Simon Pearson - minor9th.com

Hrvatska here we come…

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Off to Croatia to explore some Dalmatian spots. Back in a week or so.

I survived The Magic Roundabout…

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This weekend, as well as dealing with the trials of cows on train lines, camping during thunder and lightning, and being baa’d at by a million sheep, I drove around over this beastly piece of tarmac four times.

This sheltered city boy is a wreck.

I love New York

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The best thing about breaking the routine for a holiday is its ability to kick-start the creative juices. Note to self: take more time off; everything seems shiny and new again. At least for now…

New York was, as expected, a bewildering feast for my naive senses. I snapped (hello flickr), caught up (hey Bart & Chris!) and ate as much as I could (hello belly). The most difficult thing of all to comprehend initially was that this city which I’ve seen so much of on the big and small screen is real and actually functions; all those impossibly tall buildings have people bustling around in them. I guess these feelings are the inverse of the stereotypical “How quaint!” often heard from American tourists over here.

It being our first time in the big apple, we mostly stuck to the core (groan) tourist sights, though relished visits to the wonderful Grounded coffee house in Greenwich Village, Cup in Astoria and John’s Pizza in the West Village (the latter two came well recommended from our wonderous host Bart). The views from atop the Rockefeller Centre, on Brooklyn Bridge and the Staten Island ferry were truly breathtaking – and all the more rewarding because there was so much to recognise. Photos, none of which do justice to the wonderment beheld, will be on flickr very soon.

Less loved was the Subway, which often felt to me like a dirtier, wildly confusing and less friendly version of the Budapest Metro (where they play a little tune when the doors open). It’s not very friendly to newcomers, but we just about sussed it out (though we did occasionally half-expect to end up plunging into Hudson Bay…)

I’d go back in a second. The people, the sights, the sounds, the smells (hmm, perhaps not the smells), the buzz and the weather – which jumped from being below freezing to 22°C in just 5 days – make it a really bizarre and fascinating place. Hopefully it won’t be ridiculously long before I get the chance to pay another visit. Thanks to all who gave us tips on what to see and do – our sore feet are testament to the fact that we packed in pretty much all we could, and apologies for the big fan-boy-stylee post. It just had to be done.

Leaving on a jet plane…

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Things will be even quieter than usual for the next week or so, as we go on our little jolly across the pond. We’ll be attempting to relive some of the moments lovingly described in one of most cynical posts ever to grace the pages of minor9th – How To: Sex In The City.

(Aah there’s nothing like recycling!)

Snapping the Big Apple

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I need your help! In 10 short days I’ll be jetting to New York with Dan, where we’ll be generously accommodated by the lovely Bart. It’s a tremendously exciting prospect – it’s the first time I’ll’ve been on a proper, out of the country, out of the loop holiday in nearly three years.

Unfortunately things have been so manic of late that planning things to do hasn’t really gone beyond the ideas stage – we definitely want to take in MoMA and numerous other galleries and museums, and obviously all the basic tourist must-sees. But what else? Do you know of any hidden gems that we can’t miss?

Also, I’m thinking about getting a new camera. My Canon Powershot A40 has served me well over the years, but I’m looking for something a bit more beefy. I’m undecided as to whether I want another point-and-shoot-but-with-funky-features – such as the Canon Powershot S80, or whether I should foray into getting an entry-level digital SLR? Decisions, decisions. Ideally I’d love to spend more time doing photography – and perhaps do a course so that I actually know what I’m doing! Advice on this matter is greatly appreciated, too.

Also, if anyone has any get-rich-quick schemes to recommend, please pipe up – I’m going to be broke after this little lot…