I've had a hell of a time using iPhoto recently - it's been really really really slow, and buggy - crashing a lot, etc.
After a bit of searching, i found this program: iPhoto Library Manager.
It's a really neat utility, that can manage multiple libraries, and also serves as a utility to rebuild your photo library which makes iPhoto much much faster - and let's hope more reliable.
So if iPhoto 6 is being a dog, then give this a whirl!
Monday, 27 October 2008
Wednesday, 1 October 2008
White Trash Fast Food
A while back when we were in Berlin, we stopped in for a meal at White Trash Fast Food. This is an awesome restaurant / cafe / bar with a great menu (food and sense of humour), friendly staff, great atmosphere and heaps of stuff going on.
I took a copy of the menu as a souvenir... I have scanned it:
If you're in Berlin, I recommend it. Check out their website for gigs / DJs / etc: http://www.whitetrashfastfood.com/
Wednesday, 10 September 2008
Driving on the Autobahn
In Salzburg, we had a good look at some tours, which were all expensive, so we decided to rent a car. Unfortunately there were no clean ones, so we got a discount for driving a dirty car. (Austria really is very clean.)
So we drove to Berchtesgaden for some delicious cheese cake and coffee, set amidst the Bavarian mountains. At the Konditorei where we bought the cake and coffee, an older lady pushed in to pay for her order first. With my limited ability to comprehend German, I heard her say when she was finished something about "now you can serve the Americans". I blurted out "Australians!!", and she turned to me and said in near perfect English: "Oh, sorry... I think there is a big difference. Have a nice day!"
Then we headed to the Eagle´s Nest (Kehlsteinhaus), Hitler´s mountain hide out, completely destroyed and now rebuilt as a tourist restaurant. Amazing views, overcrowded by aging Germans. There´s lots of interesting photos of the place before, during, and after the war.
On a mission to see as many things as we could with the car, we headed to the town of Hallein looking for the Salt Mines. We were given a tourist brochure for the area and there is a summer tobogan ride in the town of Bad Dürrnberg. SOMMERODELBAHN!!!!! So much fun.
It brought back many fond memories of Canada going up a ski lift - albeit in very different in the summer time.
SOMMERODELBAHN!!!!!!
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=sommerodelbahn&sll=47.654288,13.093042&sspn=0.02515,0.030298&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=14
So we get on this little yellow plastic bucket and fly down a metal track for 2.2km at crazy speeds. Totally exhilerating. Afterwards we all had smiles on our faces from ear to ear, feeling like just like the excited children we really are :) !!!!
So if anyone gets the chance to go do this, we highly recommend it.
For a final activity we zoomed off on the Autobahn to the town of Mondsee, where there is a nice small town on a lake with beatiful views of the mountains in the background. Especially nice at sunset.
Today we see our last bit of Salzburg before heading off to Munich to see it before the Oktoberfest craziness.
Later!!!!
Matt & Shailee!!
So we drove to Berchtesgaden for some delicious cheese cake and coffee, set amidst the Bavarian mountains. At the Konditorei where we bought the cake and coffee, an older lady pushed in to pay for her order first. With my limited ability to comprehend German, I heard her say when she was finished something about "now you can serve the Americans". I blurted out "Australians!!", and she turned to me and said in near perfect English: "Oh, sorry... I think there is a big difference. Have a nice day!"
Then we headed to the Eagle´s Nest (Kehlsteinhaus), Hitler´s mountain hide out, completely destroyed and now rebuilt as a tourist restaurant. Amazing views, overcrowded by aging Germans. There´s lots of interesting photos of the place before, during, and after the war.
On a mission to see as many things as we could with the car, we headed to the town of Hallein looking for the Salt Mines. We were given a tourist brochure for the area and there is a summer tobogan ride in the town of Bad Dürrnberg. SOMMERODELBAHN!!!!! So much fun.
It brought back many fond memories of Canada going up a ski lift - albeit in very different in the summer time.
SOMMERODELBAHN!!!!!!
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=sommerodelbahn&sll=47.654288,13.093042&sspn=0.02515,0.030298&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=14
So we get on this little yellow plastic bucket and fly down a metal track for 2.2km at crazy speeds. Totally exhilerating. Afterwards we all had smiles on our faces from ear to ear, feeling like just like the excited children we really are :) !!!!
So if anyone gets the chance to go do this, we highly recommend it.
For a final activity we zoomed off on the Autobahn to the town of Mondsee, where there is a nice small town on a lake with beatiful views of the mountains in the background. Especially nice at sunset.
Today we see our last bit of Salzburg before heading off to Munich to see it before the Oktoberfest craziness.
Later!!!!
Matt & Shailee!!
Saturday, 30 August 2008
Kotor Malibu
We spent a day in Kotor, a small town with Venetian / Dalmatian ancestry and a 13th century Fort on a hill overlooking the largest Fjord in Europe.
Here's a link to a google map.
About 1500 steps lead to the top of the hill, although some of it is just loose rocks, and not really steps. The climb was well worth it, fantastic views, and a good bit of exercise. (We haven't really been doing a lot, but it is a holiday.)
We found a nice bar right on the beach called "Malibu". They had nicely priced large glasses of good local beer for €1. Shailee and Lib decided it might be nice to have a malibu and pineapple.... "Can we have a Malibu and Pineapple?" ... "NO!". They don't have malibu. One of the girls was even wearing a Malibu promo shirt. Quite funny.
Then we went to pay our bill. We couldn't see the waitress who served us, so we took the bill and money to the bar. "Can we pay?" .. "NO!" we had to pay the waitress. We found another waitress... "NO!" ... wrong waitress, back to the bar. The bill was €4.50 so we figured that we'd just leave the fiver note on the bar and walk off. "NO! " They wouldn't let us go without giving us our change.
It seems that "NO!" is a standard response whilst they think of what the rest of the sentence should be. Hilarious...
We stayed in a local house, which is commonly done in these parts... Usually the family has a spare room that they rent out to travelers, but we felt a little uncomfortable in this house as there was no spare room.... the hosts gave us their beds and then proceeded to sleep on the kitchen floor. Oops.
And we didn't sleep all that well due to the road noise - mostly car horns. It seems that Montenegrin drivers think the horn is the best think since sliced bread and use it at any given opportunity.
Now we are relaxing in the coastal town of Budva, where we'll be for a couple of days before heading back to Dubrovnik.
Oh.... and the girls' fashions over here are crazy too. It seems that the general objective is to look as much like a stripper or prostitute at all times. Mums and little girls included.
Take care all,
Matt & Shailee.
Here's a link to a google map.
About 1500 steps lead to the top of the hill, although some of it is just loose rocks, and not really steps. The climb was well worth it, fantastic views, and a good bit of exercise. (We haven't really been doing a lot, but it is a holiday.)
We found a nice bar right on the beach called "Malibu". They had nicely priced large glasses of good local beer for €1. Shailee and Lib decided it might be nice to have a malibu and pineapple.... "Can we have a Malibu and Pineapple?" ... "NO!". They don't have malibu. One of the girls was even wearing a Malibu promo shirt. Quite funny.
Then we went to pay our bill. We couldn't see the waitress who served us, so we took the bill and money to the bar. "Can we pay?" .. "NO!" we had to pay the waitress. We found another waitress... "NO!" ... wrong waitress, back to the bar. The bill was €4.50 so we figured that we'd just leave the fiver note on the bar and walk off. "NO! " They wouldn't let us go without giving us our change.
It seems that "NO!" is a standard response whilst they think of what the rest of the sentence should be. Hilarious...
We stayed in a local house, which is commonly done in these parts... Usually the family has a spare room that they rent out to travelers, but we felt a little uncomfortable in this house as there was no spare room.... the hosts gave us their beds and then proceeded to sleep on the kitchen floor. Oops.
And we didn't sleep all that well due to the road noise - mostly car horns. It seems that Montenegrin drivers think the horn is the best think since sliced bread and use it at any given opportunity.
Now we are relaxing in the coastal town of Budva, where we'll be for a couple of days before heading back to Dubrovnik.
Oh.... and the girls' fashions over here are crazy too. It seems that the general objective is to look as much like a stripper or prostitute at all times. Mums and little girls included.
Take care all,
Matt & Shailee.
Thursday, 28 August 2008
Dubrovnik - a small world.
When we arrived in Dubrovnik, we were assaulted by what seemed like hundreds of old ladies, and a few old gents too, offering accommodation in their homes. Holding placards with photos of their rooms and maps of town.... it was really crazy.
Eventually, we gave in to the noise, and decided to go and stay with one nice old Lady who had her son there to help her. I figured the good family values there were worth supporting. George had a car and drove us around to the house, which was very nice.
Coincidentally, there were two girls staying in the house too, (there are 4 rooms in the house dedicated to providing accommodation for tourists) and we figured that one of the girls was the younger sister of a school friend, and that both girls had done the same degree at University as Shailee...
What a small world!
Eventually, we gave in to the noise, and decided to go and stay with one nice old Lady who had her son there to help her. I figured the good family values there were worth supporting. George had a car and drove us around to the house, which was very nice.
Coincidentally, there were two girls staying in the house too, (there are 4 rooms in the house dedicated to providing accommodation for tourists) and we figured that one of the girls was the younger sister of a school friend, and that both girls had done the same degree at University as Shailee...
What a small world!
Monday, 25 August 2008
Photos on Facebook!
Check out some of our photos on Facebook!
Barcelona:
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=47827&l=12a8b&id=606441735
France (Avignon & Cannes)
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=48628&l=1ffdc&id=606441735
Italy (Rome):
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=48629&l=b3b0e&id=606441735
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=48632&l=9654f&id=606441735
And more to come.....
Barcelona:
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=47827&l=12a8b&id=606441735
France (Avignon & Cannes)
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=48628&l=1ffdc&id=606441735
Italy (Rome):
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=48629&l=b3b0e&id=606441735
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=48632&l=9654f&id=606441735
And more to come.....
Croatia
Croatia is amazing.
No other opening line can describe this place. Marble steps and crystal clear waters, friendly people and great food.
Some places, like Split, have an enormous population of tourists, so it feels a little cheesy. We decided to go see some Islands, and every Aussie we met (along with many others) were all heading to the Island of Hvar.
We decided to follow a recommendation made by a Portuguese guy we met on the train out of Venice to go to the next Island down - Korčula. This is a special place.
The pace of everything on the Island is very slow and relaxed, so it`s good that we had our hectic stuff out of the way already and are in the mood for some swimming and sunbathing.
A highlight so far was renting scooters and riding along the coast of the Island. Such beautiful views and water. Amazing.
We also rode to one of the only beaches with sand in the South East corner of the Island, to find it covered in burnt German tourists (Prost!). Still, it`s more comfortable than walking on sharp rocks and shells to get in the water.
We`ve decided to stay her a little longer, just because it`s so beautiful and relaxing.
Shortly we`ll be heading inland to see Mostar in Bosnia, and then back to Kotor in Montenegro, and then to Dubrovnik back in Croatia.
Stay tuned for more photos and stories.
Matt & Shailee.
No other opening line can describe this place. Marble steps and crystal clear waters, friendly people and great food.
Some places, like Split, have an enormous population of tourists, so it feels a little cheesy. We decided to go see some Islands, and every Aussie we met (along with many others) were all heading to the Island of Hvar.
We decided to follow a recommendation made by a Portuguese guy we met on the train out of Venice to go to the next Island down - Korčula. This is a special place.
The pace of everything on the Island is very slow and relaxed, so it`s good that we had our hectic stuff out of the way already and are in the mood for some swimming and sunbathing.
A highlight so far was renting scooters and riding along the coast of the Island. Such beautiful views and water. Amazing.
We also rode to one of the only beaches with sand in the South East corner of the Island, to find it covered in burnt German tourists (Prost!). Still, it`s more comfortable than walking on sharp rocks and shells to get in the water.
We`ve decided to stay her a little longer, just because it`s so beautiful and relaxing.
Shortly we`ll be heading inland to see Mostar in Bosnia, and then back to Kotor in Montenegro, and then to Dubrovnik back in Croatia.
Stay tuned for more photos and stories.
Matt & Shailee.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
