Just photos in this post, primarily as I can’t remember much about this zoo (I’ve been to so many that I’ve got them all muddled up now). Anyway, these are from my visit to Zagreb in 2016.
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Zagreb – Rocket Burger
My visit to this Zagreb location in 2016 and was part of my plan to always go to the best rated pizza and burger restaurants in every city I went to. I still sort of do this, although I can sometimes get a little distracted by craft beer…. Anyway, this restaurant is still one of the best reviewed in the city, so they’re clearly doing something right.
A bright decor, with a not overly done space theme. And a panda.
That’s half a litre of Bavaria lager, which tasted like most other European fizzy lagers. Incidentally, at the time (and perhaps now) this lager was actually cheaper than the soft drinks. They did though do a few bottled beers, including some Belgian beer, which they are still offering.
The double burger was deliciously meaty (which was handy since it was meat) and had a decent flavour to it, with the chips being nice and firm on the exterior. That’s about all I can remember, but I know I liked this restaurant and its laid-back atmosphere and friendly staff. The prices were a little expensive for Zagreb, but still moderate by international standards. I’m pleased that four years on the restaurant continues to be thriving and still on-trend.
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Zagreb – Museum of Broken Relationships (The Toaster)
Another exhibit from the Museum of Broken Relationships in Zagreb. The last photo I posted (Snoopy) was quite sad, but this ending of a perhaps once happy relationship has a more comedic side. The exhibit panel reads:
“When I moved out, and across the country, I took the toaster. That’ll show you. How are you going to toast anything now?”
The relationship was in Denver, Colorado, between 2006 and 2010.
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Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue – Day 237
The Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue was first published at the end of the eighteenth century, and given that the current health crisis is giving too much time to read books, I thought I’d pick a daily word from it until I got bored….
Ottomy
This is defined by Grose as “the vulgar word for a skeleton”, although I’m not convinced that it’s actually that vulgar. The word is now archaic, but it was also spelled as ‘Otomy’, which is the explanation from where it likely came. That’s from the Greek word for cutting and words ending in ‘otomy’ generally mean cutting into something. And there’s not much more than can be cut away on a skeleton….. Most European languages have a word similar to skeleton, but this is a nicer one, it’s a shame this word didn’t take over I think.
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Norwich – Earlham Cemetery (David McSweeny)
This is one of the earliest graves in the old military burial area at Earlham Cemetery in Norwich. This story particularly interested me as the funeral was so well covered in the local press that it gave me quite a picture of what the burial must have been like.
It’s not clear whether it’s David McSweeny or David McSweeney, I suspect it’s the latter, although the grave uses the former spelling. He was born in around 1839 and he joined the military in 1858, serving in the 7th Queen’s Own Hussars and he had reached the rank of Paymaster Sergeant.
It is the death of David that received much local press attention, including the inquest and the burial of his body. On the evening of 24 June 1875, he was in a rowing boat with his friend David Couper and they were nearby to St. Anne’s Staithe in Norwich (pretty much opposite the Queen of Iceni, nearby to the new St. Anne’s housing development) when a steamer hit them. David’s body was pulled out of the water a few minutes later, but he was already dead, aged just 36.
A coroner’s court took place in July 1875 at the Cinder Oven pub on King Street, in Norwich (a building now demolished, but it once jutted on to the city wall near to the Carrow Bridge boom tower). The Deputy Coroner heard evidence from numerous witnesses, but there was confusion as to how David had fallen into the water and died. Captain Thompson from the army said “it seemed rather odd that no-one appeared to see the deceased get into the water”.
One of the witnesses was WR L’Estrange, a brewer at the Bullards brewery, who said that there was no need for David to have jumped into the water as he would have been safe given the low speed of the steamer. When asked, he put his decision to jump as being “out of terror”. Captain Thompson confirmed that David hadn’t drunk alcohol for 15 years as he was tee-total, so a poor decision due to drink was ruled out, and he also confirmed that David was able to swim. The whole thing was a bit of a mystery and a verdict of accidental drowning was given.
David wasn’t married, but the non-commissioned officers clubbed together to pay for a headstone for him, a rather lovely gesture. And this is how the Norfolk News reported David’s funeral:
“On Monday afternoon, the remains of the Sergeant were interred at the Norwich Cemetery. The firing party was followed by the body of the deceased borne on a gun-carriage, the coffin being covered by a velvet pall upheld at the sides by six Sergeants of the regiment. Next came deceased’s charger, followed by the men of the troop. The military procession was succeeded by three mourning-coaches containing the relatives and friends of the deceased, who was unmarried. The bands of the regiment played a dead march, and several thousand persons assembled to watch the mournful procession on its route to the place of burial”.
The thought of that number of people watching and paying their respects is quite a picture to build up in the mind. The backdrop to this though is that the military were held in high repute by most locals and the period when David died was one where there were relatively few British military deaths. Over 10,000 had lost their lives in the Indian Rebellion in the 1850s, but the next major loss of life wasn’t until the late 1870s with the Second Anglo-Afghan War and the Anglo-Zulu War.
This does all mean that although David died relatively young at 36, his death was at least marked with respect and dignity.
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Zagreb – Museum of Broken Relationships (Snoopy)
My visit to Zagreb was a few years ago, but this is the Museum of Broken Relationships, a cheery little museum which is quite a beautiful idea I think. And it’s still going strong.
“He gave Snoopy to me on my 17th birthday. We had fallen in love six months before, on October 5 1981. Thirty years later, we have three sons, a house, etc. He fell in love with another woman and he chose her. He broke my heart. He said that for thirty years he hadn’t loved me at all. I just don’t understand”.
I found the whole museum quite addictive, the messages verge from sadness with this one to those which are rather more vengeful and angry. All quite thought provoking really.
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London – Southwark (Borough of) – The Old Salt Quay
This visit to the Old Salt Quay (or just Salt Quay, I’m not quite sure what name they prefer) pre-dates 2020 and the current restrictions, and the photos were also taken on my older phone, so the quality isn’t great. Anyway, this is a Greene King pub located in a former warehouse by the River Thames.
I liked the interior, it was spacious, interesting and clean, so all perfectly welcoming. There’s also further seating on the first floor, although that was closed off when I visited.
I confess that this is Greene King IPA and I remember it tasted exactly as Greene King IPA is designed to taste, so I can’t really blame the pub for that.
The chicken burger, all nicely presented, hot, perfectly reasonable quality.
The reviews are mixed, although I noted this one:
“My friends and I went to have a drink and something to eat . We go id’d on the door the man on the door knows us as we are regulars at this pub.”
Which got the beautiful response from the pub of:
“Unfortunately, the “man on the door” is not proof of ID.”
Or the customer who posted:
“Called into Salt Quay 12:30 on Thursday with my family and asked for a Cappuccino. The barman tutted, rolled his eyes and shook his head.”
I accept that’s not great customer service, but I’m secretly a little impressed. But I shouldn’t be. In response to another customer, the pub noted:
“We do have some staffing challenges at the moment, but we are trying to sort these out at haste!”
That’s honest from the pub, I like that as well. This comment from a customer shouldn’t have also amused me, but it did, solely because I’ve built up a picture in my mind about this. I have a vivid imagination I think.
“It was also freezing with the security guards opening and closing the doors every 5 minutes because they had absolutely nothing better to do.”
But, this is my most favourite response of all from the pub to a customer:
“I must disagree with your review for the simple fact that your narration does NOT correspond to the truth.
Allow me to use this space primarily to apologize once again with all the guests present in the Pub during your presence.
You phoned the pub check availability for 25 people within half an hour of arrival, the person speaking on the phone was told that unfortunately the pub was fully booking.
This is the case on Sunday’s at this time of year. Almost after about 15 minutes from your phone call, you entered the pub without even responding to our welcome greeting of a member of your group, after ignoring the blackboard at the entrance that stated “before going to the first floor wait to speak with a staff member because the room is reserved “.
We had drawn your attention and I had personally reaffirmed the state of affairs of our availability. I suggested you wait and occupy the tables that would be liberated in time. So you did, except then began to approach the tables already occupied by guests who were dining and drinking and you invited MY guests to leave the table for you, this for me is unacceptable. I pointed out that it was not an acceptable method and that for any request you should have referred to myself or another member of staff, instead you ignored my request and you had resulted to your personal “hunting” for a table.
At that point, perhaps, I may have become a bit rude, but I can not allow my guests to be harassed during a moment of pleasure and relaxation. I would have done the same thing if anyone else had the same attitude towards you.
Thank you for your time and God bless you.”
That ‘God bless you’ at the end is rather beautiful, and this sounds a most exciting afternoon for the staff.
I’m not sure that I’d say this is a pub worth travelling far to get it, as Greene King’s turnkey operation means their pubs are often all a bit too samey and bland. But, the staff were friendly, it felt a safe environment and it’s a perfectly good option for anyone in the area. It’s an interesting building though, with decent views over the Thames and apparently (CAMRA say this, I trust them) the carveries on Sunday are first class.
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Norwich – Earlham Cemetery (Walter Peter Smith)
This is the grave of Walter Peter Smith, located in the old war graves area of Earlham Cemetery. Unfortunately, there’s not much of a story here, other than some sympathy to anyone called Smith who is trying to research their family history.
I do know that Walter was born in the third quarter of 1893 and he married Rachel Bailey on 9 May 1915 in St. Augustine’s Church in Norwich. And I know that on 31 March 1915, he joined the 5th battalion of the Coldstream Guards with service number 15935. Walter died on either the 10 February or the 11 February 1916 (different dates for this, but I assume it’s the latter since that’s what is on his grave) at the age of 23.
His grave, which predated the CWGC stones, was erected by his wife, at that point living in New Catton. The reason for such a short story here is that Walter’s war records haven’t survived (other than for a single page from the Coldstream Guards records) and there are three Walter Smiths in Norwich at that time and it’s not clear to me which is which. Which is moderately annoying, but a usual challenge for those with this surname. Anyway, maybe I’ll work out more one day…..
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Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue – Day 236
The Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue was first published at the end of the eighteenth century, and given that the current health crisis is giving too much time to read books, I thought I’d pick a daily word from it until I got bored….
Open Arse
This perhaps less than classy phrase is defined by Grose as “a medlar”, which is a small tree. It has fruit which are a little similar to apples, but they must be picked and left to, well, go a bit off before eating them. This is perhaps less interesting than the fact that the word to describe this tree’s appearance dates back over 1,000 years and was originally ‘openaers’ or ‘openears’, with ‘ears’ being another word for arse. I find it a little bizarre that this phrase has this kind of etymological heritage, although it wouldn’t have been seen as offensive in the past as some might find it today.
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The Magic of British Gas…..
This is another one of my irrelevant posts, which seem to be no less frequent recently 🙂
In late 2019, British Gas tried to get me to change to their “best value” fixed tariff rate, but I ignored their e-mails and letters as the price was more expensive than the flexible rate. It came to pass that if I had switched to their best value tariff, it would have cost me £25 more this year. I had wondered why they were so keen to get me to switch, although it makes sense now.
And, this is today’s little treat of an e-mail:
“Our cheapest like-for-like tariff is only an estimated £171.24.”
Then telling me that if I don’t sign up for this tariff soon I could end up paying £153.23 for the year. Hmmm. There is a big auto-switch button on the e-mail to click, which is located at the top, with these figures shoved at the base of the e-mail. Now, British Gas will claim that their more expensive rate is guaranteed to stay the same to allow me to forward plan, but that expensive rate also locks me in and there’s a charge of £30 to leave. I can leave their flexible rate at any time and without charge.
This is really sharp practice IMO, stating that the cheapest rate is available by just clicking a button, hoping people don’t scroll down. Although I’m more concerned currently that my electricity bill has soared to over £10 per month, that’s a by-product of not travelling as much :/
