Travelling on the Shinkansen (“bullet train”) is expensive for foreigners. To soften the blow, you can buy a JR Pass voucher before you arrive in Japan. Once in Japan, you exchange the voucher for a pass, after which you can reserve seats on the inter-city trains. If you buy from the official website (not an … Continue reading / view photos Cherry blossom in Ueno Park
Going to Tokyo
This is my first trip abroad since the pandemic. It’s been almost four years. When you travel regularly, it becomes a habit. You get used to the rhythm: booking places, planes, trains, and buses. When you stop travelling, the process becomes alien. Tasks that seemed second nature are now done with caution, hesitation. You can … Continue reading / view photos Going to Tokyo
Minaturised marvel
I was thinking the other day that I write very few technical articles given how much of my spare time is spent experimenting with technology! Having studied computer science and worked/played with computers all my life, I’m familiar with many operating systems. Many people have heard of Windows, macOS and Linux for laptops and desktops. … Continue reading Minaturised marvel
Rock houses
The Midlands is full of treasures unknown to me. Of them is the National Trust site of Kinver Edge and the Rock Houses. We visited the Holy Austin Rock site. People lived in these rock houses from the late 1700s to 1963 when the last resident left. Water came from a well and eventually there … Continue reading / view photos Rock houses
London Loop – sections 7, 8
After a full day in Wimbledon, the following day I headed slightly further south-west with my fellow London Loop walker. We were blessed with blue skies again. Our plan was to do section 8 first (from Kingston to Ewell) then section 7 (Ewell to Banstead Downs) since we were going anti-clockwise for this section. The … Continue reading / view photos London Loop – sections 7, 8
Wimbledon
I’ve never been to Wimbledon or much to the area southwest of London. Coincidentally, I went to both areas yesterday and today with two different friends. My only knowledge of Wimbledon is the annual tennis tournament and The Wombles, especially the song, Remember you’re a Womble! Yesterday, on heading to Wimbledon, our target was Wimbledon … Continue reading / view photos Wimbledon
Now he belongs to the ages
As I neared the end, I slowed down because I knew what was coming and yet didn’t want to believe that it happened. Doris Kearns Goodwin’s biography of Lincoln, Team of Rivals, describes not just Lincoln’s life but also the lives of his political rivals, who would eventually be part of his cabinet to form … Continue reading Now he belongs to the ages
Pelé
It didn’t seem that long ago when the footballing world said goodbye to Maradona. Now, another footballing great, Pelé, has passed away. Even though we didn’t have a TV at the time, I was too young to watch Brazil winning the 1970 Mexico World Cup. But very soon after, all of us who played football … Continue reading Pelé
Glorious snow
I don’t know what it is about snow but it seems to make people happy. For children, it’s a delight — whether it’s building snowmen, having snow fights, or getting the sleigh (or tray) out. I went for a walk in Hampstead Heath via Highgate Cemetery, taking snaps with my phone. The snow on first … Continue reading / view photos Glorious snow
Leaving Loch Torridon
For our final full day in Scotland, we headed to Loch Carron, where we found the ruined 15th century Strome Castle. This area, now deserted apart from the odd tourist, was once a thriving town with a ferry port. The following day, it was time for our homeward journey. We drove to the Beinn Eighe … Continue reading / view photos Leaving Loch Torridon