POST PANDEMIC DIARY

in

WE HAVEN’T YET SEEN
September 1, 2023

One of the pleasures of traveling is coming face to face not merely with the unexpected but with the new. And, when I say new, I am referring to a thing or experience I have as yet not encountered. Needless to say, what is new can be informative and educational or purely fanciful, even funny. Already, after only one week of travel, I have without any effort on my part several firsts that I would like share with you.

The first item of consideration is, well, I will let you guess from the below picture if you can resist looking at the second photo. Yes. It is a chair. It is made of plastic that is formed, then tightly wrapped in leather rope. It is a leather chair, unlike any leather chair I have ever seen. At Chatsworth Estate there is an exhibit of contemporary arts and crafts that have their origin in classic design that reflects the objects from earlier centuries. This is one of the contemporary works.

Detail of the armrest of the chair.

A clearer sense of the seat of the chair.

In the whimsical vein, Adele and I stopped off for a spot of tea. Arriving soon after us was a couple, the gentleman of which, and I use the term warmly, struck me as an individual of distinct character. Would you not agree?

Remember I said that benefits of travel are often unexpected. Well, the poster (below) faced me in the men’s urinal.

An important message.

There are times in every man and woman’s life when life feels like it is more than anyone can bear. In America we have (I believe they are called) “Break Rooms” where you can break items by throwing them against walls or smash them into the floor. In the U.K., the emotional outlet is indoor axe throwing. My observation is that axe throwing is more specific to a person and therefore more greatly remedying the problem. Or, it answers the question, through whose heart are you aiming?

And, just in case, Adele’s aim is perfectly on target, I may be in need of a telephone call…and some immediate help. Well, on the corner in the town of Stamford, England, I might give my chances of recovery a greater than even chance.

I hope you were surprised and shared some of my “firsts” with pleasure.