HX Report
Irishman in the Middle East
Romania – 5/7 – Peles Castle
Posted on August 30, 2018
Peles (pronounced ‘Pel-esh’) Castle sits on the outskirts of a small town called Sinaia at the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains, about a 3-hour drive from Bucharest. It’s well worth the trip. Read More
Romania – 4/7 – The Palace of Parliament
Posted on August 29, 2018
Quiz Question Nr 1 – What is the largest administrative building in the world?
Answer – The Pentagon (easy!).
Quiz Question Nr 2 – What is the second largest administrative building in the world? Answer – See below. Read More
Romania – 3/7 – Bohemian Bucharest Markets and Mahallas Walking Food Tour
Posted on August 28, 2018
MB & daughter MB2 enjoyed a number of tours around the city of Bucharest (and outside) during their recent five-day excursion to Romania. All were enjoyable, particularly the street food walking tour which combined history, geography, architecture, local culture, Romanian craft beers and great food, whilst exchanging stories and chat with fellow-tourees.
Romania – 2/7 – Revolution
Posted on August 27, 2018
The Romania witnessed by MB last week is one where much of its religious past history of Greek Orthodoxy is very evident. Some 50 churches were destroyed by the Communist authorities in the capital city since 1947, but the devotion of the people to their churches and their religion prevented even more widespread destruction. Today some 250+ churches exist in Bucharest alone. Most are architecturally beautiful old buildings.
Action
Posted on July 22, 2018
MBs submission for Debbies One Word Sunday challenge – Action
From MBs recent trip to Canakkale, Turkey:
It’s the weekend
Posted on July 20, 2018
A street performer plays on a street in Nyon, a small town just outside Geneva, Switzerland. July 2017.
And if you want to hear a short clip of what she was playing………..
It’s the weekend
Posted on July 13, 2018
Another shot from MBs recent trip to Canakkale on the Dardanelles Straits in western Turkey.
One Word Sunday – Stark
Posted on June 24, 2018
MB’s response to this weeks challenge – a shot from mid-December 2017 from Lough Gur lake back home.
Troy
Posted on June 22, 2018
For most of history, the city of Troy was considered a mythical place of ancient Greek legend. It’s existence, mythical or not, was founded on its mention a number of times in the poem ‘The Illiad’ by Homer (ancient Greece, not modern Springfield!). It was referred to by different names in the poem, Troia being one of them, after King Tros. Read More
One Word Sunday – Music
Posted on June 10, 2018
This week’s One Word challenge is MUSIC. Big thanks to D of Travel with Intent blog for her challenging efforts.
If it’s music you want, then there’s a fair amount of it any day you wish back in MB’s Irish homeland. The Irish music scene is of course famous, from Thin Lizzy back in the day to Van Morrison to Enya to various Boy Bands to The Corrs to U2, and numerous others. That’s not to mention the Irish folk music scene which continues to thrive, and where many of the international groups started their young apprenticeships and have their roots. And who wouldn’t like to wander into a quaint Irish pub of an evening, after a day’s hard toil and unwind to the sound of some local musicians playing a few Irish gentle (or rousing) folk tunes or singing an Irish ballad, whilst sipping a tasty Irish brew?
Yes indeed guys, if you’re looking for a music fest, just head on over to MB’s homeland and you are likely to find music under any blade of grass you care to lift. In the kitchen. The living room. The street. The pub. The local hall. The Stone Circle. Etc.
“Stone Circle MB?”
Yes, guys. The Irish play music in Stone Circles. And why not?!
It’s fast approaching the 21 June Summer Solstice, and back in MB’s HX homeland, you are likely to find a musician or two in the pre-dawn twilight welcoming in the early-morning solstice sunshine with some music in the middle of the Grange Stone Circle.
The following shot was taken by MB in June 2014. Annoyingly (for MB) the shot is of 2 musicians who are accompanying another musician/singer out of shot, as evidenced by the directing in which the people are looking. However, it does invoke a certain sense of mystery – who is that musician? male/female? more than one? What’s he/she singing/playing? etc?
“Bullshit MB, it’s just a dodgy shot”.
Ok lads, maybe you got a point!
Whatchamacallit
Posted on June 3, 2018
Whatchamacallit (Oojamaflip).
Saw earlier today that blogger friend J posted a photo of a ‘whatchamacallit’ on the One-Word Sunday challenge of blog site Travel With Intent. J’s blog post title is actually called ‘Oojamaflip‘ which is seemingly the same as a ‘whatchamacallit’, but MB was previously unaware of the ‘Oojamafip’ word (egad!)
For those not in the know, a ‘whatchamacaliit’ is a word used to describe something we can not remember the name of. So the 2 kids in the below photo (from Saudi Arabia near the town of Buraidah) are gazing at a whatchamacallit, MB not being able to remember the name of that rock formation.
Sadly, as with many things in Saudi Arabia, the monument is defaced with graffiti. MB has often thought and stated of Saudi Arabia, that it is full to the brim with religious protocol, theory and formal practice, but is very light of living one’s life in any meaningful way by the rules or lessons of that same religion. MB thinks that many Saudi Arabians should actually refer to their religion as the ‘whatchamacallit’!
