Lubéron, first ride after lockdown
At last! After nearly four months, it’s time to ride. The sun’s nearly vertical, the skies blue: this is riding in the Lubéron in Provence in summer.
CBR1000RR Fireblade 2020 at my usual Honda concessionaire
Architecture of Wood Lane, London W12
Television Centre (1960) - central courtyard
Television Centre (1960) - Stage Door
A walk around the classic buildings of Wood Lane, London W12
51°26'53.4"N 0°17'09.9"W
Amazing diversity of images in a hour at just this one location: a photographic survey of this location at this time. Photos made within an hour and within 25 m. of this latitude and longitude point
Don Giovanni - live opera restarts
Live opera restarts with Mozart’s chilling D minor chord from the Berwaldhallen, Stockholm, as their socially distanced production of Don Giovanni breaks the silence from the opera houses since March.
Symbolism pervades even more than usual in a Mozart opera. Don Giovanni, the promiscuous but lovable rake would be a super-spreader in Covid-19 parlance, there’s the masked ball of Act 1 and the banquet in Act 2, which arrives in take-away boxes.
Maurice’s oak tree
Maurice “Jim” Stewart oak tree on Clapham Common, London
I’m happy to report that Maurice’s oak tree is thriving on Clapham Common. It had suffered storm damage a few years ago but now looks to be in good leaf and developing the classic oak tree profile; it’s grown to more than 6m. height and the main trunk is well over 10cm. diameter.
This oak tree was planted as a memorial to our friend who passed away in 2012, aged 79 years. I was honoured to be one of those invited to the tree planting, having known Maurice as a friend and mentor since 1980, when he was based in Fitzwilliam Road, Clapham.
2004 Saint Julien - Grand vin de Bordeaux
Enjoying roast pheasant with this Grand vin de Bordeaux (Saint Julien AOC, Médoc). Here are my tasting notes.
Ponta de São Lourenço - Madeira 3
One of the most satisfying hikes in Madeira. Big views of dramatic cliffs and beach boulders being pounded by the raw Atlantic. Rounded coves like the Jurassic Coast in Dorset but this is volcanic rock. Butterflies & lizards as well as the dramatic topography.
