You can do so much with the design and colouring of a petunia.
Daily Archives: 07/11/2018
FOWC with Fandango: Danger
This is the ER admitting station at the local hospital. Why do I have a photo? I am a regular customer, they know me and I have time to take photos with my mobile phone. When I arrive at the desk I have to wait until I fill out all the particulars. The last time they did give me something to stop the cut on my ear bleeding, but no problem. You get used to it. When they see my name on the admission slip they have a look in the computer and a look of astonishment passes on their faces. “You have been here before”. I am not sure if it is a question or just a confirmation.
I had often been there. They even have my records of various stays, but in the ER it is usually just passing through. This year I broke my leg in January when the floor came up and hit me. I even got a chauffeur driven journey to the hospital in an ambulance. Then I lost my balance whilst sorting some washing. I cannot stand up under my own steam and so two nice strong gentlemen came from the ambulance service and picked me up. In between I had my famous copycat experience of the Van Gogh symptom when I fell and sliced my ear. It was the ER again, and this time they had to find a surgeon that knew how to sew cartilage which they did. The ER room was blocked by me for more than an hour afterwards until they got the job done. A week ago the next accident happened. I dropped a glass bowl which broke, knocked off the door of the microwave, and collapsed on the floor embedded in glass splinters. It was quite a colourful event, but the man and this time a lady arrive. I heard the ambulance before it arrived. They picked me up, washed the glass out of my arm and I survived again.
Yes the world is a dangerous place, especially if you are a golden oldie that has balance problems (MS) but I survive. I have a walker, a stick and even an electric wheelchair. Now my cleaning lady tells me that I can get an inflatable belt from the Red Cross, something like an air bag on the steering wheel of a car. It inflates itself when you fall and prevents broken bones, I must have a look in Internet.
One thing is certain, danger lurks everywhere. It might just be a small corner of a carpet, perhaps leaning on something that moves, or a leg that detaches itself from your body at the wrong moment.
RDP Wednesday: Holiday
If I get a subject for a blog and do not really know what to write, then I have a look at my photos: in this case with the tag “Holiday” and I get a photo that brings back many memories. It was my first holiday when I flew. It was 1965 and in those days flying for an average working person was still something special. There were rare jets and flights where arrival was quick and comfortable. It was the days of package tours, no flight belonged on a time table, they were mostly chartered aircraft departing at strange airports that you never knew existed. Our plane left from Manston airport, a small airport in the county of Kent near the English coast, the airport no longer existing today. Our holiday was to be in Southern Italy with a week staying in Sorrento on the Amalfi coast.
My friend and I both chose this target, mainly because both our fathers served in World War II and were both totally fascinated by the Amalfi coast: not something that two East End Men had ever seen with its Palm trees and culture of wine and romantic scenery, although in the war there was not so much romance. They spent most of the time dodging enemy fire.
But my friend and I booked the holiday and arrived at Manston to board the plane. Direct flight to Sorrento? Forget it. The plane took us to Basel on the Swiss border. Today a flight of an hour, in 1965 almost two hours. Afterwards it was a coach journey through Switzerland, including a death defying route with the Gotthard Tremolo road, which is has now become a side road after the motorway was built. This was a danger in itself and I remember that the coach leaked gas each time it turned one of the hairpin bends and there were many.
We eventually arrived in Italy and embarked on a journey on the Autostrada del Sol, a newly built Motorway in 1965. We had a few overnight stops and eventually arrived in Rome. This was also new land for two english girls from London, but we wanted to see it all. We were both opera fans and had the mad idea to go to Caracalla to see Madame Butterfly. Rome is a big city and this was on the other side. Somehow we found the bus connections and arrived, not thinking that the opera finishes long after the busses no longer run. We found a bus that took as to St. Peters in the Vatican. What could possibly go wrong if you were being sheltered by the Pope? Actually a lot, but we found two American girls with their two boyfriends, both doctors so if there was an accident we would be safe. They offered to bring us to our hotel, on the other side of Rome. Rome is a big city. On the way we were stopped by the carabinieri as they found the little car had too many people. Papers were shown a lot of Italian words uttered, but they let us go.
Eventually we arrived in Sorrento at our hotel and realised why our fathers loved the place so much. It was a dream for us both.
After a week the home journey began, and on the way we made a two day stop in Florence where the photo originated on the Michelangelo Square looking over the city. I am in the back row, the tall one third from the left. The young lady who was our holiday host was from Berlin and she is in the middle at the front. I have had many holidays abroad since then, even over the pond, but this was one of the first. Perhaps the seed was then sewn to move over to Europe and enjoy all it had to offer.
Good Morning
Where did I go yesterday? Again into town, for want of anything more interesting. It seems that the gulls are taking over our river and were flying everywhere. We always have a lot during the Winter, but I never realised to what extent since I go more into town.
It was a quiet day and not so many people on the streets. It seems to me that since online buying by computer has taken over, the amount of shoppers are dwindling and there are only people walking around the town or visiting the many street cafés that we have.
I noticed these two men hovering over the street in one of those crane containers and realised they were busy hanging the town’s Christmas lights. We do not have a fantastic show, but every year they seem to be improving on it. Usually it was just a few grape similar groups of lights, but now they seem to be beginning to hang them over the street. I might see them once in the evening, although I am a rare evening visitor.
This part of the light chain was hanging down into the street. I waited around to see if there would be any fanstastic photos, but the men were more busy talking that making any action so I moved on.
It seems that in our cold temperatures the geraniums are still flowering, over one of our restaurants.
I decided to wheel my way back home along the river eventually.
I like to take the lower bridge crossing over the Aare. It is only for pedestrians and wheelchairs like me and you get a good view of the town and river.
So what else did I do yesterday? I seem to have been busy all day, but I do not know why. I suppose uploading my photos took some time and writing a couple of blogs. I also managed to get a couple of photos of my birdhouse visitors.
The are mainly sparrows, the tits seem to have disappeared at the moment. I think they are waiting for the really cold weather. It is still mild (6°C) for this time of the year and no rain.
And I must now go. Everything goes in slow motion these days, I am not a quick with my movements as I used to be. I will see you later I hope, so have a good day in the meanwhile. Here is one of yesterday’s photos from the Jura as I was on my way.
Chronicles of an Anglo Swiss 