The Week That Was #3

~ Welcome to my weekly collection of The Odd, The Useful, and The Downright Bizarre.

The Odd: San Fermin ‘Running of the Bulls’ Festival. Yes, it is that time of the year again, when thousands of Spanish citizens and international visitors try their luck, and risk their lives at the nine-day San Fermin Festival.

More popularly known as the Running of the Bulls Festival, the event is currently underway in Pamplona, Spain. Each year dozen of participants are injured and occasionally some die as a result of their involvement in the daily runs. In fact, since 1924, 15 people have died and over 200 have been seriously injured in the event.

The Useful: Trip Advisor Forums. Sometimes, even I can be a bit slow on the uptake. So when I discovered the Trip Advisor Forums on the Trip Advisor website recently, I knew I was amongst friends. I have no idea of the number of forums on the site, but certainly there must be thousands, since every major region in the world has its own section on the site, and those regions are subdivided into smaller sections, which are in turn subdivided into smaller zones, which ... well, you get the picture. If you are planning a visit to Paris, France (or Paris, Texas for that matter), you will find a forum with members willing and able to answer your questions and provide useful advice. Highly recommended.

The Downright Bizarre: Bizarre Travel Complaints

Travel agents must have thousands of stories to tell (both hilarious and horrifying) about their clients. Like the holidaymaker who said he felt inadequate after seeing an aroused elephant, which in turn ruined his honeymoon. Or the tourist who complained that “the beach was too sandy,” and another upset when they discovered fish swimming in the sea. Huh?

In another complaint a British guest at a Novotel hotel in Australia said his soup was too thick and strong, not realising he had been supping from the gravy boat. In an even stranger twist, one traveller blamed a hotel for her pregnancy. "My fiancé and I booked a twin-bedded room but we were placed in a double-bedded room. We now hold you responsible for the fact that I find myself pregnant,” the guest said. “This would not have happened if you had put us in the room that we booked."

Other complaints included “there are too many Spanish people in Spain” and “too much curry served in restaurants in India”.

Wherever you are, whatever you are doing – enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Click above image (if you dare) to view full size…

WEA = Life-Long Learning

~ On Tuesday (Never to Old to Live And Learn) I wrote that I had signed up for a Spanish For Fun and Travel course at the WEA, the Worker’s Educational Association. The Association, which publishes five course guides each year, has been running classes for adults in Adelaide for almost 100 years. Since there are many courses in the current guide related to travel, I thought I would explore the possibilities further in this entry.

A quick look through the winter guide (download PDF here…) reveals a host of interesting short courses for the intending traveller.

To begin with, the most obvious ones are the language courses. Apart from the Spanish class, one could also learn some Italian, French, German, Portuguese, Japanese, and Chinese Mandarin. And if you still had time to spare, you could also be taught to communicate with the deaf and hearing impaired by learning to Sign using your hands.

If your travels are taking you to Turkey or other countries of the Islamic world, why not take the Islamic Art: A Glorious Legacy course, or the Civilisations of Turkey course?

Food lovers can prepare for their gastronomic adventures by choosing from over a dozen classes covering such regional fare as Spanish Tapas, or cuisines from Morocco, Greece, Thailand, India, Vietnam, China, Italy, and several other countries.

Less obvious are the courses for people with an interest in archaeology, history and culture. Joining these you can learn to decipher ancient Egyptian images; travel through Tuscany; or learn about Moorish Spain, the Crusades, or the early Christian sites of Syria.

Planning a visit to Brazil or other South American countries? Then why not sign up for a short course in Latin dancing? Then you will be able to Rumba, Cha-Cha and Tango with the best of the Latin Lovers!

Heck, you could even look through the Practical Art listing, and try your hand at drawing or landscape painting. Instead of coming home with 3000 images on your digital camera, imagine returning with some original canvases or sketches made while relaxing in the hills of Tuscany or the squares of Venice.

Speaking of digital cameras, why not do the Introduction to Photography course? Or if that’s too basic one of the short courses on getting the best out of your digital SLR camera? Or the one-day Close-up Photography Workshop? That way, instead of simply taking ‘happy snaps’, you might come home with photographs worthy of the best professional photographers.

Yes friends, a world of learning awaits each and everyone of us. Once again, may I remind you – there are similar institutions to the WEA elsewhere in Australia and overseas. If the information in this blog entry has inspired you to embark on a journey of life-long learning, check out the sites below, or ask at your local public library for information about similar organisations in your city.

Links to Associated Sites

• WEA Sydney
• WEA UK
• WEA Illawarra
• Council of Adult Education Melbourne
• Adult Learning Association
• International Federation of Workers’ Education Associations (IFWEA)

Download a PDF of the WEA Winter Course Guide here…

Friday Photo #1: Acropolis, Athens

Acropolis Columns, Athens, Greece

Of all the images I took of the Acropolis, this is my favourite, and I’m not even sure if I can articulate why. It is something to do with the framing of the image; the contrasting hues of the columns; the balance of colours; and the strength and physical power the white marble column in the foreground projects.

In this modern age of prefabricated buildings, when structures can be thrown up, higher than anyone in ancient Greece could ever have imagined, one wonders what the builders of the Acropolis (or the Coliseum in Rome – or any of a hundred other ancient structures) might make of our present cities. As amazing as our new skyscrapers may be, one has to wonder too, just how many of them will still be standing 200 years from now – let alone in 300 years!

Certainly none will be able to match the longevity of the 2500 year old Acropolis, which, if not for the explosion which all but destroyed it in 1687 might still be standing in all its former glory.

Image: Acropolis Columns, Jim Lesses
Click image to view full size