPOD7nYLNH3MPc_4afk3294D2CjJ2nqqPImT5tdRWQk8GvkAbD04rrlUOY1dcg2lM2OV6kG1xnzuL3HbAgqvniXqFf09J6VZsxTX4wMGhFMwa3gIu1PN-wnk-MPE5b8J9ZwkGlGWPwX1tYlqYx3fS0PMCvWLjHM19EpkPkCRWq/s320/post%201.jpg" width="235" /></a></div>Okay, perhaps not quite the tears, but I can tell you, I am not far off! And this time it doesn't even have to do with my hands, which is even more frustrating. It has to do with a simple pink card.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As you know I lived in Norway for a few years. And while in Norway, I had to have my driver's license renewed. I got all the necessary paperwork in order, went to the department that issued the licenses and then waited until the Dutch authorities gave a positive answer and got my Norwegian license. Then I moved to the UK.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUJJ2irCNrPNSQ1KHzvm-levGOky5Un9NhpygWtJbpeIj1zN7En6klmMn71Spd8qTn5cPjl2VvZUFzjgqoUeFk-HfiKAu8_kxXQW6FkHkxJ_jCpehGfpve0TRdB8FsSYA_IlSGocFKFxXUcVUbceR2Q3ivDXRX5QQnc5oRkvzmB1eXhlZdW_pGBqAH/s500/post%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="355" data-original-width="500" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUJJ2irCNrPNSQ1KHzvm-levGOky5Un9NhpygWtJbpeIj1zN7En6klmMn71Spd8qTn5cPjl2VvZUFzjgqoUeFk-HfiKAu8_kxXQW6FkHkxJ_jCpehGfpve0TRdB8FsSYA_IlSGocFKFxXUcVUbceR2Q3ivDXRX5QQnc5oRkvzmB1eXhlZdW_pGBqAH/s320/post%202.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>In the UK I had to exchange my license within a year and I was on my way of getting the paperwork done when I moved back to the Netherlands. Where it wasn't necessary to exchange until the license was out of date. Which is December of this year. However...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">When in Norway, it took some time to validate my license and to beat that, I made sure I had plenty of time before I had to renew in order to avoid problems. Two weeks ago I got my final course work done, three days ago I had my physical. Everything was in order, everything was fine. Yesterday I went to my local council to renew my Norwegian license to a Dutch one. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSAKbNajXIsXMNY7jxbv4XZfCPEfUVMkrv6ZIeqYRiLYLmL1R8_DbYxSMFInURc9vJ0s6eO17sF4U0Ub0WkT9Hy7VWh09wz_JAgJ-QrKtIQylyftkdBCsjjyU93-w76uTtdkbWzjSrJwthPasHcDAtcFJvGft3-MxI9h-RYcyz-dh4tcEJ0mz1-bw5/s500/post%203.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="357" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSAKbNajXIsXMNY7jxbv4XZfCPEfUVMkrv6ZIeqYRiLYLmL1R8_DbYxSMFInURc9vJ0s6eO17sF4U0Ub0WkT9Hy7VWh09wz_JAgJ-QrKtIQylyftkdBCsjjyU93-w76uTtdkbWzjSrJwthPasHcDAtcFJvGft3-MxI9h-RYcyz-dh4tcEJ0mz1-bw5/s320/post%203.jpg" width="228" /></a></div>As in Norway, I had to leave my license behind. They have to physically check whether it's valid or not with the Norwegian authorities. In Norway I was issued a piece of paper saying that I was allowed to drive the vehicle categories stated on the paper during the duration. Only in Norway (and Sweden and Denmark), but as that was where I was living anyway, that wasn't a problem. I could still drive and since I do that for a living...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Not so in the Netherlands. No document is issued saying I can drive for the duration of the checks right up to the point of my new Dutch license. If I were to drive, I were to do so uninsured. Which is one thing when you only drive to and from work (and I wouldn't do it then), it's another completely when it is your actual job. Anything goes wrong and both me and the company would be in big doodah!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggNzK_Gz6BwRDZwdLTdz_6UyqI98_fNWDGxJdJZC9-sHgbdSDZ0mCiRipz8BOdGLBujaz37mDGvi-uIYR4rzjTHjYo2KKz17OX3cmmnW5yagnTnmiXNhIpYskLJsrPU9sl90gWJqX3JzSqYAo7ND45o2H6pZsL3ll9zKcbbsMpxrv1ZoNJFbskakF4/s500/post%205.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="369" data-original-width="500" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggNzK_Gz6BwRDZwdLTdz_6UyqI98_fNWDGxJdJZC9-sHgbdSDZ0mCiRipz8BOdGLBujaz37mDGvi-uIYR4rzjTHjYo2KKz17OX3cmmnW5yagnTnmiXNhIpYskLJsrPU9sl90gWJqX3JzSqYAo7ND45o2H6pZsL3ll9zKcbbsMpxrv1ZoNJFbskakF4/s320/post%205.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Which means: I cannot drive. I cannot do my job. So, I checked. Was it correct? Was there a way around this? Short answer: NO. Long answer: DEFINITELY NO. The department won't even tell me how far they are in processing my stuff and there is no way of chasing anybody up, as they won't tell where and how.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Instead of going back to normalcy next week, of getting back into the flow of things, I am grounded yet again. Not sick, but on holiday this time.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBoQhv_vCgKmF-Ta_eb2VfHaxQv-euXWlNjyUb8AzducOOZ1FXlp3N6CpROE34prFY1kkZbT06FzArf4NVR1JEpEUOZPtIQUR45s6PLsTwtIJGDbtE1vEFeqASOywqGmfPXSS25EDDql56pjQzpVExS16rEA26H62tHqL9nQwO_-dBQpMuJWn_Uhez/s500/post%204.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="500" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBoQhv_vCgKmF-Ta_eb2VfHaxQv-euXWlNjyUb8AzducOOZ1FXlp3N6CpROE34prFY1kkZbT06FzArf4NVR1JEpEUOZPtIQUR45s6PLsTwtIJGDbtE1vEFeqASOywqGmfPXSS25EDDql56pjQzpVExS16rEA26H62tHqL9nQwO_-dBQpMuJWn_Uhez/s320/post%204.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;">PS: Just so you know: I waited 9 months for a Norwegian license. </div>Marahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04464946195661953578noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1459431979539476850.post-67158947269410739962022-04-26T13:11:00.001+02:002022-04-26T13:11:00.280+02:00Tuesday's Travels 22-16<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL_Wa3d76zqsLH5US_SDoFHPIQSYGeRk-fv5SpTcLKir2ZMyBAXLAHQKIWRrfcqZnVSwBYPrcXzwtpUxE6IdMsgj1ZZXPMnafC-WbXgE1knIkLqwZalAb6hh1UjH8J54xS_10L360WeOrZ92VzBVLOQ5pCRcFoiv6mYp6Bw6FjWbLZPTS_HlCqUGVj/s1504/2022-15,%20Arena,%20Verona.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1030" data-original-width="1504" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL_Wa3d76zqsLH5US_SDoFHPIQSYGeRk-fv5SpTcLKir2ZMyBAXLAHQKIWRrfcqZnVSwBYPrcXzwtpUxE6IdMsgj1ZZXPMnafC-WbXgE1knIkLqwZalAb6hh1UjH8J54xS_10L360WeOrZ92VzBVLOQ5pCRcFoiv6mYp6Bw6FjWbLZPTS_HlCqUGVj/s320/2022-15,%20Arena,%20Verona.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Pre-posted folks, so I won't miss out again... Anyway, last week's challenge resulted in three completely right answers, and since some of you gave a completely wrong answer, albeit in the right country, I have decided only the right answers get points. Yamini, Gerrit and Fun60 knew/guessed this was the Arena in Verona. Not Rome, nor Arles (which was also a good guess by the way, just not good enough). </div><div style="text-align: justify;">My story? I visited Verona years ago. In fact, my first ever enjoyment of a pizza was on the piazza facing this arena. I have never been inside. Perhaps in the future some time.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfpZULAKyQPY0KxQPSZdRzj1ZGAy5K6sRvfF9QjlYBmnuyfkyliYMl949apWCe9X0O5iOF4PPyw-T7ORt-m-W4HU-qTVIDE2ZkvdyWGka8nNOcOHdpjPI7Cr-jaeytcTYNHRGwGJtLZ8XvJNmlLekvVtn8ibNtIsV2cSUm5gLWu7gOYu354VRi307/s3264/2022-16,%20Krijtrotsen%20Dover.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfpZULAKyQPY0KxQPSZdRzj1ZGAy5K6sRvfF9QjlYBmnuyfkyliYMl949apWCe9X0O5iOF4PPyw-T7ORt-m-W4HU-qTVIDE2ZkvdyWGka8nNOcOHdpjPI7Cr-jaeytcTYNHRGwGJtLZ8XvJNmlLekvVtn8ibNtIsV2cSUm5gLWu7gOYu354VRi307/s320/2022-16,%20Krijtrotsen%20Dover.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>On to this week's challenge. Where is this? Have you ever been? Tell us your story. Answer next week.</div>Marahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04464946195661953578noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1459431979539476850.post-22893329442274664062022-04-25T13:37:00.000+02:002022-04-25T13:37:01.433+02:00Normalcy<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_p-hCYv5OJ7vQOp7BCpoJIOhmCzMhd19nzAdpVXTxjEoEHzWuf_ZzGh-6N9nFNoDacC7n5U19R9_gUSycq3P0UDT4gVMBUzyYN5gbkgQoDAvsgZ5PQ2R_EwIfK-8yg6fxd8KIwTHTDO2XMUhohslFFm3SDPhzfjfClFd7KeYyBAsJ-X9jiaO0I5Fe/s4032/IMG_0334.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_p-hCYv5OJ7vQOp7BCpoJIOhmCzMhd19nzAdpVXTxjEoEHzWuf_ZzGh-6N9nFNoDacC7n5U19R9_gUSycq3P0UDT4gVMBUzyYN5gbkgQoDAvsgZ5PQ2R_EwIfK-8yg6fxd8KIwTHTDO2XMUhohslFFm3SDPhzfjfClFd7KeYyBAsJ-X9jiaO0I5Fe/s320/IMG_0334.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Is that even a word? Normalcy? Because I am slowly getting back to it. The right hand is pretty good again and the left is slowly following suit. I am still not up to 100%, but about 80% right now is pretty ok I think.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Lately I have been working in the garden a bit. Half an hour maximum on any given day really. Pulling weeds, mowing the grass. I don't dare do too much, just in case, but so far so good. Other than that I have been reading a lot. I got going with Jack Reacher and am now on book 11. Yesterday I started one and finished it at 1 in the morning, because I just wanted to know whodunnit! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I have been watching a lot of television as well of course, plus I went to the cinema several times. I saw <i>The Duke</i> which was really good, <i>Fantastic Beasts 3</i> (made my sister jealous), <i>The 355</i>, <i>The Lost City</i>, <i>Uncharted</i> (twice), <i>Moonfall</i> and <i>The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent</i>. I was supposed to go to <i>Morbius</i>, but canceled in the end as it is not really a genre I like. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5wFExwmr1TfpsIorjVo-I7FZQcfP1SV43HdPb44uza6T7mpDPqEvu0rFxW_6ZNAhTiuNecRLoFKpvtyGAm5uYzrvG5YtBI7xisiBmPbTIqU_UQDTc7n1r7uIAhoSQwN3POokjXVoSWO89U3hFnIhyXwGgqZEs4Dk_A_Dyk5q5HH-eKnRr8mqZ6UOv/s4032/IMG_0270.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5wFExwmr1TfpsIorjVo-I7FZQcfP1SV43HdPb44uza6T7mpDPqEvu0rFxW_6ZNAhTiuNecRLoFKpvtyGAm5uYzrvG5YtBI7xisiBmPbTIqU_UQDTc7n1r7uIAhoSQwN3POokjXVoSWO89U3hFnIhyXwGgqZEs4Dk_A_Dyk5q5HH-eKnRr8mqZ6UOv/s320/IMG_0270.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>From next week however that will change a bit. Yes, the reading will most likely continue as will tv and cinema, but I will have to ration it more as I will be going back to work! Oh yes, after five months at home I will get back in uniform (providing I can find one that fits, I have gained a bit) and start driving again. The first week I will be at 50% of my normal hours, just to see how everything holds up. And then I will have a week off, as that was the plan way before the operations. Hopefully after that I will be back to 100%.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So, I think I will have to really enjoy my last week of 'freedom'. I know Miss O will need to as she has gotten used to me being home for so long. </div>Marahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04464946195661953578noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1459431979539476850.post-62421000175041414322022-04-19T11:22:00.005+02:002022-04-19T11:22:39.064+02:00Tuesday's Travels 22-15<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJmii6sof2mXwOz3ld9zdsXPofJHjPgeOimzTAsDjevHDlKe1mGFLyyj02IN_7o0GwiRq_8MVX96CPe3UY3Su7BSt4buqWfOKkwLGs7FC4oe7WvLc6pdglqtBD8mQExi1jPL71U5Cxn6m6N88_7h9VNeRpXkrrqZbk_3gQs2crtsKayFEvOFftULyL/s3264/2022-14,%20Wacht,%20Praagse%20Burcht.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJmii6sof2mXwOz3ld9zdsXPofJHjPgeOimzTAsDjevHDlKe1mGFLyyj02IN_7o0GwiRq_8MVX96CPe3UY3Su7BSt4buqWfOKkwLGs7FC4oe7WvLc6pdglqtBD8mQExi1jPL71U5Cxn6m6N88_7h9VNeRpXkrrqZbk_3gQs2crtsKayFEvOFftULyL/s320/2022-14,%20Wacht,%20Praagse%20Burcht.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>I missed last week! Shame on me!! I hope you will forgive me. But I am back now and I hope you have not all run for the hills. Last week's challenge was a mixed bag of answers. Although most of you were in the same sort of area (ie Eastern Europe). It was of course a guard in front of Prague Castle in Czechia (or Czech Republic). Gerrit gets a complete point, Yamini and Gera get half a point and Hilary gets a quarter point. Oh, and Gerrit also gets a point for the Sacré Coeur, I only saw his answer today.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">My story? In 2016 my sister and I made our way to Prague and did a lot of walking. A lot of walking! One of the things we visited was Prague Castle and right in front was this guard. I think we were even there for the changing of the guard, which was a simple affair.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKLvtyezMq9F4v8ufrsD-myGG3jyjWdt3_9KbGVFwSlTQlFYCcePGnX1mo1-oEiRa6vq9Nz-lrxugyZPfr2AbVC6Qs8VijajQ1OqK6Y0KOzQ6JKk2kLpT3SwscspPdPwbvna4NI3rnjIkbOIWSoGrwpauiG5HVGIyZiRffCYiv3r2n6UkfdTRCq9KC/s1504/2022-15,%20Arena,%20Verona.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1030" data-original-width="1504" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKLvtyezMq9F4v8ufrsD-myGG3jyjWdt3_9KbGVFwSlTQlFYCcePGnX1mo1-oEiRa6vq9Nz-lrxugyZPfr2AbVC6Qs8VijajQ1OqK6Y0KOzQ6JKk2kLpT3SwscspPdPwbvna4NI3rnjIkbOIWSoGrwpauiG5HVGIyZiRffCYiv3r2n6UkfdTRCq9KC/s320/2022-15,%20Arena,%20Verona.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>On to this week's challenge. Where is this? Have you ever been? Tell us your story. Answer next week (yes, NEXT week).</div>Marahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04464946195661953578noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1459431979539476850.post-67185416047218982412022-04-05T16:06:00.007+02:002022-04-05T16:06:59.137+02:00Tuesday's Travels 22-14<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNIo5php2wZXIIIOoIhE5fFT_S09fPJsiJ8PijnlmWmjWxUdg9XSh5eUd0hTc53TEoh1V4a2QG35IyrgvOCTZdHmYtQEYAiij2ifdQhr8sVQ9WP8Jez49Bc5q4tX4EwXZpDrVS053KS-28OoUM70Dsyti6fDrW9eWiFRzPvehyLiz21LSUHZiqxoWI/s3042/2022-13,%20Sacr%C3%A9%20Coeur,%20Parijs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2232" data-original-width="3042" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNIo5php2wZXIIIOoIhE5fFT_S09fPJsiJ8PijnlmWmjWxUdg9XSh5eUd0hTc53TEoh1V4a2QG35IyrgvOCTZdHmYtQEYAiij2ifdQhr8sVQ9WP8Jez49Bc5q4tX4EwXZpDrVS053KS-28OoUM70Dsyti6fDrW9eWiFRzPvehyLiz21LSUHZiqxoWI/s320/2022-13,%20Sacr%C3%A9%20Coeur,%20Parijs.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Last week's challenge was of course the Sacré Coeur in Paris, France and plenty of you did get that right. So, points go to Yamini, Fun60, Bettina, Harm, Debby and Hilary. </div><div style="text-align: justify;">My story? During the same trip to Paris as the Versailles outing, my sister and I spent a day in Paris doing the rounds. And one thing we also saw was this church. We got all the way up there (I think we took the funiculaire), but did not go inside, which is something that needs to be rectified at some point in the future I think. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh57TphuHaKIrhSLle7t1fwfXcwMjAIOoJp3QlnaYf7Nq29jzUCenzj8mYf6zxWiyz5uyr0VmVqDQkx-h9BXUWwCWGTY6guUbtWHTntZHcGv9LHAWssfCthR41CEpGqcjJd9nnGKtqegXnMWBPz9k7WsOmIs0oX6tCVfZ6usvUnFmfB-PYbeWlv25Lz/s3264/2022-14,%20Wacht,%20Praagse%20Burcht.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh57TphuHaKIrhSLle7t1fwfXcwMjAIOoJp3QlnaYf7Nq29jzUCenzj8mYf6zxWiyz5uyr0VmVqDQkx-h9BXUWwCWGTY6guUbtWHTntZHcGv9LHAWssfCthR41CEpGqcjJd9nnGKtqegXnMWBPz9k7WsOmIs0oX6tCVfZ6usvUnFmfB-PYbeWlv25Lz/s320/2022-14,%20Wacht,%20Praagse%20Burcht.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>On to this week's challenge then. Where is this? Have you ever been? Tell us your story. Answer next week.</div>Marahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04464946195661953578noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1459431979539476850.post-87794618895090451912022-03-29T11:37:00.003+02:002022-03-29T11:37:48.566+02:00Tuesday's Travels 22-13<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2txZKGEi0p3nNz8hS8nTdz2wW74TIVs1yreuYMUGFpRWbYPMyKWgBv7aQqLC2ROSXqzVL5Lo9ndD6AwFnW3JFv9_alrUkGgI9WoVWt_88deYkeWsDqCrFt7txThTdvkZuF_0NcOT8TQgXrq8U47eazhDlmHs1FkmAmKGqfiSJAmchsas1dh-RGLmW/s3264/2022-12,%20Johannes%20Paulus%20II,%20Krakow.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2txZKGEi0p3nNz8hS8nTdz2wW74TIVs1yreuYMUGFpRWbYPMyKWgBv7aQqLC2ROSXqzVL5Lo9ndD6AwFnW3JFv9_alrUkGgI9WoVWt_88deYkeWsDqCrFt7txThTdvkZuF_0NcOT8TQgXrq8U47eazhDlmHs1FkmAmKGqfiSJAmchsas1dh-RGLmW/s320/2022-12,%20Johannes%20Paulus%20II,%20Krakow.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>A toughie again last week it seemed. Nobody got it completely right though, although two were very close. It is a statue of Pope John Paul II in Krakow, Poland. Some of you mentioned one, some the other, Yamini mentioned he was the last pope (which was in fact Benedictus XVI, JP II was the one before him) and she switched from Krakow to Warsaw (which is the capital of Poland). So, here is my verdict: Gera and Yamini both get 3/4 point. Hilary and Gerrit get 1/2 point and Janice gets 1/4 point. </div><div style="text-align: justify;">My story? Well, on my trip with Gera through central Europe, we visited Krakow. Karol Józef Wojtyła was born close to Krakow and is still quite a prominent feature in that city. They are very proud of him and they had a sort of park/square where several of Krakow's great and good were honoured. He was one of them. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZAb3uKYZsZ6eITYMCUYeFBSvzqHJeVZu9L-Pkb-rFiXmKNXyBO6xbtY0m8fdhbEHNnTBDFc900B6QKBat_0cmoulag59Z107M8Oxb228UgWyW7_oRkYj4vpobrulZrQ3wetxoVw94sv4n9ZLM5g17yevHZQumiSvpcyJ_RbYw7GM9ABoQfGfs82vj/s3042/2022-13,%20Sacr%C3%A9%20Coeur,%20Parijs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2232" data-original-width="3042" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZAb3uKYZsZ6eITYMCUYeFBSvzqHJeVZu9L-Pkb-rFiXmKNXyBO6xbtY0m8fdhbEHNnTBDFc900B6QKBat_0cmoulag59Z107M8Oxb228UgWyW7_oRkYj4vpobrulZrQ3wetxoVw94sv4n9ZLM5g17yevHZQumiSvpcyJ_RbYw7GM9ABoQfGfs82vj/s320/2022-13,%20Sacr%C3%A9%20Coeur,%20Parijs.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>On to this week's challenge then. Where is this? Have you ever been? Tell us your story. Answer next week.</div>Marahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04464946195661953578noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1459431979539476850.post-24123170641648689972022-03-25T12:04:00.004+01:002022-03-25T12:04:58.591+01:00What I do<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT-d_OVXeqHZ47kMtLdyl9CUftvvHf31fDM0LZ8h8ViHgOl1gIu6U23eqn7AALZgQCHlX6yEYDjxRb85eIL3kQPQKh0j7wgYTxc3ZY6sX_bQi1Oebfu-3xkyLThZu41HtEDiGZhKtb3j-JL6OyYkSjvFa6D-yNy-VDQh6_IvQXDkc7332V5ii7k4cu/s3456/IMG_0841.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2304" data-original-width="3456" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT-d_OVXeqHZ47kMtLdyl9CUftvvHf31fDM0LZ8h8ViHgOl1gIu6U23eqn7AALZgQCHlX6yEYDjxRb85eIL3kQPQKh0j7wgYTxc3ZY6sX_bQi1Oebfu-3xkyLThZu41HtEDiGZhKtb3j-JL6OyYkSjvFa6D-yNy-VDQh6_IvQXDkc7332V5ii7k4cu/s320/IMG_0841.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Over the past few months I have had plenty of time to do what I like. With severe restrictions of course. One of the things I love doing is reading and I figured I would have plenty of time to do just that. And then I didn't. Yes, I picked up a book, but I couldn't stick to it. However, during the last few weeks I did finally pick up a book and finish it. Several in fact. Although that came about in a roundabout kind of way.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I have written several blogs about what I watched. Romantic comedies was what I started off with, but lately I have been more into a different type of film. Car chases, fighting, action, space. And then I subscribed to Amazon Prime and found a whole world of films and series. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWIPQGuVz8Ii4BeEtZWqoXikWX68fHFNxGOzq3FzBhC1lnxyo7eg0zTEoppdEssdnqbj7WFkX3J0kWQozDaqK13cKP-0h7KEZ1OmqQD8YoTdZnRN2z8w-lrhG_hgZ6sCC5-YxfTRaepn-mDPKnstqCcB6ebmfZfLt1c1RIlkYYY65o1l4HgKUhkx1L/s1477/MV5BNzQ4MGYzYzAtNjJlOC00NTdkLTlmNTAtMmZjMzZmZTg2YTEzXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjkwOTAyMDU@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1477" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWIPQGuVz8Ii4BeEtZWqoXikWX68fHFNxGOzq3FzBhC1lnxyo7eg0zTEoppdEssdnqbj7WFkX3J0kWQozDaqK13cKP-0h7KEZ1OmqQD8YoTdZnRN2z8w-lrhG_hgZ6sCC5-YxfTRaepn-mDPKnstqCcB6ebmfZfLt1c1RIlkYYY65o1l4HgKUhkx1L/s320/MV5BNzQ4MGYzYzAtNjJlOC00NTdkLTlmNTAtMmZjMzZmZTg2YTEzXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjkwOTAyMDU@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg" width="217" /></a></div><i>The series follows Jack Reacher, a veteran military police investigator who has just recently entered civilian life. Reacher is a drifter, carrying no phone and the barest of essentials as he travels the country and explores the nation he once served. When Reacher arrives in the small town of Margrave, Georgia, he finds a community grappling with its first homicide in 20 years. The cops immediately arrest him, and eyewitnesses claim to place Reacher at the scene of the crime. While he works to prove his innocence, a deep-seated conspiracy begins to emerge, one that will require Reacher’s keen mind and hard-hitting fists to deal with. One thing above all is for sure: They picked the wrong guy to take the fall.</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I thought I might as well give it a go and Janice (who mentioned it): thank you so much! I watched the whole series on two consecutive days. In: I watched the whole series one day and then watched the whole series again the next day! Since then I watched the whole thing a further two times. And decided to read the book the series is based on. Which I finished in two sittings as it was gripping me the whole way.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc_Iv7vGA2XYF2Vbs5ANgwLI99lGswZyon30jcg9sBbC_5ZBcpD8uhr81DC_CPDQ093Yi6Rh8YUjyNiaP9ZmNnbQcDpo1qthCLEjtZWgUZN-fK474ySF1QH9Dwmb1ht8NS00bXTYIfXip0vTAYqX4v-ISAcjL5VlUmzJRNBHgzX_q_AmivRwb7Qi72/s1480/MV5BMTc2MTQ3MDA1Nl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwODA3OTI4NjE@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1480" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc_Iv7vGA2XYF2Vbs5ANgwLI99lGswZyon30jcg9sBbC_5ZBcpD8uhr81DC_CPDQ093Yi6Rh8YUjyNiaP9ZmNnbQcDpo1qthCLEjtZWgUZN-fK474ySF1QH9Dwmb1ht8NS00bXTYIfXip0vTAYqX4v-ISAcjL5VlUmzJRNBHgzX_q_AmivRwb7Qi72/s320/MV5BMTc2MTQ3MDA1Nl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwODA3OTI4NjE@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg" width="216" /></a></div><i>An astronaut becomes stranded on Mars after his team assume him dead, and must rely on his ingenuity to find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive and can survive until a potential rescue.</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;">At the same time I had bought another book. Based on a film this time: the Martian. This is a film I had wanted to see in the cinema and never got around to it for some reason. I regret that to this day as I loved it. I did watch it several times on television though, but never the complete thing. Until they had another broadcast and I managed to record it. By the end I knew I wanted it on DVD. It arrived the next day and I watched it again. Which led to me buying the book.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On the back of both those books, I bought other books by the same writers. In the case of Lee Child (Reacher), I bought several of the same series about the main protagonist. I am now on book 3, which so far is the hardest to get through, but I still want to know how it ends. I have number 4 waiting already. There are about 24 books so far, so I have a bit to go. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So there you have it: I started reading again. While still watching a lot of television (new MacGyver seasons 1-3, the Transporter series plus of course films with a higher body count than I have ever seen in my life so far). </div>Marahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04464946195661953578noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1459431979539476850.post-66048946876769215192022-03-23T09:00:00.001+01:002022-03-23T09:00:00.250+01:00Firstly<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI05RJQYEdiA7XeVKFGz_XksFPIGvfGuSXjSbvicZExB1DC3P4cQWIJa9nqOs87-uBKwFe8MD7BpwDsmz-_4cZS0CuFXa3Tq8D39tjnZmZCoUPXHP6Z7vIrLAa_UWjfCbIYvpgvL9UABXoegKTFl-LeWN06mdH812gfImqAOxM5hVyDEyYgm7o95dN/s1299/034,%20restaurant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1299" data-original-width="685" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI05RJQYEdiA7XeVKFGz_XksFPIGvfGuSXjSbvicZExB1DC3P4cQWIJa9nqOs87-uBKwFe8MD7BpwDsmz-_4cZS0CuFXa3Tq8D39tjnZmZCoUPXHP6Z7vIrLAa_UWjfCbIYvpgvL9UABXoegKTFl-LeWN06mdH812gfImqAOxM5hVyDEyYgm7o95dN/s320/034,%20restaurant.jpg" width="169" /></a></div>I have been off sick since the end of November and I can safely say I am thoroughly fed up. To the eyeballs fed up. Sick and tired of sitting at home, not being able to do squat. At first there was the operation to fix the CTS in my right hand. And although the wound healed nicely, the pain remained and was in fact getting worse. It turned out I had a related but separate problem. One that would prove a bit more difficult.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">First of all of course there was the kicking inducing injection right into my wrist. IT HURT LIKE HELL! However, only days later, the pain had abated a fair bit and by the time I got to see the hand therapist for the first time, the pain was nearly gone. In order to make sure my wrist and thumb would go on being pain free however, I had to wear a splint. For three weeks. Non-stop. I only took it off when taking a shower and then I could barely use the hand. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjgRT-oi7ns3MQ5cRQolx_I4NgDh5OJEsdrPNWIPAk7BZxI5rEwKCV5Lwh-28QyF7dA6L0wCx3XBLyZCGuIDxk_omD1sRPwn8jYrobP0b8Qlxvn18Oz2iZgZaEWMJV2n35oa4GBqeh7yBerXiixlUqoHW_C0qwxmAX9u2vA6UUW57-01Zhla-BbXNt/s908/082.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="908" data-original-width="815" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjgRT-oi7ns3MQ5cRQolx_I4NgDh5OJEsdrPNWIPAk7BZxI5rEwKCV5Lwh-28QyF7dA6L0wCx3XBLyZCGuIDxk_omD1sRPwn8jYrobP0b8Qlxvn18Oz2iZgZaEWMJV2n35oa4GBqeh7yBerXiixlUqoHW_C0qwxmAX9u2vA6UUW57-01Zhla-BbXNt/s320/082.jpg" width="287" /></a></div>After three and a half weeks of wearing that splint, I went back to the hand therapist, she was happy and I was allowed to take it off more and more. At first it was only during meal times. Then it was for longer periods until I finally only wore it at night. Back to the hand therapist.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I was now splint free during the day, but it didn't mean I could do much with my hand. In fact, I could barely bend my wrist. So, that had to be trained. By that time I had been given the all clear to go out cycling and swimming (yes!), so that certainly helped by getting the hand to be more useful. But...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Even though the right hand was now nearing normalcy again, three and a half months in, my left hand still had unresolved business. I had been in two minds about having my left hand done. I hardly had any trouble with it, so would it not be wiser to defer until problems arose? Or would it be best to get it done now and be done with it? In the end I chose the latter, made an appointment with the surgeon and in I went. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnVN4G7p3SeYyeL79x6KzCHMoYc75o5K4hWx4lW9IDtN9bwY3WKB8JC7HZrTBf39SM4X1UFvlPMtnMU09kQlpz5YMZF9vfVLEZTz4hs4u_GaMm5yMK2iulsN3PVvZ8W3ZT8SPvCcHLQ6-NOzW2e4EMKFtv-3yA9NouzQerrrUfIhCPwK2e2CdmLvYg/s618/120.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="618" data-original-width="528" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnVN4G7p3SeYyeL79x6KzCHMoYc75o5K4hWx4lW9IDtN9bwY3WKB8JC7HZrTBf39SM4X1UFvlPMtnMU09kQlpz5YMZF9vfVLEZTz4hs4u_GaMm5yMK2iulsN3PVvZ8W3ZT8SPvCcHLQ6-NOzW2e4EMKFtv-3yA9NouzQerrrUfIhCPwK2e2CdmLvYg/s320/120.JPG" width="273" /></a></div>Last week I had my second hand operated on. Tie off arm, anastacia (you know!), slice open, cut something, put in stitches and within ten minutes my hand was being wrapped up with bandages. My Dad picked me up again and now I am recovering at home. The bandages come off today (it's been a week) and then I will battle the spider legs for a week, before they can come out. Another few weeks at home to make sure the wound heals fine and I can use the hand fine again and then hopefully back to work by the end of April.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">By the time I will be back at work, I will have been gone about five months. My main problem was the fact that even though I was off sick, I wasn't sick as such. I wasn't in bed with a raging fever. I just couldn't use my hand(s). Frustration, boredom, probably even some apathy. On the other hand I know that I need my hands in my job. If I think about how I want to grab the steering wheel because I want to avoid pain, I might not be able to avoid accidents or even cause them. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Right now though: light at the end of the tunnel. And pretty soon I will be back at work, wishing I was home watching television...</div>Marahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04464946195661953578noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1459431979539476850.post-77249942853161756712022-03-22T12:28:00.005+01:002022-03-22T12:28:40.877+01:00Tuesday's Travels 22-12<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqV_tEVM5Ve74VppvHVfANGz9rYQoiC6gep3wTSmRkcr8n27zy66AkQP9pVZRrVmmMTnXmR-xsIph165LY7GKCO2YaLkZQkhrFjmVB5IhtXmFf6U87OjXHJQuPlcuGog5GkUmBCc8Q1-2359YSfVFL-QZ35APs4I0ULF6qlQyxZn-OJvQ-Oo0sQwqM/s3456/2022-11,%20Dunluce%20Castle,%20Noord-Ierland.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2304" data-original-width="3456" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqV_tEVM5Ve74VppvHVfANGz9rYQoiC6gep3wTSmRkcr8n27zy66AkQP9pVZRrVmmMTnXmR-xsIph165LY7GKCO2YaLkZQkhrFjmVB5IhtXmFf6U87OjXHJQuPlcuGog5GkUmBCc8Q1-2359YSfVFL-QZ35APs4I0ULF6qlQyxZn-OJvQ-Oo0sQwqM/s320/2022-11,%20Dunluce%20Castle,%20Noord-Ierland.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Oh yes, typing two handed again right now, which means it's easier to tell you about last week's challenge. Which was of course (drumroll please) Dunluce Castle in Northern Ireland. Several people of course got points, my sister Gera (who happens to live in NI) not being one of them. However, the following did know: Gerrit, Harm and Yamini. Congratulations.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">My story? When I lived in NI myself, my parents came over and on one of the days we went and visited this site. It is of course a ruin, but its location is spectacular as it is right on the North Coast. As my sister said in her comment: it is on one of the main sight see routes and we have done a fair bit of the eastern bit, but have yet to do the bit that goes from Bangor up north.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSQuWBQIYKsx3ooVgx8u3iXaqd0PTGxm9Nd6cpAUBeacF4a__178PBcl4YH4H2iMMW9SH84OTMBvUc0XH4CDVkngqA1jWe5NnRpeLk8fWRnFDZ4KTEqU82xJRBr7e58Of7Jzn4XJ1KFP3VsUBh3hwEz5Vyx_Y8m2xhUdn7LXlICcmWQQKDNL3fyV6f/s3264/2022-12,%20Johannes%20Paulus%20II,%20Krakow.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSQuWBQIYKsx3ooVgx8u3iXaqd0PTGxm9Nd6cpAUBeacF4a__178PBcl4YH4H2iMMW9SH84OTMBvUc0XH4CDVkngqA1jWe5NnRpeLk8fWRnFDZ4KTEqU82xJRBr7e58Of7Jzn4XJ1KFP3VsUBh3hwEz5Vyx_Y8m2xhUdn7LXlICcmWQQKDNL3fyV6f/s320/2022-12,%20Johannes%20Paulus%20II,%20Krakow.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>On to this week's challenge. Where is this? Have you ever been? Tell us your story. Answer next week.</div>Marahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04464946195661953578noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1459431979539476850.post-77561952336297789132022-03-18T12:04:00.001+01:002022-03-18T12:04:00.238+01:00title<div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh0qb4QcMboJhqDuMi59Js8kzKDYCdkykmEH0bMAJRmmL0rwoRIP-e3dM02VhuCoLl8-FChAIM1VINSqVsyASJwnY-49hvFOxuVo2W8N7mECrVnf5qUlnayRvnlT7g2y0QQWtrkJsK2-JIOT48NpqCxFmaI7fZIB-zcAdCe3YAZB0drq5Y6n1O05Wdo=s3507" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2481" data-original-width="3507" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh0qb4QcMboJhqDuMi59Js8kzKDYCdkykmEH0bMAJRmmL0rwoRIP-e3dM02VhuCoLl8-FChAIM1VINSqVsyASJwnY-49hvFOxuVo2W8N7mECrVnf5qUlnayRvnlT7g2y0QQWtrkJsK2-JIOT48NpqCxFmaI7fZIB-zcAdCe3YAZB0drq5Y6n1O05Wdo=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>i did finish this challenge and am now virtually <br />going from land's end to john o'groats in the uk.</i></td></tr></tbody></table>as you may have realised, i have not been an active blogger over the last few months. my right hand is just about fine again, which in turn left me to get the left one sorted. that happened last wednesday and it is now a struggle to get dressed in the morning again. seeing how it went with the right, i do expect to heal fairly quickly and should start the basics again in about two to three weeks. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">my time at home has been part boring, part okay though. i mean cycling inside is never going to be the most fun, but last week i finally managed to get out again and did some good cycling in town. not only without a goal, but also to the book store in town and to the pool. yes, i took up swimming again, which fine. the indoor cycling definitely has helped with my fitness. of course it is now off again for at least two weeks. that's when the stitches come out. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">there was the good thing about the olympics of course and i did see a fair bit of it: skating, both speed and figure, biathlon and some of the airial skiing and snowboarding. i also watched a lot of films recently, which i will talk about in an upcoming post. directly connected is reading which i have started again as well. films based on books you know. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">plus there is one more thing i have taken up again recently that i enjoy immensely and no, it has nothing to do with knitting or crocheting. those are both things i have yet to start doing again. crochet especially is quite hard on the wrist, so i do want to be 100% certain it will not cause me trouble.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">anyway, that's it for now. next week i hope to start properly blogging again, but can i just say thank you to all who keep coming back to see how i am doing. it really means a lot to me.</div>Marahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04464946195661953578noreply@blogger.com10