Footnotes to a Conversation, January 9, 2023

"And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it." - Roald Dahl

Bon Voyage

This is it! I leave Wednesday for 4 months in the UK and France. I’ve spent the past week considering what I could squeeze into my carry-on suitcase and backpack, booking hotels, and planning train journeys. I am not remotely practical when I book housesits so I’ll be spending a fair bit of time on trains, but it’s a great way to see the countryside. I’m particularly looking forward to a day-long trip from Chester, through Wales to Newport, and then west through Cornwall to Truro.

Books

I did a lot of light reading over the holidays. If you enjoy Richard Osman’s books about senior sleuths, you’ll enjoy A Spoonful of Murder by J.M. Hall. Three retired primary school teachers solve a mystery – several mysteries in fact – and the author does an excellent job of setting out the clues and connecting them all up by the end of the book. But what makes this mystery stand out is the character development. By the end of the book, you are cheering for each of the women as they resolve their personal and family issues. If you like lots of action and a focus on plot, this book may not be for you as the first half of the book moves slowly as we get to know the characters.

I also thoroughly enjoyed The Last Party by Clare Mackintosh. It’s a police procedural that explores some of the ambiguities of human nature. The two detectives are interesting characters with very different personalities so working together is challenging at times.

I Need a Seat

Urban planners, in my opinion, pay far too much attention to cars and roads, often overlooking some of the small ways in which they can make a city a more enjoyable place to live. For example, seating at bus stops can greatly improve the transit experience.

“Studies have shown that the presence of benches and other transit amenities (read: basics) like shelters and nearby trees can encourage ridership and even decrease perceived wait time … some of the most important and best things that we can do to improve livability and transportation choices in our city often go unnoticed by the vast majority of people, but they're greatly and deeply appreciated by the people who are in need.” [Streets Blog USA]

From Hogs to Literature

Katia Grubisic got a start on her career as a literary translator working for the New Brunswick hog marketing board. She now translates books, primarily from French to English, and talks about some of the challenges she faces in respecting the tone of the book as well as contributing to literature but also making a living: “we should value the artistic output the same way we value buying a litre of milk”. [The Tyee]

Footnotes to a Conversation is a weekly Monday feature covering an assortment of topics that I’ve come across in the preceding week – books, art, travel, food, and whatever else strikes my fancy. I also post occasional articles on other dates, including frequent book reviews and travel tales.

If you share my love of nature, check out EcoFriendly West, an online publication encouraging environmental initiatives in Western Canada, and Nature Companion, a free nature app for Canada’s four western provinces.