centuripe and gangi

last year, as we flew away from catania across sicily, i was intrigued by the distinctive "site-specific" layouts of two hill-top towns

i tentatively photographed them through the triple-glazing

yesterday afternoon i spent a long time using google earth to scan that rugged terrain and eventually was able to identify them as ...

centuripe
























and gangi

i looked up and there she was ... gliding with an accompaniment of unnecessary birdsong

cardamom, fenugreek, fennel

i took the lid off each jar in turn to breathe in their magnificent aromas

i wondered what it might have been like to explore one of the great spice warehouses by moonlight, perhaps opening different rooms and only guessing at their contents

we forget that the spice trade was once a driving force of the world's economy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spice_trade

plusiers apropos de nuffink, as we say at the back of the class

at the houses of parliament

rodin's burghers of calais, again

painted memorials to nicholas and margarett gainsford at crowhurst in surrey

john gainsford and his doggy, crowhurst church in surrey

the yew tree in the churchyard at crowhurst, surrey

the last of the few in london road, reigate

what we are not

most days i like to peek in to gatochy's blog ... she provides a great resource for image seekers, the blog is full of fun and ideas, and some serious stuff

today she gave some thought to hal, the computer in kubrick's 2001, a space oddysey

http://gatochy.blogspot.com/2008/02/favorite-movie-scenes-79.html

i have two disconnected thoughts to add ...

first, that like a lot of great art, 2001 tells us quite a lot about what we are ... by depicting what we are not

second, in retrospect, hal's voice sounds rather camp to me, which is probably something that kubrick was aware of

"I'll be President of Europe if you give me the power" - Blair

... if you thought starting a catastrophic war "in good faith" looks good on his c.v. ... then why not ?

senior management

shaun's birthday

our senior and best-loved driver is retiring today ... vic and rod do the honours

and then vic and glen see that shaun leaves the building on time and that his feet don't touch the ground

bugger anthony gormley & co ... let's build a sixty-foot tattooed lady in enamelled bronze ... my ebbsfleet angel of the south

10 free writing courses wiv a lotta potenshul

located via the excellent metafilter website

http://education-portal.com/articles/10_Universities_Offering_Free_Writing_Courses_Online.html

waiting for a train

a bargain from the excellent oxfam bookshop in reigate ... and a very short true story

i met a girl in a little country town who wanted to become a nurse and couldn't wait to leave school

to gain some experience, after taking her exams, she worked part-time for two weeks during her final summer term, at a local home that provided sheltered accomodation for the elderly

before catching the bus home to her village that afternoon, she ran around to my place to describe how, on her very first morning, she was quite startled when they asked her to go and bathe an old lady who was no longer able to leave her room

what did you do ?

i rolled up my sleeves of course !

.... and as she was undressing her, so she discovered that the old lady had a multitude of beautifully drawn tattoos ...

what did you think when you saw them ? i asked

i said to her ... blimey, i bet you could tell me a few stories ! where did you get them tattoos ?

and the old lady's reply began ... i was a dancer in paris during the nineteen twenties, my dear ...

next afternoon, same time, the girl came back to see me again

she had reported to the matron for instructions that morning

i'm afraid your old lady has died in the night ... could you go in and bathe her again ?

did you ? i asked

of course ! said the schoolgirl

re-reviewed and re-recommended

i've been waiting for the chance to photograph battersea reference library in this light

a stuffed shirt in whitehall

... and by golly there woz light ! ... antique gas guzzler by horse guards parade

turkish gun ... on a posh english gun carriage

i'm not fond of guns, but this one has some charm, and illustrates the peculiar vanity of those who bear arms ... made in 1524, "captured" ( does that mean looted ? ) by the british in egypt in 1801 .... when it was already two hundred and seventy something years old ...

the gun itself is said to have been made by murad, son of abdullah, chief gunner in 1524 for "the Solomon of the Age, the great Sultan Commander" ...

the carriage which supports the gun was "executed by mr. ponsonby" c.1804 and constructed in the royal carriage department, founded by J & E Hall, Dartford.

captain scott ... of the antarctic

http://pratie.blogspot.com/2005/04/scotts-fatal-antarctic-expedition.html

and sterna suggested this link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rvKD2PDeik

which is exquisitely appropriate ... thanx

life's little ironies ... sooner or later, what goes around, comes around

an ukrainian restaurant has opened in one of the buildings that face the crimean war memorial

a walk along the embankment, starting from aldwych and walking towards westminster

sir joseph bazalgette

w.s.gilbert