Holiday story's and snapshots

did you go to Africa Leelee?

Leelee. The Masai women are like vultures. They try and sell all sorts of crap. The really eager ones literally get in your car.

 do they try to do a bit of 'back seat driving'?

No. They are quite scary though.

Lancebloke wrote:Leelee. The Masai women are like vultures. They try and sell all sorts of crap. The really eager ones literally get in your car.

ahahahahahaha That is such a rude picture. I admit I have lost touch with the Masai for a long while. Some home boy or girl discovered commerce and the free market! But really look at our countries, what some will do for the almighty buck. They are after all only trying for the American dream with a Masai touch! I have only tasted the Serengeti , Kenya is fascinating and beyond wonderful to me. I am in awe of Johannesburg, but really I am Africa challenged. I know very little, I am ashamed to say I think there is a chance I don't know every country. I will sneak a look at the map and sure enough someone will catch me and laugh derisively!
Those little girls are lovely but they are practised at making a buck too. I am a terrible sucker so I change some monies into small increments and throw them so they will run there and pick it up and I can run the other way. But there is always a little child with an old weary and practised face, even with wrinkles that is so in the know and they are the scary ones you have to get rid of, or outrun Poor Chris.
Lance ,,the more you talk the sharper I see you are, you are no one's fool and you don't like being used at all! You have my respect.
What you said about the women reminds me of Agatha Christie when she married Max and started writing all those tales set in Afghanistan and the middle east, for he was a renowned archeologist.
She relates how after finding a good non roman tell they would hire the men At first they could not figure out why they should come and work for they traded for everything. So Max sometimes got the aid of the Gendarmes stationed nearby and they would make them come. But when they got their first paycheques and realized they could have status and things they wanted on demand with the loot they worked without much problem.
Now there was two types of Muslim workers, the traditional , where the husband ruled and the many wives and children followed. But there was this one group, where the woman carved out these mud huts and had few things. They were tall. terribly handsome and mouthy. They would show up on pay day and take the money in an not too nice manner from the hands of the men and walk away laughing. I think they let the men have enough for one evening of fun. The traditional men were so shocked it was hard for them to comprehend. those women were fearless and in your face.

Well... I had some first hand experience at the Kenya/Tanzania border last year. I love travelling and seeing things like that. Seeing how others live their lives helps put your own in to perspective.

By the way - HAPPY BIRTHDAY HASIA!!

Lance I heard that if you have a cough, put an unpeeled onion on your nightstand, in the mornng you will feel better. Dont know if it works and your other half might think you somewhat odder than normal, but if it works what the hey.  

well, I got bitten by some nasty invisible bastarding insect during thursday night last week, my foot ballooned to the size of a melon, it itched SO bad but it was TO sore to even touch. Ive got a book on herbs etc & it said "rub a leek on the bite". well, I couldnt as it was far to sore so, I crushed a leek into a bandage & wrapped it round my foot, instantly the soreness went, the itching abated, I was happy!. It has taken a week of twice daily applications but, IT WORKED ! So if Figgy says try an onion, try an onion !

Few snaps from my hols a few weeks back. Stayed about an hour outside Barcelona in a place called Cambrils but took a few trips in to the city.

First, are some mixed shots from my trips to the Camp Nou.... Barcelona F.C's stadium for those that don't know.

Caught a game between Barcelona and Santos


Some fireworks as they introduced the 2013-14 team.



Warming up



Final score



Completely different day, but also at the stadium. Took the stadium tour.

Pitch level



One of several trophy cabinets with honours throughout the club history



Champions league trophies



One of Messi's golden boots (means top scorer in the league)



And 2 of the 4 Ballon D'or trophies (best player in Europe)



Enough of football. Some pics from a trip in to the city. Prefer to keep pics of family off of the internet so limited in what I can post, but hope they are interesting if you have never been to the city.

Got on a site seeing bus and first stop was the Sangrada Familia



This has been being built or a very long time and apparently another 80+ years of work to go

The old side



Newer side



I have quite a few other pictures but none really do it justice... you have to go and see it.

On the tour, a random Gaudi building (one of very many but you can see the architecture is quite similar to the Sangrada Familia)



For those that like a wrought iron gate



Barcelona Catherdral



Has its own intricate detail, especially in the spire



Very tight shopping street between the cathedral and Las Ramblas (very long shopping street).



Sure the guide explained what this church was, but cant remember anything about it



Statue of Columbus... apparently the biggest one there is of him.



Some cruise ships down by the docks dwarfing everything else in that part of the city.



Side of the Olympic stadium for the 1990 Olympics.



Last one... random building down by the docks (close to the Columbus statue). Owned by some oil or petrol company but has its architectural merits.



Hope these are interesting.

Thanks for posting all those pictures, Lance. I can't say Southern Europe has ever been especially high on my list of places I want to visit, but it looks like a beautiful region from what I've seen of it, and Barcelona looks especially nice.

Great pics Lance, thanks for sharing .

Loved the snappies Lance ! Loved that iron gate ! I watched a programne about people living inside Gaudi style flats & inside are beautiful ! made me a bit envious ! Im not in the position to travel, but I intend to asap ! & looking at not just your pics but everyone else's cheers me up & gives me inspiration !