Thursday 28th July 2016, 2.20pm (day 1,799)
Some people insist on doing this kind of thing every day on their holidays. I have never been one of them, but occasionally I indulge. Pictured at Praia da Rainha (Queen’s Beach), Cascais.
Beach time
Being 42
Life, one day at a time
Carmo convent ruins
Wednesday 27th July 2016, 3.00pm (day 1,798)
At around 9.30am on 1st November 1755, when most of the population were at Mass, Lisbon was hit by a massive earthquake. The more I hear about this the more it is clear this was one of the most devastating single events in human history. Within a very short time a combination of collapsing buildings, fires, and a tsunami had killed 60,000 people. This building, the former Carmo convent, is one of the few remaining from that date; an attempt was made to rebuild it but not that long afterwards Portugal abolished the monasteries anyway, so it was never finished (or refinished). It now stands as a memorial to 1/11/1755, and the fragility of our existence, or something like that.
Street scene, Lisbon
Tuesday 26th July 2016, 5.05pm (day 1,797)
I said I was due a holiday, and so it began today: a 4.15am alarm call was the only downside. But here we are in Lisbon, Portugal — this blog’s 25th different country. Not a new one for me, I spent quite a lot of time here in 1990-91 when I had a Portuguese girlfriend for a little while (an experience I recommend if you get the chance…), but very little since. So it’s nice to revisit it. Today was just a settling in, but you’ll be seeing plenty more of it over the next few days, I guarantee it.
Joe and sunglasses
Monday 25th July 2016, 12.40pm (day 1,796)
Joe gets on for the second day in a row. Or part of him does — not just the upper half of his body, but one leg seems to have gone missing. He was hoping we would pick him up a pair of sunglasses for the imminent trip to places warmer and sunnier than here.
Lord of the Rings marathon — the early stages
Sunday 24th July 2016, 10.50am (day 1,795)
Joe and I had an agreement that this Sunday was to involve the whole Lord of the Rings trilogy in one go, and so it came to pass. The holiday will involve a change of scene soon, I promise. But not today.
A photowhack — the only photo taken on a given day. We are here at the early scenes in Bag End, but I knew there was little point seeking further shots: they would all have been variations on this theme.
Young pine cones
Saturday 23rd July 2016, 1.55pm (day 1,794)
I love the way these cones also look like flowers — even eggs? I guess all three are more-or-less the same thing.
Great Hall, Sackville Street building
Thursday 21st July 2016, 8.50am (day 1,792)
Last day in Manchester, for work purposes, until August 16th. Let’s note this annual moment in time — the threshold of my summer holiday — with a picture of a rather nice room on campus which, grandiose as it is, seems hardly ever to be used.
Platform 2, Victoria station
Wednesday 20th July 2016, 2.35pm (day 1,791)
Still hot — and still schlepping into Manchester most of the week on non-air-conditioned trains. The summer holiday approaches, but it’s not here yet.
Ice cream queue
Tuesday 19th July 2016, 2.50pm (day 1,790)
I had a more artistic photo to potentially use today but if I wanted to epitomise the day then this was the one. The sun comes out, the thermometer rises, and a hundred members of Manchester staff and students queued up at the single ice cream van that had the nous to make an appearance on campus.
Being 42 