Author Archives: admin

ITALY – Lazio (Rome) Oct 1-3, 6-7, 2021 I flew from Amsterdam to Rome on a direct flight with Vueling, arriving at 11 pm. I slept in the airport and took the train into Rome Termini and walked the 400m … Continue reading →

Italy – Pelagie Islands (Lampedusa) and Pantelleria Oct 3-5, 2021 The Pelagie Islands are in the south of the Mediterranean Sea and are part of Sicily. A few hundred kilometers from Africa and geographically are closer to Africa than Italy. The Pelagian Islands took … Continue reading →

TOILETS & the WEALTHY THE LINE OF BEAUTY – The throne behind the power: from Putin’s toilet brush to Trump’s golden bowl – The bathrooms of strongmen show there’s a lot to loos Feb 4th 2021 Economist  We know how Vladimir Putin … Continue reading →

Italy – Lazio – Rome Sept 30-Oct 3, Oct 5-8, 2021 I flew from Amsterdam to Rome, arriving at 23:00, and slept in the Rome airport. There were about 50 sleeping in the area above departures (where the airlines have … Continue reading →

Day 4 Melkwegbridge, Purmerend. Wow, what a bridge! Next to a large bus station with a covered bicycle park, and crossing a canal, it has two parts. A pedestrian bridge that arches straight high diagonally over the canal and a … Continue reading →

FLANDERS (Antwerp, Gent, Brugge, Ostend, Leuven, Hasselt) Sept 21-22. 2021 Observations 1. Bicycles. Flemish Belgium may be more bicycle mad than Holland. The majority of the bikes are unlike anything in Canada – clunky with a large down tube, usually … Continue reading →

Netherlands – Central and West (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht, Almere) Sept 22-29, 2021 Observations 1. Highways a. Speed limits. In every other country in Europe, the speed limit is 130kms/hr, but there is never radar and the left lane is full … Continue reading →

France – Lower Normandy (Caen, Cherbourg) Sept 20, 2021 Moulin de Moidrey, Pontorson. Alone out in the country, this is the first time I can remember a mill with the vanes turning. It was built in 1830 and totally refurbished … Continue reading →

Spain – Basque Country (Bilbao, San Sebastián, Vitoria) Sept 10, 2021 BILBAO Monument to Evaristo de Churruca (1841-1917) was a Spanish engineer. He directed diverse construction work in Murcia and Biscay and subsequently was transferred to Puerto Rico, where he was in charge of the installation … Continue reading →

Under-12s are increasingly catching COVID-19. How sick are they getting and when will we be able to vaccinate them? Nicholas Wood Associate Professor, Discipline of Childhood and Adolescent Health, University of Sydney In July Australia’s approved the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for kids aged … Continue reading →