marramgrass

Can you get it?

I think I did…

Can you get it?

I think I did…

go in for propagating this kind of thing, but…

The MV Doulos is currently visiting Edinburgh, berthed down at Ocen Terminal right beside the Britannia. The ship is part of Operation Mobilisation, a Christian missionary charity, and it sails around the world working with local churches to resource them for evangelism work.

Apparently the Doulos (Greek for ’slave’ or ’servant’, so I’m told) holds a couple of world records: at 90 years old this year, she is the world’s oldest operational passenger ship; and she also provides a home for the world’s largest flaoting bookshop. (I wonder how much competition there is for that second one, there…)

Actually, that bookshop is pretty nifty. I’ve spent a fortune already, as they’re selling a lot of reference stuff for something like half the price it goes for elsewhere in Edinburgh. Nice.

Before reaching Edinburgh they were in Northern Ireland, where apparently the visit made the local news. To be honest, there seems to be something of a lack of publicity here. Plenty of local churches seem to know about it, but I haven’t heard a scrap anywhere else.

When we were down on Saturday (my brother-in-law and his girlfriend were visiting, and he’s an old OM-type, so there was absolutely no staying away) we had some cracking weather, and I took a few pics around the ship. With these ones, click on the image to open a bigger version in a new window (slightly heavier files, but not too bad).

I figured it was about time I showed you what the dog looked like…

A hearty welcome home to Peet, freshly returned from his time studying in the States.

After an eternity of promises, and despite the fact that I sold my iPod on (!), I am much to excited by the new European iTunes Music Store.

Back here I alluded to some further comment I had to make from our brief visit to Vienna at Easter. While it is in my nature to promise to post things (or do things, or say things, or clean things or tidy things) and then show no sign of actually following through on my big talk, I thought I could take the time (on my way out the door to a youth cafe launch event thing I’m a bit hazy on the details of) to note where my thoughts had been going on those things I mentioned.

High-quality street performers.

I mean it. For example, the lady playing the harp just off Michaelerplatz at about 10 o’clock on our last evening in town. Or the group of Eastern European (sounded like it, anyway) breakdancers who not only were impressive performers, but knew how to work the crowd so well that I would have given them a couple of euro just for that alone! Less technically brilliant but just as arresting was the little (really, small) old (makes my grandmother look like she’s just reaching her prime) lady saxophonist sitting on Graben, coaxing a frighteningly mournful sound from her instrument. (The cynic in me wonders if she was playing on her vulnerable appearance just a little, but the rest of me says, so what if she was?)

Some of the entertainment we caught really shames the stuff I’ve been known known to buy a ticket for.

Minimalist art at the Albertina.

I just don’t get it. I’m sorry. Why is a big black parallelogram (how many l’s should there be in there?) in any way interesting or impressive?

The Spanish Riding School

We weren’t around for a show, so we went to a training session. That has got to be the biggest con going.

To re-iterate, we loved Vienna and will be back.

Added to the sidebar, Little Fluffy Industries: perfect for when you have ten minutes to kill and no weapon to hand.