volcanic ash

wisteria53

Having seen that someone else mentioned it [knitting discussion](http://www.stroudgreen.org/discussion/1850/2/any-good-knitting-groupscourses/#Item_16), I wonder how many other Stroud Greeners (greenies? greenistas? SG orgiastes?) are stranded elsewhere in the world. I know of 3 others here in Italy.

miss annie

Don't know anyone who is stranded but I'm beyond fascinated by the volcanic ash. Mother Nature's having a right old tantrum lately - floods, earthquakes and volcanos!

ActionVerb

Our ringer for a corporate 5-aside event couldn't get his flight yesterday and we consequently lost. Karma.

graeme

I've got two of my Dad's Canadian cousins who are stranded and are now staying with me in my 1 bedroom flat indefinitely. If you see an odd looking trio in the Noble, come say 'Do you want a beer, eh?'

And I'm looking after my friends Labrador from Monday - Wednesday. Gonna be cosy.

krappyrubsnif

I am stuck in Italy too. Too bad. Shall we get together for a festa? How's the pasta ai fungi going down Wisteria?

andy

It's weird. Like Ming the Merciless is dialling the weather. 

Gas Powered Ninja

One of my contractors is stuck in Tronhiem, where he has both Volcanic Ash AND a Blizzard.

He wasn't best pleased when he called at 8 this morning, to put it mildly.

bennyfromtheblok

I just made it back from Madrid! Allegedly stranded yesterday evening but me and 2 colleagues legged it to the train station and jumped on the overnight to Paris. Jamon Serrano sandwiches, a tortilla and 3 bottles of Rioja got us to sleep and we woke up in Paris. My colleague had booked us our Eurostar tickets using the work laptop on the train and we got back about 3pm.
We are the talk of our office which is annoying as I was hoping to sneak off early today.

Ian

Get settled in folks, could be no flights for some days yet. Luckily I never got round to booking my Spanish flights for this weekend.

Jenowl

We were supposed to be house sitting for relatives this weekend. We are no longer required because their flights were cancelled due to the volcanic ash. They were going to Pompeii.

dorothy

I'm stuck in Austria, bit draggy now. Been in the lake, up the mountain, to the opera, had the strudel, now run out of clean clothes There are lots of us stranded, it's all gone a bit Agatha Christie in my hotel.

I miss Stroud Green.

David

At least you've got internet access dorothy! Where in Austria? I suggest moving onto the germknödel's til its cleared.

Marquis

Don't think I have EVER seen a plain blue sky like this, no stripes anywhere! Seriously flabbergasted.

Billy Bookcase

Kew Gardens was even worth the price of admission.
No aircraft every 45 seconds.

Ali

It is a real shame We are stuck on the beach in Penang 32 C bright sunshine. Brilliant hawkers up the Road for Dinner again tonight. Looking forward to letting the school know after having to write the beging letter to get some time off for the kids in the last week of Term !

krappyrubsnif

Have embarked on a 2,000 mile round trip by road from Rome to Normandy and then back again, to get Mrs K and K junior back to Blighty. That's what friends are for. At least I get to stay away for another week hope it's sunny

ShaunG

That's an interesting one Krappy. You putting them on a boat and then going back to continue holiday on your own?

dorothy

The yeasty, fruit filled dumplings are yummy @David. I'm in Carinthia. I just want a pizza from Stroud Green Road now though. Anyone of them will do. Think I'll have to train it up.

Ian

@dorothy. Anyone? Are you sure - you feel equally between Pappagone, Porchetta and Venezia? This is a new position in the argument we should explore... [seizes on opportunity to make crass attempt to revive multiple pizza threads passim]

dorothy

Actually that Porchetta one is a bit wet and sloppy. Didn't want to say.

I'd still have it over the tranche of milk veal or poached carp which I'm going to have later.

krappyrubsnif

Poached carp.....the one where you cook it for 4 hours on a plank and then eat the plank?

I am a bit bored driving thru France but snails & Calvados beckon later.

@ShaunG someone has to drive the hire car back

wisteria53

@KRS: We did that but then got to Calais to have the Hertz lady say "you are not returning zee car? But we have lots of cars from Italy here....". Our friend is also driving all the way back to Italy as he left his bags there. Wish we were still in Italy having a lovely meal with friends rather than sitting in London Victoria bound train at Dover.

Alex

I'm stuck in Chicago for an extra week - can't fly back until Friday at the earliest. Observing from afar, I'm not sure what's weirder - the volcanic ash story or Nick Clegg being hailed as the Messiah.

tosscat

I'm in Madrid and booked on the sleeper at the earliest opportunity - the 26th!

Just gonna eat lids.

Ali

Hope we get back in time for the election. Bit worried about Clegg, I want to vote for our current MP but am worried that I might be letting in Cameron etc. I hope the Libdems make clear what their intention are before th day or I might have to vote Labour to be sure as ours is a marginl seat

Arkady

What seat are you in Ali?

ADGS

Why on Earth would the Lib Dems make clear their intentions ahead of time? If you're potentially in a position to play kingmaker, you should maintain scrupulous neutrality in order to extract maximum concessions as both parties try to woo you.

Arkady

Quite. It would be suicide for them to join with the Tories in anything other than a government of national unity though. Latest poll: Lib Dems 33%, Conservatives 32% and Labour 26%. In terms of seats: Labour 247, Tories 239, Lib Dems just 132 seats <http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/apr/19/general-election-2010-live-blog>; Can't help but think that this will be the last First-Past-The-Post election in this country, the above result would be outrageous. A

miss annie

Is there an all purpose Election thread for this sort of thing?

Tallboy

@ Arkady - I have a netiquette guide with your name on it.

Arkady

:-) Anyway, I got called an idiot and a bully for raising issues of netiquette, I figured it was OK to go with the flow as suggested by our noble moderator.