Impossible not to

I've moved...

2008-06-21T22:49:00.001Z

... here!

A postcard from home

2008-05-22T21:12:00.002Z

Single tree church

2008-05-10T22:16:00.014Z

A monk once dreamt of an old Byzantine icon showing the Virgin Mary to be hidden in an old oak trunk. He found the icon and on the same place he built a small church using only that oak's wood.

I've been wanting to see this place for years. A quiet valley on the edge of a centuries-old oak forest. Unchanged for hundreds of years.

Between England and Scotland - Hadrian's Wall

2008-04-03T23:45:00.008Z

Some say it is a symbol of Roman power; others say the wall was a symbol of failure of the empire even when it was first built. As a child I used to believe the world ends here. I might had heard the stories about the Roman emperor who dreamt to rule the entire world and who believed he can build wall to divide this world into Romans and barbarians :)

I know it is just a misuse of the Classical past... but I just can't give this story away. The stories you weave in your heart are far more charming than the reality. And I'd say: keep weaving!

One more thing: the purpose of Hadrian's wall was at least as much symbolic as practical. And I wish we could learn to link the symbolic and the practical in everything we do.

Sagrada Familia

2008-03-12T15:34:00.010Z

Sagrada Familia, Barcelona

At the first look I definitely thought it was ugly. Without any doubt.

And then I learned more about it. About its story and about its designer. Antoni Gaudi worked on the project for over 40 years; it is said that during the lengthy construction period he has remarked, "My client is not in a hurry." ;)

And I learned about Gaudi’s devotion to the Temple. Even when he was going through a hard convalescence, he still had the strength to design the Passion façade. When the deficit threatened the construction, Gaudí was against suspending the works and spent most of his time in the workshops of the Temple, to whom he devoted the last 15 years of his life. In order to raise funds, he became the main apostle of the construction, and tirelessly explained it in detail to anybody that would visit it. Occasionally he would personally go out into the street to raise funds among the passers-by.

Today is still unfinished; construction on Sagrada Família is not supported by any government or official church sources. Money from tickets purchased by tourists is used to pay for the work, and private donations are accepted. And yet we are still not sure how long it will take to be finished.

And now I take another look at the Temple. I bear in mind that someone devoted most of his life to its construction, that he was dreaming and constantly improvising, that he put passion into designing, buiding and raising money for it... and I can now say Sagrada Familia is absolutely beautiful.

Scotia

2008-03-04T17:30:00.005Z

Scotland and Scots do come from the late Latin word Scotia "the land of the Gaels". But which Gaels? The Irish Gaels! What I learned today is that Scotia was initially used to refer to Ireland!

Things do change! ;)

The Color Purple

2008-02-27T21:30:00.012Z

Dear God,

I know it pisses you off if we walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and we don't notice it.

I also know you walk by and you notice everything. And I can't understand: why do you allow this to happen?

The Color Purple, Alice Walker

Byron in Cambridge

2008-02-08T23:26:00.001Z

Whilst a student at Cambridge, Byron was annoyed with the university rules that banned keeping a dog. This is how he decided to have a tame bear instead. There being no mention of bears in their statutes, the college authorities had no legal basis to complain. Later, in one of his letters, Byron cheekily suggested that the bear apply for a college fellowship. :))

He was very fond of animals; his dog has a funeral monument larger than his master's. The inscription on this monument became Byron's "Epitaph to a dog":

"...one

who possessed Beauty without Vanity,

Strength without Insolence,

Courage without Ferosity,

and all the Virtues of Man without his Vices."

I am reading Byron's Don Juan and I have some news for you. Remember old Don Juan? The womaniser that we all know? He's long gone... and now we have the new Don Juan, a simple and naive young man easily seduced by terrible women! And I can't help but feeling sorry for him. :))

My advice: stay out of Byron's way and do not believe a word he says; he is indeed "mad, bad, and dangerous to know" as I have heard.

Why call it a tourist season if we can't shoot them?

2008-01-17T02:13:00.002Z

Park Guell - Barcelona

Things go wrong for a reason. Park Guell, for example, originally an unsuccessful housing site. Truly unsuccessful. And it was later converted into a garden. That garden has grown to become one of the best parks in the world. Very, very popular... so very popular that the people living close to the park asked themselves: "why call it a tourist season if we can't shoot them" :))

What was intended to be a market place for the residents of the housing site, is today a famous feature of the park - a plaza bordered by what is known as the largest bench in the world.

I do believe in etymology. Words did not come from nowhere. SUCCESS comes from an old Latin word meaning “come after”…and that is why when you think you’re unsuccessful you should remember that SUCCESS “comes after”…

Wherever I hang me knickers

2008-01-06T23:48:00.000Z

"Homesickness" comes from Swiss dialect, expressing the longing for the mountains. In the 17th century, pining for their mountains, home and family when away, Swiss mercenaries introduced the word "homesick" to other European languages.

Later on homesick poetry came about. "Wherever I hang" is my example:

I leave me people, me land, me home
For reasons I not too sure
.....
So I pick up me new-world-self
And come to this place call England
At first I feeling like I in a dream -
....
And is so I sending home photos of myself
....
I begin to change my calypso ways
Never visiting nobody
Before giving them clear warning
And waiting me turn in queue
Now, after all this time
I get accustom to de English life
But I still miss back-home side
To tell you de truth
I don't know really where I belaang
....
Wherever I hang me knickers - that's my home.

Brilliant line, but it doesn't work for me ;)

PS Happy New Year everyone!!!!!!!!!

The Seat of Love

2007-12-20T00:15:00.001Z

The heart has long been considered the seat of emotions. And we believe that our hearts feel the love.

But the liver rivaled the heart as the supposed seat of love, passion and courage. Ask Shakespeare if you don't believe me. He knows I am telling the truth. It is in Macbeth where he says:

"Go prick thy face, and over-red thy fear,
Thou lily-liver'd boy."

The liver is typically dark reddish-brown; a "pale, bloodless" liver can only be that of a coward ;)

But that's an old story. Long time lost story. Nowadays it is believed that love goes through the stomach! And I am sure you know exactly what I mean.

Heart, liver, stomach... And I am asking you: What next?

Flying over Bucharest

2007-12-06T23:10:00.000Z

An Englishman, a Frenchman and a Romanian are traveling around in a plane. Suddenly the Englishman stands up, sticks his arm out of the porthole and declares, "We're flying over London!". The other two, dazzled, ask him, "But how can you tell?." "I can see the Big Ben!" is the Englishman's reply. After a while, the Frenchman suddenly stands up, sticks his hand arm out of the window and says, "We're flying over Paris!". The others, amazed, ask him, "How possibly can you know?" "Look, there is the Eiffel Tower!" claims he. Finally the Romanian stands up, sticks his hand up and declares, "We're flying over Bucharest!". The other two, amazed reply, "But how can you tell?" and the Romanian, retrieving his arm, "Look, they've just stolen my watch!"

As promised, some music:

On Frankenstein

2007-11-30T21:46:00.001Z

1816 was The Year Without a Summer, also known as Eighteen hundred and froze to death. During its snowy summer ( and I mean snowy summer! ) Mary Shelley and her lover Percy Bysshe Shelley visited Lord Byron at his villa by Lake Geneva in Switzerland. It was the "wet, ungenial summer" that forced the Shelleys and their friends to spend their Swiss holiday indoors. I guess they were getting kind of bored ;) so they entertained themselves by reading ghost stories. To refreshen the atmosphere Byron challenged the Shelleys and his physician Polidori to each compose a story, to see who could write the scariest tale.

Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein,
Byron wrote a fragment based on Balkanic vampire legends,
Polidori wrote The Vampyre (the first vampire story published in English)
and Percy Bysshe Shelley wrote his wife's novel preface. :))

Polidori based his principal character on Byron and named him "Lord Ruthven" as a joke. Not sure it was a good joke, as Polidori was soon dismissed.

It's not that obvious who's behind Mary Shelley's monster. I have a suspect. Let me give you a few clues:

In 1814 Mary and Percy Shelley eloped to France. Upon their return, Percy, who was an advocate of free love, invited his wife to join his new household. Just as their sister :))

Being commited to free love, Percy Shelley believed that his community of friends should share everything: ideas, books, wifes, etc... He urged Mary to share her favours with his best friend, although she felt no attraction for him. He also might have had a relation with Mary's step-sister. Mary had asked Percy to send her step-sister away from their household, but he refused to change the manner in which he conceived his community to be organised. Yay, free love !!!!

Percy left Mary to nurse their sickly child on her own, while he entertained her step-sister Claire. When the child died, he went on entertaining Claire...

Unintentionally Percy even contributed to the death of their second daughter by ordering Mary to travel with the sick child in the Italian summer heat.

More clues?

If you actually read all the way to the end, then it is time to say THANK YOU!

Cloud Cuckoo Land

2007-11-28T00:17:00.001Z

Clouds and rocks used to be so close together. So close together in a single word. Cloud started off meaning "mass of rock". It was extended metaphorically in the 1300s based on the similarity of cumulus clouds and rock masses.

Today they're still close together. And Cloud Cuckoo Land is still there. The perfect city between the clouds.

Hearing Sounds

2007-11-21T13:24:00.001Z

I am a bit confused. No wonder :)

In my language a frog goes oac!; in English it goes croak!, but if you're from North America it'll go ribbit! Not to mention that in Ancient Greek it used to go brekekekex koax koax! :)) And I am sure that if I ask, you will come up with different answers.

I didn't know frogs can speak so many foreign languages !! :)) There is an explanation: species of frog found in another area may make another noise. Oooook, let's say I believe this. What about the dogs then?

In my language dogs go ham! In English, you all know, they go woof-woof! All the dog breeds, not just one... The sound a dog makes is ouah-ouah in French, gaf-gaf in Russian, wau-wau in German, ..., ..., .. and even meong meong in Korean :))

I remember hearing dogs in different countries... I am sure they made the same sounds. I thought at least the onomatopoeic words should be universal because they imitate the sound they describe. Why do we hear these sounds differently?

Hobby

2007-11-06T19:41:00.000Z

Hobby is one of my favourite words. Let me tell you why:

Originally it was a proper name for a horse. Remember Dobbin? The Merchant of Venice? :))

GOBBO:
Lord worshipped might he be! what a beard hast thou
got! thou hast got more hair on thy chin than
Dobbin my fill-horse has on his tail.

LAUNCELOT
It should seem, then, that Dobbin's tail grows
backward: I am sure he had more hair of his tail
than I have of my face when I last saw him.

Hobby started off as meaning a "small horse, pony," later "mock horse used in the morris dance," and in the 16th century it became "a child's toy riding horse". From a child's toy to the meaning we all know today it's just a small step.

And guess what? The connecting notion between a child's toy and today's meaning for hobby is the fact that both activities do not go anywhere :))It's good to have a hobby! Activity for amusement :) If ever you turn pro, don't stop being a hobbyist!

Allhallow-even

2007-10-31T23:48:00.001Z

Allhallow-even - the last night of the year in the old Celtic calendar, where it was Old Year's Night, a night for witches.

It used to be an autumn festival, an "End of summer" feast, when bonfires were lit to ward off evil spirits. The Celts believed that the veil between the worlds of life and death is thin on this night. Because of this it is easier to communicate with spirits, especially those of the deceased.

Halloween has suffered a lot! It used to be a day of Pagan Festivities, but it was baptised in the ninth century and sent on its way... It found its way to North America in the nineteenth century carried by Irish and Scottish immigrants. What has happened to the old customs here? They have been misunderstood!

Darkest Hour is that before the Dawn

2007-10-30T22:57:00.001Z

“The darkest hour is just before dawn”... I have always known this is true. And so it is.

Fortuna spins her wheel at random. It is a spin. And the wheel turns round and round.

"Are you trying to stay the force of her turning wheel? Ah! dull-witted mortal, if Fortune begin to stay still, she is no longer Fortune."

If you ever feel your luck has run out, be happy! Because when Fortune's wheel is lowest, it must turn up again. When things have come to their worst, they must mend.

In Latin: The sun rises after the clouds ;) It's similar in Romanian: After rain, sunshine. But I like the darkest hour before dawn more. It gives a sense of immediacy. And you know you're safe!

Thinking Blogger Awards

2007-10-22T11:40:00.000Z

This blog has been awarded with The Thinking Blogger Award. It's really, really flattering, thanks Tonicito!

According to The participation rules I am tagging the following blogs:

A town house and traffic - because the quotes he posts really make me think, because thanks to him I discovered Blaga Dimitrova and because his timing is impeccable! Worryingly perfect!

Stuff I love and I am thankful for - because I don't say "Thank You" up-to-date enough and she reminds me to be thankful and not to take things for granted

Die Murmeltierjahre im Land des Frühschoppens - because I have always liked to believe that there are many thoughts behind a photo; Tonicito gives me this feeling, I love his photos and the words to go with.

Stories from Thailand - because he makes me think a lot and wonder whether I'll ever be ready to go far, far away...

I am an anonymous reader of the fifth one, so I cannot tag it. Not yet.

Red

2007-10-17T23:45:00.001Z

I know why the tree leaves go red in autumn. Naughty fairies come and paint them. It's just for a last dance before the Frost Fairies appear.

Do you think the Frost Fairies are followed by dancing snowflakes sprites?

Say YES and say Waltz of the Flowers!

Nothing quite like a good queue

2007-10-04T11:08:00.001Z

I remember queuing at The Beer Festival in Cambridge; I knew we were forming a tail. Not everyone did.

And I remembered what George Mikes said: "An Englishman, even if he is alone, forms an orderly queue of one." And this is not all, as he elaborated further “In shops the English stand in queues; in government offices they sit in queues; in churches they kneel in queues; at sale times, they lie in queues all night.”

The English have been standing in queues at least since 1837 (when this meaning of the word is first recorded in English). It has been a while since 1837, but when they stand in queues they still do not realize they form a tail. I had asked a few people and they were a bit surprised to find out they have been standing in a "tail of a beast" for so long without realising it.

I can explain: the English word "queue" is borrowed from French, and so it is a descendant of Latin cōda, meaning “tail”.

In fact, in the 19th century a "line of dancers" was metaphorically extended. This led to the sense of "line of people, etc" that we use today. Anyway, an interesting thing to remember while standing in queues: you're forming a tail!

Nowadays the same word "queue" has a meaning in computer use too; if I only knew what it was...

Blue

2007-09-27T09:35:00.001Z

I thought blue always meant blue. No, I didn't. It started out as meaning "yellow" and evolved into "white" and hence in Old English to “pale” and “the colour of bruised skin”. It was actually re-borrowed in its modern sense from French.

Some didn't even have a proper word for blue. Ancient Greeks for example. Poor Homer had to call the colour of the sea "Wine Coloured" ;)

Why do we sometimes feel blue? Because of Zeus! Blue was related to rain or storms, and Zeus would make rain when he was sad or crying, and a storm when he was angry.

What about the Blue Moon? It used to have a meaning of something that was absurd. The origin of Blue Moon is steeped in folklore and it suggests something that, in fact, never happens, as in this pamphlet from 1528:
Yf they say the mone is blewe,
We must beleve that it is true.

A kind of "at the Greek calends" :)) Anyway, good news: It used to be "never", and today it is "very rarely"! Impossible things do happen!

Oh, I nearly forgot... It also has a meaning bordering on indelicacy: blue as "obscene, indecent" (and therefore a blue joke, a blue movie, a secret stash of blue mags even); it is recorded from the 19th century, and the sense connection is unclear... I am very curious, but nowdays much etymological research is done ;) I might even give a hand one day...

Still many interesting things to be said about blue, but I'll be back!

King's College Chapel

2007-09-24T09:22:00.000Z

Every time I see King's College Chapel I remember the "never end a sentence with a preposition" rule. :)) Let me tell you why!

One young American tourist was walking around Cambridge. He approached a couple of young English socialites.
"Hey, y'all, where's King's College Chapel at?"
They sniggered among themselves and one replied haughtily:
"At Cambridge we prefer not to end a sentence with a preposition"
The young redneck thought for a moment and said:
"O.K. Excuse me, where is King's College Chapel at, asshole?"

This rule is a sort of early urban myth. One funny guy said (in the 18th century) that we should avoid ending a sentence with a preposition. Some people fancied this prohibition, as English can't be inferior to Latin ("Preposition" translates from Latin as "a putting before")

The story has a happy ending: "Today, happily, it is universally condemned as a ridiculous affectation"!

Deirdre's kiss

2007-09-15T21:33:00.000Z

When my arms wrap you round I press
My heart upon the loveliness
That has long faded from the world;

-W.B. Yeats-

This sculpture is based on a carving on an Irish high Cross erected in the 9th century and on a sculpture of Brancusi. That's why I have changed its name into "Deirdre's kiss". Deirdre is the most tragic heroine in all of Irish legend. Many retellings of her story (including Yeats dramatisation) made her the best-known figure from Celtic mythology in the world. The kiss is a sculpture of Brancusi depicting an embracing couple as a single block of stone.

We'll use Deirdre's name and Brancusi's story, as hers is too sad:

Deirdre was the most beautiful woman in the world, but she bore the curse that only sorrow would come from her beauty. Chosen to be the wife of a king, she was kept in solitude. One day, though, she saw blood on the snowy ground and a raven nearby. Instantly she remembered a dream she had, of a young man with the same colouring: black hair, white skin, and red lips [Snow White ?!? :)) ]. Her nurse told her of Naoise, they secretly met, instantly fell in love and fled to Scotland, where they lived a rugged but happy life, until rumor reached them that the king would welcome them back into Ireland.

Deirdre knew by intuition that if they returned to Ireland, tragedy would follow. While sailing across to Ireland Deirdre continued to see gloomy portents, including a blood red cloud, but Naoise continued to ignore her warnings. Deirdre's premonitions proved correct, Naoise and his brothers were murdered and Deirdre herself was taken captive. She committed suicide by leaning out of her chariot.

I believe in Brancusi's story, I'll call it a real life fairytale. A couple as a single block of stone, two as one. We've been told that the story is real:

"The people who call my work 'abstract' are imbeciles; what they call 'abstract' is in fact the purest realism, the reality of which is not represented by external form but by the idea behind it, the essence of the work."

Which came first, the prose or the poetry?

2007-09-12T00:04:00.000Z

I assumed that prose was older than poetry. But today I learned that poetry is almost certainly a more primitive and historically an earlier development that prose.

It makes sense when we think more carefully about it. Poetry arises (when writing was not yet practised) not only because it is easier to remember and hand on, but because it helps the people with their common rituals. Poetry is thus linked to magic...

Prose arises later as science gradually supersedes magic. And prose is said to be a more sophisticated use of language than primitive poetry because it presupposes a more objective, conscious view of reality. :))

I assumed wrong. I should have known it: poetry is magic!

From my sphere hardly I come to
Follow thy voice, thy sight;
The bright sun is my father and
My mother is the night.

The quirkest attraction Cambridge has to offer

2007-09-07T21:43:00.000Z

Trinity College, which was founded in 1546, has a statue of Henry VIII on the Gatehouse. He is holding in one hand an orb and in the other a chair leg. The original sceptre was replaced a long time ago with a chair leg as a student prank. When the College gate house was cleaned some years ago Henry was given a brand new chair leg!

The pranks didn't stop with a poor chair leg: it is said that there once were a van on the roof of the Senate House and a car suspended beneath the Bridge of Sighs!

Dracula's Castle

2007-08-30T21:22:00.001Z

I've been asked the Dracula questions recently, so I'll post a few pictures I took in January and I will write a few things about Dracula and his castle. :)

Bram Stoker used Bran Castle as his model for Dracula's Castle. This was featured in multiple film adaptations of Dracula, and has informally become known as Dracula's Castle.

The Count Dracula character was supposedly based in part on the real-life Vlad the Impaler. But Vlad's castle was the one at Poienari in Wallachia, not in Transylvania.

Sorry to disappoint you, but Dracula's Castle (in Stoker's novel) is not the real Dracula's Castle!

He he, I promise I will disappoint you even more in the next few days, as I'll write more...

So what on Earth's the big attraction?

2007-08-23T08:28:00.000Z

Stonehenge has been voted Britain's most disappointing attraction. One said it is a dull "pile of rocks". Another complained about its position at the junction of two busy roads, as he said that the "road does seem to detract from the spectacle".

It's true, it desperately needs a really good visitor centre. And rerouting the road into a tunnel it's a great idea.

Trust me, despite the crowds and the waits, the busy roads and the poor visitor facilities, it's still magical!

I loved the way Bill Bryson (with whom I remain in love!) defended Stonehenge:

"Stonehenge is a classic example: you've seen it so many times before you actually see it that you have a very powerful image of what it's going to be like and because of that the likelihood is that you're going to be disappointed"

This is the world we live in: mysterious ancient constructions, busy roads, tourist crowds, lovely queues...

Do not allow small things to spoil the charm of big, wonderful things! Let there be magic!!!!!

Is It Just Me?

2007-08-21T23:53:00.001Z

Can you spot a face carved into one of the stones or is it just me?

The Dancing Giants

2007-08-21T16:01:00.000Z

When I was a child there was only one TV channel in Romania. We only had a few hours of programming a day. But on Saturdays there was "Teleenciclopedia", a documentary program I used to love watching (it's still on!). Among other documentaries on various subjects I saw one about Stonehenge. You might think I dreamed about actually going to see it. No, I didn't.

It was only years later that I started to think about the possibility of ever seeing it. And I saw it on Sunday. I am happy I remembered to say "Thank You", as I don't say it up-to-date enough...

I enjoyed Sunday, I actually saw one of the most famous ruins in the world. Somebody up there loves me!

Scientists believe they have finally discovered the answers to many of Stonehenge's mysteries, such as how, why, and by whom it was built... but I do love dreaming, so forget about the scientists: :)

The legend has it that one day the giants were dancing and circling around on the Salisbury plain. Suddenly they were caught in a beam of sunlight and transformed into stones. Their arms were around each other and that's why the megaliths we see today resemble the shape of giants holding hands.

"The Candle" of Dartmoor

2007-08-15T00:39:00.001Z

A tiny church, lots of myths and legends, various versions of how the tiny church became to be built...

Once upon a time there was a settlement at the bottom of the tor. The pagan inhabitants worshiped the Devil. Becoming Christians, they decided to build a church. Legend has it that the church was originally to be built on safe ground, at the bottom of the Tor. But the Prince of Darkness was not too happy to be losing his followers. He waited until the church was finished and then he perched it precariously on the top of the tor. The people decided to leave it there and that they would endure the steep climb to the top. St. Michael beat off this devil spirit hurling rock after rock down upon him (version dated to the 12th century).

And my favourite version:

A wealthy merchant was caught in a storm off the coast of Devon. Apparently, at the time the devil was getting bored and he decided to create a terrible storm and wreck a ship or two :)) In return of his rescue the merchant promised to build a church on the first and highest land he saw. The ship was delivered safely to port. The first high land the merchant saw was Beacon tor otherwise known as Brent tor.

As promised the merchant began on building a church on the tor. The devil saw what was going on and every night he would go to the top of the tor and kick down any building work done thus far. This went on for many days. Finally, with St. Michael's help, the merchant completed the building and it is said that this church is the smallest on Dartmoor due to the fact that the merchant had wasted most of his fortune during the struggle with the devil and the church was built with what little money he had left.

According to this version the church is known to the moorfolk as 'The Candle' in memory of the beacon that once stood there.

I think 'The Candle' is a lovely name for this church :)

The Wishing Steps

2007-08-09T15:32:00.000Z

Yesterday I turned 28. I remembered I made a wish while standing on these "Wishing Steps". It is supposed to come true.

Buckfastleigh is a small market town in Devon, on the edge of Dartmoor. The name Buckfastleigh contains half the letters of the alphabet, none of which are repeated ;) On the top of the hill above the town is the ruined Holy Trinity Church.

There are 196 steps up to the ruins of the 13th century church. Among these are the Wishing Steps. The stones of these two steps are laid in the opposite direction from the others and it is said a secret wish made standing here will come true!

I missed the two "Wishing Steps" on my way up to the ruins, but I found them on my way back. Better late than never!

I like to believe it means: "Don’t be scared at the delay, the time we wish is near"

As I have already said: They'll come true, IMPOSSIBLE NOT TO do...

Beer

2007-08-02T20:15:00.000Z

Hehehe, I say Beer and I mean the historic fishing village of Beer on the East Devon coast :)

The red rocks of East Devon change and younger ( just 70 million years old) white chalk cliffs emerge around the pretty fishing village of Beer.
Beer was once a smugglers haven, as the steep cliffs created ideal hideouts ;) It was also created a second industry for the men of the area.

The Postbridge Clapper

2007-08-02T11:11:00.000Z

It is said that the Dartmoor clappers are "prehistoric" or "ancient" :) Even though that's what we like to believe, probably the Postbridge Clapper dates back as early as the 1300s. In fact, all the existing clapper bridges date from medieval times (if the fact that many have been rebuilt several times after being demolished by flood waters is ignored).

It is probable that ancient man used handy granite slabs to bridge streams, but this does not make the existing clapper bridges ancient!

The Post Office made these bridges ancient! :)) In 1968 the Post Office issued a set of commemorative stamps. The stamps bore the image of a famous clapper bridge on Exmoor, beneath which it said "Prehistoric".

"You don't have to be a Celt to believe in faeries"

2007-07-25T18:43:00.001Z

Under this sun you start looking for faeries; they are more active during the twilight hours... ;)

More from Devon

2007-07-25T18:29:00.001Z

Sadly I have to leave the close investigation of cliffs to the experts, as there is active erosion along the whole Jurassic Coast :(

Jurassic Coast Devon

2007-07-25T16:33:00.000Z

This is England's first natural World Heritage Site, and it is known as the "Jurassic Coast".

These dramatic cliffs of red rock are the distinctive feature of the East Devon Coast. The coastline dates back to the Triassic period (250-200 million years ago !!!!). We live near the oldest cliffs (the red ones), but just think that the youngest are about 200 million years old. :))

The geologists say that this area used to be desert-like, with sand dunes and salt lakes...

Devon Cliffs

2007-07-24T23:36:00.000Z

End of the world: no wireless!!!!

.ro 2

2007-07-23T13:33:00.000Z

A glowing evening sun shed its light upon the chalet ;) Postavarul Chalet, 1604m, warm wine, home made cakes....

And now perhaps Fyurien should rephrase his statement; any clues?

.ro 1

2007-07-20T11:47:00.001Z

I couldn't help but share with you these photos. (Romania, January '07). It wasn't my intention for now, but someone provoked me :)

"Duke Ramunc of Walachia,
with seven hundred vassals, galloped up before her
like flying wild birds men saw them ride"
(The Nibelungenlied - epic poem written c. 1200 by an unknown poet from the Danube region)

It's still argued that this could be the first reference of the name "Romanian", but even if it has not been proven YET :) I like to believe in the unidentified Ramunc.

A room with a view - 2

2007-07-16T11:39:00.001Z

Same window, different view...

And there are many others. Very different, but still all beautiful and true.

Tango to Evora, by Loreena McKennitt

2007-07-13T21:29:00.000Z

A beautiful song to a beautiful city: Evora, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a city of more than 2000 years of history.

The Celts, the Lusitans, Romans, Moors and Christians ruled the area and today there are many monuments dating from various historical periods.

Loreena McKennitt began her journey when she started to connect Celtic music with its history. She had learned about the geographic and historic spread of the Celts and then she found herself "drawn into a rich, ancient tapestry of sounds and rhythms and stories". She visited many places in the world exploring Celtic ruins and artifacts.

I really enjoy learning more about her recordings and the travels and research behind them.

Tango to Evora reminds me of my childhood days spent during summer holidays; of my childhood home and of my childhood dreams. Probably because of the relation between Vasco da Gama and Evora. I read "The Lusiads" many times as I loved traveling with this successful explorer :) I was very happy when we finally discovered India!

The Comedy of Romeo and Juliet - 2

2007-07-11T20:38:00.000Z

The second example in support of my argument:

Romeo:Pardon, good Mercutio, my business was great, and in such a case as mine a man may strain courtesy.
Mercutio:That's as much as to say, such a case as yours constrains a man to bow in the hams.
Romeo: Meaning "to curtsy"?
Mercutio: Thou hast most kindly hit it.
Romeo: A most courteous exposition.
Mercutio: Nay, I am the very pink of courtesy.
Romeo: Pink for flower
Mercutio: Right.

Which translates :))

Romeo: Excuse me good Mercutio. I had very important business to take care of. It was so important that I had to forget about courtesy and good manners.
Mercutio: In other words "important business" made you flex your buttocks.
Romeo:You mean do a curtsy?
Mercutio: You've hit the target, sir.
Romeo: That's a very polite and courteous explanation.
Mercutio: Yes, I am the pink flower, the master of courtesy and manners.
Romeo: The Pink flower
Mercutio: Right.

I know that Mercutio loves wordplay, especially sexual double entendres, but I am not sure I understand much. Can anyone be more specific? :))))

The Comedy of Romeo and Juliet - 1

2007-07-08T17:27:00.001Z

I thought Romeo and Juliet was a tragedy. I've just finished reading the play and now I think it is a comedy! :))

I'll bring some examples to support my argument. There is the first one:

'Tis almost morning; I would have thee gone:
And yet no further than a wanton's bird;
Who lets it hop a little from her hand,
Like a poor prisoner in his twisted gyves,
And with a silk thread plucks it back again

which translates :))

It's almost morning. I want you to go, but I'd only let you go as far as a spoiled child lets his pet bird go. He lets the bird hop a little from his hand and then yanks him back by a string.

Juliet compares Romeo to a pet bird. That's why he stands up like a man and says:

"I would I were thy bird!"

A room with a view - 1

2007-07-06T20:55:00.000Z

They had been promised A room with a view. And they got A room without a view.

They complained about this ( yes, they are women) and someone immediately offered to exchange rooms.

That's how it all started. Then they kissed, and later they became... neighbours. Then they kissed once again and she had to make a decision. :(( She made one, so they married and they spent their honeymoon in the same pensione they had met; the room they occupied was A room with a view.

I had been promised A room with a view too. And I got A room with many views.

Will anyone offer to exchange rooms if I complain well enough?

I wish I had A room with a view, but for me there are so many views from the same window...

Hehehe, just joking! I am not exchanging rooms! Just sharing some of the views from my window (see photo). There are many others...

Norwich Castle with its glass-fronted lift

2007-07-02T11:23:00.000Z

Good news for William the Conqueror! The Castle he built in Norwich can be reached via a glass-fronted lift from the street level in the Castle Gardens!

We believe that castles were built to hold down conquered territory. We also believe the stone keep castles were built as the ultimate sign of William's power over the English.

The conquered Saxons were forced to raise a mound, some twenty metres high. About 1100 when the mound had settled, masons began to built the stone keep. And again we believe that building on a raised mound gave them the great advantage of visibility.

But you can never know... Maybe William [and I mean William the Conqueror, or William the Bastard :)) ] had this glass-fronted lift in mind when he raised the mound :))

In this case there is no news for him! It's news for us as we find out that castles were built on raised mounds, so we can later enjoy lovely lifts like this one!

Richard The Lionheart and Blondel

2007-06-26T11:14:00.000Z

Blondel, a minstrel nicknamed for his long blond hair, took part in the Third Crusade. During this time he and Richard the Lionheart composed a song together, a song known only to the two of them... some special moments they have shared, i guess :))

On his way back to England, Richard was captured at Vienna and imprisioned in Dürenstein castle. Even though Richard had been travelling in disguise, he was identified either because he was wearing an expensive ring, or because of his insistence on eating roast chicken! Hehehe, so better do not insist on eating roast chicken when disguised as low-ranking pilgrim!

There is a legend that the troubadour Blondel found the castle where Richard was imprisoned. It is said that Blondel traveled from castle to castle singing the song they had composed together (Blondel si Richardel - MELODIA MEA!). When he got near the right castle, Richard replied with the refrain and so Blondel discovered where the king was confined.

We do love medieval folklore, so let's enjoy the legend and forget for a while that in fact, there was no mystery about Richard's captivity place.

As I have said so many other times, this world is such a small place...

Richard I still stands next to the Parliament Buildings, near Westminster Abbey
one of Blondel's melodies is used in Carmina Burana
upholding justice in king's name during Richard's imprisonment is... Robin Hood

BUT

That's another legend!

Designs on the Loo

2007-06-24T20:26:00.000Z

Today I saw Norwich Castle . I won't bore you with stories about Norman archways, about a 900 year old spiral staircase, about graffiti made by the prisoners, or about collections of Anglo-Saxon treasures.
I'll tell you something interesting about this castle:

In the Ladies' loos, decorated teapots refer to "thieves" and to Norfolk prisoners , deported to Australia, "down under" , for their crimes...

I haven't had the chance to see myself, but I've heard that the inventor of sailors' life-saving equipment, Captain Manby of Great Yarmouth, is commemorated in the Gents' loos. So too is Charles Dickens who was inspired by the town to write David Copperfield.

Great sense of place!

The Fortune Cookie - A bit of a disappointment really...

2007-06-19T22:07:00.000Z

Chinese restaurants around the world give out a fortune cookie at the end of a meal. That's why I expected it to be a custom coming from the ancient China, from Yuan or Ming dynasty, which means no later than the 17th century...
Even I thought to be from China, the fortune cookie is an American invention :( hahahaha, like many others! Fortune cookies were not known in the Chinese food culture, but luckily in the 1990s the fortune cookies arrived in China.

Ok, Ok, I'll say the truth: it was A bit of a disappointment really... because

I got a fortune that read: "You can't have any successes unless you can accept failure"!

Camden Town

2007-06-15T16:43:00.000Z

Last Sunday I went to Camden Town, the centre for alternative lifestyles. I've seen a whole lot of new people, most of whom were following alternative subcultures (goth, punk, emo, metalheads and some yet unknown...)
We had a picnic on the grass beside the Regent's Canal, our own Venice for the day.

Before 2005 customers could legally buy magic mushrooms from dozens of stalls and shops in Camden. There was an unusual loophole in the British law that prohibited the active ingredients but not the mushrooms themselves :)) Not anymore.
But there are still lots of interesting things you can buy :))

Beneath the streets of Camden there is a labyrinth of tunnels and vaults. This underground maze is called the Camden Catacombs. Sadly, no access is allowed... maybe that's why I quite fancy a quick peep.

The Nutshell - the smallest pub in Britain

2007-06-12T21:15:00.000Z

On Saturday I had a beer at Britain's smallest pub, The Nutshell in Bury St Edmunds.
It is a timber framed Grade II listed building dating from 1670 and it measures 4.5m x 3.7m. Paper money is stuck to the ceiling. There are a mummified cat and a mummified mouse (I guess) hanging from the ceiling. I can see see an explanation of why the cat is there, as in East Anglia they used to mummify cats and place them in the walls to ward off evil spirits... What about the mouse? Is it just for "Tom and Jerry"'s sake? :))

I think there should have been placed a note to say:
"Do not go to the loo unless you are sober enough!" as the staircase seemed very steep and narrow.

In Love with Shakespeare in Love

2007-06-09T22:43:00.000Z

I saw Shakespeare in Love. Again. I loved it. Again!

I laughed when I saw the mug on Will's writing desk... just a souvenir from Stratford-upon-Avon:))

I bit my nails when I saw a Shakespeare play burning in the fire, but I laughed later when I heard the movie's director commentary. He said he imagined the Shakespeare scholars biting their nails thinking of an unknown play while watching the manuscript going up in smoke. I wonder if he did this on purpose...

I loved the way the sonnet that Will had written for Viola began:
"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?", I hoped for a few more lines and I hoped for the ending couplet:
"So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee."

Even though the film is fictional, even if Viola wasn't Will's muse for Romeo and Juliet (as the play is a dramatisation of an Arthur Brooke's poem, which is a translation of an adaptation .... and so on...) I really really enjoyed it!

The Viking deception

2007-06-07T21:34:00.000Z

The Vikings gained their reputation by doing bad things.Bad things like plundering, killing women and children, raping, attacking monasteries, taking baths every Saturday and changing their underclothing too frequently! :))
And there's one more thing. They didn't learned how to write. So they left history to be written by British and French clergy- the very people who fell victim to their raids and who had interest to exaggerate their atrocities.
But there was a churchmen who wrote the truth about the Vikings crimes. His name is John of Wallingford, and he said in his chronicle that the Vikings "combed their hair every day, took baths every Saturday and changed their underclothing frequently, so that they were held in high favour by the ladies". They were even able to "undermine the virtue of married women and seduce the daughters of nobles to be their mistresses". Of course they had a bad reputation, of course they were hated!

Offended by Shakespeare

2007-06-05T14:05:00.001Z

Today I was offended by Shakespeare. Referring to a page disguised as a lady, he said:
"And if the boy have not a woman's gift
To rain a shower of commanded tears,
An onion will do well for such a shift,
Which in a napkin being close convey'd
Shall in despite enforce a watery eye."

"To rain a shower of commanded tears"? It cannot be a woman's gift. It would have been too good to be true! :)) Or maybe it is just "too true to be good" and I don't like to admit it.

Tears make us human. And guess what? Emotional tears contain natural substances for pain relief; this substances were not found in tears shed in response to sliced onions. So, yes, an onion will do well, but it is not the same thing, Mr. Shakespeare!

As I said, tears make us human. And so does laughter, so let's not forget that the man who offended me today is the one who wrote "long boring plays in which every single major character, by the end of the play, had either gone nuts, died or gone nuts and then died".