STREET (de)SIGNS..

As you wander any part of the planet you are surrounded by street signs and furniture. In a short leap of time since the first formal signs started going up in the world we now have literally thousands of varieties of sign that say essentially the same thing but in different languages, with different graphic design and in different colours.. How come?

I'm going to make an effort to start taking lots more photos of these things on my travels from now on. You could easily start a blog just about the photos you gather as you wander (in fact someone did right here) - but I'm not going to do that. If you do have an urge to upload pictures, live or travel in the US and they are of older signs you can do that here.

Instead, I travelled the world today sat behind my 21" screen armed with Google Images to bring you a quick bunch of sign images that struck me as particularly well designed.. So, here they are..

And from New York, a series of Haiku styled road signs to make people think..

Not so 'well designed' but at least it does what it says on the tin.. of paint that was used to do it?!

And this has to be included as a statement of the obvious and scare tactic..

And that's that.

Except for this. A very funny story about one of my favourite roads and an artist who did a piece of "guerilla public service" or "public service performance". 10 out of 10 to him. Los Angeles was transformed forever.

  

PARIS...

..and so 7 July sees me travelling back to Paris, a sort of delayed business trip, re-arranged from a meeting in a bland glass office at Brussels airport to a much more likeable location, and an excuse for me and my partner in crime/life and all other things to spend a few days in a warmer city than our windy Yorkshire farmhouse..

I have been doing my fair share of last minute reading up on the latest clubs and restaurants etc on the web and this struck me as a great new site being developed by a load of freelance bloggers:
http://www.breakintoparis.com

It carried an article about Paris coffee shops/patissieres that was very interesting and carried the unforgetable and wholly agreeable line.. " Regardless of your reasoning, please, do not go to Starbucks! Like hooking up with an ex, you will regret it! And if you don’t, you should."

and so, to Paris.. a tout a l'heure....

CENTRE OF THE WORLD...

On a recent trip to America Polko and Mrs Polko found ourselves in the middle of nowhere but at the centre of everywhere. We were on a drive from California to Phoenix, Arizona.

At the Desert Centre Store and Cafe (Interstate 10/highway 60) to be exact..

The road in was long and very atmospheric as we drove through a desert storm..

Then an oasis appeared..

With little sign of life..



But the most amazing retro fuel pumps I've ever seen on my US travels..




Here Mrs Polko tries to hijack the picture with her chicken bag (which strangely seems to pop up wherever we are in the world)..


The road continued, for 160 miles until Wickenburg (a strange sleepy place surrounded by nothing but trailer park towns, but that's a different story for a different day)..


The Desert Center Cafe is in fact responsible for feeding the workers that built the great Californian Desert Aquaduct, bringing water to parts of the west coast that would have been bypassed otherwise. Also, during the Second World War 1 million+ US troops were trained in this area by General Patton.

As the information board says..

OPEN 24 HOURS A DAY
7 DAYS A WEEK
SINCE 1922
WE NEVER CLOSE

More? Here's a link then - Desert Center Wapedia entry
The Google Map satellite image is spectacular - stick the address (Highway 60 Desert Center, CA 92239) into Google Maps here

MOO!

One of my facebook friends is more of an active environmentalist than me - given she runs a very reputable environmental economics business.. I used to be but these days have fallen into the shameful world of property development. Somebody has to. Actually, most of the people I work with are very much into green buildings these days and there is a lot to be said for building places where people can work. It'd be a strange world that was thriving environmentally and on its knees economically?

So, in a vain attempt at trying to offset my actions in a carbon-neutral kind of way (tongue firmly in cheek) I am posting a link to an excellent blog that everybody reading this should go and check out. To be honest, it's better than spending your time reading my twoddle!

http://cowburps.wordpress.com/

In other news, I have just come back from a most enjoyable weekend away in Birmingham.

Once a city that nobody wanted to go to (and I should know, I spent two or three years travelling backwards and forwards to work there during the week - not once did I even think about moving permanently and I only ever spent one weekend there in that whole time) it now makes for a very enjoyable weekend away. Good shops, Illy coffee bars in art galleries, great food, hotels and - something I've always strangely found about the city - it was warmer and sunnier than from whence I had come!

I still wouldn't sell up and move there though?

SW1

Belgravia. 09:00. Ebury & Elizabeth Street corner. Coffee and Croissants.

I'm in London most of this week and it's great to be staying in Belgravia where independent shops and eateries abound. On the corner, just past Ebury Mews is a great, friendly coffee house called tomtom that has a table full of the best croissants this side of the English Channel, & pots of jam, honey and warmed butter. Partner that with the early morning sun and strong coffee as a dip and you're in heaven!

Just a quick signposting blog for others to find this gem.

More when home and not tapping this out on a mobile phone!

EN ROUTE

A very short post, made on my phone whilst travelling in Slovakia. today we have stopped for 1 night in Zvolen...

If you can, get here. Spend a few nights.

Lovely Middle European Square, beers and wine at less than a euro a glass, great food at the Hotel Polana... I have just enjoyed a bottle of Chateau Boutailley from Bordeaux for a knock down 13,5 euros.. well recommended by Polko.

Polko is planning a trip with some close friends for a special weekend soon.

RAMBLIN' ON

Only a few days to go until I am back on my travels. This time is interesting as I will be with Mrs Polko (usually the case), Mr Polko the Elder and Mrs Polko the Elder. DON'T PANIC, I am not descending into a Tolkien-esque fantasy game of elves and trolls, Elders and scrolls (though that would be fun too). I am away on holiday for 10 days with my parents - their idea to go whitewater rafting at the ages of 70 and 73.. Great. No chance of backing out then!

The real reason I am very much looking forward to this trip is that I shall be meeting up with old friends in Slovakia for the first time in 15 years. I used to lecture in Bratislava as part of my Jean Monnet (European) lectureship in Economics - a job that took me to Bratislava, Budapest, Caen and Murcia as well as Manchester. Which was nice. One person will not be there, but she is now living in New York - which is as good an excuse as any to plan a visit there too - as if Polko needs an excuse! Ramblin' is one of the things I seem to do best.

Cue the music – click the link and read along to the soundtrack!

It all started when I was around one apparently, though I don't have many recollections of this. Obviously. The Polko Elders travelled every year - working hard in between given that Mr Polko The Elder started his first business when Polko was 2 months old. Talk about risk taking (but then sometimes you've got to make the big bold moves in life). Later we would travel more than once a year, taking Polko and Brother Polko to almost every country in Europe, Polko to Scotland once a year for ice hockey training and lots of places in Britain in between.

Then I turned 17, left sixth form (A Levels for those outside Britain) early as it wasn’t the place for me – nor any other free-minded individual it would seem as many more left after me – and I ended up in London. Once I had worked the ‘streets of gold’ syndrome out of my blood I got back into the educational betterment way of life again and travelled in between college days – again throughout Europe mainly. Ten weeks around Turkey during the first Gulf War was exciting though. Polko and Scouse Polko (former girlfriend!) never made it to the Iranian border as planned. Luckily.

Jump forward a few years and I’m back working/lecturing/ramblin’ the Universities of Europe – followed shortly after by working in Brussels, Madrid and Hungary for a consultancy company. I escaped public sector employment before I got locked in with nothing to show for it but a final salary pension scheme and a colourless personality.

Since leaving the world of ordinary work for a much more rewarding but risky way of life I have continued my travels, for pleasure more than business these days but still as hooked as ever. St. Lucia, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Turin, Warsaw, New York. And the list goes on. Happily.

So, what’s it all about? Why am I going on about travel? I look back and think of all the people I have met, and the variety of cultures, backgrounds and mindsets each has brought me into contact with. From petrolhead Yanks in Hicksville parts of Arizona and California through amazing individuals that have challenged their brains and stamina from Eastern Europe to kindred spirits working for themselves in a similar vein to Polko Incorporated Industries (!) from Budapest to Dusseldorf and back again. Travel quite literally, but also emotionally, broadens the mind. Not a bad thing at all I say.

Polko Says… Life’s for living. Life’s for Ramblin’

Endnote: Thought I'd add this convenient plaque from Jean Monnet's grave - nice little summary of who he was for those that didn't know. A quiet but massively influential European citizen. Full wikipedia article here.