Walking Every Day And The Joys Of Spotify.

The weather is reasonably dry here in Ireland at the moment with just an odd bit of mizzle.  I walked twenty six miles last week  in the Algarve and I am walking 4 miles a day here back in Eire.  Unbelievably it was warmer here than Morocco on Sunday.  The seasons really are up the spout aren't they?  You get better days in Winter than you do in Summer these days.

One thing I have noticed in Ireland while I am walking along the roads is the amount of rubbish washed up on the beaches and in the rough grass, brambles, hedgerows and farmers fields next to the roads.  Most of it is plastic waste.  It's so different to the Algarve.  

Last week we noticed the Portuguese have litter bins on all the beaches and every road has those big industrial wheelie bins for you to dispose of your rubbish free.  There is no rubbish thrown out of cars and I think countries should follow Portugal's example.   

Any way. The two lads introduced me to the joys of Spotify last week.  For ten Euros a month we can listen to our favourite music where ever we are.  I down loaded some heavy rock when I walked the Algarve beaches last week.  

Today I walked along our road to the sea listening to Chris De Burgh.  I always walk with just one ear phone in my ear when I am walking of the road.  So that I can hear approaching cars and passing lorries.  Do you listen to music when you're walking or running?  

This is one of the tracks I listen to regularly while I am enjoying my walking.

A Week In The Algarve Sun And Back To The Land Of The Rain Gods.

We have just been to sunny Portugal for a week of sunshine.  We came back last night to rainy Dublin and a long five and half hour car journey.  It was great to see the Algarve again.  Yes it was pretty quiet but the weather was fabulous.  

It's got to be the best weeks weather in January in all of my fifty four years.  One day it was nineteen degrees Celsius.  I didn't get any arthritic pain until Thursday when some of the mizzle came to visit us for an hour.

Here's some pictures for you:

Most days I walked six miles along a near deserted beach.  Passing mainly Portuguese walkers and the occasional fisherman and a sprinkling of tourists.  Sunday was the busiest day when the Portuguese families enjoy the beach with their families. 

 We paid eleven Euros fifty for this jug of Sangria and two glasses.  

We also drank Sangria made with a bottle of wine from Spar for one Euro fifteen,  70CL of Smirnoff is only ten Euros something and you can get a bottle of  Brandy for about 7 Euros.  Add a bit of fruit and you have got your own loony juice.  Especially if you're like me and sup it like its pop. 

Joke:  Which nineteen fifties pop group is still going today?  Ben Shaws!  

 Our villa which we booked on Booking.Com.  See old donkey knees ("yours truly") with his shorts on?

 Holiday makers enjoying the Algarve sun in Armacao Da Pera.

 Somersby cider and Super Bock.  Cold refreshing drinks on a sunny January afternoon?  I prefer Sagres when its available!

More pictures of palm trees and few tourists.  But who wants lots of crowds?  Like my old pal Jean Sartre once said: "Hell is other people."  

Hope you enjoyed the photos and I would recommend the Algarve out of season anytime.  Where is the best holiday destination you have visited during our Winter?

Home Made Shovel!

We have a coal bunker and in it lives a shovel or two.  We keep thinking Uri Geller must sleep in there because every time we come to use them the shovel bends like one of his spoons.  Me thinks its because they are made in somewhere far off like Halifax or even China.  They are tripe!  

So we asked number one son if he would make us a 'proper' shovel?  One that needs someone who would need to eat seven shredded wheat to lift it.    Here is our new shovel sitting proudly on top of our freezer in the hall.

I am starting to sound like Eric Olthwaite from Ripping Yarns and its raining too.  Did you see the brilliant programme about Michael Palin the other night?  I think his character would of been proud of number one son's new shovel.  I think if you want a good shovel.  Make one!  

If you want a laugh.  Go to good old You Tube and type:  Ripping Yarns Season 1 Episode 2.  The Testing Of Eric Olthwaite.  Its about twenty eight minutes long and very very  funny!  

Here's a song for you! I think he's got an holiday home not far from where I live.  

Tv Nostalgia.

We had a thoroughly enjoyable nights television viewing last night.  First we watched: One Foot In The Grave (" I don't believe it") then The Last Of The Summer Wine (I love the harmonica theme tune) and Goodnight Sweetheart.  

They are on every week day night on the Drama channel.  I (we) must of watched this time travel sitcom at least three times over.  But I never tire of its cleverness, the jokes, modern day songs and the Blitz spirit that got Britain through the Second World War.  Oh to time travel.  When would you have like to lived?  

I wish it was a soap opera every week and I would love to write some comedy scenes for it.

In the first episode Gary mentions the war time crooner AL Bowley.  He said he got killed by a parachute mine.  

Sure enough I looked him up and the story is true.  Al Bowley was returning from a concert when he was killed by a Lufftwaffe parachute mine outside his flat.  He is buried in a mass Blitz grave in Hanwell Cemetery in London.  

Here's the great man singing the theme tune.

The Best Of Times?

The week was nothing to write about with two gales one night after each other and this morning we woke up to frost and ice.  

The other day we were in County Limerick and we stopped for pizza in Abbeyfeale at Apache Pizza.  The wife and the lads went in to order pizza and I looked through the car window and saw the facade of an old cinema in Abbeyfeale.  So of course I did Google it and it was built in 1940 with an Art Deco facade.  

The old Abbey Cinema in Abbeyfeale.

Sadly, it closed its doors in the nineteen nineties.  If only its walls could talk, which famous people graced this place?

Then I started thinking what uses this old building could be used for: an indoor flea market, rock music venue, community centre, meeting place, luxury flats or a big home with open space, or even a cinema again?

I wonder how many cinemas, theatres, dance halls.., are there in England, Ireland, Europe and America?  Is there a society for the preservation of old entertainment buildings?

Then my mental juke box began to play in my head.   Neil Peart  famous Rush drummer (I have seen them twice) came up with the phrase and I often use it on this blog.   

I use to own a lazer cut record album with the writing Paradise Theatre and Styx (I think?) cut into the vinyl.  It was around about nineteen eighty.  Back when Rock bands had concept albums.  Paradise Theatre was a massive hit for Styx and its about the old Paradise Theatre in Chicago.  

I have always wanted to see Styx live but I live in hope.  Perhaps they will play a mini tour of Bantry, Durrus and Drimoleague just for me?  I am joking!

Here's a track from my mental jukebox  and I think is apt!  Enjoy.  Oh yeah.  Do you have a mental juke box in your head and certain tracks start playing?

Do you have an old building near you that you think should be preserved?  I say indoor flea markets and Rock clubs everywhere!

I've Seen The Future And Its Not Garlic Bread.

Happy New Year to you all!  Lets hope we get a summer this year and lots of sunshine.  

I went to the new Lidl in Bantry the other evening and picked up one of their leaflets with the latest weekend Super Savers!

They are selling: Biodegradeable Bin Liners.  It makes sense doesn't it eh?  The only way to get rid of plastic pollution is to make it biodegradable or stop making it!    What do you think please?

Here's a reflective song by my favourite Rock band Kansas.  I penned  (typed) a post last year about me flying to Warsaw in 2014 to see them.  I have only ever experienced tears of joy three times in my life: twice when I saw my children born and once when I saw Kansas play, enjoy.