Only a couple of days to go

and then it will be World Cup time. I have my Japanese jersey ready and a Denmark shirt on the way in the post. Looking forward to a month of sport and a little Roy and HG to top things off.
Having a beer and a look at a match with young Mr Cassidy on Tuesday evening- had to squeeze it in before he heads off to South Africa on Wednesday.......



Tune of the day: I'm Not Sorry   by Morrissey

Be afraid............ be very afraid!!

Hellman Bellman turns 50 this coming week and he hosted a party in Sydney this evening to celebrate. Accordingly, the boys were in good form and I even had a call from Charles Colclough...... as I said  "be afraid"


Tune of the day: Ain't No Sunshine by Soul Bossa Trio

I need to go and pay a bill tomorrow

for my tickets to the Nick Cave show here in Zürich in October. Not very excited about that!
I noticed in the Zuritipp (a weekly magazine of entertainment and culture) today that the Monday evening market is on in the Rimini baths again this summer and there was a quick feature on some of the stallholders. Michelle seems to bake some of the great cupcakes of the modern era.
Getting ready for the weekend and it promises to be a busy one.

Tune of the day: The Spanish Entomologist by Leo Kottke

*Yawns and looks out of the window.* It is pi%%ing rain.

Today must be Sunday  :-) Had a great evening out at bbq land last night and I was hoping to get out for a ride on my bike today- looks like it may be a session in the gym instead.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Thanks for the invitation guys!

I'm looking forward to Noel and Tiffany's Memorial Weekend BBQ this evening. Just putting the finishing touches on the wasabi mayonnaise potato salad and getting the beer cold....... should be fun!
BTW- Noel has a bunch of great photos from their recent trip to Bali.......... well worth checking out.

For those of us (read "me") who didn't just have a long weekend

it is time to catch up. London and New York are closed on Monday, so I am going to take it easy. What I do is still very much open but I obviously have the choice of doing as much or as little as I like.
That suits  :-)

Where too much sport is barely enough.....

Even though I have been away from Australia for a long time, I am still able to keep in touch with happenings back there by listening to "Rampaging" Roy Slaven and H.G. (The Immortal) Nelson podcasts. A wonderfully irreverent take on the day's events and the sporting life as we know it.
Well worth checking out!

For those of you who are going to enjoy a holiday tomorrow

I just wanted to let you know that I will be thinking of you when I am in the office. NOT! At least we have had a nice, sunny weekend and I managed to take some photos and fit in a bike ride. I wonder what the new week will have in store for us......

I have made a habit of

buying the coolest looking team jersey when one of the big football (read: soccer) tournaments comes along. For Euro 08 I bought the Italian away shirt (the neat white one with the little gold collar) and for the World Cup in 2006 in Germany, I went with the Argentinian shirt (cool design and geat colours).
I went shopping quickly in the city this evening and came home with this. 'Nuff said  :-)

Magic

was happening in the kitchen last night again. Muu Wan (sweet pork) and a Thai inspired salad of red shallots, spring onions, mint leaves, Thai basil leaves, coriander leaves, mung beans, lime juice, fish sauce and a sprinkle of chili powder and steamed rice was on the menu.

Accompanying this delicious food was a Shaw & Smith, Adelaide Hills 2008 Riesling.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

It took a little while, but finally one of my

photos has been published (and not on my own website). Recently The New York Times Lens Blog had a project callling for people around the world to take a photo at the same time and then upload the pictures to the blog website. There were obviously thousands of photos taken and mine is there as well.

I know that today is a holiday because

I can see the rain pouring down outside. It has been pretty relaxed and I have managed to process the rest of my photos from Berlin. For anyone who is considering a visit; it is a great city...... architecture, water, greenery, food + drink, interesting people and shopping.

It may be a cliche, but it was borne out again this morning

at the Hotel Breakfast Buffet. The slim, healthy-looking, middle-aged Scandinavian couple ate fruit, dark bread, drink plenty of water and a cup of coffee.............. the fatties have headed straight to hog heaven. "I am going to have everything that is fried, I am going to have it now and I am going to come back for more"!
Personally, I think that although a hotel breakfast is a good way to start the day, I would much rather be conservative and reasonably healthy- that leaves more space to sin later in the day :-)

Thanks for a great night out, gentlemen!

Scotty, Pete, Pipo and myself all enjoyed ourselves at dinner last night. The food was good, the wines good as well but the company was the highlight of the evening.
Thanks guys- we need to make an appointment for our next dinner. See you all in a week.

What a day!

The SNB filled his boots and pulled his bid in EURCHF........... result- market goes into "sell the hell out of it" mode and we head three big figures lower. More fun and games in US Equity markets later in the day with the DOW being whacked for the best part of 1,000 points before recovering most of those losses. Turbulent times and I guess that they will be with us for a while- if only the Greeks can learn that you can't retire at 53 and expect the state to support you comfortably into your old age.

Tuesday: The SNB is at it again (or actually still at it), my cold is back and

I'm really looking forward to dinner with the lads on Friday evening. It will be a great way to get ready for my week off and Berlin!

Interesting to note

that although it has rained most of today and I consequently didn't head into town to take photos, today was the start of the smoking ban in restaurants, bars and lots of other places here in Switzerland. About time, I say! The Nicotine Lounge out the front of the pub across the road is not very inviting when it is breezy, wet and cool.