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Willkommen, bienvenue, welcome!
Fremde, étranger, stranger.
Gluklich zu sehen, je suis enchanté,
Happy to see you, bleibe, reste, stay.


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In 2024 I has mostly been reading

Books read in 2024

Books I read in 2024 include:

Charles Stross: (x5) The Rhesus Chart, The Annihilation Score, Equiod, Missile Games, Nightmare Stacks. Three books from the ongoing Laundry Files series which takes the action to Leeds, England, an area I am very familiar with, so that was a lot of fun. If you enjoy ‘Lovecraft-lite’ fiction full of hideous, nameless terrors crossed with James Bond and esoteric, occult technology then this is the kind of fiction you’ll love.

Sci-fi:

(x10) Best of British Science Fiction 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, Best of American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2021, The Android’s Dream & Starter Villain by John Scalzi, The Lost Cause by Cory Doctorow, The City on the Edge of Forever by Harlan Ellison. The Best of British Science Fiction series was an excellent find. Some very interesting stories especially by David Gullen, my favourite story in the whole series being Gullen’s Down and Out at the Tannhauser Gate.

Discworld

(x8) Soul Music, Witches Abroad, Faust Eric, Men at Arms, Small Gods, Reaper Man, The Light Fantastic, Moving Pictures. I’ll keep it simple – Six Reasons You Should Read Discworld.

Classics:

(x3) Dio’s Rome Volume 1, Thucydides – The History of the Peloponnesian War, The Reign of Tiberius – Tacitus. They are called classics for a reason.

Non-fiction/Miscellaneous:

(x6) World Bank Group – Laos Railway Report, Not the End of the World by Hannah Ritchie, Raising Livestock, Easy Indian Cooking, The Nature of Oaks, Stoicism: A Very Short Introduction

Pie chart

Reflections: pools at Angkor Wat

The moat around Angkor Wat seen from the south
The moat around Angkor Wat seen from the south
Pool at Angkor Tom, Siem Reap , Cambodia
Pool at Angkor Thom, Siem Reap , Cambodia
A different view of the pool at Angkor Thom
A different view of the pool at Angkor Thom

These GIFs of the pools at Angkor Wat were taken using the ‘Live’ option on my iPhone. They can be saved as GIFs although this does increase the file size (about 15MB), please be patient and let them load.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angkor_Wat

Mekong cruise, Luang Prabang to Pak Ou

Journey from Luang Prabang to the Park Ou caves, Lao PDR

Mekong Cruise

A lovely day for a relaxing cruise and travel on the mighty Mekong River, all you have to do is lie back put your feet up and watch the world go by. Thrown in a visit to the Pak Ou caves, being able to feed an elephant and a slap up buffet lunch – it all makes for a very pleasant day.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pak_Ou_Caves

Railway Stations of the World, Luang Prabang

Railway Stations of the World takes us to the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Luang Prabang.

This station was opened in December 2021.

Luang Prabang Station, Lao PDR
Luang Prabang Station, Lao PDR
Noticeboard and foyer Luang Prabang Station, Lao PDR
Noticeboard and foyer Luang Prabang Station, Lao PDR
Panorama of the inside of Luang Prabang Station
Panorama of the inside of Luang Prabang Station, Lao PDR

Rather an attractive station that is very Chinese in so many ways: the furnishings, the layout, signage and even some of the announcements (I think). However, this is crowned by a wonderful architecture complete with local motifs. It really deserves to have more trains than it currently serves, but maybe, just maybe, if the Belt and Road does expand all the way down to Singapore as planned that will happen.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luang_Prabang_railway_station

Shan Hai Pass

山海关 or the Shan Hai Pass is one of the most important and the most easterly of the passes through the Ming Great Wall.

It is built as a square, with a perimeter of around four kilometres (2.5 mi). The walls reach a height of 14 metres (46 feet), and are seven metres (23 feet) thick – see bottom picture. The east, south and north sides are surrounded by a deep, wide moat with drawbridges over it. In the middle of the pass stands a tall bell tower.

The location where the wall meets the Bohai Sea is nicknamed the “Old Dragon’s Head” (老龙头). The pass lies nearly 300 kilometres (190 mi) east of Beijing and if I could be bothered there’s a picture in this blog of that as well, guess you’ll just have to find it yourself.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanhai_Pass

Wucai (五彩)Porcelain

The Wucai (五彩)Porcelain shown above is all from the Qing dynasty and dates from the 18th century.

Although Wucai can be translated as ‘five-colour’ the colours are not limited to that number and it can best be understood as multicoloured.

Characterised by the over glaze decoration of coloured enamels after the porcelain had been fired once with a blue under glaze design. The over glaze enamels included a variety of colours such as red, green, blue, yellow and purple. Once the coloured over glaze enamels had been applied, the porcelain was then fired a second time, but at a lower temperature.

https://theme.npm.edu.tw/selection/Category.aspx?sNo=03000129&lang=2

In 2023 I has mostly been reading…

Read read so far this year (2023)

This year 2023, I has mostly been reading: Iain M Banks, Charles Stross, Isaac Asimov and Terry Pratchett.


Sci-fi

Iain M Banks: Inversions, The Player of Games, Use of Weapons, The State of the Art, Inversions. Also, The Culture Series of Iain M Banks:A critical Introduction by Simone Caroti

Charles Stross: The Apocalypse Codex, Rule 34, The Fuller Memorandum, The Atrocity Archives, The Jennifer Morgue.

Terry Prachett: (Discworld stories) Equal Rites, Sourcery, Mort, The Colour of Magic, Pyramids.

Isaac Asimov: Foundations Edge, Foundation and Earth.

John Scalzi: Old Man’s War

Biography:

Elon Musk by  Walter Isaacson

Classics:

Meditations by the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius

The Putney Debates (The Putney Debates, which took place from 28 October to 8 November 1647, were a series of discussions over the political settlement that should follow Parliament‘s victory over Charles I in the First English Civil War.)

Miscellaneous: Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman plus various titles about homesteading and Ireland.

Currently reading:

The Annihilation Score by Charles Stross, a book about raising livestock and an entomological textbook about structure and function

Books

Taipei, Zongzheng and Shilin

November is a great time to visit Taipei. ‘Goldilocks’ weather (not too hot, not too cold) and there is much to be seen in the Zhongzheng and Shilin districts such as the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial 中正紀念堂圖書室, Liberty Square 自由廣場, the Dazhong Gate 中正紀念堂大忠門, DongMen 東門 Market and the National Palace Museum 國立故宮博物院 where you can see the treasures that the KMT stole rescued from mainland China in 1949.

Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall: https://www.cksmh.gov.tw/en/

National Palace Museum: https://www.npm.gov.tw/?l=2


I’ll probably do a separate post about the National Palace Museum later.


Video Music credits:

Shenyang Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/

Cicada – Genus Meimuna

Walker's Cicada

Probably a cicada of the genus Meimuna, possibly Walker’s cicada, Meimuna opalifera which is commonly found in Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Mainland China. They feed on the sap of trees and are harmless and are believed to live for a total of 2 – 3 years.

In Summer they can be very loud due to their large numbers. In Japan they are commonly called “tsuku-tsuku-bōshi” due to the sound they make.

Further reading:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meimuna_opalifera

https://www.uniprot.org/taxonomy/179424

https://www.cicadamania.com/cicadas/category/genera/meimuna/

Canterbury Tales: General Prologue

Canterbury Tales: General Prologue

Here bygynneth the Book of the tales of Caunterbury

Whan that Aprille with his shoures soote, 

The droghte of March hath perced to the roote, 

And bathed every veyne in swich licóur 

Of which vertú engendred is the flour; 

Whan Zephirus eek with his swete breeth 

Inspired hath in every holt and heeth 

The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne 

Hath in the Ram his halfe cours y-ronne, 

And smale foweles maken melodye, 

That slepen al the nyght with open ye, 

So priketh hem Natúre in hir corages, 

Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages, 

And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes, 

To ferne halwes, kowthe in sondry londes; 

And specially, from every shires ende 

Of Engelond, to Caunterbury they wende, 

The hooly blisful martir for to seke, 

That hem hath holpen whan that they were seeke. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Canterbury_Tales

Haemopis sanguisuga or Horse Leech

Haemopis sanguisuga or Horse Leech can grow up to 10 cm long. Although this specimen is much smaller. They don’t actually feed off horses or suck blood, they are rather aggressive predators that either in fresh water or, as in this case, in wet grass.

Haemopis sanguisuga or Horse Leech

Horse leeches have five pairs of eyes and three sets of teeth. They prey on invertebrates and small amphibians and fish. After photographing, I carefully put it back into the water. They are relatively common in Europe.

This specimen was caught in County Roscommon.

More information can be found on wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haemopis_sanguisuga

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight – Middle English

SIÞEN þe sege and þe assaut watz sesed at Troye,

Þe borȝ brittened and brent to brondeȝ and askez,

Þe tulk þat þe trammes of tresoun þer wroȝt

Watz tried for his tricherie, þe trewest on erthe:

Hit watz Ennias þe athel, and his highe kynde,

Þat siþen depreced prouinces, and patrounes bicome

Welneȝe of al þe wele in þe west iles.

Fro riche Romulus to Rome ricchis hym swyþe,

With gret bobbaunce þat burȝe he biges vpon fyrst,

And neuenes hit his aune nome, as hit now hat;

Tirius to Tuskan and teldes bigynnes,

Langaberde in Lumbardie lyftes vp homes,

And fer ouer þe French flod Felix Brutus

On mony bonkkes ful brode Bretayn he settez 

wyth wynne,

Where werre and wrake and wonder

Bi syþez hatz wont þerinne,

And oft boþe blysse and blunder

Ful skete hatz skyfted synne.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Gawain_and_the_Green_Knight


Sir Gawain and the Green Knight – Modern English

The siege and assault having ceased at Troy
as its blazing battlements blackened to ash,
the man who had planned and plotted that treason
had trial enough for the truest traitor!
Then Aeneas the prince and his honored line
plundered provinces and held in their power
nearly all the wealth of the western isles.
Thus Romulus swiftly arriving at Rome
sets up that city and in swelling pride
gives it his name, the name it now bears;
and in Tuscany Tirius raises up towns,
and in Lombardy Langoberde settles the land,
and far past the French coast Felix Brutus
founds Britain on broad hills, and so bright hopes
begin,
               where wonders, wars, misfortune
               and troubled times have been,
               where bliss and blind confusion
               have come and gone again.


The Universe is a Hydrogen Sonata

The universe is a Hydrogen Sonata?

Confined by the restrictions of zero-covid what better way to escape to than to The Culture?

The Hydrogen sonata is a version of the Hero’s Quest where the protagonist goes on a quest to find something, which in the end doesn’t matter, What does matter is what she found out about herself. 

Set against the background of a civilisation on the brink of enfolding to the Sublime. The protagonist and some ship minds endeavour to find out some truths fundamental to the development of the Gzilt – will this knowledge prevent their sublimation?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hydrogen_Sonata

When the going gets tough, the tough start baking

When the going gets tough, the tough start baking chocolate muffins

Chocolate muffins recipe

Ingredients:

  • 2 medium eggs
  • 125 ml vegetable oil
  • 250ml milk
  • 250g sugar
  • 400g flour
  • 3 tsp of baking powder
  • salt to taste (½ tsp)
  • 2 tbsp of cocoa powder
  • 100g chocolate chips
  • x2 muffin trays either greased or with paper muffin cases

Recipe:

  1. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas mark 6. Line 2 muffin trays with paper muffin cases. In a large bowl beat 2 medium eggs lightly with a handheld electric mixer for 1 min.
  2. Add the vegetable oil and  milk and beat until just combined then add the sugar and cocoa and whisk until you have a smooth batter.
  3. Sift the flour, salt and baking powder then mix until just smooth. Be careful not to over-mix the batter as this will make the muffins tough.
  4. Stir in the chocolate chips 
  5. Fill the muffin cases two-thirds full and bake for 20-25 mins, until risen and firm to the touch and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. If the trays will not fit on 1 shelf, swap the shelves around after 15 mins of cooking.
  6. Leave the muffins in the tin to cool for a few mins and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  7. Once cool serve with a nice pot of tea.

Variations:

Use vanilla essence top with chocolate fondant icing, sprinkles or icing sugar

Year of the Water Tiger

Feb. 1, 2022 – Jan.21, 2023 is a year of the water tiger (水虎)

春节快乐  – Happy Spring Festival

Characteristics of Water Tigers: Studious, Thoughtful

Water Tigers have an innate ability to learn something new, and they are especially professional in the fields of art and handicrafts.

They have a strong sense of self-esteem and seldom accept advice from others. They only have a slim chance of failing in their careers, which often incurs envy from others.

what fate has in store for Water Tigers: Bittersweet

Water Tigers will achieve more in their careers by getting help from their friends and lovers. They should be very careful and thoughtful when making big decisions and dealing with any emergencies in life, and should not trust others readily or they will suffer because of it.

If you’re interested in this sort of thing then go here for more horoscope info.

T’lorem ipsum

T’lorem ipsum, by eck that sounds reet queer Tha don’t get owt for nowt ‘appen as maybe tha knows Th’art nesh thee nay lad soft lad wacken thi sen up t’foot o’ our stairs. Nay lad where’s tha bin. Th’art nesh thee a pint ‘o mild any rooad t’foot o’ our stairs. Where there’s muck there’s brass t’foot o’ our stairs ah’ll gi’ thee a thick ear. Ah’ll learn thi tintintin tell thi summat for nowt soft lad mardy bum. Chuffin’ nora ah’ll box thi ears soft lad ee by gum tell thi summat for nowt ah’ll gi’ thee a thick ear. Bobbar nay lad. Breadcake soft southern pansy wacken thi sen up. Be reet where’s tha bin mardy bum mardy bum. Tell thi summat for nowt where there’s muck there’s brass shu’ thi gob. Dahn t’coil oil. That’s champion ey up will ‘e ‘eckerslike shurrup by ‘eck. Eeh. Shu’ thi gob face like a slapped arse god’s own county soft lad th’art nesh thee tha daft apeth.

State of the art printing press in Cleck-Heckmondwike, West Riding

Ne’ermind soft lad th’art nesh thee gi’ o’er ah’ll box thi ears shurrup. Ginnel snicket Tha knows wacken thi sen up cack-handed nay lad gi’ o’er ne’ermind. Ee by gum. Tintintin ah’ll box thi ears aye tha what ne’ermind big girl’s blouse. Nay lad tintintin face like a slapped arse what’s that when it’s at ooam. Michael palin ah’ll gi’ thee a thick ear. By ‘eck that’s champion mardy bum mardy bum t’foot o’ our stairs appens as maybe. Will ‘e ‘eckerslike. Big girl’s blouse nay lad tha knows. Eeh ah’ll gi’ thee a thick ear. Where there’s muck there’s brass. Shurrup where there’s muck there’s brass. Aye. T’foot o’ our stairs cack-handed where’s tha bin. Soft lad.

Nobbut a lad big girl’s blouse nay lad is that thine shurrup. By ‘eck th’art nesh thee shu’ thi gob. Bloomin’ ‘eck nay lad tintintin god’s own county. Chuffin’ nora breadcake nobbut a lad shu’ thi gob. How much that’s champion how much shu’ thi gob. Sup wi’ ‘im bobbar shurrup where there’s muck there’s brass. Shu’ thi gob bobbar. Ah’ll learn thi god’s own county where’s tha bin. Bloomin’ ‘eck ne’ermind. Dahn t’coil oil th’art nesh thee that’s champion wacken thi sen up ah’ll gi’ thee a thick ear. Bobbar ee by gum is that thine. Cack-handed. Soft lad ey up big girl’s blouse nay lad that’s champion.

Gerritetten ey up tha what. Aye mardy bum aye. Bloomin’ ‘eck ah’ll gi’ thi summat to rooer abaht ah’ll box thi ears is that thine ee by gum th’art nesh thee. Ey up ah’ll gi’ thee a thick ear chuffin’ nora nah then th’art nesh thee dahn t’coil oil. God’s own county wacken thi sen up. God’s own county ne’ermind. T’foot o’ our stairs bobbar wacken thi sen up by ‘eck tha daft apeth. Mardy bum eeh soft lad sup wi’ ‘im. Aye bobbar where there’s muck there’s brass tha what. Will ‘e ‘eckerslike. God’s own county soft southern pansy by ‘eck nobbut a lad what’s that when it’s at ooam chuffin’ nora. Tha knows.

Geoffrey Boycott tell thi summat for nowt aye tintintin breadcake. God’s own county what’s that when it’s at ooam big girl’s blouse how much chuffin’ nora. Cack-handed god’s own county mardy bum shurrup. Appens as maybe. That’s champion tha knows ah’ll gi’ thee a thick ear nay lad chuffin’ nora ah’ll gi’ thi summat to rooer abaht.

Any rooad cack-handed be reet nay lad soft lad ah’ll gi’ thee a thick ear. Tha knows ah’ll gi’ thee a thick ear ah’ll gi’ thi summat to rooer abaht ne’ermind where there’s muck there’s brass th’art nesh thee. Tintintin be reet. Sup wi’ ‘im god’s own county. Soft southern pansy ah’ll box thi ears cack-handed. Tha what ah’ll box thi ears by ‘eck will ‘e ‘eckerslike how much. Dahn t’coil oil dahn t’coil oil what’s that when it’s at ooam that’s champion. T’foot o’ our stairs ah’ll gi’ thi summat to rooer abaht t’foot o’ our stairs Alan Bennett how much what’s that when it’s at ‘oam

What’s Lorem ipsum?

Scholar’s Stones in the Snow

供石 (Gōng shí) or scholar’s stones vary in colour and shape. Their size also varies from hundreds of kilos to less than one kilo. They are placed in traditional gardens and the grounds of colleges , schools and universities.

These examples are to be found in the grounds of a university in Tianjin.

Duchas.ie, The Schools Collection

dúchas.ie, The Schools’ Collection, Co. Roscommon

A treasure trove of old school books lovingly scanned and transcribed. The handwriting is superb and the insights fascinating.

One of several entries about Fairy Forts written circa 1937

“There are two fairy forts situated in my district. One is about a quarter of a mile from my house in a village known as Cloonarrow while the other is about three hundred yards east of my house.
The fairy fort situated about a quarter of a mile is of circular shape and is surrounded by trees. Fairies are supposed to abide in it and are said to appear after twelve o’clock a.m. In front of this fort a house was situated but now the owner of the house and of
the land in which the fort is situated is dead and the house has collapsed. There is no entrance hole to it.
The other fort situated a very short distance from my house is a circular little hill surrounded by trees. Neither is there an entrance hole to this fort. It is said that a woman dressed in white appeared to a man at this fort and accompanied him to a place known as the “Crooked Bush” where she disappeared.
Nobody ever dreams of tilling the land in which the forts are, neither do they cut the trees as it is said that anybody who touches those trees is sure to be unlucky.”

Using freely available online resources and my local knowledge I’m pretty sure this is the location of the Fairy Fort 300 yards East of the author’s home:


Fairy Forts are typically, but not exclusively circular archaeological sites. Often tumuli or hill forts, there are over 30,000 of them in Ireland.

See also: https://www.nolligan.ie/SU/?p=3504

A Fairy Song – Shakespeare

Who lives here in the Castlerea Desmene Fairy Village?

A Fairy Song
William Shakespeare

Over hill, over dale,
Thorough bush, thorough brier,
Over park, over pale,
Thorough flood, thorough fire!
I do wander everywhere,
Swifter than the moon's sphere;
And I serve the Fairy Queen,
To dew her orbs upon the green;
The cowslips tall her pensioners be;
In their gold coats spots you see;
Those be rubies, fairy favours;
In those freckles live their savours;
I must go seek some dewdrops here,
And hang a pearl in every cowslip's ear.

New Header Picture: Bangkok sunset

Chao Phray River Bangkok
Sunset over the Chao Phraya River, Bang Sue, Bangkok

The Chao Phraya is Thailand’s major river flowing 372 km from the confluence of the Ping and Nan rivers through Bangkok and into the Gulf of Thailand.

In Bangkok the Chap Phraya is a transport artery for a network of river buses, cross-river ferries, and water taxis. The river buses are cheap and are an excellent way for tourists to see Bangkok.

According to wikiyoyage the prices currently are around 30 Baht (roughly one US Dollar) and there are a confusingly large number of different boat lines:

The photograph was taken in November 2018.

John Cooper Clarke – Apart from the Revolution

https://johncooperclarke.com/poems/
APART FROM THE REVOLUTION

Each drop of blood a rose shall be
all sorrow shall be dust
blown by breezes to the sea
whose fingers thrust
into the corners of restless night
where creatures of the deep
avoid the flashing harbour lights
in search of endless sleep
there were executions
somebody had to pay
apart from the revolution
it’s another working day

a million angels sing
peasants eating cake
wedding bells are ringing
the room begins to shake
the children free from measles all
have healthy teeth and gums
they live in the cathedrals
and worship in the slums
poverty and pollution
have all swept away
apart from the revolution
it’s another working day

He also has a new book out which has received very good reviews. Could be a great Christmas gift.

New Header Picture: the Plassey

reck of the Plassey
The wreck of the Plassey, Inisheer, Aran Islands

The MV Plassey started its life as HMS Juliet, a naval trawler in the Royal Navy built at the beginning of WWII. during the war she took part in Operation Torch in 1942 and in the Mediterranean theatre. After the war she was converted into a merchant ship and sold to the British merchant service as the Peterjon. Later, in 1951 she was acquired by the Limerick Steamship Company and her name changed yet again to the MV Plassey (sometimes written as Plassy).

She operated around the coast of Ireland until 1960 when she was caught in a severe storm and ran aground on Finnis Rock, Inisheer, Aran Islands whilst carrying whiskey, stained glass and yarn. Luckily, the entire crew was saved. Two weeks later, a second storm washed her off the rock and drove her up the beach.

The Plassey is probably most famous for appearing in the opening credits of the TV comedy Father Ted.

Photo taken July 2019

Global Golden Hour: Sunsets around the world

Amateur Hour presents: Global Golden Hour

The Photos app that comes bundled with MacOs periodically produces slideshows. Normally, these are themed around places or dates. One caught my eye though – it was called ‘Golden Hour’ and included photos I’d taken from many places. Usually, photos taken around sunset are better because the quality of light is better.

Sunsets from

China: Tianjin, Beidaihe, Sanya

Thailand: Bangkok

Ireland: County Roscommon, the Irish Sea

UK: Leeds

Unfortunately, there is no easy way to export it so it could be edited. I had to re-create it manually using iMovie. This is the result I call it Global Golden Hour: Sunsets around the world.

The soundtrack is “In Memory of a Free Festival Part 2” by David Bowie which I thought was appropriate. All rights remain with the original artist blah, blah blah, no profit is being made, blah blah, fair use, blah blah.

Click here to open in a new browser window

New Header Picture: Pingdingshan

Nei Mengu
The extinct volcanoes of Pingdingshan, Xilin Gol, Nei Menggu

平顶山, 锡林郭勒盟,内蒙古

Pingdingshan in Xilingol League in Inner Mongolia has a very distinctive landscape. There are many extinct volcanoes from a time when this was the sea floor. This photo was taken in early October and the lush green grasslands had already faded to their winter brown. Even so you can see a flock of sheep in the foreground.

The interactive map is a new feature which I’ll maybe use again now that I know how to do it.

For tourist info click here

New Header Picture – The Cliffs of Moher

The Cliffs of Moher
The Cliffs of Moher, Co. Clare, Ireland

The Cliffs of Moher in County Clare attrac up to 1.5 million tourists a year.

Rising to a height of 214 meters they stretch for 14 kilometres. They are made up of sandstone and shale formin distinctive layers as can be seen in the photo.

The award winning visitor centre is dug into the hillside so it doesn’t detract from the scenery.

Alternatively take a virtual tour:

https://www.cliffsofmoher.ie/google-360-inside-tour/

This photograph was taken in July 2019.

Progress being made updating this site

It’s always been messy….

Very slowly updating the site.

Can we fix it?

Er, probably not but I’ll give it a go.

It’s going to take time, there are over 1,300 posts going back 17 years.

Each needs to be checked and then updated to have a remote chance of being noticed by search engines.

Broken links from defunct sites are (mostly) being restored using wayback machine/ archive.org links.

Update Progress:

August 2004

September 2004

October 2004

Church of St Mary the Virgin, Adderbury

Church of St Mary the Virgin, East Adderbury.
Church Going
by Philip Larkin (1922-1985)

Once I am sure there’s nothing going on 
I step inside, letting the door thud shut. 
Another church: matting, seats, and stone, 
And little books; sprawlings of flowers, cut 
For Sunday, brownish now; some brass and stuff 
Up at the holy end; the small neat organ; 
And a tense, musty, unignorable silence, 
Brewed God knows how long. Hatless, I take off
My cycle-clips in awkward reverence, 

Move forward, run my hand around the font.
From where I stand, the roof looks almost new-
Cleaned or restored? Someone would know: I don’t. 
Mounting the lectern, I peruse a few 
Hectoring large-scale verses, and pronounce
“Here endeth” much more loudly than I’d meant. 
The echoes snigger briefly. Back at the door 
I sign the book, donate an Irish sixpence, 
Reflect the place was not worth stopping for. 

Yet stop I did: in fact I often do, 
And always end much at a loss like this,
Wondering what to look for; wondering, too, 
When churches fall completely out of use 
What we shall turn them into, if we shall keep
A few cathedrals chronically on show, 
Their parchment, plate, and pyx in locked cases,
And let the rest rent-free to rain and sheep. 
Shall we avoid them as unlucky places? 

Or, after dark, will dubious women come 
To make their children touch a particular stone;
Pick simples for a cancer; or on some 
Advised night see walking a dead one? 
Power of some sort or other will go on 
In games, in riddles, seemingly at random; 
But superstition, like belief, must die, 
And what remains when disbelief has gone? 
Grass, weedy pavement, brambles, buttress, sky,

A shape less recognizable each week, 
A purpose more obscure. I wonder who 
Will be the last, the very last, to seek 
This place for what it was; one of the crew 
That tap and jot and know what rood-lofts were? 
Some ruin-bibber, randy for antique, 
Or Christmas-addict, counting on a whiff 
Of gown-and-bands and organ-pipes and myrrh? 
Or will he be my representative, 

Bored, uninformed, knowing the ghostly silt
Dispersed, yet tending to this cross of ground 
Through suburb scrub because it held unspilt 
So long and equably what since is found 
Only in separation – marriage, and birth, 
And death, and thoughts of these – for whom was built
This special shell? For, though I’ve no idea 
What this accoutred frowsty barn is worth, 
It pleases me to stand in silence here; 

A serious house on serious earth it is, 
In whose blent air all our compulsions meet,
Are recognised, and robed as destinies. 
And that much never can be obsolete, 
Since someone will forever be surprising 
A hunger in himself to be more serious, 
And gravitating with it to this ground, 
Which, he once heard, was proper to grow wise in,
If only that so many dead lie round.

James Douglas Morrison (December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971)

“I am Dionysus, the child of Zeus, and I have come to this land of the Thebans, where Cadmus’ daughter Semele once bore me, delivered by a lightning-blast. Having assumed a mortal form in place of my divine one,”

The Bacchae by Euripides

Death makes angels of us all and gives us wings where we had shoulders smooth as ravens claws.

“Art and religion, carnivals and saturnalia, dancing and listening to oratory – all these have served, in H. G. Wells’s phrase, as Doors in the Wall.” 
― Aldous Huxley, The Doors of Perception

平原县, 德州市, 山东省

Image

A memorial pagoda in Pingyuan County, Dezhou, Shandong Province
A bit different from but similar to Banbury Cross

Ride a cock horse

to Banbury Cross.

Ride a cock-horse to Banbury Cross,
To see a fine lady upon a white horse;

Rings on her fingers and bells on her toes,
And she shall have music wherever she goes.

The origins of this rhyme are uncertain.

Banbury used to have several crosses: the High Cross, the Bread Cross and the White Cross until they offended puritan sensibilities and were destroyed around 1600.

The present cross dates from 1859 to commemorate the wedding of Victoria, the Princess Royal , to Frederick of Prussia whose coat of arms were blocked out during World War 1.

So removing and defacing statues by those gifted with moral certainty is nothing new.

人, 丛, 众

Widely seen Chinese Covid poster:

人 rén – person

丛 cóng – a collection or group

众 – zhòng – a multitude or crowd

Chinese covid poster 2020/21 Beijing

There is a tradition of health posters as we can see:

“To do a good job in epidemic prevention and hygiene work is concrete patriotic behaviour in the battle to smash American imperialist germ warfare!”