“The British nation is unique in this respect: they are the only people who like to be told how bad things are, who like to be told the worst.” – Winston Churchill (speech 10th June 1941) So, while everyone was frantically casting their vote in South Africa, we left them to it and boarded a … More Ready for Lift Off
‘From one citizen you gather idea that Mauritius was made first, and then heaven, and that heaven was copied afterMauritius’ – Mark Twain; from ‘Following the Equator’ I am back, safe and sound from my two week holiday on the island where the last Dodos died. Mauritius has been a wonderful early celebration of a … More Island Life
‘Smell the sea and feel the sky. Let your soul and spirit fly.’ – Van Morrison It’s been a long time coming, but clear on the horizon I see the glimmer of a two-week holiday. I’m not complaining – trust me – I’m fully aware that we get to do great things, see fabulous places … More Leaving on a jet plane
‘Just like any other chaotic African country’ – a local So said our friend as we ground our tentative way over gravel roads, in and out of spine-jangling potholes, past the incongruously shiny Chinese and American embassies of the capital, Maseru, and back into South Africa from Lesotho. He’s travelled all over Africa, so he … More Lesotho
‘The mountains are calling and I must go’ – John Muir (1838-1914) naturalist and environmentalist This past week or so has seen us travelling to the Free State province of South Africa to visit friends who used to live in Cape Town. Flying into Bloemfontein we had a bird’s eye view of the vast spaces … More Mountains and scars
‘May you never be too grown up to search the skies on Christmas Eve.’ Anon I once had a group of eight-year-olds ask me if we had elephants in our garden in South Africa. It’s amazing which images persist and what impressions stick. I could have told them that Cape Town is actually a very … More Christmas Contrasts
“I think it is a pity to lose the romantic side of flying and simply to accept it as a common means of transport.” – Amy Johnson – first woman to fly solo from London to Australia I used to think that air travel was incredibly glamorous. My dad sometimes had to travel to various … More up, tiddly up, up
The biggest redwood… in the world is the General Sherman… almost 2,000 years old. … More giants of the forest
‘…we still haven’t seen any bears …’ … More O Canada
I just can’t get over how ridiculously green everything is. … More The green and pleasant land
