The Land of the Thunder Dragon
Reading time 1 minute
The Butanese have 13 traditional arts and crafts, known collectively as Zorig Chusum. These are supported by all levels of society and are integral […]
Travel
Fried Fiddleheads and Asparagus
Reading time 1 minute
Yes, you’ve got it, these are young fern fronds, otherwise known as fiddleheads or, here in Bhutan, as ‘Nakey‘. They are either fried as […]
Petunias and Prayer Flags
Reading time 5 minutes
Few places in the world conjure up a more romantic image than Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. Like Mandalay, another city with poetic associations, […]
Greetings from Kathmandu
Reading time 1 minute
We arrived in Nepal and spotted this novel but brilliant way to display pot plants. Probably best not tried at home, unless you live […]
Wise Words from a Visionary King
Reading time 1 minute
“Throughout the centuries, the Bhutanese have treasured their natural environment and have looked upon it as the source of all life. This traditional reverence […]
Introducing Bhutan
Reading time 4 minutes
‘I’m going on holiday’. ‘Oh, anywhere nice?’ comes the response. ‘Bhutan’ I reply. The majority of my friends and colleagues have a pretty good […]
Savage Spring
Reading time 3 minutes
Last night, as we lay in bed, it was almost as if a BBC special effects man was standing outside the bedroom window chucking […]
Manhattan Ghandi
Reading time 1 minute
In a corner of Union Square, New York City, a bronze sculpture depicting Mohandas Gandhi strides confidently through a sunlit grove of Magnolias, underplanted […]
Bauhinia, the Hong Kong Orchid Tree
Reading time 1 minute
This pretty flower belongs to Bauhinia blakeana, the Hong Kong Orchid Tree. It originated in Hong Kong in 1880 and it’s believed that all […]
Postcards from Hanoi
Reading time 1 minute
I am so happy to have visited Hanoi at last. Please enjoy these vintage-style postcards, a product of my iPhone, Snapseed and too much […]
In love with Adeniums
Reading time 1 minute
I am not sure what it is that attracts me to this rather gaudy plant. Everything about it shouts “look at me”, from its […]
Vietnamese Yellow Apricot Blossom
Reading time 1 minute
Dien Hoa village, in a central province of Vietnam, has become famous for growing bonsai apricot trees. Before the Lunar New Year many people […]