The Shepherds' Square.

On the visit to Freiberg, Saxony, in June 2007 I stayed in the Pension am Hirtenplatz, a serendipitous find on the internet. One often books 'blind' for accomodation, but the German cities have well-organised booking systems, and I seldom got a dud there. The pension overlooked a tiny square, the Hirtenplatz, a triangle of park where several roads met. In the photo below, I had the room in the attic, with the dormer windows, from which I looked out on the charming view above.

In June 2008 I visited Freiberg again; this time I chose another pension, Pension St Georg. Walking back from the city one day, I went past the Hirtenplatz for old times' sake, and found that the city had finished it off with a commemorative plaque, and a wooden bench. I've transcribed the plaque inscription, which was in German and English, an interesting little piece of history:

Hirtenplatz / Hirtengasse.

Shepherds' Square / Shepherds' Lane.

"An ancient, undeveloped place of a former middle ages pasture. As early as 1259 Henry the Nobleman [Heirich der Erlauchte] made 130 hectares of pastureland available to the citizens for free agricultural utilization.
This area, called " Communbürger Felde", situated in the south of the city, was divided into lots ca 1720 and has gradually been built over".

-- A pleasant little space remaing in suburban Freiberg after centuries of development. From the corner of the Hirtenplatz a narrow lane, the Hirtengasse -- Shepherds' Lane, led down to my pension, and for the few remaining days I made this my regular walk to town.

"...that which we call a rose........"

From Perth, Australia, Spring 2008.

Leipzig pictures

Copper dome in the morning sun.



















The spectacular Leipzig University tower, a landmark in the city

















Graffiti on a grand scale!















Reconstruction of Mendelssohn's study, in the University museum. The small box-piano was typical of the period. (postcard)




























Back of the St Thomaskirche, Thomasplatz.












Bach's church, St Thomaskirche, front.

Leipzig: Bach and Mendelssohn.

The statue of Bach at Thomaskirche.
He looks very stern,
I much prefer the one at Eisenach, although it is a bit more weatherbeaten.

My quest for Bach places finally led me to Leipzig. Bach moved there in 1730, appointed as Director Musices or Kantor at the St Thomaskirche; Bach saw this as a demotion from his previous post as Kapellmeister at Cöthen, nevertheless he worked there for the rest of his life. He was in charge of the Thomannerchor, the famous and long-established boys' choir at the Thomaskirche, and did duty at St Nikolaskirche, the other large church in the centre of Leipzig's old city. Nevertheless he produced a prodigious amount of music during this period. He composed the music for sung cantatas every week, and set the Mass to music. His motets for the Thomannerchor are gems of the genre, but his two Passions, the St John and the St Matthew Passions were works of great scope, and still recorded by choirs and orchestras. The St Matthew Passion fills nearly three CD's; my version is that by Philippe Herreweghe with the Collegium Vocale, and takes a good two-and-a-half hours of concentrated listening. "Old Bach", as he became known, composed a lot of keyboard music (which is the route by which I approached him), including the compendious The Well-tempered Klavier, preludes and fugues in all 48 major and minor keys. The title page is rather nice:

The Welltuned Clavier

or

Preludes, and
Fugues on all the Tones and Semitones
In both major keys Ut Re Mi
As also in minor keys or Re Mi Fa
For the needs and use of
Musical youth, as well as those already
experienced in this study
for the passing of time, arranged
and finished by

Johann Sebastian Bach.

(taken from Arnold's book)

This, and inter alia the Partitas, Goldberg Variations, English and French Suites, are still performed and recorded by top artists. If one has the time, it is interesting to get the piano and harpsichord versions: Bach wrote mainly for the harpsichord , but I think the fortepiano was already in use by his time. The piano transcriptions of these works make good listening, anyway. On my visit in June 2008, I was lucky enough to attend two choral recitals in St Thomaskirche, the sound of the boys' choir in that great church was astouinding, and a big crowd of tourists and Leipzigers were spellbound. On the long midsummer evenings, the platz adjacent to the church is a popular place to relax, with good retausrants, cafès and fountains. The kids playing in the fountains gave me quite some amusement.

Badly damaged in WW2, Leipzig has been extensively restored, paritcularly since the reunification of Germany in 1989. The Alte Stadt is a delightful place to browse in, the startling modern architecture contrasting with the traditional gilt and copper domes of the old.

Leipzig is an important university city, and building was going on apace on campus buildings right in the city. A few blocks from the centre I found the Mendelssohnhaus museum, now part of the Leipzig University music department. One floor is given over to the museum, and an excellent display it is (I happen to like Mendelssohn's music as well!) It was Mendelssohn who was partly responsible for reving interest in J S Bach's music: many of the autograph manuscripots had been scattered or lost, and he was intrumental in getting alot of it together, although an unknown amount of compositions have disappeared. The recital chamber in the Mendelssohnhaus had in it a brand new Bösendorfer piano, veneered in a light coloured wood. The museum attendant told me that it had been specially made for them! Oh, to hear the composer's music on such a piano -- but it wasn't to be on that visit.

I must acknowledge that I've drawn heavily on the sources below for facts and figures, but I hope this has conveyed some of my impressions as well.

Sources:

The baroque music website: www.baroquemusic.org. The site contains a wealth of information, and many links to other sources.
Books:
Arnold, Denis: Bach; OUP Past Masters; 1984.
Gaines, James R: Evening in the Palace of Reason; Harper Perennial; 2005.
Some of my own Cd's and catalogues.

A pensive little boy, playing at the fountains.

* * * * *

[Note: I have found this post very difficult to edit, it seems Blogger's editing tools are erratic, to say the least. Anyway, I apologise if it doesn't look good on the page -- I should really cut and paste from Word, I think]

Bach and Luther in Eisenach - 2

Georgenkirche, Eisenach.

Eisenach: the Markt and Rathaus at sunset.

Lutherhaus museum, Eisenach

Martin Luther, Portrait

Eisenach is a pleasant little city, where most of the interesting places are within walking distance or reachable by bus. In June 2007, having spent some time in the Bachhaus Museum, I discovered that just around the corneris the Lutherhaus, an old timbered building, where Masrtin Luther lived during his schooldays. The street is, appropriately, the Lutherstrasse. I soon found there were as many contacts with Luther as with Bach.

A little further along is the Markt, the big open space or platz, that one found in most towns and cities. On one side of the Markt is the historic Georgenkirche, rather plain on the outer view but quietly elegant within. It has an excellent organ, and at the altar-rail one can see the stone font where generations of Bachs were baptized. The souvenir leaflet records that Johann Ambrosius Bach's son, Johann Sebastian, was baptized here on Montag, den 23 Marz 1685. I revisited Eisenach in June 2008, and had the good fortune to hear an organ recital in the church, which, in common with many German churches, has a fine acoustic for the "King of Instruments".

The Georgenkirche was badly damaged in WW2, the roof and windows destroyed; it has been restored, with a mansard roof , and in common with many Lutheran churches of the day, plain glass windows. Where Lutheran churches have stained glass, eg the Thmaskirche in Leipzig, they seem to be post-war additions, by modern artists sponsored by various organisations.

The Markt is actively used as a market, with rows of clothing stalls, craftwork, fruit and vegetables, and rows of nursery plants. The stalls are provided with temporary electrical and water connections, and I think are well-regulated by the municipality. The atmosphere is delightfull, nobody is trying a "hard sell", they will urge you to buy in a companinable way. I used to buy New Zealand apples there for my picnic lunches. Keeping a stern eye on things is a gilded statue of St George wrestling with the dragon, standing atop a very original fountain comprising four lizards (see pic below). The Rathaus, elegantly decorated in a dusty red, with a traditional German cupola, lies in the corner. In 2007 a large historic building filling one side of the Markt was covered by scaffolding. By June 2008 the restoration was complete and the building is to be fitted out as the city museum. Beyond the Markt is the ______strasse. a traffic-free shopping street -- a good place to stop for a coffee-and-cake special. From the end of the street, a left turn takes one to the open space facing the St Nikolaikirche, and next to it the massive Nikolaitor, one of the ancient medieval gates into the city, now buzzing with traffic. There in the Platz is a large bronze statue of Martin Luther in academic dress, holding a substantial Bible.

Luther memorial.

Beethoven, J S Bach and Eisenach - 1

My path to Eisenach, a charmimg old town in Thuringia, began years ago, when I was lent some old vinyl LP's of Bach's The Well Tempered Clavier, and Partitas 1 & 2. The former was a harpsichord version by Helmut Walcha, something entirely new to me. I was captivated by Rosalyn Tureck's rendering of the little Partitas -- short dance pieces, popular at that period. The harpsichord music intrigued me, it was an instrument unknown to me until then; it wasn't exactly dissonant (if that's the right word), but sounded a bit "tinny", a tone disliked by some people.

Until then I'd not taken much imterest in Bach: we had an old recording of the Brandenburg Concerti, which I may have tried but found boring, or they just passsed over my young radar. Beethoven's nine magisterial symphonies were the favourite, and I had discovered Mozart's piano concerti, they were the "greats" in my youthful opinion (they remain so, but read on!).

In 1995 I decided to visit Austria en route to see friends in Zug, Swtzerland. Unsuccessful in getting to see the Beethovenhaus in Heiligenstadt -- a suburb of Vienna, I stopped over for a day inSalzburg, and spent a morning Mozart's birthplace museum in the Getreidegasse: fascinating, they had his original fortepiano , a small instrument having a couple of octaves less than a modern concert grand, and a slightly thinner sound, to the novice somewhat strange; in the hands of an experienced pianist the fortepiano's lighter sound is beguiling.

In the ensuing years I formed a resolve to to see the birthplace museum of Beethoven in Bonn, and my discovery of the baroque music website (link is below) led me to Eisenach, Thuringia, the home of generations of the Bach family, most of them musicians. The baroque music website is comprehensive, and through it I found links to further material, another link taking me to Bach's church, the Thomaskirche in Leipzig. Further research introduced me to Gottfried Silbermann, master organ builder of the baroque, and thence to old Freiberg and the Silbermann museum in Frauenstein.

In spring 2007 I at last had the opportunity to make a musical tour. A fast train took me from frankfurt-am Main west to Bonn, where I found the unassuming Beethovenhaus in a narrow street, one of a row of terraced 16th or 17th century houses. The museum is excellent, the old German house has a secluded garden at the rear; in a small room at the top of the house is the revered "Birth Room", and a bust of the impetuous, and sometimes angry, composer himself. For people interested in instruments, the most satisfying part is a display of original string quartet instruments -- violins, viola and violincello. Beethoven's two grand pianos stand back to back: I've forgotten the makers' names, one was an English piano-maker, the other an unfamiliarGerman or Austrian company, possibly now defunct. One can purchase souvenir CD's recorded on the original instruments, one disc of string quartets, the other of some of the lighter (if one is permitted to use that word about the Maestro) piano pieces. Ideal souvenirs for the enthusiast, they will evoke memories of that narrow house with uneven floors.

Next I travelled on the ICE train through Frankfurt, and on into Thuringia. We crossed the former Iron Curtain at the border of Thuringia, but no visible sign of that tragic division remains. I liked the Deutsche Bahn ICE trains, wafting you along at 160km/hour. Rail is my mode of travel in Europe, much less hassle than flying.

The house at Frauenplan 21 was secured by the Neue Bach Gesellschaft in 1906, for the establishment of a Bach birthplace museum and memorial.

A handsome bronze statue of J S Bach stands opposite the museum, on the upper side of the Frauenplan. At the foot of the monument the city gardeners have created a bed of multi-coloured flowers, which in spring prents a delightful foreground. The Bachhaus was badly damaged in World War 2, and it has been well restored painted an attractive ochre colour, with a multi-coloured tile roof.Behind the house is an immaculately kept 18th century garden. In early June it looked magnificent. On my 2007 visit the builders were finishing off a new extension to the museum, more than doubling its size. The

architects chose not to copy the 18th century style, the extension is in contemporary style, clad in stone-coloured tiles. The whole first floor is large listening room, with various technical displays, artwork, listening facilities and a gallery of the various known portraits of Bach -- none are the same likeness but expert opinion expresses a prefernence for the Haussmann portrait (at the head of this post).

The magic of Bach: in the listening room.

(to be continued).

References and further reading:

Baroque music link: http://www.baroquemusic.org

Bach Link; http://http://www.let.rug.nl/Linguistics/diversen/bach/tourist2.html

Dennis Arnold; Bach; Oxford University Press 1984;

Martin Geck; Bach (Translation); Haus Publishing, London, 2003

Hans Conrad Fischer; Johann Sebastian Bach, his Life in Pictures and Documents; Hanssler Verlag, 2000. (Souvenir book, comes with a CD).

Observations on Blogging

I was looking through some books on writing yesterday in a bookshop, and I noted that most writers' guides recommend a blog as a good way to practise one's use of language; to try to write something every day, be it your memories, your actions on that day, a particular subject that exercises your mind at that moment, a book you may be reading, or whatever. As a person who has spent a lot of working time writing, drafting, editing and proof-reading written matter for the engineering profession, I feel that I'm not so good at free-thought (as compared with freehand drawing!) jottings, I like to get what I want to say in some sort of shape -- but I guess blog-readers will be the judges -- or the critics -- of what you're doing. From the time I started with my entry-level post on 7th August this year, I've been very conscious that the world can see this; of course, the mouse-click could just switch it off, or Internet-surfers might skim over it, I wonder now who actually finds it?



As you could judge, most of my blogging this year (2008) has been in the form of travel notes, sometimes illustrated with photos or scanned images. Looking back, I lived in the city and province where I was born until age 17, when I went to the Cape to train as a seaman. I didn't leave SA until 1969, which incidentally was the first time I'd stepped on a jet airliner. From there I followed my dreams (to use a hackneyed phrase -- exactly what writers discourage!), often motivated by something I'd read, or a chance letter from a colleague who'd moved to other parts. Before I started my year of work in London, I travelled in Scotland, right up to the most northerly county of Shetland. It was a wonderful visit, and I found that people in the office were surprised that I'd already been 'where no Londoners tread' (shame, I've misquoted Star Trek, this is a poor session for clichès!) How I came to be there is another story.





Canada was similar, a colleague went to work there, and I determined to go myself, something I found infinitely rewarding -- go to British Columbia, you won't regret it! This part of my blog is now going all the way back to Germany, as I haven't finished with JS Bach yet.





If by this time you're thinking "Oh, no, not another old Travel Bore", why, there's always the mouse-click....................left button! And on that note I bid you a Good Morning.





Tchüss.

Anchors Aweigh, Boys.....!

The Western Australia Maritime Museum at Fremantle is a must-see for visitors. The ultra-modern building stands on the wharf near the harbour entrance, and an ex-RAN submarine, the HMAS Ovens, is next door to it: guided tours of the sub are conducted daily. The Shipwreck galleries are housed in a separate buildnig, to get there, cross the main road to Esplanade Park, the gallery entrance faces the park.
Along the main road adjacent to the museums stands an excellent display of old anchors. This display shows clearly how the old fashioned Admiralty Pattern anchor evolved.

The anchors were made from cast or wrought iron. The cross-member, or stock, is at right-angles to the flukes: as ther anchor lands on the bottom, the stock causes it to fall sideways so that one of the flukes can dig into the sea-bottom (also known as "the ground"). Older ships' anchors had a built-up wooden stock. Attached to the anchor is a long length of heavy chain, known as "the cable". Once the anchor has set itself, the ship pays out a length of cable about equal to six times the water depth, so that the heavy links lie on the bottom, the pull on the anchor being almost horizontal, so that the fluke won't break out. A ship is said to be "dragging anchor" if, in a storm or because of soft (or bad) ground, it loses its grip.

On setting sail again, the cable is winched in so that the pull approaches the vertical, and the fluke breaks out. This is described as "to weigh anchor". Anchors on sailing ships were stowed and lashed just under the bowsprit, or brought inboard and secured on the forward deck. Some Admiralty Pattern anchors had a folding stock (see above) whereby the stock went through an eye forged in the shaft, and could be folded alongside the shaft when not in use.

Among the Fremantle collection is an unusual example of a large "plough anchor"; probably used for permanent moorings, buoys etc. The next picture shows how an Admiralty anchor lies in position on the sea-bed:

An old wooden-stocked anchor.

Captain James Cook in New Zealand

Some years ago I read a National Geographic book, with excellent maps (as is usual with NG) about Captain Cook's epic voyages of discovery; I was in Australia in December 2005, and bought R Hough's comprehensive biography of Cook, wich I read with great interest. I decided that if ever I went to New Zealand I would visit the place where he had his base -- Ship Cove in Queen Charlotte Sound. Recently my wish came true, for while I was in New Zealand, I took a boat trip from Picton, which called at Ship Cove. The spot is near the seaward end of the Sound, and is accessible only by boat or hiking. The weather was rainy and cold, not the best conditions for a cruise, but there were only three passengers, two English hikers and me, and we were able to shelter on the covered lower deck and chat with the skipper.

We landed at Ship Cove at a small jetty, and walked over to see the memorial, a massive pyramid of stone, topped by an anchor and bearing the simple legend COOK, and a heraldic device. The DOC (Dept of Conservation) have erected some historic information displays, and a Maori totem (or whatever they call them down there) carved from a reddish wood. There is a short shingle beach backed by dense forest from which flows a stream; the explorers thus had the necessities of life, and were able to careen the ship on the beach (ie beach it and scrape and clean the bottom). In that weather, the place seemed evocative of those lonely 18th century mariner-explorers, whose duty and fortitude brought them so far from home.





On the return journey, the skipper dropped off the hikers at Resulution Inlet -- they would be picked up at the next spot on the afternoon run. The boat stopped again to load another hiking party's baggage to take to Picton. These excursions on Queen Charlotte and Pelorus Sounds, known as the "mail-boat runs", are a great way to see the more remote parts of Marlborough Sounds that labyrinth of waterways and islands. The Pelorus Sound boats are based at Havelock, a small boat harbour a few kilometres away.

Capt James Cook, officer, navigator and explorer.

I've just started reading a newer biography of Cook, by Vanessa Collingridge, which reveals more of this story: when I've got through it, I would like to follow it up on the parallel blog Runagates' Club.

Good Morning!

20 STEPS TO THE SLEEP OF YOUR DREAMS

“Sleepe after toyle, port after stormie seas….” (Spenser.)

This little collection of hints was copied from a local newspaper column (if I could remember which I would acknowledge it!):


A new survey has found that nearly 50% of Britons get less than six hours’ sleep a night, with 18% getting by on less than five hours’ rest. The research, which was conducted by Dr Chris Idzikowski, of the Edinburgh Sleep Centre, also revealed that three-quarters of us wake up every morning feeling exhausted, with one in four taking time off work for being over-tired.

Idzikowski puts the blame on modern lifestyles that keep us up late, but require an early start the next day.

“We are heading for an exhaustion meltdown as a nation,” he says. So how do you counter this modern plague? Here are 20 ways to get a good night’s sleep — whatever your problem.

1: Eat little and often. Some insomniacs wake with a jolt at 3am, when blood sugar is low and the body releases adrenalin. “Stabilise your blood sugars during the day by eating every three hours and keep to foods with a low glycaemic index — they take longer to digest,” says nutritionist Dr Marilynn Glenville (http://www.marilynglenville.com/). “Before bed, have some hot chamomile tea and an oatcake.”

2: Change your mattress. Mattresses from Tempur support the body by distributing weight evenly. According to a Swedish study that monitored 23 000 sleepers over eight years, using the specialist mattress resulted in an 83% reduction in tossing and turning.

3: Turn off your cellphone. Many people find chatting on cellphones over-stimulating, so switch yours off at 6pm, or whenever you get home.

4: Change your breathing pattern. Deep breathing helps your mind calm down and it produces relaxing endorphins, says clinical hypnotherapist Georgia Foster. Draw air into your lungs for five seconds, release completely, and then hold your lungs empty for a further five seconds. Repeat three times.

5: Start brain-dumping. Keep a pen and paper beside your bed and write down your anxieties, so you don’t have to lie awake worrying about them.

6: Eat a spud at bedtime. Starchy foods — such as potatoes and bananas — are full of chemicals called tryptophans that naturally boost levels of serotonin, which promotes calm and restful sleep. Supplements such as 5-HTP vegetable capsules also claim to increase this happiness hormone.

7: Listen to the voices in you head. Relaxing and subliminal CD’s offer subliminal messages to send you off.

8: Drink cherry juice. Tart cherries contain significant quantities of melatonin, the hormone needed for restful sleep.

9: Get into a routine. Going to bed and waking up at around the same time helps regulate sleep-wake cycles. Reading a book for 20 minutes can be used as a cornerstone of a peaceful night. Avoid long lie-ins at weekends.

10: Take a cold shower. Long, hot soaks before bed raise your body temperature at a time when it is programmed to fall. Take a cooler bath or shower instead.

11: Skip the gym. Exercising after work increases body temperature and changes your natural rhythm, making you too alert.

12: Muscle in. If you are being woken by nocturnal muscle twitches, try taking a herbal relaxant. Speak to your pharmacist.

13: Declutter. According to the rules of feng shui, your bedroom should promote a harmonious flow of nourishing and sensual energy. So keep it clear of clutter, banish the TV, computer and fitness gear, and get rid of the boxes and suitcases that may be harbouring negative energy under the bed.

14: Paint it white. Colour therapists recommend that bedrooms be decorated in “skin” colours, from pale pink to rich brown; bright red walls, for example, are too stimulating.

15: Unplug the PlayStation. Teenagers seem to be able to cope with bright flashing \screens before falling into bed, but adults seem to become over-stimulated, causing their minds to race when they should be resting. Avoid games before bedtime.

16:Keep your feet warm. Put a blanket over the end of the bed or wear socks.

17: Try a snore cure. Your partner’s snoring — or even your own — could be the root of your sleep problem. Try over-the-counter snore remedies or see your doctor.

18: Observe the 20-minute rule. If you have been awake in bed for more than 20 minutes, get up and rest elsewhere. Do not return to bed unless you feel sleepy.

19: Herbal tips. Valerian has long been associated with sleep.

20: Onion sandwiches, anyone? The Romans ate onions to cure vision problems, heal dog bites, treat lumbago — and induce sleep.

* * * * *


“……………………………………innocent sleep,
Sleep that knits up the ravell’d sleave of care,
The death of each day’s life, sore labour’s bath,
Balm of hurt minds, great nature’s second course…..”
(Shakespeare.)

Enjoy your day........

The Crafty Seagull of Fishermen's Harbour, Fremantle.

The M Kailis' fish restaurant on the wharf at Fisherman's Harbour in Fremantle is a popular place to have a meal or snack; their staff produce fish and chips in great quantity at lightning speed. I first discovered the wharf in 1994, and this year I took most of a day to explore Fisherman's and the Challenger yacht harbour. Notices on the wharf requested visitors not to feed the birds, but the seagulls flocked around this and other cafès on the wharf. This crafty guy saw some scraps on a plate, and the following sequence was captured on photos!

Hey! is that some grub I spy......

...........softly, softly........

.......nearer the plate, nobody sees me.......

.....Gotcha!...........

.....now the fast getaway......


......I'm outa here, guys!

Doubtful Sound, Fiordland, New Zealand

A visit to either Milford or Doubtful Sounds is more or less a must for any visitor. I was lucky enough to tour both sounds in September last. South Island had a late spring this year, and early September is not quite the best time to go; having said that, fiordland expetiences up to 7000mm of rainfall every year so one takes one's chances as one can. The Sounds are specaculr in any weather, whether in bright sunshine or gales and rain -- often that all comes on the same day!

This is an edited excerpt from my e-mail to friends; dated 26 September:

Hi everybody,

Thanks for the replies; this is my last afternoon in Te Anau, I'll be catching the bus for Invercargill tomorrow. Goodness,but this place does chuck the weather at you! Yesterday I had an all-day outing to Doubtful Sound, amuch narrower deeper inlet than Milford, and remote as can be. There's no direct access, you go by bus to Lake Mnapouri, catch the boat across the lake to the hydro-electric station, then another bus over the Wilmot Pass to the sound. That's the remotest bit of road in NZ, it's not connected to any roads, itwas built only to get the construction machinery for the power station from Deep Cove (ie Doubtful Sound) to Manapouri. Oh, yes, the weather: on the excursion, it blew a gale across the lake, one could hardly stand on the upper deck, then poured with rain over the pass, and the voyage on the Sound was a mixture of wind, pouring rain, and patches of sunshine on the steep mountains around. It's arguably more spectacular than Milford, The mounains around are 1400-1600m, but not quite so steep, but the rainforest comes right down to the water. It's evergreen beech forest, the trees look ancient, and draped in mosses, the ground overgrown with ferns and moss; truly a landscape for giants. The Sound has a number of inlets they call Arms, and the skipper went far into Crooked Arm, and then into an inlet of Hall Arm, where they do the "silence of nature" bit: the engines are stopped, and they ask people not to move or speak for 5 min; all you hear are the birds calling and the sound of much water falling down the slopes of the Fiord. I liked that, it puts one in a philosophical space, contemplating the grandeur, the rugged beauty and sheer remoteness of that special place. Other than the boat, nothing man-made can be seen or heard. I guess the romantic nature poets, eg Wordsworth would have been moved to lyrical verse, all I can do is try to say what it feels like.

The return was just as dramatic, and the wind as strong, but coming across Lake Manapouri we had the setting sun behind us, and clearer views of the forested mountains. I took masses of photos, but will have to see how they look, at times the light was so grey, the mountains too misty for the camera's autofocus to pick up -- you had to find something solid to get a picture!

Incidentally, I've read that the Sound was named Doubtful by Captain James Cook (of whom more later), from the seaward end it looked so narrow and steep that he doubted that a sailing ship could sail out again -- sqare-rigged ships needed a lot of space to tack against the wind. Captain Cook missed Milford Sound on his circumnavigation of New Zealand -- the entrance from the Tasman Sea is deceptive; Milford was discovered by a Welsh navigator, who named it for Milford Haven, a port in Pembrokeshie.

The Brave Little Fur Seal of Kaikoura.

The Kaikoura peninsula lies on the east coast of South Island, New Zealand, running several kilometres into the Pacific. The views from there are terrific, to the north across the bay the Kaikoura Mountains rise almost sheer from the coast, snow-topped in October; the high peaks are at 2600m. To the south the cliffs and beaches stretch away to the horizon. The day I was there the weather was fine and sunny, the Pacific Ocean deep blue, flecked with small white horses. It was low tide, and the rocks were exposed: the resident seal colony lounged on the rocks and beaches, basking in the sun. After a while I spotted a young seal swimming to shore, looking for a place to land. Perversely, he chose a very steep and, I guess, slippery rock as a slipway. The sequence of photos shows his comical antics to achieve the crest of the rock. 

Where do I get out?

Uh-uh, this rock is slippery!

Whew!

..Getting there...

Ah, got a flipperhold!

Little bit further.....

Made it!..... I'm the King of the Castle!

Some Snippets and Photos, New Zealand

Excerpts from an email dated 16 September 2008:

Hi All,

Just been out for a morning walk: for the first time, I am able to take off my jacket & sweater! The sun is bright, it's quite warm, but the breeze has an edge to it. Last evening I watched and photographed the lake at sunset, and the wind off the snow mountains was cutting, I had all protective clothing on! The mountains look best early morning and evening, and I should have stayed on until the sun went down, as the snow stays almost luminous against the dark sky, and the hight clouds go pink & orange. I don't know if a digital camera will capture it, but I'll have a go tonight; you have to use a tripod and time-exposure, so it's experimental at present! I have taken 100's of photos, to try to get the best exposure, so quite a lot may be deleted eventually. However there are just so many angles to take photos from, so I mustn't waste too much time. I wanted to get up close to Mt Cook, but the bus service there and back only starts in the summer: here defined as 1st October! Anyway, it's pleasant & quiet here, and i have one more day to walk. I'm doing quite well, last evening I walked out across the bare bed of the lake (it is very low now), over rocks and boulders, and survived without the walking stick.

This high plateau is known as the "Mackenzie Country', after one James McKenzie, a 19th century Scottish immigrant. Mckenzie was a noted sheep-thief, and amassed a flock of over 1000 rustled sheep which he drove over Burke's Pass, to graze on the open land here. Arrested and sentenced to five years in prison, he escaped three times, after which the authorities allowed him to leave the country; I think he went to Australia. This must be one of the few farming districts anmed for a rogue! He's described as a New Zealand folk hero.

After two years of drought the plateau looks as brown as the highveld in winter, but they hope for better rains.

There is a memorial here to the collie dog, which was put up by the sheep-farmers as a tribute to these fine dogs, without which they couldn't work here.

Yesterday morning early I took a flight around Mt Cook and the Alps; the aircraft look quite big in the brochure, but I had no breakfast, just in case. In the event, there were extra passengers, and I was allocated to a seriously small aircraft (excuse if I'm repeating this?), a Cessna 6-seater! Five of us got in, and I had to sit in the co-pilot's seat, very cramped. It was alright at altitude, but on the way back, of course, it got very rough, and I had my sick-bag ready in my hands. However, the pilot Andrew was very good; I just made it to the airport without throwing up. I say airport, it is just a tarmac strip in the middle of this wilderness, and a small terminal building. I went off and had a large breakfast (for me), and that's just the "small breakfast", the Farmers' breakfast includes rib-eye steak!