Santa doesn't go to Libya

Last year we spent Christmas in Northern Italy, and thoroughly enjoyed it. We wanted to see something completely different this year, so went off to Libya with Explore, a well known tour company.

The excitement began early on in the trip, pretty much on arriving at Gatwick, at 8:15 on friday (22 Dec) morning. Our flight was at 11:20, and it was recommended that we get to the airport at around 8. We were flying with Afriqiyah Airways, a company that says they're the fastest growing African Airline. The whole of last week saw chaos at England's airports, specifically Heathrow. There was a persistant fog that lead to the cancellation of a huge amount of flights, and general mayhem at most airports. Gatwick was no different, and it was literally bursting at the seams. Afriqiyah Airways (which will from now on be known as Afrikakka), shared 4 check in desks with Air Ghana. Air Ghana's flight had been cancelled for 2 days, so there were 3 flight loads of passengers trying to get onto 1 flight. This resulted in the que system being abolished, and a general riot at the check in desks. 10 policeman were assisting staff, and it was truly a fantastic spectacle. Majority of the passengers on our flight were travelling to Lagos via Tripoli, and they were taking everything with, including the kitchen sink and a few sheep. It took us around 2 hours to check in, and then another hour to go through security. Finally we made it through, only to be told that our flight was 3 hours delayed. We boarded the plane a while later, and then sat for 30 minutes while Afrikakka tried to find a lost passenger. This passenger was never found, and their luggage (and sheep?) was removed. Finally we took off, and about 4 hours later we were on a bus on the way to Hotel Yousser in Tripoli. Our tour group of 14 was predominantly english, and was a good mix of ages. The drive to our hotel was an experience in itself, and would probably be similar to taking part in the Paris-Dakar rally. We passed Gadaffi's house, surrounded by 5m concrete walls, and then a Barbie doll shop (still open at 11pm) on the outskirts of Tripoli. Our tour guide, aptly named Allaeddin, told us that he'd arranged supper for us in the hotel restaurant. Not knowing what to expect, we made our way up to the 6th floor, where we were fed a 5 course meal (soup, salad, pasta, Colonel Gadaffi's secret recipe fried chicken and fruit), which finished at 12:30am. Finally to bed, after a pretty challenging, but interesting day of travelling.

The next morning, Alaeddin took us walking around Tripoli, which has been his home since birth. One of our stops was a beautifully decorated Mosque, and from there we made our way through the local market to the Tripoli museum. Tourism hasn't really hit Libya yet, and this was really evident during our walk through the market place. Not once were we irritated by the sellers, and it made for such a nice change. The Tripoli museum was full of amazing artifacts (and even had an old Volkswagen beetle that once belonged to Gadaffi), and was the perfect introduction to the ancient and turbulent history of the land.

Mr Schumacher then took us to Sabratha, which was around an hour west of the city. Sabratha is a well preserved Roman city, and was situated on the road between Alexandria (in Egypt), and Carthage (in Tunisia). It sits right on the coast, and it was fantastic to explore a place that has not only been so well preserved, but also to view it in such beautiful and open surroundings. The most impressive building was the huge Theatre, and our guide conducted a wonderful tour of the sight, explaining what the city was like in the 2nd century AD. The communal latrines were also of interest, bordered with marble benches making up rows of toilets. The Romans would send their slaves down to the loo, to warm the seat, and then later, they would sit in a group of about 20, going about their business in a shockingly sociable manner. Later that evening we enjoyed a meal in a local restaurant in Tripoli, and found ourselves in bed fairly early.

Leptis Magna is another Roman City (estimated to cover about 3 square kilometers), which was originally of Phoenician origin (around 1 AD). It was also on the road between Carthage and Alexandria, about 2 hours east of Oiea (or Tripoli). Only about 30% of the site has been excavated, but it still covers a huge area, and is one of the best preserved Roman cities anywhere in the world. It was completely covered by sand until early on in the 20th century, when the Italians discovered it. The best thing about the city is that it really makes it easy to understand the day to day goings on during Roman times. We walked along the limestone roads, through marble, granite and sandstone architecture, learning enough history to make your head spin. I won't bore you with the details, but feel that I should tell you 1 really interesting fact. Firstly, our guide was a typical Libyan, and as such pronounced all his P's as B's, and vice versa. We were walking along a street when all of a sudden he stopped us, and with exploding excitement pointed to one of the sandstone blocks making up 1 of the walls. There was an image carved into the stone, and he explained that the bennis (penis) was fighting the eye, and that this was the symbol that the Romans used to fend off evil spirits. Later on, we saw another bennis, but this time it had it's own bennis, and it was again fighting an eye (see pic). Probably one of the most bizarre pictures I've ever seen. Our accomodation for the night was the Homs Resort, a local spot, about 5 minutes from Leptis Magna. Our chalet was on the beach, probably about 20m's from the ocean, and there was a patio and bar area. After a few non-alcoholic beers, we enjoyed dinner in the restaurant with the whole group. The atmosphere was fairly formal, and this was made worse by the lack of alcohol. The english require a drink or 2 to loosen up, and also to become a bit more interesting.

Christmas morning arrived like any other. After a quick breakfast of bread, coffee and cheese, we jumped into the bus. Aleaddin said happy Christmas, and that was that. We drove off to the amphitheatre, which hugs the coast, about 3km from the centre of Leptis Magna. Unbelievably well preserved, putting the Colloseum in Rome to shame. The best thing about it was that you could explore the animal cages and tunnels, and once again this just made it a bit easier to understand the process. A typical event would see 16,000 people crowded into the stands. The show would start with a group of slaves being tied to pillars in the arena, and then wild animals being released. This would be followed by gladiators fighting, and these fights could sometimes last a whole day. After walking through the last few sights of interest, namely the harbour, theatre, and hunting baths, we made our way to the car park to enjoy our Chrismas lunch. This had been purchased by ourselves a bit earlier from the local cafe. We had rolls, tuna, cheese, and as a special treat, some chocolate.

After lunch we drove to the ruins of a Roman Villa (beach cottage), which must have been on 'Millionaires Row'. The villa is famous for some of the most attractive Roman mosaics, and my favourite was a pygmy trying to pull his friend out of a crocodile's mouth. Our journey then took us back to Tripoli, where we had the chance to change some money (Libyan Dinars aren't hugely useful anywhere else).

I had done a bit research on Triploi beforehand, and decided that I wanted to eat at a restaurant that I had read about. The whole group joined us, and besides the lack of booze (and therefore social skills), we had a good evening. The menu was full of local dishes, with fish being their speciality.

We had to be up seriously early on the last morning, and after a 45 minute drive we were at the airport by 6:20. We checked in with surprising ease, and after making our way to the departure lounge, we realised that our flight was 4 hours delayed. Thanks so much Afrikakka, not sure if you're the fastest growing airline, but without any doubt the fastest to frustrate passengers, and fastest to lose customers. My patience ran out as we were fighting to board, and after being told to hurry, I told 1 of the officials that he was stupid.

Luckily I was recently given a copy of the new authorised Hansie Cronje autobiography, and this kept me thoroughly entertained throughout the wait, and the flight. If it wasn't for the book, I would probably be in a Libyan jail for strangling an Afrikkaka air steward.

After landing at Gatwick we finally had the feeling that we were nearing the end of our days travels. This was short lived however, and because of engineering works on the trains, we had to catch the replacement bus service to Victoria. This took 2 hours, and after a short tube ride, we were finally at home.

Was it all worth it - YES. An amazing experience and a look into a culture we know very little about.

Ice Skating

On sunday, Jackie, myself, and a couple of mates decided to take in some outdoor ice skating in Windsor. We are absolute amateurs, and I can honestly say that its been 20 years since I have attempted the activity. The rink was positioned in a park, next to a lake, with a view back towards the castle. Lots of people had the same idea as us, and I must say that I was a bit apprehensive while shoving my skates on. We slithered onto the ice, and for the first 10 minutes we shuffled our way around, never letting go of the railing. We payed very close attention to the action of some of the skaters, and suddenly we found ourselves doing something similar, making our way around the ice in a fairly respectable manner. I must admit that Jackie looked a lot more graceful than me, but my excuse is that my feet are a long way from my head. Excellent fun, and certainly something we will be doing again in the future.

What are his chances?

Is it Christmas already?

Only 11 more sleeps until Christmas Day, and I must say I haven't started feeling any sort of Christmas spirit yet. The decorations are out, the lights are shining brightly, but it just doesn't feel as it should. Maybe it's just because we've been pretty busy over the last few weeks, and the last month has flown by. Last year the whole run up to Christmas in the UK was a new and wonderful experience for us, but this year I can only describe it as being unusual. It's dark (and usually fairly cold) by 4 in the afternoon, work is as busy as ever, and I can't see too many festive looking people. I even saw a depressed looking Santa in a shop this morning.

I suppose I, like many South Africans, have grown up spending Christmas at the poolside, or on the beach, feasting on braai and beer with family and friends, and enjoying the sun.

We are off to Libya for 5 days next friday, and are really looking forward to exploring a country we know very little about. One thing is for certain, there will be very little Christmas festivities over there, and with a complete ban on all forms of alcohol, we will more than likely be having some tea with our Christmas Eve dinner.

I hope all of you have a wonderful Christmas and for those of you in SA, make the most of the sunny weather.

The Burlton Inn vs The Old Butchers: Country Pub vs Restaurant

http://www.burltoninn.co.uk/ourstory.html

http://www.theoldbutchers.com/

1 day, 2 counties, 2 meals, 1 gastropub and 1 up and coming restaurant. A bit too much you might say - not a chance. A visit to friends and family on saturday gave us the opportunity of having lunch in Shropshire, followed by dinner in the Cotswolds. I was fortunate enough to select both establishments, and made sure that I found 2 worthy venues.

LUNCH

'The Burlton Inn', a family run, 18th century pub, is located between Ellesmere and Shrewsbury. It has recently been voted the Shropshire Dining Pub of the year by the Good Pub Guide 2007. That, along with their fantastically creative menu, made the decision and easy one. 12:30, lunch for 4.

On walking into the pub, we were welcomed enthusiatically, both by the staff, and the log fire crackling away in the corner. First impressions count, and I immediately felt at home, and observed that this was a place where the landlord pays a lot of attention to the needs of his customers. All to often on walking into a pub, one can feel like an outsider, with a bunch of locals glaring at you from the bar, as if you had walked in naked. We sat at our table, content to take in the atmosphere, and to peruse the menu. A good wine list and a smashing selection of local ales. I went for the Old Stock Port real ale, which seemed to fill the gap quite nicely. The menu made for interesting reading, and they had a selection of specials for the day, with majority of their ingredients sourced locally. I went for a starter of 'Warm salad of roast pigeon breast, with black pudding, pancetta, and a balsamic dressing'. It came well presented, and made for a wonderfully fresh combination of both flavour and textures. The decision for main was a no contest - 'Wild Boar Sausages with bacon mash and caramalised onions'. Again, spot on - fantastically rich with great flavour.

DINNER

'The Old Butchers' is a new restaurant in the quaint old Cotswold town of Stow on the Wold. It was recommended to me by a local of the town, and after a bit of research I found it to have consistantly great reviews. The restaurant is inviting and well decorated, but on arriving I felt that we might have received a bit too much attention from the staff. We were shown to our table, and given menu's and the wine list. I took on the task of choosing some wine, and initially got the shakes when I saw the prices. On closer inspection though, I found that they had a great selection of house wines, for around £12.50 a bottle. We went for the Australian Shiraz, and began studying the menu. A small, but greatly varied and exciting menu, that made my selection a surprisingly difficult one. For starters I went for the 'Duck Rilette, with toast, mustard and pickles', which turned out to be of the best starters I've had in a long time. Huge contrasts of tastes combining to create a wonderfully intense explosion of flavour. I followed with the 'Grilled rib-eye of steak with bearnaise sauce', which was absolute perfection, cooked medium rare, juicy and tender. When I originally booked the restaurant I was told that they have 2 sittings, and that we would have the table for 2 hours. This is fairly common nowadays, but the staff here managed to emphasize the urgency. Although the eating experience was superb, we felt slightly rushed, which was a great pity.

Comparing the 2 dining experiences is difficult. The pub oozes character and charm with a country atmosphere, the restaurant has slick service, exquisite decor and good background music. Both kitchen's produced superb dishes, and their menu's were interesting, original, and catered well to all tastes. The most important distinguishing factor for me was the suitability of the experience to the location. 'The Burlton Inn' sits as comfortably in its environment as do the neighbouring hills, and manages to make both locals and visitors feel equally at home. 'The Old Butchers', on the other hand, stands out a bit too brightly. It's food is fantastic, but it would be better suited to the hustle and bustle of a city environment.

Norway : A Birthday surprise

As most of you know, I just turned the big 30. I wasn't anticipating a huge change, and can now confirm that I still look and feel the same, although I did find a grey hair on monday morning. Jackie's surprise to me, which she managed to hide so well and with such joy, was a weekend away to Norway. We flew out to Bergen on friday afternoon, landing at around 9:30ish. After checking into our hotel, we set off into town to explore, and to find something to eat. Christmas shopping was in full swing, and all the shops were open until midnight. We walked around like locals, following the crowd into the most popular restaurant in town, a pizza place called 'Dolly Dimples'. We both had the triple dolly special, which is 3 pieces of (tasty) pizza and a drink.

We were up early, and eating breakfast by 7:30 on saturday. Herring for breakfast might sound a bit strange, but it went down a treat. We caught the 8:40 train for Voss as part of our 'Norway in a Nutshell Tour', which is essentially a chain of transport links between Bergen and Oslo (or vice versa). 5 minutes into the journey, we were told that our train could not travel to Voss, because of the tracks being struck by lightning. After a half an hour wait at the next stop, we were informed that all of the people doing the tour, would be taken to Gundvargen by taxi. These arrived, and off we went, relieved that we were back on track, and quite pleased that we now not only had music, but also a great view out from the 10 seater cab. The drive took around 2 hours, and we passed through some of the most amazing scenery. Norway must have more tunnels than any other country in the world. I know for a fact that they have the longest road tunnel, which is 24.5 km long. The fare, which was paid for by the tour company, was 5000 Krona (£450). At Gundvargen we jumped on a boat, and cruised along the Sognefjord for 2 hours. The scenery was spectacular, with narrow waterways surrounded by steep mountains, and incredibly isolated villages along the way. The boat arrived at Flam, and from there we caught the Flam Railway up to Myrdal. The railway is very famous, mostly for it's amazing location, but also because it climbs the steep Flam valley, at some stages with a gradient of 55 degrees. The trip took around 45 minutes, and by the time we got to Myrdal, the sun had set, and it was pretty chilly. Myrdal is not even a 1 horse town, it's a station, a junction between Bergen, Oslo, and the Sognefjord. We had to wait a couple of hours for our connecting train to Oslo, and were once again tested with a rail replacement service. We finally arrived in Oslo at about 11pm, and we walked the 500m to our hotel.

The Bondenheim turned out to be the best hotel we've stayed in, with huge rooms, and a breakfast buffet that brought tears to my eyes. Our first stop on sunday morning was the National Gallery, and a look at some of Edvard Munch's paintings, his most famous being 'Scream'. We then made our way up onto a mountain overlooking Oslo, where we visited the Holmenkollen Ski Centre and Museum. The Museum was really interesting with all sorts of ski memorabilia, but also a display on Amundsen's polar expedition. Bizarrely, on display, they have one of the dogs (stuffed) that was used in the journey. The ski centre is also the site of a Ski Jump. We caught a lift up the tower, and then walked a couple of flights of stairs to the top. I don't think I would ever be able to get myself down the ramp, but it must be the most amazing feeling, with a huge ampitheatre of people down below you, and a view of Oslo in the distance. We finished off at the Ski Centre by having a go in the ski simulator, which was great. First was the ski jump, and then an olympic downhill experience - I have a new respect for those madmen.

After all the activity and excitement of the day, we were both drooling and desperate for some food. On recommendation from a local, we went to a restaurant called 'the Lofoten', which had a great position on the harbour. Here we tucked into some fresh local seafood and a glass of wine, while watching the last few rays of sunlight fade into the watery horison. With our tanks refueled we made our way up to Vigeland's Park, a beautifully landscaped piece of ground, showing off 200 sculptures by Gustav Vigeland. Our time was unfortunately up, and we made our way to the airport. Thanks to my very special wife, we had experienced a fantastic weekend in a truly unique country. I know for a fact that I will never forget it.