Water, water everywhere
Thought for the day “Success depends on your backbone, not your wishbone.”
“The man who is swimming against the stream knows the strength of it.” Woodrow Wilson
Norway has been hit by some very heavy rains over the last few days, resulting in flooding in low lying areas. As usual, many trains were cancelled, although that is nothing unusual in Norway where rain, wind, snow or even sunshine stops the trains. But the heavy rains have produced some interesting photo opportunities, especially around the waterfalls in the town of Honefoss. Foss is actually a Norwegian word for waterfall, very appropriate now given the size of them. Here is a photo today, showing the huge amount of water. Great sky for the photo too !
And a photo from the other side…..
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Big Brother is coming -1984 is on the way.
Thought for the day “A smile is a curve that sets everything straight.” Phyllis Diller
“The mystery of government is not how it works but how to make it stop.” P. J. O’Rourke
I picked up an interesting story on YouTube today, posted by an American lawyer, Ben Hart, who is resident in Thailand. There is a proposal in Thailand by one of the big political parties there, to give citizens there a 10 000 THB payment (about 265 euros) together with a new digital savings account and digital I.D. Even worse is the proposal that this digital money will have to be spent within a 4km radius of the resident’s home.
This is a very dangerous move if it does actually happen. What government has the right to tell a citizen where he/she can spend THEIR money ? And the linking of your digital identity to your money is a very dangerous move, as then governments will have total control over both you and your money. Say something wrong (politically incorrect) and your digital money is locked. If your ‘social credit’ is too low your digital money might also get locked.
There is a lot of news from England about Nigel Farage having his bank accounts at the Coutts Bank (part of National Westminster Bank – partly government owned) closed because of his political views and political associations. This is one sign that governments may already be taking control of people’s money.
But the proposal in Thailand to even limit somebody’s use of money to a 4km radius of their home is very worrying. No government should have this sort of control over where somebody spends their OWN money. It will become even worse if this is also linked to the ’15 minute cities’ idea, as then governments will also be to effectively limit spending and movement, all controlled by the digital I.D and linked digital money. Frightening.
If you would like to see the video by Ben Hart on YouTube, the link is –
The photo today is an early morning local train from Interlaken to Meiringen waits at Oberried in Switzerland.
And another photo from the archives….the lakeside at the town of Pembroke Wanaka, New Zealand.
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More stupidity in Norway – Avis Car Rental
Thought for the day “If you count all your assets you always show a profit.” Wilson Mizner
“The more sand that has escaped from the hourglass of our life, the clearer we should see through it.”
There are more stupid people in Norway than I imagined. I hate stupidity, and I hate people who will not move with the times. Latest example of stupidity comes from Avis Car Rental in Norway, part of the same Avis/Budget Rental group. The Norwegian government issues digital driving licences which work through an app on your telephone. These are accepted by police and also border officials and can also function as an identity card (as they have the holder’s photo on them as well).
So imagine the stupidity of Avis Car Rental in Norway who refuse to accept digital driving licences. It seems like this company wants to live in the past, although presumably their cars run on petrol and not steam, so they can move with the times when it suits them. Numerous emails to their head office but still a refusal by Avis Car Rental to use this ‘new’ technology. They claim that it is due to ‘security reasons’ but refuse to say what these ‘security reasons’ are. So whilst the police and other government officials ARE happy to accept digital driving licences, Avis prefers to live in the past and refuse them. Pure stupidity. Avis is very happy to use the internet and modern technology to debit my credit card instantly, but when it comes to accepting digital driving licences, it is a different story.
I hope that Avis Car Rental company gets the success that it deserves with such a backward attitude like that. Some of us are happy to live in the 21st century (or more, depending on which calendar that you use). Avis prefers to live in the past. So whilst their prices are 21st century, their behaviour is certainly not. Guess who will NOT be renting from Avis/Budget in future ?
Waiting for the train in Sri Lanka for the photo today –
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Stupidity in Norway
Thought for the day “To different minds, the same world is a hell, and a heaven.”
“The young man knows the rules, but the old man knows the exceptions.”
Thinking back 12 months, my crystal ball never said that the next 12 months were going to be crazy, and that the World would be turned upside down. But upside down they certainly are. And in Norway, stupidity seems to be spreading too. Take for example the bus company VKT which operates buses in Vestfold (one of the counties in Norway). They proudly advertise on their buses that they have Wifi BUT they advise passengers that they have to log on in order to get the password. My question to the bus company (sent by email) is how do they expect passengers to get the password to log on because you need internet to get the password in the first place. So far, the bus company has not admitted their stupidity but whoever thought up this crazy policy deserves to be sacked. Either he/she is very stupid or they do not want people to use the internet on board their buses. The same bus company VKT should perhaps use that same internet (assuming that they can log on) to monitor their buses, as all four buses which I travelled on today were late. But perhaps they do not have the password to log on……….
Today’s photo comes from the South Island town of Pembroke Wanaka in New Zealand, with the mountains of the Southern Alps in the background. Eely Point, visible in the centre of the photo, is a popular place for bathing and also boat launching, as well as a starting point for water skiers.
and another photo from the archives
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Censorship and Freedom of Speech
Thought for the day….”Turn your face to the sun and the shadow falls behind you.”
“Striving for sucess without hard work is like trying to harvest when you have not planted.”
People often criticize countries such as China for restricting freedom of speech and people’s freedoms. But now the governments around the World are being just as bad as any dictatorship. Twitter, Facebook and YouTube are now censoring posts which do not comply with the official government line or which question vaccines or controls. So even when there is scientific evidence, people are being stopped from publicly questioning governments. And governments now are using coronavirus as an excuse to introduce all sorts of controls and restrictions on freedom that would never have been accepted before. People fought two World Wars so that generations could have freedom, yet now those very freedoms for which they fought (and sometimes died) and being taken away by politicians. Many, many years ago, I was taught in school an important lesson which I have never forgotten….that is to never believe everything that people tell you. Very good advice. So now when I see statistics then I am careful. And when I see the likes of Twitter, Facebook and YouTube removing posts which go against what the politicians are promoting, then I am very, very suspicious. We are already well down a very slippery slope.
Great light and mood in this photo from Glenorchy in New Zealand, looking towards the Mount Aspiring National Park and both the Dart and the Rees valleys.
and another photo from the archives, Zebras drinking at a waterhole in Namibia –
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As always, two laws, depending on who you are
Thought for the day…”Rough Diamonds may sometimes be mistaken for worthless pebbles.”
“We may pass violets looking for roses. We may pass contentment looking for victory.”
So often in life there are two sets of laws, depending on who you are and who you know. The New Zealand government is charging NZD 3100 (about 1800 euros) for the compulsory 2 weeks quarantine but has a quote system to limit the number of international arrivals. Sounds fair enough to only allow in as many people as can be housed in the isolation hotels BUT, as always, some groups are getting in. A film crew was allowed into New Zealand to make a sci-fi film as they were considered ‘essential workers’.
This week, the NZ news is reporting that the West Indies cricket team is being allowed into Queenstown, all 28 of them –
https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/queenstown/warm-welcome-windies
Whilst there are stories in the press and on the internet about families UNABLE to get places in the isolation hotels and unable to get one of the limited places to be allowed into NZ. Families are also being kept apart –
http://www.thesouthafrican.com/lifestyle/south-africans-delays-henco-de-beernew-zealand-quarantine/
So while families and couples are being kept apart due to the quota system for managing isolation and arrivals, a film crew is deemed to be ‘essential workers’ and 28 members of a cricket team are also allowed in. Now in my mind that is wrong. Very wrong. Making a sci-fi film is NOT essential, nor is playing cricket. But as always, there seem to be two sets of laws…….
Gone but not forgotten, this 747 of Air Pacific takes off from Nadi airport in Fiji. It was retired from service in 2013.
and another photo from the archives…..a motorist enjoys the early morning view over Lake Wanaka, Pembroke on the South Island of New Zealand.
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South Island beauty, Southern Alps of New Zealand
Thought for the day…”Reach for the stars, even if you have to stand on a cactus”
“The world of reality has its limits; the world of imagination is boundless.”
The beauty of the South Island of New Zealand with some fantastic weather. The river here, the Waimakariri, is one of three rivers which cut through the Southern Alps. The main east-west road and also the trans-alpine railway follow this river for many kilometres. In just a few km from where this photo was taken, the vegetation changes from dry grasslands and bushes to the rainforest of the (wet) West Coast. This area was also the area where the extinct moa bird was said to have been seen by two locals in 1993, leading to a mini tourist boom. The fact that these two locals were about to take over the running of the local pub near where the ‘moa’ had been seen may just have been coincidence !! Nowadays you are more likely to see fishermen by the river and hunters in the hills after wild boar or deer.
and another photo from the archives…an intense stare from this boy in a market in Sri Lanka
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“Its because of coronavirus”
Thought for the day…..”Too many people miss the silver lining because they’re expecting gold.”
“The world of reality has its limits; the world of imagination is boundless.”
Far too many companies are now trying to excuse their own inefficiencies with the excuse that “it is because of coronavirus”. Airlines in particular seem to be especially bad at the moment, and their excuse is always “coronavirus”. Same story with a lot of other companies too. Emails are going unanswered and customer ‘service’ is falling even more. Given that a lot of people can work online from home for things like refunds and answering emails then the coronavirus excuse is wearing very thin now.
Airlines such as SAS and Norwegian Air Shuttle (both of whom seem to be ignoring emails for months) are not going to see my money for a long time.
But in the long term these companies are going to lose. Companies (such as airlines) which are now failing to reply promptly are going to lose some or all of my business. The World is still turning, despite coronavirus, and businesses cannot use coronavirus as an excuse for everything.
And staying in Switzerland, a Piper Cub seaplane on the Brienzersee during a recent seaplane meeting. The village of Ringgenberg is in the background.
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Lufthansa German Airlines group and Economy class travel
Thought for the day…”Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get.”
“A certain amount of opposition is a great help to a man. Kites rise against, not with, the wind.”
Too many companies are using coronavirus as an excuse now. Often it is being used to cover up their own failures but the excuse of coronavirus is being overused. Joining the bandwagon of companies blaming (conveniently) coronavirus is the Lufthans group (LH) airlines. Now this is why I am getting angry…..according to Lufthansa, they are no longer giving ECONOMY class passengers tea, coffee or food on flights of less than 150 minutes. This is to protect “your health and the health of our employees”
https://www.lufthansa.com/ch/en/current-onboard-services#short-haul
BUT if you are travelling Business class then you will still get food and drink. Now would the managers at Lufthansa like to tell me why Business class passengers are not seen as any risk whereas Economy class passengers are seen as a risk? Or is the real reason that Lufthansa just wants to save money and is conveniently using coronavirus as an excuse to make further cuts to Economy class services? I know which answer my money is on. And also why do Lufthansa no longer service food when other airlines ARE still serving food to economy class passengers?
Companies should stop trying to blame coronavirus for everything. Be honest with customers, and if you are going to cut out meals and drinks for Economy class passenger then BE HONEST and tell us the real reason….to save money. Do not try and blame it on coronavirus. We are not stupid.
And another photo from the archives, Ometepe in Nicaragua at sunset….
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Go Pro Be Gone
Thought for the day “Too many people miss the silver lining because they’re expecting gold.”
“The world of reality has its limits; the world of imagination is boundless.”
Go Pro make some good action cameras. But so do a lot of other companies (such as Garmin, which I own). My recent experience of GoPro Customer ‘service’ has made me determined that I will never buy a Go Pro product. Indeed, GoPro and Customer ‘service’ should not be used in the same sentence, as if you have tried to resolve anything with them online then you will know that ‘service’ is probably the opposite of what you will receive. Can you imagine an international company that REFUSES to accept emails? This is the 21st century, yet Go Pro will nicely send you an email telling you that they do not accept emails. How stupid is that? And if you dare to try their online chat (only available during certain hours), apart from the unhelpful ‘assistants’ (and that is the wrong word for them) then you may find that the conversation conveniently (for Go Pro) gets cut off. So they refuse to accept emails and their online chat will leave you searching for some (unprintable) words.
So the end result of all this frustration and failed emails…..I will not be buying anymore Go Pro cameras. Plenty of good alternatives out there (such as InstaOne and Garmin). If Go Pro will not accept emails then they will not be seeing any of my money. Bad customer service drives customers away, and it has done. Go Pro be gone.
Two photos from Stavanger in Western Norway for the pictures today. The first photo is of the Old Town which is next to the harbour. Normally these streets would be full of tourists and visitors from cruise ships, but because of coronavirus, are mercifully quiet at the moment. Add to that Spring sunshine and it is easy to get some great photos.
and staying in Stavanger for another photo, interesting shapes and colours on the waterfront. Both photos taken with the Fuji X-T30 camera and 18-55mm kit lens.
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Chapter 1 Vanlife begins
Thought for the day…..”If you count all your assets you always show a profit.”
“Life Always offers you a second chance. It’s called tomorrow”.
Chapter 1. Vanlife begins. Despite having previously owned a campervan, the urge was always there to try building one for myself. Buying a ready-made campervan is easy, but it is always a compromise. Compromises in the long run usually make everybody unhappy. And given that I have a non-standard lifestyle, then a standard campervan was never going to work…sort of round peg in a square hole type of situation. So the campervan (a VW Karmann) was sold last year even though it was modern and bright inside and had all the essentials, including a shower. But it was a compromise. For use all year, a campervan needs great insulation, and for somebody like me who does a lot of sport then it needs a BIG watertank. I also need a lot of storage space for the cycle and sports equipment.
Since then I had been looking throughout Scandinavia for a replacement van. But finding one that would tick all the right boxes and at the right price was near impossible. On that great online university, YouTube I had become fascinated by the number of people who had bought ordinary delivery vans (Mercedes Sprinters for example) and had converted the vans themselves. The results that some of them have achieved are incredible. That idea about building a van just would not go away. And the vanlife videos kept appearing on YouTube.
So last week I took the decision to get a van and to begin converting it myself. Found a VW Crafter van online in Stavanger, Western Norway and purchased it FAST, without seeing it or without even test driving it. Experience had shown me that the good vans and good campervans disappear almost immediately, and with coronavirus then there were even more people after them. So I had to act fast, and bought it within a few hours. Took the risk to transfer the money online to a seller whom I had never met and my only contact had been via the online website. Big risk, yes. But there is a saying in English “sometimes you have to jump first, and grow your wings on the way down”. So the van was purchased and the transfer fees paid.
Now I know that there is a risk of failure, especially as I have never done anything like this before. The fear of failure should not stop people from trying, and there is one way to find out if I can do it. That is to try. It may turn out to be a costly mistake, but at least then I will know. It may turn out to be a success, but until I try then I will never know.
So I hope to collect the van this Wednesday. Then the real fun will begin !! Watch this space for photos and updates and probably a video or two.
To be continued……..
One photo from the archives -matruska dolls from Russia at a market in northern Norway
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Joys of travelling
Thought for the day…”Reach for the stars, even if you have to stand on a cactus”
It is the set of the sails, not the direction of the wind that determines which way we will go.”
The joys of travelling….exciting new places and destinations. But it is not always fun. One of my pet hates (one of many) is that hotels often do not have a list of TV channels. Given that some hotels can have upwards of 100 channels, why can they not put a list in the room to save endless channel surfing trying to find the 5 or 6 interesting channels?? A simple card or print out listing the channels would be so good. And linked to this pet hate are hotel TVs that as soon as start them are at maximum volume, hardly ideal for a hotel when guests are trying to sleep.
Next pet hate……Many hotels are no longer giving the small bottles of shampoo and conditioner or individual soap, preferring to have dispensers on the walls instead. All very well IF the hotel refills them but so often just when you are in the shower you discover that the dispensers are empty.
And staying with hotels and pet hates…..the annoying habit that more and more hotels are only putting in one rubbish bin/trash can in the whole room and bathroom. Saves them a little money, but is hardly good for the guest experience.
Another hate….modern hotels whose managers have decided that THEY know the temperature that guests want the rooms to be at, and have removed individual temperature controls in the rooms….I am seeing this more and more and it is also not good for the guest experience.
Topping the list of pet hates for hotels…..any hotel that has slow internet or has a poor internet signal in the room deserves to go out of business….no excuse for this in the 21st century. Excuses such as “it is the number of guests in the hotel” or “it is the rainy weather” just get me irritated. It is not rocket science to get fast, reliable internet in a hotel, but it seems to be a major problem for some hotels.
The list goes on….to be continued………
Today’s photo is of the lakefront in Pembroke, South Island, New Zealand, on a perfect Summer’s evening. One man and his dog admire the view….
and another photo from the archives…..driving hazards on the roads of Scandinavia….these are a much bigger problem at night when they tend to freeze in the car headlights. A male elk can be over 300 kg, so can cause a lot of damage to a car.
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An aerial view of Lake Wanaka in perfect weather
Thought for the day….”Life Always offers you a second chance. It’s called tomorrow”.
A video instead of a photo today…the lakeside town of Wanaka on the South Island of New Zealand. A short (10 minute) drone video taken in perfect weather. Starts over the town of Wanaka then along the lakeside at Glendu Bay and finally over Dublin Bay. New Zealand at its best. Sit back and enjoy !
and another photo from the archives…an Autumn day in Glendu Bay, South Island, New Zealand (same place as featured in the video above). The glaciers visible in the background are in the Mt. Aspiring National Park, with Mt. Aspiring (3033m) visible on the skyline to the right. The mountains are part of the Southern Alps.
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An aviation classic – the Hawker Hurricane
Thought for the day…”I haven’t failed. I just found 10 000 ways that won’t work” Thomas Edison.
“Turn your face to the sun and the shadow falls behind you”.
Wanaka, New Zealand hosts the Warbirds Over Wanaka airshow every two years, and was at one time, also home to a number of Warbirds, such as this Hawker Hurricane. This particular aircraft had an interesting history, having flown in 1940 and crashed in Preswick, Scotland, then after a rebuild was damaged several more times before being transferred to the Soviet Air Force in 1941. It crashed again near Murmansk, Russia in 1943 and was recovered around 1990 and partly rebuilt in the UK from 1992 to 1995. It was fully restored in Wanaka and flew again from Christchurch, NZ in January 2000. It was later sold to a French owner based in Cannes. The photo was taken in Wanaka about 2010 prior to the sale to the new owner.
And a photo from Oslo harbour in Norway. The DFDS ferry travels overnight down to Copenhagen, Denmark. Unfortunately, journey times have been increased now and prices onboard are very high, making it much less attractive than previously, especially when the highway down through Sweden is a fast alternative. Why management wanted to slow the trip down is a mystery, as the boat is now much slower and leaves both cities too early to be much use to business travellers or people wanting a full day trip.
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Decluttering and moving on.
Thought for the day…”If you count all your assets you always show a profit.”
“We may pass violets looking for roses. We may pass contentment looking for victory.”
Over the years it is easy to accumulate more and more stuff. It is very easy to end up with boxes and boxes of books, magazines, CDs, DVDs and a host of other possessions which were stored in the hope that they would be needed again in the future. I am currently having a major decluttering session, so all the CDs and DVDs are being scanned, old photos sorted out and boxes of books thrown out. It is surprising that so much of what was stored turns out to be just junk or things that are no longer important. Whilst it might have been important years ago, now that I look back I find box loads of things that are not relevant or no longer mean anything.
There is a very easy solution to this….decluttering. And declutter have I done….getting rid of so much stuff and am moving on. A sort of mega Spring-cleaning exercise.
Here is a photo from the collection, originally a 35mm negative taken about 1990 in England. The negative was scanned then destroyed, so now it is just a digital copy (but reduced here for the internet). A British Rail HST125 at Penzance train station waiting to depart back to London Paddington. A very unusual clear blue sky too !
and another photo from the archives – a steam train on the Brienz Rothorn Bahn BRB in Switzerland.
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Soon to be devloped – an area of outstanding natural beauty.
Though for the day…”Prepare for the worst; expect the best; and take what comes.”
“To different minds, the same world is a hell, and a heaven.” (J.B. Priestley).
A panoramic photo from Glendu Bay on the South Island of New Zealand near Pembroke. This area is on the edge of Mount Aspiring National Park, but sadly is being sold for development. Already new roads are being put in and sections for houses laid out. It is terrible that the local council is allowing an area of outstanding natural beauty to be developed. As they say, “money talks”. Sadly the politicians and officials in NZ have not learned from the mistakes that have been made in other places, and once this area is developed then it is gone forever. Soon photos like this will be just a memory. Progess??
And another photo from the archives, beautiful Wineglass Bay in Tasmania, Australia
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Norwegian coast at sunset by drone
Thought for the day…”Coffee is a hug in a mug”
“People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.”
As always, it is a few bad people who spoil things for the rest of us. Just been out with the new DJI Mavic 2 Pro drone but nowadays the word drone makes people think of spying and that they are ‘bad’. Increasing restrictions on drone use are appearing all over the place, yet the responsible people who fly drones safely are being penalized for the actions of a few stupid idiots. Very sad that every week further restrictions are being placed on responsible drone users. The results from drones are amazing, and there is no need for more regulations. Go after the idiots who fly near airports, but let normal, sensible people fly drones and take beautiful photos.
Beautiful evening sunlight over the coast of southern Norway, taken a couple of days ago with the Mavic 2 Pro drone. Amazing calm conditions and great light for photos…..
and another photo from the archives…. carnival time and a happy woman……
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Boats and planes, Morocco and Madeira
Thought for the day…” Reach for the stars, even if you have to stand on a cactus”.
” Too many people miss the silver lining because they’re expecting gold.”
A photo of an Airbus A320 about to land at Funchal, Madeira for the photo today. This aircraft was involved in an emergency descent on 8th July 2014 when on a flight from Lisbon to Amsterdam. The aircraft declared an emergency and descended rapidly from FL380 (38 000 feet) down to 10 000 feet. The passenger oxygen masks were deployed, but the aircraft landed without further problems. This aircraft regularly does 5 flights during a single day, and is seen here at one of it’s regular airports, Funchal. It was flying at around 130 knots (240 km/h) when the photo was taken. 
And another photo out of the archives…fishing boats in Essouria, Morocco. Spot the figure on one of the boats….
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Two from the photo collection
Thought for the day….”Life always offers you a second chance. It’s called tomorrow”
“It is the set of the sails, not the direction of the wind that determines which way we will go.”
Winter is a great time to sort out the photo collection, and also get rid of the duplicates and not-so-good photos. Far too many photos in the collection, so some serious pruning is needed, although it is a lot of fun going back through the old photos and reliving the moments. A couple of photos here taken not long back, trains around Brienz, Switzerland. Brienz is a Swiss town very much in the shadow of its famous nearby neighbour Interlaken, which receives nearly all the tourists. But Brienz has its own charms, such as the steam train up the Rothorn mountain. Add to this a superb lakeside location, some great bakery cafes and it makes a great alternative to Interlaken. Both photos were taken with the Fuji X-T20 camera.
and another photo from the archives….
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Road rage, air rage and now airport rage
Thought for the day…”The hardest thing is to take less when you can get more.” “Obstacles are things a person sees when he takes his eyes off his goal.”
Road rage has now spread to airports as well. The security checks, long queues and long waits and hassles over baggage mean that people are more stressed than ever. Airlines have shot themselves in the foot by charging for baggage, as now you see people trying to drag on as much as they can…not uncommon to see them with 3 and sometimes 4 bags. Airline policies may be wrong, and a lot of the things that airlines are now doing ARE unreasonable, but what is not fair is when you see people’s anger at airports directed at the wrong people – the people working on the check-in desks or at the gate. These are not the people who have made the rules, they are the ones who are given the unfortunate task to enforce them though. So it is sad to see passengers at airports getting angry with the wrong people, especially as many of them work for ground companies who are only contracted by the airlines. By all means get angry with the airlines and the people who have made the mistakes, but make sure that the anger is directed at the correct people. The person in front of you at the desk or gate may not be the right one.
Late afternoon low sunlight lights up the main street of Brienz, Switzerland for the photo today. Many of the houses in this area date from the 1700s.
and another photo from the archives – a boat waits at Brienz, Switzerland for the return trip to Interlaken.
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I got scammed – Twice !
Thought for the day…”If you count all your assets you always show a profit.”
“We may pass violets looking for roses. We may pass contentment looking for victory.”
Now I am old enough to know better, but sometimes I get caught. What makes it even worse is that I got caught twice because of a lack of research on the internet. The warning signs were there IF I had looked before I bought….
I often used websites that compare prices to find the cheapest price. I am learning more and more that cheapest is not always best. I used a couple of websites (kayak.de and also skyscanner.com to find some good deals on air tickets. These websites present you with a list of online travel agents (OTAs) who deal with the actual selling of the air tickets (kayak and Skyscanner just list the agents and do not sell tickets themselves). If you look online at sites such as Tripadvisor you will find pages and pages of reports of people who have had problems with the online travel agents. I also fell into the trap, and got caught twice, which makes me feel even more foolish. Lost a lot of money through these OTAs and now that I have had my fingers burned twice, and avoiding them like the plague. If you have time, then have a look at Tripadvisor and see what people are writing about the OTAs.
The message is very clear…..book direct, whether it is for hotels or for flights. Although the prices may look cheaper at first, the OTAs will find a way to make their money from you. And as a lot of people have found, it is very easy to get scammed by the online travel agents, with the final price often being different to the first advertised price. So now that I have lost money twice by trying to book via an OTA, now I am just booking direct for both flights and hotels. Save yourself the problems !!
Clear skies and clean air for this photo from the Swiss town of Grindewald.
and another photo from the archives.
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RESPECT, CONSIDERATION & FAIRNESS
Flags of Convenience
Thought for the day….”A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down.”
“The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings.”
There is an interesting story in the news in Norway at the moment about Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) overselling seats for the summer. SAS has set up an Irish based division (SIAL) and uses cheaper, Irish contracts to avoid Norwegian taxes. But the plan seems to have backfired, as many staff have left the new Irish division because of lower pay and also having to work longer hours. It is unfair that companies like SAS can use ‘flags of convenience’ to circumvent local procedures. Same job, same aircraft and same routes, but different levels of salary for the same work, all because of flags of convenience. So SAS have been left in a position where they have sold many more seats than they have staff to operate because of a lack of staff. I hope that all those passengers persue claims under the EU 261/2004 regulations. The same thing happened in shipping previously, now it is spreading to other areas too. Cheapest is not always best, and the same work should get the same pay.
Two colourful photos from Fiji for the photos today….
and another photo, a Fokker 100 aircraft seen here in Papua New Guinea, about to fly from Mount Hagen back to the capital Port Moresby.
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Not doing it, not for fun anyway
Thought for the day..”You can’t expect to hit the jackpot if you don’t put a few nickels in the machine.”
“Words are often seen hunting for an idea, but ideas are never seen hunting for words.”
Just had an email from an online travel agency trying to encourage me to book some cheap HOLIDAY flights. The prices were very good and the destinations interesting….Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), Entebbe (Uganda), Nairobi (Kenya) etc. Stress the word ‘holiday’ for these flights. But when you read the details, the flights arrive at around 0200 or 0300, returning at around 0300 or 0400. Now on holiday, I like to enjoy normal sleep, so these cheap flights would ruin at least 2 nights sleep. Arriving at 0200 in a foreign country (especially a place like Nairobi or Johannesburg) is not only no fun, but also dangerous too. And the thought of a departure around 0300 or 0400 means another ruined night. All of this for a HOLIDAY, which is supposed to be a time to relax and enjoy. So this time, I will pass over these cheap offers….life is too short to have this sort of cruelty on holiday. And the good thing….holidays are optional, so I can choose better flight timings. Many birds do not fly at night, and for good reasons. I like my sleep too ! And I like to enjoy my holidays too. Good luck to those who choose these cheap offers…..arriving into somewhere like Nairobi (sometimes called ‘Nai-Robbery) at 0200 then they are going to need it.
A peaceful evening at this bay on Praslin island, Seychelles for the photo today….
and another photo from the archives…a railman looks on as a railtour backs into Penzance station, in the far west of England
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Houston – we have a problem
Thought for the day…”Happiness is good health and a bad memory.”
“Prosperity tries the fortunate, adversity the great.” (Rose Kennedy).
You just have to feel sorry for the NASA astronaut who discovered recently whilst on a space walk that he had forgotten to put a memory card in his GoPro camera. We have all done that, or have forgotten to recharge the camera batteries, but to be out in space on space walk and discover that you have no memory card in the camera must feel very bad, very bad. And to make it even worse, the omission was even broadcast, the link for the video from NASA is here –
Back down on Earth, here is a photo from a religious even held in the Swiss town of Brig recently –
The Interlaken (Switzerland) to Lucern express train of the Zentralebahn arrives in Meiringen.
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jeritilley 