I just visited Visit Carmarthenshire, a very nice website showcasing beautiful countryside and promoting the region to tourists. I was pleased that they have a whole section dedicated to “Dog-friendly Carmarthenshire”. We are thinking about a holiday in this region with our dog, so it is great to find info on accommodation, places to visit etc. where Yogi is allowed to come.
There is a bit highlighting the Plough Inn in Rhosmaen near Llandeilo offering dining with your dog. However, on the booking page of their website they state “Please note that no pets are allowed in our bar and dining room.”. I find that a bit confusing. If you can’t take them into the bar or dining room, where are you supposed to eat with them?
They do say they are dog friendly, but what does that really mean if you then ban them from essential parts of the establishment. Surely, if you encourage people to stay in your hotel you would want them to eat there too. And yes I appreciate that your dog would have to be well-behaved and clean and all of those things that are self-explanatory. Seriously, who travels with a crazy, aggressive, filthy dog? And yes, if anyone does actually do that, please ask them to leave, but why punish the majority of dog owners and dogs for that rather unlikely scenario?

That brings me to a more general idea. I ponder how dog-friendly Britain really is. Often these kind of hotels that call themselves dog-friendly but then don’t allow them anywhere in the hotel but the room, also don’t let you leave the dog alone in the room, which leaves you with no option but to eat elsewhere. What are you to do? Make the dog magically disappear or hang in thin air outside for the duration of your meal? And again where elsewhere are you allowed to take the dog to have a meal? The really dog-friendly places here are far and few between and difficult to find. There is a great website www.doggiepubs.co.uk, which is dedicated to help the adventurous dog owner, who likes to walk in the countryside for example AND eat and drink indoors somewhere along the way.

Plenty of European countries are certainly what I would call dog-friendly. You don’t have to look up the few places that allow dogs, they are just allowed everywhere, and you don’t have to ask if the dog is allowed, it’s just assumed they are. As an example, I like to use my visit to Germany.
We met up with my parents in the vineyards of the Pfalz region. Stayed in a beautiful hotel with vineyard, that my parents been to many times. I knew dogs are allowed there. My parents have two dogs, one a large Airedale and a small Border Terrier, like our Yogi. We did some beautiful walks during which at some point it would be lunchtime, so we would stop at the next pub and go in no questions asked – with 3 dogs no less. Initially my partner and I were hesitant, but my parents just walked in and said it was all fine, and so it was.

We later during our trip went to Koblenz, a city situated at the Rhine, where we were allowed (I’ve called in advance to make sure I am not dreaming) to take Yogi into a shopping centre, one of those roofed mall type things. Another day we went to see my brother in Düsseldorf, large city. Yogi was allowed in all the shops (except Bakeries and grocery shops, fair enough), cafés, even Starbucks, pubs and restaurants. No questions asked. It’s just normal there. I was in dog owner heaven. And Yogi was in dog heaven I guess, lots of new experiences.
And I might like to add that it is very clean there, there aren’t lots of puddles in shops nor poos, nor is it otherwise any grimier than it is in shops here. In my view it is down to the owners to be responsible, and that is just expected over there. Of course you would be liable if your dog did do damage, but so are parents when their child does something.

I also don’t think that dog owners here are any less responsible.

A totally different side is, that dog owners are also consumers and people that work, pay taxes and spend money in shops and restaurants. Odd that in such a financial crisis as this country is in, patrons don’t try to tap into a huge market of opening up to dog owners and their best friend – their dogs. Restaurants and Pubs are closing right left and centre, even in a town like Cambridge, but they would rather turn you away and not serve you than let a small well-behaved dog lie under the table. (Mind you, they are happy to allow noisy annoying children in.)

Sadly, I think Britain still has a long way to go to become truly dog-friendly.

I am a peaceful kind of girl. I live by the rule: Live and let live.

But I do have strong opinions especially if other people try to tell me what to think and do.

I am not a religious kind of girl either. I believe in something, I am Catholic by baptism and I grew up that way, never heavily encouraged nor that interested once I became a teenager. That’s when I started being opinionated and developed quite a dislike to the Church in fact as it has lots of money, and even when I was a small child they try to make you collect your little pocket money for poor people. Well I am sure my 10 Pfennig every week really helped, but why doesn’t the Vatican use some of their riches instead of taking it from a little girl?

This however has nothing to do with belief and God, certainly not in my eyes. Just because I have a mind of my own, and criticise some Church practice (not agreeing with their “no contraception” policy esp. in poor developing countries, for example), doesn’t mean I don’t believe in God, or call it a Spirit, higher force, whatever. I am fairly well educated with a degree and all, so yes I do believe in science and evolution, but again that has nothing to do with my believe that there is some power that was before anything else that is in everything from a beautiful flower, a baby to my rather cute puppy.

Some people try to explain love and kindness with science I am sure, I don’t know how, I know I wouldn’t believe it.

Some people believe in following religious rules, by whichever faith they count themselves part of, to the letter. Ok, let them, as long as they don’t try to impose their believes onto me, call me names or a non-believer in the process.

Some people don’t believe at all. Atheists. Fair enough I say, that’s up to each individual what they want to believe or not. They don’t believe in God, they believe in something else, science usually, or idols, from comedians to radical atheists.

What bothers me greatly, and it doesn’t matter which of these different groups someone belongs to, is when they try to tell me I am wrong in what I believe. Funny enough, I’ve never had any strong believer of a faith do this to me, it’s so far always been the atheists.

If you end up in a conversation where you happen to mention that you believe in something, they look at you like you need a straightjacket or something. Surely you are joking? Well read this book and you will change your mind! Or they try to argue … for hours, tell you how you are wrong and ridiculous.

I find it quite peculiar that people who don’t believe are so keen to convert you to become a non-believer.

What would I have to gain from that though? I am happy believing, be it right or wrong to do so.

Surely, if I can find it in my heart to accept anyone believing or not believing what they want, they should be able to show me the same courtesy.

Kind regards

Bisa

JUST A DOG

From time to time, people tell me, “lighten up, it’s just a dog,”
or “that’s a lot of money for just a dog.”

They don’t understand the distance travelled, the time spent,
or the costs involved for “just a dog.”

Some of my proudest moments have come about with “just a dog.”

Many hours have passed and my only company was “just a dog,”
but I did not once feel slighted.

Some of my saddest moments have been brought aobut by
“just a dog,” and in those days of darkness, the gentle touch
of “just a dog” gave me comfort and reason to overcome the day.

If you, too, think it’s “just a dog,” then you probably understand
phrases like “just a friend,” “just a sunrise,” or “just a promise.”

“Just a dog” brings into my life the very essence of friendship,
trust, and pure unbridled joy.
“Just a dog” brings out the compassion and patience
that make me a better person.
Because of “just a dog” I will rise early, take long walks and look
longingly to the future.

So for me and folks like me, it’s not “just a dog”
but an embodiment of all the hopes and dreams of the future,
the fond memories of the past, and the pure joy of the moment.

“Just a dog” brings out what’s good in me and diverts my thoughts
away from myself and the worries of the day.

I hope that someday they can understand that its’ not “just a dog”
but the thing that gives me humanity and keeps me from being
“just a man” or “just a woman.”

So the next time you hear the phrase “just a dog,”
just smile,
because they “just don’t understand.”

~Unknown Author~

Is it just me or do they only show rubbish repeats over and over again?

I am paying good money to get BT Vision, why I ask myself, as all I get it repeats and repeats of repeats. There are whole channels devoted to repeats and not enough repeating a tv series or movie once they show it every other day.

I can easily recall lots of great tv over the years, but they never show any of those programs again, no they only show the same old rubbish, as if there are only a handful of movies that channels own and can show. And worst I get charged to watch tv.

Oh and let’s not forget “reality” tv. Seriously, who actually watches this and believes it is real or anything to do with reality? In reality, people die in floods and earthquakes, work hard to make a living and get annoyed about stupid idiots on tv, who become famous and rich without any talent and skill.

Ok, enough moping. I am hungry, so you are off the hook!