Tamworth, mini-bars, calamari and boarding houses

June 25 2011 

Sitting in the lobby of the Best Western in Tamworth with a family sized pot of black coffee and a muffin (free – I’m seeing a ‘free cake’ pattern here that is unnerving me).

I have become remarkably adept at living out of a suitcase in the last month. My ‘fuq-I-have-to-wake-up-as-check-out-is-like-NOW-shower-hairwash-makeup time’ is now at a record 27 minutes. Of course I now have three hours to waste in the lobby drinking free coffee and cake, listening to old country songs and fighting with my tantrum-prone AirPort (if anyone knows WHY my Macbook AirPort has been giving me the silent treatment for the last week, please let me know).

I love Tamworth so far, and not because of the free coffee (please see my previous posts about the price of espresso in Santorini to get a full understanding of my glee). I arrived here in an aeroplane the size of a coke bottle and I swear I was the only person on it who didn’t know everyone else. I forgot how awesome small country towns could be. And last night I watched a couple of movies (one of which had that guy from Dexter in it, I think it was called ‘Slayers’), ordered room service of Calamari and drank all the sparkling wine in the mini bar.

Anyway, CMAA school starts today. At 1pm. Hence why I’m killing three hours in a lobby. Am really excited. Can’t wait to learn the harmonica and have a couple of weeks solely devoted to song-writing and music. Fab. Fab. Fab. Seriously, I feel like I’m going on my dream holiday. Lying on the beach with alcoholic milkshakes is only good for two days max.

Ciao xxx

June 25 2pm.

So I’m in my room. It’s based in a boarding school and the girl who usually has this room has left a quote pasted on the wall that I think is worth repeating because I totally agree:

“I believe in those dreams. I think every woman should watch shooting stars while drinking champagne; then be put on horse back and galloped down a deserted beach in the moonlight – at least once in her life…Clothes make the woman feel sexy and confident and sophisticated and stylish…then a men feel like treating them like princesses…” Collette Dinnigan.

Espresso, Coke, deteriorating wardrobes, alcoholic milkshakes and random marriage proposals

Friday June 10

I’m writing this in my hotel room, travel guitar strewn across the bed beside me (have been working on a new song) and an open can of coke in my hand. Am highly irritated as I have just painted my nails in the sun (how ‘holiday’ am I?) and then promptly messed them up trying to open said can. My fab travel friend (fab not only because she somehow managed to turn bronze within an hour of landing but because she also brought my favourite eyeliner with her) is up on the roof terrace tanning.

Funny thing is, I don’t usually drink coke – like, fat coke. ‘Diet’ yes, ‘fat’ no. Can only put my new habit down to the fact that it would probably be cheaper to have a heroine addiction in Thira than an espresso addiction. No idea why it’s so expensive but it is, and I’ve already had three this morning with breakfast. Hence the coke.

We’ve found some fantastic little bars here, right on the cliff face – one of which is called Tropical bar and is the least pretentious of the lot with the best/most reasonably priced white wine and a very vocal/amusing American woman behind the bar. Ironically, despite their lack of pretence, I seriously think they have the best view.

We ventured out of Thira yesterday for the first time to Kamari and the other beach (always forget it’s name but it starts with a P and sounds a bit like the infamous Piraeus in Athens…). That was fab – seriously felt like a holiday destination with deck chairs, tourists and grass umbrellas everywhere. We caught a boat (so much more fun that I’d expect – kind of prefer small boats to ferries) and lay in the early evening sun drinking alcoholic milkshakes we’d created on a bespoke basis. Pistachio with white rum was brill, as was vanilla with Malibu.

Otherwise, having been here for a bit over a week I think I might be classed as a ‘local’ now. Doesn’t seem to matter where we go there’s someone waving or yelling ‘hello Pepa’ or ‘Aussie!’. It’s sweet really. Even had arguments with a few people now. Like when I arrived the beds in my hotel room where beyond bad – we’re talking springs poking out everywhere to the point where it was unfathomable that the thing still managed to look like a bed and not like a big spring ball. Anyway, one hissy fit and a few frustrated tears later a couple of new mattresses arrived. They are new and fantastic and I haven’t had a hissy fit since.

Hmmm, what else…went to a pilates class yesterday. In Greek. Which is fair enough really, since I’m in Greece. Anyway, was interesting but NOT FUN!

We’re heading out a little later and I have no idea what to wear – not because I’m a woman, but because I seriously have so little left in one piece.

I got my washing back from the laundry on the corner yesterday and they’d shrunk a couple more of my tops to the point of un-wear-ability. Seriously, I arrived here with a suitcase I couldn’t get up the stairs, a suitcase that illicited amused looks and comments about my gender from all who saw it as it was so overstuffed. And I am currently destined to leave ‘that hobo girl who wanders around in a towel and a hat’. Fab.

But it’s not all bad mattresses, deteriorating wardrobes and overpriced espresso. In fact, I suppose if I had to summarise Greece in three ways, so far it’d be: free cake, cocktails and random meaningless marriage proposals. So fun really.

Ciao xx

Dior, ashes, umbrella hats, boxed wine and bad moods.

1 June 2011

Am sitting by the pool in Paros. I’m tired and grumpy despite the beauty of the place. I’m not sure whether my mood is a result of the fact that I just paid five euros for a glass of wine that came out of a box or that I’m not allowed to flush loo roll here. Sorry, I know that makes me sound like the most hideous of spoilt tourists, but I don’t care. I don’t like it.

That said, we’re incredibly close to a little place called Noussa (not sure of the spelling) that’s charming and just a little bit stunning – last night, just after we arrived, we watched the sun set over the harbour and it was just so peaceful. I’ve been surprised by how empty this island is, but perhaps it’s the season. So yes, here I sit with my boxed wine in front of a beautiful bright blue pool and looking out onto a stunning view of the sea. I really have no right to be grumpy. But I’m a woman and an artist – surely being vaguely irrational and moody is my prerogative?

Mykonos was amazing. I really didn’t expect to like it as everyone kept referring to it as ‘the party island’ – I took this to mean ‘the island where people wander around continually sun burnt and drunk, in skirts that are way too short with bellies hanging out over them, screaming at the top of their lungs and vomiting in the streets’. But I was wrong. It was fantastic. Had the best pina coladas ever in Little Venice right on the water and even managed to find my Dior lipstick. Brilliant. And I could put loo paper in the loo there. Priceless.

So am working on my tan (actually I’m sitting in the shade, under a hat so big it has already been referred to as an ‘umbrella’ by a local well-meaning man), reading a bit, playing a lot of guitar and writing this blog. Next stop is Santorini and I’m there for two and a half weeks. I met someone in Mykonos who goes to Santorini every year to visit his partner’s ashes – they’re in a Cathedral set half in the mountain and half outside. He was a Pisces and his partner was an Aquarius and they lasted 35 years. There was something so touching about the way he spoke of it all. Anyway we’re supposed to be going to dinner on the 12th but I think I forgot his details in Mykonos (along with half my luggage).

I think it’s an eclipse tomorrow. There are three in a row coming. Hope it means brill things!!!

Ta-ta…

xxxx

The grumpy blogger