Delights of Northern Spain and Portugal - Memorials to Sir John Moore and Corunna in Spain, and Gaudi buildings in Leon

We were planning a route around northern Spain from Santander, and Bilbao where we previously saw the Guggenhaim's Museum. I would have liked to go East to Barcelona and see the Gaudi's buildings, the cathedral and several more.

Going anti-clockwise, to the West, where can you visit?

 When I saw Coruna on a map of Spain I immediately remembered the poem about the burial of a British military man, although I could not remember his name and the Spanish and English spellings of the placenames are differrnet. 

Here is the poem which I ound in Wikisource.

Poems That Every Child Should Know edited by Mary E. Burt

The Burial of Sir John Moore at Corunna by Charles Wolfe

The Eve of Waterloo

→

The Burial of Sir John Moore at Corunna.

"The Burial of Sir John Moore" was one of my reading-lessons when I was a child. A distinguished teacher says: "It has become a part of popular education, as has also "The Eve of Waterloo" and "The Death of Napoleon." They are all poems of great rhythmical swing, intense and graphic. (1791-1823.)

Not a drum was heard, not a funeral note,
⁠As his corse to the rampart we hurried;
Not a soldier discharged his farewell shot
⁠O'er the grave where our hero we buried.

We buried him darkly at dead of night,
⁠The sods with our bayonets turning;
By the struggling moonbeam's misty light,
⁠And the lantern dimly burning.

No useless coffin enclosed his breast,
⁠Not in sheet nor in shroud we wound him;
But he lay like a warrior taking his rest,
⁠With his martial cloak around him.

Few and short were the prayers we said,
⁠And we spoke not a word of sorrow;
But we steadfastly gazed on the face that was dead
⁠And we bitterly thought of the morrow.

We thought, as we hollow'd his narrow bed,
⁠And smoothed down his lonely pillow.
That the foe and the stranger would tread o'er his head,
⁠And we far away on the billow!

Lightly they'll talk of the spirit that's gone,
⁠And o'er his cold ashes upbraid him,—
But little he'll reck, if they let him sleep on
⁠In the grave where a Briton has laid him.

But half of our heavy task was done
⁠When the clock struck the hour for retiring;
And we heard the distant and random gun
⁠That the foe was sullenly firing.

Slowly and sadly we laid him down,
⁠From the field of his fame fresh and gory;
We carved not a line, and we raised not a stone—
⁠But we left him alone with his glory!

C. Wolfe.

When I looked at the Wikitravel and Tripadvisor listings I saw no mention of the famous man.  However, back to Wikipedia and the life story of the man, I managed to track down two memorials to him in Spain and another in the UK.

Sir John Moore statue in Glasgow, Scotland, UK.

In Hastings, England, there is a blue plaque on the site where Moore was billeted

 

His tomb in San Carlos Garden Corunna, Spain.

The tomb is in the centre raised in the air, above the two sets of protective iron railings.

 

Let's start with where is Corunna. 

From her going east across Spain you come to the city of Leon. it has a cathedral and Casa botines by Gaudi.

Another Gaudi building is in nearby Astorgia.

Where could we stay? We were looking at paradoes in Spain and Pousadas in Portugal.

Useful Websites

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Le%C3%B3n_(Spain)#/media/File:Catedral_G%C3%B3tica_de_Le%C3%B3n.jpg

https://www.portugalpousadas.com/Pousadas-of-Portugal.htm

https://www.poetrybyheart.org.uk/poems/the-burial-of-sir-john-moore-after-corunna

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Cambodia has one of the world's two top attractions - and the Khmer language which you can start learning from placenames on maps

 The two top attractions in the world on many lists are Ankkor Wat in Cambodia and Halong Bay in neighboruing Vietnam. I've seen them both and loved them both.

I had wanted to visit the temples of Cambodia ever since I saw them on postage stamps when I was a child. 

You will recognize the top attraction, Angkor Wat, from Cambodia's flag.

The first word you learn from Angkor Wat is wat. Wat means temple. 

Angkor means capital city. So Angkor Wat means temple of the capital city.

Angkor Wat is only the most famous of the temples around the area north of the city. You need a tuk-tuk and driver.

Tuk-tuk and driver.

The Tuk-Tuk

Visiting Angkor Wat can take half a day or even a whole day. First your TukTuk (motorised trishaw, motorbike drawing an opensided canopy four-seater) drives you north of the country's second city Siem Reap, to the place where you buy tickets.  If you decide to buy a three day ticket, you have to join another queue.

The taxi drivers and guides are good linguists. This is part of the problem. One speaks Japanese, another Chinese, another, Thai, another French. 

They have a good grasp of some essentials, such as, 'how much is this water,? this postcard, this guidebook. Two for the price of ...' However, asking, 'Where is the toilet,' and 'where is my guide'/taxi driver?' involves finding a Japanese speaker who can understand a Vietnamese speaker who understands English who can translate into Khmer.

Angkor Wat walled city complex approached by a long walkway across the wide moat.

Angkor Wat

Then you drive to the car park at the entrance to Angkor Wat. The place is huge. 

The car park is huge. Your driver will insist that you swap phone numbers and take pictures of him and his tuk tuk with the number plate. 

When you get back later in the day, you will find twice as many tuk tuks and tourists, and maybe a second car park has opened. t

Tourists lose their tut tuks regularly, so the drivers have a system in place. If you are lost, or can't locate your driver, any other English speaking driver, will phone him for you.

You need a photo of your driver. You cannot pronounce his name, but you will rcognize him, you think. When you leave your hotel, the pale skilled Australian owner, the chinese man with almond eyes on reception, and go off with a dark skilled local driver with big diagonal eyes, a black moustache, you think you will easily recongize him. But the temple car park has a hundred tuk tuk drivers, all dark skilled, with large eyes, with black hair and a moustache.

Besides, you get back late. The temples have guards and one way systems. You are not allowed to exit through the entrance. You now need a map, a guidebook and a human guide, and local money. By the time you get back, you will be wondering if he had gone off for lunch, to the toilet, or to do another job, while waiting.

What takes so long? Look at the map and you will see a long pedestrian passage across the moat to Ankor Wat. The temple, is at the centre of the walled city. 

Miles of outside and indoor walls are adorned with statues and frescoes and carvings. Each one deserves a photo, first ot its own, then with you. What do the scenese of battles and parades celebrate. All are described in the books and maps and postcards. You either listen to a human guide or read the guidebook, or both.

Miles of the four outside walls, its sections, rooms with statues, ladders to the next floor, postcards sellers, water sllers, queues to be photographed by statues. 

You think you have had enough, but you still have to do the central temple. Again, that is a complex of several rooms, passages, queues, statues, detours, photo oportunities, plaques to read.

When you finally think you have finsihed, you have to find your way back. One way systems lead back to the north, south, east and west exits.  

Angkor Thom, South Gate.

Angkor Thom - big city

If you have a three day temple ticket, and a three day tuk tuk hire, your next temple stop or day might include Angkor Thom. Thom means terribly big. Angkor, agains, means capital city. This large one was built a century later.

Its major feature is the massive heads of ministers of the day, lining the bridge leading to the South Gate of the city. Every face different. Every expression different.  Impressive.

Bayon Tample

Inside the walls, peering out, from within the complex are numerous gigantic depictions of a serene, smiling Buddha.

Actually, watch out for these statues. Our tuk tuk parked next to a gold Buddha in a canopy outside and said, 'meet you here at the coffee kiosk beside this statue in an hour to two hours, however long it takex you.'  He promised, "I wait."

What he didn't say was that there are several more similar statues inside the complex. Also one statue is outside each of the four gates on all sides. 

I was with my husband. But he was willing to climb a vertical ladder to get a view from the top of a statue. I was not. I had to take the ground floor route. I never found him inside the complex. 

After following several conflicting instructions through the interior maze I found the exit, and statue,. But no coffee kiosk! Had it closed for the evening?

I eventually found somebody who spoke English. He said, 'The coffee kiosk is at one of the other statues.'

I had no choice. I had to run around the whole complex, four walls, half an hour or more. Would my husband and driver still be waiting? Luckily, the coffee stall was by the next statue. Beyond it!  

I had given up hope and was racing past the statue when my driver recognized me and raced out to stop me.

Ta Promh / Ta Promkei - Overgrown Ruins

A third  fascinating feature I must mention is the overgrown temple with trees growing through the outer walls and the huge temple and huge big-eyed statue in the centre.

Cambodia's temple area around Siem Reap is a highly recommended trip. 

The moral is; The more local words you can learn, the better.

Here's a start. 

Khmer - English

allo - (hello when answering the phone) 

Angkor - capital city

Angkor Thom - big capital city

Angkor Wat - Capital City Temple

(Mr/Mrs) Chey/Jey/Jay (Surname from Sanskrit Jaya) - victory or victorious

Kampung - port or harbour

(Mr/Mrs) Keo - surname meaning glass, crystal or jewel

nung - and

Phnom - hill or mountain

Soustei - hello

ta - ancestor

Thom - terribly big, huge

Wat - temple

English - Khmer

ancestor - Ta

and - nung

big capital city - Angkor Thom

capital city - angkor

capital city temple - Angkor Wat

harbour or port - kampung

Hello when answering the phone - allo

hello/hi (informal) - soustei

hill or mountain - Phnom

temple - wat

terribly big/huge - Thom

Pronunciation Tip 

Ponunciation of tuk-tuk, like the past tense of take, took-took, I took a took-took.

For more useful words and phrases

Useful Websites

Translate google

Wikivoyage Cambodia Phrasebook

For a reprise or the travel and reminder of the language, come to the languages club LILT, on Sunday March 3rd. We meet every Sunday at 1.30 pm lunchtime in London in the UK, and 9.30 pm in Singapore. Contact me or Carolyn Street.

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Learn the Greek Alphabet in 10 Minutes | Easy Ancient Greek Lesson #0 | ...

This video takes longer words, instead of going through the alphabet letter by letter.

this approach is the reverse of the one described in the previous post. The other system it to learn a couple of letters and make them into a word. this system required you too look at a long word and break it down into letters for each sound.

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Learn ALL Greek Alphabet in 40 minutes - How to Write and Read Greek

This is the pod101.com Greek alphabet.

An attractive young lady steaches you a couple of letter at a time. She uses the them to make a simple word. You see how to write the strokes of each letter. That helps cement the shapes in your brain.

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Learn Greek, for travel to Greece or Cyprus, on a Greek airline, when visiting a Greek restaurant, or for fun

Greek Language

  For travellers, you can use the phrasebook in Wikivoyage. Pick your country, in this case Greek, or several countries if you have a multi-destination holiday. You get a long list of handy phrases. Print off the entire list of phrases, or those you are most likely to need. Print in a convenient size, large enough to read, small enough to be lightweight, to go in your pocket. If it gets lost in a wad of papers, print a Greek flag and attach it to the front as a cover, or just to the top left or right corner of the first page.

Wikipedia makes everything comoplicated and I have to look up technical terms. Simple Wiki is useful. 

So is Wikimedia Commons, for pictures.

Double-sided Greek card

OOOZU - Compact, Pocket Size

You can get a small card from Ooozu.com to carry around and consult. It is laminated. Language only, not the alphabet.

Duolingo 

I am using Duolingo to learn twelve languages including Spanish, Japanese, Greek, Swedish, Esperanto and other lanaguages. Duolingo has a lot of repetition to help you remember.

LILT Polyglot Club

I run an online polyglot languages group with my good friend Carolyn Street, who used to teach French and German at a Polytechnic in Singapore. You can attend  this clubon Zoom every Sunday, 9.30 pm Singapore time on Carolyn's Zooom. Send her your name, your full name, so she recognizes you and can admit you to the meeting. 

You can contact her or me by direct message on Facebook and on the Lilt page. (Earlier version were WILL but that got confused with [ages on writing a will so we changed it to LILT.

We are probably doing a reprise of Japanese at the future meeting on Sunday 25th February 2024 if requested. This week is Greek. To attend 1-to 3 meetings is free. We hope that if you become a rgular supporter you will want to join Toastmasters and pay the 60 dollars fee for 6 months access to the TI website, pathrway programme innluding videos on public speaking and managing meetings, the online magazine, and opportunities to take attend and take part in speaking contests. These two online clubs can be contacted via Advancity in Singapore which is in Toastmasters International Find a club. Advancity also meets in person in Singapore.

SGI Dynamic Toastmasters International Club

I often do a rehearsal on Friday at SGI Dynamic. The club started in the evening in Singapore but moved to later in the evening so that members and visitors from the USA could join. The timing is early morning in the USA and Central and South America. Lunchtime in London, after lunch in France and Europe, evening in Singapore, which is the same time as Japan and China.  

Resources

Duolingo

diolingo.com

ooozu.com

busuu

toastmasters international 

Greekpod101.com

You tube (greek pod)

24 letters. 

Learn Japanese for travel or interest - Calling Japanese speakers and those who want to learn Japanese, or to visit Japan

 

For travellers, you can use the phrasebook in Wikivoyage. Pick your country, in this case Japanese, or several countries if you have a multi-destination holiday. You get a long list of handy phrases. Print off the entire list of phrases, or those you are most likely to need. Print in a conveneint size, large enough to read, small enough to be lightweight, to go in your pocket. If it gets lost in a wad of papers, print a japanese flag and attach it to the front as a cover, or just to the top left or right corner of the first page.

Wikipedia makes everything comoplicated and I have to look up technical terms. Simple Wiki is useful. 

So is Wikimedia Commons, for pictures.

OOOZU - Compact, Pocket Size

You can get a small card from Ooozu.com to carry around and consult.

Duolingo 

I am using Duolingo to learn Japanese. It has a lot of repetition.

LILT Polyglot Club

I run an online polyglot languages group with my good friend Carolyn Street, who used to teach French and German at a Polytechnic in Singapore. You can attend  this clubon Zoom every Sunday, 9.30 pm Singapore time on Carolyn's Zooom. Send her your name, your full name, so she recognizes you and can admit you to the meeting. 

You can contact her or me by direct message on Facebook and on the Lilt page. (Earlier version were WILL but that got confused with [ages on writing a will so we changed it to LILT.

We are probably doing a reprise of Japanese at the future meeting on Sunday 25th February 2024 if requested. This week is Greek. To attend 1-to 3 meetings is free. We hope that if you become a rgular supporter you will want to join Toastmasters and pay the 60 dollars fee for 6 months access to the TI website, pathrway programme innluding videos on public speaking and managing meetings, the online magazine, and opportunities to take attend and take part in speaking contests. These two online clubs can be contacted via Advancity in Singapore which is in Toastmasters International Find a club. Advancity also meets in person in Singapore.

SGI Dynamic Toastmasters International Club

I often do a rehearsal on Friday at SGI Dynamic. The club started in the evening in Singapore but moved to later in the evening so that members and visitors from the USA could join. The timing is early morning in the USA and Central and South America. Lunchtime in London, after lunch in France and Europe, evening in Singapore, which is the same time as Japan and China.  

Resources

Duolingo

diolingo.com

ooozu.com

busuu

toastmasters international 

Naming traditions around the world - Spain, the UK, the USA

Naming traditions vary from country to country, group to group. family to family.

In my family, people in my grandaprent's generation turned out to have different names to their birth certificates, because when they married they found themselves sharing a house with other women of the same name and that was too confusing. 

In the UK, the kings sometimes had the same name as the father. That made succession easier. The initials stay the same. People who once swore allegiance to the king by a certain name, had a sense of continuity. Less alteration to banners and embroidery. no embarrasssement about calling somebody by their predecessor's name. Easy to rmember the name of your king for the subjects and visiting ambassaors or royalty, or scribes.

If you visit Spanin, or a Spanish restaurant, or somebody Spanish visits you and explains their system (as hapened to me) you find that often the mother's family name is kept as a middle name. That was done in the UK by Billy Jean King, tannis player, and if you are already known in your profession or trade by a name, it is easy. 

Americans tend to name sons as Junior. That way, in the USA, at least you distinguish between father and son when writing bout them. Martin Luther King Junior. Of course, the name Martin Luther itself is already a name copy of a famous long-dead person.

I have seen two posts about people who are angry that another relative or friend wants to use the same name as the writer. In one case the other person got pregnant first. In another the relative wanted to use the name of a deceased child. 

In the second case the upset writer said she was not sure what she was jealous about.

Not sure what you are jealous about? It's blindingly obvious. You are jealous that she has a daughter and you don't. You feel that she has stolen your daughter's memory. You are probably afraid feel that every time you hear the name it will remind you of your daughter. To me the whole things is absurd, to have two people in a household of the same name so when you call out they both come running. Quite simply, you have been outvoted. Your mother gave her name to her child and her grandchild. Unfortunately the grandchild died, so now your mother has another chance at immortality. Your mother also lost. You might suggest adding another middle name so that it won't cost anything to change the name if you have another child or your relative's child herself wants a unique name. 

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Japanese white, red, sparkling and orange wine

Japan makes sparkling wine. Adding bubbles transforms a low quality dry white wine into a high quality dry white wine.

The Japanese top quality white sparkling wine was served at the International Summit, as well as an important Japnese state occasion.

Their sparkling rivals the best Champagne in price. 

The top quality has finer bubbles.. My husband says that small bubbles are better.  Because fine bubbles are longer lasting. 

Strange. I always thought big bubbles were better, more effective. That means I actually prefer the big bubbles of the cheaper sparkling Japanese white wine. Hurray!

Update Chinese New Year UK , Saturday

 

Chinese New Year is celebrated enthusiastically in China, Hong Kong and Singapore. One of th largest celebrations in a Chinatown outside these countries is in London. Expect a big parade, decorated pedestriansed streets, and festive dinners. You will see red lanterns and hear lion dances. Although Chinese New Year started  midweek, the big parade in Chinatown will be on Saturday.

In Singapore you will see many lion dances, in pubic places, or in private homes. The lion dancers perform the undulating moving of the dragon to loud drumming and cymbals. They throw items to the crowd.

You already know six German words, maybe more

 

At a recent meeting of our language lovers club, I gave an introductory session on German. I started by asking who knoew no German. I asked if they could think of one word of German. Silence. So I asked, do you know any names of cars or food.

The answer which came from the audience surprised me. I had not thought of it. It was the name of the car Volkswagen. That was a great example. Voks, meaning folk/in this context, belong to fol,. The w pronounced like a W. The English words, fol's wagon. A vehicle for the people, a cheap car for mass production.

I was delighted to add this to my existing list.

I already had two popular examples in mind. Kindergarten. kinder is child. Garden is garden.

 So that is two word, three words if you count the combination. Child. Garden. Kindergarden. 

Doesn't everybody know this already? Some people had forgotten it and were pleased to be reminded that they knew as many as five words. Others spoke English as a second language. The analysis of the word was new for a Hindi speaking guest in London, It was also new for a Chinese speaking guest who I met at Toastmasters in Singpore, now working and living in Korea.

For those with a wider vocabulary, several words come to mind.

Schwarz, german for black, in the name of the opera singer, Elizabeth Schwarzkopf. Kopf is head, so the family name's meaing was a black haired person. The most common surname in German is Smith, the same as in England, naming the trade which would have been popular years ago. Schmidt, smith. Schneider is tailor.

Blau is blue. 

More sophisticated words include ersatz, false, synthetic, pretend. 

Sunday Feb 18 th 2024 the subject is Japanese. You can visit our online speakers' language club LILT. The timings are 

 USA Central time and Belize and Central American time 7.30am, 

USA New York 8.30 am, 

UK 1.30 pm. 

France 2.30 pm (14.30). 

India  7pm.  

Indonesia (Jakarta time) 8.30 pm, 

Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan, th Philippines and Western Australia, 9.30 pm (21.30).

For the Zoom login, contact Carolyn Street on Facebook with a personal message, or find her or me though Advnacity Toastmasters International club.

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Tricks for learning Japanese

 I am learning Japanese on Duolingo. Japanese is a challenging language if your first language is English. The verb goes at the end, like in German. If your native language is German, or you have ever started learning German, this concept will be more familiar to you. 

Useful Websites

I am also looking at all sort of other websites. To name a few, well, let's start with one, Wikitravel phrasebook. it gives the Japanese words in the same alphabet as English, which the Japanese call Romanji. (Just like we talk about Roman numerals, I II III, the Japanese talk about the Roman alphabet, a b c.)  the Japanese like to add a vowel on the ends of words. So Roman becomes Romanji. 

Loan Words

You will find two types of loan words.. First, easiest to pronounce are English words borrowed from Japanese.  Second, similar sounding Japanese words borrowed from English

First, Japanese words we already know and use are from clothing and food and drink. Clothing words include kimono.  Food words include sushi. The start sounds like Susan. Susan and Sue like Soo-shi, Sushi. Drinks include Sake, which is rice wine.  

When looking for easy to remember Japanese words, one of the first things I look for is words which are almost identical in English and Japanese.  I can recognize them quickly which gives me a sense of achievement and success. 

For example, checking I find taxi and menu are almost the same. So is toilet! And bus. In Japanese, Bas. Computer is an adapted word. 

Duolingo teaches you simple sentences and useful words. For example, She is a teacher. He is a doctor. She is a nice teacher. He is a nice doctor. At first sight the words are challenging. I find it easier to relate them to a sentence or phrase in English which sounds similar. for exmaple, isha is doctor. I rmember, I shall see the doctor. Isha = doctor. The word for teacher looks like sen-say, same sound twice. What does the sensible teacher say twice? I clock on the little megaphone symbol to hear the letters said. The exercise offers the translation of Japanese into English and English into Japanese. I can now quickly pick the right word each time and hear it said correctly. 

 Useful Websites

Duolingo Japanese

Wikitravel Japanese Phrasebook

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Languages without a and the

I have been preparing slides for next Sunday's weekly meeting of LILT, the online languages club, where we do a new language every month, except most weeks, except for the very popular languages with several dialects such as Chinese and Sanskrit/Hindi where we do two weeks. I group together pairs of languages which can help you or confuse you, mostly help you. 

For example, Arabic and Hebrew and German and Yiddish. 

Chinese, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Japanese are linked languages. They use the same picture symbols, although said differently. Think of it like the symbold for no smoking and do not iron on clothes. The symbols look the same but are said differently in the UK, USA, France and Germany and Spain.. 

Hebrew

 Hebrew does not have a, only the/this.  the verb comes second or last. You don't need the verb to be. (Ha is the. Ha zeh isthis is. Ma zeh is what is this.)

Japanese

Japanese does not have a and the.

Japanese sentences have the verb at the end.

Vinexpo Wine Paris Exhibition

 

Vinexpo, Paris, trade wine show, Feb 12-14. Photo by Trevor Sharot.

This show is for the trade, attended by wine producers around the world, those looking for distribution in other countries, hotels, restaurants and wine shops, big buyers and invenstors, and journalists who specialise in wine and spirits, beer, mixers and more. 

If you are not in the trade, or do not have the time or budget to attend, you can go to the website of the organizers, VINEXPO, or read in the trade journals, or local newspapers. 

Join the Bordeaux Crew, says the sign. Paris Vinexpo 2024. Photo by Trevor Sharot.

Useful Website

https://wineparis-vinexpo.com/

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Valentine's Day And Drinks

 Hedonism wine shop in London has giant hearts in the window and the words pulling heartstrings.

Regarding tastings, you have a choice of three. Free drop in tastings. Enomatic tastings from the machine where you choose which wines to sample, after buying a card and adding whatever amount you wish to spend. Or a special event tasting when somebody knowledgeable such as the owner of a vineyard or promoter of a company brings along a set of wines.

If you are looking for a cheap taste, they have a wall of enomatic machines enabling you to try wines in small quantities from only two or three pounds. (Take your own water or crackers, or book a nearby restaurant.)

Other possiblities are buying Champagne, or a british pink wine from Nytimber.

I am a cheap date, happy with a tiny bottle of Prosecco from Tesco. However, my husband is an enthusastic customer of Hedonism . 

We have also attended their tasting events when you can join other couples and singles and learn about wines. 

Useful Website

Not for Valentine's Day but a birthday, I have put in a request for the new Coravin Sparkling which enables you to have a glass of sparkling wine from the bottle (with a kind of syringe through the cork), saving the rest of the contents of the bottle for another occasion.

Useful Websites

Hedonism

https://hedonism.co.uk/gifts

https://hedonism.co.uk/drop-in-tastings

https://hedonism.co.uk/tastings

Coravin

https://www.coravin.sg/sparkling

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Charlie Chaplin, where can you see statues and mementoes worldwide?

 

Charlie Chaplin's statue stands in Vevey, where he lived in Switzerland. In London UK you can see a statue and plaques. Other mementoes are in a film museum. 

Hollywood star, Los Angeles, USA

Charlie Chaplin Park in Calcutta, India, has a gigantic model of his hat.

Mural in East London.

Charlie Chaplin Grave

See articles in Wikipedia.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Monuments_and_memorials_to_Charlie_Chaplin

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Travelling Clothes - what to wear

Travel Changes Into An On Board Plane Outfit

 On one press travel trip, our frequent flyer destination PR escort revealed her secret. She travelled wearing a smart suit to greet her group at the departure airport and make a good impression  However, she carried a  pair of velvety soft, stretchy travel 'pyjamas'. She changed into them on boarding the plane. 

On the long descent for landing she quickly changed back into a smart suit which was figure fitting. This meant watching for an opportunity to dash to the toilets when the fasten seatbelt signs were on and off and on. 

Small Scarves

Scarves are a quick fix to smarten up an outfit, especially in the evening. If you land late for dinner and cannot change or your luggage is still with the airline or hotel porters, It is handy to have a scarf packed in your carry on bag or tote bag. 

A scarf is also good going from a hot country and arriving in the cold. The scarf will warm your kneck and head. 

But I try to avoid trailing scarves untidily, or having one half higher than the other.  You can clip the scarf with a non metal brooch, a quick release scarf clip, or even a concealed safety pin, or a fancy safety pin with a coloured top. 

Another solution is to wear an infinity scarf like a big figure of eight. With a needle and cotton, or safety pins, you can attach one end of the scarf to the other. But make sure you can get out of it in a hurry if you have to undress jacket and concealing scarves  to got through a security arch.

I avoid wearing loose scarves which might fall on the dirty floor of toilets on planes or airport. You don't want trailing scarves falling into toilets, nor wash basins as you lean over to reach for the paper and soap and even dryer which are hidden under mirrors behind the basin. 

Loose scarves could also, worse case scenario, get trapped in doors or machinery. (I remember the actress who died when her scarf got caught in low sports car wheels. Other accidents have occurred on go-karts and fairground rides.) 

On board she asked the crew to hang up her suit. As her job required her to travel back and forth every month, she was soon a VIP client and could count on them hanging up her items. I often found that the crew would want to hang up my coat or take it away rather than put it in the overhead locker. 

Now, let's go back to the loose fitting Anthony Sicari outfit I chose to wear to go out for an annual check-up with a nurse. I used to have one cupboard for evening clothes and another for day clothes. Plus sections for seasons, long sleeved or long skirts and short sleeved and short skirts.

For extra security, a long scarf or extra caftan can go over clothes with pockets when you are in crowded trains or markets. Only your train ticket and a small amount of cash or one credit card needs to go in a pouch, kept in your front, never a back trouser/pants pocket, but tucked out of sight and out of reach.

The idea is to look cool, keep warm, and stay calm. Happy travelling.

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Clothes for Travelling on planes, to doctors, all occasions

 

A wardrobe and a suitcase needs clothes of all kinds. Cover ups for conservative countries. Loose clothes for travelling on planes and sleeping on planes. I used to wear a caftan on a plane. With a belt which had no metal clasps, or metal clasps which were quick release. 

 Sometimes I wear an outfit I hate because I am saving another outfit for a special occasion. If I am in a hurry, I select an alternative outfit. Then I think.., but I have lots of lovely outfits. Why not wear the pretty one and feel good all day. If I died tomorrow I would never have had the opportunity to wear the better outfit. 

But the good outfit requires matching of colours. the good outfit felt tight. It needed matching underwear. I could not remove the sleeves in a hurry. The driver was calling. I had an appointment for a checkup with the nurse. 

Undressing In A Hurry

Sometimes an outfit you can remove in a hurry is what you need. It does not flatter you to wear huge sleeves, a looose skirt, a loose top. But it is practical.

So I put on the Black and white Anthony Sicari outfit. DESPITE those horrible pleats.

I was right. The nurse took my blood pressure. Needed access to my arm

 She weighed me. I had to remove top layers in a hurry.

Removing Pleats

Later in the day I considered cutting off the pleated skirt and tuning it into a wrap around skirt with leftover material for a scarf. Maybe one day when I have lots of time. But I had a friend calling. At least I looked neat in a matching outfit. Pease forgive me for wearing pleats.

Later in the day

I am still wearing the outfit. it is comfortable. I bought lots of Anthony sicari outfits because of the wide sleeves. That was when I was ovrweight. Now I have another reason for needing loose clothes. Reocring from a nasty fall. pulling clothes on and off is painful. That often happens. An outsit sits neglected for years. Then one day I discover it and it has a new use. People are like that, too. You ignore them for years. Then one day you discover they have a quality which makes them not just acceptable, but indipensable. Just what you need. there's a say, every dog has its day.

 Today my pleated outfit had its day. Maybe you also have an old outfit which is just right for something. The old shoes for the gardening. The loose outfit to remove quicly for medical visits. Everything has its use.

What about those pleats? Maybe I'll come back to them. Move them, Remove them. But today they were just fine.

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Where can you see Memories of London's Early Airport and Amy Johnson who flew to Australia? London Croydon Aerodrome Hotel Displays

It is easy to find the London Croydon Aerodrome Hotel, in Purely Way, Croydon. You spot an aircraft facing the road. The aircraft is actually outside the building alongside.

However, inside the London Croydon Aerodrome Hotel are three panels of photos and stories about the airport's early days. Here was the origin of the international call for help, mayday. famous flyers associated with the airport included Amy Johnson.

Before today's big international airport, Heahtrow, was built to the west of London, Croydon to the south was the place where interntional flights took off and landed.

Opposite is the Colonnades retil complex and leisure centre.

parking, free to hotel residents and restaurant users. You have to key in your numerplate and get a limited time for free..

When I was there in february 2024 the rooms were being renovated. No mess nor noise, just a sign.

Amy Johnson flew London to Australia. She disappeared in WW2, and there is a cliam that she was short down by 'friendly fire' when she failed to identify herself, but her body was never found.

Photo of the Aerodrome hotel outside in 2005, from Wikipedia. Not much has changed. 

A plaque to Amy is high on the wall of a building where she lived in Cricklewood, London. 

Her statue is in Prospect street, Hull, in the north of England, on the coast.

You can buy books by and about Hemingway on Amazon. Also look online for items no longer in copyright.

Useful Address 

The London Croydon Aerodrome Hotel, 680 Purley Way, Croydon CR9 4LT

Website

https://www.croydonaerodromehotel.co.uk/hotel/rooms

https://www.historiccroydonairport.org.uk/history/

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g504167-d192598-Reviews-London_Croydon_Aerodrome_Hotel_Signature_Collection_by_Best_Western-Croydon_Greater_Lon.html

https://www.quora.com/Ernest-Hemingway-has-been-dead-for-over-50-years-Why-are-most-of-his-books-still-in-copyright

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What to wear at a UK funeral? Back to black, or not?

 

Angela Lansbury, wearing black for the funeral and funeral tea for Stephen Kennard. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

This week I went to a funeral in the UK. I wore black. 

Everybody else wore all black.

The invitation said nothing about the dress code. 

I know lots of funerals nowadays people wear mixed colours. Some invitations specify wearing jolly colours.

My friend Christine at the funeral told me, "Always wer black. Unles it specifies otherwise, the rule is, wear black."

I had my usual blue anorak with the hood with me. I left it in the car. In the boot of the car, in case anybody broke into the car hoping to find money in the pockets or because they wanted a coat to wear or sell. The safest thing is to leave a completely empty car. At least everything in the boot so the car looks empty. I could have kept the blue anorak in my black tote bag.

As soon as we drove into the chapel driveway, I looked at the other guests and their clothes. I saw all black.

Off came my blue anorak. Thank goodness I had a black coat.

The Black Funeral Coat

My black coat was from Marks & Spencer. It has a spare button. No hood.

The Blouse

Most people were dressed completely in black. I thought mostly black, with a white blouse - mostly covered by something dark, would do. It was a white blouse with black edging around the neck and cuffs.

Is A Black Hat Suitable For Pedestrians?

I needed a black hat, too. To complete my all black look.

However, I did not risk taking a black hat. I knew I might be coming back late at night and you should always wear somthing white at night, for safety, being seen when crosing roads. 

Hiding A White Hat

The essential white hat could go hidden inside my tote back during the daytime funeral. The white hat stayed inside the tote bag when I was indoors at the funeral and reception.

When I was planning my outfit,I wondered aloud, 'Will  I be cold walking to a gravesite?" 

My husband pointed out, "It's a cremation, so you won't be walking to a gravesite." 

Nonetelss, as I suspected,we stood around outdoors near the exit from the chapel after the funeral service. Some people would be going back to work or going back home and not on to the Reception, so it was a chance for them to speak to the widow and family.

The Guests - the Magic Circle

Our deceased friend had been a member of wine socities and a judge at bontests for beer, wine and spirits.

Some of the guests were members of a wine society or two or three (beer and spirits too. Others were members of the Magic Circle. 

Condolence Cards & Book Signing

I had guessed that we might either be asked to speak or sign a condolence book wit our memories.  What the family want to hear are praises for their loved one and facts about orgnaizations they were involved in, which might not be known to the family. So I took care to ask my family what memories they had of speaking to him, where they met him. I was able to get a record of the correct names of the organizations. Sometimes one's brain searches for a day for memories. I wanted my brain to start searching from the day before, not at the funeral and for the day after.

The Black Scarf

Just before leaving the reception, after saying goodbye to the deceased man's mother, I put on a warm woolly scarf which I had in my tote bag. It was wine red. (Not as bright as it looks in the photo.) 

At home I had a black scarf which I shall use next time I am attending a funeral.

Warming Food And Drink

To lift our spirits on arrival we were offered Bucks Fizz (half champagne and half orange juice), or plain Champagne, or plain orange juice. 

Before leaving we could have warmed up with hot coffee or a herbal tea. Why do I mention hot coffee? Isn't coffee always hot? No.. Having travelled the world, and lived in the USA, I know that in the hot south of North America, in summer, the Americans drink iced tea.

We had a mixture of cold sandwiches and hot food.

It is a small satifaction to feel that one has dressed suitably.

-ends-

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Hemingway happiness, horrors and places to visit - and a six word story challenge

 

Hemingway House

The top Hemingway attraction is the museum at Key West. He had a menagerie of animals. Including the famous Hemingway cats. He also travelled around the world.

Hemingway History & Books

I saw a film based on a Hemingway book about a soldier who falls in love with a nurse. The whole things made no sense. After reading that the author himself fell in love with a nurse, but she later married somebody else, and that Hemingway was recruited as a spy, this unlikely jumbled work of supposed fiction turns out to be based on fact and makes more sense.

I had also wondered why Hemingway was honoured by a statue in Cuba. Now I know he lived there and was honoured.  Although he met Castro only once, they admired each other.

Hemingway\s house answers some queetions and poses others. He killed animals but kept many animals. For examples, six toed cats renamed Hemingway cats.

Travel Landmarks to Look For, For Hemingway Fans

Whether you are amazed and awed or appalled, you cannot help being interested in Hemingway. As a writer I love the story about the six word story challenge. He is often quoted as having answered this challenge, but during his lifetime it was not recorded, and it was found  to have been used years earlier by others. 

The Six Word Story Challenge

The challenge is, write A novel summed up in six words? For sale, baby shoes, never worn. 

I could easily write another similar to that. For sales, small gun, used once.

Alternatively

For sale, gun, one careful owner.

Gun. Used once. One careless owner.

For sale. Gun and five bullets.

For sale, small house, distress sale.

Discount, murder victim's ouse for sale.

Missing millionaire's house for wale. Executors.

For sale. Wedding dress. Never worn.

For sale. Wedding dress. Worn twice.

What about a five word story.

For sale. Diary. Christmas gift. Unused..

For sale. Thirties car. Never driven.

For sale. Wooden coffin. Not needed.

For sale. Left shoes. Never worn. 

For sale, tomb, book cancer recovery.

For sale, fake banknotes, offers invited.

Missing, fiance named John, numerous aliases.

Wanted. Man with machinegun. Don't approach.

For sale. Titanic lifeboat. Not seaworthy.

Discount. Groom's outfit with bullet holes.

For sale smiling Mummy. Maybe fake.

For sale,haunted church, empty graveyard.

Clothes for quadruplets, or four twins.

Identical twins seek part time work.

Heminsgway's home in Florida, USA

Statue of Hemingway in Cuba

Maybe you can pick up some moere six word story ideas or title on your travels.

Useful Websites

https://en.hiddenremote.com/view/?id=laura-ingalls-wilder-life-hid&src=facebook&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=hid_a_ww_riella_hr7_225460_laura-ingalls-wilder-life_all_conv-atv160_sales_dynamic_both_18p_i-0_bid-0.6_288635996&utm_medium=120202240428560053&fbclid=IwAR3WCJc2KtrFSaxN0HSe_hcq1SPb2apDv-

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Chinese New Year, Feb 10-15, Joys and Sorrows, Queues and Clothes for Travellers - Be Prepared!

  Time to get out Chinese clothes for Chinese New Year. The year of the dragon, which is lucky. So it the colour red which is the colour of the festival. Expect to see lots of red lanterns. The unmarried are given red packets containing money. Bakds used to give away red packets to contain note money. Now you can give money through an online transaction with a goodwill message. For children as well as unmarrieds. (A bit like Christmas gifts and the hanukah gelt.)

Chinese New Year 2024 starts on February 10th and ends on Feb 15th with the lantern festival. I used to think that this would not affect those who are not Chinese but it does in many ways. You need to think ahead.

Busy Buses, Flights, And Airports

Flights

1 Flights will be busy taking people overseas or within a coutnry to visit families. This means, seats at popular times and days could be unavailable, fully booked, double booked. 

Less choice of seating. 

Airport

Longer queues at airports to check-in. Longer queues for luggage. Longer queues for taxis. Expect lovely decorations at airports. Changi airport in Singapore is particularly good at decorations . While there is a delay for checkin, if you are in a queue, anybody left waiting may be able to take picture of the decorations or selfied with decorations. You may have to queue behind families with children to take a selfie with a giant display. Allow extra time for taking souvenir photos.

Shopping

Shops busy. Festive foods for the fish tossing ceremony, tossing ceremony called lo hei, sell out. If you go shopping really early in the monring at the start of Chineese New Year, you may be given goods or discounts. Look for biscuits with pineapple fillings. And fresh mandarin oranges in fancy boxes.

Free Gifts

Some shops will give customers the traditional pair of Mandarin oranges, which are seasonl, like the Seville oranges which are now on sale in London where my family is making marmalade, the bitter tasting orange jam which wakes you up in the morning, and appeals to those who prefer spicy food, or savoury food, rather than sweet foods.

Busy aisles. Long queues to pay for goods.

Restaurants

Restaurants full. Restaurants serving festive Chinese meals which are more Expensive.

Online Messages

Your inbox will be full of new year greetings.  You must check carefully to find meetings. If you cannot travel or have travelled and have overseas friends, expect to get messages from friends and business. Sometimes you can forward a greeting which does not have a logo, as if it comes from you. If not, just add, I thought you would like to see this.

Meetings

Meetings will be cancelled because people are away from the office travelling. The office may be having staff dinners. 

Clubs

Consider a Chinese meal or Chinese theme. Your Chinese friends will appreciate this and could help. Look online for goods and allow time for delivery.

The Bad News

The bad news is queues. Some shops shut if staff are away travelling or celebrating. Shops stocks of Chinese goods running low, everything running low. 

The Good News

Prices of leftover festive foods are reduced after the festival ends. Clubs deliver goods, like Christmas presents, to members. Neighbours will give home made biscuits, sometimes with the pineapple filling.

The Good News

Fabulous decorations in Chinatowns worldwide. Decorations inside and outside Chinese restaurants.

What you should do

Book flights early. Arrive early at airports and venues. Allow extra time. Shop early to get free goods and empty shops on the first day of Chinese new year. Note closing times.

Look for Chinese goods reduced after the holidays. (And sometimes offers in advance or during the festival.) Send greetings to family and friends and colleagues and club members overseas. 

Look out festive clothes. Wear washable clothes, a washable wrap or scarf, or have some ready in case you attend a food tossing ceremony.

Greetings

 Learn to say a Chinese greeting to reciprocate, or add one to your email.

Chiense Destinations

China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore.  Chinatowns in the USA, Chinese restaurants in New York.  UK, London and Manchester, Canada, Vietnam, Cambodia. 

Chinese Foods

Chinese Decorations

Chinese New Year greeting

 Hanyu Pinyin spelling Gong Xi Fai Cai

Useful Websites

https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_New_Year

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