I have to admit – if asked to name places in the US to spend a few days, Taos New Mexico may not immediately spring to mind. And yet, our short stay (3 days) surprised me with its arts, its enviro-greenie vibe and its laid-back charm – and most of all, it’s history. We stayed…
This week’s theme is U – for Undulations. For Thursday, we are at Raglan Castle, in Wales. Dating back to Norman times (1100 or so), the majority of this castle’s construction came in the 1400 through to the mid 1600s. It was a perfect example of ‘conspicuous consumption’ – this castle was both a defensive…
I remember as a kid reading about the Code of Hammurabi from 1800 B.C. – one of the oldest examples of writing ever deciphered – and was fascinated by it. The thing that intrigued me most was that it was a codified set of laws that imposed obligations not just on the ruled, but also on…
It was Ferdinand Magellan who coined the name Pacific (peaceful) for the largest ocean in the world – despite the fact that it can be anything but, at times. It seems he had just sailed around Cape Horn, at the southern end of South America – and after the storms of the Southern Atlantic ocean,…
For many Australians, a flight to a holiday island destination in the Pacific means flying to Fiji – a flight of around five hours. But for North Americans, Fiji is 12 hours or more by plane … whereas Hawaii is only 5, and has the benefit that you don’t even need a passport. 6.45…
This photo stinks! Well, at least its subject does. Hong Kong literally means “Fragrant Harbour”. Yes, well. I could think of lots of words to describe Hong Kong, but I’m not entirely sure “Fragrant” would come to mind. Oh, it’s not as pungent as (say) Bangkok with its smelly khlongs – or Beijing with its…
The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Mazatlan is a gorgeous building, not unlike many similar cathedrals around the world – and especially around Latin America. Apart from the Star of David stained-glass windows. But more on that later. Religion, and especially Roman Catholicism, has played an integral part in the life of Mexico.…
This week, our Travel pics series has been F for Fort-de-France. Our final picture is Fort Royal. You mean Fort Edward? No, Fort Royal. Are you sure it’s not Fort de la Republique? No, it’s Fort Saint Louis, I tell you! Confused? Don’t be – I will explain, I promise! The naval base and fort at what is now Fort-de-France…
This week, our Travel pics series is F for Fort de France. Well, strictly speaking this isn’t Fort-de-France – its the previous capital of Martinique, Saint Pierre. Or what’s left of it. Saint Pierre was the first European settlement on Martinique. It seemed like an ideal location – but then The Great Hurricane of 1780 produced a…
This week, our Travel pics series is F for Fort-de-France. Today’s image is of Britain’s HMS Severn (P282) tied up alongside the French navy’s Germinal (F735), at Fort Saint Louis, the French naval base in Fort-de-France. We took the picture in April 2015, as the Severn was on the final leg of her tour of duty in the…
