Arcticterntalk.org

The blog of a travelling psychiatrist and football lover. Who happens to be a halfway decent photographer. Takes a cynical view of the world

Archive for the tag “beer”

Brentford Fans Forum. A photographic record


Enough has been said about the excellent forum and the transparency with which questions were answered. There was also restraint shown by the fans in not asking any negative or difficult questions that also may have been on their mind. Please enjoy a few basic photos all sadly I Phone standard but nonetheless may give a view to those who were not there of what it was like.

The atmosphere was great, supportive and at times amusing, with the witty Peter Gilham in charge as always. Cliff Crown looking every inch a Premiership chairman. Honest and meaningful answers. David Weir looking like and sounding like a football coach. Great evening.

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Mark Devlin

Mark Devlin

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David Weir

David Weir

Cliff Crown laughs at Mark Warburton budgetary ideas

Cliff Crown laughs at Mark Warburton budgetary ideas

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Mark Warburton

Mark Warburton

The Best Photos of 2014. Maybe.


This is the time of year that I frantically try and complete a calendar for 2015.  Here is the short list of my photos. It has been a strange photographic year really. Some memorable shots but maybe not as many as in past years so it has been relatively easy to get down to a final set of 22. all help appreciated in helping me choose the final 12.

best_1 Best_2 Best best2_1 best2 best4 best5 DPP_0001 DPP_0035 IMG_0856 IMG_1318zx IMG_1346 IMG_1589_1 IMG_1589 IMG_1617 IMG_6043 IMG_6272 IMG_6789 IMG_7904 IMG_8590 IMG_9754f IMG_75192

Cayman Islands


After not going there for almost 18 months now I am in some kind of withdrawal phase, but am guessing will be back there before too long. The reality is that the islands are beautiful but maybe 3-4 days are enough of this paradise. Make sure you go to Starfish Point too and drink beer at Royal Palms on the beach bar. Just enjoy these lovely photographs.

Bad Day in Caymans Best Sunset IMG_5253 IMG_5550 best2 IMG_4231 IMG_4253v IMG_4264 IMG_4273 IMG_4345 IMG_4349 IMG_5167 IMG_5191 IMG_5253 IMG_5550 Starfish Painting

Do people in USA ever stop eating? Reflections on USA Part 2.


The volume of food continues to amaze me. For example a lunch order of what I understood to be strips of chicken with salad arrived, and it was actually very nice eaten with great company, but it was covered with about half a pound of crumbled blue cheese. So salad yes, healthy option, to impress my dining companion, became a calorific disaster zone from which I may need medications to elevate my HDL. But it does not stop there, oh no. Pots of strange sauces, the one that was earmarked for me looked like a sort of cocktail sauce. Around a litre……I exaggerate , but not by much. And just when I thought this meal size was looking vaguely normal otherwise…..4 bread rolls in a basket. So a salad turns into something you would go to Weightwatchers for a month to try and recuperate from. This lunch meal I did survive. Then around 4 hours later the executive lounge here ( sounds grand but equals free food and drink in UK and only free food here) serves what they term ” Hors D’oeuvres”. Now here I want to show you how the various dictionaries define ” Hors D’oeuvres”. This is your selection:
1. A small savory dish, typically one served as an appetizer at the beginning of a meal.
2.A small bit of appetizing food, as spicy meat, fish, cheese, or a preparation of chopped or creamed foods, often served on crackers or small pieces of toast, for eating at cocktail parties or other gatherings where drinks are served with no other food.
3.An appetizer, as a relish or more elaborate preparation, served before or as the first course of a meal.

So you get the drift. Something small and tasty. OK. Here in JW Marriott the take a different approach, a generous one. Firstly a hugely enthusiastic lady was exhorting me at 5.20 pm to prepare to eat. Not usual in New Malden. The selection was, and I was informed the expectation of the norm was to have everything. Here goes- sliders ( these are mini-burgers maybe 2 is a normal burger, a USA thing but creeping into UK), mini beef wellingtons, spicy humous, various crackers and chips, salads, cheeses, bread and a few litres of dips and sauces. So it is fair to say this concoction does not represent a ” small bit of appetising food”. For me this is good, no need to have an expensive dinner. For others, maybe most here, this really is a prelude to the feast called dinner. So I really do not think that folks here ever stop eating. I think maybe I need to come and live here but would be regarded as “odd” for not consuming 5000 calories a day. So another nice Day. I certainly have one.

A small USA breakfast

A small USA breakfast

Sliders and Beef Wellingtons

Sliders and Beef Wellingtons

Photographs of Food Make Me Hungry and Thirsty


The cakes are from the cafe in Nonsuch Park in Cheam. The beer is from the Greyhound Hotel in Carshalton and is called Ghost Ale 4.5% Adnams Brewery. Superb to them all. Just photos and no chat! The Supid Soup can be found in Estonia. The Boat Bread can be found in Merton.

Ghost Ale

Ghost Ale

Nonsuch Park Cafe

Nonsuch Park Cafe

Nonsuch Park Cafe

Nonsuch Park Cafe

Nonsuch Park Cafe

Nonsuch Park Cafe

Boat Bread

Boat Bread

Nonsuch Park Cafe

Nonsuch Park Cafe

Nonsuch Park Cafe

Nonsuch Park Cafe

Supid Soups

Supid Soups

Spain in 2014. What sort of a place is it now? Benalmadena Costa


Having been coming to Spain for almost 50 years there have been a number of clear changes that are visible to the naked eye. It is clear that with unemployment rates being 50% in the under 24 year olds and 26% in all, things are not good. There are however islands for hope. Firstly many of the British have left and areas like Benalmadena Costa have been at least partially reclaimed by the Spanish. Resultingly there are fewer dreadful ” English Cuisine” restaurants on offer and far more traditional Spanish restaurants. Secondly prices have fallen dramatically. A pint of beer in a decent beachfront bar is rarely more than 1.95 euros. Three course meals tend to be anything from 10-15 euros and often throw in half a bottle of wine. Thirdly, the ecology is changing. Far more birds and far fewer cats. Parakeets abound as do pigeons.  This has become a decent holiday destination, flights to malaga are less than 3 hours from London and cheap. Crime is not visible, surely it happens but safety seems better than say in London. This is a place to re-visit. Lastly, the Spanish do things in different ways. Only the Spanish could have equipement outside their bansk that potentially could be used to break in.

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Harbour Restaurant at Copenhagen Island Hotel


Rarely do I get excited about the prospect of eating in a hotel restaurant when travelling and usually my reservations are reasonable. Food rarely comes above the above acceptable because I am not paying mark. This hotel is an exception. Firstly it is a great hotel, not far from the airport and right next to the local train station so imagine it would be a good base for visiting Copenhagen.

The menu is small, maybe 4 options for each course, 3 for dessert. Very fish based and no chicken in sight on the menu. The food is excellent, the service is good and the ambience and view of the harbour is exceptional. Well recommended.

The food looks good as well. Starter was two types of cod on a beetroot base, two slags in fact. Main was baked salmon on red onions with wild rice and asparagus. Dessert was poached pear with ice cream and berries with a crumble base. Best dinner for a long time.

Cost 400 Danish Kroner, somewhere in the 40£ region including a beer.

Two Slags

Two Slags

Harbour Restaurant. Copenhagen. Chris Bushe

Harbour Restaurant. Copenhagen. Chris Bushe

Harbour Restaurant. Copenhagen. Chris Bushe

Harbour Restaurant. Copenhagen. Chris Bushe

Harbour Restaurant. Copenhagen. Chris Bushe

Harbour Restaurant. Copenhagen. Chris Bushe

Poached Pear

Poached Pear

Two Slags

Two Slags

Photographs with an I Phone


Am seriously underwhelmed with the camera capacity of the I Phone. I see others do better but wonder how much post-production there must be, months maybe. There are not many times I want to take photos with the I Phone as for me it is not a real camera. But sometimes the subject matter just works and here are two examples where the photos are not too shabby. On a more positive note just look at the alcohol available in this BA lounge!

photo photobeer

The First Ever I Phone photo I like. Let us rejoice.


photobeerSomething just a little atmospheric about this photo despite taken with the dreaded I Phone.

 

Benalmadena Costa. No signs of unemployment here in Spain.


Mariano Rajoy, the Spanish conservative prime minister, is duly announcing to those who will listen that despite unemployment rates of 27%, that rise to 57% amongst the youth, that the worst is over. What this translates to is that unemployment will fall to 25% by 2016. Not overly encouraging. Although not an expert on the economic aspects of Andalucia I have to report based on a week in Benalmadena that there was no evidence of massive unemployment. That observation has to be caveated by the fact that I was hardly looking for unemployed Spanish youth whilst lounging on the beach. There was a single eastern european beggar outside Mercadona ( the Spanish Tesco equivalent). What was obvious though was that there were far fewer British expats and tourists there than before, a linear annual decline. Fewer English type restaurants and bars, and where these had closed down they were replaced by Spanish bars. As a consequence presumably of all this, less tourists and more indigenous Spainish, prices have fallen considerably. A beer would cost 1-2 euros. In the best bar along the beach side Palm 5, a beer cost less than 2 euros. Glass of wine, and thats of a proper size, was 1-2 euros.

The only clear evidence of economic recession was the absence of building of flats and apartments. But frankly the rate they were building 5 years ago was ridiculous. Benalmadena costa may be a nice place but not that nice. But it is not Monaco! Outside our apartment there is a crane towering over a half finished block of apartments. This in itself is not exciting but when put into context that I have taken the same photograph now for 5 years. That crane has not moved in 5 years. The half finished block remains unfinished and I imagine will look just like that next year.

 

Benalmar Playa

Benalmar Playa

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Benalmadena Costa

Benalmadena Costa

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