Lockdown Armchair Travel – India – Varanasi in 2016

Posted on June 26, 2020 by therealchrisparkle

I is for India – my favourite country in the entire world to visit – and here’s a few days we spent in Varanasi in November 2016. If I ask you what do you think of, when you think of India, it’s probably the Taj Mahal. But in Varanasi? It’s the Ganges and the Ghats. But first, did you know, just outside Varanasi is Sarnath?

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Sarnath is famous for the being the first place where Buddha taught.

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So it’s a very holy and revered site, with a super stupa at its heart.

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And, unsurprisingly, a major place of learning.

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But Varanasi itself centres on the Ganges.

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All streets lead there!

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Especially at night, when pilgrims, locals and tourists alike swarm to the river for the Aarti ceremony.

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Important to reserve your seat early, but you may be sat next to a cow.

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In the morning – very early – take in a leisurely boat ride along the Ghats to see life on the riverbank and to see the pilgrims bathing.

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Death is as much part of life in Varanasi as anywhere else, but the city is well known for its riverside crematoria. The dead are cremated on the banks of the Ganges and it’s a major aspect of the city. Crematoria smoke frequently fills the sky.

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And the wood for burning is piled high

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Time for a wander around the old town

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There’s also a highly respected university

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But, like anywhere in India, all the best pictures are to be found on the street

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And by the water

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PS Watch the traffic. Some vehicles can be very large!

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I don’t think that elephant indicated right.

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Gotta love Indian roads

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“Knock, knock. Excuse me, but do you have any apples?”

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PPS. 1970s snack in the hotel!

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If you’d like to find out more about our brilliant few days in Varanasi, here’s the link to the blog that I wrote at the time. Next blog – probably on Tuesday – will be back to the theatre trips, and memories of shows I saw from September 1979 to July 1980.

Lockdown Armchair Travel – Iceland in 1998

Posted on June 24, 2020 by therealchrisparkle

I is for Iceland – not the supermarket but that frozen little island to the north of the nearest Viking. We went there for a week in March/April 1998, during which time the day temperature warmed up from -4 to +3 degrees. Positively balmy!

So what do you think of, when you think of Iceland? Mainly – ice!

I took lots of photos on this holiday but for some reason can only find a few – and I’m not sure where most of them were taken. I know there’s the amazing place in the centre of the island where the tectonic plates meet – and all the steam rises out of the centre of the earth!

The very bold and daring might creep right up to the edge and look down!

Not that far from the capital Rejkjavik you can find the Þingvellir National Park

It’s an extraordinary landscape

Our hotel was the Saga and was just on the outskirts of Rejkjavik, which gave a very picturesque view of the city as you walked in.

The big pond was frozen when we arrived, but had turned into water by the time we left!

Plenty of opportunities for some quirky photos

And the locals were very friendly

Sorry not to be able to show you more of the sights, but this is a little taster if you fancy going, or a small souvenir if you’ve already been! Tomorrow it’s back to the theatre memories, and some shows I saw between July and September 1979. Stay safe!

Lockdown Armchair Travel – Greece – Athens 2016

Posted on June 19, 2020 by therealchrisparkle

Amongst other countries, G is for Greece, and we’ve been to Athens a few times, most memorably for a day trip from London when Easyjet first started and the flights were 1 penny. But these photos come from a sunny day on a Mediterranean cruise in March 2016.

So what do you think of, when you think of Athens? Gotta be the Acropolis.

It’s a large and exciting complex of ruins and you can spend hours there

And the views are stunning

But there are other fascinating sights. I love the 1896 Olympic Park

Everything you’ve heard about the Athens traffic is true

Need any flags?

But my favourite sight in Athens is the Archaelogical Museum

I’m not normally one for museums but this is full of amazing exhibits. The Mask of Agamemnon, a funeral mask from 1500 BC is astonishing

Zeus is fantastic doing his Warrior 2 pose in yoga. Maybe bend that forward leg a little more?

“It’s your turn to deal.” “I’m sick of cards, this is our fiftieth round.”

We’ve all had days like this

Nice vase

One fall, one submission, or a knock out

Oops! I appear to have lost my clothes

But my favourite thing in all of Athens is the statue of the boy on the horse, better known as The Jockey of Artemision, made around 150 BC. You see something different from every angle!

And, just like any other city, there are always a few odd photo opportunities

Thanks for joining me on this brief trek through Athens. Pausing to regroup on Monday, so on Tuesday it’s back to the theatre memories and some shows I saw between November 1978 and June 1979. Stay safe!

Lockdown Armchair Travel – Germany – Munich – August 1989

Posted on June 17, 2020 by therealchrisparkle

G is for Germany, a country I’ve visited a few times, but the first occasion was when we had a day trip to Munich during our holiday to the Austrian Tyrol in 1989.

So what do you think of, when you think of Munich? I think of beer!

That’s not us, by the way. But that photo was taken at about 10am.

Munich is full of fairy-tale architecture. Here’s the Old Town Hall

And the New Town Hall, from above

There are some stunning churches – here’s St Peter’s Church, peeping over the top of the buildings

And the interior of St Michael’s Church

This is the Theatine Church (a tiny part of it!)

And the twin towers of the Frauenkirche – the Cathedral – surrounded by other buildings

So many churches, not sure which one this is!

Some districts make you feel like you’ve gone back 500 years

A little out of town you find the majestic Nymphenburg Palace

Much more in the modern era, Munich is known for the 1972 Olympics – here’s the Olympic Park

and the Olympic Swimming Pool

As always, I can never resist photographing a market. Is that person wearing a dressing gown?

But primarily I remember Munich for its very attractive and often quirky facades.

Thanks for accompanying me on this brief run around Munich 31 years ago. Tomorrow it’s back to the theatre memories, and some shows I saw between August and November 1978. Stay safe!

Lockdown Armchair Travel – Egypt – Cairo in 2010

Posted on June 11, 2020 by therealchrisparkle

D is for Denmark, but I haven’t any photos of our day in Copenhagen back in 2003, so we move on to E for Egypt. We had a fantastic Nile cruise in September 2010 that started with three days in Cairo, and we stayed at the magnificent Mena House Hotel in Giza, which is now a Marriott hotel although at the time it was part of the Oberoi group.

So what do you think of, when you think of Cairo? I bet it’s this:

That was the view from our balcony! Stunning, eh? But there’s more to Cairo than pyramids. Here’s the Citadel

The famous Coptic Church:

with so many beautiful details inside

There are also some stunning mosques. This is the Mohammed Ali Mosque:

The Qani Bay Qara Mosque:

and the Sultan Hassan Mosque:

This is an original, 14th century oil lamp

Views over the city are spectacular

We loved our visit to the Egyptian Museum

with its incredible monuments

and posing tourists

A day at the Pyramids is a memorable event. First we saw the Solar Boat museum – with a boat that was built to send the dead body off to heaven.

And of course The Sphinx!

They tell you the Sphinx is beautiful, and it is. What they don’t tell you is what the Sphinx looks at!

OK, I know you want to see a pyramid.

or maybe two

How about a close up?

At Saqqara, the pyramid is stepped

Old Ramses is lying down on the job

Back in Cairo, there’s always the Old Bazaar to lose yourself in

An amazing place, with some grand and quirky sights

Thanks for joining me on these memories around Cairo. Tomorrow it’s back to the theatre, and some shows I saw from November 1977 to February 1978.

Lockdown Armchair Travel – Brazil – Rio de Janeiro, September 2011

Posted on June 1, 2020 by therealchrisparkle

B is also for Brazil, and possibly one of the most famous cities on the planet, Rio de Janeiro. We had three days there as part of our South American tour in 2011. It wasn’t as sunny as we’d hoped; and it also had some disappointing rip-off aspects. But there’s no denying its life, its glamour, its self-indulgence and its sheer exhilaration!

So what does Rio bring to mind? Carnival! But we were there in September, so no Carnival. Doesn’t stop a spot of Samba practice though!

Christ the Redeemer, of course, is a major sight. The day we went up to see him, though, he was looming in the mist…

Christ has a great view of the city

and he looks down on you, ever so slightly eerily, when you’re up there.

The main natural sight is of course the Sugar Loaf Mountain

which you ascend by cable car – and you can admire the old cars that are still on display

It’s a particularly scary sight coming down!

The city itself is a fascinating mix of old and new. Some of the old parts aren’t so glamorous –

and some are!

There’s some striking modern architecture –

and some rather grim modern buildings

Hang on – that’s the cathedral! Dull and grey on the outside, crammed with stunning stained glass windows on the inside!

Another extraordinary site is Selaron’s famous decorated staircase

There are plenty of “odd” sights in Rio. This place looks promising:

Need a bra?

Health and safety for pets is of the highest importance

Unless you’re a goldfish

On Sundays, they keep the traffic off the Copacabana beachfront:

All in all, the place has tremendous buzz

Incredible views

Faded glory

And all mod cons

But, at the end of the day, it’s all about the beach

And the bronzed, beautiful people (well, some of them)

Which is why we fitted in so well.

Won’t be a minute dear, just taking a few scenic photos…..

That wasn’t me, honest.

If you’d like to read a bit more about our stay in Rio, it’s all in the blog post I wrote at the time, which you can find here.

Tomorrow it’s back to the theatre posts, and memories of what I saw in the second half of 1976. Stay safe!

Lockdown Armchair Travel – Austria – Vienna in 1989

Posted on May 26, 2020 by therealchrisparkle

Welcome back for another quick session of Armchair Travel. In addition to Argentina and Australia, A is also for Austria. I’ve been there twice; most recently for Eurovision in 2015. But Mrs Chrisparkle took a two-week holiday to the Tyrol back in 1989, staying at Söll, and whilst there we had a few day trips, one of which was to Vienna. Here are a few pictorial memories of that entertaining day!

So what do you think of, when you think of Vienna? Maybe the Prater Big Wheel, that features so memorably in The Third Man? It was the first place we visited.

Or maybe you think of delicious cakes – and why wouldn’t you? Here’s the Café Landtmann, home to the Sachertorte, with Mrs C posing decorously outside.

There’s the stunning Schönbrunn Palace, where you can easily spend a day wandering around the gardens and the house.

Maybe you think of music? Mozart is more Salzburg, really, but they still like to revere him wherever possible.

All the Arts are well catered for in Vienna. Here’s the Hofburgtheater.

Vienna is full of beautiful architecture. I think my favourite is the vivid roof decoration of St Stephen’s Cathedral.

But everywhere is grand, formal, stately and deliciously sophisticated. The Hofburg:

The State Opera (you can see it behind the tram wires!)

The Rathaus.

Heldenplatz Square.

And finally, here’s me outside my holiday home in Vienna. Nothing showy.

Hope you enjoyed that little tour of Vienna, 31 years ago. My next blog post tomorrow will be going back to the theatre and reliving the shows I saw between 1972 and 1976. See you then!

Lockdown Armchair Travel – Argentina – Buenos Aires

Posted on May 19, 2020 by therealchrisparkle

For reasons that are all too familiar, gentle reader, those of us with Wanderlust and Itchy Feet aren’t going anywhere in a hurry. Our travel plans for 2020 – which included a driving tour of Scotland and another trip to India – are in the bin – and I guess yours are too. So I thought it might be fun to ransack a few old albums and share some holiday snaps from some of the places we’ve been lucky enough to visit.

A is for Argentina, and its capital Buenos Aires. We went there as part of a South American tour in 2011, and I really fell in love with Buenos Aires. I still hold out hopes of returning one day. Here are a few pictorial memories of three days in September Argentine sunshine!

So what do you think of, when you think of Buenos Aires? Eva Peron, perhaps?

She’s everywhere. There’s a museum to her memory; there’s her grave:

Nicely understated – NOT! She’s even at the top of buildings!

Or perhaps you think of football. They don’t mind who you support – so long as it isn’t Brazil!

Maybe it’s the Argentine Tango. Tango can break out anywhere, anytime. You can be just having a nice lunch in the sunshine, and then this happens:

On a more sombre note, there’s also the Memorial to those who fell in the Falklands War, with a daily Changing of the Guard ceremony.

Buenos Aires also has a great maritime tradition:

And, as you might expect, religion plays an important part too.

And they do love their steak! Bit of a nightmare for vegetarians…

I loved it as a vibrant, quirky, and very friendly city. So much to enjoy!

And like any Evita fan, I got to stand outside the Casa Rosada and cried “Eva Peron!” Don’t think the locals noticed.

If you’d like to read more about our Buenos Aires escapade, I wrote it up in a blogpost that you can find here. Tomorrow, I hope to blog about the first ten professional shows I ever saw – that’s going back a bit! Stay safe and cheers for now!

So How’s it Going?

Posted on May 18, 2020 by therealchrisparkle

How’s Lockdown treating you, gentle reader? I hope you and yours are safe and sound, exercising “common sense” (whatever that is) and minimising risks wherever possible. There’s a whole beautiful world out there, where all your friends and relatives are waiting, The Arts are waiting for a kick-start, comics are preparing a barrage of new jokes for us (or they’d better be) and there are exciting places to discover – once it’s safe again. Until then, pull up the drawbridge, log into Zoom, and catch up with your DVDs and books.

I say “books” – as though that was a thing. I don’t know about you, but since Lockdown I have not been able to concentrate on reading AT ALL. I’m too easily distracted, I read a paragraph and instantly forget what I read. So for the moment, my Agatha Christie Challenge and Paul Berna Challenge are on hold until my reading Mojo comes back.

Mrs Chrisparkle has discovered cooking! Who knew that there were other items of kitchen equipment apart from the microwave? So that’s great news. And fortunately, fine food always deserves a fine wine – that’s a bonus. As a downside, The Real Chrisparkle’s Facebook page has fallen foul of some odd computer hiccup and I can’t access it at all. So if you check that page every so often – I wouldn’t bother, nothing’s going to be happening there for some time, I fear.

Now that the Eurovision that never was is over, I need to find something else to write about. What I’m proposing, gentle reader, are alternate blog posts where I share some holiday snaps from the great places we’ve been to over the last ~~[redacted]~~ years, and retro theatre posts where I go back over all the shows I’ve seen in ~~[also redacted]~~ years of theatregoing. Not promising anything truly exciting or revealing; we’ll just see how it goes.

So, see you tomorrow with some holiday snaps from Buenos Aires. Take care!