M. Night Shyamalan should really do a film about this...

I can't believe I forgot this one, although to be fair, it's more of a 'notice', and therefore wasn't stored in the sign compartment of my brain. I came across this sign last summer. I laughed, and then I felt a little bit guilty.



Fredericksburg, TX, USA (2010)

I hope your surgery went a planned.

Also from the same trip...



Somewhere in Texas

Hmmm.

And yes, I know they are most definitely signs. However, I think my brain was concentrating more on this at the time, hence why the internal filing system didn't quite work:


 Happy Sign Spotting, folks.

Sign language

Having completed my summer travels I have made memories, taken photos, experienced new things, and best of all learnt some new travel games. In my opinion a travel game need not be limited to the time spend in transit reaching your destination, and they can range from the simple 'counting the steps as I climb them to take my mind off the pain' to a personal favourite...Sign Spotting.



Houston, TX, USA (2010)

Whether they be stating the obvious or missing the point...

Prague, Czech Republic (2007)

Humorous...



Edinburgh, Scotland (2010)

or unintentionally so... 



Fredericksburg, TX, USA (2010)

Unusual...

Salzburg, Austria (2009)

Or telling you how to avoid death...



Olympic National Park, WA, USA (2008)
Don't forget to fight back aggressively, pick up your children, and throw them.

Sign Spotting is a great way to keep annoying children occupied, and have something more interesting than yet another photo of yet another mountain when you get back home.

For more Sign Spotting fun, visit http://www.signspotting.com/

I'd like to buy myself a Coke

I said that this would be a blog to house my day dreams, and all I can think about right now is Coca Cola. I am unable to drink my beloved Coke at the moment, and have discovered that absence does indeed make the heart grow fonder. Coke and I have a long and happy history together, from hot summer days, to late night revision, and every Christmas dinner in between. As far as the hallucination-inducing effects of sleep deprivation during exam time go, Coke was pretty much the only thing that kept me standing. Despite my love of wandering into Whittard’s just to smell the aroma of coffee beans, I am not a fan of coffee where my taste buds are concerned. In fact, I am not a fan of any hot drink really; even tea, much to the disgust of the rest of England. If the weather calls for it I can be partial to the odd hot Ribena. But I find that in general hot drinks just make me more thirsty, where as I was under the impression that a drink is supposed to quench one’s thirst. Enter Coke. Caffeine booster, refresher, taste bud pleaser, and friend to all.

This life long love affair with Coca Cola has never faltered, and every time I gaze upon that classic, never bettered, glass bottle design, I am swept off my feet. And I still believe that Coke from the bottle is far superior to Coke from a can. The whole Americana of the product is enough to make me swoon, a look and style that has influenced pop culture and become part of a heritage beginning in 1886. Sweets have been dubbed ‘cola-flavoured’, many shops have tried unsuccessfully to imitate its unique taste, and its Christmas advert signifies the start of the festive season. Some people will even claim that it was due to Coke's advertising campaigns that Santa is now depicted wearing that signature red suit, a myth which Coca Cola themselves deny, yet year after year jolly old St. Nick is often still plastered across billboards with a bottle in hand. One of the most universal brands in the world, that famous red and white logo is instantly recognisable, and found everywhere from the Amazon rainforest to Zimbabwe.

If you still doubt my devotion to this drink, I must inform you that I have in fact visited the Coca Cola shop in Las Vegas. In the form of a giant bottle, this shop is like a monument to the brand, rising out of the desert. Yet before you start to worry about what seems like a slightly startling obsession with a beverage, this was not a pilgrimage, merely a pleasant surprise discovered whilst visiting the town. Although I did buy a T shirt and a fridge magnet... But really, who doesn’t love this carbonated delight? So please forgive me if you ever find me face down and nose covered in Coke, Tony Montana style.  

We have water on tap

I love American food.

Regardless of the many wonders we have witnessed during each visit there, we will always have at least one travel anecdote regarding food. These include such tales as ‘The bottomless glass of Pepsi’ ‘The full rack of barbequed Everest’ ‘The tomato jar counter’ ‘The Canadian-hating burger’ ‘The generous gambling chicken’ ‘The fire alarm breakfast sandwich’ ‘The mountain top fries’ ‘The coma-inducing lemonade’ ‘The 42^nd Street pizza’ and ‘The desert pasta’, to name a few.

However, possibly my favourite beverage related story took place in a small deli in New York. My cousin was the last person at our table to order her drink, and when the waiter got round to her, she asked what they had. Big mistake. The waiter reeled off a list of drinks so long that it would have been quicker to go out, milk a cow, pick some strawberries, drive to Vermont and buy some freshly made Ben and Jerry’s, and make her a nice strawberry milkshake. She then proceeded to ask for water. He responded by asking which type of water she would prefer. Not a milkshake-worthy list, but still rather impressive. She asked for tap water. Yes, that’s right folks, tap water. Here we were, the land of the free refill, and she asks for tap water. I almost choked on my double colossal super-size cow sandwich. That very morning I had seen cheese in a spray can, but only now, as I stared at this sudden stranger sat opposite me, was I truly disgusted.