So, in Part II, here’s more bleak and sinister children’s nursery rhymes, which we advise that your refrain from turning off your bedroom lights.

Dark Nursery Rhymes

Three Blind Mice

Three Blind Mice is an English nursery rhyme and musical round,a song form in which three to five voices simultaneously sing a simple melody in unison or octaves starting at different times, often with each performer beginning two measures after the previous singer.

Lyrics

Below is Three Blinde Mice (1609) with its original lyrics, by the possible author, Thomas Ravenscroft.

Three Blinde Mice
Three Blinde Mice,
Three Blinde Mice,
Dame Iulian,
Dame Iulian,
the Miller and his merry olde Wife,
shee scrapte her tripe licke thou the knife.

Simple, yes. But despite the simplicity of the lyrics, many literary scholars have struggled to understand its historical significance. This has led to the speculation that it was written earlier and refers to Queen Mary I of England, the very Bloody Mary, that is Mary, Quite Contrary, which some believe to reference Queen Mary I and her mass execution of Protestants during her reign, where we had examined in Part I, which also included further horrendous acts of torture and death. Now that most of us have eyes which are not blind, let’s examine the blinding and the execution of the three Protestant Bishops, believed to be the Ridley, Latimer and Cranmer. But, it turns out, they were burned at the stake, and not blinded; although it’s possible if the rhyme was made by crypto-Catholics, where the mice’s blindness could refer to their Protestantism. However, as can be seen above, there is no mention in the earliest lyrics about harming the three blind mice, and the first known date of publication is 1609, well after Queen Mary died.

Three Blind Mice only entered children’s literature in 1842 when it was published in a collection by James Orchard Halliwell.

Variations

Amateur music composer Thomas Oliphant; Robert Schumann’s Kreisleriana #7; Joseph Holbrooke in Symphonic Variations, opus 37; Joseph Haydn for Symphony 83 (La Poule); Piano Concerto No. 4 by Sergei Rachmaninoff,who was criticized as resembling Three Blind Mice; and the theme can be heard in Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 IV. Allegro con fuoco.

As this is Hollywood, Three Blind Mice was used as a theme song for The Three Stooges, with the obvious assumption that Larry, Curly and Moe and Larry are the Three Blind Stooges.

And leave it to the James Bond franchise, were a calypso version of the tune with new lyrics by Monty Norman was recorded by Byron Lee and the Dragonaires for the film, Dr No (1962), which we all understand that only Sean Connery is the real 007. The reworked rhyme alludes to the three Afro-Caribbean assassins whose deadly march through the streets of Kingston, Jamaica. opens the film. Other Jamaican versions include dance hall artists, like Josey Wales and Brigadier Jerry.

Jack and Jill: Not the Power Couple We Thought

Jack and Jill, a traditional English nursery rhyme, was originally spelled Gill in the earliest version of the rhyme where the accompanying woodcut showed two boys at the foot of the hill. Throughout the 19th century new versions of the story were written featuring different incidents. A number of theories continue to be advanced to explain the rhyme’s historical origin.

The earliest version of the rhyme was in a reprint of John Newbery’s Mother Goose’s Melody, thought to have been first published in London around 1765. The rhyming of water with after was taken by Iona and Peter Opie to suggest that the first verse might date from the 17th century.

Jack and Gill went up the hill
To fetch a pail of water;
Jack fell down and broke his crown
And Gill came tumbling after.

According to Nursery Rhymes of Mother Goose, the very popular Jack and Jill Children’s Nursery Rhymes, was believed to be first published in the mid-1700. Sad to say that this alluring power couple may actually be referring to a 17th century popular tax on alcoholic beverages. Some believe that the supposedly cheerful nursery rhyme actually has its origins in the reign of King Charles I of England – who you’ll hear more about in the Real Story of Humpty Dumpty below – and his attempts to raise taxes on measures of liquid. The original version of the rhyme featured Jack and Gill, as noted above, was eventually changed to Jill in later publications. A Gill also happened to be another term for a quarter pint measure of liquid, while a Jack, short for a Jackpot or a double jigger, was a measure of volume equal to a half-pint, according to the original Encyclopaedia Britannica.

According to the Owlcation website, when King Charles I attempted to increasing taxes on Jacks, the English Parliament refused to do so. Undeterred, the king decided instead to simply reduce the volume a Jack would hold, by lowering the imperial measure of the half-pint line, which was indicated by a crown symbol. Thus, Jack lost his crown and a reduced volume on the Gill soon followed, or came tumbling after. And with the volume on Jacks and Gills reduced, King Charles I managed to get his tax increase without technically raising the prices on the beverages. It was a big win for Charles but the English Parliament were not done with him.

The Real Life Story of Humpty Dumpty

Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall
All the King’s horses and all the King’s men
Couldn’t put Humpty together again!

This nursery rhyme isn’t about a giant egg, as suggested by most illustrations in children’s books, but the actual Humpty Dumpy was a cannon used during the English Civil War. It was destroyed by cannonballs, fell into a marshland, and could never be repaired. Then the illustrator of Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Caroll randomly decided to illustrate the poem with a picture of a large egg, which many of regard as the real history of the broken egg.

The English Civil War

The English Civil War was actually a series of civil wars between Royalists and Parliamentarians in the Kingdom of England from 1642. The main cause was Charles I’s belief in the divine right of kings to rule, and the need for money to fund his court and wars. The parliament wished restrict the powers of the king. The English Civil War ended with this inscription: The majesty King Charles I passed through this hall and out of a window nearly over this tablet to the scaffold in Whitehall where he was beheaded on January 30th, 1649.

Baa, Baa, Black Sheep

In recent times there has been some question as to whether or not this nursery rhyme is as innocent as we all grew up; believing it to be, particularly with the use of the color black and the word master. Sorry, Trumpsters, most scholars believe the rhyme has nothing to do with race at all; so need to worry that your suburban neighborhoods will never be the same again. Apparently, the rhyme is about the Great Custom tax on wool where a third of the sales revenue of wool went to the king, a third was to be given to the church, and the remaining third went to the farmer who did all of the work.

More recently the rhyme has been alleged to have a connection to the slave trade, particularly in the southern United States. This explanation was advanced during debates over political correctness and the use and reform of nursery rhymes in the 1980s.

What is a Black Sheep?

According to the Merrian Webster Dictionary, the definition of a black sheep is an idiom used to describe disfavoredor disreputable member of a group, especially within a family

Psychological Ramifications

People who self-identify as the black sheep of their family tend to struggle with their self-esteem and self-concept throughout life. When you have a poor self-concept, it affects all aspects of your life such as intimate and social relationships, job performance, satisfaction, and achievement, and even a willingness to take risks and following your heart.

This Little Piggy

Yes, a heart wrenching children’s rhyme, about a very cute pig with a basket in its arms, euphorically skipping down the road to the grocery store, bless your heart. Sad to say, This little piggy went to market means that it was more than likely butchered and sold off to a market, or was on its way to the slaughterhouse, to be slaughtered and served on someone’s plate. If the first pig went to the market to get slaughtered, then the little piggy staying home refers to a pig not yet ready to eat, and that must stay home to mature. The little piggy having roast beef is about fattening a pig up, while the fourth piggy that gets none is too small to go to the market, managed to survive another day without being slaughtered and is safe from Republican South Dakota Gov Noem, that is, for now.

How Popular is Pork in the U.S.?

Pork ranks third in annual U.S. meat consumption, behind beef and chicken, averaging 51 pounds per person.

Who is a Barbarian?

Listening to the sounds, Baa, Baa, is the origin of the Greek word, barbarian, which means: any person who did not speak Greek, spoke an incomprehensible language which sounded similar to a noise that a sheep makes.

Rub-a-Dub-Dub

The original line in this rhyme read, three maids in a tub and the story goes this is about peep-shows at fairs where a person could pay to ogle at women sitting in a tub enjoying the company of one another. And my mother had simply informed me it was about taking a Saturday night bath.

Well, how clean are we?

Americans have a reputation for a cleanliness, which fuels a $3.1 billion body soap industry, yet recent studies show that Americans are actually quite average when compared to how often people shower worldwide.

In a Euromonitor survey, Brazilians and Colombians took the lead with more than one shower per day on average, with Australians, Middle Easterners, Mexicans and Indonesians coming in not too far behind. Americans, meanwhile, averaged a bit less than one shower a day, along with Spaniards, Indians and the French. Brits were on the low side of showering, with the Japanese and Chinese coming in the least frequent of all countries in the poll, with an average of about five showers a week.

Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater

A dark side, you say. But wait a second, the husband, named Peter, locks away his wife, due to her fondness of sharing her private body parts with other men. And what could poor Peter do? So he murdered her and stuffed her dead body into an extremely large pumpkin, and then he lived happily ever after.

History of the Pumpkin

Though many cultists of the U.S.’ final emperor assume that the pumpkin first came from the U.S., but were first cultivated in the Tehuacan and Oaxaca valleys in the United Mexico States around 6,000-5,000 B.C.E. Nevertheless, pumpkin pies are an essential component on many U.S. Thanksgiving tables at the count of around 50 million pumpkin pies are devoured every November.

From T-Boy food critic, Audrey Hart: Everyone should know how to make a homemade pumpkin pie.

So, here’s a Thanksgiving pumpkin pie recipe submitted to T-Boy by Randy Scott:

This traditional, simple scratch recipe makes the ideal Thanksgiving dessert. Skip the canned pumpkin and store-bought crust and make your holiday pumpkin pie from scratch with a flaky homemade pastry crust and a deliciously spiced pumpkin filling.

Homemade Pumpkin Pie Ingredients

These are the ingredients you’ll need to make this pumpkin pie recipe from scratch:

• For the crust: all-purpose flour, salt, shortening, and cold water
• For the filling: cooked pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt

Here’s a brief overview of what you can expect when you make Randy Scott top-rated homemade pumpkin pie:

1. Mix the flour and salt. Cut in the shortening, then add the water.
2. Shape the dough into a ball. Roll it out on a lightly floured surface.
3. Cut the rolled dough and fit it into the pie pan.
4. Beat the filling ingredients together, then pour it into the prepared crust.
5. Bake in a preheated oven until a knife comes out clean

To Prepare Mashed Pumpkin:

Cut a fresh pie pumpkin in half. Scoop out and discard seeds and stringy portions. Leave skin on and cut pumpkin into chunks. Measure out 1 1/2 pounds for this recipe to yield 2 cups of mashed, cooked pumpkin. If your pumpkin is larger, consider cooking 3 pounds and doubling the pie recipe above to make two pies.

Place pumpkin chunks in saucepan over medium heat with 1 inch water; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain and cool. Remove and discard peel. Return pumpkin to the saucepan and mash with a potato masher or use a food mill until smooth.

Filling:

• 2 cups mashed, cooked pie pumpkin
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• ¾ cup packed brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, or more to taste
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger, or more to taste
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, or more to taste
• ½ teaspoon salt

Pastry Crust:

• 1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup shortening
• 3 tablespoons cold water, or more as needed

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. Make the pastry crust: Mix flour and salt together in a bowl. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix in 3 tablespoons water, one at a time, until dough is moist enough to hold together. Add up to 1 more tablespoon water if needed.
3. Shape dough into a ball with lightly floured hands. Roll dough on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Place a 9-inch pie pan upside-down on the dough; use a sharp knife to cut a circle of dough 1 1/2 inches larger than the pie pan. Remove and discard dough scraps and set pie pan aside.
4. Gently roll circular piece of dough around the rolling pin; transfer it right-side up over the pie pan. Unroll, easing dough into the bottom of the pan. Use two hands to flute the dough around the top edges.
5. Make the filling: Beat pumpkin, evaporated milk, brown sugar, eggs, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer until well combined. Pour into the prepared crust.
6. Bake in the preheated oven until a knife inserted into the filling 1 inch from the edge comes out clean, 40 to 60 minutes. Cover the edges with foil if needed to prevent from burning as the filling cooks.
7. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature before serving.

Filling:

• 2 cups mashed, cooked pie pumpkin
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• ¾ cup packed brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, or more to taste
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger, or more to taste
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, or more to taste
• ½ teaspoon salt

Filling:

• 2 cups mashed, cooked pie pumpkin
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• ¾ cup packed brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, or more to taste
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger, or more to taste
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, or more to taste
• ½ teaspoon salt

As Ms. Hart said, the recipe seems to be easily done.

And our article closes with, Sleep well, readers, as the day turns into night.

The post ‍Beyond T-Boy’s Journey into the Curious Case of Nursery Rhymes appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Most children’s nursery rhymes have joyful and uplifting lyrics. But, when we look deep into their core, many of the soothing melodies and their haunting rhyming schemes, are bleak, sinister and deathly macabre and more.

The Rare Ould Times

Raised on songs and stories, heroes of renown,
The passing tales and glories, that once was Dublin town,
The hallowed halls and houses, the haunting children’s rhymes,
That once was Dublin city, in the Rare Oul Times.

The Rare Ould Times is a song composed by Pete St. John in the 1970s for the Dublin City Ramblers. It is sometimes called Dublin in the Rare Ould Times, The Rare Old Times, or The Rare Auld Times.

But first, what did Mr. St. John actually mean with the haunting children’s rhymes?

When the Merrian Webster Dictionary describes an act of haunting as a noun, it is defined by a visitation or inhabitation by a ghost.

Example I:

… “its early history is replete with drama: duels, murders, shipwreck… even ghostly hauntings.”
– Sally Gibson

But then, haunting as an adjective: having qualities such as sadness or beauty that linger in the memory, not easily forgotten, a haunting melody, haunting images.

Example II:

… “pale, branchless tree trunks with a haunting, Georgia O’Keeffe quality.”
– Susannah Master.

Some literary theorists opine that, Ring-Around-A-Rosies is thought to be a reference to The Great (London) Plague of 1665, killing one-fifth of the city’s population that year. This theory explains that the plague presented itself as a rosy rash and pockets full of posies were how people protected themselves from the smell of death all around them.

The Black Death in Europe

The Black Death was a bubonic plague pandemic occurring in Europe from 1346 to 1353. One of the most fatal pandemics in human history, as many as 50 million people perished, perhaps 50% of Europe’s 14th century population. Bubonic plague is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis and spread by fleas.

Lullabies

The oldest children’s songs for which records exist are lullabies, intended to help a child fall asleep. Lullabies can be found in every human culture. The English term lullaby is thought to come from “lu, lu” or “la la” sounds made by mothers or nurses to calm children, and “by by” or “bye bye,””, either another lulling sound or a term for a good night. Until the modern era, lullabies were usually recorded only incidentally in written sources. The Roman nurses’ lullaby, “Lalla, Lalla, Lalla, autdormi, autlacta”, is recorded in a scholium on Persius and may be the oldest to survive.

Many medieval English verses associated with the birth of Jesus take the form of a lullaby, including Lullay, my liking, my dere son, my sweting and may be versions of contemporary lullabies. But, many literary scholars believe that those used today date stem from the 17th century, such as Rock-a-bye Baby.

The Real Personages of Mother Goose

John Bellenden Ker Gawler (1764-1842) wrote, Many nursery rhymes have ideas which link between rhymes and historical persons, or events, can be traced back to Katherine Elwes’ book “The Real Personages of Mother Goose” (1930), in which she linked famous nursery rhyme characters with real people, on little or no evidence. She believed that children’s songs were a peculiar form of coded historical narrative, propaganda or covert protest, and did not believe that they were written simply for entertainment, when translated into English, reveal in particular a strong tendency to anti-clericalism.

But let’s take a further look at John Bellenden Ker Gawler’s theme, for it’s difficult not to take a hard (or soothing) look into the origins and meaning of nursery rhymes without acknowledging the Mother Goose Classic Collection, a collection of twenty-two children’s stories based on Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes, which first appeared in literary history around the 1600s. See Blanche Fisher Wright’s version below:

Old Mother Goose

Old Mother Goose, when
she wanted to wander,
Would ride through the air
On a very fine gander.

Mother Goose had a house,
‘Twas built in a wood.
An owl at the door
For a porter stood.

She had a son Jack,
A plain-looking lad.
He was not very good,
Nor yet very bad.

She sent him to market,
A live goose he bought.
“Here! Mother,” says he,
“It will not go for naught.”

Jack’s goose and her gander
Grew very fond;
They’d both eat together,
Or swim in the pond.

Jack found one morning,
As I have been told,
His goose had laid him
An egg of pure gold.

Jack rode to his mother,
The news for to tell.
She called him a good boy
And said it was well.

In the 20th century, Katherine Elwes-Thomas indicated that the image and name, Mother Goose or Mèrel’Oye might be based upon ancient legends of the wife of King Robert II of France, known as Berthe la fileuse (Bertha the Spinner) or Berthe pied d’oie (Goose-Footed Bertha).

Are nursery rhymes good for children’s ears?

Nursery rhymes are thought to be instrumental in helping children develop an ear for language, that is according to Mem Fox, author of Reading Magic. The short, rhythmic style of nursery rhymes help children to sound out unfamiliar words, aiding them in vocabulary expansion as they begin learning how to read and process other crucial language skills.

Experts in literacy development have discovered that if children know eight nursery rhymes by the time they’re four years old, they’re usually among the best readers by the time they’re eight.

Once children have masses of rhythmic gems like these in their heads, they’ll have a huge store of information to bring to the task of learning to read, a nice fat bank of language: words, phrases, structures, and grammar.

But, Old Mother Goose & Ring-Around-A-Roses are not the only children’s rhymes with a deep step back into a dark history.

London Bridge is Falling Down

So, what about London Bridge Is Falling Down, a rhyme in reference to the Great Fires that destroyed the London Bridge in the 1630s, or was it ever connected to the pillaging Viking attacks on the bridge during the centuries prior?

The theory is that the bridge is built on grounds of human sacrifice and that’s the only thing that keeps it standing today. Publication dates, though, often dispute this theory since the poem was first published years after these incidents had occurred.

The English nursery rhyme seems innocent on the surface, but some scholars believe it’s a reference to immurement – the medieval punishment where a person is locked inside a room until they died.

Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary

Another popular rhyme is Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary, which some believe to reference Queen Mary I and her mass execution of Protestants during her reign.

Like many nursery rhymes, Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary has acquired various historical explanations. One theory is that it is a religious allegory of Catholicism, with Mary being Mary, the mother of Jesus, bells representing the sanctus bells, the cockleshells the badges of the pilgrims to the shrine of Saint James in Spain (Santiago de Compostela) and pretty maids are nuns, but even within this strand of thought there are differences of opinion as to whether it is lament for the reinstatement of Catholicism or its persecution. Another theory sees the rhyme as connected to Mary, Queen of Scots (1542-1587), with how does your garden grow referring to her reign over her realm, silver bells referring to (Catholic) cathedral bells, cockle shells insinuating that her husband was not faithful to her, and pretty maids all in a row referring to her ladies-in-waiting, the four Maries.

Mary has also been identified with Mary I of England (Bloody Mary, 1516-1558), with How does your garden grow? said to refer to her lack of heirs, or to the common idea that England had become a Catholic vassal or branch of Spain and the Habsburgs. It is also said to be a punning reference to her chief minister, Stephen Gardiner. Quite contrary is said to be a reference to her unsuccessful attempt to reverse ecclesiastical changes effected by her father Henry VIII and her brother Edward VI. The pretty maids all in a row is speculated to be a reference to miscarriages, her execution of Lady Jane Grey or alternately to her executions of the Protestants.” – The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes.

And, Three Blind Mice, is considered another rhyme based on her executions. The cockle shells and silver bells are reportedly a reference to torture devices used during the era.

And, in the end, what more else can I say, for many of the soothing children’s nursery rhymes from my youth, turned out to be something entirely a different thing – pain, death, envy, theft, executions and destruction – which still defines the world in which we live in today.

Stay tuned for Children’s Dark Nursery Rhymes, Part II.

The post A T-Boy Journey into the Curious Case of Dark Nursery Rhymes appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Book written by Alec Lobrano

As Audrey Hepburn once famously said “Paris is always a good idea,” and among those who have taken this advice to heart is the American food writer Alec Lobrano. In his delightful, witty, and at times moving memoir he recounts his 35 years in Paris, where “food would become my muse, my metaphor, and my map for making a place for myself in the world.”

The author arrived in the city as a fashion reporter, though he knew and cared little about the subject and as a colleague pointed out, his French was a “train wreck.” This rebuke comes after he talks his bosses into letting him do a story on the legendary cheesemonger Henri Androuët, whom he tells that his cheeses should be nailed to the walls of the Louvre. He nonetheless writes a compelling piece about Monsieur Androuët and his wares, then one about oysters, and he earnestly sets out to learn more about the food around him. His landlady, a countess, wisely advises him, The first thing you’ll have to learn is how to decipher a cook’s intentions.” A clerk at his local post office tips him off to exciting new restaurants opening around the city.

Mr. Lobrano soon makes a name for himself as a food critic, with a knack for sniffing out Parisian chefs who in the 1990s were ushering in something of a revolution by combining French haute cuisine, bistro dishes, and rustic regional cooking. At the same time, he learns the ropes of Parisian life, including the obligatory payoff to a crabby concierge, who remains undeterred in her disdain for him. He holds his own during a soulless meal with Giorgio Armani and defies him by asking the waiter to spoon garlic sauce onto his mushrooms, despite the designer’s protestation that “garlic is so vulgar.” At a dinner party in the hotel particulier of Madame la Baronne Marie-Hélène de Rothschild he overcomes his native shyness and makes small talk with Princess Caroline and Yves Saint-Laurent. As he good-naturedly recounts, he also offends one of the guests by referring to her handsome young husband as her son, and his hostess reprimands him for cutting the head off a camembert, a faux-pas at a Parisian dinner table.

With Bruno, his partner of many years, Mr. Lobrano shares the meal he ranks as the best he’s ever had in Paris, at the Michelin three-starred Restaurant Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athenée. Reading his astute perceptions of this meal and many others he’s enjoyed over the decades, it’s easy to appreciate why he’s such a respected critic. We are quite willing to indulge him with a few excesses. His description of “a soft, creamy chicken-liver terrine that was as earthy and satisfying as sex in a barn” makes us more curious about the encounter that inspired this simile than about the food, and a “dessert with the soft skin of an elderly man” just does not seem very appetizing.

He soars when he describes a meal of apple soup and roast chicken in a farmhouse kitchen in Normandy, or recalls sitting around a bistro after hours to drink Riesling with an Alsatian chef, “the first real friend I’d had with whom I could talk about food.” Their talk of choucroute garnie, with sausages from a butcher near Colmar, homemade foie gras, and flammekueche makes us want to linger over a meal in Paris, and instilling such longings, of course, is Mr. Lobrano’s stock in trade. Should we wish to partake, he includes a list of his 30 favorite Paris restaurants at the end of the book.

The post My Place at the Table: A Recipe for a Delicious Life in Paris appeared first on Traveling Archive.

From the cover photo of prayer flags in Annapurna, to the introduction explaining what the phrase “above the fray” means to him, Jon Meyer sets the mood for the reader. Hiking up into Thorong La in Nepal, at 18,000 feet the highest pass in the world, he passed under a thick ice field moments before it crashed into the path behind him. He was then “above the fray” with a new appreciation of his mortality and his love for the freedom being above the fray brings.

Each poem is a simple five-line sensory experience evoked by the photograph. The facing page has a paragraph explaining the photograph’s origins, so there are two chances to interpret what each means to you. That is the author’s wish. He presents the vision and the words, sometimes with clarity and sometimes blurred by the clouds, and you are meant to feel the inspirational love he conveys in your own way.

My favorite poem, if I can be said to have one, is on a photograph of an old truck abandoned in the woods with its hood removed and an old tree growing up through the engine compartment. He wrote:

“Nurture our planet
And produce more
Of these trees
Growing through
The old to . . . new life.”

Clouds – Love Poems From Above the Fray is not a book to be rushed through. A thoughtful perusal will leave you time to “hear the prayer flags flutter” and imagine the sound of the Tibetan bells singing, while perhaps revealing to you the author’s vision. It is a joyous one to observe and linger over.

Clouds – Love Poems From Above the Fray
Poems and Photographs by Jon Meyer
Published by Joshua Tree Interactive, Lexington Massachusetts
196 pages, 8 ¼ x 10 ¼ inches, 64 b&w photos, hardcover
ISBN 978-1-7332328-4-5   $35.00

The post CLOUDS – Love Poems From Above the Fray by Jon Meyer appeared first on Traveling Archive.

“Savoring the Camino de Santiago: It’s the Pilgrimage, Not the Hike” by Julie Gianelloni Connor, is the latest of the many books about the Spanish pilgrimage popularized for the American audience by the Martin Sheen movie “The Way.” With a history of 12 centuries of pilgrims making the arduous trek from all over the world to the Spanish city of Santiago de Compostella to see the tomb of St. James, the author learned that there is still plenty of history and tradition left to discover.

After retirement and other life changes created a now-or-never window of opportunity, this book is the culmination of the author’s 40 year desire to walk the Camino de Santiago finally realized. Years of planning, last minute cancellations, and a major change of plans later, she plants her feet on the Way, grabs her day pack and maps, and, with her son in tow, takes the reader on the journey of a lifetime.

There are many routes to Santiago de Compostella. From the north, coming in from all over Europe, the routes converge on the tiny village of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, on the French side of the Pyrenees. This is known as the French Route, and is the one the author writes about. It crosses the Pyrenees to Roncesvalles, famous for “The Song of Roland,” then comes down through the Basque region to Hemingway’s Pamplona, across the culinary Mecca of Castilla y Leon, and finally into Galicia, known as Green Spain, with its capital Santiago de Compostella.

Writings about the Camino are legion. In this iteration, the author makes the point that it is a journey, not a hike. Originally pilgrims went by foot, taking six months and more to complete the Way in order to receive indulgences from the Catholic Church and be assured entry into heaven. Modern purists still insist upon walking the entire route, but today there are all manner of transportation choices to complete the trip in a matter of weeks, not months. The author used local buses and taxis to supplement the extensive walking she did, with a luggage service to move heavier bags ahead to each evening’s accommodations. In my own Camino experiences, I walked only a few miles of it, bicycled more, and took a 10 day bus tour the entire length.

While walking (or driving) a marathon is not the same as running it, I have still done the Camino from start to finish, and seen more churches along the way than most people have. The author rightly complained that due to budget constraints, too many of the smaller rural churches were closed when she was there. For my tour, arrangements were made in advance for all the churches to be open when we got there. I endorse her recommendation to visit as many as you find open, and join her in encouraging the others to open more frequently. The artwork, architecture and history of each are well worth the time spent.

The first part of the book is a collection of occasional blog posts about the journey the author made along the way, combined with others she wrote after her return. The second part is her day-to-day journal entries with photos and charming little drawings. Then there is the resource guide and an index. The author has an engaging writing style, and – to her credit – I found not one typo in its 265+ pages. However, an editor’s job is more than just catching typos. I found this one too indulgent of the repetitive nature of many of the blog posts. Perhaps that would not have been so annoyingly apparent if I read them the way they were written instead of all in one sitting. But, don’t let it bother you too much. Some of the information bears repeating.

Furthermore, as an informed reader, it was so nice reliving my memories of the route as she carefully described it. Place names, historical tidbits, and apocryphal tales I’d nearly forgotten came alive again. And because the author was much more involved in the day-to-day hike, she was able to share experiences I never had, such as interactions with interesting people like the Almond Man, who handed out almonds and treats to the pilgrims, and the hospitable locals she met who offered food and drink and company.

You don’t have to be a Camino veteran to enjoy this book as much as I did. In fact, it has many useful bits of knowledge that would help the neophyte. The author lists guide books, histories, and personal recollections to read as you prepare for your Camino. To them I would only add my favorite, Andrew McCarthy’s award-winning travel book: “The Longest Way Home.”

The author, Julie Gianelloni Connor, often refers to American Pilgrims on the Camino, an organization that offers advice and guidance to all would-be pilgrims. She recommends finding a local chapter to join. Then there are practical tips about technology, hygiene, and first-aid that she had to learn the hard way. You can learn them simply by buying and reading the book.

In an age when we can only travel vicariously, “Savoring the Camino de Santiago: It’s the Pilgrimage, Not the Hike” by Julie Gianelloni Connor, is a comfy armchair of a journey. So leave behind the blisters, injuries, aches & pains, and inclement weather, to revel in the author’s descriptions of the people and the places she encounters, and the comfort she finds along the Way. Buen Camino!

Savoring the Camino de Santiago: It’s the Pilgrimage, Not the Hike
Bayou City Press ISBN 978-1-951331-01-6 Paperback 276 pages $17.99

So, now you’ve read the book and want to trek the Camino. Next year, 2021, is Xacobeo, a rare Holy Year when the Feast of St James, July 25th, falls on a Sunday. During Holy Year the east door of the Cathedral of St James is open and a record number of pilgrims are expected to travel the Camino and pass through it. Which means that now is a good time plan to be a part of history and a possible spiritual awakening. If nothing else, you’ll enjoy the beautiful Spanish countryside, meet warm and friendly people, and discover the culinary excellence of Spanish cuisine.

Get some general travel information about Spain

Then talk to my friend Alex Chang about a Camino Tour

And contact American Pilgrims on the Camino

The post Savoring the Camino de Santiago – Book Review by Richard Frisbie appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Photographs by Dennis Cox, text by Clark Norton

At a time when travel has come to a complete standstill, award-winning photographer Dennis Cox releases the perfect antidote for cruise-starved readers – a luscious, photography-laden look at all aspects of the worldwide cruise phenomena that defined the last decades. This retrospective of river, canal, sea, and ocean cruising – from small boat to large ship – presents the colorful history of our fascination with vacationing on the water. Whether you see this as a eulogy to the cruise industry or as a temporary diversion until you can again walk the decks of your favorite ships, “Cruising the World – From Gondolas to Megaships” is just what the (travel) doctor ordered.

For years I wrote the port excursion tours for one of the largest resellers of cruises, so I know the tourist attractions in and around most port cities. I also know how many people can descend those gangplanks in each port. Often it was many times the number of people the infrastructure was designed to service. That leads to a conflict between residents and tourists that major destinations like Venice and Barcelona have been waging for years.

Combine that with the norovirus contagions of previous years and the current COVID-19 shipboard spread that had passengers and crew quarantined on board for weeks and months at a time, and you have a genuine fear of cruising building in the tourism sector. What’s a cruise industry to do?

Cruising is a $45 billion industry that helps support local economies. When COVID-19 locked down the cruise industry, popular destinations that depended heavily on visitor spending, sales taxes, and port fees, struggled to survive. The same destinations that once decried the thousands of day-trippers ruining their quality of life realized that it was the tourists bringing the money that helped to keep their local economy alive.

Citing stepped-up cleaning and sterilizing procedures in place, with self-service buffets and snacks closed, cruise lines have to hope tourists will return. But if one miss-step leaves tourists trapped onboard, dying in their floating petri dish, the cruise industry as we know it will likely sink.

With a few cruise lines now planning to restart itineraries in July, 2020, and others no later than 2021, local governments, businesses catering to tourism, even street vendors, have to wonder if the newly clean, uncongested, and quiet streets (and in the case of Venice – canals) they enjoyed when the tourists stayed home are worth giving up for the revenues generated. Perhaps a new balance – one that juggles a trashed destination’s engorged coffers with a citizen’s right to peacefully exist in their neighborhoods – could be realized.

This book “Cruising the World – From Gondolas to Megaships” doesn’t address that dilemma directly, but it does, just by its very existence, offer a pleasant alternative to cruising. That in itself can be a partial solution. It can also be the fix needed by committed cruisers that can’t wait until next year for the full menu of cruise options beautifully illustrated on these 208 glossy pages. So this book is perfect for those who wish to travel vicariously, those who wish to explore all the cruise options available to them, and those just jonesing for their next cruise.

From Dennis Cox’s preface: “A cruise can last for minutes or months. It can be shared with thousands of other people or with just a few. It can be luxurious or bare bones. It can carry you to sunny beaches or to great cities, tiny villages, and exotic landscapes. The choice is yours.”

Whatever your choice, as soon as you see “Cruising the World – From Gondolas to Megaships” you’ll want to pick it up and lose yourself in the splashy, colorful, and exotic cruise options and destinations.

This book has it all! Full and half-page color photos of everything from mega-ships with all the amenities for thousands of people, to duck boats and gondolas – along with descriptions of the places they’ll take you – fill these pages, wrapped by coherent and entertainingly descriptive text from award-winning cruise writer Clark Norton.

“Since 1970, the cruise industry has swelled from more than half a million passengers a year to more than 30 million annually – triple the growth rate of world tourism as a whole.” according to Clark Norton in the induction. “And to meet the demand, ships have gotten progressively bigger. Eleven cruise lines feature ships that can carry at least 2,200 passengers . . . and the five largest ocean-going vessels can now accommodate nearly 7000 passengers, resembling virtual floating resorts on the sea.” He goes on to compare them to the many luxurious small ships that can dock at lesser-known ports, even plying the scenic rivers and lakes of the world.

After his captivating introduction and a few dozen pages of historic overview, the book is arranged by region. It can be read cover-to-cover, or dipped into at random, always promising an engaging look at the industry and destinations you enjoy. If your interest is in a specific region, or type of cruise, the table of contents pinpoints it for your immediate pleasure. You don’t have to slog through Southeast Asia cruises if your interest is European River cruises – and vice versa. Just let your fingers do the walking to exactly what you are looking for. But don’t be surprised when the next eye-popping picture pulls you into a whole new section of the book – one you may find yourself enjoying even more!

Cruising the World – From Gondolas to Megaships: ISBN 978-0-578-45960-8 – 208 page, 9.5” x 12” full-color hardcover coffee table book features 535 photos depicting 37 varieties of cruise vessels representing 77 countries on all seven continents. $40 – can be ordered here: Photo Explorer Productions

The post Travel Book Review: Cruising the World – From Gondolas to Megaships appeared first on Traveling Archive.

So, how are YOU doing as you read this article, probably “imprisoned” in your home because of the Covid 19 medical disaster? Turns out that more and more people are reading books, for gosh sakes, to pass away the seemingly no-end-in-sight Covid 19 saga. Reading a good book is so much more rewarding than watching an aspect of social media, or video game adventure.

I’m a confirmed Bibliophile — who reads about 57 or more books every year. Always have, always will. Let me give you two intriguing books to consider. One this month and, in May, a truly remarkable tome about Field Marshall Rommel, and why you should consider buying both the Churchill and Rommel books.

First up, a book about Winston Churchill and WW2 called THE SPLENDID and the VILE by Erik Larson. Coming in at nearly 600 pages it’s a MUST READ. You might wonder, as I did, how anyone, anywhere, could still come up with newsy, interesting, and compelling facts in the early 1940s, about this sixtyish, robust, cigar chomping thoroughly British icon that saved Britain in WW2. Literally hundreds of books have been penned, typed, and computerized about him, so why buy any new one?

Simply because THE SPLENDID and the VILE by Erik Larson illustrates, in an exceptional and distinctive way, the exhilarating saga of British courage against all odds; and Churchill’s magnetic personality that endeared him to the crowds wherever he went — so much so (and I recall this personally as a boy growing up in London) people saying “Good old Winnie will fix it.” As such, this book was almost impossible to put down. It is written as if you are there with him, right by his side (with your still not invented) tape recorder, as you become mesmerized by his ideas that poured out in a sort of “Why didn’t  I think of that?” feeling. Winston Churchill, as he comes across in this stimulating and captivating book, is truly the epitome of the word UNIQUE.

One of his closest confidants was the colorful, deeply loyal individual John Colville. He was Churchill’s private secretary during the most critical, scary and in a time of “near-to-an-actual-invasion-by-the-Germans” Britain ever came. Colville wanted, desperately, to sign up and join the RAF, but Winston kept refusing.  Another man who constantly resigned — or attempted to — but was equally constantly refused by Churchill, as this book so cleverly details, was the Canadian businessman Max Aitken, more commonly known as Lord Beaverbrook, who was placed in total charge of mandating that more Hurricane and Spitfire fighters for the RAF would be, indeed MUST be, built faster than anyone thought possible.

Churchill consistently refused Beaverbrook’s increasingly impassioned requests to depart the government and, in the end, he did resign — but he missed, dreadfully — his previous regular back and forth with Churchill. The book also shows — more so than any book I’ve read on this subject — how Churchill taught the British public to be totally fearless.

The book is additionally spellbinding, as author Larson was able to secure access to German/Nazi information about WW2 secret Nazi facts — never before available — from German libraries, secret archives, and government resources regarding WW2 from the German/Nazi point of view. There is also an underlying theme to the entire book that I found mesmerizing: It was Churchill’s overriding mission, his main objective, his passion, to somehow find a way to get America — and its vast resources — actively into the war — for Churchill knew that Britain could not do it by itself. Here is a book you need read.

Contact John:

jd******@gm***.com

The post Churchill: Up Close and VERY Personal — As YOU Have Never Read Before appeared first on Traveling Archive.

I met Lois at an April Fool’s Tea Party fundraising event over a year ago. We hit it off when she said she once was a consulting technical editor for USC. Lois is a senior who wants to do something with her dormant skills. Since that day, I have referred work to her when my clients needed a proof reader. Every once in a while she would contribute jokes for this TGIF email blast. She would share anecdotes, poetry and even songs.

One day, Lois asked if I was interested in illustrating and helping to publish her children’s book. She said when her kids were growing up, she would make up stories to put them to sleep. In fact, they liked her stories better than books she would read. One particular story was about “Tom the Mouse.” She said she thought it up at the spur of the moment. “Tom the Mouse” was by far their favorite bedtime story because it allowed them to participate in making animal sounds. Lois would repeat that story over and over. Lois’ kids have passed on that legacy to their own kids and grandkids.  With a history of 60+  years, there was no doubt that I wanted to do this story. We met once and threshed out the general concepts and I made the illustrations and added a few ideas. We made it an interactive book where kids will learn to read, make sounds, and search for hidden images. At the end of the book, there is a double-page spread full of graffiti names on a wall. We hope parents and kids will enjoy looking for their own names. This project was more difficult than I expected, but it was fun.

Guess what? The book is out!  “Tom the Mouse” has just been made available on Amazon! Just do a search for three words: “Tom Mouse Lois” and you will find it. If you want to do me a huge favor, BUY THE BOOK! It’s a perfect gift to give to parents with young kids. It’s just over ten bucks. If you have Amazon Prime, 2-day shipping is free. Buy two and shipping is free. How’s that for a shameless commercial plug? Oh, and please give us some feedback and please spread the word. Thank you!

When I see Lois all smiles and excited showing off her book, I know I made the right decision. I know I helped make a dream come true. I know I created a legacy for my friend.

CLICK HERE to buy the book!

“A book is a dream you hold in your hands.”

— Neil Gaiman

TGIF people!

Important Question

Shared by Don of Kelowna. B.C.

Best Friends
Sent by Don of Kelowna, B.C.

This is one of the cutest videos ever. More cute than funny. I wish I had a friend like this when I was growing up … these days I have to settle for “The Cat.” (Still resisting her cuteness, though).

WATCH VIDEO

Crazy Success of “Crazy Rich Asians”
Sent by Art of Sierra Madre, CA

That movie is raking it in. This is a good analysis of this unlikely Hollywood success story.

WATCH VIDEO

Don’s Puns

From Don’s collection of puns

Parting Shot

Thanks to Rodney of Manitoba, B.C. who shared this photo

The post Old Friends appeared first on Traveling Archive.

But Not Forever

By Jan Von Schleh

“… a stunning coming-of-age journey that keeps the pages turning.”
— Seattle Book Review

Book Release Date: June 12, 2018

Could she be everything you aren’t, but somehow — still be you? It’s the year 2015 and Sonnet McKay is the daughter of a globe-trotting diplomat, home for the summer from her exotic life. Everything would be perfect if not for her stunning sister, whose bright star has left her in the shadows. In 1895, Emma Sweetwine is trapped in a Victorian mansion, dreaming of wings to fly her far from her mother, who gives her love to her sons, leaving nothing for her daughter. Fate puts them in the same house at the same moment, 120 years apart, and the identical fifteen-year-olds are switched in time. In their new worlds, Sonnet falls in love with a boy, Emma falls in love with a life, and astonishing family secrets are revealed. Torn, both girls want to still go home — but can either one give up what they now have?

Pre-order Here

Meet Jan Von Schleh

Jan Von Schleh is the award-nominated author of But Not Forever, a sweet YA novel set in an abandoned ghost town in the Cascade Mountains. Jan was born in Seattle and has spent the last twenty years moving around the world to exotic locations for her day job. Being a writer, traveler, and owner of a little Sheltie dog named Lexi, she doesn’t have a lot of extra time on her hands. But when she finds a few hours she likes to explore creepy, ancient buildings and wonder about the stories they would tell if only they could talk. She is sure, whatever those stories are, they most probably have to do with love.

Jan Von Schleh’s website

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Nature Inspired Leadership Lessons for Today’s World

By Dr. Kathleen Allen

Leading from the Roots is the paradigm for leadership in the 21st century.

Book Release Date: September 4th, 2018

In an era of sound bites, top ten lists and “pointers” on leadership, Dr. Allen has made it her life’s work to understand the “why” behind great leadership practices. This perspective gives us the context necessary to understand organizational behavior on a whole new level. “Leading from the Roots” is not about the quick fix, it is about making us think holistically about organizations through the lens of the most successful system there has ever been, nature. By analyzing the natural world and applying its lessons to the complex landscape of organizations, Dr. Allen has broken the code on why different leadership techniques work and how they come together to create great results. A must-read for any enlightened leader.

Pre-order Here

Meet Dr. Kathleen Allen

Dr. Kathleen Allen is President of her own consulting firm, Kathleen Allen and Associates. She has been working in organizations for over 22 years and consulting with organizations and leaders for over 18 years. In her consulting practice, she specializes in leadership coaching and organizational change in non-profit organizations, foundations, small to mid-sized businesses, community development, health care, higher educational institutions, and collaborative networks.

Dr. Allen has written and presented widely on topics related to leadership, human development, and organizational development. She has co-authored (with Dr. Cynthia Cherrey) Systemic Leadership: Enriching the Meaning of Our Work, has written many articles, and contributed to a variety of monographs and books over the years.

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