Janet MacLeod Trotter's Blog, page 17
October 10, 2012
Deacon Blue – red hot in Newcastle!
Just returned from a fantastic Deacon Blue concert at Newcastle’s City Hall!
They played loads of the old favourites with a sprinkling of new songs. This is part of their 25th Anniversary tour.
Can’t beat the classic, such as Fergus Sings the Blues …
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mKnMTU5A4I&feature=colike
Next stop Manchester, then Leicester and Cambridge – finishing off in Glasgow in December which is bound to be a cracker! More details on their site:
Filed under: Opinion
October 9, 2012
METHONI, GREECE – SWIMMING, DANCING, ‘SMASHED’ 1976
On cooking duty in Greece – went over budget and overboard with the garlic and sustained a blister courtesy of the bubbling Smash (does anyone else remember that distinctive industrial taste of powdered mashed potato?) Had my first and last encounter with the mind bending substance Ouzo – now I understand the warning: beware of Greeks bearing gifts …
SATURDAY 9TH OCTOBER, 1976
“Left early for Greek border. I was doing cooking with Nikki and Chris. Stopped at small town to shop – lots of sign language in the market (all 4 stalls!). Overspent money. Crossed border making butties! Beer at border a rip-off.
Made for east coast, camped in afternoon at Methoni fishing village. All went down to the beach (tents a stone’s throw away from sea), swam in the Aegean Sea! – very slimy and shallow!
Prepared meal with frisbies flying everywhere – got one in the back of the neck! Fantastic spicy, garlic etc stew (La stew as opposed to Le Stew. Drew up stupid menu – wide-mouthed frog and caterpiller pie, les afters, tic tac a la Robert etc!) The smash (volcanic) spat at me and burnt finger – gorgeous blister.
Then all went down to nearest bar – some people been there since very early. Tested out ouzo – only drank half bottle (too many). Other Greeks there playing instruments – so some got up and did Greek dancing with them – Shirley being one of course. Adrian keeled over – took 4 of us to get him to tent where spewed up.
Other group – 2 Scouse, I Irish and girl who is getting lift to Athens with us. I thought I was OK but got to bus and memory is a complete blank! Apparently I was feeling awful, hanging out of bus window and sounding upset. Remember heading for sea at one point and sitting there – Rob came and rescued me, got things out of bus and found my tent. After that I escaped again and headed for bus because heard music playing. Apparently nearly murdered tape deck and shouted obscenities at Fred and Jan about the noise – vague recollection – Fred said that’s last time I get to choose music!”
[image error]http://www.amazon.com/THE-VANISHING-RUTH-enthralling-ebook/dp/B0041KL6NA/ref=sr_1_13?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1349791356&sr=1-13&keywords=Janet+MacLeod+Trotter
Filed under: beach, camping, cooking, Greece, Greek dancing, Methoni, ouzo, overland bus, Overlanders
October 8, 2012
Fantastic Jewish Klezmer Band – NefEsh – played in Newcastle last week
Taking a break from researching the next novel, I was lucky enough to be at a fantastic (free!) concert at the King’s Hall, Newcastle University last week to see the amazing NefEsh Trio. Made up of 3 graduates from the Conservatory in Milan, NefEsh (from the Hebrew meaning soul and fire) play a fusion of music from the Jewish diaspora – and borrows heavily from music around the world such as Jazz, Balkan and Tango.
I was bowled over by their vitality – their music was at times haunting and emotional, at others bursting with energy – and at all times delivered with panache. If you get the chance to see them, go for it.
Here are a couple of YouTube clips to give you a taste:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJIaAXY6zfM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuubW0x-uEc
Filed under: Opinion Tagged: Jewish, King's Hall, klezmer, Milan, NefEsh Trio, Newcastle University
THE ADRIATIC – STUNNING SUNSET, STARLIT SWIM, STRONG BEER, CAMP CURRY – HEAVEN! 1976
“DEAR MUM & DAD,
I’VE JUST HAD AN EVENING DIP IN THE ADRIATIC – BEAUTIFUL CALM WATER, MOUNTAINS ROUND ABOUT AND LIGHTS TWINKLING ACROSS THE BAY. ME & SHIRL (A MIDDLE-AGED CANADIAN WOMAN, A REAL LAUGH) WERE THE ONLY ONES WHO WENT IN – SWAM AROUND LITTLE BOBBING FISHING BOATS, ONE OR TWO STARS OUT AND NO RAIN!
REALLY REFRESHING AND OUT OF THIS WORLD ATMOSPHERE – FOLLOWED BY A REALLY HOT CAMP CURRY.”
WEDNESDAY 6TH OCTOBER, 1976 – Part Two
“Lovely view of sunset as drove away [from Dubrovnik] – lights going on in old town; pink, violet and silver blue lights on sea – red ball of fire in sky.
(Passed a couple of accidents on road).
Lovely moon on sea, dark shapes of mountains and string of lights along shore. (All along coast, lovely peninsulas and inlets and clustered towns on the edge of fingers of land).
Camped near Kotor Fjord. Swam in dark just few feet from tents with Shirley. The Adriatic!! Really great – not as cold as Skye! Swam around boats, looking across at far lights and ferry.
Had a beer in the bar beside the camp – quite strong. Walked down to see what village like – ferry attendants kicking football around - obviously cars have to wait while they finish. Kicked it back to them, then it missed me and went shooting into pond – so swiftly left!
(Slivovic is the drink here).
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_pg_2?rh=n%3A133140011%2Cn%3A%21133143011%2Cn%3A%21251259011%2Cn%3A1286228011%2Ck%3AJanet+MacLeod+Trotter&page=2&d=1&keywords=Janet+MacLeod+Trotter&ie=UTF8&qid=1349713829
Filed under: beer, camping, curry, Dalmatian coast, Dubrovnik, Kotor, Overlanders, Slivovic, swimming, Yugoslavia Tagged: camping, curry, Dalmatian coast, Dubrovik, Kotor, overland bus, Slivovic, swimming, Yugoslavia
GORGEOUS YUGOSLAVIA – LOVELY LADS AND STICKY CAKES, and meet my friends the Overlanders, 1976
EXTRACTS FROM LETTER HOME:
“One thing that is very striking to the girls of the group is the positive hordes of gorgeous looking fellas in every town we’ve been to in Jugoslavia! Why was I never told?! (The group by the way is very much over weighted with girls – 17 to 11! There are three couples and I’m the youngest of the group. Everyone seems to get on well) …
There’s often a group of us who sightsee together (the card sharps at the back of the bus!) There’s a super Aussie couple, Paul and Julie, another Aussie girl Jan who is friendly with the driver’s helper Fred, who suddenly appeared at Paris. Then there’s a couple of nice fellas, Rob and Mark – Rob feels a protective responsibility towards a newly released school girl! and is a real laugh, and Mark is rather exuberant and is always the first to fall over clutching a vino bottle or to dance on the tables! …
A great feature of Jugoslavia are the fabulous little sticky cake shops! At one town we were eating these and I smacked my lips and said how much I was enjoying it – next minute the little man had rushed away and got a glass of water! (It’s the custom to have it with the coffee). The chocolate eclairs, Dad, are out of this world!”
More on the Overlanders novel at: http://bit.ly/bEVp5V
Filed under: coffee and cake, letters, Overlanders, sight-seeing, Yugoslavia
October 7, 2012
MONTENEGRO – CHARLES BRONSON AND THE COMFY CUSHION, 1976
[It's a measure of the rough comfort of life on the road that I got excited about big comfy seats in a bar in Montenegro ...]
Mountains and lakes before Titograd with view of Albania in the distance!
THURSDAY 7TH OCTOBER, 1976 – Part Two
“Through Montenegro countryside – big thickly wooded hills, green fields, quite poor looking houses. Again gaping curiosity, but waves too.
Made camp early evening at Ivangrad by the hotel. Lots of children and voices sing out of the dark now and again.
After supper went to hotel bar – fantastic big seats (Paul, Julie, me, Chris, Nikki, Pam, Neva). Went down to disco (band playing mostly Greek type music). Joined by Mark, Rob, Diana, Frances. Other Jugoslavs latched onto our table. Never seen so many males. Charles Bronson looking one asked me to dance (and more besides although he only spoke German!) Other fat man joined in with belly dance. To avoid hassle, went and sat down again and pretended was married to Adrian!
One thought Paul wanted to dance with him when told him to move along! By this time they were getting aggressive – one smashed, accused Frances of stealing his gold chain – (didn’t have enough to pay for his drinks). A bit of hassle with people shouting and conferring. Paul threatened him with police. He followed us back, so Fred and Rob took him back to proprietor and with threat of police he left. We all repaired to the bus for a coffee. Long chat with Rob – friendly advice, nice to have someone to trust.”
River Moraca gorge, beyond Titograd
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Filed under: Albania, camping, dancing, disco, Ivangrad, Montenegro, Overlanders, Yugoslavia
CAKOR PASS IN JUGOSLAVIA – DIZZYING DROPS, PINK SHEEP AND ROUGH RED WINE, 1976
“Heavy due and mist. Kids all going to school past camp. Fantastic views up steep mountain sides. Very deep valleys, heavily wooded with incredibly perched farms and vertical fields – people tending herds by side of road, lots of carts and donkeys. Very narrow dusty road, dropping away on my side of the bus in sheer drops! Kept meeting other buses, looked out of window, so close to edge that couldn’t see road at all!
Eventually at top of Cakor Pass, had black coffee and door-stop goat’s cheese sandwich. Then down hairpin bends again to 13th century Byzantine Church. Peaceful convent beside - two rather formidable ladies in black wouldn’t let people in with t-shirts unless covered up bare arms. Lovely paintings on walls inside – four different churches all together (originally centre for Serbian bishops).
Walked around Pec – not interesting town, but people very friendly and bought fantastic chocolate eclair at sticky cake shop! Poverty very noticeable; lots of women dressed in Turkish style baggy trousers and white headdresses; men in white caps.
People always waving as bus passes; noticeably more Arabic in features than northern Jugoslavs. Countryside flatter here, the odd mosque in the distance, pink sheep by wayside, lots of people just sitting around by side of road, many houses seem only half built.
Stopped for lunch by few houses, kids appeared from nowhere when we began playing with frisbies – lovely little boy got very excited about the game. Great send off. Unfortunately had to return to hunt for Rob’s lighter, but not found. Paul opened bottle of rough red wine about 4.0! Few of us had some – felt good on half a cup full! Ate nuts and grapes with it. (Nobody is allowed to sleep at the back; the new rule is to shout and nudge anyone who tries to fall asleep – mustn’t miss the view or show that had a heavy night before!)
Camping at Skopje – bar and doughnuts just opposite tents! Little attendant wandering round counting us – even in showers – didn’t get away with 23 people!
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Filed under: Byzantine Church, Cakor Pass, camping, children, overland bus, Overlanders, Pec, Skopje, Yugoslavia
