1506 - Heaven nose I'm miserable now

The year '10's heading for its end, and I'm
Still struggling with my cold and too much debt
Too much snot, too much debt. It's not so fine
To find myself like this at my age; yet
I'm not so unhappy, not much regret
I wouldn't say I've none - that's a cliche
And a lie in most cases. We forget
A lot of shit decisions if we say
That. Happiness is ours, if we don't weigh
Others' opinions more than our own mind
I enjoy playing on my strings and frets
It costs nothing, it keeps boredom at bay
It's physical and mental fitness time
Playing guitar or any instrument
Tue 19 Oct

1505 - Work doesn't have to be taxing

Too much chat at work and not enough done
Chats about economics, holidays
Chats about everything under the sun
So much chat I couldn't read my emails
One guy not seen for a while telling tales
Of a nasty skin disease that he caught
Meanwhile my divorce is back on the rails
As the afternoon sky darkened, I thought
I'd stay in this evening. I've still not bought
A new monitor. This didn't get done
Because of too much chat. Everyone says
Far too much at work. I'm one of that sort
Still, work is fairly stress-free, almost fun
But will the taxpayer soon refuse to pay?
Mon 18 Oct

1504 - No fly zone

A pleasant sunny day. Salford Market
Seemed worth a look. I'd hoped to buy a screen
For my laptop there, but didn't find it.
Too dodgy-looking. Who knows where it's been?
Off the back of a lorry stuff, could be
I'll look on eBay tomorrow at work
This afternoon, took Pearl to see Josie
Carvery at the Coach and Four, some pork
Turkey and beef. Pearl - vegetarian - looked
But the veg risotto was off limits
It had dairy products, and Pearl's not keen
On them; in fact, allergic. I have booked
Pearl and Josie for next Saturday. It's
Time to go flying! You'll see what I mean...
Sun 17 Oct
You won't see what I mean, because I didn't go flying the following week in the end. By flying, I mean simulated flying where you float in a wind tunnel, held up by air currents. £35 for two minutes of flying, it costs, although that includes some preparatory coaching. I had a voucher paid for my office pals as a birthday present last January. It turned out that the voucher expired on 10 October while I was away. I had thought it expired on 31 October. Wrong! Doh...

1503 - Learning about my body

Better today; another good night's sleep
Has helped. I've rediscovered radio
Since my computer screen broke. We must keep
Up to date with new music, doncha know
Radio 1 Xtra was playing, though
I also read a book about gypsies
And then another book; one that is so
Well-illustrated, about our bodies
Each tiny cell with its complexities
And DNA. My learning curve is steep
Watched some old TV I taped years ago
On video, since transferred to DVDs
Tuned in to the football scores - those male sheep
The Derby Rams, beat Preston three-zero!
Sat 16 Oct

1502 - The book of the Irish

I took the day off sick with my bad cold
Only went out to shop at Sainsburys
And though my laptop screen's dead and I could
Have accessed the 'net in the library
I didn't feel well enough. Watched TV
For a while, eating every so often
Regular intake of coffee and tea
Almost 200 pages of reading
'Great Irish Speeches,' if you're wondering
Read as the washing machine rocked and rolled
A reminder of Irish history
While rehydrating and recovering
I'll stay home Saturday, sheep in its fold
And maybe I'll be better by Sunday
Fri 15 Oct

1501 - Bogey man

Train trip to Nottingham for a meeting
I walked by the canal to the office
Close to the castle where, maybe, fighting
Back in medieval times had taken place
But all day long I've had to wipe my face
With just about anything I could find
These germs I must have picked up on the bus
Or plane, or foreign bed; my nose is kind
Of sore, kind of red raw. As the train wound
Its way along the track, I kept popping
Into the small toilet to blow my nose
And take out piles of tissue by the pound
Throughout the meeting, too, I was wiping
My nose. Who knows? Friday, I might feel worse
Thur 14 Oct

1500 - Does not compute

My Dell laptop is now on life support
I took it to be repaired in Salford
This evening. Later, he rang back, and talked
About my infected hard drive. I thought
It was protected, but I should've bought
Good quality software; rely on free
Stuff and you could regret it. He'll report
Back tomorrow. So will my laptop be
Resuscitated, working completely
Or will I be on eBay? Can't afford
Any more expense this month. Checked the card
I used so heavily back in Turkey
Was blocked from further use, else the Turks could
Extract yet more funds. They can't, and that's good
Wed 13 Oct

1499 - Arrivederci Athens

Decent sleep on the top bunk in Athens
The Easy Access Hotel, once again
On Satovriandou Street, whores and their friends
Sit at tables. Nearby, into a vein
A woman shoots up in a doorway. Rain
Last night, but was it enough to wash all
That should be washed quite safely down the drain?
Train to the airport, suitcase really full
Heavy with dodgy carpet, hard to haul
Up kerbs and up steps from railway platforms
I got home to find my computer's gone
Not stolen - just no longer usable
Before the holiday there had been signs
It was about to go. More expense, then
Tue 12 Oct

1498 - Athena again

On the night bus from Turkey, was pissed off
By some loud-mouthed Turk blokes. I know the type
My Turkish ex-neighbour had the same laugh
And inconsiderate nature. Frequent stops
For cigarettes and maybe an ass-wipe
Athens was traffic-choked - no surprise there
Chaos on Ermou - taxi, motorbike
Bus and death wish pedestrians appear
And vanish in smoke, gone to who knows where
This last proper day not quite long enough
To see it all. Keramikos, then hyped
Acropolis, and Ancient Agora

The Parthenon was looking rather rough

My feet are aching now, but mustn't gripe!

1497 - Ten Ten Ten

Today is Ten Ten Ten: 10th October
And it deserves a ten for excitement
And even danger. Stranger days never -
Well, hardly ever - no, never happened
After posting last night's sonnet, I went
Out just for a five minute walk to draw
Out a little cash for the restaurant
In the hostel in Istanbul. My law
- Having bought carpets - was to spend no more
But on my short walk I met ("from Ankara")
Two guys who said, "Let's have a drink..." I went.
To cut a long story short, met a whore
In an expensive club; danced, drank with her.
Then, a hotel. By this is madness meant!

1496 - Taken for a carpet ride

Crossed into Turkey 3.30 am
Got off the bus and queued for passport checks
A visa 15 euros please sir. When
Will they stop fleecing me... OK - now let's
Go from Greece like lightning. Istanbul - it's
Cold and damp. Dragged my suitcase all the way
To Topkapi but it's Sultanahmet
I wanted. Got the tram the other way
Nine stops in no time standing all the way
Checked in - saw the Blue Mosque. Loudly heard them
Calling the faithful through loudspeakers. Text
Of Islamic prayers wailed beautifully
Ayia Sofia twenty lira! Then
Was sold some extremely costly carpets

1495 - It's a long way, to Thessaloniki

A good day spent in Thessaloniki
Capital of Greek Macedonia
Its name translates 'Thessaly victory'
She was also a queen and after her
The new town was named - and nearby Pella
Was Alexander's birthplace; he conquered
As far east as the Indus. Even there
He wanted more but it was not granted.
The whole day with Dan and Fle - German friends -
Fle is short for Fleming. Sat by the sea -
Pavement cafe tables. Also where
Girls go by - Navarinou Street. Flocks. Herds
Of them. Went round the Archaeology
Museum. Now - night bus to Turkey - yeah!

1494 - Long day's journey into Greek night

Thessaloniki - six hours from Athens
By bus. The weather has turned wet and grey
Nevertheless the day's turned out quite fun
I walked along the sea front and saw a
Statue of Alex the Great sat on a
Stone horse - of course. The rain was relentless
Umbrellas were de rigueur; I saw they
Had them but didn't care - couldn't care less
I walked the shoreline. Aristotelous
Square commercialised but Greek girls were some
Sight for sore eyes. Me and two Germans - hey
Let's get pissed - and we did. Discussed the best
Things possible. Economics. Women.
Tomorrow - well that's just another day

1493 - Zeus launches lightning strike on Apollo's shrine

I went with my room-mate to old Delphi
It's on the slopes of famed Mount Parnassos
First, though, we had to find Terminal B
Bus station in north Athens. Getting lost
Is easy in this town. Delphi's the most
Amazing set of ruins. Sybil's Rock
Would be enough for me, but there's a host
Of sacred stones, temples... A theatre, look!
I was all the way up when thunder struck -
Zeus missed me, but the downpour, that drenched me!
The pines offered no shelter; dangerous
Conditions forced a quick descent down rock-
Strewn paths streaming with mud. Throughout the three
Hour bus ride back I shivered in wet clothes

1492 - Greeced lightning

Despite 1492 being big
As years go, specially Spain's 'Reconquista'
And Chris Columbus successfully rigged
Up for his crossing to America
Despite this, and that, Greece now looms larger
Extremely large, cos I'm there, physically
In Athens tonight, off Omonia
Square - the red light district, predictably
Well cheap hostels, they often tend to be
Like the one in Madrid last year - am frig-
In knackered; rose at 4 a.m. The air-
Plane flew at 7. Monasteriki,
Syntagma, Parthenon all seen. A prick
At the tattoo shop, too. Great, to be fair

My next post (or seven) - the odyssey

Just to let y'all know I'm off to Athens and Thessaloniki, Greece, and have tentative plans to pop into Sofia, Bulgaria, en route to Istanbul, Turkey.

If I see an internet cafe I'll try to post stuff.

The photots should be viewable from around 13 October on Facebook / Tony Baxter (Manchester) - the one with the close-up face as his main picture!

I shall return!
Hasta la vista, baby!
Au revoir, mes amis!
(I don't know any Greek, sorry.....)

1491 - Greece my palm

My thoughts are turning more and more to Greece
Though as I write this, I'm still here working
This unloved, disrespected tax office
And others like it had a battering
In the media this last month, the fault being
Some people had been paid too much credit
And we asked for it back. I'm not working
In that part of the department; I sit
In the oils excise duty team, that's split
Between here and London. Today I greased
My palm with euros, which I'll be spending
As I travel by train and bus, and eat
Thriftily, I hope. I mustn't get fleeced
My growing debt will soon need repaying

1490 - Not so sunny Sunday

I’m writing this in total peace and quiet
Well, it’s quite quiet, apart from a noisy
Dog outside. Got a new Wilson Pickett
CD to play, and then I think I’ll see
‘Control’ with the director’s commentary
On DVD. Then, Match of the Day 2
Liverpool lost at home to Blackpool! The
Ryder Cup golf has mainly made the news
Because of heavy rainfall. Play lasts through
Monday, having to finish a day late
The Commonwealth Games began in Delhi
It’s dark by seven now, and that tells you
To close curtains, turn heat on for comfort
But I’ll hope for some Greek sun from Tuesday

1489 - All over the place

Three weeks to read three books is not enough
Time; I’m still reading Carol Ann Duffy
So I renewed them all, because I’m off
To Greece in three days’ time. Should be lovely!
I hope the train to Thessaloniki
Is running, and from there to Bulgaria
And from there to Istanbul in Turkey
(News of transport workers’ strikes, it scares ya…)
Meanwhile, today, took the train to Cheshire
To see my Josie; bike rides, food and stuff
There’s a waitress at Ned Yates who likes me
And, as is the way, well, I quite like her
But she’s too young, like Hannah. Must be tough
And find someone who’s really right for me

1488 - New dawn of hope and slavery

This is about the great navigators
From Portugal, newly independent
Henry, the third son of King John the First
Known as ‘The Navigator,’ well he meant
To bypass North Africa, and prevent
Those dangerous Moors from robbing, kidnapping
And stopping trade with India, the land
Of spices. Venice, monopolising
The land route, also deterred such trading
So mainly from economic factors
Light caravels were built, and many sent
To gold and slave-rich shores, Henry storing
Wealth up in Lagos, enabling Dias
And Da Gama to sail the Cape’s current