Category: Travel

Winter Sunset

This photo was taken on the first night I arrived in Switzerland in February. I didn’t have my tripod with me, so I had to take the photo, hand held. It is a panorama. I believe I took 3 photos and stitched them together. It was a beautiful sunset that just seemed to last forever. This view is just behind where I was staying and I had a nice little walk in the evening. It is amazing how different everything looks, covered in snow.

William Kling (my grandson)

Photo (c) William Kling, February 2019.

If I had my Life to live over

If I had my life to live over:

I would try to make more mistakes next time

I would relax

I would be sillier than I have been on this trip

I know very few things I would take seriously

I would be crazier

I would be less hygienic

I would take more chances

I would have more trips

I would climb more mountains

Swim more rivers

and watch more sunsets

I would eat more ice creams and less beans

I would have more actual troubles and fewer imaginary ones

You see, I am one of those people who lives prophylactically and sanely and sensibly

Hour after hour and day after day.

I have my moments, and if I had to do it over again

I would have more of them, in fact I’d try to have nothing else,

just moments, one after another,

instead of living so many years ahead each day.

I’ve been one of those people who never go anywhere without

a thermometer, hot water bottle, gargle, raincoat and parachute.

If I had to do it over again I’d go places and travel lighter, than I have.

If I had my life over, I would start barefooted in the Spring

and stay that way until Autumn.

I would play hooky more,

I wouldn’t make such good grades, except by accident.

I would ride more merry-go-rounds,  and I’d pick more daisies.

(Written by an 87 year old lady)

Photo by Eyup Belen on Pexels.com

Contrasts

We, in Adelaide South Australia, are experiencing, what the Weather Bureau calls an Extreme Heat Event – seven days in succession with the temperature 37C and higher, with yesterday (Friday) and today peaking at 40C. So I searched for a beautiful snow scene to help me feel cooler. (Apologies to all you people in the Northern Hemisphere who are probably sick and tired of snow.)

People say to me, Marie, you grew up in Central Australia, you should be used to it.  And it’s true. I grew up in a little place 160 kilometres from Alice Springs, where one summer, I remember, the temperature was over 100F (40C) for 3 weeks straight. Then it dropped to 90F – and that was our cool change. We had no electricity, so no air-conditioning, no fans, restrictions on water – so no cool showers any time you felt like one. We used to go down into the cellar to cool off. The cellar was dark (only one small dusty window),  musty and dusty. If we wanted to read, we had to take a torch.  Then when I was about 10, a generator was installed. Hallelujah! Electricity! The generator was only turned on at night. So now we could turn on our one fan at night. Still no air-con. though.

I am not a fan of Summer. I think my thermostat broke down somewhere back then.

Photo: Trees covered with Snow.  Source: pixabay.com

Strasbourg Cathedral, France

My guest this week is my grandson, William.

He writes:

We travelled overnight by bus from Brussels to Strasbourg, arriving around 4am. We were unable to check into the hotel until 6am., so we decided to walk around.

Walking down the street and seeing the cathedral dominating the sky was quite a spectacular sight.

The contrast between how empty the city was at that time, compared to after 9am was amazing.

If we had arrived later in the day we wouldn’t have been able to imagine the streets so empty.

Photo: Strasbourg Cathedral, France.  (c) William Kling  2018