Oh, to be in England, Now that April’s there, And whoever wakes in England Sees, some morning, unaware, That the lowest boughs and the brushwood sheaf Round the elm-tree bole are in tiny leaf, While the chaffinch sings on the orchard bough In England – now!! In general, and despite my childhood infatuation with the… Continue reading Thoughts of Abroad, From Home, in April, 2025
Category: Travel
Far Away Places–2024
Today, I claim executive privilege and repost with considerable emendations, one from the past. It's a personal anniversary, my sixth--in wedding anniversary terms that would be "iron"-- and I'm in a bit of a reflective mood: I don't think any of my sentiments have changed in the intervening years. I haven't been to any "far… Continue reading Far Away Places–2024
Kap He Chom Khrueang Khao Wan 2023–กาพย์เห่ชมเครื่องคาวหวาน
I originally published this post (which I've since very lightly edited) almost two years ago, in June 2021. I'm reposting it today because, when I went looking for inspiration on the web, I discovered that April 21, 2023 is the 241st anniversary of the founding of the city of Rattanakosin, now known internationally as Bangkok. … Continue reading Kap He Chom Khrueang Khao Wan 2023–กาพย์เห่ชมเครื่องคาวหวาน
From Utmost East to Utmost West: A Very Preliminary Book Review
Cross-posted from Ricochet: And a conclusion: If you only buy one book in 2023, make it this one. I hope I’m not alone in my annual habit of buying myself the occasional Christmas present, wrapping it up, and labeling it “with love from the dogs–we tried not to slobber on it” or “from the sheep–thanks for the hay!” or “affectionately,… Continue reading From Utmost East to Utmost West: A Very Preliminary Book Review
Suwanee’s Cooking School, Chiang Rai, Thailand: Revisited
It's been exactly four years since a day I remember with great affection, the day on which my friend and I attended a full-day cooking school in Chiang Rai, Thailand and--with a lot of effort, hard work, and a great sense of fun--made some of the loveliest and most delicious food I've ever eaten. A… Continue reading Suwanee’s Cooking School, Chiang Rai, Thailand: Revisited
Far Away Places
Today, I claim executive privilege and repost one from a year-and-a-half ago. It's a personal anniversary, and I'm in a bit of a reflective mood. I don't think any of my sentiments have changed in the intervening months. I haven't been to any "far away places," since I wrote the following, and--truth be told--I'm glad… Continue reading Far Away Places
Patrick Leigh Fermor: A Gift for Adventure
A recent, and very enjoyable, perusal of a book review in the Daily Telegraph (apologies if you can't get behind the paywall, but it was of this book: From Utmost East to Utmost West--My Life of Exploration and Adventure, by Colonel John Blashford-Snell**), put me in mind of a post from almost exactly a year… Continue reading Patrick Leigh Fermor: A Gift for Adventure
Photos, Or it Didn’t Happen: Part Two
I wrote recently about my visit to Thailand in 2018, and of a visit to Chiang Rai's spectacular White Temple. Competing for the role of "most famous Chiang Rai tourist attraction" (unless you're a golfer, in which case it's probably the Santiburi Country Club, which is also quite lovely--and the food is very good too--even… Continue reading Photos, Or it Didn’t Happen: Part Two
Kap He Chom Khrueang Khao Wan–กาพย์เห่ชมเครื่องคาวหวาน
The title of today's post, Kap He Chom Khrueang Khao Wan, means, in English, "A Procession Poem Admiring Sweet and Savory Dishes," and refers to a poem written by Siam's (now known as Thailand) Prince Itsarasunthon--later King Rama II--in 1800. The opening stanza, translated by Heather Arndt Anderson, goes like this: Massaman, a curry made… Continue reading Kap He Chom Khrueang Khao Wan–กาพย์เห่ชมเครื่องคาวหวาน
Photos, Or It Didn’t Happen
That's a saying we have on Ricochet. It may have been intitated by a former member known as Simon Templar; I'm not sure. In any event, it's become a popular phrase, and we generally try to oblige. One of the must-see sights in Chiang Rai, Thailand is Wat Rong Khun, or the White Temple. It's… Continue reading Photos, Or It Didn’t Happen