Ooh where are the holidays...

Thought I'd have a bit of a moan today. Allow me to indulge. Nothing refreshes like a good whinge.

When will all this credit crunch palaver be over?

One misses the joys of shopping, eating out and of course foreign travel. Itz so bad at the minute- there are hardly any travel programmes on telly. Bring back Judith Chalmers. (Maybe I should e- mail ITV. I'm starting to show a wee bit of initiative- and recently e-mailed the local council here with my great idea for a food and drink festival. I have loads of other great ideas- he thinks-I can't wait for "Ant and Dec" to get in touch).

Anyway, back to the travel- or lack thereof. Reading recently about what-to-do-in Budapest got my juices flowing. Been once and thoroughly enjoyed it- though it was in the middle of winter. The grandness of the architecture, the coffee houses, the parks, the baths (of course, I was too bashful to strip and jump in) and the warm and friendly people.

So now I read about a lovely park close to Vaci Utca- the main shopping thoroughfare. There's also "Margit-sziget" a lovely park on an island between Buda and Pest with great views of both. And no, like everyone else, I don't know my Buda from my Pest- "non importa".

Maybe eat-out at "Sir Lancelot" on Podmaniczky U, 14- where you're expected to eat with your fingers- and on some nights, I'm informed that there's fencing between the tables!

Next to the Academy of Music, is "Magdalena Merio" which sounds fantastic. Or perhaps a visit to "Oreg Halasz" for excellent fish dishes or goulash.

For the kids there's "Olomkatonak" an old toyshop on Terez krt 32. And the "Liszt Ferencter", for frequent coffee refuelling stops- a must for any tourist worth their airmiles.


All of that would suit me nicely.

For those who want the more familiar- I suppose there's always the "Place de la Liberte" the local square in Sarlat- where the market is held wednesday and saturday- where one can enjoy a bit of foie gras with bread and wine- on the spot. And then the customary trip down the Dordogne in a canoe. But of course.

Come on politicians- I don't care what party or persuasion- get the people travelling again.

All this Milliband Palaver

This from our work notice board- where we post our thoughts for the day-

Ed (not Balls) inches ahead in race to challenge David (not Milliband). But will Yvette (who is Balls with another name) get chancellor job ahead of Ed (not Milliband). And what on earth will David (Ed's brother) do next? It all sounds like one great big Ed (not Milliband) ache to me.

Dee.