On another supposedly quiet day, I went to the Fine Arts Museum. It was only whilst writing this post that I saw the museum’s resemblance to the shipping container Starbucks I went to in Hualien a few days ago. The highlight for me was a retrospective of René Burri’s work and life. The name rang … Continue reading / view photos Art and stinky tofu
Category: Culture
A wooden library in Beitou
On my second day back in Taipei, I took the train to Beitou. Beitou is at the northern end of Taipei and is famous for its hot springs. It still has a Japanese feel to it even though Japan handed over Taiwan to China in 1945. I went to Beitou to chillout at the wooden … Continue reading / view photos A wooden library in Beitou
Fo Guan Shan Monastery and Buddhist Museum
One of the big attractions near Kaohsiung is the Fo Guan Shan Monastery and its adjacent Buddhist Museum. The monastery was built in the 1960s. Sometimes it’s not easy finding out how to get to slightly remote places. I looked at various guides online and tried Google Maps. There seemed to be an online consensus … Continue reading / view photos Fo Guan Shan Monastery and Buddhist Museum
Artistic Kaohsiung
From Chiayi, I took the train in the morning to Kaohsiung. I read some interesting things about it, especially its art in public places. You notice the attention to art the minute you arrive at the central station. At the station, I especially like the section for children to read (books provided!). The transport options … Continue reading / view photos Artistic Kaohsiung
Hiroshima Peace Memorial
Our train to Tokyo was at lunch time. We had time to walk around central Hiroshima and visit some places on our list. After putting our luggage in the locker, we took a tourist bus to the Peace Memorial Museum. This was as poignant as it was harrowing. The Peace Memorial Park, in which the … Continue reading / view photos Hiroshima Peace Memorial
Manga and Kanji Museums
We didn’t go to many museums, but we did go to two small ones. Manga and all things related are in the Manga Museum. There are single examples and books. The collected books go right back to the beginning of Manga. Visitors are welcome to sit and read the books and magazines in the library. … Continue reading / view photos Manga and Kanji Museums
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
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