So that was how we came to be coming into land at San Francisco Airport (SFO) to a city that we had been told demanded at least but no less than a quarter of our entire holiday, and as always it was the grand scale of America stretched out below that strikes you first. Five years previously it had been Las Vegas; toy- like and oddly out of place in a vast sandy expanse like a travelling fair long past its heyday pulled up in the corner of an isolated field in the openness of the countryside. With San Francisco it was the multiplies necessitated by the scale; the cars, lanes on freeways, expanses of water, tiers of housing and the mountains, all bedecked with a cloud filled sky dulled and scented by the forest fires that burnt out of control to the north of the city.
Everything you need to know about skiing in one place-Perfect!
(Of course, there will always be more to say, so please add your comments and thoughts below) We love skiing, we went for the first time in 2006 and have never looked back. I remember stepping out of the coach halfway through a three-and-a-half-hour transfer from Toulouse to Arinsal in Andorra to see the... Continue Reading →
Is our coffee culture a new phenomenon?
How we take our tea and coffee has mattered before In the late 1990s I used to buy coffee from a small shop in my local town centre. Along one wall were containers of different roasted coffee beans that could be ground to your requirements before being wrapped tightly in brown paper. On one... Continue Reading →
Drinking Together-What’s the History?
With the festive party season upon us, pubs and bars across the country will play host to groups of friends or work colleagues of both sexes who will drink together and look forward to their Christmas break. But what is the historical context of such drinking across the sexes both at Christmas and throughout the... Continue Reading →
A Relaxing End to An African Adventure-Zanzibar
After our last night under canvas we were dropped off at Arusha airport for an afternoon flight to Zanzibar. We sat down to coffee, our luggage piled up in the departure lounge, and then found that you exited the building when you went to the toilet. Looking back, I’m sure it wasn’t as informal, relaxed... Continue Reading →
Paris- Again, again and again …
Paris -Again and again and again…. How many times do you visit a place? Do you stop after the first time, bottle up those memories and move on? Or do you leave knowing you will return, not because of the attraction you missed out or the restaurant you never made it too, but because you... Continue Reading →