Pétanque (peh-tonk) is "a curious little hobby". (thank you Crocket Minister ~ Marco Polo) There is a clandestine network of boulistenautes who play this game whenever and wherever they can... in driveways, paths alongside rivers, in the carparks of wineries, or the local square... then there are purpose built pistes or lanes at which traditionalists may well scoff and decry that it is far too easy to play on such surfaces. Regardless if such views, we have fallen down the rabbit hole of Pétanque and joined this underground cult that operates in plain sight of the vast majority of the world. Who, by the way, remain ignorant of the breadth and depth of the sporting tryst enjoyed by many around the world... and in particular, anywhere the French established a presence (colony or otherwise) during the hay day of France. Type into the YouTube search bar the magic word of pétanque, and voila! Its big money. Pétanque means "anchored foot" and it requires minimal mobility to play. However, good eye hand co-ordination is necessary if one is to progress beyond beginner's luck. A red sock used as a pointer is not officially condoned but there are some who just can't give up the childhood blanket and such needs must be accommodated. Aim of the game make your boule (s) closest to the jack... ahem... cochennet. ( the little red wooden ball). Easy enough to be okay at it, quite difficult to be good at it, and to be really good at it... its the work of a lifetime... or what ever time remains for each of us.
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Loving the tail cam access on the information menu on the Cathay planes. Leaving Heathrow followed by coming into Hong Kong. At TATE Britain this painting can be found. Unusual in that amongst the many small and large paintings of whole families or individuals from a family of the aristocracy, there is a painting of household servants... it provides a glimpse of "the others". It is suggested that William Hogarth (1697-1764) used this painting of his servants as a form of advertisement for his artistic skills.
Intergenerational trauma fuels the simmering anger that lies just beneath the surface. As Steven our Black Cab Tour driver puts it, it will take 100 years or. more for the pain to fade... providing that it all doesn't re-ignite. Buses driven into homes, fire bombings and multiple simultaneous car bombs... British army firing upon protestors, fatal hunger strikes... "the troubles" is such a euphemism. Highly recommend taking a Black Cab Tour if ever in Belfast. Its a grim tour for a grim city, that like all cities also has some epic aspects as well...titanic even. Long shot of the Titanic Experience ~ an impressive edifice with superb content on the Wollf and Harland shipyards of Belfast as well as that ship.
The Giant's Causeway has a mythical tale that explains the phenomena. I prefer the geological one, It's all about rock n roll.
The Tate Modern is filled with an eclectic mix of art. Some of it very pointed like these posters from the Guerrilla Girls found in the this print section. A sad set of statistics. The Guerrilla Girls ~ an activist collective with a desire to bring to light the imbalance of representation when it comes to gender.
It is the one place in London that I make sure we visit every time we are in Londinium. The stain glass is always somewhere I like to stop and wonder at... stained glass that is 700+ years old... ridiculous. This trip images and statues of George and that bloody dragon seems to have popped up everywhere... Kandinsky's George and the Dragon in Munich
The Bier Garten is a marvellous thing on a sunny afternoon in München. Sitting amongst the dappled light surrounded by trees and folk. just enjoying themselves. The beer is cold, the wurst is warm and the pretzels are big.
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hyphen31hyphen31 (Don Collins) has been playing with technology since the days of the Apple+. On the web well before www, he continues to savour the richness of the webiverse in small bytes. He finally leapt from the couch and created this own domain & website forsaking all earlier incarnations... Archives
May 2023
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