What's Happening???

Couldn't sleep.

 

Just got my first frame of pool this morning for a win! dude was pissed too he was killing me from the get go, good break and snooker me, had nothing give him a shot, cleans up all balls misses the 8 I come whack whack x7 had the confidence to draw right hand English to spin the cue ball back on an angle worked better than I though I had to put a lot of power into it, only angle I could have had on the 8. Sunk it!

 

Lost my second by a mm, full length shot slight face cut. Ohh it just missed. That was their best player and I almost got him. Got a perfect leave on the 8 too lol. Can't be upset with that.

 

Got my last frame! I beat arch nemesis Robin, she was the first proper player I ever played, older lady but state and national representitive matches are always fierce between us.

So first half of season I finished a dismal 4-18, I'm 4-2 to start second half. no wait.. Fuck that. I'm 4-2 last 2 weeks. That's good in this league.

 

You got good at pool in no time and to have the vision problem, too. It's just phenomenal!

 

Bored today by the pool not really my thing but I got a bottle of zubrowska in the room and a carton of aj so I might sneak off and have a read of my book on the balcony

 

For some reason now I feel like drinking some Port and listening to Fado

 

Too late for the book club convo about LotR/The hobbit...

I like to mention Beorn the man bear (no, no pig part) Just as cool as Bombadil in my book! And of course when mentioning worthy characters I soon wander off to the heroes of yore when Beleriand was still there and Durins halls were filled with joy and laughter and the sound of dwarf hammers... and the threat of fire and shadow was still forgotten

 

Ahh the Silmarillion

 

From ashes and fire be broken
A light from the shadows shall spring
Renewed shall be the blade that was broken
The crownless shall again be king

The world is grey, the mountains old
The forge's fire is ashen and cold
No harp is wrung, no hammer falls
The darkness dwells in Durin's halls

The shadow lies upon his tomb
But still the sunken stars appear
In the dark and windless Mirrormere
There lies his crown in water deep

'Til Durin wakes again from sleep
A deadly sword, a healing hand
A trumpet - voice, a burning hand
A lord of Wisdom...

Fire and shadow - both defied
In Khazad-Dum his wisdom died
In joy thou hast lived

If thou hearest the cry of the Gull on the shore
Thy soul shall then rest in the forest no more

 

Couple of things bugging me here ! This hotel was expensive (relatively ) so no need to charge 4.5 € for a beer in the pool bar that costs about 2 or 3 everywhere else
Plus it might be Portugal's idea of 5* but not really mine ?? And I promise I am not a snob, far from that

 

There's a great series of podcasts that discuss the Silmarillion in great detail. I really enjoyed the first couple segments parsing the Ainulindalë (Also hearing its pronunciation was helpful)

 

Tolkien was a true master of his craft.

 

I'm pretty sure The Fall of Gondolin got released this month. I'll have to see if I can get a hold of it. (A complete version beyond the one in Lost Tales)

 

I thought the fall of Gondolin was already described? Pretty sure I read about it in the Silmarrilion

Also: what is discussed in these podcasts and by who?

 

The fall of Turgon's tower



Gothmog, High Captain of Angband, at the storming of Gondolin

 

My understanding is it's a more complete telling of the tale and is being published by itself.

The podcasts are a class, so there's a professor and a group of students. So he kind of guides the discussion and answers questions... For example what role exactly did the Valar play in creation during their song? How does it fit in with Iluvatar's plan, and to what degree did the Valar have freewill in the creation? Stuff like that.

 

The answer !

 

Interesting. What's missing, what's bothering you?

Maybe it's not Portugal in general.
In Turkey I stayed in two 5* hotels. BUT the first one was waaaay better, nicer and much more comfortable than the one in Istanbul.
The service was just superior.
Actually, everything was.
The one in Istanbul was huuuuge, so maybe that was it. I dunno. The first one was in a smaller city.
But if I had to rate I definitely wouldn't rate them both equally.

 

Yeah I like Portugal so it's not that and I swear I can rough it with the best ( that's why I love Corfu so much ) but I have been in too many classy places to know the difference !
None of this has put me off the country just feel a cheaper hotel would have offered more from my experience