Three cities, Kandy, Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa form the three angles of the Cutural Triangle.
Kandy has Temple of The Tooth, Anuradhapura is the site of an ancient kingdom dating back to 600 BC and is the site of arrival of Buddhism about 200 years BC. [Read more…] about The Cultural Triangle Of Sri Lanka
“…That there’s some corner of a foreign field
That is for ever England…”
(Poem by Rupert Brooke)
A heavy tropical rainfall had snarled-up the traffic on the road so my driver took an unfamiliar detour. The narrow road twisted and turned alongside the river and was hemmed in by jungle trees and elephant grass. [Read more…] about There’s Some Corner Of A Foreign Field
Sri Lanka is not a place for haute cuisine but if you enjoy fresh and exotic fruits and the complex favours of curries you will be happy with the culinary experience.
Thanks to a homesick Victorian Scottish tea estate manager, there are all the familiar European vegetables grown in the highland area around Nuwara Eliya where the climate, at 5000 feet above sea level is similar to UK. [Read more…] about Sri Lankan Food
This was a big wedding even by Sri Lankan standards.
Some 480 guest met to celebrate the nuptials of Pavithi Weerasinghe with Udara Rajanayake, both physics graduates from the University of Peradeniya. [Read more…] about Sri Lankan Wedding
While in Sri Lanka, quite by chance we came across a party of ex-pats calling themselves the ‘Discovery’ group. They meet once a month and go off to explore a hidden part of Sri Lanka. Hidden to tourists and even most Sri Lankans that is.
Today a convoy of 6 vehicles left Kandy for the south and we soon turned off the main road to an un-named village in the jungle.
Sunday morning in Kandy, Sri Lanka, time to walk out around the lake looking smart, long trousers of course; only tourists wear shorts. On an energetic day we walk to town but this means braving ‘The Tunnel’.
The tunnel is dark, damp and has deep drainage channels on both sides. Water drips from the roof and there is barely room for pedestrians and cars. [Read more…] about Kandy Lake vs Chandler’s Ford Lakes
During my time at Southampton General Hospital we always had a junior doctor from Sri Lanka in training. Some of them worked with me and many became friends.
After retirement my wife and I decided to go and live in another culture for a while; Sri Lanka was the obvious choice. What was it like? What happened to us? What are the differences compared with Chandler’s Ford? Here are a series of blog posts for anyone interested. [Read more…] about Dispatches From Sri Lanka
“What’s for dinner?”
“Your favourite tonight; mealworm and mash.”
“Did you get those nice mealworms from Waitrose?”
“Better than that; these are our first crop of home-grown from the shoebox in the garage.” [Read more…] about Mealworm and Mash
Now is the time of the foxglove. It grows naturally and is therefore regarded by some gardeners as a weed but it is a noble flower. Upright and stately in a royal purple colour it rises above others as a bright symbol in shady places.
Why Foxglove? This strange name for the flower has been around since the 14th century and was sometimes called ‘folksglove’. [Read more…] about The Foxglove
Heroes are rare by their nature. The best ones do not know that they are heroes, they have to be recognised by you. Anyone proclaiming himself a hero has excluded himself from the class.
During my time at school it was announced that Lieutenant-Commander Peter Twiss had broken the world speed record by 300 mph [Read more…] about Meeting a Hero
The head of my department at the University took on two foreign students but he did not have the patience to supervise them. He wondered how the young, green lecturer would cope. I came to be supervisor of two Egyptian men ‘of mature years’ as it is quaintly put. That is, older than most students reading for higher degrees.
It took them a while to overcome the culture shock and get their English up to a reasonable standard. [Read more…] about Immigrants
I have just gone through a period of losing things. At least I hope I have gone through it and will not lose any more essential and valuable objects. Some years ago odd socks would appear and no matter where I looked the partner for it never turned up. After hanging around in my sock drawer for a while I would throw the sock away.
The next day the other one would turn up. [Read more…] about Lost and Found
On May 14th, Haskins Garden Centre at Mansbridge opened its doors late to host a fashion show in aid of the Countess Mountbatten Hospice Charity.
Many of the audience of about 150 were from Chandler’s Ford. Also present were The Worshipful, the Mayor of the Borough of Eastleigh, Malcolm Cross and [Read more…] about Fashion Show for Countess Mountbatten Hospice
I promised to give a breakdown of the costs of my holiday flying a glider.
The glider is a Duo Discus, 2 seater and near the top of the range in terms of performance.
I travelled down alone but came back together with my co-pilot and the glider in its trailer. [Read more…] about Gliding Holiday Costs
It is not only gliders we see flying at the airfield at Santa Cilia in Spain.
Here are four other types of flight.
The Spanish army brought their helicopter for the troops to practise abseiling down from 50 feet up. [Read more…] about Not Only Gliders
A clear blue sky with not a cloud is sight suggested a difficult day of soaring. Thermals are usually under clouds and if there are no clouds, are there any thermals and where are they?
Thermals are large bubbles of warmer air which rise from the ground. If you have ever watched a lava lamp you have an idea of how they work. Unlike a lava lamp you cannot see the bubble. [Read more…] about Soaring The Pyrenees
After a six-hour drive through France and Northern Spain beneath low cloud and many showers of rain, I passed Pamplona and the weather changed. The cloud broke up and the sun shone from a blue sky. The weather improved over the next 50 miles to Santa Cilia.
Met with my colleagues who sadly had not been able to fly as the wind was blowing at 27 knots [Read more…] about Sharing The Sky With The Vultures
About half way along the road from Southampton to Winchester were three fords, nearby lived a family named Chaundler. This was the case in the 16th century. Earlier, there is no mention of Chandler’s Ford in the Doomsday Book though Eastleigh, Otterborne, Chilworth and Twyford are there.
Nothing changed in this wooded land until the 19th century when a large brickyard developed [Read more…] about About Chandler’s Ford
Holiday – No Holiday? That is the question.
All set to go gliding in the Pyrenees from a small airfield called Santa Cilia. We stay in the village in a typical stone Pyrenean house run by a wonderful lady called Toya. She looks after all the glider pilots and many pilgrims who are walking the trail to Santiago de Compostella. [Read more…] about Holiday – No Holiday?
Happy Birthday, Bill.
I was never as enthusiastic about Shakespeare as one is supposed to be. I was made to study him at school like most people. We did Merchant of Venice and I thought it a poor show how Shylock was treated. [Read more…] about Happy Birthday Shakespeare!
