Our car's gone bung

The last month has been rather a saga in the life of our faithful Punto car. We've been talking about shipping it out for a new one for a while - it has a piddly 1.2 engine, and struggles to overtake itself sometimes, and we have a need for speed on occaisions.
However our hesitance has been our downfall.

3 weeks ago we met one of our new neighbours, as she crashed into our parked car and managed to wedge hers under the front right wheel arch. So the car, which otherwise hadn't given us a squeek or a cough in more than a year, was checked into rehab for a new wing and paintjob. We got a 140.000k service done just for the convenience.

We got the car back last Friday. Saturday we had a blowout of our rear tire. Cue much confusion as the wrench supplied with the spare tire doesn't fit the wheel nuts. Who knew that was something to check? So we've been driving on a temp wheel, as every tire shop seems to close at 5 and doesn't open weekends. Convenient.

Then on Tuesday Christina noticed the temparature guage was rushing into the red. So we checked the car back into the clinic again.

Turns out its blown the Head Gaskett.

Normally I wouldn't have a clue what that is, however I'm still feeling the pain of my last car having the same ailment, and the after effects of the £1000 bill that comes with it.
Its gutting. The cars only worth about 5 grand, and I'm not sure a head gaskett is like a conservatory which only adds value.

So. Note to self. Act when you think. Don't put off buying a new car, cos your current one will get grumpy on you.

Room with a View

Forgot to mention. Always ask at Check In for a room with a great view. Sometimes it pays off!

My colleague got an airconditioning unit for his viewing pleasure. But he's a ****, and deserves it.

Red Square Moscow

So, here I am in Moscow. A place which doesn't really make sense. Theres no real centre to speak of.... apart from Red Square which is closed most of the time. And a pedestrian street round the corner which is just full of crap stores. Picture Oxford Street (in Skegness).

Ah well. The park at the back of the Kremlin is quite cool though. Its a mad city, but I'd yet to really find its heart. Lord knows I walked long enough tonight in the vain attempt to find it.

Moscow Times

I'm in Moscow for a few days with work. Its the second time I've been here, the last being during a freezing March 2006 - ok, not freezing by Moscow standards, but pretty damn cold by my standards at about -15C. Photo-opportunities were taken within split seconds - jump out the car, smile, click, back in the car.



This time round its 22C and sunny... and Moscow seems like a different world. Same old traffic jams though. You've never seen anything like it. Wall to wall beemers, mercs, bentleys and ladas all vying for a 3 inch gap in the traffic which is moving at -3mph. Sometimes you literally do move backwards. It should be quicker to walk, but they kind of forgot to put pavements and pedestrain crossings into the infrastructure.

Football Tour

In whats becoming rather a habit, the boys from my old club at AFC Norton (near Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, UK) came over to DK for a 5 day, 4 match end of season "tour" (pissup) last week.

We stayed at the new Danhostel (Youth Hostel) in the centre of Copenhagen. More 3 star hotel than hostel... and played 3 full matches and a 7 a side (amongst ourselves!) match over 5 days.

Lucky with the weather (at least 27C on 4 days!) and sometimes unlucky with the teams we played (DASAC - a Danish African team, passed and moved like nothing you've ever experienced..... and whipped our white asses).

Our none-footballing activities included some great GoKarting, siteseeing, and blisterpopping.

Here are some photos. You can open them larger by double clicking.

Our house

Since moving into our beautiful abode in February, Christina and I are always asked what its like. So here it is. And yes, its pink. Like all the best things in life.

She's from 1891...... and its a place we're just guardians of. There have been families before, and there will be families after us. We'll just take care of the old lady as much as we can.