Category Archives: Great Thoughts

The prototype for Sir Les Patterson?

Posted on March 17, 2019 by Myra

During a recent visit to see my sister in Australia, she announced that we were going to the Blue Mountains to stay in an old colonial hotel, the Carrington, in a time warp of Edwardian stained glass and heavy brown … Continue reading →

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The Wonders of Kyoto and the Bullet Train

Posted on March 11, 2019 by Myra

I soon realised when doing my homework before we set off that it was Kyoto rather than Tokyo which was the place to visit, and set about booking tickets for the bullet train to get us there, congratulating myself on … Continue reading →

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Heat, health and hygiene: first impressions of Tokyo

Posted on February 3, 2019 by Myra

It felt very odd arriving late at night in Tokyo when my body said it was lunchtime. Of course it was impossible to sleep, so we spent the our first hour trying to understand the rather threatening appearance of the … Continue reading →

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Planning the Grand Tour:Japan and Australia

Posted on January 14, 2019 by Myra

It’s a long time since I saw my sister who lives in Australia, so it’s time for a great journey to the other side of the world. As I’ve always wanted to go to Japan, we’re going there first en … Continue reading →

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11.11.18 the Armistice 100th Anniversary

Posted on November 17, 2018 by Myra

This was an event worth participating in. In the week before, we drove through Yorkshire to see all the villages decorated with knitted, yes knitted, poppies, hundreds of thousands of them. At Fountains Abbey it was raining too hard to … Continue reading →

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A weekend on impulse in Poland

Posted on October 10, 2018 by Myra

I’d never heard of Wroclaw, but with amazingly cheap Ryanair flights from Newcastle, and a promising guide book lent by a friend, we decided to go. First impressions were not good. The airport bus took us through depressing suburbs of … Continue reading →

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Storm Ali: a nightmare journey home

Posted on October 1, 2018 by Myra

I had no idea when I left Venice’s Marco Polo airport that there was a violent storm sitting over the British Isles. Even when the captain told us that it would be a bumpy landing in Edinburgh, I thought nothing … Continue reading →

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Speaking at a Book Club: weird but wonderful!

Posted on September 7, 2018 by Myra

Yesterday I found myself in the strange situation of being an invited speaker at an American book club in Italy, talking to a group of strangers who knew more about my life in Italy than I do. I was invited … Continue reading →

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Amazing Roman Engineering: bridges, aqueducts and fortifications.

Posted on April 15, 2018 by Myra

Coming from Hadrian’s Wall country, I’ve always appreciated the phenomenal engineering skills of the Romans, but after my recent week in the south of France, I am even more impressed. On our first day we went to a Roman settlement … Continue reading →

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Three cheers for Easyjet after cancelled flight!

Posted on March 20, 2018 by Myra

The weather in Italy this month has been variable to say the least. We’ve had sunshine, warm enough to sit on a bench with a book, followed by torrential rain and even snow. We had a guest for the weekend … Continue reading →

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