Santorini, Greek Sm...isles

Take the most beautiful view you have ever seen, multiply by2, add in a splash of greek cooking, a bottle of iced greek wine(not retsina) and mix toegether over a 4 hour split shift break.

Santorini, one of the hundreds of islands in the Agean sea off the coast of Greece, has to be the most beautiful. It has been earmarked as one of the possibles sights for the lost civilization of Atlantis and they are uncovering the mysteries to this day. Picture sheer cliffs plunging from dizzying heights into the ocean. White washed villages perching precariously and looking down at the world passing by in cruise ships and ferrys from the mainland.

This is a fascinating place... and as always my photos.

The view from up high.

Spot the greek dog!

"Your table is ready sir!"

Guaranteed to wake you up on a Sunday morning

The Cliche Santorini pic

The future home of "Cabin boys Mojito bar and grill"

Coordinates
36°24′N, 25°24′E

Well thats all for this week. Have the weekend off, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I am willing to be bribed and corrupted to go out. Have a great week.

CB

Monaco or bust!

Monaco, three days before Grand Prix day. I had to work lunch and the Lithuanian Dictator we called our boss would not hear of us going off the ship.

"But Gintaras, please I need to get off, I want to take some photos, the ship is quiet cause everyone is out doing the same thing."

"No!"

"Doos!"

"Vot"

"Nothing! It means thanks in Afrikaans"

"Ooh haha! I lern Afrikaan dee udder day from the girls, they teach me."

"Really, what did they teach you"

"Ek is moffie, It mean I liike yuuu." (Insert Borat Accent if you must)

"Hrrmmmmmph"

After taking numerous photos from the ship, I decided there was only one thing left to do. I slipped my trusty camera into my pocket and after making sure my station was spotless left the deserted dining room. My busboy stayed behind with strict instructions to say that I had gone to the pool deck to fetch mineral water.

The electricity in the place is unbelieveable. The track is all set up, the pits are there with all the drivers names on the doors and the grand stands are all set up, waiting for Grand prix day. I walked the entire track and snapped some great photos.

I had a quick sandwich and a coffee track side, the same seat that would cost thousands of Euros on race day and took it all in.

There is nothing like bunking to add to the thrill of the day.

Monte Carlo Casino

Car park outside the casino

The view from the Versace "Mega" Store

The track as it winds past the yacht harbour

The Ferrari showroom

So that was my day in Monaco, I have been back numerous times since but this was the first and best time.

I was not caught "Bunking" work either.

Have a great week

CB

Vanity Plates...Dirty Greek style

It seems to be a blogging tradition especially amongst Ostendo and Aquila to feature Vanity plates from around South Africa. Well looking through my photos I came across this beauty which I snapped on the island of Rhodes in Greece. This is not technically a vanity plate but it makes for lots of hilarity for a group of South African tourists who happen to see it.

So here it is, the first international NONVANITY plate posting

"Jou ma se number plate boet"

Have a good one

CB

Aruba

Staying on the Carribean theme, another great island has got to be Aruba. Immortalised forever by the Beach boys in their song "Kokomo" everybody knows the first few lines of the lyrics...

"Aruba, Jamaica, ooh I wanna take ya..."

Aruba is only 32 km long so seeing it is simple, hire a scooter, find a few willing hangers on and set off for lunch somewhere.

Rock formations on the beach(Snorkelling is awesome)

Compared to the rest of the Carribean Aruba is quite sparsely vegetated and has more of desert like climate

The Shopping mall! We found a restaurant that uses Nandoes chilli sauce(Iguana Joes)

Local cars-A hoot

Aruba is part of the kingdom of the Netherlands but the Dutch influence is not really felt at all.

Hope you all have an awesome weekend.

If you looking for something different to do Sunday evening(22nd April) we are starting off the Winter Jazz sessions featuring Chilli and Lime. You can get all the details here or here. Just click on the relevant dates. Se ya there.

CB

The Continental divide...

The Panama Canal has always fascinated me. We went through quite often and on one occasion I went on a tour with some guests and had a chance to snap some awesome pictures... Enjoy,

The ship must pass through 3 locks to get to the Pacific.

Entering into Gatun Lock

Waiting for the lock to fill up

and waiting...

Have a great week...

CB

Happy Easter

Hope you all have a great long weekend, drive safe and have fun

Dave

"Where everybody knows your name..."

You walking around Antigua, been away from home for 6 months. Missing friends, good times and moms cooking... and then you see

Alas alack, nobody knew my name, nobody was glad I came, but hey, it was the Jolly Roger, and thats all that mattered, it even looks like the original! Pizza was good(Not Jolly good, buut decent).

The Jolly Roger is a pub in Parkhurst, Johannesburg, that everyone north of Commisioner street knows about. A place where legends are made and destroyed. Names are swept up off the ash strewn carpets the next morning, and many... many a young lady has lost her sense of wrong and right.

The Jolly Roger in Antigua is by no means as legendary as the the original in Jozi, but when in Rome, one tends to do as the Antiguans do... MON! Drink a Red Stripe and fell Ayrie, and then go back to work...EEEEISH!

"Oh Happy days..."