Category Archives: culture

going to Lisbon!

28 Wednesday Mar 2007

Posted by in culture, holidays, trips

≈ 15 Comments

lisbon_travel_guide_mural.jpg

At least that’s the plan.

Nog and I had been planning to go to London for an h2g2 meet at the end of April, with the proceeds from our big translation project, but we just finished it last weekend and don’t know when we’ll be paid – there might still be a few revisions to do first. So we’ve decided to go to Lisbon instead (another of my dream cities).

We originally thought about going June 7-10 because the 7th is Corpus Cristi here and a local public holiday. So as we’d have that day off anyhow it made sense to go then and take a ‘puente’ (bridge) extra long weekend. But it turns out that there are no direct flights to Lisbon that Thursday, so we’re now thinking of going Wednesday afternoon and staying for four nights. What the heck.

So just wondering if anyone has ever been to Lisbon and can recommend places to see, good restaurants, day trips, etc.

andalucía day

28 Wednesday Feb 2007

Posted by in culture, food & drink, holidays, life stuff, photos, sevilla, spain, tapas

≈ 7 Comments

andalucia-day.jpg

A nice midweek public holiday today.

Well, except that Nog and I are busy working on that big translation job (the one that might end up paying for a lovely holiday somewhere, sometime soon). But then a couple of hours ago we decided it was too gorgeous a day to stay inside – bright & sunny and about 22º – so we went out to Casa Roman for lunch.

Here is where we were, the view from our table, what we had to eat (first 6 pics) …

~ Casa Roman ~

5 books that changed your life

17 Saturday Feb 2007

Posted by in books & writing, culture, life stuff

≈ 31 Comments

5-books.JPG

In any way at all, big or small …

  • Fifth Business (Robertson Davies). It was the first book that really opened up new worlds for me. I was about 17 at the time and it was responsible for piquing my interest in subjects such as magic, philosophy, religion, mythology. It was also the first book I admired for the sheer intelligence and wit of the writing.
  • The Salmon of Doubt (Douglas Adams). It wasn’t the book itself that changed my life, but rather that it led me to the h2g2 site where I met Nog four years ago. If I hadn’t read that book I doubt I ever would have ever found h2g2 … or Nog (eep!).
  • Night Watch (Terry Pratchett). The first Discworld book I read. Got me started redeveloping my laugh-out-loud muscles. I’d forgotten that I could laugh so much. 🙂
  • Mother Tongue (Bill Bryson). It showed me just how fun the English language can be and helped me to teach better, with humour and relevence.
  • Foucault’s Pendulum (Umberto Eco). Made me feel clever and thereby warned me of the dangers of becoming an intellectual snob. 😉

Okay, your turn now. List any five books that have made a difference to your life and also explain why or how they did so.

This is also entered in engtech’s 5 things contest.