Film Review: The Distant Barking of Dogs

Another film that featured at the New Zealand International Film Festival was The Distant Barking of Dogs. It’s the story of a young boy and his family who live on the Ukrainian and Russian border, on a slice of disputed land that is being fought over tooth and nail, for years. The people in thisContinue reading “Film Review: The Distant Barking of Dogs”

Film Review: Ancient Woods

I saw this film at the recent New Zealand International Film Festival. The festival has grown and developed over the years and has become quite a magical event. I thoroughly recommend it if you are in Auckland. Ancient Woods is a Lithuanian production and it’s a magical foray into the flora and fauna living inContinue reading “Film Review: Ancient Woods”

Film Review: Cold War 2018

Paweł Pawlikowski directed and wrote this love story that’s set in the 1960’s. This film is unlike any other Polish film I’ve ever seen and I mean that as a compliment. That’s because it has more in common with one of these cool French New Wave films of the 1960’s – Bande A Parte orContinue reading “Film Review: Cold War 2018”

Ancient Word of the Day: Reave

Reave A long and low boundary wall or bank, found especially on Dartmoor and in Devon, mostly now sunk back into the landscape. Also, as a verb, to tear, split, divide or cleave. Rof/rifa An Icelandic word meaning to rip or tear something. Rof á landi refers to the rupture of the top soils ofContinue reading “Ancient Word of the Day: Reave”

Travel: Cycling adventures along the Kamo river, Kyoto

Cycling alongside calming bodies of water is one thing in life that I adore. In the past I’ve cycled along the Odra in Wroclaw, Poland, Tamaki Drive in Auckland and along the Water of Leith in Edinburgh, along with many other places. However the Kamo River in Kyoto tops them all. The Kamo river has a flatContinue reading “Travel: Cycling adventures along the Kamo river, Kyoto”

Enchanting floating ships by Italian Architect Luigi Prina

Italian architect Luigi Prina has been interested in aircraft modelling since a very young age. However, it was only after he met Venetian painter and boat builder Eugenio Tomiolo that he started to create flying ship models from ultra-thin paper and balsa wood inspired after Roman, Greek and Viking designs. His collection (or fleet) ofContinue reading “Enchanting floating ships by Italian Architect Luigi Prina”

Beltane of the Southern Hemisphere

Today, in the Pagan calendar, the north celebrate the coming of winter at Samhainn. And all the while the sun is peaking up from behind the lush vernal trees and dancing for us once more in the southern hemisphere, as we welcome Beltane on October 31st. Or as I like to refer to it BeltaneContinue reading “Beltane of the Southern Hemisphere”

Lucky’s 18th Birthday

Lucky sadly left this planet in recent months. Here he is a year ago on his 18th birthday. I just love this look of absolute and unfettered delight at eating the ice-cream cake. He was a good boy. My parents got him when he was only a puppy from the animal shelter. He was sentencedContinue reading “Lucky’s 18th Birthday”

Vintage textile: A treasure trove of online fashion from days of yore

Are you a fan of period clothing of the like seen on Downton Abbey, Poldark, Harlots and so on? I am and I’m not ashamed to admit that. Although the sublime beauty of these forms of clothing hides the fact of how uncomfortable women were, in their corsets and itchy lace and canvas constructions. StillContinue reading “Vintage textile: A treasure trove of online fashion from days of yore”

Snapshot from a zen garden in Kyoto today

Currently I am in Kyoto and today my boyfriend and I enjoyed the zen gardens of the Hogon-In temple in Arashimaya, Kyoto. Originally established in 1461 by Hosokawa Yoriyuki who was the noted deputy of the shogun during the Muromachi period (1336-1573). It is a small but majestic sub-temple within the large and beautiful Tenryu-jiContinue reading “Snapshot from a zen garden in Kyoto today”