Visiting London 2022

On By Rick McIn science, travel2 Comments

I couldn’t live in the EU. Europe still sucks.

BUT I would like to spend a month based out of London. It would take that long to visit all the attractions I’d like to see. And learn the city.

Whenever one of my international flights starts or lands in London (often) I try to add a layover. This time I stayed 3 nights.

London is expen$ive. No question. Double or triple the travel costs of Spain, for example.

But I spend most of my time walking. And in the free public museums.

This time I visited:

Both are excellent.

Darwin holds court over the Natural History Museum. A great scientist.

Over in a public park I watched a guy defend the Flat Earth theory. Even in 2022.

His arguments were silly. And hilarious. But he certainly sounded passionate.

It’s easy to prove the Earth is round. You can see if with your own eyes from an airplane.

Yet somehow folks delude themselves into anti-scientific thinking — that the Earth is only 5000 years old, for example.

My point here is that London is endlessly entertaining. There is so much to see and do.

Stranger Things – season 4

On By Rick McIn TVLeave a comment

I love the retro vibe of Stranger Things. Dustin is my favourite character.

But I couldn’t care less about the monsters. And monsters get a lot more screen time in season 4.

I made it through the first 7 episodes. But it’s a hard pass on the final 3 episodes.

I’m out.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

East of Eden by John Steinbeck

On By Rick McIn books, moviesLeave a comment

East of Eden is a novel by American author and Nobel Prize winner John Steinbeck. Published in 1952, the work is regarded by many to be Steinbeck’s most ambitious novel  …

Steinbeck stated about East of Eden: “It has everything in it I have been able to learn about my craft or profession in all these years,” and later said: “I think everything else I have written has been, in a sense, practice for this.”  …

I liked it less well than the author, but am still pleased to have made it through the lengthy, rambling saga.

Steinbeck was born in Salinas, California in 1902. In fact, he appears as himself as a small boy in this novel.

Racism is a fact in this era. But one of the two smartest and best characters is Lee, an American born Chinese servant.

The other character you want to spend time with is Samuel Hamilton, the patriarch of one family.

Steinbeck books frequently explore the themes of fate and injustice, especially as applied to downtrodden or everyman protagonists. For example, Of Mice and Men.

The female characters are not nearly as important or well drawn as the men and boys.

The title comes from Genesis, Chapter 4, verse 16. The story of Cain and Abel.

Two sets of brothers are the main characters in this book. And one of the four is named Adam.

There are weird love triangles complicating both sets of brothers.

There’s something of a reimagining of the biblical story woven into a history of California’s Salinas Valley.

My two highlights reflecting back on this epic:

  • the STORY telling is memorable and entertaining
  • the philosophical discussions

James Dean played in one of the movie adaptations.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Cycling the Camino de Santiago

On By Rick McIn cycling, travelLeave a comment

There are many pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, the goal being the famous Cathedral.

About 10% arrive by bicycle.

Two of the most popular cycling routes are:

  • Porto, Portugal to Santiago
  • León, Spain to Santiago

I’d first tried to start in Porto — but couldn’t find a bike to rent on short notice.

In Santiago itself I found Cycling the Camino, a shop that pretty much NEVER runs out of rentals.

I took the train to León, picking up the rental there. They will deliver almost anywhere you want to start — charging additional shipping to mainland Spain (30€/bike), Portugal (37€/bike) and France (65€/bike).

The cost of the bike itself is around 30€/day.

Inexpensive, in my opinion. And WAY easier than flying your own bike.

I booked 7 days to make the 300+km return which I assumed would be EASY. I did make it in 6 days, finding the adventure more challenging than expected. I was on the bike about 6-7 hours each day.

My short video includes a LOT of drone footage as that’s the easiest way to show the landscape.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Compared with most long distance cycling routes, this one is very civilized. Regular folks have been walking it for over 1000 years. The infrastructure very well developed.

It’s very social with both walkers and cyclists meeting up each evening.

Folks of all ages and fitness levels are pilgrims on The Way.

Though no book, map or app is needed, I did carry a paper copy of the newest Cicerone guidebook.

Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino

On By Rick McIn books, TV1 Comment

I’d never heard of Keigo Higashino before randomly trying this novel.

Devotion of Suspect X is fantastic.

Turns out almost twenty of his books have been turned into films and TV series. But not all have been translated to English.

The pacing is slower than a typical American or British whodunnit.

But mathematician Tetsuya Ishigami and Manabu Yukawa, a physicist who often consults with the police, are two of the best fictional characters I’ve read in a long time.

I highly recommend it.

Click PLAY or watch the trailer of the Chinese TV adaptation on YouTube.

Violeta by Isabel Allende

On By Rick McIn booksLeave a comment

Isabel Allende, from Chile, (age-79 as I post), is the world’s most widely read Spanish-language author.

Violeta is her 2022 novel.

It’s a fictional autobiographical account of the life of Violeta Del Valle set over 100 years between the Spanish flu epidemic and Covid 19.

From a petulant child to a wise grandmother, the reader watches her develop as the decades pass.

Isabel’s Mom was born about the same time. In the same social class. In the same place.

I wouldn’t call it brilliant writing. But it is an interesting and entertaining story.

I recommend Violeta.

Spain’s menús del día

On By Rick McIn food, travelLeave a comment

Menú del día, or menu of the day, is a menu served by Spanish restaurants during lunch, one of the largest meals of the day …

… typically between 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.

This is a cheap, economic meal, typically with good food.

Problema for ME is that it includes all-you-can-drink wine. They leave a full bottle on the table for you.

I’m pretty much buzzed for the day — at lunch.

Typically they come with soup, bread, drink, dessert and main course. I paid 12 Euro for this feast.

Seafood soup appetizer on the Santiago Camino

HEY – the Interterritorial Health Council, made up of doctors and other health professionals, had suggested that alcohol be dropped from the menús del día.  I highly doubt that’s going to happen.

Vicious Circle by C.J. Box

On By Rick McIn booksLeave a comment

All Joe Pickett novels are good — BUT I can’t say this is one of the best.

A brilliant villain is released from prison. Back to take revenge on Joe Pickett and family.

Good start.

But is his band of outlaws incompetent or what?

Parting Shot by Linwood Barclay

On By Rick McIn booksLeave a comment

This is the first book I’ve read by Linwood Barclay, though he’s a Canadian.

It’s excellent.

The premise of the plot is fantastic. Private Investigator Cal Weaver is hired to help protect an 18-year-old who had run over a friend while blind drunk. Killed her. And had somehow been found not guilty in court because he (supposedly) did not understand the consequences of his actions because he was coddled by an overprotective mother.

Simultaneously, but apparently unrelated, Detective Barry Duckworth is dealing with a case of a young man abducted and tattooed by … aliens?

Both Duckworth and Weaver are fictional characters well worth spending time with.

I’ll be reading more Barclay.