Monthly Archives: February 2024

In the ancient Hindu holy city of Haridwar, on the banks of the sacred river Ganga, there is a ghat (set of steps down to the river) that is said to to have been built in the first century BC by the legendary King Vikramaditya. Called Har Ki Pauri, which means the feet of Lord […]

View full post »

The words “Jasper, Alberta” never fail to start the songs of John Denver playing in my head: “Up in a meadow in Jasper Alberta Two men and four ponies on a long lonesome ride To see the high country and learn of her people The ways that they lived there the ways that they died.” […]

View full post »

It was like fever dream! Anyone who thinks Buddhism is all sweetness, light, and Zen, hasn’t spent sufficient time in Asia. There, you will find many paintings and sculptures telling violent stories of historic battles between good and evil, and depicting truly frightening scenes from Buddhist Hell (eg: Two Artists; Contrasting Visions). One of the […]

View full post »

There are a few places I would return to without hesitation. Meteora in Thessaly, Central Greece, is one of those places. The landscape is remarkable: improbable pillars of sandstone and conglomerate rock rise out of a flat plain near the Pindos Mountains. The history is long and colourful and the architecture is astounding. Even better: […]

View full post »

Live music is a joy! I was thrilled to get back to Thredbo, a little alpine village in Australia’s Kosciuszko National Park, for the annual Blues Festival this year. Thredbo is one of Australia’s favourite a winter ski resorts. But, I love the Snowy Mountains just as much in summer time – when the air […]

View full post »