Daybreak. The brisk westerly wind sending the clouds scurrying madly across the sky. The daffodils that have seeded along the edge of the large field are whipping madly to-and-fro in the gusts. All the fishing boats, bar one, have wisely headed back into the safety of the harbour. Puppy, her sister and the farmers wife can be seen walking by the shore in the far distance. The farmer has been at work since five planting out seed potatoes - the whine of the tractors engine rising and falling as it battles the thick clay soil. As we walk yellowhammers, wrens and corn buntings flit in and out of the canopy of thick brambles that trellis the old stone walls. The crows , which have been absent for a week, have returned. A hundred or so are breakfasting contentedly on the recently sown barley field.
By the time I've made it into town the air is nippy but the skies are clear again. This morning the bakers best selling fudge donuts have the word 'Mum' piped on them in white icing. Mothers Day is on Sunday and it is clearly a big thing. They also have a selection of yellow sponges with piped blue and orange carnations and the timeless phrase 'To Mother with love ' emblazoned across the top. These are so Gothically remarkable I think of buying one. Perhaps tomorrow ? In the window of the new student drop in hub an amplifier and a turntable are just visible. Is this how they mean to keep non-students out ? Anything that hints at a DJ and the sort of music late teens listen to will deter any but the bravest ( or deafest ) of the towns older inhabitants .
Two weeks today and we should be on a flight to Tokyo from Heathrow. Overnight we receive an e-mail from the wildly enthusiastic trip organizers in Palo Alto ( I have an image of them all looking like Lily Tomlin in Grace and Frankie ) with a list of places where we'll be eating. One stop over is described this way : ' This restaurant is best know for bukubuku cha - a tea made of polished brown rice with an unlikely top layer of mashed peanuts. The cold beverage is served in a lacquer bowl and stirred with a bamboo whisk that produces a layer of foam on top. It's refreshing and unique and totally delish ! '. Over breakfast we debate whether a place noted for its 'delish!' rice tea is a restaurant or a cafe. It is improbable that either of us will ever describe something as 'delish!' and I am left with the sinking feeling the Californians are going to find us rather staid and undemonstrative travel companions.
Changes in Kerala :https://aeon.co/essays/how-did-kerala-go-from-poor-to-prosperous-among-indias-states
The Smithsonian :https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/03/28/trump-aims-to-remove-improper-ideology-from-the-smithsonian-with-new-executive-order
The great filter :https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/03/all-by-ourselves-the-great-filter-and-our-attempts-to-find-life/
Without wine sales restaurants couldn't survive :https://x.com/econcallum/status/1904963379703529578
14 comments:
We'd never heard of bukubuku cha, but it's a great name - "bukubuku" is the sound made by boiling water, and "cha" means tea. I looked it up, and it's Okinawan. My post-war husband nevertheless suffers from war guilt, so we've never been to Okinawa.
'Delish' is on my list of nails on a blackboard words, along with 'hubby', 'biccy', 'holibobs', 'Crimbo'...
I agree with Linda, and would add '24/7' and 'bucket list.'
Sometimes I wish there was a "like" button on blogger, so I could clap for you and Linda. (Although I have no idea what "holibobs" and "Crimbo" mean.)
Splendid early morning pictures.
The music, especially of loud, would keep me out. The Californians can rely on you for an honest wordly review of food and service. That should be an amazing trip.
Having lived in Palo Alto for a decade before it became the home of the wealthy, and having visited periodically since, I do hope your trip will not spoiled by a group of braggarts and one-uppers (to be blunt). Personalities akin to Grace and Frankie might be welcome!
My son just sent me this compilation of Harrison Ford commercials for Glenmorangie single malt. I thought these were brilliant: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QVdfx-Tric&list=PLCB-scJeBDudUx1CeZxpxPIv_zIgYUtz7 And they also reminded me of his commercials for Kirin beer a long time ago. I think you can pick up some useful vocabulary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQWErl6EY9g
I agree!! Add to the list "on-boarding", "circle back" and "put a pin in it".
YOU?? Staid and undemonstrative? Never! Many Californians find you and the Font to be observant, knowledgeable, curious, worldly and very interesting. Why would we have been checking in with you "on the daily" for so many years? :)
You have far more experience with Americans than we do, but we did a Mediterranean cruise some years ago which was chokka with Americans, and they were abysmal - rude, LOUD, pushy, arrogant and generally brash. The cruise itself was wonderful, we just learnt to avoid them, and not engage with them. We spent some months in San Diego in 1999 and met some lovely people, some of whom we're still in touch with, so perhaps you'll be fine with Palo Altoians. Praying you will!!
Oh yes, those as well!
Thank you. I've watched them all. They are made with a wryness that is both kind and gently amusing.
Can Trump get any worse??
Trump aims to remove ‘improper ideology’ from Smithsonian with new executive order.
Unbelievable...
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