There is an old expression about the perfect and the good that states that “Perfect is the enemy of good” or in its original French form, “Le mieux est l’ennemi du bien.” This is attributed to Voltaire and his famous quote has an interesting origin and meaning. He actually attributed this saying to “a wise Italian” in his moral poem “La Bégueule” (1772), where he wrote: “Dans ses écrits, un sage Italien Dit que le…
Ablutions are ritual washing or cleansing practices, typically performed as part of religious ceremonies or personal hygiene routines. The term comes from the Latin word “ablutio,” meaning “a washing away.” The purpose of ablutions generally relates to spiritual purification, preparing oneself for prayer or worship, or marking transitions between states of ritual purity and impurity. In modern usage, “ablutions” can also refer more generally to the act of washing oneself, particularly in British English. When…
Back in 2015 we all went to Italy and I rented a villa in the northern outskirts of Rome. Having spent my formative high school years in Rome, it seemed like a fun thing to do that summer since my youngest son Thomas was studying in Rome for the summer. We did what we had done a number of times and at other locations, which was to rent a large villa that could accommodate 15…
As most of you already know, a 5.2 magnitude earthquake struck south of Julian, a quaint alpine town on the border of the Anza Borrego desert and the apple pie capital of the west, on Monday. It was the strongest earthquake to hit San Diego County since 2010. I bought our hilltop in early 2012. The history of San Diego Earthquakes is more significant than I realized, dating back centuries, though it experiences fewer major…
While we were rounding Cape Hirn last month, Viking showed the movie Master and Commander, starring Russel Crowe as the captain of a British Naval vessel who is chasing a Spanish galleon through the Southern Ocean waters, trying to capture its prize trade booty before peace got declared back home between their two nations. The concept of rushing to justify larceny rather than anticipating peace was somehow portrayed as noble and manly in an era…
Jimmy Buffett’s “Margaritaville” is one of the most iconic songs in popular culture, often associated with a carefree, beach-focused lifestyle. The song itself has its own cultural impact that has been substantial and multi-faceted. It defines the “Island Escapism” Lifestyle, crystallizing a specific American fantasy – escaping the rat race for a laid-back tropical paradise where worries melt away with frozen drinks and ocean breezes. In keeping with yesterday’s story, it is, perhaps, the best…
You know how some days are just hard to figure out? Are they good days or bad days? I’m a little confused about today, so let me explain. First of all it’s Friday, probably the most popular day of the week because the work week has ended and yet the household chores of Saturday have not begun. I know that young people are starting to push into Thursday night as the big “date night” of…
Yesterday we went to see the new Steve Coogan movie called The Penguin Lessons. I must admit that I had not heard of the movie before we booked it, but I am a big fan of Steve Coogan and his co-star Jonathan Pryce. This is a true life story set in 1976 Argentina and is about a Brit named Tom Mitchell. It is directed by Peter Cattaneo, who you may remember burst on the scene…
We have determined that the natural wonders we are experiencing on this trip are its highlights, and nothing is more interesting in nature than the wildlife that inhabits it. Our most memorable part of riding through Tierra el Fuego Park was happening on a not-so-wild brown fox that was busy scamming the tourists for food. I’ve seen many a dog that looked just like that fox, but few dogs can draw tourist attention the way…
This is the fourth time we have taken a cruise on Viking. Three of those times have been on ocean cruises where one was on a river cruise. If you look at the map, we started with a river cruise in Eastern Europe doing the Blue Danube run from Budapest to Nuremberg. Then we did the Baltic Cruise starting in Iceland and going from Stockholm to St. Petersburg and back to Denmark, hitting Finland, Estonia,…