vagabondblogger

May 2010 Wallpaper / Screensaver

2010-05-01T03:11:00.000-04:00

"April showers bring May flowers."

A couple of blumenvasen for this month's calendar.

News

2010-04-29T11:53:00.000-04:00

A few non-funkengroovin items of note.

The New York Times has had two excellent articles recently:

Labor Protests Test Egypt’s Government
By MICHAEL SLACKMAN
Published: April 28, 2010

"In the past, the government has negotiated with workers, hoping to confine their demands to pocketbook issues, but there are signs that its patience is wearing thin."

More American Expatriates Give Up Citizenship
By BRIAN KNOWLTON
Published: April 25, 2010

"A growing number of overseas Americans are renouncing their citizenship over taxation and banking problems."

Lastly - if you know of any Americans living in Egypt of the Democratic persuasion (i.e. Obama supporters) please pass the word that Democrats Abroad Egypt is the place for them. You can direct them to the Facebook group, or the official Democrats Abroad link for Egypt.

April 2010 Wallpaper / Screensaver

2010-04-01T07:04:00.000-04:00

April calendar.

The first photo is an old VW Bus we spotted in Giza. The driver said he thought it might be an old military vehicle. The second photo is a hood ornament, from the car show in West Suffield, CT last summer.

Funkengroovin - Scenes From Giza 1

2010-03-24T02:42:00.000-04:00

We had guests here in Cairo, for spring break. Anyone who visits Cairo wants and should see the Pyramids. Most famous of all are the Giza Pyramids. The photos in this first set are our drive from Sakkara to Giza, late morning early afternoon. Most photos were taken through the window of our car, so the colors / shots are somewhat murky.

Below: Farmers on a donkey pulled cart pull over to allow a huge tour bus to pass. The road around Sakkara is dirt, and wide enough for two cars.

Below: A red Bus in Giza. Most Giza VW Buses are white. So this is unusual.

Below: On The Road.

Below: As usual, a VW Bus (people mover) drives through Giza town with it's side door open, making it easy for passengers to hop on and off.

Below 3 photos: "White Chickens" (the nickname for VW Buses in Giza) in action.

Below: Took several photos of this Bus to no avail. He has a horse on the front of his roof (click on the photo to enlarge it.)

Below: Finally, the road to the Pyramids. Another form of transportation. These buggies are a common site in the part of town near the Pyramids, and at the site, as well.

March 2010 Wallpaper / Screensaver

2010-03-09T07:38:00.000-05:00

"About Time!" You Say.

I tried, for several days last week, to load up a VW photos onto the site that makes the wallpaper, to no avail. It kept cropping the Packard photo, and VB just gave up on that and let it be. Finally today (and with a completely new VW photo) it worked. The first photo is a well cared for Splittie, we found here in Cairo, Egypt. Unfortunately, VB had to take it with the iPhone as there were just too many boabs and guards milling around. The second photo is of a 1935 Packard we saw at the annual Congamond Lake car show in West Suffield, CT this past year.

Apologies for the lateness of this posting.

Funkengroovin - Catching Up With Myself

2010-02-18T06:58:00.000-05:00

Since VB hasn't posted for a few weeks, it was time to catch up with the photos she had taken. Then after digging through the photo file and finding these, she thought, "that can't be, I've already posted those." So then she went back through her blogs to determine if she was being redundant, and found she was not.

The photos below start from the most recent ones taken with the Nikon to the last three, which are all taken with the iPhone.

Below: On the way home from Road 9 one day.

Below: Just across Port Said Street, not far from VB's apartment.

Below: On the highway.

Below: The dirt road near Carrefore.

Below 3 photos: Somewhere on the way home from Carrefore.

(Would like a better photo of this Beetle. It's kind of cool looking.)

Below 3 photos were taken with the iPhone. The 2 below are on Road 9.

Below: Another on the way home from Road 9. (Enlarge this to check out the fan on the dashboard.)

Feb. 17, 1972: Beetle Outruns Model T

February 2010 Wallpaper / Screensaver

2010-02-03T06:26:00.000-05:00

Better late than never.

VB forgot to post the new wallpaper / screensaver photos.

The first is a VW Beetle in an alley at The Khan. The second is a Nash Metropolitan at a Congamond Lake car show this past summer, in West Suffield, CT.

Funkengroovin - Two Blue Buses and Sleeping Dogs

2010-01-27T12:13:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, we walked over to the Degla part of Maadi (basically through the nearby roundabout). Out shopping, we passed two blue Buses (below: 4 photos.)

A new shop selling cheese has opened. VB's not sure when it opened, as she just returned to Cairo the third week of December. The cheese selection resembles what VB has seen at the Gourmet Egypt shop, near Carrefore.

Below: The open refrigerated shelves with pre-packaged cheeses, and jars of yogurt.

Below: The larger cheeses, behind the counter.

After checking out a few shops, we stopped at the "HubblyBubbly Cafe and Restaurant" for Lattes. They make it with illy. No sheesha for us on this date. Just coffee and conversation.

For some fun, more "dogs on cars". These photos were taken at The Khan. The woman in the blue scarf passed VB as she was taking a photo and remarked, 'You're taking a picture of a dog, why not me?"
VB's thought bubble answer, "You're not sleeping on a car now, are you."

Dimai - Part 2

2010-01-25T07:46:00.000-05:00

From Deir Abu-Lifa, we drove up farther into the hills. You can detect the road markers along our route.

Below: Two road signs. One for the Petrified Forest and the other which went to our left, directed visitors to Widan Elfaras an old stone quarry. We are headed to the Petrified Forest.

Below: As we sat on the edge of this small valley, VB told the driver that we had no wishes to re-enact Thelma and Louise. We drove down, and yes, between those rocks there is enough space for an SUV. On return, a good pace is needed to clip over the edge at the top of the hill.

Below: In the valley, looking back.

Below: This was as far as we could get due to the blowing sand the week before. You can see where the trail becomes too deep for travel.

Below: We left the valley, and a kilometer or so away we arrived at the Petrified forest. These remains are scattered throughout this area.

160 meters (524 feet) above sea level. Before descending we stop to enjoy the view.

Below: Another road sign, indicating the way down the mountain.

Finally, Dimai.

Below: The rooms of the castle.

Below: The walls of Dimai.

We lunched at Dimai, outside the walls, and decided to make a last minute stop to visit Lake Qarun. Both Qasr el-Sagha and Dimai are guarded by boabs. There is no entry fee, and not many visitors at all, but it is customary to tip the boab. We were completely alone to explore both sites - it doesn't get any better than that. It would have been nice to spend a bit more time at Dimai, but we had had a long day. Several cars of visitors arrived just as we were departing Dimai.

These are huge rock formations along the way to Lake Qarun. (The photos of Lake Qarun weren't very good.) Lake Qarun is 43 meters (49 feet) below sea level.

Below: Just outside of the cemetery, the drivers decide to race.

Below: Back to the City of the Dead (cemetery), and then home.

Qasr el Sagha and Dimai are great for day trips. The air is clean, and the skies are blue, something we don't get in Cairo. There's no gas stations once you get to the desert people, so make sure you have a full tank of gas, food and drinks. We took two cars, just in case of unexpected problems, like getting stuck in the sand. And a GPS also helps, which one of the drivers had. We had a great time and plan on doing it again when we have visitors. It's not far from Cairo, it's not crowded, and it's a bit of an adventure, as well.

Dimai - Part 1

2010-01-22T02:24:00.001-05:00

A bit over two weeks ago, we took a trip to Dimai, with a few short stops beforehand. Originally our first stop was to be the "castle" at Dimai. But, due to blowing sand the week before, and the route being muddled, we steered off to an alternate site. Our destination was still Dimai, but now it would be our last stop. The route we drove is similar to this map.

We left around 8:00AM and drove south along Dead Donkey Canal Road, through Giza on a road where a new water tower is being built.

When approached a newer City of The Dead (cemetery) along the same road, and turned into it, driving through.

The cemetery borders the desert, and we continued our drive in the desert until we came to a one lane road a few kilometers away.

Below: Here, we had been driving for awhile, and stopped to shoot photos of the scenery. It was foggy, and chilly. This one lane road is said to have been built for Mrs. Mubarak so she could take her friends to Dimai, Qasr el-Sagha, and Fayoum, President Mubarak's hometown. VB decided to call this road, "The Susan Mubarak Highway." VB's not sure what the road is called on maps, but it's in the middle of the desert, and seems to have just been plopped down, without any other road intersects at all (at least not on the parts we drove.) VB's not sure where the road ends either, as we strayed away. If memory serves, we were told The First Lady is flown in, and there did appear to be a small flat area nearby, and a watchtower which would be perfect for a helipad. (Sorry, no pics of it all.)

Yes, there is dew in the desert - see below.

After stopping, we get to some cement blocks lined up in a row, indicating a pipeline, and we turn, and drive along them, off road, for some distance. Turning, and winding through the desert, we arrive at Qasr el-Sagha, aka the Golden Temple.

As you can see from the photo above, there are two doors. The smaller door to the right was a lure for thieves wanting to raid the temple. It lead nowhere, as you can see below.

Rooms to the right were designated for specific gods. The room at the far end, leads to another room, with a hidden jail room, behind it. According to the guard, visitors would be greeted at the main door. They would present their problems to the greeter, and he would determine which god they needed to address their woes.

As usual, everyone likes to leave his / her mark after a visit to the temple.

Found items at the site.

After visiting Qasr el-Sagha we drove into the hills and arrived at Deir Abu Lifa, which at one time contained a monastery. We did not go caving, but did view these small cave-like areas on the hill. We were told they're all interconnected, but did not explore them. We took in the views, and us ladies found a couple of private spots to relieve ourselves.

Below: A close up of the formations. The stone looks like shale, is fragile and flakes easily.

Next Post, Part 2 (The Petrified Forest, and The Castle at Dimeh / Dimai.)

Funkengroovin To Dimai

2010-01-20T08:05:00.000-05:00

Before VB details her trip to Dimai, she figured she'd better get the Funkengroovin part out of the way. We drove to Dimai/Dimeh just over two weeks ago. We started out at 8:00 AM and returned home after 4:00 PM. The majority of our time we spent out in the desert, but on the way, we passed through Giza, the home of the "white chickens."

(Below): A Bus on Dead Donkey Canal Road (no dead donkeys seen this day.)

(Below 3 photos): Around Giza, as we make our way through. We hit Giza during morning rush hour.

And it was overcast and foggy. Some areas foggier than others.

(Below 2 photos): Bus stops in Giza.

(Below): Most white chickens have an open door policy.

(Below): Just before we drive into the desert.

(Below): On our return. When we left in the morning, it was foggy, and the Pyramids were hidden. The sun came out, the sky turned blue, and on our return we could see the Pyramids for several miles. We were so amazed even though we've visited them, and in trying to get passing shots, VB almost missed this broke down bus.

(Below 5 photos): Shots of buses and scenes from Giza.

(Below): Leaving Giza, and spotting a nice blue van.

(Below): VB turned to get a frontal photo of the blue van, but the combination of a sand covered window and a brilliant sun, totally obstructed her view.

Beware The Dark Alleys of Cairo

2010-01-18T07:50:00.000-05:00

About two weeks ago, we trekked down to Road 9, to do some last minute shopping for one of the kids. As usual we passed a VW parked on the street, so here's a few complimentary Bug photos since VB's been remiss at the Funkengroovin posts lately. (We had the whole family here for awhile, plus entertained another five people who are our neighbors back in Connecticut. So we've all been preoccupied.)

Below 3 photos: Different views of the same Beetle.

On our walk, we discovered the bakery at the Metro overpass had closed up shop. It always had full stands of bread and sweets. Then the bread riots came and VB heard they were baking bread for the government. As time went on, the amount of products they offered dwindled. And now this - nothing. So where to get freshly baked goods?

While we were shopping near the Metro Market area of Road 9, VB could smell some enticing odors coming from a dark alleyway. She looked up, saw a sign, and a man standing outside said, "bakery." It smelled so good, VB had to visit, even over the protests from the kids. So we went into the dark alleyway. Below: Wooden shelves containing some of the breads, and crackers, including bread sticks.

Looking beyond the the shelving a man was napping in an airy courtyard, where sheesha is served.

Below: Freshly baked rolls.

Below: The reason we ended up staying longer. They had a package of small pizzas made with puff pastry. The baker said he would have fresh ones coming out of the oven in a few minutes, and the kids wanted fresh, warm pizza. They didn't want to stop here to begin with, and now we have to wait so they can have it straight from the oven.

They also sell cookies exactly like Greek Koulourakia.

Below: These are called "S" and have an orange flavor. Others have anise, and some are slathered with sesame seeds (VB's favorite.)

Much of the cooking around the Middle East, southern and eastern Europe is so similar, probably due to the Ottomans who had control of the territories for ages. It's typically the first bits of a new language VB learns, since the words are so similar.

The bread below is called Tsorek, and tastes exactly like Greek Tsoureki, a bread usually baked for Easter.

Below: The shop sign. This has become one of VB's favorite food stops. Everything we've tasted is delicious, and disappears quickly. We left with two packages of small pizzas (about 2-3 dozen), one tsoureki, one batch of "S", two large fateers, and two packages chocolate filled eclairs and puff pastries, for less than 100LE (about $17.00). Quite a deal.

Most photos were taken with VB's iPhone, another one of her favorite things. (No this is not a copy of "Oprah's Favorite Things", but they "Good Things" too.)

Funkengroovin Around Town

2010-01-06T12:29:00.000-05:00

Back in Cairo getting a few shots of VWs. No news this week. It's been busy here, with the family visiting, holidays (Thursday is Coptic Christmas), and all that. So enjoy the pics. They're a mixed bag between my Nikon D40 and iPhone camera.

Below: As VB took this photo, the cop under the tree shouted, "NO PHOTOS!!!" VB replied, "SORRY!" And the next two cars were caught at the same roundabout too, but at different times / dates.

Below: VW Crossfox - just another VW not available in the USA.

Egyptian Pancake House

2010-01-03T09:21:00.000-05:00

The Egyptian Pancake is also known as fateer. Every time we go to The Khan, we pass by the Egyptian Pancake House. Curious, this time we decided to stop in for a bite.

Below: Awesome Daughter gets tea.

Below: "Savory Pancake" - mixed cheese. Very yummy. Not quite sure what combination of cheese was used. The pastry of both sweet and savory resembles flaky filo dough, but sturdier. VB can't find any recipes so far, and most of her Middle East cooking books are back in the States ("How convenient", you might say.)

Below: "Sweet Pancake" - jam and powdered sugar. Also delicious, but very sticky (we ate with our fingers.)

Below: Close up of the sliced "Sweet Pancake."

Below: A window full of some of the ingredients they use.

Below: The store front.

Below: Another satisfied customer.

Below: The whole building. VB keeps referring to this shop as "The Egyptian Pancake House" and if ever there was a place, this one would clearly define it, as it houses quite a few occupants as indicated by all the apartments above it.

Below: Shops across the road. The road is mainly pedestrian, except for the ginormous tourist buses which are allowed to use it as an exit.

Below: The rest of the street, looking back at the main Khan area towards Muski.

All said, VB would definitely go back for more.

A Funkengroovin Happy New Year To All!!

2010-01-01T13:01:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!

Here are the two wallpaper / screen savers for January 2010.

Below: Representing best wishes for the new year - A photo of a cabrio VB took on a trip to Germany in 1996. This is a digitized representation of an old SLR photo.

Below: Representing resolutions and good intentions - a Midget (?) or a Sprite (?) needing a good bit of work.
)VB used to get rides in a Midget with another female co-worker. VB had a job with an employment agency for a few months after graduating from college. When her Chevy Malibu broke down in the middle of winter, VB rode to work with her manager, in a tiny little car, just like this. This co-worker would explicitly recount her previous evening's sexual endeavors in the bathroom, on the kitchen counter, or even in the MG - (UGH! hopefully not on VB's seat), and where ever else the mood struck.)

Funkengroovin in Cairo Again

2009-12-30T16:50:00.000-05:00

Below: A view of Frankfurt International Airport one week ago, as we were passing through, on our way back to Cairo.

VB is back in Cairo again. She arrived last Tuesday night, and has a few photos of VW's. Most were taken with her iPhone, and the first, and last edited with some of the iPhone Apps. No news this week as this is about as good as it gets right now. Enjoy the photos and VB will be posting her monthly wallpaper / screen saver very soon.

Don't forget to stop by VB's photo-a-day project.

Below: A collage

Below: The original photo for the collage.

Below two photos: On the way to the ATM.

Below two photos: On the Nile Corniche at a very busy intersection.

2009-12-25T06:47:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas!

What VB got for Christmas. A VW Bus speaker for VB's iPod. Very cool. It's from Urban Outffitters. VB wanted to show a photo a couple of weeks ago when she did the Funkengroovin shopping post, but couldn't get in an acceptable size. Now she's got her own, and can show it off.

Funkengroovin Christmas 2009

2009-12-09T09:46:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year again. Time to buy those gifts for your funkengroovin friends. VB's been looking for items that might appeal to just about everyone, and has compiled her yearly list. Sadly, no Pier 1 car ornament this year.

No news items today, and probably not for awhile, at least until after VB returns to Cairo.

Below: What VB woke up to this morning here in Connecticut.

Holiday Shopping:

BoBoo Reflector from Marimekko, and here

VW Beetle

VW Beetle & Camper Van USB Memory Stick Cars.

More here

VW Beetle Eraser

Build Your Own Vw Beetle

Build Your Own VW Bus

Dreams VolksWagen Camper Van Type 2 Radio

Dreams VolksWagen Type 2 Keylight

VW Bus Speaker

Pink VW Beetle Cabriolet Surf Moneybox Ornament - Hand Painted

VW Beetle gifts from Etsy

VW Bus gifts from Etsy

VW BUS RADIO CONTROLLED HUGE !!!!!

Advanced Graphics 631 Fillmore - VW Bus Life-Size Cardboard Stand-Up

Vw Bus With Camper (1:87/HO Scale)

Volkswagen Bus 2010 Square Wall (Wall Calendar) (Multilingual Edition) (Calendar)

Vw Camper Mugs

Japanese Toys Club Bus Ride

Limited Edition Pope Designs Christmas Bus and Dairy Delivery

VW Bus Hanukkah Lamp

Wheeling Groovy Menorah - VW Bus

Ceramic Hanukkah Menorah (VW Bug)

Volkswagen Christmas Tree Ornaments Cutouts

Silver Dream Volkswagen VW Style Camper Van Ornament

NEW Lenox Christmas - cookie molds / car (VW Beetle) ornament - $10 (rogers park)

Numerous VW gifts, including a Max model car

Blown Glass Van / Woody with Surfboard Ornament

Red Surfboard Volkswagen Woody Van VW Bug Surf Surfing

VW Bus Glass Ornament

VW Christmas ornaments Mercury glass Price: $10 to $25

Schuco Piccolo Volkswagen Beetle, Gold-Plated Christmas 1997

Recycled VW Beetle Model Car - "stylish love bug made in Madagascar from recycled cans"

VW BEETLE CONV CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS - $5 (MAYSLANDING NJ)

HERBIE VW BEETLE LIGHT SWITCH

Decorate your VW with:

TampaLights > 2008 > Volkswagen Beetle,

another example here.

Volkswagon VW Bus Mosaic Window Sticker

Wrap gifts with:

Christmas VW Bug - Custom - Wrapping Paper

Make your own cards:

Royalty-Free (RF) Clipart Illustration of Santa Flying His Red Convertible Vw Bug Through The Blue Christmas Night Sky

Reindeer Games Whimsical Christmas Graphics

Wear it:

VW Beetle (Custom D) T-Shirt

Volkswagen Camper Van Hand Warmers - Set of 2 Heat Packs

Flower Power VW Bus T-Shirt

VW Hippie Bus T-Shirt

VW Beetle Kippah

Use it:

VW Beetle Icons by Zapato

Eat it:

Gingerbread Bus, (Template)

December '09 Monthly Wallpaper / Screensaver Calendar

2009-12-01T08:53:00.001-05:00

Something for your wish list - a gold Beetle and a Pagoda Roof Mercedes.

Funkengroovin Wednesday: Old v. New - The Mini

2009-11-18T18:01:00.001-05:00

Something different for this week.

VB loaded most of these photos a long time ago, after a visit to the car market in Nasr City, Cairo, Egypt. That's when she formatted her blog differently, and you can tell when you see the car market photos.

She's off, in her Mini, to fetch The Boss Man from the airport. He's coming in for Thanksgiving.

Below 2 photos are VB's Mini. It gets buried under the snow pretty quickly. And, yes, that second photo is in color!

Below 4 photos are an old Mini from the Nasr City car market. We went in September a couple of years ago, and it was scorching hot, so it's quite a contrast to the snow covered photo above.

A couple of articles:

MINI comes of age

Mini: What's New for 2010?

Patty Melt (Revised)

2009-11-16T19:11:00.006-05:00

VB has revised this post as a result of a comment by the managing editor of Serious Eats, Adam Kuban. The Boss Man always says VB is, "Not always right, but never in doubt," (meaning, of course, VB thinks she's a know it all) which, for some odd reason, really fits in here for an explanation too discombobulated to refine.

Apologies to Ed Levine and all the folks at Serious Eats. Believe VB, she is seriously eating her words and pretty damned embarrassed about this.

VB likes to read food blogs. One of her favorites is called Serious Eats. It's a blog originally started by ~~Mario Batali~~, Ed Levine (apparently he's been on a diet for quite awhile now). ~~It went defunct for awhile, and then was reborn~~. It's now an amalgamation of various contributors. VB usually ignores most of the recipes, but was drawn to one in particular.

Recently someone posted a recipe for a Patty Melt. It appears to be based on a recipe from Saveur Magazine, VB's favorite cooking magazine. Anyway, reading this little post, and it's links brought back memories (you know, like those "fond" ones everyone talks about).

VB's parents owned three restaurants, at different times. A woman named Stella worked as a waitress in our first restaurant. VB practically went through grade school with her, and she even threw VB a birthday party. See!

We knew her and her family. Stella's husband owned some sort of fancy sports car and would pick her up from work (he always reminded VB of Jackie Gleason). When VB's parents closed the restaurant (through reasons beyond their control) Stella went to work at a Toddle House. Stella's sister lived a few blocks from our new apartment, in a totally new (and totally black) neighborhood where VB and her mom moved to (due to circumstances related to the aforementioned loss of the family's first restaurant.) We would visit Sella's sister (who owned a talking bird). VB would play with the bird, while VB's mom, and Stella's sister drank coffee, catching up on the news (i.e. gossip).

Even though we kept in touch, after VB became an adult and moved away (far, far away) she would continually stop by the Toddle House on Clifton Avenue, to visit Stella. The Patty Melt was VB's favorite dish there (besides breakfast after a very loopy night - Stella probably knew more about VB than VB's own mother)! Stella made the perfect Patty Melt. She could do it with her eyes closed. At a Toddle House the waitress was also the cook, dishwasher, busboy and manager, particularly at night, which was when Stella worked. She was always good humored and laughed about everything. And, because of her sense of humor and good nature, she had quite a few regulars. VB remembers the night she visited to tell Stella that VB's mom had died. At first it wasn't so funny, but Stella could pick out pieces of the past that reverberated in humor. VB and Stella sat, drank coffee, and smoked cigarettes that evening. VB has a hard time eating when she has a big lump in her throat. One night VB showed up and was told, by another waitress, that Stella had passed away. It was a sad evening.

Later, after VB's search for her own mom's past history (another, very lengthy story altogether) Stella's daughter gave VB some photos. At this point both mothers had passed away.

In remembrance of my visits with Stella at the Toddle House, and her excellence in The Patty Melt, VB presents the following:

(Below): Two very old photos of Stella. The first inside VB's parents' restaurant, and the other outside. The Chinese Laundry next door (run by a real "Chinaman" with a long braid, who spoke extremely broken English, and who fed VB some sort of wonderful broth), where Stella is standing, got axed at the same time as the restaurant (this is what happens when you don't own the building / business, and you have a greedy owner.)

Below: VB's Patty Melt - it's a bit on the thick side. It was delicious! That griddle on the new stove The Boss Man bought VB is just short of amazing! VB almost feels like she's back in the restaurant business all over again.

And, what'll you have?

Funkengroovin - Terryville, CT Bug-A-Fair 2009, Swap & Meet Buses

2009-11-11T09:10:00.000-05:00

These Buses were all in the Swap and Meet area at Terryville.

NEWS:

From Pakistan to Paris, by VW Beetle

"A French doctor is embarking on the 6,000-mile trip to promote a better image of Pakistan. 'It's not all about terrorism,' he says."

"The Beetle came to Pakistan in the 1950s with army officers and bureaucrats returning from postings abroad. The appeal has endured – Mubashir Hasan, a finance minister from the 1970s, still drives his around Lahore. Romano Karim of Islamabad's VW club estimates about 500 "Foxies" travel Pakistan's roads. "Cute, quirky, cheap spare parts – it's the ideal car," he says.

The French doctor's Foxy should reach Paris in about two weeks. His team is equipped with an ample stock of spare parts and a line of Urdu poetry inscribed on the bonnet: "Every mother's prayer is a breeze from paradise.""

More here where you can also see how the car was restored: Art on Wheels tour.

VW fans achieve record stuffing Beetle in Dade City

Our EV Conversion Gets A Curvaceous Body

"My DIY electric car project has officially started: I bought a car to convert, a sky blue ‘67 VW Beetle. I’ve had my eye on it for awhile. Now that I’ve got the title in hand, there’s no turning back."

Old Beetle takes prize for the most popular car

Support Grows To Save VW Bug Sign

VB's gotten several e-mails about this. If you haven't heard of it, then you're not living on planet earth!
VW bus stolen 35 years ago is found in shipping container bound for Europe

And now for the sequel:
Woman would like to buy back long-lost VW van

"SPOKANE, Wash. — Michele Squires once owned the 1965 Volkswagen van that was found recently in a shipping container at a Southern California port — 35 years after she had it stolen from a repair shop."

"She'd now like to buy it back."

Route 66 artist's life coming to an end (Video at the link)

"For decades, Bob Waldmire lived on the "Mother Road," wandering the remnants of Route 66 in his orange VW bus and selling his intricate, India-ink artwork from Santa Monica, Calif., to Pontiac, Ill."

"The Route 66 Alliance plans to put Waldmire's 1972 VW on permanent display at its planned Tulsa, Okla., museum and fund art scholarships and an annual prize in his name."

Rootstock: Peace, Love and Beaujolais Nouveau

"NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - November 5, 2009) - Les Vins Georges Duboeuf will "share the love" for the 2009 Beaujolais Nouveau arrival on Thursday, November 19th -- the official release date of this fruity wine that celebrates the end of the harvest and gives a foretaste of this year's vintage (reported to be one of the best vintages in the past 50 years). In both New York and Miami, "Peace, Love and Beaujolais Nouveau" vintage VW 'Love Buses,' escorted by Beaujolais Biker Chefs and wine-loving hippies, will help launch a week-long food drive and deliver the first cases of Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau wine to the official "sip-in" uncorking ceremonies."

You must be 21 to enter, but go here to see an animated version of the VW Bus delivery.

How many days until Christmas? VB doesn't start counting until after Thanksgiving, but we'll give it a start. So far - it doesn't look good.

Blue VW Toy Car Ornament by Old World Christmas

Pink VW Beetle Cabriolet Surf Moneybox Ornament - Hand Painted

VW Bus Ceramic Ornament

VW Bus Ceramic Ornament

Open Farm Sunday

2009-11-07T18:34:00.000-05:00

Last week we went to Open Farm Sunday, sponsored by Cabot Creamery Cooperative, and hosted by a local farm. Awesome Daughter was not interested in staying too long, until...they offered her complimentary corn chowder and sharp cheddar cheese. It was somewhat coincidental, as we were talking about making corn chowder for dinner. VB presents a short tour of the farm. We had fun. And, of course, everyone on the tour behaved like a bunch of schoolkids at a petting zoo!

Below: The old main barn, where we were greeted and fed.

Below 2 photos: Cows are hungry creatures. Some of these animals produce enormous amounts of milk each day, others - not so much. Added up though, they provide us with our daily intake of main dairy products. They are also very friendly creatures, or at least that's what VB thought.

Below: This is a mechanical milking machine. All cows teats are wiped clean with antibacterial wash, milked, then washed clean again, and given a soothing cream so their teats stay nice and soft - something of that nature. And for cows unable to get into the milking center, say too pregnant, they have portable milking machines! Wow, and VB thought she was going to see the real McCoy milking procedure (dude sitting on a wooden bucket, hand milking the cow - VB's kinda behind the times on some of this new technological stuff.)

Below: The milk tank, with magnetic messages about farming and farming in Connecticut.

Below: One of the messages, which VB highly recommends - buy local.

Below: The pregnant cows. Don't they look overly friendly! That's because (VB found out,) Awesome Daughter was carrying dog treats in her pocket and they totally wanted to be with her!

Below: This is a calf barn. These calves are a bit older, and they get transferred here to socialize after being moved from the greenhouse. The two calves below are not dairy cows. They will be on your dinner table one of these days. This farm also sells beef (Angus), and you can order from them (you know like a whole side, a quarter, something like that.) At this size, they also have their horns taken off, so they don't injure each other. Apparently, with horns, when they are hungry and pushing through the throng of other cattle, they poke and injure each other inadvertently. The horn removal prevents that from happening.

Below: Our last stop was at the calf greenhouse. We saw a calf, just born the day before. These are calves that are very young, still nursing, and isolated as they have a habit of mistaking each other for their mothers, sucking, and yes, causing injury. Here (next 3 photos) we have a female calf, who is absolutely smitten with VB's camera strap!

Below: Awesome Daughter pets the female calf.

Below: You can see her again. She's the only one standing, waiting for more visitors
to welcome.

Below: After our Open Farm visit, we stopped at our local farm stand to buy corn for our chowder. The stand was closed, but still open for business. They have a slot in the wooden windows for money. Here pumpkins are on display so you can gauge the size when you buy one. There's a sign with prices on the window. Many farm stands around here are unattended / self serve.

Below 2 photos: Our corn chowder and grilled sandwiches.

As VB writes this, she's watching Martha Stewart who is focusing on cheese.

And for some fun, A take off on VB's favorite show Mad Men. This is called Milk Men.

Milk Men - A Mad Men Parody

Atom.com: Funny Videos | Spoofs | TV & Movie Spoofs

Funkengroovin - Terryville, CT Bug-A-Fair 2009, All Tarted Up

2009-11-04T08:39:00.000-05:00

More from Terryville. A lot of car entrants try to make their cars look sexier either with fancy mechanical gadgetry or spicing up the looks. Here are a few examples of some Bugs that have been all tarted up.

NEWS:

60 years since the trusteeship of the Volkswagenwerk was placed in German hands

1966 VW Bug's Incredible Cross-Country Tour Now Reaches Montana! The Little Bug that Could!

Old-School Beetle Runs on Batteries and Biodiesel

"Students at the University of Kansas have built what may be the coolest hybrid ever — a 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle–series hybrid that burns biodiesel and gets about 50 mpg."

(Check out the photos and video)
Paul Newman’s Mid-Engine, Ford 351 Powered VW Beetle

An Old Landmark In West Charlotte Could Go Away

"CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- It’s been a beacon for decades at the corner of Freedom and West Morehead, in West Charlotte an old VW Beetleon top of an old garage. Some neighborhood groups call it a landmark, well the city says it may have to come down."

Krider Racing borrows Bug, takes Beetleball title

Tea guru takes boutique brand to a new level

"In the early days at Stash Tea, he discovered Oregon's exceptional peppermint (used then in toothpaste and mouthwash), and persuaded growers in Prineville and Madras to harvest it to his specifications for tea. "We got a couple of Volkswagen busloads, then graduated to semi truck loads," Smith says. "I would drive the combine and harvest, then drive the semi truck with 25,000 pounds of leaves in it into what's now known as the Pearl District."

Today his palate is just as acute. He'll only buy chamomile from the Fayoum Oasis in Egypt, just south of Cairo. "We need tight heads, a small amount of stems, fresh product," he says."

Home remodel leaves Thorp family living in vans

"The Olliviers have circled up seven of their VW vans and campers in the backyard between their home and the river, somewhat like covered wagons.

Four of vans serve as bedrooms, one each for Jan, Jacques and sons Jordan, 12, and Joe, 15.

Three other vans are for storage and other amenities.

There’s a picnic table in the center with a large umbrella over it for family dining and the boys’ afternoon homework, a power cord from the house for a hot plate and other appliances, and ice chests in place of a refrigerator.

A portable toilet/outhouse, also used by the contractor, serves as a family restroom. A ladder against their house leads to a remodeled bathroom area in the house’s second floor where showers are taken.

All the comforts of home. Well, sort of."

It's Friday: Is this the World's Most Miserly VW Bus?

VW camper van hearse created for funerals

Odd Pueblo: Snappy or Crappy?

"Several folks also voted crappy on a bugged-out VW bug posted many moons ago – but now we got the Volkswagen’s big sister: an awesome Volkswagen bus.
Judging from my calling it awesome, you can bet I think this thing is groovy. Check out the slide show, featuring six ways of looking at a VW bus."

VW Said to Discuss Buying Insolvent Carmaker Karmann (Update1)

Last year VB noted an article about Jay Leno where he mentioned being asked to do an American version of Top Gear. He basically said, "no." Apparently he has changed his mind. NBC has built a race track for Leno's new show: (from September) Wheels: Jay Leno’s Green Car Challenge Puts Guests on Racetrack,

"The latest TV reality show is the “Green Car Challenge,” an irregular segment — which first appeared Friday — on “The Jay Leno Show.” Celebrities will compete in a specially prepared electric Ford Focus on a racetrack built just outside the NBC studio in Burbank, Calif."

November '09 Monthly Wallpaper / Screensaver Calendar

2009-10-30T10:26:00.000-04:00

Karmann Ghia in Washington, DC

1955 Chevy

Funkengroovin - Terryville, CT Bug-A-Fair 2009 The New Breed

2009-10-21T17:39:00.000-04:00

At Terryville this year, VB noticed a new breed of VW devotees. Similar, but.......younger. VB doesn't have a chart drawn up, but she does have a few photos comparing the two. It makes her feel good that there are youngsters who are willing to take over where we left off. And, also, to not let the classic VW die. Even though we owners may come and go, and die (literally), the VW will always live on through the ages with future generations.

Some of the new breed have Grateful Dead stickers on their VWs (not many though, since they were maybe seven years old (?) when he died), LMB (Love My Bus) almost on all of them, but most have stranger stuff. Not political, just in-your face statements. You will probably need to enlarge the photos to see the details. We were like that once.

Below are three examples. The last, VB thinks, is a Dharma Initiative infiltrator! That "MASSHOLE" bumper sticker is a dead giveaway.

The new breed does not look like this (that's not The Boss Man.)

They look like this (below). They may have tattoos, no long hair (just a tad longish - no Fabios here), piercings are almost a requirement, the Abercrombie and Fitch look is their "Official Preppy, Hipster Yuppie, Nerd (OPHYN) Handbook" of style (notice the pecs? - VB did), and they appear to have just crawled out of a cave, yet smell as fresh as Irish Spring (er, Pot-chouli).

The new breed is not corny. They would never make fun of themselves, or their buses, but we will.

They smoke sheesha, decorate their buses with exotica. They even have DVD players and fans installed in them! BTW, this is a Eurovan. VB thinks they've done a very cool job with it (how is it that the word "cool" has not gone out of style?)

The new breed wears their blumenvasen on the outside.

Instead of on the inside (this VB's '65 VW Cabrio.)

The old breed hangs out under tents and awnings (these two may look young, but they were practically born in a VW Bus / Van.)

At one time, VW offered a $50.00 Savings Bond to any baby born in a Bus. Believe VB, when she was pregnant, The Boss Man begged her to go to the hospital in an old '69 VW Bus (in January, on the coldest day of the year, on record). He said he would drive around the hospital, and pull into the Emergency Room entrance just as VB was giving birth. Let's just say, VB could barely get into a car that day, much less climb into a Bus. So, no, we did not get the $50.00 Savings Bond, but Awesome Daughter loved that Bus and still remembers the "water fountain" (sink faucet).

The new breed hang out in their vans, snuggling, spooning, letting their ankle bracelets dangle for everyone to see. It's sweet. We used to be like that too.

Okay, so VB is getting nostalgic, but she likes these new folks, and hope they continue to join us old farts in the recreational business of owning an old VW.

Funkengroovin - Terryville, CT Bug-A-Fair 2009, Interiors

2009-10-14T10:03:00.000-04:00

Here's some photos from the Terryville Bug-A-Fair, back in August. These are examples of some of the interiors. Quite a variety. Some have been reupholstered, while others remain original. Enjoy.

Mad Men and Summer Bachelors

2009-10-11T18:10:00.000-04:00

Mad Men, last Sunday night, was the best one (at least VB thought) so far this year. Quite a few critics panned it. VB loved the updo on Betty, and the fact that Joan is still in the show. Before VB goes on to the main reason for this post, she's going to change tangents for a moment. If you love Joan as much as VB, then you might like to check out, Mad about Christina Hendricks, from Self Magazine. Unfortunately, the site only gives you a taste of the article, so for your viewing pleasure VB has photographed the important stuff.

As you can see below, there's a photo of a VW Bus. She practically grew up in one. VB just thought she'd mention this. So now you all know.

Last Sunday's show was a reassurance that Pete was just as much of a scumbag as he was the first season. VB didn't give Pete's home alone scenes too much thought until she read James Wolcott's blog, Mad Men Recap: Roman Hair Stylist Erects High-Rise Bird's Nest on Betty's Head.

Wolcott says: "Ah, Pete, finding himself adrift as a “summer bachelor,” a now mostly extinct species. In those sole-breadwinner fifties and sixties of the previous century, married men in Manhattan--mostly members of the executive class--reverted into summer bachelors when the wife and kiddies went to the country house upstate or in Connecticut or south to the Jersey shore and the husband was left behind in the city to relive his frisky youth and hopefully not get caught. This urban idyll, fruited with temptation, was immortalized in The Seven Year Itch, with Tom Ewell trying to keep his ice cubes from spinning out of his glass every time he was met by the creamy radiance of Marilyn Monroe, the upstairs neighbor who tucked her underwear in the refrigerator for that cool, tingling sensation."

This got VB to thinking, and remembering. As strange as this may sound, Abu Dhabi always reminded VB of the 50's - 60's America. As modern as it technologically / architecturally, it was also like living in a small town 1960's. A time when we Americans were just starting to flirt with a variety of freedoms, Abu Dhabi always seemed to be on the verge socially, but basically just stuck in time (and that also depended on which ethnic group you hung around with too.) It was that nightly car prowl along the Corniche that brought back scenes from American Graffiti, even though the boys were wearing disdashas and the girls abayas. The cars were newer, as well, with some supped up, and as noisy as possible. The boys would yell out of their car windows, much the same way they do / did in the States. This would be even more pronounced during Ramadan, when everyone and their brother went out at night to celebrate.

But what pulls Wolcott's critique into perspective was the "summer bachelor". We sold our home in the USA, and were subjected to full Abu Dhabi summers as a family, with a short break of two-three weeks holiday each summer. The streets of Abu Dhabi would be virtually empty. Even the locals left town. The only people remaining, would mostly be the expat male workers, or as Wolcott calls them, "summer bachelors."

You always knew when it was time for all the womenfolk and children to clear out of town, when the freezers at Spinney's spilled over with frozen Hungry Man and Stouffer's dinners; when real food all but disappeared, and all that remained were provisions for easy and quick cooking. Certain goods became scarce (as they did occasionally) for the summer, not to show up again until school was in full session.

Summers in Abu Dhabi were thick and hot. The air would take your breath away. Windshield wipers were needed for cars, even though it wasn't raining. The heat was regularly reported at just almost 120 degrees, as any higher would, by law, allow all the South Asian outdoor laborers to have the day off.

When the streets are empty, and everyone's left town, what do you do in 120 degree heat with 100 percent humidity? What would you do if you were left "Home Alone" in the summer?

Here's a few ideas:

(1) Hang out at the beach. Most private clubs, like the Hiltonia, have chilled pools. Sit and sweat, drink water, and then go sit in the pool and chill (literally) for awhile.

(2) Become friends with someone who owns a boat, regardless of size. Go to one of the small islands where the ebb and flow of the sea have maximal effect (more sand and sun during certain hours.) Sit under an umbrella, drink (these people are drinking beers, and champagne), set your amuse-bouche on a board paddle, and enjoy the company. (VB doesn't know who owns this big boat. It's certainly not the one she took.)

Or know someone who owns a jet ski.

(Oh, yeah, that's the tiny boat below that fit all eight of us! Go ahead...laugh.)

(3) Dig a hole. The sand is quite cool.

(4) Then go bury yourself in it.

Of course, it's still pretty damn hot, so make sure you've got some cover.

(5) Or use your camera. Take that fancy air conditioned car out for a drive! You'd be surprised at how easy it is to make friends when you are out and about taking photos. You might realize you're not the only "summer bachelor" or "bachelorette" around. These guys were thrilled when VB showed up the next day with two copies for each of them, so they could send to their families.

New Blog

2009-10-09T04:22:00.001-04:00

Two iPhone photos using the Pano App, which makes panoramas out of subsequent photos, matching them together. These used three photos (you can use more) and if you look closely you can tell it is not an exact match. Not only that, it's quite hard to hold a steady hand, while trying to match up the end of one photo to the beginning of another, and then holding still to take the next photo. It's a great App. Clearly much practice and patience is needed.

As you can see below, the glass bottles line up pretty well, but two tomatoes look a bit bosomy.

Number One Son suggested VB do a daily blog with just photos. VB has been giving this some thought for awhile, but just couldn't figure out exactly how (or what excuse to use). The City Daily Photo, which appealed to VB had a few drawbacks. First of all, a Cairo centric blog ( Cairo/ Giza Daily Photo,) had already been claimed. Besides, VB's not in Cairo all the time. VB couldn't do a daily photo on her Podunk Connecticut town, as it's a bucolic small, vegetative (literally - we have humans here who are vegetating at this moment!) town with not too much going on (the Association VB lives in, is another matter altogether - vegetative with a very bad, Rush Limbaugh / Glenn Beck attitude.) And, as much as she was enticed by the idea, she figured it was out of the picture. She basically does not stay in one place long enough to account for, and account as a "city photographer" (this little town doesn't account for a city, to begin with.)

Then VB read a few books, which she wrapped her little brain around. First, cause she hasn't read any in "hard copy" for quite awhile, she completed, Republican Gomorrah: Inside The Movement That Shattered The Party. If you look close enough, you'll see it on the bookshelf.

And, as much as VB loves non-fiction (in particular) political/historical/cooking books, she bought two photo oriented books which gave her a new perspective.

One is: The Best Camera Is The One That's With you, iPhone Photography by Chase Jarvis. The book is filled with photos and praise for the iPhone camera. It is a camera you can take with you everywhere. Then, after reading photojojo! insanely great photo projects and diy ideas, by Amit Gupta and Kelly Jensen, VB realized she could actually do a daily photo without being anywhere at all (anywhere important, and that's an important feature). Thus, after checking out Project 365: How to Take a Photo a Day and See Your Life in a Whole New Way, and other Photo365 sites, VB decided this is a possibility after all. According to the book (and site):

"Project 365 is about: taking one photo every day for a year."

So that's VB's goal.

VB posted a photo she took in DC as a baby step on her new blog: Vagabondblogger's Project 365, but the official Day 1 is today.

Come by and visit. VB will still be maintaining this blog for Funkengroovin items, rants, and whatever else she's been doing so far.

Restaurants and Motorbikes

2009-10-03T10:20:00.000-04:00

Eating in The Capitol is not only impressive, but can also be expensive. VB enjoys eating out, when there's good food to be had. In her little town in Connecticut, every single restaurant offers bad pizza, bad grinders, bad gyros, and just bad food choices, and it's all the same - as if one family owned all the restaurants. (Okay, one has good pizza and another has very good Japanese food, but that's it.) VB enjoys variety, and so last week when we were in Washington, we ate at:

Eric Ripert's West End Bistro. (Below) VB had the Fish Burger with the Macaroni, ham and cheese for two (she shared.) The Fish Burger is like a massive crab cake on a bun. We took a doggie bag of mac and cheese back to the hotel. Coincidentally, as VB was editing this, Serious Eats posted the recipe for The Fish Burger. VB can verify it's incredibly good, and actually looks like it might be healthy, as well (VB has a habit of picking the most unhealthiest foods from menus.)

The next evening we ate at Grillfish. After the waiter annoyingly repeated several times that there was just one serving of wild halibut left, VB raised her hand and said, "I'll take it." Thus reserving it, as someone else mused aloud, "how old is it?" We had already eaten the Ginger Calamari and Fried Calamari at the bar during happy hours, when drinks and bar food are half price. The halibut was excellent. VB should add that she had massive amounts of gin that evening, so just about anything on a plate would've been "excellent".

Friday afternoon, after watching the crazies on Capitol Hill, we ran off to Founding Farmers for luncheon rendezvous. Just about every restaurant we called was booked solid from 5:30 PM until 9:00 PM that evening, so we decided to do a big lunch instead. VB ordered the House Salad with Buttermilk Ranch, but was instead served with Bleu Cheese (she didn't send it back). She also had the Slow-Simmered Sirloin Chili: "48-Hour Marinated and Simmered Sirloin Chili with Beans, Cheddar Crisps, Grated Onions, and Grated Cheese". It may have been marinated for 48 hours, but there's no way that meat was slow simmered. VB likes the sirloin in her chili to fall apart, melt in her mouth, and be meaty. This was tough, and loaded with gristle. We also ordered the Skillet Corn Bread, at which someone commented, "This is just like yours." Yep, VB makes that exact same freaking bread!

That evening we walked to Dupont Circle in search of a place for drinks and small dishes. We found Zorba's Cafe. We were lucky enough to find a seat outside. We had Zorba's combination Plate containing meats and dips and two wedges of pita, another appetizer plate containing numerous dips, and a full carafe of Retsina on tap. The gyros pieces were amazing and done right (not half raw - they grilled it again after shaving it, which is how it should be)!, The retsina awesome! You have to have a taste for retsina to appreciate it when it comes from a tap (most Greek restaurants don't even offer it. Not even those chichi pseudo Greek restaurants in New York City.) Sorry, no photos from Zorba's.

Below: Our last meal in The Capitol, was a Ben's Chili Bowl. Needless to say we had chili. The boys had Bill Cosby's Original Chili Half-Smoke. VB had a bowl of chili (meat) with cheese and onions. We all shared the Chili-Cheese Fries. And, we saw photos of Obama when he visited earlier this year. We sat in the same area. VB wonders, if she sat in the same seat as Obama, will some of that brilliance rub off on her?

As we strolled back to the car, VB then took photos of the neighborhood, and these are two of her favorites.

While driving home to Connecticut, south of New Brunswick, on the New Jersey Turnpike, we encountered some teenagers on their Yamahas (or whatever small bikes they were riding). They descended upon us, at first, one by one, then in twos. VB tried to put a video together (yet another photo album with music). She should have videotaped this on her new iPhone, but she's a camera gal, and grabbed that first. Watch it if you'd like to (1) see what may come upon you as you journey through The Garden State; (2) Identify the assholes who are participating in this. After the first cycle passed, The Boss Man sped up. VB wondered if he was chasing the guy. The Boss Man said, "I'm going 80." As another bike passed furiously he added, "what do you think they're going?" They were going well over 100 miles per hour, and refusing to use lanes (squeezing in between two side-by-side cars) while one was even wearing his team jacket with his name on it! The highway patrol needs to grab these guys and revoke their licenses to drive, even if it's for a tricycle.

For a real taste of what we experienced, look at: this video.

Funkengroovin - Wallpaper Calendar October 2009

2009-09-30T03:35:00.001-04:00

Here's October's Calendar. The orange Bus is from the Terryville Connecticut Bug-A-Fair. The black Buick Super 8 convertible belongs to a neighbor of ours in Cairo, Egypt. VB thought orange and black were appropriate for October as Halloween occurs later in the month.

Islam On Capitol Hill

2009-09-27T16:02:00.002-04:00

Our day started out great. The weather had cooled about ten degrees, with a threat of rain. We took our umbrellas. We were on our way to The Capitol Building. We walked from a Foggy Bottom hotel to the Ellipse, where we relieved ourselves (well, at least VB did) and sat while enjoying the sights, such as the one below. Segways can be rented to tour the Capitol. Something we didn't know, but became apparent after seeing numerous nerdy people on them, all over the place.

Below: A geek on a Segway taking a photo of the geese, no doubt, as there was really nothing else there. Would VB lie to you? Believe me you, things change from just plain strange to outrageous on this day.

VB wanted to walk to The Capitol Building for two reasons: (1) She had never seen it before, from the Mall view - close-up and personal; (2) We were informed by our Pakistani doorman that a major Jumaa pray-in event was scheduled, and 50,000 Muslims were to be there at 1:00 PM on Friday! VB performed her usual Google search and found Islam On Capitol Hill, with all the details. That's a got-to-see thing. A be-in for any Muslim worth their snuff. Sort of like a March On Washington for Muslims. Amazed, VB had settled on walking down there to view the event. And, as we all know, nothing goes as planned.

First there were the protesters. As we approached The Capitol, this is what we saw, below.

Question: When do they start burning the crosses?

As we got closer, the protesters were gathered at strategic points (of course) to annoy all who passed by, and particularly Muslims attending this event. The speaker below reminded VB of the protesters at the Republican National Convention, 2004, in New York City. All these people are comparable to the God Hates Fags group, from the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas headed by Fred Phelps. Apparently God hates all those who don't agree with Mr. Phelps. All these protesters are more concerned with what happens after death, than how we conduct ourselves during our lifetime.

From The Washington Post, Muslim Prayers at Capitol Stir Protests: "The event, called "Islam on Capitol Hill," is designed to highlight how U.S. Muslims can coexist with their fellow Americans. Hassen Abdellah, the lead organizer of the event, called on people to come to the Capitol to "pray for peace and understanding between America and its Muslim community.""

"But this week, some conservative Christians have called the event a threat to Christian values."

Here (below) the megaphone for one of the protesting groups.

We crossed the street towards The Capitol, and it looked blocked off, so we turned around. This is the group with the above mentioned megaphone. What caught VB's attention was the "Jail To The Chief" banner. Yep! That's got religion (ahem, racism) written all over it!

Below - This is about twenty minutes before the Jumaa Prayers are to begin, and the attendance looks small.

We sit for awhile, as we've walked at least two miles from Foggy Bottom. Some of the attendees (below) gather at the Capitol Reflection Pool to dress (and possibly wash their feet?) Meanwhile, some Christian Indians (South Asian) decide to try to convert us from our fallen away lives to saving our souls - that's what matters the most you know - saving souls. They don't want us to get Left Behind.

Below - A few attendees, in bright dishdashas, cross the street towards The Capitol Building.

Below - Protesters on another corner - arguing.

Below - VB climbs onto the wall around the Reflection Pool for a better shot.

Below - The view behind VB. You can clearly see the Washington Monument straight ahead, with the National Book Fair tent in front, and the Smithsonian Castle protruding to the left. It's quite a sight.

Below - The two most annoying people in the universe this day. They persisted in standing at the corner where most prayer attendees were dropped off, screeching into a megaphone sins, should people not follow the one, the only, Jesus Christ. Pathetic that these people don't understand that Islam views Jesus as a prophet, as well. Oh, and that fornication sin with the special coloring - how in hell would we have any embryos or unborn babes to save if people didn't fornicate, and furthermore, perhaps this sad soul's parents should have had safe sex, or no sex at all!

Below - A video VB took with her new iPhone. She personally heard the guy with the megaphone declare, as he pointed across the street toward the prayer meeting, "This is a declaration of waaaar!" The video is rather boring, since he tamed his rhetoric down to mediocre religious punditry once he got on to his megaphone. Still, it was annoying - very, very annoying. At one point VB heard a police officer declare, "All those people (protesters), are ex-child offenders, wife abusers, alcoholics, and / or drug addicts." That was nice! No that was actually sweet!

Below - As we cross the street, this man is holding signs and declares, "I'm here in peace. You'll get no argument." Why does VB not trust him?

Then, just as we pass him, the toxic group appears - the ones that accost you, argue with you, and try to stop you, and eventually make you so angry you want to smite them (like with your umbrella)! We passed right by, while they were in the midst of arguments with other passers by, as you can see below.

We finally figured out (duh) that we could just walk right in to the prayer meeting ourselves - which we did. This photo below is from inside the lines, up close (but not too close) and personal (not really). The Boss Man was pushing VB to leave as we had another engagement. The prayer meeting was running late - very late - like forty-five minutes late.

Below - One of the Indian Christians predicted that he thought the crowd would swell to five thousand people for the meet. He said they had quite a good publicity show. Really? VB only knew of it a couple of days before, and no news agencies seemed to be covering it at all.

VB's last shot from the wall, before leaving, and there's no way this crowd will make fifty thousand, much less five thousand! Sad but true. According to the Washington Post, which has a great video at the link, and the only news outlet that seemed to care enough to even mention this event, At Capitol, a Day of Muslim Prayer and Unity: "Nearly 3,000 people gathered on the west lawn of the Capitol on Friday for a mass Muslim prayer service that was part religion and part pep rally for the beleaguered U.S. Muslim community.""We wanted to bring people out to show you don't need to fear America," said Imam Ali Jaaber of Dar-ul-Islam mosque in Elizabeth N.J., the service's main organizer. At the same time, he said, he wanted to remind non-Muslims that "we are decent Muslims. We work; we pay taxes. We are Muslims who truly love this country.""

Across the street from the service, Christian protesters gathered with banners, crosses and anti-Islamic messages. One group, which stood next to a 10-foot-tall wooden cross and two giant wooden tablets depicting the Ten Commandments, was led by the Rev. Flip Benham of Concord, N.C.

"I would suggest you convert to Christ!" Benham shouted over a megaphone. Islam "forces its dogma down your throat." A few Christian protesters gathered at the rear of the Muslim crowd, holding Bibles and praying.

At one point, organizers asked them to tone it down.

"We would never come to a prayer meeting that you have to make a disturbance," Hamad Chebli, imam of the Islamic Society of Central Jersey, said from the lectern. "Please show us some respect. This is a sacred moment. Just as your Sunday is sacred, our Friday is sacred.""

VB says, "Amen!"

Below: The belligerence doesn't end, as we try to leave.

We walked around the way we arrived. This is the view from the other side of the Capitol Building, as we depart.

Below: More photos of some of the attendees.

And VB wonders, where the hell is Louis Farrakhan?

Old Tractors and a Skillet Toss

2009-09-22T11:08:00.000-04:00

Two weeks ago we went to "Farm Fest" at Hilltop Farm in Suffield, CT. They had a tractor parade (check out the photos below), and a Women's Skillet Toss, among other activities. Okay, so those were the two main attractions for VB. While VB was there she found out why so many of the tobacco fields had been plowed under starting in July - Tobacco fungus took hold. We've had so much rain here in Connecticut this year, it seemed as though April never ended. According to the agricultural specialist, tobacco likes it dry, with a scant amount of rain. And this year was not good at all in that respect. Thus, no tobacco photos this year, except for a few VB posted on flickr from early in the season.

(Below): Photos from Farmfest 2009.

Check out the video VB made of the Women's Skillet Toss. VB's still working on her video making skills. She made this version, then another close up with cropped photos. She then decided she liked this one better, but it took several days (attempts) for it to load onto YouTube properly. VB planned on posting this last week, but due to the circumstances with the video, it's late. And, rather than load up fifty million photos, she thought this was better.

The first woman, in the blue shirt is the yearly winner and she started off well ahead of everyone else. We left before it concluded, but enjoyed watching (and almost getting hit by a flying skillet - twice). The skillets weigh eight pounds each, and each woman had a very distinctive style of throwing. If you watch closely, you can see the skillet flying in almost every photo, and detect which one came flying our way (she's aiming it right at us.)

SKILLET TOSS:

Funkengroovin - Terryville, CT Bug-A-Fair 2009, Karmann Ghias

2009-09-09T11:52:00.000-04:00

More from the Terryville "Bug-A-Fair". This time it's Karmann Ghias. VB's favorite is the red Karmann Ghia in the first four photos. The silver one is pretty damn sharp, as well. Again, no need to go into details here. Anyone who loves Karmann Ghias will appreciate just taking a look at some sweet examples. Some were taken as the "Bug-A-Fair" was winding down, and you can see the eventual flight (most likely from the heat) of the cars.

Funkengroovin - Terryville, CT Bug-A-Fair 2009, Buses

2009-09-05T09:42:00.001-04:00

Just Bus photos today from Terryville "Bug-A-Fair."
No need for discourse.
Enjoy.

Monthly Wallpaper / Screensaver Calendar

2009-09-03T04:27:00.000-04:00

Last year VB made a 2009 calendar (on her MacBook with iPhoto) of VWs she had photographed through the past year. She gave a few out, and was thinking of doing the same again this year. Then she happened upon another (non-car) blog, which offers a monthly desktop wallpaper calendar. Jealous, VB wanted one too. So, as an experiment she wants to start offering a monthly calendar of VWs, and another non-VW car.

To make a wallpaper or a screensaver, all you need to do is click on the image to enlarge it. Then Mac users control-click, others right-click. Click on "Set As A Desktop Background," or "picture" depending on your browser choices. You can fit it to your screen through your system preferences on your computer for wallpaper / screen saver adjustments.

This month choose between a close-up of a swamp cooler or a photo of King Farouk's 1931 Packard.

Funkengroovin - Terryville, CT Bug-A-Fair 2009, Rusted!

2009-09-02T14:32:00.001-04:00

A few rusted VWs from Terryville. VB was disappointed as there seemed to be more last year, but still.... These were all situated in the Swap and Meet area. The Bus in the first photo below, was definitely at Terryville last year. The others - not sure. (Only photos today , as the dust has not yet settled in the CT house. We're still in the process of doing whatever it is we've been doing.)

Also - check out, The Original VW Camper Cookbook: 80 Tasty Recipes Specially Composed for Cooking in a Camper, from Barnes & Noble or from Amazon. They even have a YouTube Video advertising the book. Let VB add that another book, Cooking With the Dead: Recipes and Stories from Fans on the Road [Over 65 fabulous kynd and caring vegetarian recipes prepared with love] (Paperback), also focuses on cooking on the road, albeit sans the VW Bus photos. Oh, and if you're curious about what The Dead ate while they were touring, then read this article from 1994: NOTICED; Cooking For the 'Dead'. VB had pre-ordered the VW Camper Cookbook a few months ago and was supposed to receive it tomorrow. Amazon just informed VB, that the new estimated delivery date is now September 28.

Below: All the rusty VWs:

Funkengroovin - Terryville, CT Bug-A-Fair 2009, Three Oddities

2009-08-26T09:43:00.001-04:00

Today we have three unusual VWs you don't normally get to see at a show.

(Below 4 Photos): The Schwimmwagen. We asked the owner and if VB heard correctly, he had not tried it out in water. As you can see it's full of artillery and the muffler is mounted over the rear hood. For more detailed information check out DasTank.com, and shwimmwagen.co.uk.

(Below): This is a Beetle with split window, rag-top, a hand crank, and semaphore signals. The owner (sitting next to the Schwimmwagen guy) said he's not cranked it to start it. He did turn on the signals and you can clearly see the semaphore in one of the photos below. VB doesn't know about you, but in our family the Schwimmwagen would've been out in water, and someone would've cranked this Bug up - at the least once, out of giddy curiosity.

(Below): An air conditioned aka "swamp cooler" Beetle. This was parked elsewhere, and while we were walking back to move our Bug closer to our Vanagon, the owner pulled this car up closer to his Bus. It then attracted quite a few people still milling around even though the temps were way into the 90s, and many owners pulled out just after the judging was over. The cylindrical contraption on the window below, is the air conditioner. There's a close-up photo of it, as well. More links: UK Resto-Cal Volkswagen Forums and Car Cooler.

Funkengroovin - Terryville, CT Bug-A-Fair 2009, Two Buses

2009-08-21T10:30:00.001-04:00

Both buses below have already had a good number of hits on flickr. The front view of the yellow bus with the grille seems to be very popular. The first bus is a "Dormobile" - a few links: Dormobile Cars, and Dormobile's Owners Club.

If you're as much out of it on this as VB, then here's a bit of info from the Dormobile Cars website:

"What is a Dormobile? Well, Dormobile is a brand name of a type of camper conversion carried out by a firm called Martin Walter Ltd of England. The modifications usually involved fitting of a fibreglass roof to give extra space – often with windows to let light in. Sometimes this roof was hinged on one side and an accordion-like fabric tent expanded into the space. Later models included separate sleeping compartments as they became more advanced. Most vehicles also had a caravan style interior fitted, with seats and often cooking apparatus. The word Dormobile has become synonymous with this type of conversion, so many now refer to any camper conversion of a car or van as a dormobile, much in the way that people refer to vacuum Cleaners as Hoovers, although other conversions do exist, such as those by Westfalia on VW Camper vans.

Dormobiles were usually ordered brand new, with the donor vehicle being built by the original manufacturer, then delivered to the Martin Walters factory where the conversion would take place before the customer took delivery, and the customer could decide on their own bespoke specification, colours and interiors to suit their own requirements."

Oh, and here's the Wiki on it.

VB hears plenty of talk that goes in one ear and out the other when she walks around the car show. Some information sticks. So, VB was walking by as the owner of this bright yellow bus with grilles, talked about it with a passerby. VB doesn't recall the year, but he is the original owner. He then immediately proceeded to transform it, and this is the rendition his labor.

Funkengroovin - Terryville, CT Bug-A-Fair 2009, Volkyrriqueno

2009-08-19T14:18:00.000-04:00

While VB was sweating her ass off at Terryville in the sun on Sunday, trying to exert as little energy as possible, she noticed something new (at least it was new to her.) It's the Volkyrriqueno, with the sticker on the windshield. What the hell is that? Well, Awesome Daughter pointed out the Puerto Rican flag in one of the cars. (She knows what the Puerto Rican flag looks like?!) And, she suggested it might be some sort of VW club.

VB found two Myspace pages for Volkyrriqueno, here and here. Her best guess is that this is a VW enthusiast club with members of Puerto Rican descent. It's just a guess, and VB did not notice the windshield stickers last year (although they were there). These guys have some pretty sweet cars. Some of the cars VB recognized from last year's Bug-A-Fair. But, it was so damn hot this year, she skipped taking photos of many, many cars. Here's one of VB's favorites from last year, which she saw again this year.

(Below): The windshield sticker.

(Below): Enlarge the photos for a real treat. This car has a gas heater under the front hood. The best VB could find is this article from thebugshop.org "Heating Your Beetle." (You will have to scroll down a bit for the information on gas heaters, which isn't much.)

(Below): More cars from the club. It's quite possible that VB took pictures of other club cars, without the sticker showing. These are definitely ones with the club stickers. And this line-up, just behind the gazebo seemed to be all Volkyrriqueno VWs.

Funkengroovin - Terryville, CT Bug-A-Fair 2009, Part 1 (The Line Up)

2009-08-18T07:54:00.000-04:00

STOP!!!!

The Terryville Bug-A-Fair 2009 photos are here!
Today's post: The line-up shots.

Cooking The Books

2009-08-16T14:47:00.000-04:00

The Internet and newspapers are all agog about the new film Julie and Julia. VB couldn't wait to see it. We try to do some sort of family thing every year. One year it might be the "New Years Day Hangover Movie," and another year it might be a Broadway show (usually a musical) and dinner. This special day typically occurs during the fall / winter holiday season. It all started when Elmer, VB's father-in-law would give everyone $50.00 and VB decided to treat the family to a movie. As we moved on, and out of the mid-west, it eventually turned into a fancier affair. And, let VB add, it cost way more than the $50.00 we used to get from Elmer. This year, even though we will be in the USA for Thanksgiving, given the minute amount of time college students have, it renders us without a proper visit to "The City" for a play. Plus, we plan on spending Christmas in Cairo this year. Yes, we will visit a lot of antiquities, but it just doesn't match the excitement we have of taking the train to New York, going to a show, having a special dinner, and freezing our asses off, as well.

This year VB promised, if everyone went to see Julie and Julia with her, she would make French Onion Soup, which she hasn't made since we moved from Abu Dhabi. Yes, the family began to drool. So, it was decided this past week was the week for that special date. Then Awesome Daughter decided she too would contribute a dish. She's the baker of the family, having made bread from scratch and kneading it with her own two hands (VB uses the KitchenAid for that). The Boss Man added that it would be great to have steak, and so VB decided to include Julia's Caesar Salad.

We went to the matinee and a bunch of very elderly folks showed up. We're talking about the Depends group. It was somewhat depressing, but then later Awesome Daughter reassured VB that Julie, through her blog, reawakened the love for Julia and cooking amongst the younger folks, although it would be hard to discern from the average age of the audience. I particularly felt bad for Number One Son. This is not a movie he would have seen on his own. His favorite part was the SNL skit with Dan Akroyd pretending to be Julia Child.

After we came home, Awesome Daughter made VB a martini with Tanqueray Rangpur Gin (they sucked martinis down in the movie, one after another, while lounging around. Well, at least Julia and her friends did. And it reminded VB of just how good, and potent, a gin martini is.) It was delicious, and VB was pretty much plastered before half the dinner was cooked.

Days before, Awesome Daughter made Creme Fraiche for her dinner contribution. We were somewhat skeptical, leaving it out to brew (below) for 24 hours. Bubbling, it looked like some sort of ooze you might grow in a science class.

Here Awesome Daughter tops off the cake. She made Chocolate Raspberry Ruffle Cake (video), which involves quite a few steps, several of which require refrigeration in-between. If you watch the video at the link, it looks as though Julia and Alice Medrich seamlessly make this cake throughout a few hours. The creme fraiche was started several days before; the chocolate shavings too; the cake was baked and almost completely assembled the day before. Below - the final step to the cake - the topping, which included chocolate shavings, raspberries, and creme fraiche.

Awesome Daughter feels a need to taste the French Onion Soup.

And, viola! It's done.
Julia Child's French Onion Soup (video)

Meanwhile, due to differing preferences as to the doneness of steaks, two are on while the rare ones await. VB was going to buy sliced filets from COSTCO. Every time she does that, she gets at least one, but more like two crappy cuts in the package of four. So VB decided to go whole tenderloin. She bought the PSMO (side muscle and fat have already been removed.) Saveur has an excellent article on how to butcher your own whole tenderloin: Cutting a Beef Tenderloin. As a result, VB gets quite a few nice steaks, and then the end for tenderloin tips.

More on the Caesar Salad here: Julia's Caesar Salad (recipe) and Julia Child and Jacques Pepin (NPR Interview).

The cake in full.

And, everyone is excited!

That white goo is the creme fraiche. The cake was worth the while, and we devoured it, along with our neighbor.

The bookcase aka Julia Child section of our library. The recipes we used are from The Way To Cook, Baking With Julia, and Julia and Jacques Cooking At Home.

And as VB shoots the pics of the books, she's being spied upon by a nosy little kitten.

For some fun. Julia Child was a guest on The David Letterman Show several times. Here Dave is young and fresh, Paul still has a few scraps of hair on his head, and is hardly as flashy as he is these days. Julia, well she's Julia - playing along, and embarrassing Dave. And, lastly, Dave's done some cooking on his own as you will see.

Julia Child On Letterman [1988]

Thwarted!

2009-08-14T14:58:00.002-04:00

There seems to be a contest going on at infowars.com to make a video of people posting these racist posters of President Obama where ever possible.

To quote them: "In order to awaken the people about Obama’s agenda, Alex is organizing a contest centered around the “Obama as Joker” poster that has Democrats and Obamanoids going ballistic."

Here's the local version below:

Fortunately others, who apparently have a surplus of the HealthCare '09 bumper stickers, thwarted them.

iPhone Apps

2009-08-09T09:10:00.000-04:00

Two weeks ago we changed mobile carriers and went with iPhones. VB wasn't so enthusiastic, but the kids were dying to get them, and The Boss Man loved his, so VB got stuck with one too. Well, she's addicted, particularly to the Photo Apps. Below are examples of what VB's three favorites are like.

COLORSPLASH:

The Colorsplash is a bit difficult to work with. It changes your original to a black and white. You can then go in and paint one object to stand out. Skinny fingers are pretty much a requirement, even though you can change the size of the paintbrush. (VB's no damn good at this one.)

LOMO:

The Lomo is great. As with real Lomo photos they're grainy and have off colors.

Original:

LC-A Normal:

Redscale:

Black & White:

CameraBag:

CameraBag has got to be VB's favorite so far. The photos are pretty clean, and you can flip through to see numerous transformations.

Original:

Helga:

Lolo:

Magazine:

Mono:

1962:

1974:

Cinema:

Infrared:

Fisheye:

More of VB's favorite Apps are: 2 Across (crossword puzzle app), FlightTrack (airline tracking app), Amazon.com, Camera Zoom, Yelp (for finding places to eat), KitchenCalc (converts to and from UK and US measurements).

Great Ad

2009-08-07T16:12:00.000-04:00

VB loves this ad. It stars Robert Carlyle, a Scottsman who VB can actually understand. We have seen these Johnny Walker ads more overseas, than in the U.S.A., like the one with Harvey Keitel.

BTW, VB checked the liquor cabinet here in Connecticut and it seems we favor Kentucky Bourbon, Rye Whiskey, and Canadian Whiskey over Scotch. VB personally doesn't drink any of these. She's a gin hound. Still, these ads are always very good, but this one excels. A bit long, it's a mini movie, but well worth the time.

"'The Man Who Walked Around The World' starring Robert Carlyle"

Writer's Block

2009-07-27T14:23:00.000-04:00

Some people get writer's block as a result of empty minds, numb minds - any variety of problems preventing someone from coming up with the words. For VB, it's a much different case. Apparently, VB's computer is the perfect place for a cat nap, That is, after climbing as high as a cat can get and chasing the "mouse."

Funkengroovin To An Indian Motocycle Rally

2009-07-22T05:17:00.002-04:00

This past Sunday, Hilltop Farm, had "George Hendee Day Motocycle Rally". According to the notification: "Indian riders have a special camaraderie and loyalty. For many years, an Indian rally was held at the Indian Motocycle Museum, which was housed in a former Indian manufacturing facility in Springfield. Many that traveled a long distance would camp at the farm of Russell Longey in Chester, Mass., and travel to the rally in the morning. The museum closed four years ago and the rally stopped, but Russell and his group—the Pioneer Valley Indian Rally—continued the annual gathering. With Russell’s encouragement and assistance, an Indian Motorcycle Rally is now being held on the farm that Hendee built."

We hopped on up the road to take a look at the motorcycles and VB's first time visiting the local farm.

Below: If memory serves VB right, this is a 1945 Indian Motocycle.

(Below 7 photos): All vintage / classic Indians

(Below): Newer Indians.

(Below): A t-Shirt for Sale.

(Below): Indian Motorcycle advertisement.

Some farm photos: Most are self explanatory. Below: The large door where everyone seems to be standing, is the dairy barn. (Cow scene taken by Number One Son.)

The dairy barn (below) is being renovated, and will eventually (they say) be opened to visitors.

NEWS:

When Your Car Stinks, Your Life Stinks, Too

Survey: Food + driving = disaster
"Just how much of a problem is this? Exxon surveyed 1,000 drivers and discovered more than 70 percent eat while driving and 83 percent drink beverages.

The NHTSA study cites these driver distractions as the top reasons for car crashes - and ultimately higher auto insurance rates:

Using a cell phone
Reaching for a moving object
Looking at an object or event outside of the vehicle
Reading
Tweeting
Applying makeup"

G.A.Y. It Up!

TAKING CARE OF HISTORY, ONE CAR AT A TIME
"Today, Hosny claims, it is the only living example of a fully restored 1960 Karmann Gia, an expensive collector’s item abroad. It was spotted under an oily rag, with chicken bones and dead rats inside, left in the garage after its owner passed away and his inheritors had no clue what to do with it." VB previously focused on this car, before meeting Hosny earlier this year. The photos of his Karmann pre-restoration are here.

Porsche and Volkswagen's Nazi Roots

A Fierce Family Feud

Odd duck or rare bird?
"VW's Karmann Ghia a stylish, post-war take on the classic Beetle"

Legendary Volkswagen collection for auction at Turners

AT THE WHEEL: KENNY'S CUSTOM VW

An must see for all Octomom fans
"If so, you either need to get a hobby or, take a road trip to California. More precisely, you need to take a road trip to Pickering Avenue in Whittier, California. Once there, join in with other Octo-mom fans and check out the Gold Mine VW Auto Parts building owned by Ralph and Diva Chase." More and larger photos here: Whittier auto parts store pays tribute to octuplet mother Nadya Suleman and VW car art in Whittier pays homage to 'Octomom'

7 Cars to Drive Before You Die

Car Show Review: VW Wasatch Classic

Ten oddball production Volkswagens

Sixty years (and counting) of the VW Van

Kombi mania

Rolling and roaming in New Zealand by camper van
"Because we're members of the club ourselves, we never considered anything but a VW camper van for exploring New Zealand. Back home, our 1987 Vanagon, Hanz, has taken us from Los Angeles to Maine and back again. And in trips to France, Spain and the Netherlands, we've found that renting VW campers makes even vacations abroad affordable. This was especially true for New Zealand, where, thanks to a favorable exchange rate of 55 cents U.S. to $1 New Zealand, our rental cost just $66 a day."

Seeing Hawaii from a VW camper

For free-spirited trip, try van camping

Van owner jumps on electric band '��wagen'��

Henrietta newlyweds VW-bus their honeymoon
"The park-crazy Wootens — they were married at Letchworth State Park last October — recently returned from a 4½-month honeymoon that would make recreational vehicle owners smile and old hippies tear up.

With their cat “Fink” and dog “Westy” as companions, Kim and Josh camped in 24 states from January to May, traveling in a vintage 1978 VW bus, specifically, a Westfalia conversion pop-up painted lime green and bearing peace symbol stickers."

A Vw Trends Magazine reader takes his 1975 Volkswagen Kombi from the Cape to Cairo, Egypt.
"We were overjoyed to reach Wadi Halfa, near the border with Egypt, until we discovered we had to wait for a cargo barge to take us to Aswan. Nobody could tell us when the barge would arrive, and the only answer we heard was "maybe tomorrow, inshallah (God willing)."

We ended up waiting 12 days in the dry, dusty, anarchic frontier town on the southern shores of Lake Nasser, before our boat arrived to take us to Egypt. A few weeks after we passed that way, the land border between Sudan and Egypt was reopened for the first time in decades.

Getting a car into Egypt is a bureaucratic nightmare, which was compounded for us by the fact that our carnet de passage, the car's customs "passport," was not valid for Egypt. But, with a little creativity on our part, and an inability to read the Roman alphabet on the part of the customs officer, we were allowed into the country on Egyptian customs temporary plates without too much hassle and without paying the 300 percent temporary import duty.

From there to Cairo it was paved roads all the way. We stopped on route to visit Luxor and the Valley of the Kings, and to do some scuba diving on the Red Sea, before finally rolling triumphantly into Cairo's anarchic traffic, having driven for seven months and 15,000 miles since leaving home. What's more, we crossed one of the most difficult continents on the planet without a single breakdown or puncture. The only mechanical failure, apart from a few oil leaks, was a cracked cooling fan, which we had welded up in Ethiopia.

Seeing the Great Pyramids at Giza was a very emotional moment, as it marked the end point of Cape to Cairo for us.

We had made it on a wing and a prayer in an ancient vehicle, and in the face of very many people who told us we would never make it."

Hi-de-Hi glampers
"The term glamorous camping (glamping) arrived on our shores last year, heading straight into the urban dictionary alongside 'chillax' and 'Primani' and will no doubt be followed by the latest buzz words 'Aldirati' and 'stacation'.

But it’s not just tipis and yurts that have achieved glamping status. For the practical glamper, there are VW vans. And before you dismiss the VW van as somewhere you may have lost your virginity one hazy and somewhat forgettable evening in the nineties with a hippy called Moonshine, vwcamperhire.net in The Lake District (winner of the British Travel Awards 2008) offers a team of stylish, charismatic campervans, all affectionately named. In true glamping stylee there’s Billy the Bling Bus who comes complete with digital television and Play Station 2- a strong negotiating tool for the “spirited” child. But for a bit of vintage glamour, there’s simply no other choice than the post war American Airstream Trailers at vintagevacations.co.uk all beautifully restored, with cutesy furnishings and not forgoing modern amenities. Cocktail anyone?"

Forty years ago, when man landed on the moon, VB was at her parent's restaurant in a black neighborhood (as mentioned here.) A lot of folks in the neighborhood thought the moon landing was something concocted by the government, with assistance from Hollywood. In other words, it never happened, and we were being lied to. VB got numerous lectures from disbelieving adults on this subject as the week passed. So, in tribute to those memories, VB presents: Whitey on the moon - gil scott-heron

Rescued Cat Update

2009-07-21T01:48:00.001-04:00

Stuck at home all last week with the hives, dependent on Benadryl, Caladryl, and Aveeno baths, VB found herself photographing the rescued kitten. Kitten is still climbing the screens in pursuit of the mosquitoes flying around outside.

She's also decided that the kitchen table is quite the spot for napping, and attacking. It has turned into her operations center, since she can easily sprint to the counter, and show the dogs what counter surfing really means.

We're going to have to discuss her facial hair sometime. Looks like she's growing a goatee.

She's also decided that dog food is quite tasty.

And that water bowl, albeit a bit high, is always way fuller than hers.

VB's Last Two Weeks

2009-07-13T09:13:00.000-04:00

VB apologizes for being incommunicado awhile. Two weeks ago VB returned to the US. That, as usual, entails a few hectic days before departure, doing last minute shopping, and getting doggie certified for export. VB has plenty of VW / Funkengroovin posts, but hasn't been of the mind to actually write about them. So, you ask, "What the hell have you been up to?"

Last minute shopping trip to the Cairene labyrinth known as "The Khan." We were in search of a specific item. It was featured in USA Today just before Obama's visit. We ended up going shop to shop with photo in hand asking if anyone knew where we could find this item.

(Below): We get close, but no cigar.

(Below): We end up on amazing streets in The Khan that we had never seen before.

(Below): Finally we arrive at the shop. At the end of the road of gold dealers stand a few small shops with an assortment of goods, including gold jewelry.

(Below): The item we were seeking. A cartouche of Obama, and metal design of him as King Tut.

These (we bought three) get packed and cause much trouble at the airport during security screening. They and VB survive and get through, along with Doggie. We arrive in the States, only to have a full week of torrential rain.

It was so bad, it made some of us climb the walls - well at least the screen doors.

(Below): During those few hours of dryness, VB was able to catch a some photos. Tobacco season has started.

(Below): Some fields have already been planted, while others await. Here shade tobacco is just a couple of weeks old. By mid-late August, these plants will be poking through the tops of the tents.

(Below): Since it has rained so much, we decided to proceed with phase two of our kitchen work, involving IKEA cabinets. This entails coming up with an IKEA Hack. We've done this before, but not to the extent involved with the cabinets. For more of this insanity, check out VB's Instructable.

We have a bit more work to do, so until the dust settles, there will probably fewer posts. Besides, VB just came down with a case of hives (verified by the dermatologist next door), and it ain't pretty.

Funkengroovin - King Farouk's 1931 Packard

2009-06-23T02:33:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago, as we were driving through Maadi, we spotted the scene below:

The Boss Man suddenly veered to the right, so we could get a better look. It's being decorated for a wedding at the Maadi Coptic Church.

As VB shot the photos, a man supervising the ornamentation of the car, and who spoke little English said, "Packard...1931...King Farouk." This is where VB got her information. If you're inclined to do a google search, you won't find much specific, unless the car is in exile with a very proud owner. Otherwise, there are numerous images of his cars, of this same color. From Sayyid Qutb: The father of Al-Qa'ida, extracted from The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright, "...As his people hissed, the obese Turkish king, Farouk, raced around Cairo in one of his 200 red automobiles (his were the only cars in the country allowed to be red), seducing - if one can call it that - young girls, or else sailing his fleet of yachts to the gambling ports of the Riviera, where his debauchery tested historic standards...."

Typically for weddings, from what VB has seen in Egypt, one fender in the front, one in the back, and the roof are decorated with flowers, and then connected with satin ribbon. But, it does look like this one is getting the full treatment (last photo.)

A video of the car interior is available here: Packard "King Farouk"

NEWS:

General:

Egypt leads nations whose diplomats are deadbeats on New York parking tickets
"The top three scofflaw nations owe just over $4 million: Egypt is on the hook for more than $1.9 million in unpaid diplomat tickets; Kuwait owes nearly $1.3 million; Nigeria's parking debt is $1 million."

EGYPT DIPLOMATS IN NEW YORK HOLD $1.19 MLN IN UNPAID TICKETS
"Egypt's consistently poor ranking is perhaps not surprising to most Egyptians. If the state of parking and driving in Cairo is any indication, Egyptian diplomats abroad are doing a fine job. In Cairo, there are streets with double-parking on either side. Sidewalks are often blocked by vehicles and people take to walking in the street instead...And the concept of parking violations in Egypt is virtually unknown. In short, parking is a spirited sport."

"Whether Egyptian diplomats will start parking their cars legally remains to be seen. You can take the Egyptian out of Cairo, but you can't necessarily strip him of his battle-hardened parking practices, even in New York."

Wheels: Recreating a 100-Year-Old Road Trip
"First a spring bolt broke not long after their departure from Manhattan on June 9. With a quick welding job in Tarrytown, N.Y., the Maxwell was up and running — until later that day, when a connecting rod bearing failed, necessitating the first of several babbitt repairs. Babbitt — a metal alloy that provides a low-friction surface between moving metal parts (for a fuller explanation click here) — has been a continuing sore point for the Maxwell, as it turns out."

Feds roll out consumer-friendly tire label rules
"As some car owners strive for ever-greater mpg, tires have drawn more focus as a potential source of savings. Factors such as a tire’s “rolling resistance” can change fuel economy by 10% or more. And burning more gasoline produces more CO2, a major greenhouse gas.

The proposed label from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also would provide consumers with easy-to-digest information about a particular tire’s wet-weather traction and tread wear. The ratings would be displayed on a removable label that would be affixed to all replacement tires. (See the proposed label or read the full text of NHTSA's proposed rule, both in pdf.)

The new three-tiered rating system will also be accessible at safercar.gov so consumers can do some comparison shopping before going to the tire store. The information would also be displayed on posters in tire shops."

MIT Hopes to Exorcise ‘Phantom’ Traffic Jams
"Phantom jams are born of a lot of cars using the road. No surprise there. But when traffic gets too heavy, it takes the smallest disturbance in the flow - a driver laying on the brakes, someone tailgating too closely or some moron picking pickles off his burger - to ripple through traffic and create a self-sustaining traffic jam."

VW Related:

VW California Biker: a dream van come true
"Why not sell the California is the U.S.? Why do we get only the rough-trade Routan? One rather large word: homologation. It would cost far too much to make the diesel California legal in the States, considering the small number of vehicles the company could actually sell at a price exceeding $50,000.

On the other hand, maybe not. What if VW of America heard a loud outcry for the California? What if people started sending deposits? In these more constrained times, the California seems like the perfect vehicle for people downsizing from the awful hugeness of traditional RVing."

Check out the photo gallery for A Pop-Top in Paradise
"On previous visits to Hawaii, I stayed at traditional resorts and took day excursions by car. Standard vacation. But for this trip to the Big Island and Maui, I wanted a change.

The alternative: a Volkswagen camper."

(From the UK): Barmy chilli takes to the road
"A CHEF is today hoping his love of food, festivals and VW camper vans will provide the perfect recipe for business success.

Brian Bussell has launched a unique catering firm - Chilli Gone Barmy - providing quality food to festival goers from his rare 1964 splitscreen van.

The 42-year-old believes the distinctive vehicle is one of only a handful in the world still in working order and the last surviving van in the UK."

Porsche Museum celebrates 75 years of Volkswagen production
"The Porsche Museum in Germany is dedicating a Special Exhibition to the 75th anniversary of the order to build the Volkswagen, held from 22 June – 31 July 2009." And more, Porsche Museum To Show Off Rare Volkswagen Beetles

The best smelling cars
"However, the most instantly recognizable car scent for me, was my dad’s VW Beetle convertible (pictured). He owned it in the late 70s & early 80s, but I can still smell that car as if I’m sitting in it right now."

Mary Belk: Nothing better than my trusty old VW Beetle

Kickin’ Down Madison Ave., Feelin’ Groovy
"Macy’s, General Mills, and Procter & Gamble are among companies with 2009 ad campaigns recalling aspects of the ’60s."
Check out the photos, like: "A VW Microbus, used in a cartoon by Procter & Gamble for its Luvs diapers, painted in a style reminiscent of the late 1960s."

Egypt:

On The Road: A capital cacophony in Cairo
"My taxi has ground to a halt amid downtown's traffic gridlock. My driver lets out his frustration in the only way he knows how: he makes noise. Two million cars fight for space on Cairo's woefully inadequate roads every day, and all of their drivers have their hand firmly placed on their car's horn. The city's relentless soundtrack is a cacophonous symphony of bass honks and baritone beeps that ring out from the overcrowded streets. Ambient noise levels in Cairo were recently revealed to average 85 decibels: the same level that causes hearing loss with extended exposure. We are all sinking into deafness in this city."

Renewable Energy in Egypt
"To alleviate traffic and reduce CO2 emissions by about 1.5 million tons a year, the government is planning six new bus rapid transit corridors in Cairo, and light rail transit to connect Cairo with fast-growing suburbs.
The plan also calls for replacing 613 old and polluting public minibuses with 1,310 large clean technology buses."

Razing the City of the Dead to breathe new life into Cairo
"CAIRO // The Egyptian government is studying plans to move the historic Cairo cemetery of Arafa – a neighbourhood in which residents include both the living and the dead – to a location outside the Egyptian capital."

Penned-In Egyptians Find Peace in City’s Din
"Space is tight in Cairo, so residents often head to bridges and other public places for a bit of contemplation."

"They know how to ignore what they cannot change and improvise where they can. They drive the wrong way down one-way streets, are blind to traffic lights, never voluntarily wait in line and regularly circumvent a government bureaucracy that is less than user-friendly. They are not trying to be rude; they are just fighting to get by.

Technically, setting up on a bridge is illegal. But this is Egypt. Who cares about technicalities?"

A fun discussion on Cairo Traffic: Obama vs the Traffic in Downtown Cairo

Lens: Essay: A Strangely Empty Cairo
"Accompanying President Obama on his visit to Egypt, Stephen Crowley of The Times found the streets of Cairo remarkably deserted."

How To Survive A Cairo Taxi Ride
"You’ll spend most of the ride spluttering and wheezing your way through the inevitably gridlocked Cairo traffic, but when a gap does open up, you’ll career through it like a kamikaze rally driver on crank.

Lane markings and traffic lights are treated as irrelevant urban art installations, and rules of the road as nothing more than a quaint rumour.

Most drivers think indicating direction is a sign of weakness, and only use their brakes as a last resort.

They use their horns, however, with passion and commitment: like a cacophony of bats that avoid bumping into things by constantly squeaking."

Video of how Cairo looks to the river to ease traffic congestion

Billy Idol White Wedding High Quality