A Changing Life

Photohunt: technology

a.alapage@gmail.com (A.) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:05:00 PST

This, my troublesome hard disk, will be having a rest today. I wish I could say the same! We are moving house at this time, so this is a scheduled post. If you'd like to join in and find other other players, pay a visit to TNchick's site where you can find out more.

Change of address

a.alapage@gmail.com (A.) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:45:07 PST

I am likely to be very quiet for the next few days. It will be only an apparent calm, not actual, because today we start moving out of the house we are in and the removal will finish on Friday. Transfer into a new house will happen sometime soon, all being well, but not for a few weeks. The pattern of house selling and buying in the UK has changed. No more than two years ago, people would

Cockermouth and Wordsworth

a.alapage@gmail.com (A.) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:22:01 PST

Photo from Flickr/Ross-P Photo from Flickr/morebyless Cockermouth is, very unfortunately, in the news. The town is so named because it lies at the point where the River Cocker joins the River Derwent. What would normally be an attraction sadly leaves it liable to flooding. The photos above are both from Flickr members, the first showing the floods in 2005 and the second group are the

Photohunt: birds

a.alapage@gmail.com (A.) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 11:34:48 PST

I seem to have more than enough photos of birds, so I was spoilt for choice. I decided to go for example of both real birds, and sculptures. This is a sculpture, Caged Eagle, in an exhibition organised to highlight endangered species, in this case Bonelli's Eagle, the most threatened species in France and declining in numbers throughout Europe. At the end of the exhibition in Monaco, the

A walk to the post office....

a.alapage@gmail.com (A.) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:07:18 PST

....and the things that you see if you take the trouble to look. It was such a lovely morning today I decided to walk the long way around to post a letter. I took my camera and was surprised by how much there was asking to be pictured. A tree, one that had managed to hold on to its leaves through the last storms, glowing brightly in the sunlight. Underneath it, a crop of

Hurt feelings

a.alapage@gmail.com (A.) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:11:19 PST

Not true. A different type of hurt undoubtedly, but it certainly can hurt. Researchers in psychology have found that the pain hurt feelings last far longer than physical pain. They think the ability we have developed as human beings to work in groups and live in communities also encourages us to relive and suffer from social pain. The power of words is immense. They don't have to be angry

After the storm

a.alapage@gmail.com (A.) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 13:17:22 PST

We've had some terrible weather over the last day or two - heavy rain and gale force winds. It has eased for the moment, but we're being threatened with a return soon. I'm only glad we're not attempting to cross the Channel. The Eurotunnel option is looking more and more attractive.

Photohunt: music

a.alapage@gmail.com (A.) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 05:55:22 PST

Gloucester Cathedral can trace its origins back to 678 AD when a religious building was first built on the site. It became a cathedral in 1541, after the dissolution of the monastery it had previously been. Many churches during the 17th century had their organs were rebuilt, partly because of fashion but also for tonal changes that I don't start to understand. All I know is, this beautiful

Fascinating facts about flax

a.alapage@gmail.com (A.) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:18:30 PST

Flax, Linum usitatissimum, is one of the oldest crops in the world and was extensively used in Ancient Egypt. 30,00 year old fibres have been found in Palaeolithic caves in the Republic of Georgia. Linen is the name given to the very strong natural fabric made from flax. Lawn (delicate and transparent) and cambric (very fine and tightly woven) are both forms of linen. Linen velvet is cool and

How to say "No"

a.alapage@gmail.com (A.) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:51:33 PST

I was talking to someone from the Netherlands yesterday, about learning languages. Without getting into the discussion on whether or not the English language has the largest number of words (common words? what is a word? whose count?), my friend said he loved the diversity of English as a language, its nuances, its shades of meaning. He had already lived for a year in London (and a fluent

PhotoHunt: remembrance

a.alapage@gmail.com (A.) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:19:14 PST

I was conscious of this post coming immediately after one advocating peace, but there is no conflict. I am certain the people involved in the episode remembered here wished for peace as ardently as any others. This photo of the Dunkirk memorial on Dover sea front was taken during the summer. On 11 November, Remembrance Day or Poppy Day, the area will be covered with poppies. The plaque

Dona nobis pacem: Peace comes dropping slow

a.alapage@gmail.com (A.) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 06:50:59 PST

I have taken a quote from WB Yeats "Peace come dropping slow" completely out of context, but I was reminded of those words when I read the story of Samuel Mwangi who was caught up in the violence in Kenya two years ago. He fled his home and is still in a refugee camp with his family. Before the violence he had a five-acre farm and could have been considered prosperous in that area of the

A walk around an English village

a.alapage@gmail.com (A.) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:36:19 PST

A quiet walk in the country at the end of the summer took me to this very typical village in the south of England. Going up the lane heading into the village. The village primary school hidden behind trees. The old tree stumps seem to be used to keep cars off the grass. Thatched cottages. The traditional thatch would be long straw, but this is the shortest lived of the thatching

PhotoHunt: bags

a.alapage@gmail.com (A.) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 08:33:29 PDT

I have endless trouble getting into this blog this morning - and it isn't even morning any more! I would have liked to have been able to say "Bags I first!" but there was no chance of that. Some bags are a very important part of my life. Just waiting for for a refill for the next bout of travelling. The bags that travel with me come in every shape, size, and colour, but I'm not terribly

Fish, fowl or good red herring?

a.alapage@gmail.com (A.) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:05:39 PDT

What is it? Read more..... The answer is, the feathers on the back of a peacock. A beautiful, and very tame, peacock posing with intent. Found at Valençay. I couldn't decide whether he was illustrating the menu (which course I wonder?) or just hopeful.

Ten things under $27 I can live without to change the world

a.alapage@gmail.com (A.) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:44:37 PDT

I've just received an invitation from Grameen to help get people thinking about how to make a difference, to help end poverty. The Grameen Foundation's mission is to enable the poor, especially the poorest, to create a world without poverty. The first seeds of the Foundation were sown by founder Muhammad Yunus when he made a loan of $27 to some Bangladeshi women out of his own pocket. That

PhotoHunt: tied

a.alapage@gmail.com (A.) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 04:35:17 PDT

All these beds, two from Fontainebleau and two from Valençay, have hangings which are tied in place. A bedchamber at Fontainebleau. This is Napoleon's bed, also at Fontainebleau, my favourite I think. Another with green hangings, but this time in the less elaborate surroundings of the Château at Valençay. King Ferdinand's bedroom at Valençay. While I was preparing this post, I

Le Damier Fleuri (a patchwork in flower)

a.alapage@gmail.com (A.) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 05:39:56 PDT

In the 18th century, a French garden decorated an area of 2 hectares opposite the west wing of the château of Valençay. Over the course of time and with changing fashion, in the 19th century it became simple fields providing fodder for farm animals and a pleasant view towards the English garden that Talleyrand wanted. The project wanted to recreate this disappeared French garden respecting

PhotoHunt: a free choice

a.alapage@gmail.com (A.) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 01:46:56 PDT

I was completely at a loss for what to choose for today. I need guidelines, I need rules. But I happened to look out of the window and noticed the effect of the early morning sun on the river, and here you are! We've had some very cold nights close to freezing and some very sunny mornings. Today was the first time I ventured out into the cold to take some pictures of the mist rising

The Camargue

a.alapage@gmail.com (A.) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 08:41:19 PDT

Blog Action Day 2009 The Camargue, probably best know for its flamingos..... .... its black bulls.... .... and its white horses. But it is under threat. It's a beautiful, wild, different, part of the world. I was dismayed, though, with some of the efforts being made to cater for tourists. The white horses may roam freely in some parts but I saw many more of them tethered for hours

A hug

a.alapage@gmail.com (A.) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 08:11:53 PDT

And so are Ettarose's. Thank you. :)

European Destinations of Excellence - tourism and protected areas

a.alapage@gmail.com (A.) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 15:10:25 PDT

This year's European awards have been given for promotion of sustainable tourism in protected areas. Not an easy task to keep areas protected and yet encourage tourism, but after my visit to the Camargue in the south of France, it's something that interests me. There were 22 awards made, including the following: Biosphere Park Grosses Walsertal (Austria) - in the Austrian Alps, this used to

PhotoHunt: sports

a.alapage@gmail.com (A.) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 00:45:34 PDT

Sport: to play or frolic. Two children having good sport jumping over waves. This was the south of France two days ago - lovely and warm but occasional heavy clouds. Sport: an active pastime or recreation. I first spotted a number of classic cars going through a service area on a motorway in the south of France. I eventually caught up with them two days later. They were taking part in

Mass production at Fontainebleau

a.alapage@gmail.com (A.) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 23:54:00 PDT

While we were at the Palace of Fontainebleau we happened upon an exhibition called Design à la Cour which I didn't quite appreciate until I looked up the details later. I thought it was just about retro furniture. There was more to it - cupboard after cupboard full of identical pieces of beautiful porcelain. The whole was intended to show that mass produced objects can also be works of

It's not easy being green

a.alapage@gmail.com (A.) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 05:21:00 PDT

To sit in the shade on a fine day and look upon verdure is the most perfect refreshment. ~ Jane Austen We have been friends together in sunshine and in shade. ~ Caroline Norton But soon: No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees, No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds, - November! ~ Thomas Hood