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Wales
Friday, October 31st, 2008This time yesterday, I was down a coal mine. Very interesting, unless you are claustrophobic. They also have fantastic home-made Victoria sponge in the canteen, as well as Bara Brith; exactly what you want with a hot cup of tea when emerging frozen from underneath the earth. Our ex-coal-miner guide was interesting and engaging, and [...]
this green and pleasant land
Saturday, September 6th, 2008The green is lavish and startlingly emerald, doubly intensely so in the rain.
I’m in deepest southern England, wondering how to explain the sheer bizarreness of this place. Bizarrity is not the characteristic people generally associate first and foremost with the UK. People who live here think it’s normal (you have to- I did too), Americans [...]
quote of the day
Thursday, September 4th, 2008Alain de Botton on the benefits of travelling, via Ben Casnocha:
Thinking improves when parts of the mind are given other tasks — charged with listening to music, for example, or following a line of trees. The music or the view distracts for a time that nervous, censorious, practical part of the mind which is [...]
evening entertainments
Thursday, August 28th, 2008This is Santa Barbara beach at dusk. We stayed there the other week, and apparently it’s a bit different now than it used to be when Husband lived there for a while as a young child with his father, after the latter kidnapped him. Much more smart and chi-chi. Daughter and I gazed at the [...]
Hollywood
Tuesday, August 26th, 2008Hollywood was a really nice town to look at, lots of old 30’s buildings and a generally interesting, slightly nutty feel. It’s not very big, and you can buy a map of the stars for $2, which is full of hilarious typos (“mopvie starts”) and I don’t know how totally made-up it is but that [...]
Lovely Las Vegas
Sunday, August 24th, 2008As you know, in Las Vegas the hotels are mostly designed to look like things that aren’t hotels, such as pyramids:
storybook castles:
New York City:
and giant bananas:
OK, I am joking about the giant bananas. But who knows, it could happen! Maybe someone will decide to create a fantasy giant banana landmark destination one day. Donald [...]
How much?
Wednesday, March 12th, 2008Since discovering the Neiman Marcus Last Call shop just down the road from where I live, between the Hobby Lobby and the Toys R Us, I’ve spent more time than before trying on ex-$3k ball gowns that would probably be great for either Glastonbury Festival or a prom three years ago. Sometimes there is even [...]
“I should blog that!” trivia roundup #1
Sunday, February 17th, 20081. I have totally sussed out American roadside eating places. Me, to Husband: So, does “Waffle House” actually sell waffles, or are they just pretending to sell waffles? “Applebees” sells neither apples nor honey. “Whataburger” or “Whateverburger”? And so on.
2. On returning home, I am always slightly relieved to find that the house has [...]
picture of the week
Tuesday, February 5th, 2008Here is something to look at while you wait for more posts- it’s a train! I love trains. Taken in Austin ages ago and posted before, no doubt.
picture of the day
Monday, January 21st, 2008It’s the Centre Pompidou (wayyy better photo under that click), in gay Paree. I’ve been creatively completely obsessed with all things Brit and Euro since popping over to London last week, and today noticed why this is such a very novel thing: it means I’ve recovered from the trauma! Previously, it was impossible to enjoy [...]
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