Last Orders #dreamdiary 191

It’s a lovely summer’s day and we’re enjoying a meal at a local taverna. It’s quiet but the staff are very attentive and friendly. We’re sat in a small whitewashed room with room for a few small square tables. At the back is a pair of ornate brown doors and beyond this the view looks down onto the sea. It’s run by a lovely old mother wearing a traditional black widow’s dress and a white apron. We’ve had a lovely homecooked meal and we’ve just ordered dessert while we finish our drinks. The owner smiles at us as she slowly crosses the tiled floor to the doors. She looks at her watch then slams them. Quick as a flash, she bolts the door into the frame. Then without a word, she looks at us again and walks off. It appears that local hospitality ends the minute it hits closing time.

Boarding Bribe #dreamdiary 190

We’re on a holiday tour of Asia. This leg of our trip requires us to board a ferry for a short trip on the sea to our next destination. We’re given a boarding time and an assembly point so that we have a bit of leisure time at the port, and all we have to do in the meantime is get our passports  stamped as we pass through. We head through the security post, and everyone looks like they’re occupied with someone but there’s nothing to simply stop us from walking through. But we wait to get our passports stamped as we are told and we spot other people queuing in front of us in our party. There’s a bit of confusion as I present my passport as on my Visa page there’s a picture of my mother which is the process that they require. However, my mother is travelling with me so there’s a bit of confusion. I present the correct page and the officer tells me that’s not right. Then I present my UK driving license as further proof that it’s me and it’s still not right. Then she decides I have to pay a fine so I place a silver coin on the counter and walk away. I’m not sure if the coin was even a euro or if was just a scam to try and get money out of me, but I collect my documents without the required stamp. This is the first time that my travel documents have been examined inland. I wonder if this is going to occur every time.

Ogling the Obelisk #stratford 3

There wasn’t that much else to see. There were footpaths heading to the main road but it wouldn’t make much of a walk since it be so busy so we headed back the way we came all the way down to the canal. Once we’d reached it, we turned right which took us underneath the main road and past the pub garden of the Red Lion. Walking in, we were treated to a great-value meal while relaxing in the beer garden. We even got a discount in the government’s scheme to encourage people to help support local businesses. We took a small stroll around the Avon then headed back up the canal to the car. It’s a shame that the pub is now closed as they only wish to cater to the hotel trade. This seems to be a grave error as there’s the opportunity to cater to so many passing people.