Mood:  celebratory

I was thinking last night "I'm going to contact Harland and Wolff Belfast and ask them for any records of my old man 'joe bloggs' and my grandad who were both chief engineers in the  yard"..so ok I'm looking into that and I will keep the blogg posted on the outcome....

So anyhow the topic leads on to the Titanic and well I always had this dream about   having a Bushmills and a cigar at the bar just before she sank..of course there is a great deal of conjecture as to which tune the band played before she sank,

I suppose that's so typical of Titanic history ,people tend to build up these ideas based on Hollywood's version (thats Hollywood LA!not Holywood Belfast) only to find the real truth different or the subject of serious doubt and conjecture. The only real sure thing is this , she WAS built in Belfast by the army of workers at the Thompson docks! . 

Check out @TitanicStories on twitter !

So back to some romantic conjecture! the last music played was reckoned to be the hymn "Nearer,My God,to thee" bethanyandhorbury very soothing as you drink your last whiskey and watch the freezing Atlantic ocean come lapping across the polished wooden floor!  .

.

Just to confirm in my dream ,NO I am not the guy dressed up as a woman clutching the nearest child.....

opps I nearly forgot ,I suppose the romantic in me means I have to post this link just incase a female looks in and needs to cry like

Posted by fourthxjuly at 10:00 AM CET

Updated: Sunday, 13 February 2011 9:15 AM CET

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Mood:  cool

1st
Portstewart No.1
(Tubber Patrick) Par 4,
425 yards


This is perhaps the best opening hole in links golf with a dramatic descent from a gloriously elevated tee into an amphitheatre of dunes.

I particulary love this hole as you wait to tee -off you can look across the North Atlantic , the mouth of the river Bann and Lough Foyle onwards to Donegal.

I mean who cares if you have to wait there? In my experience though Portstewart is played at a good pace . A hidden gem with Castlerock(another brilliantly designed links course)

Royal Portrush just around the corner,were I include my other two picks which are the famous 5th Aptly named "White Rocks" due to the grand view from the tee, the par four 5th hole is one of the world's most inspiring holes. The elevated tee affords the golfer a view of Dunluce Castle but it is far from just a beauty contest winner - this hole has great merit. The stronger player can try to shorten the dogleg to the right by taking an aggressive line with his driver. However good your drive, your approach to the green is fraught with danger.


The green itself runs to the cliff's edge, making back hole locations a real test of courage. To the left there is a deep bunker, to the right a deep hollow whilst the back of the green overlooks the White Rocks and the Irish Sea below. If you love traditional links then these are amongst the best you will find.

My Third pick The signature hole par three 14th is the hole on the homeward stretch that will linger longest in the memory. Worryingly but justifiably called "Calamity Corner", the 14th hole measures 210 yards off the Championship tee and looking toward the green you will immediately know where the 14th got its name. 

It requires a long carry with a long iron or wood (that must not go right!) over a deep ravine in order to reach a green perched directly on a 100-foot precipice. Slice the ball and you will be guaranteed a double bogey as the ball succumbs to the call of gravity, bouncing and rolling on a seemingly endless journey, down a steep slope toward the Valley Course.

 

The name says it all - a hole for strength and courage.

However when you play it, you will most certainly

remember it!

Posted by fourthxjuly at 7:48 PM CET

Updated: Monday, 8 November 2010 8:40 PM CET

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Mood:  celebratory

  A romantic post on the birth of a nation,born out of Love,War and death.



With loud-sounding strides he rush'd westward,

           In the clank of his armour bright

And he looked like the spirit of loda,that scatters

           dismay o'er the war way and fight

Like a thousand waves on a crag that roll,yelling

           When the ugly storm is at it's height

So awful the clash of mail and his weapons,

           While his face wore the winter of fight!

His smooth claymore glittered aloft

      In his champion hand it was light;

And the snoring winds kept moving his locks

     like spray in the whirlpool's might!

The hills on each side they were shaken,

And the path seemed to tremble with fright!

Gleamed his eyes,and his great heart kept swelling-

       Oh ! cheerless the terible sight

Posted by fourthxjuly at 7:35 PM CET

Updated: Monday, 8 November 2010 7:46 PM CET

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Mood:  celebratory

'IRELAND'S CALL'

So here we are the Irish. Spread all over the world ,but as soon as they play the Rugby Anthem there is no need for a singer or any warm up theme!

There is a pride in the heart to us Irish ,from whatever tradition and no matter the result the guys will run on the pitch and give 100 %. So Come Sunday at the new Aviva stadium in Dublin the French will know that nothing only total commitment will suffice.

I love listening to some old favourite Irish songs to get in the mood :-) Enjoy! ohh and one other trait we have.. Good losers and generous winners. I believe this time the latter will be out !   

Posted by fourthxjuly at 5:39 PM MEST

Updated: Sunday, 13 February 2011 7:28 AM CET

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Mood:  accident prone

 'St Elmo's Fire'

I lived for 4 years in a little North East Scotland coastal village called Portknockie . A few years back on a 'braw brecht moonlicht nicht'  I returned to the little cottage on Cliff Terrace with my two good lady friends at the time Tanith and Kathy. We had been on a tour through Inverness ,Loch Ness across to FortWilliam and back to base via Aberlour along the river Spey.

Kathy had just opened the door and walked across the living room,reaching to a plug socket to insert her Cell -phone charger an 'instantaneous explosion'  jolted our senses.. the lights went out..

It turned out we had been struck by a "St Elmo's Fire" The warning signs were there before. Giant hailstones and a freeky moonlight sky had decended into a frozen night well below zero.We were lucky. All my appliances  had surge protection. Only damage was all the lights with transformers and a new fax machine! 

St. Elmo's fire is an electrical weather phenomenon in which luminous plasma is created by a coronal discharge originating from a grounded object in anatmospheric electric field (such as those generated by thunderstorms or thunderstorms created by a volcanic explosion). Some of my fellow villagers were not so lucky. You find out the reason for proper earth bonding in a house during these events

St. Elmo's fire is named after St. Erasmus of Formiae (also called St. Elmo, the Italian name for St. Erasmus), the patron saint of sailors. The phenomenon sometimes appeared on ships at sea during thunderstorms and was regarded by sailors with religious awe for its glowing ball of light, accounting for the name. 

Here's a little link to the Aberdeen newspaper article about the calamity ! A neighbour a few doors away had his boiler blown through the roof! worth a read this :

 http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Bang+goes+the+neighbourhood;+Phones,+computers+and+televisions+blow...-a0158242471

PS 'The ladies thought it was my electrical charm :-)'

It was just "Bloody Awesome ,Made me feel alive!"  

Posted by fourthxjuly at 2:23 PM MEST

Updated: Thursday, 14 October 2010 3:41 PM MEST

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Mood:  on fire

'Over the Berg '

 I Can never hope to relate all the trips I have made into the Overberg in one blog post,however I'll try give you a short flavour of the place and it's diversity. From the unique ,almost "Out of world" pillars as you pass over the Sir Lowry's pass the complicated Terroir best explained in another thesis.. the ancient granite base rock supporting sedimentary rock which gives Table mountain and it's surrounds a unique eroded character.

As you drive past the fruit farms of Grabouw & Elgin and pass out into the Overberg's   vistas towards Caledon you could be forgiven to imagine your were in the movie "Legends of the Fall" Here you enter the sweeping wheat and canola farms , home of the Blue Crane . 'The bread basket of the Western Cape'   

 I always base myself in the little gateway village of Napier.. wedged between Caledon and Bredasdorp on the main route to   L'agulhas .Napier was formed  in 1838 after a dispute between two neighbours, Michiel van Breda & Pieter Voltelyn van der Byl, over the location of the community church ..thus forming Bredasdorp and Napiers beautiful NG kerk,the stand out features of both.  Napier has two great little pub's with food. 'Gunner's Mess' and 'The Fox in Napier' During an early morning refresher I always trek up the mountain at the back of Napier and check out the Fynbos with Proteas to die for ! I've posted a few on my previous entry! After a few drinks at Gunner's and the Fox I retire to watch a fabulous sunset with a Braai!

A wonderful sunset I snapped from the stoop of my son Callum's grandfather's house on High Street Napier...'Braaied Cape Salmon & Sunset!'

Driving through Bredasdorp and on to the dirt road along the back of the Napier mountain you reach Quoin Rock and then Elim .. I have covered a few wine farm visits(Zoetendal,The Berrio,Black oyster catcher) on the famous "SpitorSwallow" site here : http://spitorswallow.co.za/?fbconnect_action=myhome&userid=849  

Elim  is such a wonderful and historic Moravian village and has bags of Character. I really hope the South African Government do not allow this heritage to go into decline! Such a feast to the eyes.Founded  On 12 May 1824 by Bishop Hallbeck of the Moravian Church ! I usually stroll around and then head to The Berrio or Zoetendal for a refreshing Weathergirl or Sauvignon Blanc  before crossing the Wet land Protected area and  on to Struisbaai and L'agulhas!

Elim Moravian Church

I shall continue my blog with the Stingrays at Stuisbaai Harbour and the Most southerly point in Africa L'agulhas..perhaps Greyton and the beautiful run to Bonnivale ..to be continued! I'll leave you with a short video ! Little bit of Mark Knopfler to give you a flavour of the place ...

Posted by fourthxjuly at 9:02 PM MEST

Updated: Monday, 27 September 2010 11:27 PM MEST

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Mood:  on fire

Just a small  collage of views this last month in the Western Cape.. so many more but the Mountains,Beaches,Vineyards and the Fynbos born out of fire are spectacular! If you have never visited the Western Cape,make sure it's on your list of places to see before you die! I took these Protea shots above Napier in the Overberg. Are they not wonderful? The view from Chapmans towards Hout Bay is  fantabulous not to mention the Drakensteins on the way to Franschhoek by paarl !

Posted by fourthxjuly at 6:28 PM MEST

Updated: Sunday, 26 September 2010 6:52 PM MEST

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Mood:  celebratory

'Primitiv™ by name and Primitive by nature'

On a recent sojourn through Wellington I had the pleasure to be invited to taste a few products made at Jorgensen's Distillery by Roger Jorgensen.After a pleasant walk under the oregon pine ceilings and out on to the veranada Roger produced a sweating cold bottle of Vodka and two shot glasses .To say I was surprised by the flavour and balance of this Vodka would be as simple as the minimalist and brilliantly made graphics designed by Roger's daughter.

ThisVodka is made in the Russian/Polish style and should be sipped when ice cold ,preferably in chilled shot glasses. The body of the Vodka is creamy and well balanced and does not have an overwhelming oily texture like other Vodkas I have  tasted of this style.Using  Barley and ancient Wheat spelt  Roger has achieved a perfect balance to the product with a long lingering peppery finish which warms your stomach and tingles your lips the way a truly great Vodka does!

I shall not delve too deeply into the process as Jorgensen Distillery have a fabulous  web site http://www.jd7.co.za explaining the process in clear detail with first rate photos ,which are also a feature of Roger's wife Dawn's Blog the 'Incidental Tourist'  http://theincidentaltourist.tumblr.com/   Primitiv Vodka is available in a 750ml bottle complete with magnetic Primitiv dogtags (always useful for a "James Bond Moment" with Miss Goodnight!) Also,just released are dinky little 50ml bottles which Roger has made in France! These will make a super little present to a very good friend indeed 

Rog and Dawn can be caught "Tweeting" on @primitivvodka ,  @dawnjorgensen or @rogjorgensen Well worth a follow to keep an eye out for their 'fantabulous tastings' 

My conclusion "Primitiv™ will be the trendy Vodka to be seen drinking in Pubs and clubs of South Africa but more than other designer Vodkas this product has a 'Provenance' backing up it's really organic and eco friendly nature.. Buy it and enjoy the thrills!"

Remember to check out Jorgensen's website for other wonderful organic products such as Savingnac Potstill brandy,Jorgensen's Gin ,Field Of Dreams Absinthe and Gurls wine!

Posted by fourthxjuly at 9:52 AM MEST

Updated: Saturday, 25 September 2010 12:31 PM MEST

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