Many years ago I wrote an essay entitled ‘The Fascination of Chess. Now I am writing a similar essay about snooker. The trigger for this essay is the World Snooker Championship, which I am watching on TV. The finished yesterday – Saturday April 30th 2022 – and the final begins today. Ronnie OSullivan will be playing Judd Trump.
The standard of play in this world championship has been very Read on...
The weather looks great for some outdoor activities today and its not so cold. We set off to Larnach Castle which should be on everyones list as its a rare sight indeed in New Zealand. The drive with great views over the harbour took a winding and steep road across the hilltops many kilometres out of Dunedin. What a magnificent location! The original owner and builder of the castle was portrayed a Read on...
As the door closes on the cacophony of the street, there is the sound of tinkling water and the smell of lemongrass. A smiling lady with kind eyes wais (bows) and hands me a thick menu. On the first several pages are soothing images of gold masks, aroma oil rubs, body scrubs, and head and foot massage packages. It isnt until page 4 that the human spatchcocking is finally pictured – suspiciously Read on...
Peut tre avez vous trouv, que la fin de mon blog dhier, tait bcl, encore plus de fautes que dhabitude, lexplication est toute simple. Jai pour habitude de le prparer avant daller souper, et de faire une coupure, car pour moi toute cette criture ce nest pas un crivain de mtier. Et mon retour la tte plus repose, je me relis, jessaies aussi de remettre en forme certaines tournures, voir de corriger Read on...
I got up early enough to get a ride with Peggy and John to Sharjah to see the Central Souk . This was a huge conglomeration of i.e., totally indoors but not a coordinated mall. Its design respected the souk, if you consider that a souk consists of shops with a covering built over the street. The Central Souk was like a set of strip mall shops that parking, and a covered central walkway – two s Read on...
The Jewish Quarter is considered to be the inner part of Budapest District 7. It was here that Jewish people started settling down in the late 18th century (the medieval Jewish Quarter the on the Buda side was decimated during the battle between the European allied forces and the Ottomans in 1686.)
Budapests rapid urbanization and economic development at the time presented plenty of business oppo Read on...
Sean Connery has died aged 90 - a good innings, so we shouldnt feel too sad. However, he means a lot to me, and I want to share some personal opinions and a few things that may not feature in the obituaries.
Sean Connery has a connection with Vietnam. When I visited the Furama Resort, a beach hotel in Danang, around 2005, there was a sign telling us that Sean Connery reckoned it to be the best ho Read on...
We woke up and Jenn worked as our short order chef for all the kids with flapjacks and eggs. Ellie and Grayson showed Steve their schoolwork area and amazed him by how well that they both could read for their ages! Steve had to work today so everyone else made the morning trip out to Luckyladd farms in Eagleville, including one of Ellies friends Piper as seen in the pictures from the day on the ba Read on...
Yes, only a few times, fortunately. The first, was of course, in my hometown of Kingsburg, twenty miles south of Fresno. Nobody in town would cut our hair, until we reached junior high. My Dad became friends with a great Slavic fellow through the Lions Club. He offered to cut my hair, my brothers, and my Dads. There were always a few punks and bullies in junior high and high school, most of whom a Read on...
7th March - The Treasures of Transylvania: Horse drawn carriage ride through a UNESCO Saxon Village and its Fortified Church
Today we are in Viscri, with its many traditional houses, part of the Saxon heritage of Viscri is for its white fortified church, first mentioned in 1400.
The King of Hungary in the 12th century had a problem, his kingdom needed defending, especially in the south and eas Read on...