A Gondola U-Turn
Two gondolas trying to pass, as one does a u-turn in a narrow canal; only in Venice!
The Quiet American
The Quiet American by Graham Greene is in many was a love song to Saigon, where Green once stayed. He expresses a love of the Vietnamese people and their gentle ways, although it is at such odds with the violence slowly descending as the Vietnam War looms.
Exploring the Île St Louis
The Île St Louis, an island in the Seine, Paris, is easily overlooked when visiting the neighbouring Notre Dame. It’s one of the oldest parts of Paris, said to be haunted, and boasts the (reputedly) best sorbet in Europe.
The Poltergeist on my Roof
Thoughts as I hear footsteps on my roof..
Angkor’s Forgotten Temples
Besides Angkor Wat, there are some 70 other temples in the jungles of Cambodia. After the fall of the Angkor kingdom, many were lost to memory, consumed by the jungle until they were rediscovered. Some are still waiting to be found.
Fire in the Rain
Using two pieces of wood to light a fire is hard at the best of times. Add a tropical downpour, and it becomes nigh impossible - but somehow these guts managed the impossible.
And Yet More Rain
Listening to a downfall at home left me remembering times I’ve been travelling in the rain - such as Florence, Singapore and Luang Prabang.
The Lions of Venice
Representing St Mark, the patron saint of Venice, statues of lions are to be found throughout Venice, including atop the column standing in St Mark’s Square.
I Thought I Could Write A Poem
A poem from Anne Harrison’s collection Songs of a Sad Summer
Butter and the Paradox of Time
For something everyone knows, time remains intrinsically difficult to define. Making my own butter proved the paradox of observed versus real time, for doing so took but a little time and also a long time.
Medical English:Origins & Idiosyncrasies of Some of Those Crazy Words
A brief history of some commonly used medical terms and phrases, from apothecary to simply sick.
The Loreta: A Convent Carried by an Angel
The Loreta, Prague, was once carried by angels from the Holy Land to Italy, before miraculously appearing in Prague. It’s a gem of a discovery in this most beautiful of cities.
Petrichor, Rain, and My Washing
The word petrichor was termed back in 1964 by two Australian scientists studying the smells of wet weather. As one does. For it’s a smell to be found in a contrast of places: a bottle of red wine, a road steaming after a summer storm.
Basket boats of China Beach
The basket boats of China Beach, Vietnam, began life as a tax dodge. These manoeuvrable vessels can be found through South East Asia.