In the beginning we sat around the fire and talked. Here I explore how we form social groups, and how that process has been altered by the advent of the web and search and social media. In a subsequent post… Read More »Sitting round the fire as our way to build community
This post was previously published in Reef Encounter, the news magazine of the International Coral Reef Society, volume 39, no. 2. That appeared in March this year. I’ve decided to put it up here as well, along with a photo… Read More »The tipping point is behind us. What do we do now?
Saturday 8th Today, like early gods, we all rested. The long day, strenuous activity and heat yesterday had exhausted all of us. After breakfast I wandered down to the beach for a couple of hours. It’s a nice one, especially… Read More »My Costa Rica Holiday in 2025 – Part Two
Tuesday February 4. The siblings had decided to have a tropical vacation together. Just the four of us, plus spouses. Total of six. What could go wrong? In Costa Rica. Pura Vida! Now the date had arrived. After all the… Read More »My Costa Rica Holiday in 2025 – Part One
I am writing this on January 20th 2025. I could have written it closer to the start of the year but today convinced me concerning some actions I have been considering in recent weeks. Various bits of environmental news were… Read More »22nd January 2025. Another New Year in This Rather Strange World.
(Want to start at Part 1? Go here.) And On the Tenth Day… Anyway, the tenth day dawned and there we were. In Amsterdam, being turfed onto the wharf several hours before any hotel in Amsterdam was ready to receive… Read More »Iceland and Amsterdam – What could be better? Part 4: Amsterdam At Last and the End of the Journey
(Want to start at Part 1? Go here.) Day Seven – Let’s Go Underneath Edinburgh Day 7 and we had travelled around the top of Scotland to arrive at Edinburgh. Or at least we had arrived at the port that… Read More »Iceland and Amsterdam – What could be better?Part 3: Edinburgh and Newcastle – Back to civilization.
(Want to start at Part 1? Go here.) Back on board I rendezvoused with my three new friends – the solo travellers – for dinner. Our conversations are infinitely better than most I have had on cruise ships. The first… Read More »Iceland and Amsterdam – What could be better? Part 2: Djupivogur and on to the Isle of Skye and the Orkneys
Reykjavik On my last big trip I had a clear goal – to find my perfect beach. I was in places I had never been before and mostly alone, but I was in a country I was totally at home… Read More »Iceland and Amsterdam – What could be better?Part 1: Reykjavik and Heimaey