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Continue reading →: Invitation to Violence by Lionel White
Three men execute a carefully devised plan. They drive to an upmarket suburban Long Island neighbourhood and break into a jewellery store. Before they can get away however, two police cars roll up and a gun battle ensues. Two of the cops and two of the crooks get killed, but…
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Continue reading →: Pentalofos and Western MacedoniaI couldn’t have chosen a better time to walk up to the top of Kastoria Hill than 9 am this morning. The overnight mist lying on the lake was just lifting, and provided some fine sights. After a stock up at the supermarket in town we headed south west, into…
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Continue reading →: Through Albania and onto GreeceThe lower lying coastal area of Montenegro was not for me. It was extremely humid, with the temperature hovering around 20C all day and night. With all the fresh water from the river and lake it was a haven for biting flies. I tried a couple of places out but…
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Continue reading →: Virpazar, Skadar LakeI had five days at Grebaje, in the Prokletoje National Park. It wasn’t at all busy, but I met the odd hiker, and just a couple of other campervans, Vincent from Belguim who I mentioned, and a Swiss family, who were living on the road, heading from Greece and Turkey…
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Continue reading →: Secret Europe by John Howard and Mark Valentine
These 25 tales, from the tag-team of Howard and Valentine, are set during the stream of social discontent that swept across Eastern Europe between the Wars.Short though the stories maybe, the economy of words only heightens the emphasis and purpose. To each, there is a great sense of purpose, without…
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Continue reading →: An ascent of Valušnica (1879 m)Up and up through the forest they went, the lithe brown dog leading and encouraging the old broken man behind. The dog knows patience. The maze of tree roots that he had leapt over with agility cause problems for the man. He lies, gnawing a tree branch. Why rush anyway.…
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Continue reading →: My Death by Lisa Tuttle
I’ve been meaning to read Lisa Tuttle for a while, and thought I’d start with this novella, recently reissued by NYRB. Tuttle’s unnamed narrator and protagonist, an author of fiction, is five years widowed and her grief has affected her work output, she is bereft of ideas. She has become…
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Continue reading →: Polisse
An authentic portrayal of daily procedural life of Child Protection police in the 19th arrondissement of Paris. Had I known what it was about I probably wouldn’t have watched it, but it was recommended to me a while back, and I duly noted it down, and have just got round…
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Continue reading →: Prokletije National ParkI’ve been a few days now in the Prokletije National Park, (Bjeshkët e Nemuna in Albanian), a name I prefer, as it means ‘the accursed mountains’. The Albanians are strong with local folklore, and this legend says that the mountains were created by the devil himself, who was unleashed from…
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Continue reading →: Grebaje valley, National Park ProkletijeDespite best intentions this morning, and when situated in such a spectacular place, I wasn’t able to make the most of hiking opportunities as it was one of those days when sciatica, or just general nerve pain, in the legs flared up. I still struggled around for a couple of…
To live more widely
supera superiora sequi
SafeReturnDoubtful is my alias. Rua is my fox red labrador pup, born 14 Feb 2026 and learning fast..
Where is Rua?
I was so much older then…
Quote of the Week
Alice asked the Cheshire Cat, who was sitting in a tree, ‘What road do I take?’ The cat asked, ‘Where do you want to go?’ ‘I don’t know,’ Alice answered. ‘Then,’ said the cat, ‘it really doesn’t matter, does it?’
Lewis Carroll
Safe Return Doubtful 