Indeed. It's yet another example in this pandemic of what's actually happening not correlating fully with THE SCIENCE, but the latter is that which cannot be disputed.Originally Posted by Spikey M
Indeed. It's yet another example in this pandemic of what's actually happening not correlating fully with THE SCIENCE, but the latter is that which cannot be disputed.
What did all these crazy people obsess about before COVID?
Just returned from 4 nights in Gay Paris. First time in ten years I think. Not much seems to have changed. Someone I was with was instarobbed at the Gare du Nord, plus ca change etc, although the thieves only nabbed his passport which was quickly jettisoned, collected and somehow returned to him by a heroic Frenchie living near the Place Voltaire [who knew filling in that bit at the back of your passport would pay off one day?] who commented that it would have been a waste of time giving it to the Gendarmes.
I suppose what has changed, as with everywhere in the world, is that there are just loads of people trying to do everything, even in post covid land. You need to plan and book everything. They've somewhat ruined the Eiffel tower by putting all the secutiry fences around it, although the last time you could probably casually stroll under it was in the previous millennium.
Les Ateliers des Lumieres was surprisingly good I thought, as was the fuck off big fairground they have out in the park by Port Dorée.
Covid only really evident on the metro where mask observance was both fairly total, whilst simultaneously half-arsed.
I’m struggling to think of where to book to go on in the summer. First time experiencing going in July during the summer holidays and the price difference makes me want to vomit.
I like the look of Montenegro or Dubrovnik but he’s shes been to both and would rather Tenerife or something. At least if we go there I won’t be back there a few days/weeks later for the football whereas we could potentially draw a Balkan team
I’m currently in Madeira and it’s very nice indeed.
Siuuuuuu.
If you have the possibility I’d recommend getting around the whole island. Lots of cool places there. Funchal wasn’t bad either. Quite a few nice restaurants there too. I also hope you’ve gotten your hands on those mental pinecone bananas that taste like four different fruit at once.
We’ve got a car so we’re getting about. I had a bit of one of those crazy pineapple bananas y’day. In fact, we went to the Mercado dos Lavradores in Funchal and just tried a bit of everything - eating a passionfruit with a spoon is quite satisfying.
Going to aim to do a levada or two, maybe Caldeirao Verde, and a coastal walk and go to the beach at Porto Moniz.
How else would one eat a passion fruit?
From your mum's gash.
That would make it far too sour.
Speaking of sour, was in Belgium for the weekend (Ghent is particularly lovely) and discovered Kriek. Sensational.
Is that the one that comes in a funny glass [with a wooden frame] that you used to have to pay a deposit on in Bierodrome/Belgo [as so many people nicked them]? Or was that Kwak?
That's Kwak which a work colleague was raving about but I didn't try.
I have one of those Kwak glasses at home. Not sure I've ever used it.
I'm going hiking for three days over the weekend. I'm trying to be open-minded and positive but I'm probably going to hate every minute of it.
Weekends are 2 days dickhead.
I'm off for 10 days.
The majority of the hike's on the weekend though.
Anyway, if I'm not posting again next Sunday, I've died in the Scottish Highlands and it was nice knowing you all.
RIP in pieces.
Whereabouts are you off to?
You're basically living in Scotland already. Go to Albefuera or Iceland or something.
Knoydart. Hiking from Glenfinnan to Inverie.
That's not fair, some of Scotland is nice.
Fuck that, I'm going in tomorrow and the first thing I'm doing is cancelling this Munich trip.
I don't understand all these staff shortages. Where have all the working people gone? Over here they try to explain it away with Brexit (which I don't really buy), but it makes no sense at all when it's happening at Dublin Airport too.
They all got binned off when COVID hit then realised there’s much better job options out there so it’s proving hard to staff up.
I get that when it comes to shortages of Engineers and Doctors, but we're talking blokes to chuck shit on planes and women to stick labels on cases. Just employ any old cunt.
There's probably a decades long wait for security clearance as all of the people doing that were probably binned off as well (or have long covid).
They're trying to get away with offering fuck all money for zero hour contracts.
And then there's the queues at the passport office. It's been great walking in and seeing that stretch right out the door every morning. I don't think that's staff shortages but more Joe Public putting off their renewals for a couple of years.
Yeah, there's definitely an element of maybe we can do without a lot of these people a la certain sectors in the aftermath of the 2008 stuff.
There will be EY consultants telling them they can run the whole show on the shoulders of one Australian man.
The passport queue on the way back in through the airport is an absolute joke too. They put in all these automatic machines years ago but none of them can read a passport and instead it's just one person checking them all.
The ones at Heathrow are hit and miss. They expect you to queue again for a person to double check but it's easier just to try another machine.
Speaking of passport renewals, mine looks like it's going to be on the way back soon. I was pretty worried it was going to be lost in the deluge of renewals but it's taken about 4 weeks.
I’ve just walked two miles through an airport to get on exactly the same plane, with exactly the same crew as I just got off for the connecting flight.
Did they at least wear disguises?
They even said welcome back.
Although that has now been topped by the taxi driver picking me up from Gatwick seemingly forgetting where he’s parked his car. 10 minutes “we’ve” been looking for it now.
That's not too bad. 16 weeks I waited for mine last year.
Reading Twitter, there seems to have been some fuck up in Feb and March which has caused the biggest noise.
Yeah, someone was on tele yesterday saying they sent off for theirs in February and they're now shitting themselves as they're meant to be flying in 2 weeks. Nothing you can do either. Can't even reapply if you have an active application. I'd be fuming.
It's because those sorts of agencies are managed by monstrously overpaid fucks with zero accountability to anyone except staying within budget.
I was worrying I'd need to travel to Dusseldorf for an emergency passport for my trip in July. That's an option if it doesn't come back in time.
h
Actual shambles
30 hours?
My mate had a 22 hour delay coming back from Gran Canaria.
I left work at 5pm and there was still a queue winding out of the passport office. Scenes.
Back in England and stuck on the M25, it's good to be back...
Is absolutely everything shit at the moment? I think it might be.
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