Vox’s posts tagged holidays

iPhone 3G to Get Red for the Holidays?

nobody@vox.com(Atlanta iPhone Blog) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 17:08:31 +0000

iPhone 3G to Get Red for the Holidays?

Posted by Zach Epstein on Jul 24, 2008 12:22 pm 5 comments Filed in Apple, Handsets, Rumors

Apple’s second entry into the mobile space is an undeniable success; it’s selling like hotcakes. If one steps back for a moment however, what Apple is doing is quite interesting. They’ve built an awesome handset, no question. The UI is spectacular, the form factor is beautiful and the functionality is fair enough. The iPhone 3G is probably the most desired handset in the world. In the alternate universe that Apple creates with its products however, what’s particularly interesting is the fact that it even manages to build hype by slowly re-introducing the most basic concepts in the mobile world to its offering. Let us elaborate… Think about all of the hype surrounding the App Store and the fact the iPhone would be “open” to third-party development. The world erupted when we first learned about this, and again when the App Store launched, but was it really a big deal? What other smarthphone platform out there doesn’t support third-party development? It’s just the way that Apple rolls. It has happened before and it’ll happen all over again when Apple does things like introduce MMS and copy / paste into existing models or a decent camera into future models. No these aren’t new features by any stretch of the imagination but the world will still go gaga when they come to the iPhone. Sure, there will already be plenty of 8 and 10 megapixel camera phones out there once Apple finally introduces an iPhone with a 3.2 or 5 megapixel cam, but it will still be huge and exciting news for most of the world. Mmm. So with all that out of the way, it looks like Apple may be paving the road once again with its latest innovation; colored plastic cases. First black and white, and now red? Craziness! Quick, run and blog about it! Apple already has (Product) RED ties so it’s perfectly feasible. It’ll also sell like hotcakes because, well, it’s an iPhone. Just wait a year or two until Apple really spices things up by introducing the world to little plastic buttons that can be used to simplify phone operation! It will make typing faster and more accurate and when coupled with a touchscreen, the user will have a complete and versatile interface experience. Can you imagine such a thing?

credit - http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2008/07/24/iphone-3g-to-get-red-for-the-holidays/

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Blerg

nobody@vox.com(Circuscat) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 04:40:32 +0000

So.....School starts again on Monday and again I have done nothing. Well not really here's how my two weeks went:

Fixed up assignment wow that took an hour :/
Started to design portfolio site, got bored and angry played games instead
Went to doll meet
Updated design blog
Haven't left the house in the last week

Blerg is a word for it. I wish I started coding my portfolio but it's so fraustrating! I have all these requirements to keep in mind while coding. I have to make sure it's easily updatable, that's it's in CSS as well as flash blah blah blah! Meh my real aim is to have it up and running by the end of the year so I can update stuff I do next year on it.

On the upside I have a client now, so I'm getting some hands on experience. I found him through a friend of a friend so this is either a blessing or a really really bad idea.

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Family tradition

nobody@vox.com(Jerusha) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 20:03:12 +0000

Things we won't forget about Italy

Standing up in the traghetti in Venice, and finding out later that one in fifty people fall in...
Orange bikes
The long, long hill climb into Asolo
Liquid nitrogen chocolate ice-cream
The thunderstorm as we walked back from the restaurant on the hottest day
Looking for the dog in the trompe d'oeil frescos
The bookshop with leather bound books
Drying washing on the bikes
Iced tea
Venice, Venice, Venice
Getting on the wrong train on the first day
Asolo butter turning up all over the place
The rooftop restaurant
Traffic lights with timers on
S developing a taste for white wine

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Optical illusions and ice-cream

nobody@vox.com(Jerusha) — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 22:08:41 +0000

Vicenza to Edinburgh

Theatre, Vicenza, Italy 2008

Tiles, Vicenza, Italy 2008

I was right, Vicenza was lovely and potterable, and a great place to spend our last morning. We visited the theatre, which was the first ever indoor theatre, and has a painted trompe d’oeil backdrop for scenery. It’s all to do with perspective and vanishing points and stuff like that, but it’s absolutely fascinating, because if you sit at the top of the theatre it looks as if the streets are going downhill, and if you sit at the bottom they look as if they’re going uphill, and if you sit in the middle – well you can probably guess! Handsome spent some time talking to Mouse about how it all works (Mouse is doing graphics next year at school, and is actually interested in this stuff).

Balancing girl,Vicenza, Italy 2008

Fountain at Vicenza, Italy 2008

We bought our last Italian ice-creams (for this year anyway), and we ate them sitting next to a rather wonderful fountain.

Vicenza dragon, Italy 2008

Wandered up and down a few more streets, and looked at some pens that no-one in their right mind could afford, but Handsome coveted....

And then it was time to go. The trains were very hot and airless, and I'm afraid none of us were very nice to sit next to on the plane (sweatyness), but the staff at Gatwick only have themselves to blame for making me take off my boots - after all, I had cycled in them for six days...

Vicenza alley, Italy 2008

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Farewell to the orange bikes

nobody@vox.com(Jerusha) — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 20:57:58 +0000

Mogliano to Vicenza to Padua to Vicenza again.

Oooh train hell! Only a very few trains in Italy have bike compartments, so it was absolutely imperative that we got on the right ones. Mama spent ages yesterday sorting it all out with the nice man at the train station. So there we all were, lined up and ready to go, with seven minutes to make a change in Mestre that involved taking six bikes down the stairs, through the subway and up the stairs again, and no idea which end of the train the bike compartment was. And guess what? It all worked.

Orange bikes at the station, Italy 2008

So now the bikes are all locked up in a bike rack at Vicenza station and we're having iced tea and waiting for the train to Padova (which is what Padua is really called).

We took a group photo of all the bikes in front of the entrance to the very posh hotel before we left today; they look wonderfully out of place, but somehow very fitting. (Added later – my photo hasn’t worked out very well – I’ll have to see if I can steal someone else’s and change it).

Bikes at the Villa Condulma, Italy 2008

Later: We got a double decker train into Padova, so of course we all sat on top.

Squint balconies, Padua, Italy 2008

Another astrological clock, Padua, Italy 2008

Padova was hot, humid and sticky, and I'll confess I didn't really like it very much. Hairy got very, very grumpy (too hot, low blood sugar). I spent most of the afternoon attempting to keep him away from Handsome, occasionally I failed and they snarled at each other. Temperature and testosterone – what a combination.

Got a double decker train back again, sat on top again!

Vicenza, on the other hand, looks as though it will be lovely in the morning - full of old twisty streets and different levels, and interesting looking corners. We've got a couple of hours here before we have to take the train to Mestre tomorrow. But we leave the bikes here to be collected from the hotel. I’m quite sad to say goodbye to my orange bike…

Handsome (and everyone else except Hairy) finally got to eat spaghetti with clams tonight - spaghetti alle vongolli – it was the one thing he said he wanted to eat in Italy, and this is the first time we’ve seen it on a menu. It was very tasty, if spicier than I had thought it would be. No-one told me it had chilli flakes in it!

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Islands

nobody@vox.com(Jerusha) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 19:15:58 +0000

Murano and Venice

Handsome's birthday today, so we had cards at breakfast time. I've already given him his birthday present as it needed to be set up in advance, but Mama and Papa gave him a shirt and cardy (he's finally reached the age to be cardigan man!) and the kids gave him cd ious.

Today we were meant to be going around the islands - Murano and Burano – together, but unfortunately Mama had her wallet pinched on the vaporetta, so she and Papa had to get off at the next stop to report it to the police. It just shows how clever the pickpockets in Venice are, because we were all being careful, and Mama had her wallet in a belt bag, but in a particularly squashed moment at a stop, someone managed to open the zip and take the wallet.

We went on to Murano, the long way round, which was very interesting because we saw things like the dockyards, and the speedboat ambulances outside the hospital. We also passed the island where everyone is buried. An odd thought, having a whole island that is basically just a cemetery. Stravinsky is interred (I almost wrote buried, but I suppose that wouldn’t actually be accurate) there; apart from him I’ll be honest and say that I didn’t recognize any of the other supposedly famous people named in the guide book.

Murano itself was absolutely full of glass shops - and although I accept that everyone has the right to like whatever they want, I can't believe that all of those shops selling horrible glass animals can make a living… We did see people blowing the glass which was interesting but spectacular in the complete lack of any sort of health and safety regulation. Gloves? No. Eyeguards, boots, special clothing of any sort? No. People wandering around in front of other people carrying lumps of molten glass? Yes.

We decided by common consent that we'd rather get lunch in Venice itself and see a bit more of the less busy areas so we got the vaporetta back again. Had a lovely wander through the Castella area, and bought lunch at a bakery (slices of pizza and a variety of biscotti) and ate it sitting on the stone steps below a bridge watching the occasional gondola go by. Hairy got grumpy on us because he was still hungry, so we bought ice creams, and I phoned Mama to see how they were doing.

Heading back down to meet Mama and Papa, Mouse insisted on doing a detour to take a photo of an ogre (which he’d seen yesterday, and I hadn’t noticed) so I took a photo of Mouse with an ogre pulling an ogre face - and he's quite a good looking boy usually!

Back in time to swim tonight, and the pool was open and attended, so I didn't have to be a responsible adult.

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I'm not at all surprised that Venice is alleged to be the most beautiful city in the world

nobody@vox.com(Jerusha) — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 15:52:20 +0000

Venice

Wow. Venice is gorgeous. Ok, there were far far too many people, but the buildings were so picturesque, that I could look past the people. We started off at the market this morning with stalls and stalls full of fresh fish, fruit and veg. It almost made me wish we were self-catering (until I thought about dinner last night, and the swimming pool). After we'd done the obligatory look at the Rialto Bridge and St. Mark's Square, we wandered some of the less busy streets. We split up for a while: Hairy went to shop and Handsome and I took Mouse to find a t-shirt that he could buy for himself. He needed some help with sizing for the shirt, and some advice

on a present for his best friend.

Handsome and I took about ten million photos...

Met up with everyone else again and went back on the vaporetta up to the Academia area for lunch, and then we just wandered around and took the slow way back. I think I could just potter around Venice all day forever; there are so

many things to look at. We crossed back across on a traghetto, where you have to stand up in the middle of the boat and there are men standing at each end paddling. It was definitely on the scary side, not helped by Mouse gripping on to me for dear life. We looked at some more shops and did some more pottering, before heading back to Mogliano by train and cycling back to the hotel.

I hadn't finished getting changed before the boys were knocking on the door to declare in doom-laden voices that the swimming pool was closed. So I had to go to reception, shadowed by two large, anxious, and unable-to-ask-for-themselves teenagers. The receptionist told me that the weather had been bad all day (32 degrees, but I'll accept a little overcast and windy) so no-one wanted to swim (except us) so they'd sent the pool attendant home early. I whinged a bit in a positive ‘but we want to swim’ way and pointed out that the signs all said it closed at 7:30pm, and they finally agreed to find us some towels and let us go in after I’d assured than that both boys were strong swimmers and that I would stay with them. The pool was lovely - cool and deserted except for us!

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riverside cycling

nobody@vox.com(Jerusha) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 14:18:04 +0000

Solighetto to Treviso to Mogliano

Today we were taken by minibus to Treviso to start off. It took us a while to pick up the right route because the driver didn't actually drop us where the instructions started from. And then the instructions were a bit off - not a lot, but enough to make us have to ask where streets were a few times.

River Sile in Treviso, Italy 2008

Once we found the right route, however, we had a lovely run. Almost the whole day was following the river Sile, and it was a beautiful river, full of dabchicks, ducks, herons and coots, with trees lining the banks and a lovely level cycle path to follow.

Ducklets on River Sile, Italy 2008

There was a barge cemetery, called the 'Cimitero dei Burci', where strikers in the 1970s sunk all the barges so that they couldn't be made to work anymore. From the look of the hulls that were left, they must have been huge wherries, but apparently they were still pulled by oxen. I think I'll have a look on the internet and see if can find out more when I get home.

Cimitero dei Burci 3, Italy 2008

Cimitero dei Burci, Italy 2008

(http://www.camillopavan.it/Sile_Piarda_di_Casier/Alcune_pagine/cimitero_dei_barconi.htm) added later – most of the sites I could find are in Italian, naturally.

Cimitero dei Burci 2, Italy 2008

We arrived at the Villa Condulmer in style tonight. sweeping up the avenue on our bikes. I think this is the poshest place I have ever stayed in. And it is absolutely huge. There's an outdoor swimming pool, with changing rooms and towels, so practically the first thing the boys, Mama and me did was swim. It was lovely. Handsome came down too, after a while, but he had to wait until Hairy went in, 'cos he'd forgotten to pack trunks so they had to share! Me and Mama swam, then dried, then swam again. Heaven. And we're here for three nights, so assuming we get back from Venice in time, we can swim again.

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thunderstorms

nobody@vox.com(Jerusha) — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 21:16:35 +0000

Around Solighetto

I got bitten last night (probably by ants) on my right foot, so l will have to be more careful as it was particularly uncomfortable cycling today. I felt as if my ankle was on fire by the time we got back.

Breakfast this morning was lovely with plates of fresh fruit including huge redcurrants still on their 'string', pomegranate juice, some gorgeous pastries, as well as all the usual stuff - oh and cornflakes for Sam who has been suffering from food-recognition deprivation syndrome.

He had two bowls.

We had a short run today just fifteen k, which is just as well, as it was very, very, very hot. In fact sweltering. We went from the hotel at Solighetto, through La Bella to Follina, where we stopped for iced tea and cokes. I got twenty questions (in Italian then Pidgin English) from a group of Italian cyclists, who obviously wanted to know who the mad buggers on bright orange sit-up-and-beg road bikes were. I'm not sure I managed an understandable answer, although I did try.

Cloisters at Basilica Abbazia di Follina, Italy 2008

Basilica Abbazia di Follina, Italy 2008

Then we had a wander around the abbey there (Basilica Abbazia di Follina) which is a very pretty Cistercian abbey. There was a wedding or something going on while we were there, so we couldn't go all the way through, but there was still lots to look at in the cloisters and gardens. After that we had a bit of a long uphill push to Miane, and then a wonderful long downhill no-pedals-required bit almost all the way back.

Carp at Basilica Abbazia di Follina, Italy 2008

Boy in motion, Italy 2008

We took the boys across the road for pizza once we got back, and then me and Mama went for a short walk to find the restaurant where we're booked in tonight.

Later: After a very humid and stuffy afternoon, we've had a big thunderstorm and it is currently raining heavily. Mama and I went across to the main entrance to the hotel and 'borrowed' two of their umbrellas. But as we have about 500 meters to get to the restaurant tonight, along a main road with no pavement, and it is still raining heavily - I think we are going to get wet. However the air is much clearer tonight.

Around Solighetto, Italy 2008

Later yet: Cracking thunderstorm on the walk back from the restaurant, with lightening streaking across the darkened sky repeatedly. Handsome and Mouse went back out with their cameras after we got in, I cowered in my room and tried to shut out the noise!

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Orange bikes in the sun

nobody@vox.com(Jerusha) — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 17:52:25 +0000

Asolo to Solighetto

We left Asolo this morning and the minute Papa put foot to pedal his chain fell off! After that had been fixed, we turned left three times and went uphill - everyone promised me we wouldn't have to bike uphill again today. In fact (and Mama will back me up on this) l was promised a kilometre of down to make up for yesterday's kilometre of up. When we did finally have a down, it was wrong and we all had to push back up the hill again (pushbikes - remember).

Orange bikes at Villa Barbaro, Italy 2008

Fountain with flowers, Italy 2008

Stopped in Maser for iced tea or coke depending on preference and then got back on the bikes for 300 meters before we got off again to visit Villa Barbaro a Palladio mansion, which has the most amazing frescos, full of trompe d'oeil, hidden pictures and jokes. Mouse adored it, and particularly enjoyed looking for all the dogs, either hidden or in plain sight.

From there, we cycled on through the plain to Col S. Martino, where we stopped at quite a posh restaurant for lunch. The boys ate masses; I had gnocchi in tomato sauce - simple but good, and melon with parma ham.

Chapel with rooves, Italy 2008

The rest of the day involved some quite busy roads which was a bit difficult at times. Mouse nearly gave me (another) heart attack by freezing on a roundabout - I more or less had to cycle around him to stop the traffic. And there was a very busy and quite narrow bridge where unfortunately he was behind me, so all I could do was keep going and check he was OK the minute I could stop. Mama did point duty there for me, as she was behind him.

Papa always brings up the rear so I know he'll deal with anything that I don't see; Handsome is group leader and does check frequently that he has all his little chicks in tow; Hairy usually rides as near the front as he can manage; Mouse comes next so he can ride ahead with his dad and brother if he wants to or he can drop back and cycle with me if it's a bit more challenging, or if he can't keep up. Then it's me, then Mama, which gives us a chance to occasionally have some peace and quiet to look at the scenery.

Trellises and wisteria vines at Solighetto, Italy 2008

Hydrangeas at Solighetto, Italy 2008

The hotel tonight is very different. Lots of covered trellis walkways with vines and wisteria - we have three separate little 'cottages', each with their own courtyard (perfect for parking bikes) and rustic table and chairs. We have tonight completely spoiled the atmosphere by draping wet washing over said rustic tables, and even on the bikes! I never realised they made such good drying racks.

Drying the washing, Italy 2008

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hill-climb to Asolo

nobody@vox.com(Jerusha) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 16:16:56 +0000

Marostica to Asolo

Signing out of the hotel this morning, the lady at reception gave Hairy the form to sign for their room. I had to explain to her that he was underage and countersign it. She thought he was about twenty! He found this hugely amusing.

View from the bridge at Bassano, Italy 2008

Wooden bridge at Bassano, Italy 2008

Lovely cycle to Bassano, where there is a beautiful covered wooden bridge. We even had a little off-road stretch where I ~~fell off~~ came to an unexpected halt as my front wheel skidded, thus causing Handsome to almost fall off too as he was just behind me. We stopped for elevensies in Bassano; I had iced peach tea, which is very refreshing, and not as sweet as I'd thought it would be. There were loads of geese in the water under the bridge being very deliberately picturesque. We took photos of the geese and photos of the bridge, and then we cycled across the bridge, which was a bit dodge-the-pedestrian-ish.

A very pleasant run from Bassano to Asolo. I particularly enjoyed the bit from Fonte Alto to Pagnano where I didn't have to pedal once for miles and miles. We saw some big, big houses, the old palazzo mansions and some gorgeous churches on top of hills. The actual climb into Asolo was kind of long and steep and hot and went on for a very long time. Well, a kilometer to be exact. Handsome and Hairy cycled most of the way up. Mouse and me cycled up for about ten meters and then got off and pushed. As Mama says, that's why they're called pushbikes. A kilometer later Handsome came and rescued me, and took the bike off me for the last three feet into Asolo. We got to the hotel hot, sweaty and disgusting, and exhausted, to be told that the bikes were to be stored overnight in a restaurant up the hill...

Arches and cobbles 2, Asolo, Italy 2008

Hanging gardens, Asolo, Italy 2008

Later: showered, changed, had lunch. We're practically back to normal again! The boys went back to the hotel to have some quiet time (Hairy didn't sleep well last night) and we went for a wander around town. I took loads of photos, and managed to fit in another cup of coffee. After a couple of hours gentle pottering we picked up the boys and took them for ice creams while the grown-ups had more iced tea. Mouse quite likes it too. Found a restaurant for later on, and then it was time for grown-up quiet time (can you siesta in Italy?).

The restaurant was really good - lots of fish dishes which suited the grown-ups and Mouse, and some meat (carne) for Hairy. We ate on a roof terrace, and the food and wine were excellent. The kids left at coffee time to get ice-cream at the bar down the road - Handsome and I joined them a little later. Then we went for a promenade and they went back to the hotel.

Boys on bicci, Italy 2008

Asolo dragon, Italy 2008

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Corny jokes

nobody@vox.com(Jerusha) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 12:54:20 +0000

Marostica

Hilltop fort, Maristoca, Italy 2008

Set up the bikes, and took them out for our first day - a circular out of and back into Marostica. Mama wasn't feeling too fit this morning so she and Papa turned back fairly soon. She says it's only getting accustomed to the heat, I hope that is the case. That left me as the main recipient of Mouse's jokes, particularly the "look at all that corn, isn't it a-maizing" one, which he made at least fifteen times and then got grumpy because I wasn't laughing any more.

We had lunch at Breganze even although we'd only stopped for cokes! Today's learning curve is we need to carry more water with us - Mouse had drunk his share and mine before elevensies time, it took a while to rehydrate, so we did it gradually over a long lunch. There have been some scary junctions where we have to cross the main road, but on the whole, the route is very quiet, Small pretty roads running through fields of maize and cherry trees and vines. There are lots of very big houses.

Marostica is an ancient walled town and every year they play a game of chess on a giant chess board right in the middle of the town square and all the pieces are real people dressed up. The story goes that back in the 15th century there were two suitors for a girl's hand. Rather than have a traditional duel where one of them would die, they had a game of chess and the winner got the girl and the loser got the sister!

Castle at Maristoca, Italy 2008

All the afternoon cycling was on the plain so thankfully mostly flattish which was good, because I was really starting to have a sore bum! Got back to the hotel (Albergo Du Mori) and dove for the shower - very necessary, cycling in 30 degrees is a sweaty business. Found Mama and Papa in a cafe in the central square so we joined them for drinks and bought the boys proper ice creams (gelato) which I then pinched bits of until they protested. They had chocolate mint and strawberry, and they were gorgeous.

Reading Dracula, Italy 2008

Had a wee daunder around town to see what could be seen, and just now I'm sitting at a table at the back of the hotel enjoying a little bit of a breeze and about to play cards with the boys.

Later: Had pizza sitting around the square tonight. They close it to all cars from 7:30pm and the whole of the middle is taken over by small children running around and playing games and generally being tired out by their parents. It all feels very relaxed.

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