Don's Eye View from the Old Dart

Settled into Dolgellau north Wales after a couple of days in Manchester and flying via Oslo to there.
I think it will take a few days to get over the jet lag. Interesting place Oslo fast train to the city few hours look around then back to the airport for the flight to Manchester.

Don and Chris T. Admiring some of the engineering involved in the canal locks.  The bush mechanics are in town

Manchester: We were picked up from the airport by Chris and Ros T. They were great to see after the long day flying and hanging around Oslo. Had a nice walk along a tow path from our lodgings to the city. Chris and I spent a couple of hours in the science and industry museum where they have several large running steam engines out of the old mills. They also had a large aircraft display with connections to manufacture in the district. Headed on to the city centre where the council chambers and library are from the Victorian era and showing the wealth that must have been there at its peak.

An Earthquake in Italy

Thanks to those friends and family who were wondering about our safety in the terrible Italian earthquake.   We are so sorry for those little towns who have lost so many and so much, that they may be forever changed.

I can assure you we were safe and sound in the USA. And, in September,  we will be in Verona, in the Veneto  region, which is well to the north of the damage

 This treasure was on the wall at Grand Central Station, together with a plaque describing her efforts to preserve tge heritage of the city.  I love Jackie.

Lovely mosaics in the subway

Reading a great book

Chef, Dan Barber wrote "The Third Plate"
It is a long discussion of the pursuit of flavor in the food.  It looks firstly, at eating local.  He discusses the culture of the place.  
He looks at heirloom varieties  of plants like rice and corn,  he looks at sustainable fishing, and at the relationship between Spanish oak tree acorns the geese, the pigs etc. 

The third plate, however, goes further , looking at the whole ecosystem and it signifies caring for the soil in the production of food.  For example,  finding delicious ways of serving the grains the we grow in crop rotation, grains like triticale. 
The Japanese undertake this when they make soba noodles from the buckwheat that they grow after the rice crop.  Perfectly harmonious.
Our land is so marginal here, we should take better care.  

Bush Turkey Blues

The guy with the tractor came and we had him shift a big mound of compost around the back to spread around the veggie gardens.  However the bush turkey got to it first.  He has raked up every piece of straw, mulch, bark, lucerne.  His mound is now the size of a small car and is still going.  Grrrrrr

Miner's leaf - what a great winter green

We took a chance and bought some of these strange little  seedlings at the local market.  They had tiny leaves as small as moss. They grew profusely during our winter.  The leaves grew bigger and the plant grew bigger The leaves are very tender and delicious .  We snipped off huge handfuls every day.  It's really easy to grow, one clump would feed a family.  It started with a small cluster the size of a soup spoon. ....bad news....the market guy says that they are winter only.
I'll be very happy to put them in again next year. Great value.

First Lettuce Eaten - not grown on Earth

Just heard the great news.  NASA announced that the astronauts have eaten a lettuce which was entirely grown on the space station.  James on Rn breakfast radio just said
"That's one small bite for a man, one giant leaf for mankind"

I love it.

The "Vero" Villanova

I submitted this small item at the occasion of our friend,Ted, attending his school reunion - Villanova College.

Our son, Chris, is a Villanova old boy.  At our first interview we attended with a view to Chris attending the school, he was asked about five questions regarding his interest in playing Rugby,  Ah those cherished  Augustinian values....

​However, the true Villanova{n} is my dad, Alf Villanova.  He was born Orfeo Giobattista Villanova in Due Ville in the Veneto region. Dad came to Australia when he was two years old and was famously bitten by a tiger snake, and lived... He grew up in Ayr.

​When I was growing up, there were only three Villanova's in the phone book-:

​

​     Villanova Players

     Villanova College

     Villanova, A. J.

I would always have to spell my surname until someone would interrupt and say Ah Villanova, like the college.  ........So I could ALMOST say "Iona College"... 

Of course,  you already know, being well-educated, that the name Villanova  is for St Thomas of Villanova. and that there is even a Villanova University in  the U.S.A.

But did you know there were ancient Villanovans, who were early iron age people, centred in north eastern and central Italy.  They introduced iron foundry to the peninsula.  

Alf Villanova, 88, sends his congratulations upon the occasion of your reunion and wants you to know that the view from "over the hill" is pretty good.  The proud name of Villanova goes back a long, long way.

And we Villanova' s all agree "V" for Villanova  "V" for victory