Category Archives: UK
British Prime Minister in support of EU
Yes, that’s Margaret Thatcher. The photo is from 1975 when there was a referendum on whether the UK should stay in the European Community. Margaret Thatcher was the leader of the Conservative Party back then. Given what she wears, I don’t … Continue reading
“Why did you come here?”
There are two types of places in the world: those where nobody will bat an eyelid if you move there and those where you will be welcomed with the question “Why did you move here?” – if you want to call that a … Continue reading
Bathing in Nature
Two things dissuade people from walking through the wilderness for days: the thought of sleeping outside and the lack of a shower. But, depending on the time of the year (midge season is worse than cold), sleeping outside can be … Continue reading
Shouldn’t this be red?
Like red phone booths and red double-decker buses, red postboxes feature in millions of touristy snapshots taken all over the UK. In anticipation of an independent Scotland, someone already painted this one blue: They will have to paint it red again … Continue reading
“1493” by Charles C. Mann
Zur deutschsprachigen Rezension. 1493 refers to the year after Christopher Columbus “discovered” America and as the second part of the title suggests, the book describes how Europe’s discovery of the Americas revolutionized trade, ecology and life on earth. That sounds … Continue reading
Scotland, a Lawyer’s Dream
If you know someone who is eligible to vote in this week’s referendum in Scotland, please tell them to vote “yes” for an independent Scotland. There are probably good arguments for an independent Scotland (as there may be against it), but … Continue reading
Scotland secretly preparing for Independence
The world looks to Scotland this week, where supporters and opponents of Scottish independence are fighting tooth and nail before the referendum on 18 September 2014. But the vote doesn’t really matter anymore. The Scottish government is set to declare independence, whatever the result … Continue reading
The Path
You take that path. You don’t even consider veering to the left or swerving to the right for a bit, let alone a complete change of direction. Why? You don’t think about that. The thought doesn’t cross your mind, regardless … Continue reading
Not only in James Bond
Some people still believe that James Bond books and films are fiction. How naive. I have just read Operation Mincemeat by Ben Macintyre, the true story of a British operation during World War II, in which a dead body was … Continue reading
Basketball in Scotland
The loneliest basketball court I have ever seen. Somewhere in Scotland, along the West Highland Way. Unfortunately I had forgotten to take a basketball with me on the 154-km hike. When might have been the last time that someone played here?
The Happy Hermit 