Yesterday, 13 April I was blessed (I am not sure that is the right word) but anyway it was a gift, to be able to go to visit Community Gardens in Spain. I will do a separate blog post and add more photos and write about the trip tomorrow. But for now the important message…
It is raining so I am writing. Jim made a spreadsheet of our water bills yesterday and we talked about what we could do to reduce our consumption, which includes encouraging people who visit to use less water. Tavira Verde is switching off our second water meter on April 10. From June 1st through to…
In 2017, Jim and I started talking about a trip to California. My ageing hippy consciousness kept telling me to go and visit the places I grew up in films and books. I also now have a couple of dear American friends, one of whom lived in California and helped with ideas for the trip….
An evening of culture, featuring an extravaganza of dance and movement opened the Galle Fort Literary Festival in Sri Lanka. Guests sat in front of an iridescent red stage, while a crowd of onlookers stood behind newly erected barriers as an orchestra played music. Dressed in traditional costumes performers from the army, airforce and navy,…
Dialogue, I have been thinking about dialogue. Words spoken by imaginary characters have filled my head for two weeks. My cold and cough have blocked some of the voices, but today, the dialogue between two characters is a source of amusement. Josie Whistler, old hippy, owner of a festival food van has a lot to…
I wonder if anyone else is getting that urge? That urge to sow seeds? Some of us who love pottering and growing fruit and vegetables are just about to see the pay off of scanning seed catalogues and poking soil. Does anyone else go round in circles with an inner dialogue, at this time of…
I have been neglecting this blog, which I think on reflection is a bit of a mistake. I have spent the summer of 2014 reading, writing, recording and taking photos, which is a luxury not offered to many. Not all of my writing is appropriate for the readers of this blog. But the books and some of the adventures…
We are now in Rio, in Santa Teresa in the Bianca guest house which overlooks Sugar Loaf mountain. From my window I can see the cable car going from one side of the mountain to another mountain. Having seen the plumbing and the electricity cables hanging precariously all over Brazil, I wonder how that…
As I write this, it is raining in Paraty. It is still beautiful, but its cold. The weather also occupied the mind of one of the writers I saw on day 5. Hanif Kureishi, (English mother, Pakistani father), grew up in Britain in the 1970’s. He said he “started writing to stop going mad”. He…
The day started with a press conference with Ian McEwan. He was his gentle mediative self and shared his love of Brazil. He first came to Brazil with his son in 2004 and his son said at the time Paraty had been the best 15 hours in Ian`s diary. His son, Gregory met a girl…