I bought this in a charity shop on Saturday purely on the basis that the artist is holding an alto sax. Now a few tracks in and it will probably be going back soon! Gentle, Kenny G style with smooth electronic background - not really my style. I will try to get through it all.....
@Greg, thanks! Fingers are crossed for good weather, the east is tinged with pink and I can see stars slipping faintly west. In New England that usually means its going to snow, rain, be sunny, or a combination of the aforementioned. ;-)
I never quite understood the affection Europeans had for New York or Boston. For my money, Toronto is a more British-type city than those two. However, New England felt like a reinterpretation of the map of England. The copying of placenames helped, but the combination of hills, small pockets of population, old industrial cities, richly green Springs, numerous small rivers, etc., felt like a version of Britain that was idealized in fiction. If someone told me that Tolkien's "Shire" was northeastern Connecticut, I'd believe him.
I have to admit BT that I have never been to Toronto - it is quite high on my long list of places to visit in the next few years as retirement looms. We nearly got to Eastern Canada a couple of years ago, but then a wedding in the middle of school holidays (my wife teaches) put a stop to the plan. Yes New England does remind us Brits of home. Probably not unconnected with climate and also the fact that many millions of years ago New England, Newfoundland etc were joined to Ireland and Scotland, so it is fairly similar geologically. Also the East Coast is easiest for us to visit so it is where we go more often. It's sad for me to admit that I've never been further west than Washington. Our plan is to travel down the west coast and then right across the States to Chicago when we both have fully retired in a couple of years time, taking about three months over it. It's already taking shape in my mind...
I personally regret not visiting more of Eastern Canada, particularly after my son was born. I've been to Toronto and several parts of Quebec, including Montreal and Quebec City. We had intended to vacation in New Brunswick, but suddenly money became tight. More recently all our vacations are taken up with visits to relatives (my wife's in Connecticut, mine in California) who aren't in the best of health, hoping that my son will develop some memories of them. We only have time and money left to take some day trips or an occasional overnight. Being in a new state helps--North Carolina may have lots of English and Scottish names, and the people of European descent look really English--the landscape looks different. Moreover, the cultural calculus, with African-American and mountain traditions, can be interesting to explore on its own.
I see what you mean BT - having grandparents that far apart is like us having grandchildren in the west of Ireland and in Greece. When I was younger with less ties I never had the income to travel, as teachers' salaries then were not that good here. Fortunately we're close enough so that I can take and collect my two year old grand daughter each week from her nursery and we see her and her baby sister most weekends
@Bad Thoughts, you're right about Toronto. That was the first North American city we lived in (it saddled me with the thankless task of being a Maple Leafs fan). When we traveled there from England it always felt North American; but when we arrived from the US it felt British. There is a stronger British cultural influence than in most North American cities. Nice place to live - I particularly appreciated the creeks that run throughout the city - I was able to cycle about 8 miles from the suburbs into the city center for my studies and do all but the last half mile or so off-road in green valleys where for decent stretches you couldn't even see the buildings either side. And the local story (perhaps apocryphal and certainly prejudiced but it does capture something of the feel) was that when movie companies came to shoot movies there to save money that were supposed to be in US cities, they had to dump trash to make the street look more like New York or wherever - and they would keep finding it all cleaned up again by the next day.
Airs above your Station by Kinski
I still like this best of their albums. I once saw them describe their influences as Black Sabbath and Steve Reich, and this is the album where that most makes sense to me.
I very much like Toronto, and could easily see the story about the trash being true - it is very clean for a North American city. I've unfortunately never been to British isles to compare. I live in Rochester, NY, directly across Lake Ontario, and Toronto is the only city of any size that's an easy day trip, so we used to go there fairly frequently before 1. having kids and 2. this rather absurd new passport requirement. I simply can't understand why you should be able to drive from France to Germany, who fought bitter wars in the memory of people still living, without even slowing down, and yet you have to show a passport to drive between the U.S. and Canada, who were last at war 225 years ago.
Why can you drive from France to Germany? Because Alsace, Baden, Lorraine, Pfalz and Saarland aren't as far apart as France and Germany, not culturally, not socially. They been drawn into commerce with one another over centuries, first because of the system of rivers, second because of the development of industry, third because at times they have found themselves in the same orbit of one or other great state. I've spent a great deal of time in "West Central" Europe, and I'm still amazed that even today it's really difficult to get from Paris to Strasbourg or from Berlin to Cologne taking trains and roads.
As for Canada and the USA, passports have more to do with American "issues" than anything else.
Yes - once I have driven through British Customs at the Channel Tunnel I can then drive to Portugal or Austria or Sweden without having to show my passport. We British, of course, only being part European, refused to be part of the agreement (I add here that I personally am very pro European, which certainly puts me against our current government) Potential terrorism of course also plays a part of the British decision but many here can be isolationist. I actually thought you could still walk from the US to Canada. With regard to Toronto and cleanliness, it is certainly not the current British influence, as there is litter everywhere here- it must be the French side of Canada coming through.
Just been playing this in my car
Now playing
Bt - we went from Paris to Strasbourg on the way to Switzerland by train a couple of years ago. It is now a TGV route so it takes less than two hours and was amazingly cheap pre-booked
@Craig: That's good--the Strasbourgeoisie have complained about the 5 1/2 hour trip for a long time. (Perhaps if Entzheim were a more useful airport ...)
Comments
Vivian Girls - Share the Joy
Hear it free on NPR First Listen until 4/12.
I bought this in a charity shop on Saturday purely on the basis that the artist is holding an alto sax. Now a few tracks in and it will probably be going back soon! Gentle, Kenny G style with smooth electronic background - not really my style. I will try to get through it all.....
Now this is much better!
Playing via Spotify. I can see no way of linking this into mt Last.Fm list unfortunately
Another charity shop purchase. In a totally different class from the one four places above!
(url=>amz)
My favorite time of the day is when the sun has not yet risen and the house still slumbers.
Have a good day, Elwoodicious - I hope your weather is better than the cool, cloudy day we have - nearly lunchtime here!
(url=>amz)
(url=>amz)
I see what you mean BT - having grandparents that far apart is like us having grandchildren in the west of Ireland and in Greece. When I was younger with less ties I never had the income to travel, as teachers' salaries then were not that good here. Fortunately we're close enough so that I can take and collect my two year old grand daughter each week from her nursery and we see her and her baby sister most weekends
- Oh man !
Airs above your Station by Kinski
I still like this best of their albums. I once saw them describe their influences as Black Sabbath and Steve Reich, and this is the album where that most makes sense to me.
As for Canada and the USA, passports have more to do with American "issues" than anything else.
Hurr durr...TEERISTS!...hurr durr...FREEEEDOOOM!
/political_discourse
Oops, to much.
Just been playing this in my car
Now playing
Bt - we went from Paris to Strasbourg on the way to Switzerland by train a couple of years ago. It is now a TGV route so it takes less than two hours and was amazingly cheap pre-booked