A braw morning. Blue skies over the village and scattered banks of cloud inland. Concentrate hard , really hard, and you can almost feel the warmth in the sun. The BBC six am news bulletin seems once again unsure as to whether the Iran issue is 'alive' or 'dead'. Last night we go to a small presentation by a senior American politician who is here playing golf. This explains the private jet that flew over yesterday morning and landed at the airbase. He speaks of a high risk 2027-2028 window in international affairs. Post midterms the outlook for the world is slightly unsettling as the mischief makers come out to play.
There is a gold metallic Peugeot parked in the corner of the potato field. It has French 54 plates. A quick Google search indicates the car is registered in Meurthe-et- Moselle. This is a department we've never been to. The Peugeots owners can be found on the beach skimming stones and laughing like teenagers. They have never seen cormorants and are amazed at their diving skills. They tell us the Scots are 'charmant' which is a surprise.
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It's not just the village that's waking up to the World Cup. The newspapers are now shifting their front pages to covering the tournament.
The shopkeepers are also tuning in on football. Two matches are being played in Boston and a third in Miami. I fear that the Scots team - and the fans - will not cope well with Floridian heat and humidity. The motto ' Good luck Scotland - We can do this ! ' seems ever so slightly forlorn.
Here in the village the New Zealand man who makes soap out of seaweed had a dry run with the device that projects television pictures onto a screen. A dozen or so 30 something fathers could be found in the village hall drinking beer and making sure everything works as planned. They were joined by a collection of three to five year olds who are given orange squash and Pringles to keep them quiet. It was agreed that the Emperor sized sheet onto which the match will be projected needs to be carefully ironed. Wrinkled sheets substantially degrade the viewing experience.
Not sure about the architectural design of this. A bit dystopian ? : https://www.obama.org/visit/
An unusual travel destination :https://notcompeting.substack.com/p/have-money-dont-complain-live-better
Woke paint . I've ordered some and will let you know the results :https://www.atelierellis.co.uk/
Eyes:https://www.popsci.com/science/why-humans-have-white-part-eyes/
Unusual story of the day :https://notesfrompoland.com/2026/05/31/built-140-years-ago-and-still-in-use-today-warsaws-sewers-connect-the-city-to-its-brutal-past/
America seems to produce 'interesting' politicians :https://www.mediaite.com/politics/gop-gubernatorial-frontrunner-claims-he-killed-a-man-at-age-7-wont-say-how-many-people-hes-killed-in-bonkers-interview/
A former Portugese Foreign Minister has written a new book :https://brunomacaes.substack.com/p/the-age-of-world-order-is-over-the
9 comments:
Meurthe-et-Moselle is worth a visit. Lovely east of France architecture with pointy slate roofs. It contains Verdun, where the ossuaire at the WW1 battlefields outside the town is the most powerful anti-war statement I've ever seen.
You have reminded me that we have been to Verdin. Many years ago we were heading back to Calais and needed somewhere to stop off. Angus glanced at a map ( this was long before GPS ) misread ossuaire and interpreted it as a bird sanctuary. It was a surprise when we got there.
I wish Scotland well, although when push comes to shove, I will have to support Japan. Japanese soccer was just getting off the ground when we moved there, and it has been so rewarding watching it develop. I was debating if I should shift my loyalties to France at this point, but no, at least not unless Japan gets knocked out. Anyway, it will be great to have something different to think about for a period of time. I enjoyed the blog about Turkmenestan.
Hari OM
Poppies, climate permitting, may first appear at the end tip of May and all the way through to end of September, even early October in the right place. That white flower looks very much like Camassia (Wild Hyacinth), which would indeed be exotic, but not brought by birds as it is a bulb cultivar. Some garden escapee? And I am inclined to agree that the solid concrete tower is harsh to the eye. A shame, given the surrounds and interior look rather fab. Lots of interesting reading absorbing my morning, ta! YAM xx
I have a couple of meetings in Chicago in the next year, I look forward to seeing the Obama Center. I love the sheep sticker in the last photo.
The Obama Center, nicknamed the Obamalisk. Chicago does have brutalist architecture but it is overshadowed by its skyscrapers. My daughters live in Chicago and we will visit the Obama Center probably next year, when its newness subsides.
The Obama Center is by necessity a fortress against those who would like to destroy or deface. Inside is a soft hopeful center. I wish Scotland and the young lads a joyful visit to the states.
To address your opening comment, the NYT this morning quoted Trump as saying the talks with Iran are starting to get "very boring" and that he "couldn't care less" if they broke down. Wishing the lads safe travels and lots of FUN!!
Comments about the Obama Centre, interestingly, reflect my own thoughts, which, ere now, I have shared with no-one.
Angus, you have gathered my people
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