Three Prague Bridges

I was last in Prague [many] years ago, but I loved the place and would be very happy to go back there. Especially given the fact that the kids are playing up today and it’s grey and damp in Cape Town. 

Capetonian Joy-Anne Goodenough – whose photographs I featured back in March – has been spending a few weeks over there and has been (semi-)regularly updating her flickr photostream. Here’s one of my favourites, which seems particularly apt on a rather colourless day in the Mother City.

 
Three Prague Bridges. (I advise you to go large)

A wonderful view looking up the Vltava River and (leaving aside the fact that Joy-Anne evidently can’t count beyond three) a very atmospheric photograph.
You can see more amazing pictures from Joy-Anne’s visit in her Czech 2009 flickr set.

Sweet Peeps and Muse News

After the summery sunshine of the weekend, the public holiday turned out to be a wet and windy disappointment, reminiscent of public holidays UK-wide. Out came the Monsters Inc. DVD, which is kept on standby for such emergencies, and a HUGE bowl of popcorn, which is kept on standby for such emergencies. And thus we were sorted.

Yesterday, as I have already mentioned, was a completely different story as we made the best of the stunning weather and headed down to Maynardville – the local park – which the city council have recently furnished with a rather large jungle gym.
We got a call from Dan Plato, the executive mayor, who asked us if we could take the boy down to give it a thorough test. Apparently, if it can survive him, it can survive anything. Much like Cape Town with Dan Plato, I guess.
All of which gives me renewed confidence in my own invincibility. Anyway, he (the boy, not Dan Plato) thoroughly tested it and it passed with flying colours.
And while he was thoroughly testing it, his sister used the opportunity to be thoroughly cute through a hole in the climbing wall.

Come now, even the anti-child brigade (led by Goblin* together with all her little Goblin minions) can’t deny that she is a complete sweetie.
Even if she is apparently a little lopsided. More pics of the sunnier bits of the weekend on flickr.

In other news, Muse announced that you can pre-order their forthcoming album The Resistance and get it posted over to SA so that the workers at SAPO can have early Christmas presents for their Muse-loving family and friends.
Apart from the safe yet boring downloadable version at £7.99, you can order the standard CD for £9.99, the CD/DVD version for £13.99 or go the whole hog and provide the OR Tambo Post Office staff with enough goodies to last them until Easter with the super-duper, dogs-bits deluxe version for a mere £59.99:

THE RESISTANCE
LIMITED EDITION DELUXE BOX SET

Multi format box set containing the following:
– CD + DVD in foldout softpak including The Making Of The Resistance DVD (43 minutes 53 seconds)
– 180g Double heavyweight vinyl
– Muse USB pre-loaded with WAV, Apple Lossless and MP3 320 files plus bespoke audio player
– 12″ Art Print
– **Exclusive to muse.mu** 5.1 surround sound Audio DVD (full bitrate DTS & Dolby)

FREE WORLDWIDE DELIVERY

Sadly, as I suggested, the free worldwide delivery so subtly advertised in upper-case will probably only get it to the first sorting office in Mzansi. And I’m not sure I can chuck R800 out (plus the inevitable 14% VAT bill from SARS) when there’s such a limited possibility of anything actually getting to my front door. Especially when the stuff we’ve heard so far sounds worrying like Queen. Dear lord…

* who, in a moment of weakness, has previously admitted that she thinks K-pu is cute.

Quota Moon Photo

Just a quick word from me as I am heading off down to Newlands shortly for the Tri-Nations game between South Africa and Australia. It’s a stunning day in Cape Town and it should be an exciting game between two evenly matched teams. But unless I head off shortly, I’m not going to see it.

So herewith a quota photo of the moon taken this morning for your enjoyment. It was going down as the sun was coming up, which made for some nice shots. I took a few which I’ll pop up on Flickr shortly, [EDIT: Here they are] but this one is one of my favourites.

 

Watch out for tweets from the rugby later on.

Hie’ kommie Bokke! Hie’ kommie Bokke!

Tonight…


what’s where at bramall lane, originally uploaded by evissa.

While tomorrow sees the first games of the new Championship season in England, there’s one game that was so big, it needed a day all of its own. Or something.
That game is the titanic battle between promotion favourites Middlesbrough and promotion favourites Sheffield United at the Riverside Stadium. And it all kicks off tonight at 8pm (UK time).
Fortunately, Sky TV have recognised the gravity of this clash – probably after noting that last season, promotion favourites United were also drawn away at promotion favourites Birmingham City, who later went on to er… be promoted.
In an added twist of fortune, SuperSport have recognised that Sky have recognised the gravity of this clash and have also decided to screen it. In South Africa. Tonight. Live.

After the bitter disappointment of last season (which was actually only 9 weeks ago, give or take), it’s hard to raise my hopes yet again, but somehow, I will. I always do. I always will.

So, COME ON YOU RED AND WHITE WIZZZZZAAAAARDS!
(noting that, of course, you’ll be in your away strip for this evening’s game)

On the rocks


On the rocks, originally uploaded by Ballacorkish.

On the rocks in more ways than one.
I have been suffering with horrendous stomach ache today and it’s because of this that you’re only getting a quota photo this evening.
I am putting it down mainly to last night’s prawn madras: at least the combination of that and the beer and brandy.
Add to that the [few] hours sleep I managed and it’s a recipe for disaster.
The rest of the Boulders photos can be found here. And jolly nice some of them are, too.

More tomorrow, should I last that long.