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Steve P

A Journey to the East

A Journey to the East

  • Travel
It’s easy to think of Germany as a single country. Reunification happened a long time ago, right?

Imagine your country forcefully divided, each half operating under very different forms of government. Children grow up with different values, different expectations. These differences don’t go away because a treaty was

Livin’ High

Livin’ High

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You say you’ve dined at the Jules Verne in Paris? They know you by name at Commander’s Palace in New Orleans? You yawn when the duck is served in Beijing?

Bah. Your life is not complete until you’ve had currywurst at Curry 36 in Kreuzberg.

Treptower Park

Treptower Park

Soviet troops were the first to reach Berlin during the war and it cost them dearly. This immense memorial was built to honor their sacrifice. Over 9000 are buried here in anonymous graves.

To the cynical Western eye, there seems to be quite a bit of propaganda to promote the

Damn, damn, damn…

Damn, damn, damn…

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You know how you plan, you pack, then when you arrive you discover that you left your socks behind?

Well, I forgot to show you photos from a visit on a sunny English afternoon to Flatford Mills, where John Constable painted some of his best-known works.

Don’t know the

Poof! We’re in Berlin!

Poof! We’re in Berlin!

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We landed at Schönefeld, the old G.D.R. (East Germany) airport and were met by friends Siegi and Margit.

More on them and our first day in Berlin later. In the mean time, here’s the obligatory tourist photo at the Brandenburg Gate.

The Last Supper

The Last Supper

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All good things comes to an end. So, too, our rendezvous with Andy, Danielle, Jim and Betty. The latter two returned to Guildford and Mary Anne and I flew to Berlin.

But not before one last dinner at a country pub in Newbourne.

The Southwold Pier

The Southwold Pier

Amusement piers are a traditional, if fading, feature of British seaside resorts. You can generally count on them to offer food, much of it Junk, arcade games, souvenirs, and some unexpected joys.

In Brighton, I once found a doughnut-making machine that included a mechanical hand that flipped the doughnuts over

How much would you pay?

How much would you pay?

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Welcome to Southwold, a somewhat more upscale seaside town. Or village. I’m never sure when a village becomes a town.

The subject of this post is Beach Huts. You’ve seen them before in my Felixstowe post. To review: they are essentially toolsheds on leased land by the beach.

Andy and Me and the Frogeye

Andy and Me and the Frogeye

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In the States, we call them Bugeyes. Apparently they’re known as Frogeyes in England. At least that’s what Andy calls his. More formally, this is an Austin Healy Sprite, smaller sibling to the venerable Austin Healy 3000.
Fish and Chips at Felixstowe

Fish and Chips at Felixstowe

The weather is improving. Yippee! It was a little disappointing to leave Seattle just when a spell of 75+ degree days started to find ourselves in cold and wet.

Today, we once again made the short drive to Felixstowe, but to a different, more northerly part known as Old Felixstowe.

A Day by the Sea

A Day by the Sea

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We bid farewell to Avril and Peter and boarded the train bound for Suffolk. We were looking forward to a few days with friends Danielle and Andy at their home near Woodbridge.

Andy and I have been friends since we met in the early Eighties. Andy was living in Hong

Blood, Sweat and Tears

Blood, Sweat and Tears

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Today, let’s talk about the Jazz/Rock group from the Seventies, known for such hits as “Spinning Wheel” and “You made me so very happy”.

Just kidding. We’re talking about one of the most accomplished men of the Twentieth Century, Sir Winston Churchill. His actual quote is, “I

Divorced, Beheaded, Died…

Divorced, Beheaded, Died…

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…Divorced, Beheaded, Survived.

If you’d gone to school in England rather than wasting your time elsewhere, you’d recognize this short rhyme as describing the fate of the six wives of Henry the Eighth.

Today, between rain squalls, we had a look at Hever Castle, home of Beheadee #1,