Middlemarch is a small country town in the South Island of New Zealand. A few years ago I happened to catch a special interest story on our local news. The town of Middlemarch had a shortage of women of marriageable age. In order to attract more women, the town...
New Zealanders love their boats and fishing. Fishing is a reasonably cheap activity since you don’t need a licence, except if you want to fish for fresh-water fish such as trout. My husband’s family are all very keen fishermen. Me—not so much. I think the sport is...
Of all Gaudi’s designs, I think the Sagrada Familia is probably one of the most ambitious and interesting buildings. It certainly dominates the skyline. This is the Sagrada Familia as seen from a hilltop. And here is a view of the Sagrada Familia from the other side...
If you’re a tourist in London chances are you’ll spend some time at the Tower of London. I’ve wandered through the tower, gawked at the crown jewels and checked out the ravens and beefeaters. It’s a place that breathes and sighs history. Thirteen Facts About the Tower...
Before hubby and I visited Barcelona, I’d never heard of Gaudi, but I challenge anyone to visit this vibrant city and leave without learning about this famous architect. Gaudi was born on 25 June 1852 and died on 7 June 1926 after being struck by a tram during his...
This magnificent arch is the Arc de Triomf in Barcelona. It was designed by Josep Vilaseca to celebrate the 1888 World Expo. The arch was the entrance to the exposition, and it’s built of red bricks. I liked all the detailed carvings, and this one below is my...
When we visited Shanghai everyone in our group was eager to experience the fast train. It’s a high-speed magnetic levitation train. The train travels the 30 km (18.6 miles) in seven minutes and twenty seconds. All I know is that it was incredibly fast. The scenery...
I’ve been thinking about ballet recently, which is peculiar since I have never been a ballerina and know nothing about ballet. My one experience of ballet was when we lived in London. A customer of the pub where we worked gave us two tickets to attend the ballet at...
In around six months we’re off on holiday. This time we’re flying to London and catching a cruise ship from Southampton. Part of the joy of traveling is the research, the deciding where to stay and what to do. We have long discussions about various alternatives, and...
