Yep its finally died after spending the last 2 weeks trying to die, it finally died on the way back from Chester after we dropped Fred off, so I’ve had to pay a visit to the Apple store in the Trafford Center yet again, and guess what they told me “I’m afraid it’s dead !” there mighty clever these Apple people !

Anyway they told me they’d replace it, but guess what, they did’nt have any spares left, so I ended up buying a new one and I’ll give Mel my old one when they do eventually replace it in a weeks time, I had to buy another could’nt have spent a week away without my music.

Anyways while I was in there went into HMV and bought a UDM for my PSP which is all about Prague, where we are going on Monday night, so at least now we have some stuff to read and listen to to while were wondering about, really looking forward to this, plus were meeting someone off the Big Chill Forum called Flean who just so happens to live out there, so we’ll also have someone who can show us around a bit, plus he can probably tell me the best place to buy Absinthe

How to Drink Absinthe
Traditionally, absinthe is poured into a glass over which a specially designed slotted spoon is placed. A sugar cube is then deposited in the bowl of the spoon. Ice-cold water is poured or dripped over the sugar until the drink is diluted 3:1 to 5:1. During this process, the components that are not soluble in water, mainly those from anise, fennel and star anise, come out of solution and cloud the drink; the resulting milky opalescence is called the louche (Fr. ‘opaque’ or ‘shady’, IPA [luʃ]). The addition of water is important, causing the herbs to ‘blossom’ and bringing out many of the flavors originally overpowered by the anise. For most people, a good quality absinthe should not require sugar, but it is added according to taste and will also thicken the mouth-feel of the drink. The major Swiss distillers recommend their absinthes without the addition of sugar.

Main article: Preparation accoutrements

With increased popularity, the absinthe fountain, a large jar of ice water on a base with spigots, came into use. It allowed a number of drinks to be prepared at once, and with a hands-free drip patrons were able to socialize while louching a glass.

Although many bars served absinthe in standard glasses, a number of glasses were specifically made for absinthe, having a dose line, bulge or bubble in its lower portion to mark how much absinthe should be poured into it (often around 1 oz (30 ml)).

For bohemian absinth preparation, see the section below.