M is for missing photos

I've just checked out my last blog and realised that a couple of photos from yesterday haven't uploaded correctly. The top one is Lord Shiva, the bottom, Lord Ghanesha. I also forgot to mention that I met a man in Broad Street who sold me a book I have been trying to get for ages by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami. It explains some of the more difficult translations in the Bhagavad Gita and the Upanisads. Altogether a good bay in Brum.

B is for B'ham, I is for India, V is for Visa

What a day ! Tree and I were up at the crack of dawn to go to Birmingham to get our visas for India. We were told, by someone in the know, to get there early, so we arrived about 10 minutes after the doors opened at the consulate. This was not good on our part as everybody who has been before knows to get there about an hour before. We took a ticket, number 422, as they were serving number 315. As you can imagine, we didn't hang about and went round the jewellery quarter instead. We came back about an hour later and still queued for another half hour. That is not the end of it though ! After you have submitted your application you have to go away and come back after 4pm to collect it ! We went back into town for lunch and spent the afternoon at the City Art Gallery. As I pointed out in a previous blog, people don't look up much and in this case I noticed how nearly everyone at the gallery missed the splendour of the building itself. Understandable you might say, given all the fantastic work on show, but I would argue that the ceilings, in particular, are an artform in their own right. There were at least four huge stained glass domes in the roof that were quite spectacular. I lay down on the floor and took several photos, which produced some interest from other gallery visitors. With regard to artwork, the Pre-Raphaelite work was inspiring and the Buddha gallery beautiful. I was also mightily impressed with some textile work using a method I had not come across before and liked the chrysalis, hanging from the ceiling, most.

A change is as good as a rest !

Not a lot to report since my last blog. Tree and I have just come back from a long weekend at Croyde. We hoped to catch some surf but Tree has been very unwell, temperature and everything, so we left the boards behind. A good job really as the swell was almost into minus figures it was so flat. Tree improved while we were there and we had good weather, so I was happy. Even though we only stayed two nights, it felt like a week and we agreed we definitely needed the break. On the way back we stopped at Glastonbury and had lunch at our favourite, The Rainbows End Cafe. I think a few issues, concerning where I am going, have been resolved, and that is a weight off my mind. It is a pity that I now have to face the endless barrage of complaints at work, about the branch closure, for the next two months. Oh well, things could be far worse !!!

Rain stopped play !!

As it was, Tree and I were going to have a nice day out, working the Green Fair at Gheluvelt Park, but then realised that the Ragged Hedge Fair was back on, after ten years. We contacted Will, who owns the wood we were handfasted in, and asked if we could trade there. Unfortunately, we were too late. So we decided to just go and check it out anyway. However, we hadn't allowed for the weather and after sitting, looking out of the window at the rain for ages, we decided to just forget the whole thing and chill at home instead !! The day is not lost though, as we have just booked our holiday in India. We got an excellent deal on a 5 ***** hotel and we upgraded to deluxe as well !! Our room has a sunken bath and looks out over it's own lagoon ! Plus, the hotel has the biggest pool in India. Fantastic !!!We will just dream of golden sands and sun from now on.