Thursday, 26 April 2012
Monday, 23 April 2012
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* 

By day 6 or 7, after terrors in the form of alligators and air-rides of various sorts, together with my slow-to-heal wound, we were ready for something different. So we retreated up state and over the border into Georgia. It's a sad fact that many things in the South are historically troubling and presently discomforting. Even Savannah -- a beautiful, quiet, gentle town -- has its scars, and the warm brick of the cotton exchange building still intimates past cruelties. But it was very kind to us and we felt restored after 2 days wandering the streets, admiring the brightly coloured street furniture, eating great salads and shrimps in the restaurants and bars. Lying in the half sun/half shade of a park bench, listening to the poop of the paddle steamer was bliss.
* the first picture here was taken by the doglet's co-owner, from a helicopter.
Sunday, 22 April 2012
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As a child amongst my favourite books were the Prairie ones by Laura Ingalls Wilder (note: these are so much better than the TV version leads you to believe -- run away from the telly whenever Michael Landon threatens to appear). The books have a deeply absorbing way of talking about the life of everyday -- cooking, cleaning, cutting and sewing fabric, gathering wheat, tending horses, organising cupboards -- that I think accounts for the eccentric passion I have for these activities now. There's something so appealing about the solidity of middle-American life (at least in the good version) -- its tradition of thrift, proportion, self-sufficiency. The life of Grant Wood's paintings, such as 'American Gothic' (1930). So very different from parts of America now, which has foolishly gave up those skills at a very poor price.
So it was very restful to move out of the crazy world of Miami's South Beach into the elegant sophistication of the Wolfsonian Museum, which knew just how to display its modest-feeling, and moving, art-pieces and welcome pride in the technological innovation of mid-century material goods. I recommend it very highly -- plus the cafe does great food, including cheese plates (a rarity in that locality). These are some parts I managed to capture on film.
Tuesday, 17 April 2012
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today we are very tired indeed (all three of us). doglet has been taking anti-histamine for a pollen allergy on her tummy, which has left her super sleepy; co-owner and i have been doing what we both love to do -- 25-hour travelling trips. what a way to spend the day... this was to bring us back to the sleet in scotland after 2 1/2 weeks in the blazing sunshine of florida, georgia and south carolina. we may be unusual in being ecstatic about this trajectory. this coming straight after 'leg-gate' has rendered this blog a little lonely. normal service will try to resume for the rest of april...
and to begin, here is miami. home of very loud music, very small bikinis, cars, and overblown cocktails, glistening tanned skin and people for whom socialising is more looking- than listening-based. which is fair enough if you've spent as much time and energy on looking fantastic as these guys do. this might be the worst place on earth to have stitches in your leg and very pale skin. but we had a lovely time nonetheless in south beach. here you can admire the ice-cream colours of the art-deco buildings in blissful escape from the Flo Rida (or also, funnily enough, dexys midnight runners) soundtrack so widely provided by the kind sub-woofers of miami.
next up -- the cool interior calm of the wolfsonian...
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