Blue Monday

Nearly 10 years old, this one! November Timehops are always full of me planning, packing and going to Malaysia on those school trips in 2009 and 2010, so I often end up back looking through my pictures. This was from when I went there on holiday, to stay with an old work friend, Rhiannon. We went to the bit of rainforest still in the centre on Kuala Lumpur and this is a picture taken directly up into a tree, next to the communications tower. An excellent place for exploring.

I like this picture because it looks as if extra-terrestrial life might be landing on the tower. 

Blue Monday

There's a special light to a ski resort first thing in the morning, when you're walking in the shadow because the sun isn't high enough to reach right into the valley yet. Ski resorts are full of tricksy colours, in my head, because when you take your goggles off at the end of the day everything is startlingly blue, as well (at least it is if you're wearing orangey lenses) and it is marvellous to me that my perception can be so altered and yet my mind doesn't even seem to notice.

Here's an early morning ski trip picture from last February. It was our first morning and our rep showed us a footpath to the town that went through a small wood and some fields. It was a rare treat to walk somewhere so quiet and peaceful - and so blue.

Blue Monday

I snapped this peacock back in January, on a visit to Red Rock Canyon and its environs that Mr Z and I went on during our trip to Vegas.

Such beautiful colours, made even more startling against a backdrop of arid desert.

Blue Monday

One from Malta this summer - this was during out harbour tour of Valetta, putt-putting around in a little motor boat for half an hour, pointing out famous sites, like these gates that were used in Game of Thrones. 

It was a fun excursion. 

Blue Monday

Something from Durdle Door last week.

Every time I see this place, I'm astonished it exists in this country.

Blue Monday

Rounding off the year with this stunner from Lady Gaga last night. I tried very, very hard not to take any pictures at all but I couldn't resist this, during the encore, because the lighting was so beautiful.

Blue Monday

A winter's afternoon shot from my office window. The moon was already out. I do love winter. Sometimes.

Blue Monday

Looking back on our trip to Naples in 2012, when I took this picture on Capri.

A happy time and a very enjoyable trip, which looks like a lot longer the 6 years ago by the youthfulness of my visage. 

A trick of the Capri light, surely; I don't look so young in the other pictures. 

Blue Monday

One from Hampton Court on Friday, when it stopped raining and we made it to the lake outside.

Blue Monday

Throwing all the way back to 2006 for this one, taken in Venice on our honeymoon.

We had one day in Venice. It was nice and sunny when we left but we did have a fair amount of torrential rain to deal with earlier in the day.

Blue Monday

Harking back to last autumn, when Mr Z and I went tramping around Mt Charleston on our last trip to Vegas.

This place is on my mind at the moment, as we prepare for our next trip to Vegas, coming up very soon. I'm going to go skiing on Mt Charleston this time, very exciting - my first skiing outside of Europe. Mr Z has NOT SAID NO to snowboarding lessons either, which is huge progress.

Hopefully we'll have some lovely bluebird days like this one (and some snow).

Blue Monday

A throwback to my last big adventure.

This was the train that transported us from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes, or 'Machu Picchu town' as it is otherwise known. It was a comfy tourist train with windows in the ceiling and a friendly snack trolley. And look hoe blue it was! Almost as if it was meant to be.

I'm having fond memories of my trip there this evening and wishing I could go back again, though there's not much to warrant a second visit. I guess it was just nice to explore and see new things.

Blue Monday

Dreaming of the Galapagos this week.

Nice weather, nothing to do but snorkel, loads of wildlife to look at, new friends made, bonding over trying not to throw up when the sea got rough, star gazing miles from anywhere, sea lions popping up all over the place, Sally Lightfoot crabs...no marking, no planning, no meetings, no training days, no emails...

I was meditating today, though, that Theresa May must be exhausted. The news said something about* her needing to have finalised Brexit by midday on Wednesday. Just typing that made me facepalm - I thought my schedule was jammed. She must have not had a decent night's sleep since she took over. I feel like she's basically doing the equivalent of all of my jobs, but whilst also inhabiting a pit of snakes, under the full glare of all the world's media.

She's not my cup of tea but you have to hand it to her. It defo makes me feel better about my workload.


* I was scrolling through Twitter so I wasn't clear on the specifics of what needs to be achieved by then.

Blue Monday

The sky in Llandudno on Monday evening, with a pink wispy cloud in it. It got very cold once the sun had dropped but it seemed to make the sky bluer.

This was the end of a long and exhausting day delivering training and it should have been the beginning of a straightforward train journey home, but since Transport for Wales seems to have it in for me (remembering being stuck in Shrewsbury almost overnight last time I travelled home this way), there was an accident on a level crossing outside Ludlow and my train was delayed by 90 minutes, which added a total of two and a half hours to be journey once I'd waited for the connection in Newport, which by the way was crammed with metal fans on their way home from what appears to have been the world's sweatiest concert. I never want to smell anything like that again.

It could have been worse. The man in the accident had to be cut out of his car by the firemen. A two and a half hour delay and half an hour standing among sweaty metal fans seems like a fairly good deal by comparison.

But, consequently, I did not arrive home on Monday to blog about this, although the picture and intention were both there. I'm therefore backdating to the last possible minute of Monday.

Blue Monday

Spotted this blue-ish bench at the Vyne when we visited last week.

There was a lot of beautiful blue sky around today before it got dark at what felt like midday, but I am trying to stick to my pledge. Next weekend is a north Wales coastal weekend though, so my pledge may crumble.

Speaking of that - I booked my tickets to Llandudno so I could stay an extra day, Sunday, and explore the area. Turns out there are no trains in or out of Llandudno station on a Sunday in November. Conwy Castle is only a 70 minute walk away, though. Hopefully it won't be raining.

Blue Monday

I'm attempting to find some blue pictures that aren't sky or water but, really, I should be kinder to myself so don't be surprised to see more sky and water coming up over the next few weeks.

Today however...as I trekked along the shortcut back from the pub to the staff car park* last Friday, I came across this cerulean shutter.

I'm not quite sure what they sell when they are open, but I like the cut of their jib.


* no drinks were consumed at the pub but I did find the social interaction mildly intoxicating after so many months of being chained to my desk.

Blue Monday

In the summer, Mr Z and I spent some time in southern Italy. It was hot, hot, hot. Too hot. We spent much of our time indoors in the air conditioning. With hindsight, we should have stayed on the coast, not in a city.

On the last day we drove round the coast a bit and stopped in Otranto for lunch. This is probably where we should have spent the whole holiday. Loved it.

Next year.

Blue Monday

My last picture from Llandudno, I promise.

For now, anyway.

So many blues in this one!

Blue Monday

Guys, I might be in trouble. There are not enough days left in 2018 to get to 127 posts for the year; but I really don't want to miss it this year, because it would be 10 years of 127 posts a year and then that would be a thing. There might be some double post days coming up. I didn't really anticipate how busy I was going to be. I thought that the exam board work might pay enough for me to give up teaching, and I was right, but it never occurred to me that that was because it's basically a second full time job, even if it is only for part of the year. I think I managed 10 days clear of it over the summer, but I was away and couldn't blog.

But anyway, enough of that whinging, as the post it on my monitor reminds me daily - I wanted the job. In short, hopefully you will find me chatty over the next few months but hopefully not too chatty.

Here's a fruit of my summer holiday. Zoe and I went to Montpellier and visited Nimes. It has a sky the colour of jeans, which was fitting, because the city claims denim as its invention (de Nimes...). I loved this statue.

She actually had what looked like the Parthenon on her head, which, it turned out, is a representation of the Roman ruins of the town, since the figure is an allegory of Nimes. Pretty cool.

Blue Monday

I took this out of the car window on the way back to LA from Vegas in October (hence the weird reflection thing). It's near the state line and we've driven past it a few times and always wondered what it was.

This time I had internet access, so I looked it up. It's essentially a sun farm. The panels on the ground are mirrors, all reflecting the sun to the central tower, causing it to heat up to a dizzying temperature and drive steam turbines, which generate electricity. Pretty cool, huh? It's called Ivanpah, and I think it might be the biggest of its kind in the world, though I can't remember where I read that.

We've only driven past it in the evening, previously, which is why I was so confused about what the towers were for. There's not mistaking what they're for in the daylight. You can't even look directly at them.