Music – SteveWhittythoughts1965

July 7, 2024

Embracing Life’s Twists: Retirement Plans, Record Shop Days, and Football Emotions

It has been a strange week. The one word that springs to mind when you describe it is change. Be it a change of habits or government.

Monday 1st July

I woke up to find myself in the second half of the year. The first six months have flown by. This is something that happens when you get older. Time is something you take for granted until you realise when it starts to run out.

Glastonbury has been and gone. Not that I watch any of it on the telly. I find it difficult to enjoy events held on a dairy farm. Having said that, I have attended Bearded Theory over the last three years which is held on a farm. You cannot have it both ways.

It is good to be able to reward people who do a good job. I include my team in that.

Tuesday 2nd July

There has been talk of retirement at work. Chris who I have worked with for almost ten years is due to leave in a couple of weeks. I will miss her as she was a calming influence when I joined the civil service. It has got me thinking about my retirement. This is due to happen in 2032. My aim is to make my life simpler. The first step is to combine all my old work pensions into one. This is not just for me but also for my family just in case I were to pass away before I retire. The whole process was straight forward.

I wish the trains were the same. It seems whenever summer arrives the trains become delayed. It is frustrating given the lack of information given. New trains, the same old shitty service.

Wednesday 3rd July

The best gifts are the unexpected ones. I received a £20 voucher as a thank you for my work with data quality. I will spend that on cups of coffee over the coming days.

Seeing Mark Cavendish break the Tour de France record for stage wins brought a lump to my throat. I have been following his career over the years. He is a true British sporting legend.

I was given a reminder about becoming old. I had to help my neighbour to his feet. He had fallen while trying to clean himself after an accident. He looked all bewildered by what had gone on. I felt sad for him as I suspect these problems have been going on for a long time.

Thursday 4th July

It was General Election Day. I went to vote early in the morning. I wanted to get it out of the way as I was going to be busy. It was encouraging to stand in a big queue at 7:15 in the morning. Hopefully, this is a sign of a big turnout.

Today was the start of spending three days in the record shop helping out my friend while he was attending a festival. Outside of my home, this is my favourite place to spend time. Being able to talk music is pure joy as I am always learning something new.

Friday 5th July

As expected Labour won the election by a landslide.

Saturday 6th July

I have always held a love-hate relationship with the England football team. They promise so much yet they always let you down. The match against Switzerland was going that way as well. Somehow they clawed their way back into the game. The penalty shootout was a masterclass in taking the spot kick. So we move on to Wednesday where we face the Netherlands for a place in the final of Euro 2024. Could it finally be our year?

Sunday 7th July

I woke feeling run down. I have developed a cough and a blocked nose. Normally, I would have gone and done the laundry but could not face it. I will stop off by the chemist and purchase some covid tests. You cannot be too careful.

Until the next post, keep on smiling.

July 31, 2013July 31, 2013

Photo of the Week – Beethoven’s Residence in Vienna

This week's photo takes me back to my trip to Vienna. It is of the stone plaque that commemorates Beethoven's residence in Vienna.

Though German by birth Beethoven ended living in Vienna for the majority of his life. He is buried in the Zentralfriedhoff.

Until the next post stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.

Steve

Posted with Blogsy

March 25, 2013

Vienna & Budapest – Day 8, 14 March 2013

After two late nights in succession I decided to have a lie in this morning. Looking outside the window I could see it was raining. Today I plan to try to see parts of Budapest that I have not seen.

I had a late breakfast after which I decided to brave the weather. Oh dear, the rain had turned to sleet and there was a strong wind in the air. It is feeling so cold. I had not packed my hat and gloves.

The best bet was to stay indoors where possible so the first stop was St. Stephen’s Basilica. Once inside for the chance to stay dry. The basilica is stunning inside. There were plenty of opportunities for taking photographs. I love the inside of large churches. They are so beautifully decorated. You either like these or not. The highlight of any visit is to see the right hand of St. Stephen. It is kept in a glass housing. For two hundred florins you can light the housing to show the hand in more detail. Once somebody put in a coin out came the cameras.

Back outside I tried to my way around the city. I had wanted to make my way toward Margitsziget but by now the weather was getting too much for me. It is not the rain or snow that was bothering me. After all it is only water but the cold was getting too much to handle. I was struggling to hold my camera. A cup of coffee was in order.

After warming myself up I made the decision to make my way back to the hostel. I was disappointed but by now I was feeling fed up. This was my last day in Budapest.

I contacted Marion to see if we were meeting up tonight and was happy to see we were. She had the same type of day as me. We agreed not to venture out too far and ended up in the Greenspub. Again it was full which is always a good sign. I chose to have the pork knuckle soup served inside a loaf of bread. This was by a mixed grill with pickles. A great last meal in Budapest.

We decided to make our way back to the hostel. When we arrived there seemed to be a lot of activity going on. There was a live band set up to play and there was also a lot of locals inside. Apparently somebody was celebrating a birthday. We were speaking to a couple from the Netherlands. They were in the middle of their holiday going through Europe. I declined a suggestion of going to the Szimpla Bar. I was leaving tomorrow and thought of returning home was making me feel sad. I went to sleep to the sound of the band ringing in my ears.

Until the next post stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.

Steve

February 24, 2013

Checklist – Vienna & Budapest

It is now 10 days to go before my trip to Vienna and Budapest. Now is the time to start preparing so not to leave anything to the last-minute. So this is my checklist.

Get my rucksack out of the cupboard. I am sure that it will need airing before I use it. I can also check for any holes that may have appeared. I have had my rucksack for 13 years. It has served me well.
Old Faithful Rucksack.
Check the contents of my first aid kit to make sure that everything is still in date and replace where necessary.
Transfer money to my travel cards. This will be done during the week to ensure there are funds for the trip.
Purchase some Euro’s. I will be travelling to Vienna by coach. I will need some refreshments along the journey.
Pack the rucksack. I am aiming to do this the weekend before I travel. I do not want to leave this to the last-minute. It is going to be an early start on the day of travel and I do not want to spend the time last-minute packing. You always end up forgetting something.
Get some sleep before I set off. As I have already mentioned I will be setting off early. I finish work at 17:00 and it takes me about 90 minutes to get home. The aim is to have two or three hours sleep. Must remember to set the alarm.
Ensure all gadgets are fully charged. This includes back-up batteries. It is going to be a long journey so I need to keep myself amused.
Ensure all tickets, passports and other documentation is packed. I tend to double-check, even triple check. The last thing I want to notice at Birmingham Coach Station is I have forgotten my passport.
Arrange taxi to coach station. Being a Wednesday morning this should not be a problem but I will have to book it early to be on the safe side.
Finally, if the above has been ticked off then sit back relax and enjoy the trip.

Until the next post, stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.

Steve

January 28, 2013January 28, 2013

My Travel Tech for 2013

As this year I have decided to devote more of my spare time to travel I need to ensure that my tech is up to speed. There are five items that I will be taking with me on my travels.

1. iPad 4 64GB Wi-fi

This is my latest piece of tech. I am not a full time travel blogger so the iPad gives me all that I need. There are plenty of apps available and I can make hardware changes such as adding a Bluetooth keyboard if required. I am using Blogsy for updating my blog. If I were to become a full time blogger then of course I would look to invest in a MacBook or MacBook Air. I have tried to a Windows 8 laptop but I found it to be a frustrating experience. I am back to what I know and love.

2. iPhone 4S 16GB

This is my third iPhone and I have never suffered any problems with them apart from battery life. It is a device that can do almost everything. Take photos, play music, be a GPS and you can make calls too. My favourite apps are Spotify and Instagram. With iCloud it links to the iPad. As for battery life I take a power pack as back up. I never leave home without it.

3.Panasonic Lumix LZ20 Bridge Camera

I am not the world's greatest photographer as these photos show. This is a area that I wish to improve on. While I am not ready to move to a DSLR this is the next step up. Hopefully in the coming months you will notice the results.

4. Amazon Kindle

This is purely for reading. I do travel on long coach journeys and it allows time to pass. There are plenty of books stored on it. A big plus is that the battery life lasts a long time between charges.

5. iPod Classic 160GB (2007)

Old faithful, this has been with me on a lot of my travels. Lasts a long time on one charge it allows me to have all the music I need. Even better when shuffle is on.

These devices should keep me happy. Until the next post, stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.

Steve

Posted with Blogsy

October 21, 2012

Prague & Bratislava – Day 9, 18/09/2012

The weather today is simply beautiful. What shall I do with myself? I asked the hostel receptionist for suggestions. Without hesitation she suggested Devín Castle. Ever helpful she pointed out which bus I should catch and how much it will cost. Also included in the recommendation was a coffee shop I should check out when I returned to the city centre.

So off I went to the bus stop. The bus journey like most was uneventful but once I arrived I was totally blown away. Devín Castle is a castle ruin, but I feel it is much more than that. It dates back to the 8th century. It was destroyed by Napoleon Bonaparte. There is currently a lot of archeological work that is taking place. The views from the castle ramparts are simply stunning. There were plenty of opportunities to take great photographs, even for me.

As well as the castle there were plenty of paths to walk along. It was a pity that there was nowhere open to hire a bicycle. Today would have been a perfect day for cycling. The nearby village was beautiful and peaceful. To live in a place like this you would have been a winner in life’s lottery. The River Danube looked beautiful and powerful in the countryside.

I made my way back to the city centre feeling hungry. I remembered the recommendation of earlier today, so I made my way to Shtoor coffee shop. As much as I tried to find it I was not getting too much success. Just when I thought about giving up I noticed that I was standing outside the shop. This is what a coffee shop should be about. Good coffee, good food and a good ambiance. My pork and caramelized onion sandwich tasted divine. The berry and chocolate cheesecake went down even better.

When I left Shtoor I found myself caught in a demonstration outside the British Embassy. It was interesting to find yourself caught in something like that. The demonstration was in support of a Slovak woman Ivana Boorova who came to the UK for work. Her two children were taken into care two years ago and nothing appears to have been done about the situation. This seems so unfair. I mentioned that I was British and I would offer my support when I got home. So if you feel that something needs to be done contact the Mayor of London Boris Johnson and let’s see what we can do.

Back at the hostel I was unsure what I was going to do. I did not fancy the pub crawl but wanted to go out for the evening. So I decided to go to the British Rock Pub. It was open mic night. I enjoyed the music even if I did not understand what they were singing about. The pub crawl ended up in here. Somehow, I do not think they expected to be there. A good end to a perfect day.

October 10, 2012

Lennon Wall – Prague

One of the most unusual sites in Prague is the Lennon Wall. It is home to graffiti inspired and dedicated to John Lennon. As yesterday would have been the former Beatle 72nd birthday it seems appropriate to write about the wall.

During the 1980’s the wall was used to protest against the communist regime. Today it is seen to represent peace and love. The ideals that we should all live by. When I visited the wall last month I found the whole experience to be emotional and I found myself overwhelmed with the tears flowing down my face.

Here are a few of the wall’s images:

As the great man sang “All you need is love.” Until the next post, stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.

Steve

October 8, 2012October 8, 2012

Prague & Bratislava – Day 5, 14/09/2012

For a lot of people in the hostel today was their final day in Prague. The plan was to explore the area around Prague Castle. This seemed a good idea at the time. So a couple of us decided to head to the Old Town Square. The weather was good so we checked out what was going on. There were plenty of wedding parties. Of course the brides looked beautiful. There was a dixieland jazz band playing in the background. Plenty of people were soaking in the atmosphere. Some even brought the CD. I am not sure it would sound the same back home.

Dixieland Jazz Band in The Old Town Square

Eventually, we climbed the Astronomical Clock Tower. Once at the top space was tight due to the amount of people there. However, it did offer excellent views of the Prague skyline.

We decided that we need to head up to the castle. So after crossing Charles Bridge and having something to eat we caught a tram up to the top of the castle hill. We did not plan to go inside but just potter around. We saw the absinthe shop and it was selling ice cream flavoured with the drink. One of us could not resist. I tried some, it tasted foul but then again I do not like the taste of aniseed. So I started to drink beer instead. Drinking in the castle grounds did not seem right with the tourists milling around but I felt relaxed about it.

Slowly we made our way back to the city centre and I eat the sloppiest burger that I had ever tasted. At the hostel it was decided as it was the last night for the majority of us we should go out and celebrate. Always keen to follow I went to my dorm, got showered and changed. We made our way to the nearest club. I am surprised how relaxed clubs are in mainland Europe are about letting people in. I was wearing a shirt, jeans and trainers and the doormen were happy to let me in.

While relaxing with a beer you could see panic behind the bar. The Czech government had during the day banned the sale of alcohol over 20% proof due to recent cases of people dying from drinking contaminated booze. So it was beer all night, no hardship.

The atmosphere turned ugly when a group of locals decided to move around us. I had my arse slapped then another person started dancing in front of one of the girls. Her boyfriend naturally to exception to this and made his feelings known. He was ignored and a fight broke out which was a shame. Still it did not stop our fun and we continued to drink and dance. I am better at drinking than dancing. At the end of the night we said our goodbyes and wished one another safe travels.

Until the next post, stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.

Steve