Ziatitina

Here we go, the last Bank Holiday before the summer properly starts and we’re running around in coats, scarves and umbrellas. The wind has not stopped once and the rain….don’t even get me started. Better to stay in than out, I even put the heating back on this afternoon! Brrrr.

Anyways, it has been an interesting and busy week. Not only did AC Milan win the Champions League in Athens, Trafalgar Square was also transformed in a green oasis. Over night on Wednesday gardeners laid over 2000 sqf of green turf as part of a promotion for green areas in London. Absolutely brilliant idea if you ask me. Combined with some lovely sunshine it was the destination of many Londoners. Even my friend Lucy hit the green with a bottle of rose and a close friend after work. With her permission, this is the image she sent me while I was on the bus heading home after a long day….

Looks great, doesn’t it? I am sure good old Nelson was quite surprised to see his square changed like this! Relax… it was only for 2 days, if you ask me it could have lasted longer. One thing is for sure, should it happen again I’ll grab some Pimm’s and join the crowds

On Saturday we celebrated Cristina’s Birthday in Richmond. Happy Belated Birthday Darling!!! We had a gorgeous lunch in a Spanish Tapas Bar near the river. The shops are brillian out there, I could have spent every single penny I don’t own on new outfits After a few really enjoyable hours we headed back in to town and I reached the Henry J Beans in Kingsroad. Normally it’s a brilliant beer garden, but given the weather…. well no other choice than being confined to the inside. Frank is back from Abu Dhabi visiting for a week and this obviously had to be celebrated in true style. Way too much Pimms, but it was good to see him again since last October. We’ll hopefully meet up again before he flies back to the sun next Friday.

There’s not much more to add. I have been confined inside for the rest of the bank holiday weekend, listening to the rain and covered with my blanket to keep warm. Boring, I know….

Tine

Happy Sunday everyone, it has been a while since my last entry but do not despair. I am back.

You may wonder what on earth I am talking about.. Colossus and all…but it will all make sense in a little moment. Yesterday morning I met with Wolfi, Janina and Olli at Waterloo to take the train out to Staines ( I think the actor from Borat is from there) and then another short bus ride later we were in THORPE PARK! How funny, I had not been there for about 13 years…yes, 13! My last visit was part of a summer study holiday in Oxford in far away 1994. This time however, it was part of a beautiful Birthday Present: Travel to, entry and all food & drinks for one day in Thorpe Park. Being a little girl at heart it could not have been a better present, really!

The weather had been miserable all week, so when the sun came out yesterday morning the spirits were high and once we got there, we hit the rides straight away….way too much screaming, a few long-er ques, but it wasn’t too overcrowded, so all in all very enjoyable. I have always been a massive rollercoaster fan, so I could not not try the one with 10 loops…. COLOSSUS. Brilliant!

Janina and myself in the middle of (or after?) one of the many loops. This is the only picture we bought, even though there were many more photo opportunities. One is enough methinks and it’s quite funny. I didn’t realise I was laughing…oh well. Is that proof enough for my rollercoaster-love? We survived it though, so off to the next one…

But…it wasn’t finished there. Wolfi decided to hit THE STEALTH, a sort of half-rollercoaster where you start at the bottom hitting 80mph in 2.3 seconds reaching a high point of 200 feet and then rushing down back to the ground again. Apparently it was a bomb, but my mind was more on another ride called…NEMESIS INFERNO. Oh yes, having tried a similar one in Mirabilandia with Bene & Dada I knew that was going to be fantastic…..

The Stealth

Nemesis Inferno.

I tried to get the carriage on the picture, but it went a little too quick. Picture this. You are hanging from the top, with your feet touching the ground, suddently the floor disappears and you shoot off. The feet are dangling in the air, first it goes down, a couple of turns and loops, you shoot through a tunnel with fog and smoke, riappear outside, are carried high up above the park and then mayhem truly starts….I lost count of the loops and turns, but I would have done it over and over and over again!!! Even Wolfi was slightly shaken, and consider he recently jumped off a plane with a parashoot!

We could not finish the day without tring the TIDAL WAVE. You know those water-rides that are a big hit anyways, because you get drenched? Well, this one topps them all. I have never seen so much water being splashed about on the riders, as well as the people around it! Designed for maximum impact, if you ask me. Janina and I decided to get these weird ponchos that are supposed to keep you somehow a little dry, because the sun had disappeared and it was getting a really windy and chilly. Soooo glad we did that, everyone was s-o-a-k-e-d and that is an understatement!!!

“Looking Sexy, Keeping Dry” Do I need to say more?

( slogan on the back of the Poncho. No, I am not kidding!!!!!)

Weirdly enough I have a slight sunburn on my nose ( it really wasn’t THAT sunny) but I am still in high spirits because it was such a good day. I had no idea Thorpe park was so close and easy to reach, I will definitely go back there soon. Anyone want to come with me? Thank you once again guys, after this we should really try to organise a trip to Warwick Castle and check out the Jousting Tournament.

Tine x