From Tavistock to Tuscany

Guess where?

Torre Pendente di Pisa - Leaning Tower of Pisa

No funny angles, just a clean, glorious icon of Romanesque architecture, typical of Early Renaissance Italy.

Its construction was started in 1173.  Trouble is, it started sinking after only 3 stories were built in 1178, so they stopped for c 100 years.  It was finished by Giovanni di Simone in 1372.

It is actually breathtaking.  Craftsmanship to remember, although you can sack the geotechical engineer of the time!

Daymer Bay

Daymer Bay in High Summer

Funky Fish

Photographing a pond and I swear they were following me...

Holsworthy Funk Fish

The best of the Opening Ceremony - London 2012 Olympics

The best of the Opening Ceremony - London 2012 Olympics


Watched it all from start to finish.  Had to endure some sniggers early on from those around me at the dancing victorians.  But,  what a show.  It was absolutely incredible and just got better and better culminating in the most awe inspiring flame lighting I could ever imagine.

The petals rising up to form the cauldron had me speechless.  I also LOVED the music - the Sex Pistols and  the Prodigy with punks on pogo legs, brilliant.

The web, social media, modern multi-cultural society shown in a way that assumes its own culture.

I think those in the USA who have been a little negative just don't get multi-culturalism.  How ironic is that?

SO proud to be British.  In awe of Danny Boyle.  Still thinking about it days later.

Too late for children?

Is this a bargain or what?

Mine cost me a fortune.

Channel Orange - Frank Ocean

My album at the moment - Channel Orange by Frank Ocean.

You listen to it first time and think so what?  And then the second time it starts to open up and get under your skin and you realise it's a classic of its genre.  Electronic and hip-hip may not be everyone's cup of tea, but this is more.


My first analogy is of a pomegranate; a fairly bland covering to a world of interesting colour, shape and taste inside.


Best tracks IMHO are pilot Jones, crack rock, white and pyramids.  Listen to the second half of Pyramids whilst imagining a sphere of music that you walk into.  Slip towards the end of the track and the 3D sounds ping off the inside of the sphere and create a sound experience that's a bit trippy, a bit melancholy but wholly original.


http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/channel-orange/id541953504

Recumbent Fold at The Strangles

The sun has put her hat on and the country came out to play.  We went to the Strangles (a favourite) at a very low tide which allowed us to explore the most spectacular geology of the area.  Folds, folds and more folds, oh yes, and some sand and sea.

First, a scene setter:

The Strangles at low tide

So then, the folds.....  There are chevron folds, recumbent folds, overturned folds with convergent isogons (I think!).  Just so damned exciting, or is it just me.

Oh.

Be like that then.  Let me change your mind:

Overturned Chevron folds at The Strangles

So, here are the rocks of the Upper Carboniferous, squished into chevron folds WITH, yes WITH a recumbent fold that forms the roof of a natural arch.  I mean, come on!  It doesn't get much better than that!

Here's a closer view, in case you don't believe me:

Recumbent fold at the Strangles

Look, the rear of the recumbent fold looks cool too:

Recumbent folds at The Strangles

All these rocks were formed about 300 million years ago.

Things that make me go, "Hmm".  Fantastic.  Here endeth the geology lesson.