School Trip to the Zoo

Janos invited me to join his children on a trip to the local town Bekescsaba to visit a travelling zoo exhibition. A curious display of small mammals, insects, plants, reptiles and Hungarian minerals were shown to us and one of the girls bought a hamster to take home. After the exnibition we went to a talk and slide show om the subject of the life and landscape of the Danube Delta on the Black Sea. The children are all keen to look after me and I was touched and ber able to join in their expedition and have several young ladies wanting to hold my hand. I must try hard to increace my Hungarian word and phrases which are sadly lacking at the moment.
My Photos

The Renaissance Fesival At Gyula!

Today we have been to Gyula for the annual Renaissance Festival. Very colourful, at times very noisy and under a snow laden sky. We took loads of photos and enjoyed the ambience of this medieval town. Numerous groups from all overr Hungary and Romania were represented and the costumes were great. We found a beautiful old fashioned cafe for a coffee before waiting on the roadside for the processions to begin. Old and young were colourfully dressed and eventually we found a great viewing spot right behind the judges tables. After that we had some lunch in the marquee then explored the Castle and were entertained with traditional music while I indulged in a glass of excellent mulled wine.
It was a cold day and by the time we got home to Mezőberény we had had about an inch of snow with what looks like more to come later! Link
I will place the link to my photos HERE, at the moment I am recharging the batteries in order to do this and must in future make sure that I carry spare charged batteries!

Hungarian Update

Awoke today to a misty morning with frost. Soon we will leave for a vist to see Janos's mother who lives over an hour's drive away and I am promised stuffed cabbage for lunch. Also a chance to see some wild deer nearby.

Mother looked after us well and after lunch we took a walk in the forest (P02) and though the deer were mostly elusive, there were plenty of signs of them as they are regularly fed with maize having beren put out for tem along the paths. We also encountered a flock of goats, and a brightly coloured cup-fungus! (P01)

After the walk we returned to the town for a stroll around the vast stables once owned by nobility and now a hotel. Here (P03) a scene of love in the stables.

All continuing well here, fantastic hospitality. Yesterday we walked from the flat to the new house Janos is building and I am encouraged to do this 2-3 km walk more often to get more exercise and fresh air. There is a plan for me to leave tokens at the building site every time I visit on my own as proof of my exercise regime!

Bustard Day!

An excellent half day excursion today to the Hungarian National Park that protects the Great Bustard and is home to several rare brees of cattle, pigs and sheep situated at Dévavanya, only a short drive from where I an staying. I went in the school minibus with a dozen nine year old children from Janos's class who were all very bright and welcoming though their English was about as good as my Hungarian but all told me their names and were interested in being introduced to this strange visitor from England.

We arrived at the park and were met by one of the guides who showed us around and explained the highlights. My photos tell the tale but also please see linkhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Bustard
and my photos which I will upload shortly.
Here are my photos

Hungary!

I have arrived in Hungary to stay with my friends for a few days. I am very comfortably settled into Ibi's home in South Eastern Hungary, close to the border with Romania. The town has few older buildings that I've seen so far anyway and the countryside is generally flat. We have several plans to explore further afield over the next two weeks when time allows but it is now termtime and both Ibi and Janos work very hard, both as teachers at local schools. We arrived on Sunday night at Budapest Airport, then caught a train towards our destination. Getting off the train at Szolnok were we were met by Janos in his trusty East German built Trabant, the first I had ever seen! Driving then in the moonlit night through sleepy towns finally arriving at the apartment around 2am. Apart from a short walk to the local shops, yesterday was spent at home and in the evening I had conversations with two of Ibi's students - boys of 14 who had come to Ibi for extra English lessons. They were great and intrigued to converse with a "real" English person! Ibi's daughter Tunde, who had been at school all day finally arrived home and so I have now met all the family. In the evening we had a lovely hungarian sausage, with stuffed peppers and potatoes for dinner and discussed some of the things we plan to do over the next days. Budapest with some of Janos's students, a trip to a trypical Hungarian Spa and to a restaurant. Probably a visit to see some wildlife nearby. I hope to see Bustards.

Everyone is out at work now, so I am here at the PC catching up on emails and the blog. When Ibi gets home, about 2pm we will go into town again, I expect.

Brief Update

To all my loyal visitors to my blog!
Sorry about my prolonged absence. Sadly I suffered a stroke at home here in Bristil on 9th December, b I have some residual problems with my eyesight and cannot now drive, but I'm getting around, walking wounded! But with some damage to my eyesight. I was taken to Frenchay Hospital and stayed there until the Thursday before Christmas.
I may not be posting to my blog very often but will try, as often as I am able.

I would love to hear from any visitors to my site by comment on the blog or by personal email to me at johnp@wega.org.uk
Some recovery expected but don't expect my typing to improve!
Love to all my loyal friends, relatives and any other visitors.
Happy New Year from
John

A blot on the Landscape?

Near the proposed site - Cefn Coch near Llanfair Caereinion

I have been preparing this piece for a few weeks now, trying to get together pertinent information and trying to come to some sort of rationale. One of my cousin had alerted me to the fact that at Cefn Coch, in the hills above Llanfair Caereinion in Montgomeryshire, plans are afoot to build a wind turbine farm in this particularly beautiful area of Mid Wales. Many local peopled had been demonstrating against the proposal and urging the planning authority to withhold permission. I considered protesting mytself, but I realised that I knew little about the main issues. It seems to me that the fundamental questions that need consideration are 1. Would this wind farm generate enough electricity to be cost effective? 2. Are the turbines a fatal hazard for near flying birds or bats? And 3, Does the noise or visual impact of this farm, placed on the Cefn Coch ridge detract from the natural beauty of this sparsely populsterd area.

I have seen various figures given for the vast amount of wind energy potentially available to us in the British Isles and turbines are becoming a common sight around our coasts and on ridges in hilly areas. I could copy various references, damning or praising wind turbines but would only be adding to the confusion. No one I think would deny that renewable energy must be used where and when possible though because of the noise and the scale of the plant some would say “Not in my back yard or spoiling our view!” I can sympathise with this view, I love this area of Mid Wales that my mother described in her book, A View of Old Montgomeryshire as: humped backed hills, lying like sleeping lizards in the sunlight.

As for a wind farm being fatal for migrating or flocking birds, according to this Eco-Myth and Healthlink articles the danger does seem to be mostly an urban myth, though I would like to see some evidence if there is any, of bird kills from around other wind farms. Some birds have undoubtedly been killed by flying into the blades of wind wirbines, but is the number greater than those killed by domestic cats and irresponsible royal shooting parties far more? I think so!

Any comments gratefully received!

Stop Killing Whales!

I am not one to avoid red meat from farmed sources if it is on offer, but I have little sympathy for the Japanese who are in direct defiance of international whaling bans under the excuse of "scientific research." and are resuming the killing of humpback whales with barbaric exploding harpoons after a forty year moratorium that has brought about a modest recovery in some species, but populations are still precarious, and will be made more so with the resumption of whaling. I can understand the cultural arguments of the Japanese apologists like Hideki Moronuki, of the whaling section in the Far Seas Fishery Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries who says that, "If someone eats a cow, why should one object to a dolphin and whales being eaten; they're all mammals." He added, "If Australians want to eat kangaroos, we don't care. . . . Please do not care what Japanese do. . . . Eating dolphins and whales is part of Japanese food culture." Apparently the Japanese are eating less whale meat, but nevertheless, it is still a huge industry.
My own disgust at this matched by many people who believe as I do that the great whales are all still in great danger of extinction, are intelligent and worth protecting for future generation to marvel at rather than have the remaining few turn up on Japanese dining tables.

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1686486,00.html

Apologetic Update

Several weeks have again passed by with no new blog posts from me and I begin to feel guilty! However I do have an excuse this time . For the last two weeks I have been experiencing headaches and eye problems, finding reading,and writing quite difficult. I thought it may be migraine and went to see my doctor but he could find nothing particular wrong but advised me to have an eye test to see if my glasses prescription needed changing. Anyway, I had the optician look at my eyes yesterday and because I have been reading and writing with a great deals of difficulty for over a week now she is referring me to the Bristol Eyer Hospital for further investigation. I don't know yet how long before the hospital can see me. Slightly worrying - as you can imagine! I will however attempt another post today...

My Photo of the Day

Sadly since returning from Madrid, my blogging activity has dwindled and I am anxious to catch up with at least one post per week and there are several topics going through my head.
I have been busy with many things and projects, not least a Journalism course at Bristol Uni, an Ebay business venture - details sometime soon, and various other things breaking into retirement gradually and getting used to the idea that i don't actually have to get up at 6:15 am every morning! Here goes with an easy photo of Cape Town with Robben Island in the distance. Taken from the top of Table Mountain

Polar Ice Melting

As a lifelong collector and historian of Polar Exploration; I have noticed an item that has popped up today. Much effort was made in the early years of Polar Exploration by many Sailors and adventurers to find a route around the north of Canada and down into the Pacific to China and India.

Finally the Norwegian, Roald Amundsen in the Gjoa took three years to complete the first voyage East to West in 1906 through the ice and Islands of the Northwest Territories in 1928, and the first West East voyage in the little Royal Canadian Mounted Police Vessel St Roch in 1941-1942. (See photo)

There has been record ice melt this year, and the normally ice-blocked channels are free as never before. due to Global warming according to the BBC. Stunning graphics show the retreat of polar ice in the high arctic over the last two decades. BBC Link.

If your home is near sea level

Inconvenient Truth

I have been aware for some time of Ex US Vice President Al Gore's personal wake-up call regarding global warming and its effects. I bought the DVD An Inconvenient Truth some weeks ago but only yesterday found the time to watch it from beginning to end. Immediately some starkly familiar images . The swirl of hurricane Katrina approaching the Gulf Coast in 2005, stranded boats far from the edge of the Aral Sea (See my blog), great calving from the edge of the Greenland Ice cap and many others that I have become familiar with over the last few years, but there were many new and thought provoking topics and Al Gore did a great job of presentation throughout, unafraid of naming and shaming the corporate polluters nor of upsetting the fundamentalists and deniers of evolution. It was certainly worth delving into the DVD extras after the main film to see various updates (as of late 2006) and the Director - Davis Guggenheim's own commentary. Well done Al Gore. If you haven't yet seen the film PLEASE do so soon! Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun wrote:

In 39 years, I have never written these words in a movie review, but here they are: You owe it to yourself to see this film. If you do not, and you have grandchildren, you should explain to them why you decided not to. I agree with him!

Madrid

Took a few days break in Madrid to celebrate my rertirement! I'd never been before. Though the break was not without a few problems, like my credit cards not working for me! I now need another week to get over it! My hotel was very central, only a few minutes walk from Plaza Mayor. The pavements were hard as I tended to walk everywhere. Feet still sore 2 days after return. The highlights were the trips around the Prado where the current exhibition is the dreamlike paintings of Patinir [Painting of the Flight into Egypt at the Bournemisza]
, the Bourne Thyssen Bournemisza Gallery*- there, excellent Rodin Sculptures and many other famous artworks, sadly, photography not allowed. I missed by one day an exhibition of Etruscan art at the Archaeological Museum and was a little disappointed by the visit to the recreation of the cave at Altimira, the cave art was not in my opinion very well displayed or lit, but that musem was generally very good.
Generally Madrid was a great place to go and visit. Very busy, noisy, excellent food, even the beer was OK and cooled me down after a walk in he heat of the day.

Not my best set of photos, but here they are- click on link Picasa Madrid

Today has been wonderful for the annual St Pauls Carnival I hope these two photograpphs and the others taken today >>link here<< gives some impression of the colour and the passion. What my photos cannot convey though is thesound of the music and the smell of cooking from every street and private back garden. Street vendors were selling watermelons and fresh coconuts and sugar canes, jerk chicken saltfish and akee and other caribbean dishes and everyone was having a great time watching the dancers, the stilt walkers, children constantly blowing whistles and the celebrastions will continue well into the night - I wouldn't like the job of clearing up the rubbish tomorrow morning.

Madiba we love you

That wonderful elder statesman Nelson Mandela was honoured yesterday by the unveiling a statue yesterday in London's Parliament Square. There are many statues in our Nation's Capital, but this is, I think one of the most deserving to be remembered in this way.

Its creator, the British sculptor Ian Walters, did not live to see it being unveiled. He died last year.
Amid shouts of "we love you" from the crowd that thronged the road and hung from office block windows, the 89-year-old former South African president and his third wife, Graca Machel, made a dame for her own humanitarian work, were visibly moved at the reception.
Despite being supported by a cane, Mr Mandela took to the stage to address the crowd. He said: "We never dreamed we would all be here today. Though this statue is of one man, it should in actual fact symbolise all those who have resisted oppression, especially in my country."

[Daily Telegraph on line]

Mandela still has much to do, not least in trying to persuade his successor, President Thabo Mbeki who has been a scandalous failure to confront the scourge of HIV/AIDS in Southern Africa. And there are worrying signs that the situation is about to get worse. Last week, South Africa’s deputy health minister, Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge, was fired by President Mbeki.
Madlala-Routledge was one of the driving forces behind a plan to extend anti-retroviral treatment to 80 percent of those with AIDS by 2011. This focus is exactly what South Africa’s AIDS program had been lacking. But now Madlala-Routledge has gone, there is a serious danger that the momentum toward this goal will be lost.

Back again to Wales

Another trip to the land of Wales earlier this month and hundreds of photos taken at or around Lake Vyrnwy, the River Vyrnwy, Pontrobert and Llanfyllin. Pontrobert Watermill was the retirement home of my grandparents, Bob and Margaret Jones and my regular holiday destination for most if not all of my early years. Here is the long pool on the Vyrnwy about 200m below the mill house.

The link to my Picasa collection is here. - Sheryl - look at the pic of the tapestry in the church at Llanfyllin!

My Tango Photographs

The sound and the sight of the Tango is all over Buenos Aires but particularly around La Boca near the old port and in the heat of the sun.

Demise of the Yangtze River Dolphin

Sad news today from various sources confirming the first large mammal extinction for many years and the first cetacean extinction through human activity despite recent and high profile efforts to save it. The species is the Baiji or Yangtze River Dolphin (Lipotes vexillifer). See New Scientist link. Other river dolphin species from the Amazon and from the Ganges are also on threatened species lists.

Tom Russell

Another excellent musical evening at St Bonaventure’s last night. We went to see the incomparable American singer Tom Russell who was accompanied by the excellent Michael Martin as second guitar and mandolin. The hall was packed, with chairs for only about half of the appreciative audience. Those without, sat on the floor or stood for the whole performance in a very warm and sometimes airless room. No one seemed to mind and we were encouraged to join in lusty and fun choruses. There can be no other singer-songwriters to come up with the one word chorus “Criminologist!” which refers to Tom Russell’s own early career.

My Antarctic Photos of the Day

The British base at Port Lockroy.

Designated as Historic Site No 61 under the Antarctic Treaty, 19 May 1995. Restored 14 Jan 1996-18 Mar 1996. Since Nov 1996 the station has been run as an Historic Site and is open to tourists and visitors during austral summer seasons.

Bristol Harbour Festival

A really nice weekend for ship, boat and people watching here on Bristol's Harbourside. Lots of photos taken and cheeses bought at the French market in Queen's Square. We also visited St Mary Redcliffe Church, that which Queen Elizabeth 1st called "The goodliest, fairest and most famous parish church in England" A selection of photographs are here on Picasa. Please click on the link.

In the lead photo the "Matthew" the replica of the ship in which John Cabot sailed from Bristol to discover Newfoundland in 1497

The Royal Welsh Show 2007

The annual Royal Welsh Show at Builth Wells had always appealed but I had never been to it before and so I was pleased to have chosen a nice bright day with no rain for the 80 mile drive through the South Wales valleys to the venue on the banks of the River Wye. The countryside looked magnificent until we joined a long and tedious line of traffic moving very slowly the last few miles into the show ground car parks. I took with me my visitor from Hungary and my son Stephen and we all had a great time looking at the excellent livestock and other displays, We were entertained by a sheep-shearing competition, Ukrainian riders, pole climbing, canoeists, Shetland ponies, and a man with a sheepdog which has been specially trained to herd his flock of ducks.
Some of our photos are here on Picasa.

My Antarctic Photo of the Day

Fur Seal families, Cooper Bay, South Georgia
Arctocephalus gazella

The Jurassic Coast

Ladram Bay - East Devon

Another trip organised by WEGA - the West of England Geologists Association and other Geological societies took us last Saturday to Exmouth and onto a Stuart Line boat, Eastward along the coast as far as Lyme Regis and back. Our guide to the area, explaining the varied and fascinating geology enroute was Dr Richard Scrivener BSc, PhD, CGeol, FGSDistrict Geologist for the British Geological Survey and is head of the BGS station in Exeter. He had picked a particularly fine day with only slightly choppy watrer on the return trip and an excellent time was had by all. My photos of the trip are here on Picasa.

Weekend disappointment

This coming Sunday we had been looking forward to going to a Folk Festival at Saul, a little village on the canalside near Frampton on Severn. Sadly the torrential rain in the last few days has led to the event being cancelled. We are told that we can expect, as the century progesses, many more extreme weather events. I am sad the Saul festival has been put off until next year, but there many other things to do, though some may involve putting wellington boots into the boot of the car as a precaution! Today the sun is shining (rather weakly) after another night of heavy rain. At least the rain guarantees a green and pleasant England.