Merry Year a new and Christmas happy a

“Scotty, have you heard of the major bug at Gare Montparnasse?”

“Yes, Sir. Hundreds of trains stopped for a day or so. But we had nothing to do with it. Sir.”

“‘You sure, Scotty? Have you noticed how the titles of those posts tend to come out a tad random?”

“Just a minor bug, Sir. Nothing to worry about. Does not affect passengers’ molecules re-assembly.”

“All right Scotty. Buckle up everybody. Tight. Let’s hop!”

Paris, April-May 1940. My father in his brand new Uniform of sub-lieutenant. He was at the Air Force Academy preparing for the war. As the Germans were advancing towards Paris, authorities kept moving the Academy to the South. When France surrendered in June, my father and a friend tried to go to England to continue the war. Alas, they had stolen the Colonel’s car – a bad idea -, got arrested by the Gendarmes, and discharged – honourably – a few days later. End of the war for him. Otherwise, I might not be here to tell the story.

Teotihuacán, Mexico. 1990. Temple of the Feathered Serpent. Actually two gods share the temple. On the left column: Tlaloc, God of Rain. On the right, Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent. (Quetzal is a bird, of the rain forest. Coatl means snake)

Brazil, 1975. Sailing to Alcantara, from Sao Luis, in the state of Maranhao. The ship was called Mensageiro da Fé, Messenger of the Faith. A trip in the Northeast of Brazil, between Fortaleza and Belem.

Provence, c.1975? Herman’s tortoise. A small – 15-20 cms – tortoise of the mediterranean, it can be found from Spain to Greece. I picked this one up in the garden of a house my parents had on the Côte d’Azur for many years. Near endangered, this species is particularly vulnerable to forest fires.

Pokote woman and children. Northern Kenya, c.1971. (c)ourtesy Claude & Dominique Millet. (See Crows reloaded for a story on the Pokote tribe)

Cyprus, 1967. This Gothic church, built by Crusaders was turned into a mosque at some time, during the back and forth wars of crusaders and Turks. See the added-on Minaret on the left. From this tower, the muezzin calls for prayer.

“Error”. One of the first prototypes of the Equinox Time-Space shuttle. Only carried one passenger and worked on bird seed fuel. Environment-friendly but not very stable. Scotty destroyed a few other prototypes until developing the one you are flying on today. Relax. All bugs have been fixed, or so he tells me. (Bogotá, Colombia, early 21st century)

Asian elephant, Zoo de Vincennes, Paris, mid seventies. Last century.

A squirrelly neighbour. Mexico, December 2017, outside my library window.

Brussels, 2011. A taller than average Belgian.

Chichicastenango market, Guatemala. 2000.

Nairobi, Kenya, 1968. To the right, Dr Ashe, Director of the Museum of Natural History. To the left… well. A cousin of Nag, the nasty black cobra that Rikki Tikki Tavi, the fearless mongoose fights in the Jungle book.

This last picture I have already posted. Taken off the coast of West Africa, around 1960. Only 20 years after my father’s gallant uniform picture at the beginning of this post. More than fifty years ago! I feel it is a good symbol of the trip we (the whole family) will be taking to Asia (Singapore, Penang, Thailand, Cambodia) at the end of the week, to reunite with Daughter #2.

Thank you kindly to all of you for accompanying us on Equinoxio’s crazy Time-Space travels. May you spend a lovely Christmas with your dear ones, and may the New Year bring you all Peace and Happiness.