Leeds

A number of times I've visited this fine city purely for football reasons, with those days long behind me (I still follow LUFC but don't put the time in to watching live games anymore), I got to take a proper look around this great Northern England city.

The Corn exchange below is a definite highlight, the architecture alone worth a look... and the meat pies served in the restaurant below are great too!

Barcelona!

Spain, Barcelona

My train sped along thru bland dessert looking country side, onto more typical Spanish rural countryside, I passed through Zaragoza - a place I'm only familiar with through watching European Football. It always makes me wonder if I'll visit a place like this, that I know nothing about other than it's football team.

Eventually I arrived in Barcelona. A city I've long wanted to visit, and for this pleasure, I had to pay absolutely nothing. However I would have to work here also.

The city was much cooler than Madrid, and somehow, my hotel much more luxurious. I checked in and went about going for a city walk. Wearing my trusty blue Haviana's I was stunned when about 1.2kms into my walk, one of them snapped. So bare-foot and ashamed in one of Europes style capitals... I found some cheap replacements and headed back to my room (I wasn't about to try and wear new thongs/flip flops in on a city walk). It was getting late, so I settled for a beer and burger before chilling out. All evening I checked out the architecture inbetween finding my way around some lovely bars.

The following day after work, I made hay, and got myself down to the beach, a true city beach whereby you could potentially go from office to sand in less than 5minutes walk.  Heaven!?

I took advantage of my companies evening meal allowance and took a seafood paella on the marina's edge. Always awkward eating by yourself in a very public place but I wouldn't have avoided that for the world.

Not Forgotten

Madrid, Spain

Now we're talking, my first trip to the Spanish capital city, I was only in town for a few days on business.  Regardless I was lucky enough to find good colleagues in my company office who were as hospitable as they could've been, taking me out for tapas in some trendy areas, followed by sangrias, mohjitos and dancing... oh, I'm sure I was meant to be working too.

Your Visits Are Getting Shorter

Amalfi Land

A gorgeous part of the world, I'd recommend to anyone. I visited Sorrento, Positano & Capri... try the sea food!

Coliseum

Rome had always been at the back of my mind as somewhere I'd like to go, but having been, I should've LOVED to go. Such a gorgeous city and a foodies dream.  Took the Trevi Fountain, Colliseum, the Pantheon etc etc... must go back - if not just so I can write a little more this time.

The Outsider

Newquay, UK

So for third foray out to the far South-West of Englands

party capital; Newquay. Englands premiere surf spot, where there are actual waves, sometimes, tha

t belittle the pathetic wash we usually see anywhere near the English channel.

The occasion; Marks Stag weekend. The coincidence; World Cup 2010 opening weekend.

I took a train out from London and managed to find the guys on the south west edge of the M25 at Chertsey, from there it was a solid 4hour drive to Newquay in a hired Ford Galaxy. After much chatting and catch-ups, we arrived in a windy, overcast Newquay. Concerned not to go to hard on the first night, we failed, and drank a skinful of beers, ciders and random shots. The sun did come out for a while late afternoon, and we sat out on the decking at Sailors bar soaking up the rays, enough to turn one or two of the party pink in the face; Matt.

Somewhere in the early hours of Saturday, we crashed after the warm-up night expired. We lost Paul who had to make it back for a wedding. So we mulched on down to the beach, with very dusty heads and managed to conjure up the motivation for a match of beach cricket... after destroying the ball, we moved on to a game of football, and then 3 rounds of beach volleyball.

Realising our hangovers were gone, but that most of our shoulders were a raw shad

e of pink, we headed back for dinner and the beginning of the night aheads drinking. We dressed Mark in a full USA outfit, since England were playing the US in the opener and proceeded to march him around town to the onslaught of boo's from other England fans.

We managed to score some reserved leather sofas, right in front of some large projector screens - it was just a shame that Gerrards goal wasn't quite enough to see England t

hru with a victory, after that howler from Rob Green... anyways... the atmosphere a little muted but we powered on till the late-early hours of Sunday before falling down.

Sunday came, and with it a huge breakfast to discuss the carnage from the nights before. I then managed to spend nearly 7hours getting home, JUST in time to witness the Aussies fall apart in front of ze Germans 4-0. The world cup may not have begun perfectly, but the weekend couldn't have hit the mark any sweeter.

On The Train

4 British Cities in 4 days,

May 2010 will be remembered not for much in the way of socialising or fun, more for travel... not quite the kind I like most, but a much cheaper kind... Business travel.

In a 3week period, a project I was assigned to with work, meant I had to be onsite, working late into the nights while there was a lack of people around. Fun, but obviously, overtime is always a nice thing to have.

So first stop, Cardiff, the capital of Wales. A first for me, and the third new capital city visited since my re-location from Australia. I'd never visited this place before, though I was pleasently surpised by what I saw. Lots of modern architecture mixed in with some traditonal stuff. The accent was great to hear en masse I must say. During my dinner break, I was able to go check out the Cardiff Millenium Centre; a kind of Sydney Opera House kinda complex that is home to several theatres bars and restaurants, all housed in a funky modern building... well worth a look down at Cardiff Bay - situated right by a selection of the usual British chain restaurants interspersed with a couple of token independents. On my way there, I was using my iPhone to map my journey, and managed to make the slightest of wrong turns that meant I walked about 2kms in the wrong part of town... a lovely old council estate. Just 20metres East, on the other side of the railways lines, a lovely modern road with a higher class of housing and tree lined streets laid in wait. After gobbling down a nice GBK Blue Cheese Burger, I was set to head back to work...

The next morning, I took a walk through the main town centre, saw a funky John Lewis and town Library before boarding my train to Bristol...

After getting booked to arrive in the wrong train station, my journey didn't get much better... my cab driver was dopey - I asked as I got in if he took credit cards... and then at journeys end he says he doesn't... so then drove me to an ATM, only to try and charge me for the extra journey! Regardless, the work was done, with a nice Italian meal sandwiched in the middle.

I travelled home and spent the next few nights regaining my sleep, a weekend passed, and it was time to set off again, this time on board a train for Leeds; a place I didn't really get much tim e to explore... other than Pizza Express for lunch and a seafood place for dinner; hey hum, the following day I jumped on board another train with a colleague across the Pennines. A lovely train ride in fairness... a brief glimpse of English history, with lots of Mills and classicaly styled towns set with a great hilly/mountainous backdrop.

I arrived in Manchester, the city was buzzing, so many people around, though probably because it was lunchtime. The work here went easier, and we were able to get a bit longer for dinner, this time opting for ribs and BBQ chicken. I popped back in the next day and then made my exit just after midday, back to London on a Virgin train, where sleep was not an option due to noisy neighbours... so I busted out my macbook and watched Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs... loving "work" like this!

Jumping Jack Flash

Strobist Work Shop, London, UK

This year has been quite the lifestyle changeover. London is expensive. Anyone that says it isn't, is lying, or on very good money. Last year I was able to blow lots of disposable on Camera equipment, this year, I've settled for a couple of accessories and my biggest photography splurge was today; a Dave Hobby Strobist workshop.

David Hobby started a bit of an internet phenomenon with his blog www.strobist.com, it gives amateurs and beginners an amazingly informative place to start off-camera lighting (cos we all know that the flash on camera is rarely flattering on your subject).

So in I went at 9am, and was taken on a walk-thru of the masters workflow. Building shots up with 1,2, 3... 6, 7 lights with seemingly the greatest of ease. Eventually he dis some live demoes and I was picked out to be part of one of the shots... I think, my first even "professional" photograph (Unless I count my dads stuff of course).

A great day and well worth it in terms of what it gives to technical skills and handy tips whilst photographing subjects.

Hey

Belgium

With our ordeal well in the past; when we were trapped in a snowy Paris, Eurostar came true to their word and shouted us a free trip to Belgium. Better still, we timed it over the Easter long weekend.

So on Thursday morning, we headed out to Kings Cross (minus passport!), then I returned home to pick it up again!... with that minor hitch behind us, we finally boarded the Eurostar for the first time of our lives bound for Brussels. We'd managed to book this whole thing just 48hours in advance, and had the prospect of a nice hotel room packaged in to the price.

Finally, we sped out of London, through Kent, under the Channel, into France, and then on to Belgium/Brussels. I can't recommend Eurostar enough. You can check in and be on the train within 30minutes, and off at the other end in less than 5minutes... take that air-travel!

We grabbed a cab from the station and dumped our bags at our plush hotel room; not sure if I've stayed in a larger room than this before. We then headed off on a quick-wet walking tour of the grand place, mannekin pis and anything else in between and around, which is fairness to Brussels consists mainly of stuff that expands your waist-line and/or gets you drunk. So with a chocolatey waffle consumed we carried on our musings and eventually wound up grabbing some Thai food for dinner, as you do in Belgium.

Following morning, it was time for a massive trip down memory lane. We took a trip out to my late grand-fathers sisters place, she's one of the last members of the 'grand' generation in my family and it had been a great many years since I last saw her; maybe 18!? The house seemed not to have changed, though of course it had. They welcomed us with a delicious lunch, with wine accompaniment along with my mothers cousin in the mix for company. We chatted and reminisced of a couple of almost long-forgotten family holidays and surprised each other as to how much we remembered.

After, we returned back to Brussels and met up with Em & Jazz, who'd just arrived in town. A pub crawl began, and before we knew it, we were sitting next to a stuffed horse drinking fruit flavoured beer. Wicked fun, unless you managed to fracture your foot falling off a stuffed horse.

Following day, against my hangovers will, we managed to get outta bed, and jump on a train out to Bruges - the land of Chocolate and medi-evil architecture. A healthy lunch paved the way before we gave in to Belgian fries and chocolate... all in all a healthy day; well it was Easter Saturday!

Easter Sunday rolled in and we really hit a new level of relaxation on a city break. We shunned the desire to go see new things and instead, spent a morning in and out of coffee shops, watching the world and it's congregations trot by on what was afterall, a highly special day for many in the religious world. We headed back to London, and made it in less than 2.5hrs door to door... impressive. Brussels is good fun, just don't expect too much from the sights though.