For M and A KE Thank you What a city. What a weekend. I had never been to Amsterdam before. Look out for the windmills. Look at the tulips. Anne Frank. Van Gogh. Vermeer. Rembrandt. Well, it was wonderful. But nothing like that at all. We arrived Thursday afternoon and went by taxi from the […]Read Post ›
16th February 2023. 70 years ago a good friend of ours was born. James Norman Hardy. The good doctor. Sadly not to see his 70th birthday. I spent a lot of time thinking about him today. I met him in October 1972 when we lived in Sheffield in the same hall of residence. He fell […]Read Post ›
Serendipity is a marvellous thing. We walked and walked yesterday in search of a cafe. Lisbon is all uphill when you are thirsty. But buoyed by Valentine’s Day atmosphere – did I mention the breakfast celebrations a whole family had yesterday in the hotel? Flowers for the ladies, mother and grandma, chocolates and gifts for […]Read Post ›
St Valentine has a lot to answer for. It’s the day before my husband’s birthday – as always – and as always he wants to escape. This year he- my husband- will be seventy – and so we decided to go for a few days to Lisbon. The celebrations had already started in Poland and […]Read Post ›
O Very enjoyable and fascinating story of espionage and derring-do. I would have enjoyed it more if it had been pure fiction. As it is a mostly true tale I could not stop thinking about all the gruesome death and destruction that occurred leading up to and around the operation. Of course, things could have […]Read Post ›
For all my family and friends. To write, or not to write. A Christmas reflection or newsletter, that is. This year has been so busy that I have sadly neglected many people – I’m sorry. I think of you all when I wake up in the small hours, and am consumed with guilt. So, I […]Read Post ›
Our plane was delayed. We had sat in it for an hour before it moved off. Then it did. Fast. Up and down. Too much turbulence for me. We were in business class. I was looking forward to my delicious meal. Instead we got something they called afternoon tea. But no tea. Little stale sandwiches. […]Read Post ›
Wednesday. And we’re off again. Is there anything more stressful than packing on a hot day to go somewhere even hotter. Luckily there is lots of time and I actually did most of my own packing yesterday. Work expands to fit the time available so I spent all day, running! Up and down the stairs, […]Read Post ›
When I was very small my paternal grandmother used to talk about going to the Prater, the ancient Viennese funfair with a giant ferris wheel. I never really understood what she was talking about, as the Polish words for Vienna and prison were virtually interchangeable in my childish mind – I knew she had lived […]Read Post ›
Life Through Basia's Eyes 