Cannock Chase in Staffordshire is an area of outstanding beauty. The dense woods are a wonderful place to walk and relax. We did a short walk there in the limited time we had on Saturday before going to Stafford. I noticed how much more friendly people were in Cannock Chase than on the Gorring walk … Continue reading / view photos Cannock Chase and Stafford
Pigs in Notting Hill
This Sunday, in trying to avoid coronavirus-drenched crowds but still wanting to make the most of the British summer, we turned to Stephen Millar’s book, London’s Hidden Walks. We went to Notting Hill. It was an illuminating day. The origins of the name Notting Hill are uncertain. An early version, Knottynghull, was recorded in 1356. … Continue reading / view photos Pigs in Notting Hill
Cows and chips on the Thames
For a moment, I thought I was back in India, where cows are everywhere – from the high street to the beach. Curiously, I’d been on several Meetup walks in Gorring but none of them took in the Thames. We were following a walk in the OS Pathfinder series for the Home Countries, which I … Continue reading / view photos Cows and chips on the Thames
Kew Gardens after lockdown
It was lovely to return to Kew Gardens after so long. Unlike normally, you couldn’t just rock up and go in. You had to book a slot for a particular day and time. Usually when I go, as a member, I can bypass the queue and waltz in. No such luck this time. There was … Continue reading / view photos Kew Gardens after lockdown
Freedom Tower
Apparently, those who were around when President John F Kennedy was assassinated remember where they were and how they heard of his death. I wasn’t alive to have a JFK moment. I did, however, have an Elvis Presley moment: I was playing football on the street and a friend shouted to me from an overlooking … Continue reading / view photos Freedom Tower
Lockdown sourdough bread
Sourdough was first invented in about 1500 BC by the Egyptians for extended periods of social distancing or other periods when you had time on your side. It was rediscovered in the UK in 2020 AD. Word of the new British appetite for all things doughy has gone global. Even The New York Times had … Continue reading / view photos Lockdown sourdough bread
Camp rock guitars
When I first went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (“the Met”) in 1988, two things struck me. The first was how well the collection was curated: everything from the selection to the colour of the galleries was well coordinated. The second was Jackson Pollack. I’d never heard of him at the time but I … Continue reading / view photos Camp rock guitars
Vessel
After the morning bagel breakfast in Brooklyn and the walk along the scenic High Line, we went to see Vessel. When we went, it was free to enter but you had to pre-book, which my generous Airbnb hosts, Max and Alia, had done. I loved The Vessel. There was something different yet familiar about it. … Continue reading / view photos Vessel
Rainbow bagels to the High Line
I had the perfect hosts at the Airbnb I stayed at in Manhattan. My hosts, Max and Alia, were kind, considerate, and knowledgeable. They took me for breakfast at the best bagel place in New York. We then went on to walk the High Line and, finally, they’d booked a trip to the breathtaking Vessel … Continue reading / view photos Rainbow bagels to the High Line
Brooklyn Botanic Gardens
New York has not one but at least fifteen botanical gardens! I spent a good chunk of the day at the trendy Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. The Gardens were partly closed for a large expansion that was in progress. Despite that, there was still a lot to see. I ambled around. I spotted a large turtle … Continue reading / view photos Brooklyn Botanic Gardens