Occupational Therapist since 1986, Case Manager since 1990, Author since 1993, Consultancy since 2001. Launched a blog from 2013, a podcast in 2014, and YouTube videos from 2017.
Go to Warsaw… yes, it’s definitely recommended. Go to Warsaw. But remember that its most striking building on a fast rising skyline remains…
This apparently was Stalin’s gift to Poland after WWII… The Palace of Culture and Science (Palac Kultury) built in the early 1950’s. On reflection, I suspect it was very much a boxforbureaucrats, and locally, it’s understandably more likely to be thought of as a MonumenttoSovietOppression.
Whatever your political view on the history and meaning of this building, its vision of granduer and solidity are unmistakable and still manage to draw attention from the more recent steel and glass offerings to the sky. It also happens to have a great viewing platform for views around the city…
Until we speak again, Stalin’s statement of occupation to Poland serves as a reminder that we can successfully repurpose gifts we hate and see them from a different perspective… eventually.
I can’t say there was much I didn’t already know as I took a guided tour of AuschwitzBirkenau… but wow, does being there pack an emotional punch to the gut.
It’s been almost 50 years since it was first suggested to me that if the chance comes along, I should make the visit. The nearest thing we will know to the gatesofhell.
In all of those years, I’ve been dumbfounded when I hear of holocaustdeniers and the unbelievable nonsense perpetrated by conspiracytheorists. The Nazis tried and failed to cover up their own evil…
There is no way conspiracynutjobs should be given any space for their lies and disinformation to cover over the truth. I’m more convinced that conspiracytheorists were deliberately created so that those of us who have a brain shouldn’t become complacent! The rightwingthugeratti just happen to be their main way of communicating their message of fear. Sometimes… the truth is far more terrifying.
Until we speak again, today’s visit only showed me even more strongly what happens when you ride roughshod over diversity, equity, and inclusion. Wake up, world, the lesson has yet to be learned!
Why go to Cairo when you can have lunch Egyptian style in Chiswick? There may be many good reasons, but it’s not likely to be a relaxation-driven decision.
I hadn’t intended an Egyptian interlude to my day in west London. It just imposed itself in the moment. Alaz looked inviting, and the quick glance at online reviews drew me in.
Juno would no doubt have been disgusted by my meat-free choice of meal. But the traditional Egyptian dish of Koshari was too tempting to pass by for the ubiquitous Mediterranean & Middle Easternlambkofte or chicken dish.
What’s more, my choice of cafe/restaurant came without alcohol, with a Mint & Lemonjuice providing such a refreshing option.
Who knew that a combination of rice, pasta, chickpeas, onion, and assorteda.n.other’s would be so tasty? Well, vegetarians and vegans, I guess… if they could summon up the strength to say!
Until we speak again, Egypt would be a great destination, I’m sure. But if you happen to be anywhere near west London… Alaz is a great (and cheaper) alternative. Just don’t let the ghost of Juno catch you dabbling in meat-free stupidity.
To Juno I was an old git long ago! However, now that the retirement thing has arrived I can truly say it brings the opportunity to trawl a wealth of memories and time to revisit some… hopefully… health permitting.
It’s been at least 2 years since I thought about doing my first visit of the 21st century back to Porthcawl in South Wales. A place so frequently visited in my childhood and so rarely since. The expanse of beach out to the tide and walking amongst the sand dunes brings back memories of holidays way back in the early 1960’s. Yes, reminiscing really can connect us to vivid memories.
But it’s not only the geography that changes so little. Beales is a Porthcawl institution.
It’s difficult to find much finer fish&chips. Why use the takeaway when you have the restaurant to savour freshly prepared food. A glance at the menu also provides the family history reflecting the passion they have for serving for your pleasure.
But it’s only when that plate arrives that memories of halcyon days return. Fine flakes of delicate Cod fish in a light batter served up with chips of the highest quality. Of course, a side of mushypeas is a must for the connoisseur. I didn’t even eat fish with chips when I was young, so this part of the reminiscing was more on what I missed out on.
Until we speak again, Porthcawl serves up fine memories. But it also has its cool contemporary coffee place in an old harbour building. Perhaps Corner Coffee will become a source of future reminiscing.
Travel anywhere in the world, and two of the most likely visions you’ll encounter will be an Irishpub and an Italianrestaurant.
I originally developed my taste for Guinness in London back in the 1980’s, mainly because the locals preferred their beer flat and uninspiring. As with excellent coffee, so it is with good beer, it’s all in the quality of the foam/head!
As 2025 has necessitated my regular return to London, I’ve had an unexpected opportunity to experience a little of what Italy has bequeathed to the old city.
First impressions may seem a little comical. Spend a few minutes in Little Venice. But please don’t think of it as an introduction to the real thing… if you’re dreaming of a mini version of Venetian wonder, this is decaf in its most underwhelming form. Romance has definitely left the building in this strictly gondola-free zone.
However, you don’t need to stray far in any area of the city to find authentic Italian influences.
If you happen to be out far west in Uxbridge, you’ve probably taken a wrong turn out of Heathrow! But never fear, NonnaRosa will provide good sustenance while you recalibrate your bearings.
Finding yourself in the City of London, why not call in on Eataly at Liverpool StreetStation for a choice of Italian restaurants and a high-class Italian deli all under one roof. A quatrostagione with a rich glass of Valpolicella should be an ideal interruption to your travels.
But to top it all, I couldn’t resist a trip down memory lane… or strada dei ricordi for my Roman conquerors. It’s the east end of London, it’s Wapping, and it’s my first return to Il Bordello in 20 years. A truly perfect way of repurposing an old Thamesside bonded warehouse. This was a favourite Italian restaurant of mine at the time, and I can even report that a few of the same waiters in burgundy waistcoats are still there!
Until we speak again, if you find yourself in Londinium, it’s not too difficult to experience authentic buonappetito. Just be prepared to give those chains a miss and instead search out and support the independents.
We can’t say we weren’t warned by the first moronic incoherent instalment. The pathetic images of an AmericanPresident fawning almost on his knees before a grinning psychopath who knows he only has to spin a few congratulatory lies to a fellow thin-skinned narcissist to get what he wants.
Where were you, America, when the free world needed you to justify your self-congratulatory position as its lead? I know the alternative choice was very underwhelming back in November 2024, but don’t say you didn’t see what was coming… for you as much as the rest of us. Did you really think a convicted felon serial liar and attempted overthrower of your own electoral system was a good bet?
I see Psychopath 1 has changed from grinning to smiling… ventriloquism has a lot to answer for! Having his arm up the rear end of an orange poodle is an image I’ll leave you to conjure for yourselves. By all means, fill the following space with your own image, and try not to blame me if it continues to torment you…
Until we speak again, we’ll need to be sad witnesses to the unpalatable retreat of America into the lies and disinformation that the MAGA movement of Dumbfuckistan thrives on to ingratiate themselves with their new Russian overlords. Putin feeds his poodle the Kremlin lies machine, and his new Americanpoodle buys and trumpets it without question. The MegaArseholeGobshiteAlert is also a serious wake-up call to Europe to get its act together.
History, culture, atmosphere, the home of the Renaissance… Florence has it all in abundance…
Who’d have thought it was the place to devour a whole cow as well? From the stomach as a burger from a hole in the wall…
To a high-end experience of a slow cooked cheek…
Then there is the quintessential Florentine Steak. Brought to your table prior to cooking. All that’s missing was a name… let’s call her Daisy for polite dining…
Until we speak again, go to Florence and be drawn into an atmosphericexperience and a feast of consumption…
Eating out is always a treat to be savoured. But just occasionally, it’s raised to another level when you get to ponder the question… they did what?
Restaurante Lebeche in Santa Cruz (Tenerife) is definitely one of those moments.
Arriving there a few minutes before opening already provided me with that rare few moments of being in my own private restaurant. I was greeted by name, from the reservation made earlier, and briefly enjoyed being outnumbered by the attentive staff.
My appetite dictated that I was going to eat light this evening. The Prawn Carpaccio may resemble a contemporary art installation, but it also provided the ideal starter of a delicate mix of flavours.
I was thinking salad as a main course. However, a combination of tomato, watermelon, icecream, and a topping of pistachio certainly wasn’t what I was thinking. Ensalada Lebeche is quite something to behold… a dish that asks you to double-check that you’re still on planetEarth. Other worldly definitely describes this dish… in a very good way.
Now, I’m not one who usually indulges in the desert end of the menu. That local white wine needs my full attention. But I’d seen from previous reviews that this place does something original in its presentation of Tiramisu. Eating light has the advantage of leaving space for the unexpected. And was this Tiramisu unexpected…
Yes, your eyes are not deceiving you… the gorgeously balanced dish arrived in a cafetiere!
Until we speak again, it’s nice to identify a wonderful restaurant while gazing down on the street below from your private sun terrace…
JUNO's VIEW 