I don't like to moan but...

Where the hell has summer gone? I'm sure the last time I checked "British Summer Time" began WEEKS ago and all we've had is rain rain rain.

I am not impressed, Mr Sunshine, will you please get your hat on!?

Breathing/Atmen

This week there was a German language film on at my local cinema (how could I resist!?)...

Breathing is set in Vienna and is a deeply moving, slow paced film about a boy called Roman Kogler (Thomas Schubert) who is in a juvenile detention centre. He struggles to find a job that he feels comfortable in until he starts at an undertakers as an apprentice. Here he uses his job almost as a form of therapy, allowing him to reflect on the crime he committed in the first place.

All in all, its a heavy film and as you can imagine not a complete barrel of laughs, however there are some subtle moments of humour.

I'd highly recommend it!

The High Life, Baby!

I just thought I would share a few photos with you all from my recent Cabin Crew Training Course with bmibaby...

I cant remember the last time I had so much fun and had such a laugh... Flying is what I was born to do....

 A freshly painted B737-300... Look how shiny it is!!

 My new uniform...

 The Girls...

...and the Boys...

Charles En Ibiza

I went to Ibiza with my friend Philippa Stephenson to celebrate finally leaving TOPMAN after 7 years and I had forgotten just how pretty it is. This time I stayed in San Antoni rather than Eivissa and the sunset really was one of the most amazing I've ever seen. Plus it was off season so we practically had the whole island to ourselves...

The sun lighting up the clouds over the rocks looks like a volcano dont you think....

Berlin Take 4...

I've been at it again!

3 Days in Deutschland were just what I needed after a rather busy Christmas... Here's what I got up to...

(See my other Berlin posts here, here, and here!)

 "RUG-STAR!"

 An amazing new bike shop that's opened up in Mitte on Rosa-Luxembourg Strasse...

 Interflug in the DDR museum... Right up my street!

 Get off my lawn!!

I found this bizarre shop near Alexanderplatz selling old DDR bric-a-brac... I REALLY wanted the 'Exquisit' carrier bag (Exquisit was the old DDR shop selling high-end western products to try and generate some foreign currency for the government...) but the store was closed! :(

What a happy brand...

I saw this in Nottingham today on my lunch break and it made me smile... The shutter on the front of the shop has been broken for a few days now and I just thought it was nice of them to make such a happy sign...

Na Zdrowie Polska!

Welcome to Poznan, Poland's fifth largest city.

I have to hold my hands up here and admit that at the time of booking my flight, I really didn't expect to find much here - how wrong could I have been!?

This city has a vibrant energy and buzz much similar to other much larger cities like Berlin and Sofia. There appears to be an exciting cultural scene and as I guest in their city, the locals couldn't have made me feel more welcome.

 The main square (or "Stary Rynek") is a beautiful medieval cobbled affair hosting the city's main attraction - its town hall. On his 'New Europe' series, Michael Palin visits here to see the two mechanical goats, a symbol of the city, clash their horns at noon above the clock on it's spire.

 In June 1956, the first major protest against the Soviet regime took place in Poznan. This giant monument stands in memory of the factory workers and others which lost their lives during the unrest. It sits on the edge of a beautiful park nestled between Poznan's main theatre and concert halls and looks especially impressive at night.

 A short walk across the road from the monument is a museum dedicated to the same event. It features a really impressive interactive exhibition as well as a collection of these communist posters - possibly some of the most visually awesome examples that I have seen to date...

 Are they cacti or are you just pleased to see me? Poznan's botanical gardens were a welcome break from the cold outside. The aquarium that lies underground is also a must see with some fish literally as big as me!

 I took this photo from a distance in a bar called 'Proletariat' on one of the main streets in town. It is crammed to the rafters with socialist memorabilia. Part of me wanted to steal the Misha (1980 Moscow Olympics Mascot) figure for myself. If you're ever around in Poznan I recommend a pit stop in here - its always busy and popular with the locals. You shouldn't have too much trouble finding it as the 8-foot bust of Stalin sitting in the window is a big enough sign to look out for!