A nightmare comes true

In anticipation of my summer holiday, I checked the news for Cala Mondrago on Mallorca and found articles in three languages on the same incidence that happened three weeks ago:

In English - complete with a video:

https://www.majorcadailybulletin.com/news/local/2022/05/07/100877/mallorca-shark-scare.html

In German - with the same video:

https://www.mallorcamagazin.com/nachrichten/lokales/2022/05/07/101875/hai-alarm-der-playa-cala-mondrago-auf-mallorca-1.html

And in Spanish - ditto:

https://www.ultimahora.es/noticias/part-forana/2022/05/07/1730771/alarma-por-presencia-tiburon-playa-cala-mondrago-santanyi.html

Yes, folks, for the first time that anyone is aware of, a shark has been spotted in precisely my favourite place to swim. 

It's 'only' a small, 1.5 m blue shark, but still...

The question is this: am I brave enough to enter the water when I get there? I thought the jellyfish were bad enough, but sharks?!

Bad manners will not be rewarded

At least, not by me.

Yesterday, Sunday, I was supposed to lead people on a walk on two consecutive stages of the Wuppertaler Rundweg - the walk that goes right around Wuppertal. 

Walk 1 was only 9 to 10 km long, so I added another stage of about 14.5 km on to it. The second walk had the option of stopping off at a nice cafe about halfway through.

As usual, we finally made it to where the walk started and got off the bus. I gave my little pep talk including this bit: "If you need to disappear behind a bush for a while, please let me know. We will then walk on a little bit and then stop and wait for you."

I also said that they should keep together all the time so that no-one gets lost. Maybe I shouldn't have told them, however, that we were only following one sign: the W in a circle (symbolising the Wuppertaler Rundweg).

The countryside from Sudberg to Wahlert was utterly delightful. So green, so many trees, fields, cute houses. Utterly idyllic. There were 15 walkers and me. Six of the walkers were completely new to me.

We had a break after an hour so we could drink something or disappear behind a bush. Then we carried on. About 20 minutes later, someone (Maria, a retired nurse from Croatia) said she had to powder her nose behind a bush and I told the rest of the group members to wait.

It took some time. Maria later said that where she had gone had another path there and lots of cyclists went by so she had had to wait. 

In the meantime, 11 of the walkers just walked off. Leaving me, Egon (who also offers walks) and two of the newcomers behind, politely waiting for Maria.

I was FURIOUS. Not only had they ignored my instruction of waiting for Maria, they seemed not to have read the walking rules on the group's website - especially the one that says "Don't walk too far ahead or too far behind; always remain within sight."

When the five of us finally got going, it took us ages to find the others again. They had stopped and were waiting for us. Why they couldn't have waited with the rest of us, God only knows.

That was when I decided that I had had enough. I told them that I was going to break off after the first short walk as they obviously didn't regard me as the walking guide. As soon as we got to the bus stop in Wahlert, I and three others got on the bus and went home, leaving 12 to carry on. Unfortunately, Egon had a walking map with him and he took over the responsibility. He really shouldn't have rewarded those bastards' bad behaviour in such a way. They did not deserve to have someone help them find the way when they had ignored me in the first place.

Well, that's at least 20 days a year that I get back as free time. I always planned to offer 12 Saturday afternoon walks and 8 all-day Sunday walks a year. On top of that, you have to add a day or two for Vorwanderungen, trials of new walks, and all the poring over maps, the marking out of the route, the checking of the route on Google maps, the reading up of the information in books and the checking of public transport connections, writing everything up to send to the coordinator who passes it on to the website owner who then uploads everything. 

If the walkers cannot respect my efforts enough to do what I tell them and stick together, thinking they can wander off by themselves and leave me behind, then fine. They can do what they want. I won't give them another chance to disrespect me.

People often say that young people of today have no manners. Well, it seems that people in their 30s to 70s don't know any better either. I've read articles in the press stating that owing to lockdowns, people have forgotten how to behave politely. After yesterday, I'm inclined to agree with that sentiment. I refuse to reward bad manners.

The font of all wisdom?

Thanks to primewire.mx, I've been able to watch series I've never managed to see before (e.g. Sherlock, Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency [the US version]) or to finish series I had already started (e.g. Lucifer).

I have to say that Lucifer and Sherlock have had some great advice - especially when it comes to family relationships and fathers in particular. I sometimes wonder if they have 'therapy advisors' to read through the scripts or whether the scriptwriters have themselves been in therapy for many years and are just repeating what their therapists have told them. 

Whatever the case may be, having good advice come at you through an entertaining and gripping story line is a very palatable way of obtaining it.

In a sense, such US crime series often put me in mind of 19th and 18th century literature. In such books, you also hear the sensible thoughts of the author, which also have useful nuggets of advice in them. Who'd have that Anthony Trollope and the scriptwriters of Lucifer had anything in common?

I don't get it

Today, I went to a major bike shop in town. It's been there for as long as I can remember. If you want something for a bike, this is the place to go. 

I entered and looked around. I spotted three shop assistants and said, "I'm looking for a plastic cover for my bicycle." Earlier today, I had brought my bicycle, which has been in the cellar since October, and put it outside in the back yard. The previous cover was full of holes and I had thrown it away.

"No, we don't have such covers any more. We have a very reduced range of goods here now."

I look at them, puzzled.

"We've been a Cube shop for two years now."

I continue to look puzzled.

"Only one brand of goods."

"So," I said, "I'll have to buy online." And I walk out of the shop. 

I don't get it. The bikes in the shop window are extremely expensive and yet they don't offer protection from the weather for them? Surely, a cover for one's bike would be a great way to advertise the brand. But, no. 

This morning, as I said, I put my bike in the yard and determined to pick up a cover. I reckoned I had a few days at least as the weather has been so dry recently. Imagine my surprise at the current downpour. 

Reader, my bike is now back in the cellar after less than 12 hours of freedom. I can't stand to see it in the rain, at risk of rust. It may only be a second-hand bike that I've had for about 10 years, but I still like to keep it looking good. And I must be succeeding, because when I put one of my ground-floor neighbours saw me with it this morning, she said, "Oh, a new bike!"

When (fictional) worlds collide

Thanks to a student telling me about primewire.mx, I've finally managed to get to see Elementary, the series with Sherlock Holmes in modern-day New York.

Basically, Sherlock Holmes crosses the Atlantic and his father, Morland Holmes, pays for him to go to rehab and then organises a 'sober companion' for him. This 'companion' turns out to be a former surgeon called Dr Joan Watson. Together, they solve crimes. 

Various people from the stories about Sherlock Holmes crop up: Irene Adler, Moriarty and his brother Mycroft.

What is more, you even get to meet Sherlock's father, which is interesting. What is confusing is that his father is portrayed by the same actor who had the role of Denethor, Steward of Gondor, in the Lord of the Rings films from mroe than 2 decades ago. Oh, dear. I look at Morland Holmes and hear Denethor. 

Here is Morland

And here is Denethor

The problem is the voice. It is so distinctive that I can only associate it with Denethor.

Here he is as Morland Holmes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APAerylR7Kg

And as Denethor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5F2kRZabpg

Basically, if one wanted to refilm LOTR, then John Noble, the actor, could take Christopher Lee's role of Saruman, his voice would certainly suit the role.

Incidentally, I once attended the same party as John Noble in Wellington, New Zealand. It was on the eve of the premiere of The Return of the King. The party was held for fans and Royd Tolkien, a grandson of J.R.R. Tolkien, and a few of the actors also showed up. They included Sean Astin, Ian McKellen and John Noble, who was, so other party-goers told me, a bit too pleased with himself.

Are 'they' out to get me?

If I were being paranoid, I'd say that 'they', whoever 'they may be, are trying to thwart me.

Everything I try to buy is not available. I'm faced with an empty space on that shelf. Whatever it is: basmati rice, my favourite yoghurt, potato salad, remoulade sauce, sour cherries in a jar and photocopying paper (to name but a few at my local supermarket), Ohropax wax earplugs (at DM, a drugstore) and gluten-free pizza bases and raisin bread (in Zur Heide, a smart food store). 

I did ask one of the women at the supermarket if this was because of delivery problems and she said yes. Whether it is because of Putin's attack on Ukraine, I don't know. But it does seems strange that it's all the stuff I just happen to want right now. I guess I should be lucky, though, that it's not much worse. At present, anyway.