Hope springs eternalOn a gaudy neon streetNot that I care at all Such a muddy line betweenThe things you wantAnd the things you have to do Friday 16 July 2026 Landschlacht, Canton Thurgau, Switzerland Above: In Landschlacht, Canton Thurgau, Switzerland On the way to Konstanz, 15 km away, to get my teeth cleaned upon the… Continue reading Place your bets
Tag: Switzerland
Synod
Above: Holy Trinity Cathedral, Tbilisi, Georgia Wednesday 15 July 2026 Landschlacht, Canton Thurgau, Switzerland Violent wind. Heavy rain. Hailstones. Nothing about the weather yesterday did I have any control over. Above: Weather Wizard (Mark Mardon) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. We readily speak of acts of God. Earthquakes. Floods. Lightning. Events beyond human control.… Continue reading Synod
Deep harbour
Wednesday 15 July 2026 Landschlacht, Canton Thurgau, Switzerland Rain and hail has made the decision to remain inside a wise one today. Emotionally I am feeling very similar to how I felt on my first day of travelling in Georgia. The question: So, what do I do now? I have made job applications both in… Continue reading Deep harbour
To Batumi and beyond
Monday 13 July 2026 Landschlacht, Canton Thurgau, Switzerland I am caught between two systems that operate on completely different assumptions about time and responsibility. On one side is my wife. She values clarity, planning and decisions. To her, “I don’t know yet” sounds like something that ought to be solved by asking harder, following up… Continue reading To Batumi and beyond
The road to the border
Sunday 12 July 2026 Landschlacht, Canton Thurgau, Switzerland Above: Landschlacht, Canton Thurgau, Switzerland I sit at my laptop and I write. About places I have known, conversations I have heard and people I have observed in the hope that my own experiences are rich enough material. It is only 0900 but I have been up… Continue reading The road to the border
Bruggwald
Landschlacht, Switzerland Wednesday 23 April 2025 In the event of something happening to me,There is something I would like you all to see.It’s just a photograph of someone that I knew. Have you seen my wife, Mr Jones?Do you know what it’s like on the outside?Don’t go talking too loud, you’ll cause a landslide, Mr.… Continue reading Bruggwald
Candle in the wind
Friday 18 April 2025 (Good Friday) Landschlacht, Canton Thurgau, Switzerland On this day in the predominantly Christian nation of Switzerland there is little that anyone can do today. Above: Flag of Switzerland Shops and businesses and cinemas are all closed to commemorate the execution of Christ by crucifixion on Golgotha (Calvary) outside the walls of… Continue reading Candle in the wind
Next stop upon request (Runaway train)
Above: The logo of Swiss Federal Railways – the national railway company of Switzerland The train lurches with a sudden screeech, the hum of forward motion swallowed by the high eee of braking and the collective gasp of surprised passengers clutching at poles and seats. The train halts between Egnach and Arbon, a silent pause in motion.… Continue reading Next stop upon request (Runaway train)
Seeing red
Part Three of Peace of Mind / Part Two of The Road to Rorschach Sunday 6 April 2025 Landschlacht, Canton Thurgau, Schweiz Above: St. Leonhard’s Chapel, Landschlacht, Canton Thurgau, Schweiz I returned yesterday evening from a five-day mini-vacation in Bologna, Italy. Memory, at least mine, is much like a pot of tea. It needs time… Continue reading Seeing red
Circus
Sunday 6 April 2025 Kreuzlingen, Canton Thurgau, Schweiz “Damn everything but the circus! The average ‘painter’ ‘sculptor’ ‘poet’ ‘composer’ ‘playwright’ is a person who cannot leap through a hoop from the back of a galloping horse, make people laugh with a clown’s mouth, orchestrate twenty lions.“ e.e. cummings Above: American poet Edward Estlin Cummings (1894 – 1962) Kreuzlingen is a municipality in the… Continue reading Circus