I'm on holiday!
Very nice jog into work this morning - did it faster than I thought I would. And a decent jog home, too.
Mycroft's home, and they all came to see me earlier - I'd been out most of the morning for a stabbing, so it was great to get a chance to grab a coffee and see Mycroft. Hard to make the sudden shift from standing over a body to getting ready for a holiday...
But John's done a mountain of washing...and...well, yeah, we're ready to go!!
Sherlock has a new obsession with our flights over there, with the recent drama in the skies over the UK, and is generally interested in airline security. John, Mycroft and I have all begged him not to attempt to 'test' it in any way.
So...yeah. Just got to pack now, as we're off EARLY in the morning. Before the sort of time John would normally drag himself out of bed. :) Need to be out of the flat by half five, really.
Sherlock is packing. John is then unpacking most of that and putting in important things - toothbrushes, pants...
Mrs Hudson has sat her oral and written exams on degu care. Sherlock doesn't think she did well enough, and has left her reams of written instructions. One of the security guys has promised to get them out for a run around when he's here. Mrs H still isn't entirely sure about that, although she'll stroke them when they're out and about.
We're taking some good binoculars, so we can do a bit of stargazing. Sherlock wants to do everything at once. Beach, ice cream, mountains, cities, forts, spiral stairs for horses...everything RIGHT NOW.
I'm looking forward to very late night strolls through deserted streets, showing John where I ran riot as a kid. Trying to stop Sherlock doing the same ;) and I'm sure Mycroft will educate me on all the bits of the city I don't know enough about, and give me a whole new perspective.
95 comments:
You've been SMOKING I could smell it.
...bloodhound.
Half a cigarette, and not because I wanted to. How did you even know? It was hours ago!
Why then? You smell of smoke and mints and that's how you used to smell before when you smoked but didn't want us to know except you always told us anyway because you felt bad and you should too.
Busted!
Greg, the smoke smell lingers, trust me. I work in a surgery and sometimes a person smells so strongly of it it sets my asthma off. Even if you can't smell it, those who never smoked probably can. :)
It was a way to get to talk to someone I wanted to talk to, Sherlock, asking for a light. I thought he might know something - and he did! So it was worth it. But it was hours ago...and I wasn't even wearing the clothes I got home in! And I do think you are part bloodhound.
Sherlock you are amazing how you pick these things up about people I'm so glad I don't have to try and fool you about anything ;-)
Enjoy your holiday Greg, its lovely to see you so excited about taking your boys to see things and places that are important to you :-)
Thanks :) I am stupidly excited!
I don't think it's stupid to be excited. I think it's wonderful. You'll all have a marvelous time.
Sherlock, I'll add to the chorus of "don't test the airline security." It would only mean that you spent your vacation sitting around in airports answering questions and watching grownups do boring paperwork instead of getting to eat ice cream and see interesting things.
Have a good flight, everyone!
I do like the image of both degus running around security's flat, getting into everything... Hope they manage to contain them again.
What would happen if they chewed through a wire that suddenly meant this place was cut off from the wider security network? Helicopters? SO19? SAS?
I think I can hear Sherlock moving about up there...you want to go or shall I?
All of the above?
I'll go. Back in a minute.
He was checking all his books to make sure he didn't forget any important ones... Back in bed now.
I should tuck you in too. 7 hours til we have to leave this flat! You got you driving licence - both bits? Took me forever to find the paper half of mine earlier.
Have a fabulous trip, guys. I'm so glad you're getting the opportunity to go somewhere so special together :-)
Nameless - thanks!
L - I have all appropriate bits, yes, and bed would be great.
Just have to make sure Mycroft hasn't removed my flip-flops from my bag ;)
He wouldn't do that. You'd just be forced to buy terrible cheap replacements for the trip.
True! Hope you read that, Mycroft :)
This time tomorrow...we'll be sipping beer in the Piazza...
Perfect...
I share Sherlock's enthusiasm for trips, mostly I suppose because I only get a trip about once every three or four years. I have four years backlog to make up, so I want to do EVERYTHING, RIGHT NOW.
Sherlock, try to pace yourself a little so you aren't too exhausted from the first half to enjoy the second half. Mycroft, I have an image of you enjoying a gelato and just sort of soaking in the atmosphere and history. Enjoy it, everyone.
And now lying here awake and nervous again. Which is silly.
That's how trips always affect me, hope you all have a brilliant time,
Lancs. Anon
Hope you all have a wonderful time and eat lots of good things! I'm sure it will be a great trip.
Hope you are back to sleep by now L. Have a marvelous time and create some more good memories with John and the boys.
Have the very best of times, guys!
(I go on trips so rarely that I can't ever sleep the night before from excitement--but it's never ruined a trip yet! :))
I hope you all have a lovely time on your trip! I won't say don't be nervous, L, but take deep breaths and do the things you're nervous about anyway. I know you'll all have a wonderful time.
Also, Neil Gaiman just posted this, so I feel fairly certain that if you haven't seen it before it's about to go viral so you'll see it soon, but I thought you guys would be interested: color video of 1920s London. It's eerie and strange and beautiful. It's strange to think of a London that's modern and yet pre-Blitz.
http://vimeo.com/7638752
-Ella
WE'RE HERE IN ITALY AND WE'VE GOT A CAR AND WE'RE GOING TO THE PLACE WE'RE STAYING AND IT'S SUNNY AND LESTRADE'S BEEN SPEAKING ITALIAN AND IT'S BRILLIANT.
Brilliant Sherlock :-) enjoy every minute :-)
Hooray, Sherlock!
How much Italian have you figured out already? Do you think you can ask politely for your ice cream/gelato without help when you get to the shop?
How was the flight, everyone?
Yay, Sherlock! Sounds like a perfect start to your holiday!
It's hard to make the right sounds and Lestrade says everything really fast but I can say some things already I'm better than John but not as good as Mycroft but he knows Latin so that's like cheating I haven't had an ice cream yet but John said I could once we got to the hotel and checked in and unpacked THEN we could have one.
I don't think knowing Latin is exactly like cheating, but it certainly would help with Italuan--but you know French, and that should be a help too, not so much with the accent as with the vocabulary. since they are both in the same family of languages. I have every confidence you'll pick up a bit of Itslian quite quickly! (Especially gelato flavors. :))
Yay! Have fun everybody!
Have a good time! I've just arrived at my holiday place myself. It's definetly not as sunny and warm as Italy, but it's at the sea, so that's great, too. Have fun tasting lots of gelato, Sherlock!
I hope you all have a great time! It sounds like a good start to a fun holiday.
I HAD GELATO HAZELNUT AND CHOCOLATE AND ZUPPA INGLESE.
Yummmmmmm!
Which did you like best?
Choice for the rest of the holiday, Sherlock - capslock or gelato. One or the other.
I am so, so pleased to be here, with John and these two young men. :)
It's wonderful. :)
gelato or capslock... He might be debating that for a while.
:) So glad to hear you're enjoying yourselves!
(Sherlock, I didn't see any restrictions on exclamation points... ;))
I'd choose gelato Sherlock, you can use capslock any time but real Italian gelato is only available for a short time ;-)
I'm glad you are all there safe and sound and having fun
We're sufficient siestas had that you're all out 'til midnight, or will that start tomorrow?
No siesta today, but with the time difference, we are only just heading back to the hotel.
Sherlock is barely awake though :) And was asleep, at the bar.
Sounds like you've started the holiday in fine fashion, despite the hideously early start :-)
Yay for a successful start to your holiday! :)
It was lovely.
I think I'm on a bit of a high, being back here, with John and the boys. Doesn't quite feel real.
We had cake for breakfast and mine had chocolate and everything!
Awesome, Sherlock! (This vacation of yours is going to make me very hungry, I can see! ;))
Enjoy your holiday, guys. And make the most of all that sunshine.
Thanks - quiet day today. Exploring the city. Drinking Campari bitters. Sherlock wants to like it, because of the colour, but hates it. :) Mycroft likes it. But hates the colour...
John is sticking with beer :)
Cake for breakfast and relaxing with beer! You lot are doing a great job of the holiday thing ;-)
Enjoy showing your boys the city Greg :-)
We are excellent at holidays, it's true. ;) Someone ought to hire us to do this professionally....
Mmm. Would be nice.
You are looking devestatingly handsome and relaxed.
The hills are really steep and I went on the horse stairs and I had a siesta but I didn't sleep.
L - mm, as are you. And tanning before my eyes I think...
The horse stairs sound neat. Is the not-sleeping siesta an experiment to see if you can stay up til midnight without a nap? What did you do instead?
I wasn't tired but I was quiet because Mycroft said he'd tell the people in the ice cream shop I was lactose intolerant if I wasn't. I read a book and drew a picture and learnt more Italian words but Lestrade has to tell me if I'm saying them right.
That sounds like a reasonable thing to do. I often read when I'm resting. What did you draw a picture of?
I've found videos on youtube about learning Italian, but I don't know if they'd help. Here's the first one. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JExZ5GLNgZc
I do the resting/reading thing, too, because sometimes I can't sleep during the day. It's still resting! (Sometimes it's nice to nap, though. It depends.)
What kind of words were you learning?
I wasn't tired but I was quiet because Mycroft said he'd tell the people in the ice cream shop I was lactose intolerant if I wasn't.
Ha!
That's going to be an effective threat till we get back home...
I'd like to say he's learning the important ones that are polite and nice. But actually he's just learning foodstuffs.
Food is nice! :D
It would be awful if he starved to death in a foreign country because he knew how to say please but didn't know how to ask for bread and water ;-)
He still doesn't know how to ask for bread and water - he knows 'apricot juice' 'cake' 'ice cream'...
And is very sleepy now, despite protests :)
he knows 'apricot juice' 'cake' 'ice cream'...
See? Nice!
(Sleepy isn't bad either... :))
Well he won't get them unless he asks politely. Italians don't put up with rude children, as a rule! (unless they're their own.)
Might go to the beach or something tomorrow.
Although I need to be strong to cope with John in swimming trunks all day!!
no one should put up with rude children including there own although the same should go for adults as well!
The beach sounds like a good idea, if you have sunshine you might as well make the most of it :-)
I'm sure Sherlock will manage a siesta at some point this holiday if only because he's fed up of falling asleep before everyone else ;-)
What would be the right way to say "please" in Italian (as in "ice cream, please")?
Actually, it's sort of rare to say please when asking for something. You tend to just say what you want, then say thank you. But if you wanted, it would be 'per favore'.
Now that is very interesting! Is there a specific reason why it's rare to say please when asking for something? Or just, you know, the way it is?
And how would you say thank you after?
(Thank you and please! :))
Just the way it is, I think.
You'd say 'grazie' and they would respond 'prego'. If they don't say 'prego' (which in this instance is like 'you're welcome') then they're being rude.
Sherlock is asleep, half draped on John. I think he'll start siesta-ing soon, so as not to miss out!
Cool, thank you!
I'd imagine it will be an excellent object lesson in the reason behind the custom... ;)
That's interesting about "please" and "thank you". I was wondering why the youtube vid I linked to skipped over please and went straight to thank you. (And from there to "I don't understand" and "speak slowly please".) But the uses "per favore" as the formal thank you to a stranger instead of "prego" which is thank you to a friend. Is that the usual thing? If I get to Italy am I going to sound like I'm being too familiar to someone if I say "prego"? Or is that a distinction that only gets made for the tourist trade and academics?
Per favore is more like 'please', and 'prego' is what you would respond after someone thanked you for something. Grazie is thank you.
Sherlock appeared in our room in his trunks wrapped in a towel, ready for action! He had to get dressed again for breakfast :)
I'm guessing it will be the fastest eaten breakfast ever ;-)
Enjoy you day :-)
I'm guessing he approved of your plans for the day, then? ;)
Have fun!
I hope there's plenty of ice cream at the beach! Is Mycroft ready for sun and sand too?
It's so quiet!
I hope you've all had a wonderful day so far, and a lovely rest of the evening to come.
I thought some of your readers might be interested to see how some people choose to spend the late May bank holiday over here in the Cotswolds: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-22681708. Utter madness...
We're having a fantastic time, thanks. Sun, beer, ice cream, relaxation... Perfect really.
That headline is...amazing.
Yay for a lovely vacation day!
(Did siestas fit in that list anywhere? :D)
Glad you're continuing to have a great holiday.
I should like to point out that not everyone who lives in the county of Nameless' article are quite that mad.
John: Glad to hear it :-)
SH: I did say "some" :-p
It's completely fabulous.
Off to the cemetery tomorrow, then some museums and the palace.
We will update at some point! :)
Updates can be done any time--magically wonderful holidays don't wait!
And the cheese-rolling winner is from….Colorado Springs! So proud of my home state.
I love that they make the race safer by making the (not-very-large-or-dangrous-looking) cheese out of foam….instead of somehow stopping people hurling themselves down the hill.
I'm annoyed that the police have gone to the length of intimidating the cheesemaker. How are you going to eat a foam cheese?
Would you really want to eat a cheese that's rolled all the way down a hill?
Although it appears that the reports don't necessarily contain the whole truth. The problem is that, because the event isn't 'organised' as such, there is no liability insurance (which is compulsory for such events) and therefore in the case of an accident anyone involved in any way (which includes the cheesemaker) could be held liable.
excellent photos of the madness at http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2013/05/2013-coopers-hill-cheese-rolling-and-wake/100521/
You do have to wonder if the bod in the kilt was regimental. I suspect the photographer is playing with us....
Oh, the question of liability insurance got into the reports I read, SH. But it seems like someone got heavy-handed on the question and instead of finding ways to encourage someone to take on the organization and insurance question, they've been warning everyone off instead as the crowds have gotten larger and the chance of injury increases. But it doesn't seem to me to be the kind of tradition you can squelch. In fact, emphasizing the riskiness is probably only making it more attractive to the kind of people who would love to go the running of the bulls but can't quite work up the nerve. And because no one is the "organizer", no one is getting anyone to sign waivers of liability, etc. Seems like the wrong way to handle it. (I don't blame the police, L. They're probably being pushed by some civilian authority who has investments in an insurance company.)
Thanks for the links to the photos, Rider.
Can't help feeling slightly disappointed that there was no-one in a mankini this year...
I havent followed the links, but the police weren't heavy handed or intimidating. One police officer dropped in and explained the facts to the cheesemaker - that, should they supply the cheese, someone could potentially sue them in a civil case.
It's got nothing to do with the polcie, except every year they have to turn up for crowd control and policing the roads, because if they didn't chaos would ensue. It's a civil matter if people want to chase cheese down a hill.
But it would be negligent, I'd say, if no one informed the cheesemaker of the risks. As they said in the interview I hear, they can't help if it someone buys a cheese and rolls it down a hill. But they can help it if they, knowing it would be rolled, supplied it free of charge - a court could say that they therefore endorsed the event.
I assumed someone would do just that. Buy a cheese. But I guess they decided they would rather have a foam one, and whoever made or supplied that is in exactly the same position as the cheesemakers would be.
Nt a thing I thought I'd be talking about on holiday...
Thanks for taking the time to explain that side of it. I'm probably a bit fussed because some fun things I used to do for free turned into fun things that you had to pay for because of "liability insurance", and the entry fee pushed the people who started the fun out because it kept going up and up and... *shrug* I don't think the police should have to go around and tell people about why they might be liable -- a court could argue that by showing up for crowd control that the police are endorsing the event too. It would be a lot easier to get an organizer if the option was, "You collect the sign up sheets that have the legal mumbo jumbo giving the participants responsibility for their own actions."
Sorry if it's distracting you from your holiday though!
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