Category: Travel

Election Day

After a day travelling and three days of briefings and preparation it is time for the STOs to do their job. It’s as well to have an alarm clock because an STO and his partner arrive at the first polling station between an hour and thirty minutes before it opens – typically at 7.00 am.

Day by Day

It has been customary to hold General Elections in the UK on Thursdays since the 1930s. The tradition originated because Thursday was often Market day and voters would be in town. Now, as a result of the ill-advised Fixed-term Parliaments Act of 2011, they are held every five years on the first Thursday in May.… Continue reading Day by Day

How to be an STO

Who appoints the LTOs and STOs on an EOM? If you don’t know what the initials stand for, read yesterday’s post.

Mission to Moldova

I spent yesterday travelling to Chisinau on Turkish Airlines with a stop-over in Istanbul. I am here as part of an Election Observation Mission (EOM).

Javea Architecture

On the skyline, inland from the lighthouse, there are eleven disused windmills, mostly dating from the 18th century.

TWATs

Do you remember when there were messages like this broadcast on Long Wave? ‘Would the driver of a blue Ford Anglia, registration number xxxx please call home as an emergency has arisen.’

Hermitage and Chapel

Let me introduce you to Santa Lucia. In her right hand she is strangling a frog, a bit of Catholic iconography with which I am unfamiliar.

To the Lighthouse

The villas in Javea cling to the hillside. Architecturally they are more imaginative than those I have seen around Malaga.

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Sea Views

Javea is bounded by two national parks; both are a little far to get to on foot from the Parador but the walks from the hotel are pretty good.

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Two Churches

Javea is a different kettle of fish to its neighbour on the Costa Blanca, Benidorm. Actually I’ve not been to Benidorm so maybe it is a city of culture with architectural integrity.