I’m not a great fan of, or participant, when it comes to organised trips. I hate being herded around whilst someone carefully follows a script of ‘useful and interesting’ information (with the addition few well rehearsed gags) about all that we’re seeing and hearing. It’s all a little lazy, as an individual you lose any excitement, any sense of discovery, adventure and independence.

However, if you ever find yourself on the island of Lefkas I would strongly recommend that you take the Sunset and Stars trip which leaves Nidri quayside every Wednesday evening. It is fantastic. You sail to a lonely and isolated beach away from any light pollution, lay back and the brilliant guide explains all that sparkles above you in the dark night sky. The night I did this we tracked the International Space Station and the Endeavour Space Shuttle across the sky and I (very luckily, as not everyone got the chance) saw Saturn (and its rings!) through the telescope set up on the beach. I was like an excited child, it truly is something so wonderful. The whole evening is highly recommended…in the words of that great Greek Goddess, Nike, Just do it! J

Here’s some of the boat trip back to Lefkas….at the end of one of the best experiences I’ve ever had on holiday.

22nd July 2009.

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Beach atmosphere Nidri, people playing ‘bat and ball’ in the sea, motor boats towing water-skiers and para-gliders, general hubbub with gentle sea lapping. Happy, hot, sunny, carefree days.

24^th July 2009.

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Nidri quayside in the morning as the tourist boats leave.

There are a number interesting ways to explore the Greek islands, but the tourists in Nidri (who are mainly Greek, Italian, Swedish and Czech) seem to prefer taking one of the many day trip boats that leave the quayside at around 10am.

There are three large vessels which leave daily, the Makedonia Palace, the Eptanisos and the Nidri Star I, a few more interesting smaller boats and also a funny little Pirate ship…. All the three large boats do exactly the same journey, Porto Katsiki, Fiskado, Ithaka, Papanikolis Cave, Skorpios and then Madouri before returning to Nidri around 6.30pm when the tired tourists disembark and return to their hotels and apartments.

Before the boats depart crew members seem to be rounding up colleagues from bars and going to pick up others on their scooters and mopeds.

This recording is the short walk from the apartment I was staying in to the quayside, watching and listening to the mayhem as the passengers board before I head back home along the waterfront.

On this recording, the first boat to leave is the Makedonia Palace, then the Nidri Star I which comes very close to colliding with the Eptanisos (at 18’ 27”).

A very small amount of microphone handling noise near the end, apologies, and the photo is Nidri Quayside, at sunrise, much earlier that morning.

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A local man fishes, with a single line, on Nidri quayside...

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A frequent ferry runs between Nidri and the small towns of Spartahori and Vathi on the nearby island of Meganisi. The local inhabitants catch this as we would a bus here in the UK. It also transports lorries and cars and is obviously an important social and economic link between the islands.

The ferry is mainly used by Greeks (the many tourists tend to take the overpriced ‘excursion’ boats), and sailing on this ship is a great experience…a boat trip with the ‘locals’ for just 2 Euros.

Here’s a recording of the very animated conversation taking place between a group of elderly people as the vessel departs Nidri. I haven’t a clue what they’re saying!

24^th July 2009

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Squeaky pontoon, Nidri quayside Lefkas….

July 23rd 2009

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Here’s a mix of Cicadas recorded on the Greek Island of Lefkas. Some were recorded on a walk to the Vafkeri waterfall (latitude  38°43'17.99"N, longitude  20°41'35.28"E), near Nidri (latitude  38°42'13.51"N, longitude  20°42'31.15"E),  and few in the  main town Lefkada (latitude  38°50'0.96"N, longitude  20°42'26.49"E), on a hot, sleepy, Monday afternoon.

Recorded between 20^th July 2009 and 23^rd July 2009.

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A .wmv slideshow with some random audio...

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The fourth parade I’ve witnessed in as many Sundays and by far the best.

Last week I witnessed the abysmal Manchester International Festival parade, which seemed lacking in a theme, ideas and inspiration. It just had the feeling of a poorly conceived small town carnival parade. I’m sure a lot of hard work and effort went into its organisation, but if Manchester truly wants to be taken seriously on an international stage then the quality of these free non elitist public events needs some real improvement. Not an event of international standing by any stretch of the imagination, and not worthy of an audio file in my diary, how many recordings of mobile libraries driving carefully along Deansgate followed by hatchback cars does any person need or want! Sorry, really disappointing, poorly conceived and certainly not what was advertised in the brochure.

Which brings me to this, Brighton Carnival, where onlookers were bombarded with colour, noise, smiles and a true party atmosphere for nearly an hour. Quite possibly the best parade I’ve ever witnessed. A fun spectacle and something the organisers of other similar events should take as being the perfect template and something else Brighton can really be proud of. A city which knows how to throw a party/carnival/parade…

I enjoyed every minute of this parade and here’s one short clip, maybe others will follow, with some photos, in days to come. Brilliant and thank you…

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Well here’s that same Scottish pipe band again…a week or so later…I was busy in the studio preparing for my current show and in the distance I heard what is now becoming a strangely familiar sound. This time a parade through Manchester city centre, where they were joined by a few other pipe and some military bands. Here’s an edit of my new favourite band (!) and some of the others on parade that day, recorded from the window of my 3^rd floor city centre studio above the theatre..enjoy…

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