under another sun

Up early and off by bus and then a bit of a walk in the light rain to Hove Polyclinic where I was meeting Janet who had gone there for a blood test. I arrived before her, and cleverly secured a ticket from their ticket machine, so that when we arrived Janet could go straight through. The nurses very sympathetic there, and chatted kindly to Janet. Any medical encounter is triggering her at the moment. We drove from there to the Waitrose nearby where Janet bought a couple of bits, and we had coffee and talked quite a bit. Then she drove home, and I called Betty to see if she was ready to come with me on the bus to see Sam and Jade. She wasn't. The weather improving rapidly, I came home, and then we four walked down into Brighton. I asked Jade what she thought of Jordan B Petersen, and it wasn't good. Interesting to hear her opinions about him, as I have thought quite a bit about him having read his book when I was in Spain. Both Sam and Jade thought him a bad thing. Once in...

Last day in Cordoba old town. We heard the owl again last night. Up and as now traditional, made our way to Salon du Té for our Andalusian Breakfast and good cups of vanilla tea. However not entirely idyllic this morning as there was persistent drilling from workmen who are expanding the place. Back and straight back to the Mezquita and to the wall with the mihrab on the qibla wall. These are new words I've learned, mihrab is the semicircular niche in the wall (the qibla wall) that faces Mecca.   I feel overawed by the this mihrab, which has exercised a strong fascination on me since I first saw it with Lorraine on Tuesday. Having drunk in this and the gorgeous arches either side of it, we wandered about again. I wanted to look more at the Cathedral part. The effect of all the light it contains is incredibly dramatic, and it goes up several stories. The contrast between the facelessness of Islam and the depictions of Jesus, God, Mary, various saints and angels is stark. To me it ...