Suzuki -The Shape Of Things To Come -

Twenty two years ago I left my car in UK and came to live and work here. It's a terrific place with a transport system which ranks the best in the world . Yet the gypsy within seeks to find new places , outside of the city, not to mention, off the beaten track .There are so many European countries to see , all with their fascinating villages and landscapes.
Air travel is no longer enjoyable and although trains here are superb one is restricted to a network and timetable .
Today I made a test drive in this Suzuki 'Jimney'. Findings ----- "absolutely fabulous " --- I am smitten !
What's more ---- I wanna be free.

Berlin Auto Messe

Today was a fun day and how ! It was the opening day of the Auto Messe Berlin .Lots to see . Oh,how I could have bought so many were I wealthy enough .
The top collage shows some of the older items . Mainly videos taken, hence , few stills .
The lower collage shows some of my favourites ,;.-
L-R VW Passat+bike , Renault Twingo ,Seat Ibiza
L-R VW Golf , Seat Ibiza once more ,Kia Soul.
There was wine. My shoes were cleaned for free, and Saturday will find me at a large car showroom opening party with food , music and test drives ........Should be fun .
It's been twenty two years since I owned a car and now I'm longing to be back behind the wheel.

Friday The Thirteenth------ Great .

Unlucky ? Well it all depends on your point of view and outlook .

Today,yes a Friday and 13th ,began well and continued so .

With the sun shining in a clear blue sky it didn't matter one jot that the air was cold and crisp .

Toshiba have been terrific and today sent a courier to collect my tiny notebook which insists on playing up ( aptly nicknamed baby it is akin to a recalcitrant child )

As a good will gesture they will deal with it !

Once out and at Rogaki ( Berlin's finest fish store ),yet another surprise, a gift of Danish sherry herrings from the man in charge of the fish smoking department . For those who have never sampled these all I can say is , 'they are fabulous '. At another shop I was given a bottle of champagne . Then what should be seen but a long sought after item of furniture .These are just a few of today's 'good' happenings .The photos illustrate how beautiful a day it's been here. Winter is an enjoyable season .Warm clothes make being out of doors the healthy place it is .

ref L-R birds against a blue , blue sky, Lietzensee frozen , The sun is so strong to film creates a night image .

L-R 2nd row . A bird lives under Neue Kantstrasse bridge , Tree shadows on the ice ,

A poster telling of yet another jazz happening .

Acki Hoffmann at Yorckschloesschen Berlin

Yorckschloesschen is a place to visit . The food , drink and music are excellent. How easy therefore to spend four hours in good company ,listening to one of my favourite groups ,Acki Hoffmann and friends plus talking to Otto Hamborg who had dropped in .He's a wonderful pianist who performed a week ago at my other stomping ground . Above are just a few of the pictures I took , including one of Otto Hamborg. As of yet I'm still debating which video ,if any, to use on YouTube . The microphone doesn't really do credit and my jumping around hasn't helped. Do have a look at the link below .

Come to cabaret city - don't wait around for life , you make it happen ! This city is a pretty good starting point .

http://www.yorckschloesschen.de/

Top picture is of Otto Hamborg.

The other three are of Acki Hoffmann ( piano ) and friends :-

Gert Lübke....bass ,

Siegward Vollert ...tenor sax and clarinette

F W Born ..... drums .

Helga Napieralla...... trumpet and vocal

Let's finish with a bang .. here's a small clip of a great drummer .

Note :- permission has been given for the use of this material.

From The Sublime To The Ridiculous -

Why not ? Just as I was signing off I saw the latest Blogthings Quiz , so did it for fun and, answered honestly . Here are the findings .Sort of the best of both worlds .
Real and genuine --- c'est moi !

You Are Cute-Sexy!

You are definitely attractive, and you have an interesting mix of sexiness and cuteness. You are both hot and quirky. Gorgeous and silly. Charming and natural. You are not so in-your-face sexy that you're unapproachable. You tone things down a bit. More than anything else, you are real and genuine. And that makes you truly captivating.

Are You Cute or Sexy?

Basic Maths- Well Done President Obama.

Well well what a surprise, members of the Republican party in US are not in favour of President Obama's stimulus package ...Which one amongst us is surprised ? I for one am not .

Famous or should that be infamous, for being involved in very big business , including arms deals ,oil deals ,they were oh so content to sit back for the last ,not so few years and see trillions of dollars spent on death .. brought about by a 'trumped up invasion '.

Let money be wisely spent and oh do they squeal . Rather like a certain animal in Orwell's Animal Farm .

Great stuff President Obama you show them the real facts of life :-

honesty , reliability , responsibility to name but a few .

Now We have Jazz, Jazz , Jazz.

It's true that few are having an easy time of it these days . Conflicts increase , there is a financial crisis with all the misery attached to such , but, as the song says 'what good is sitting alone in your room ?' Answer none !
These words from the musical 'Cabaret ' , set in pre war Berlin are as true today. This city still has an amazing jazz scene and for just three euro you can forget the gloom , rise above despair and enjoy life . The top two photos show pianist Acki Hoffman and his band . This remarkable group has fantastic style and last week ,played to a packed house in 'der Kleinen Weltlaterne '
The bottom two pictures are of Sydney's Blues Band . Their music is very much Sydney Bechet style . Both groups are terrific as is the venue .Open Monday to Saturday they have bands every Thursday and Saturday .Food is good and well priced . So come hear the music play ,come to the cabaret .
http://www.diekleineweltlaterne.de/ Close to the Kudamm at Nestorstr 22 , it's a must see , must do place .

New year Fireballs at Stonehaven 2009

This is how I saw the New Year in ... way up on the North East Coast of Scotland . Then down to Manchester and all I can say is ugggggh . It simply proved mega depressing . Little of the Land of Hope and Glory there .
Onwards south to Dover for the ferry and across to Belgium , Holland and Germany . Home ? Can be anywhere I think . So where and how did you spend your New Year ?

Boxing Day Geese

These beautiful geese were seen and heard over Scolty today . The climb was tough and the descent worse but somehow they made it all worth while .

Black Kilts Pipes and Drums .

'Europe', that source of much political muttering is also a rather wonderful place.
Within the land mass of so many countries one finds an admiration and appreciation for 'foriegn ' cultures, especially in the world of music and dance . Yesterday at The Berlin English Church Christmas bazar ,this group were performing Scottish pipe and drums music . The lighting is poor due to my cam but never the less , enjoy.
All the musicians are German . The link to their website is:-
http://www.blackkilts.de/

Not Quite A Wandering Minstrel.

Whilst out and about on Friday I saw and heard several street musicians .Usually it's the accordion players who get me dancing . However this well known guitar player ( sure, he travels Europe) kept appearing at each station . Here in Mohrenstrasse U Bahn the marble made for great acoustics .My singing is not quite Ella F but hey who cares ?

Oh Ms V Likes To Be Beside the Seaside.

What better place to be than Zinnowitz on the Ostsee. A spectacular little resort with a sandy beach and waves that hypnotise . Even Father Christmas had stopped off for a Gluhwein. He said he remembered me as a little girl with plaits .. ( I wonder )

* Find time to read the entry in Wikipedia re Zinnowitz. It has a fascinating history .

The Snow Alien and Miss Vixen.

Today was snowy , cold ,but just right for kite flying . So off to Teufelsberg and look who I met !

A snowman alien . Absolutely harmless though ..or should that be 'armless' ?

Now who can guess what I whispered in his ear .. as you can see , it sure made him blush .

Any suggestions ?

Teufelsberg - From Cold War To Historical Hotspot

Berlin is famous for many things and has more than its fair share of interesting places to visit.
One spot , often overlooked is , in my opinion a must do .It's Teufelsberg [Devil's Mountain] . Linked historically to the second world war and the cold war , it provides a view of the city which you'll never forget. This man made mini mountain created from the ruins of the city rises 80 metre above Berlin. It is also supposedly built on a military college designed by Albert Speer.
Throughout the occupation of what was formerly west Berlin , Teufelsberg was home to one of the largest listening stations . Go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teufelsberg for more information . On Friday I climbed up to this now abandoned structure and took these pictures . The air of desolation was eerie, plus the wind blowing through the weird towers made ghostly noises . The little video provides evidence of this .For a day with a difference , try Teufelsberg !

Alternative Pie - (Indeed rather fishy )

This delicious offering was created just for yours truly today--- A fish pie par excellence. Made by a wandering Viking ,not only did it have my mouth watering ,but it meant I had to consume a helping of 'humble pie ' . I simply failed to believe that any weird Nordic type could produce such a work . Served with green beans it earned 2 Michelin stars . Trust me , I am one fussy foxy lady but second helpings were called for here . Yummy .Should any one want the recipe just get in touch .
A few of the ingredients to tempt you :-´
fish[ varied] 700g, leeks, chives, onion, creme fraiche , 8 quails eggs[ boiled], fish stock ,butter,
emmenthal cheese and puff pastry for topping .

A Danish Superman ?

Once more Jens Galschiot shows us how actions can speak louder than words. Only months since the Olympic games closed ( remember Orange ) and he's able to present work to highlight the difficulties of those who are 'home less ' Another facet of human rights . This week finds him flying to London to join a conference in Cardiff, Wales. He will present the first of a series of 30 bronze sculptures depicting homeless people.I received this information today and take pleasure in giving you this information.

'SAS has sponsored the flight. The homeless man will travel as an ordinary passenger, but on first class, as the tourist class does not have sufficient space for the big sculpture. The sculpture will be a part of a travelling exhibition of 30 homeless sculptures scheduled to be displayed in all European capitals in 2010 to fan a debate about the situation of homeless people.You’ll find the press release below with a photo at ' http://www.aidoh.dk/HomeLess

BP Gives You Energy

 

No this isn't a posting for British Petroleum ..but rather a recipe for a healthy dessert with a difference .
Beetroot Ice cream served with Pomegranate seeds ! Simply delicious and I could, if requested, provide testimonials.
METHOD
Take two small cartons of soya cuisine and whisk well . Add honey ( clear ). Cinnamon to taste .Mix well.
To this mixture add two precooked beetroots ,well pulped to a puree. . Whisk again , adding sugar to taste .
You wont need much as beetroots are naturally sweet. Pour into a container and freeze. Or ,into an ice cream maker ,following maker's instructions .
Serve with fresh pomegranate seeds . The photograph gives you some idea of what a colourful dish this is .
NB) Many people have a lactose intolerance and ice cream made using soya is ideal for overcoming this dilemma .
It requires no cooking and no eggs are used . Good for those with high cholesterol.

Snot Green Sea and More .

Last Thursday was a special day. Excitement knew no limits when, (just as I was leaving for the airport ), a brand new camera arrived to replace that which had 'died' in France . It felt good to be going back to Ireland with a camera worthy of the name .

The above collage shows :-
Top L-R Sunday's amazing rainbow arched over the famous snot green sea,then a shot through a sculpture with a difference 'the Mothership, 'at Sandycove .One superb piece of graffiti.
Middle L-R the entrance of the National Concert Hall, More graffiti , James Joyce/ Martello Tower.
Lower L-R Guinness brewery, Guinness Brewery , Arriving Dublin .

Saturday night and The Bankers Comedy Club. Dublin has many as there is a lot of talent . Above the collage a sign which says it all . On each side of this gem, two really funny comedians.

L---Kevin Gildea , R---Derek Ryan.

Hope you enjoy this little video of Derek Ryan who used my cam to take this last picture of the audience .Interesting to see how we look to performers .

What A Witch Is Vix.

At last the truth is out ........However, a broomstick would have been more efficient than a certain airline today , but that's another story .

You Are 70% Witch

You've got some pretty witchy stuff going on. Even if you're not a witch, you've got to admit that you're a little freaky. You have a strong independent streak - social norms be damned. More power to you. Luckily, the time when you would have been burned at the stake has passed!

Are You a Witch?

Meet The Nightcrowd Bluesband.

I first saw this group at the Brussels 2008 Jazz Festival . What a sound ! Their music is terrific but the same could not be said of my digi cam recordings True to his word ,Don, the pianist sent me a present of such. Here are the players ... later on after some techno editing I'll add some more. So it's nearly November but on hearing this I'm transported back to a Brussels square on a warm sunny night .. OK it ended with a down pour but all part of the fun .. and after this sort of music ,I for one ,needed to cool down .

Back In The Saddle .

With apologies to Dr Feelgood :-

'This little Vixen went a cycling ,
' something she cant get enough of .....´There are other things , but this makes sure she's top fit ,and, that being said , the rest is a dream.............

Calling All Skype Users

Oh how funny , how true to form. As the song goes , 'when will they ever learn?'
I refer to our comrades in China .. where else ? Not content with abusing human rights and getting away with it .[IOC take note ] .they are now infiltrating Skype with illegal software . I advise all of you to go to this link :-
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/chinese-snoop-on-skype-but-are-they-alone-949957.html
Read it and then, if like me, you like to use skype, feel free to use the limerick I've composed especially for THEM. Send to a friend whilst online-- That should have their 'keywords spyware' bleeping . Don't know about you ,but I 'm really sick and tired of the Big Brother creeps of this world . My communications are private . Harmless as well. Having an opinion is not an offence . Real education encourages such . Brainwashing seeks to eradicate . Which do you choose ?

A very old man in Tibet ,
Got his feet incredibly wet ,
Then his coat which was silk ,
Was covered in milk....
Not good for the man in Tibet .

In order to get himself dry ,
He jumped up as high as the sky,
This didn't win gold .As by then the milk mould
Had caused our poor man to die .

So my friends from now on take note ,
Have no nasty milk on your coat ,
Keep you feet nice and dry , Stay away from the sky
And then you're not likely to croak .

Goodbye Summer , Goodbye France .

This is being written enroute back to Berlin . Summer came , was, and went .
Now here we are in Autumn with all the lovely things this season has to offer .
Meanwhile here are some of the ‘ last’ images from France .Final bacon sarnie , last shot of a bat departing a musical rendition given by myself and a guitarist (is this a bad review or a case of overwhelmed ) Bat watching proved an intriguing pastime . The inside of the local church . Never open now ,save for funerals . A pity but France has too few priests . There is also a tribute entitled ‘bye bye birdie’. The birds of prey in this region are spectacular and abundant .Thanks to zero use of pesticides and lethal chemicals . Off to mass and then horror of horrors , the last dregs from a foxy bottle . Too special to throw away ,this bottle will be converted into a lampshade . Kitch , maybe, but on dark nights its light may serve to remind me of long, sunny, summer days full of madness . Life is too short to miss such

A Ripping Good Time In Lourdes

Last weekend I travelled back to Lourdes . It was just as before :-

busy yet peaceful , spiritual yet fun, multicultural yet united, a veritable tower of Babel in fact .

Someone I know summed it up when they said ," if you didn't know Lourdes was a shrine and place of pilgrimage you would think you were in a first rate place for fun. " Indeed one is, as the humanity plus common purpose unite crowds in a mystical way. Adventure too was my lot . Late on the Friday night I and others found ourselves locked in the Grotto Sanctuary .Pretty hilarious stuff .It ended up with us scaling some high railings .Fortunately a very strong Sir Galahad was in our midst and he helped heave us safely to the other side .Not though before my pants got caught and ripped . In the collage you'll see shots of the spot .( taken the next day ) No I didn't do a full action replay . On the Sunday we travelled way up the Pyrenees via the funicular.For the views , the caves , the restaurant this is well worth it . Then for a second visit to City St Pierre .

The weather was warm and all in all it was a wonderful weekend break . So ok, my pants got torn .

Well the English do speak of having a ripping good time ! Only this time it wasn't lashings and lashings of ginger beer ... Guess what instead ..

ps) I've no idea why clothes hang on the fence .Maybe others followed us .

Suspense Big Time ..

Yesterday I was taken to see this amazing suspension bridge .near to Chambon. Known as the St Marien it was built in 1921 and is situated where the Tardes and Cher rivers meet . After quite a climb one reaches the tiny chapel of St Radegonde. There are well placed seats where one can rest and take in the spectacular views . Nearby there is a famous viaduct built by Eiffel and , would you believe,gold mines . Something at every turn .One could say ,"a place for all seasons ."

Pick a Quiz

Hope you enjoy the latest feed to, 'Blogthings. These quizzes are fun and remarkably near the mark.Here's one I did earlier. Astonishing stuff . Enjoy ......

You Are 52% Goth

You definitely have some gothicness going on, but you're far from being a stereotypical goth. You enjoy certain elements of goth culture, but you're not going to be into something simply because it's goth. It's likely that you're the type of person who totally defies labels. Good for you! If you are into something, it's because you sincerely love it. Not because it projects a certain image.

Are You Goth?

What A Weekend .

Last weekend was pretty full and Sunday began with a visit to a superb , bread , wine and cheese festival in a small local town . Whoever thinks the country side is dull should try here ! There was a strong harvest theme with old working threshers and tractors. Fascinating to watch .The stalls were many and extremely varied . Breads of all kinds ,cakes , sweets such as nougat ,plus wine enough to sail a fleet .I found a sensational red and, as you'll see the bottle was just right for a foxy lady. Smoked sheep's cheese and snail plus mushroom pastries saw a rather 'full Miss V' staggering back . Not before she had been snapped , most appropriately infront of the bouncy pig.

ps) Look who I spotted today over in Chambon . With what one could call a nose for the grape.

More to Miss Vixen Than Fur !

Two things have kept me both busy and fascinated this summer. The first is discovering that making ice cream is an extremely creative and satisfying activity. [If it were possible to offer readers a taste of of my achievements , I can safely say you would not be disappointed ]

The second is painting . I refer to the use of water colours . Skylines, sunsets and scenery have provided a wealth of colours , forms and atmosphere. Both Windows and Apple enable me to share my efforts in this area with you . Room for improvement , of course , but I for one am happy . The last time I did such was at grammar school . France is a much nicer studio and classroom.

ps) firefox and safari users may well think I am a trifle lax in the layout of this posting .. Not so .. Tis the none geekish way of Blogspot to pander to Internet Explorer and for some reason therefore what appears as a correct positioning to me isn't to some .Have tried all sorts to remedy this but to no avail .. Sorry .

Spotted in France.

Froggy may have gone a courtin- uh-huh , but these two Foxy Ladies went a shoppin - uh huh..

True Dignity Deserves Recognition

As many of you will know both from previous posts and the Orange Campaign , I'm in contact with a remarkable Tibetan lady who,like many others lives in exile in northern India . Last week I received an email from her. The following is part of it. Her quiet dignity touched me . I couldn't help but compare this with the all too often hysterical hysteria we in the west react with. Are we really going to allow the UN , EU etc , to lapse back into total indifference to the occupation of Tibet by China . Imagine if each person took time out once a week to mail their President , Prime Minister demanding action,and ,we all keep doing such until the day it happened .Not a big deal and even with a global recession I'm sure all could afford a weekly card and stamp.Try it .Let's start a card campaign and deluge the desks of power. :-

"Well... Yes, the big thing is over!! For few days.... China this and China that...this record and that record broken.... for the time being everybody seems to have forgotten about the host country's record breaking performance in their human rights and the record rate of execution!!! It is all a bit scary... Isn't it?? I am not at all being disrespectful to the athletes... I mean they are as you say professionals... they got to do what they got to do, right?? As much as I knew it was impossible, I watched the Olympics... in case I miss something somebody does on TV... ie. to show some kind of resistence.... Wishful thinking.. huh?? I mean.. the only sort of response from China is "internal matter" I mean does it justify everything they do....But I did read somewhere about Rafael Nadal's orange headband!!! "

ps ) I asked my contact's permission to use this .. She agreed .. Can we agreee to unite in support ? Make Monday your mailing day's

Miss Vixen sees Saumur .

Last weekend was spent in Saumur , a lovely spot in the Loire region. Famous for it's vineyards , sunflowers , and, for the chateau seen above . Built in the XIV century it stands majestically on a hill overlooking the town and the river . Another feature of Saumur is the troglodyte houses which it seems are now much sought after desirable dwelling places . All mentioned can be seen in the collage, plus two of myself . In one I'm comparing my Chilango with a much bigger chain , in the other , what else -- yes another snowstorm . Yet another present ! Who's a lucky Miss V ?

Darling , I don't love you at all !

Not much of a man are you Mr D ? Your ridiculous statement could well prove to be ,the executioner of the pound .

Foreign investors are shunning it as world confidence vanishes .Then as like as not many residents of UK will be pulling their savings out of building societies thereby creating a run , thus more mortage chaos.

WELL DONE DARLING !.

Two sayings spring to mind :-

"discretion is the better part of valour " .... you have none ,so let's move on .

" actions speak louder than words " ... you could have insisted on restricting mortgages , Put an end to the inflated prices of homes .

Given the rather greedy British public a breakdown of just what it is costing them per day to keep troops in Iraq and Afghanistan .Then asked do they still wish to say yes , we want them there . I would doubt it .

The bottom line is the whole world is in a mess due to Blair being so eager to invade Iraq years back . Few made any attempt to stop him .

We are suffering now as Iraq , the worlds 2nd largest producer of oil is .

As if the the hammering and misery inflicted upon it by US and UK were not enough they remain occupied , infiltrated and in ruins .

To cap it all the US is now very keen to begin action against Iran ! Another country with oil .. In the words of that song ....

When will they ever learn ?"

My final words to you Darling are as follows :-

"You are little better than a traitor ."