(with apologies to Robert Browning) We’ve been in the lovely city of Riga for three nights and are now moving on to Tallinn, 300km away on the Black sea and the capital of Estonia. How to get from one to the other? Flying seemed too easy and uninteresting, and taking a bus sounded boring. Taking…

Wow – my 80th birthday! Everyone plays it down – says it’s just a number. Yes it’s a number, but seems a pretty big one to me. And if it’s not so significant, how come I’ve just had more birthday cards and presents than any birthday I can remember? And if it’s not so significant,…

It’s a good start to the holiday – the attendant at the immigration queue welcomes us to Nashville with a smile and a chat, and the immigration officer is unusually friendly and considerate. This arrival in the US is the best it’s ever been. We don’t have to queue for a taxi and we have…