Songs: Sailing

This is pretty:

Photography: Giant's Causeway Part 1

So a while ago, I started writing about a trip to Northern Ireland. These are some of my HDR photos from Giant's Causeway. Seeing as i took so many, these are mainly of the approach to the causeway. Giant's Causeway is made up of basalt columns and stretches all the way to Scotland. People used to think it couldn't possibly be natural, as it's so regular and weird-looking. They believed it was made by a giant.

Songs: The Mountains of Mourne

A funny Irish song today:

Photography: Instagram

About a year and a half ago I made myself an Instagram account. I snap quite a lot of pretty things with my phone when I'm out and about and then I would always forget to post them to Facebook afterwards and no one would ever see them. so I started an Instagram for pretty phone snaps, and as a bonus it was somewhere where more people could see them other than just my Facebook friends. I used to really like Instagram. It was just a group of people sharing beautiful things and it was a nice, peaceful break from all the anger on Facebook. But then, as seems to happen, it got slightly ruined for me by getting too big. Now it seems like it's full of photo thieves with duplicate accounts just wanting to make a quick buck. Still, along with friends I've also got myself a few dedicated followers who are not people I know, which is nice, and I still enjoy sharing my photos of pretty things.

So, here's a link to my Instagram.

Songs: That Man

A fun, jazzy song today:

Gig Reviews: Christine Bovill

Ok, I'll admit that when a friend invited me to this I wasn't quite sure what I was going to, but I have to say it was a really outstanding concert, and that Christine Bovill has got herself a new fan. She's a Glaswegian lady who sings French songs, from the 20s, through to the 50s, and she's especially a fan of Edith Piaf. Now I don't know many French songs, but I did recognise quite a few of the melodies from their English translations, for example I had no idea that My Way started life as a French song about a marriage that's gone stale. Anyway, Christine is a great singer, and an even better storyteller! The way she introduced each song was amazing, and I really felt transported back to Paris in the first half of the 20th century. And the way she interacted with the audience and set the mood was wonderful. Go see her if you get the chance! If you're not a fan of Chanson Francaise, you will be!

Songs: Quel qu'un m'a dit

Gorgeous little French tune. It was on the 500 Days of Summer soundtrack. Interestingly, the singer is Carla Bruni, the former French First Lady.

TV Reviews: The Crown, Seasons 1 and 2

I love this show so much! It's about the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. It shows the royals as real people and focuses on relationships between people, not pomp, ceremony and riches. Peoples' faults are not glossed over. They are dealt with candidly, showing that these important people are only human. Prince Philip's racism is portrayed, as is Winston Churchill, Lord Mountbatten and the Queen Mother's arrogance Margaret's recklessness and Charles's sensitivity. The series opens with the then Princes Elizabeth and Prince Philip's wedding, before she became Queen. A good decision, I think, as the relationship between them is so central to the series. It goes on to cover the death of elizabeth's father, King George VI, the coronation, the Queen and other members of the Royal family, especially Prince Philip who is frustrated by living in his wife's shadow and his lack of personal freedom, becoming accustomed to their new roles and Princess Margaret's ill-fated romance with Group Captain Townsend. The second season focuses on political crises, Elizabeth and Philip's marital problems, Margaret's marriage, meeting JFK and Jackie and Charles's education. It's beautifully acted. Claire Foy is brilliant as the Queen, and Matt Smith is a great Prince Philip.The cast is massive and there is a nice surprise almost every episode, as yet another favorite actor is recognised. John Lithgow is incredible as Winston Churchill. I think he gets him entirely right, very surprising from an American comedy actor! The Duke of Windsor, the former King Edward VIII, is an interesting character. You start off feeling very sorry for him, as an outcast, who made the wonderfully romantic decision to abdicate so he could marry Wallis Simpson, but later end up despising him, as his history as a Hitler supporter and a traitor is revealed to the Queen. I also never realised that some of the other main characters had such interesting histories. I never knew Prince Philip was part of the Greek royal family, and that his family were forced to flee for their lives, and that he was smuggled out in an orange crate as a baby, as spent his childhood more or less in exile, and that everyone opposed his marriage to Elizabeth. He couldn't see his family as they sided with the Nazis. Or that the Queen Mother was thought to be common, as she was only a Lady at the time of her marriage, not royalty, and that this was fairly radical for the time. Altogether a gripping, well-acted and brilliantly writeen series. It seems to teach that money doesn't buy happiness and that not even these people are free from illness and unhappiness, and that bad things happen when people try to stand in the way of love. I'll be very interested to see how the show develops in the next season, as the timeline progresses and the parts are passed on to older actors. And I'm sure nobody else cares, but I love how in the coronation scene Princess Margaret is wearing the tiara that Meghan Markle wore for her wedding to Harry!

Songs: Pepper

Another Butthole Surfers one:

Movie Reviews: Little Shop of Horrors

Why, oh why have I never seen this before? I really enjoyed it. It's a film based on an off-Broadway musical, based on an older film, about a man eating plant from outer space, all wrapped up in 80s gloriousness. It stars Rick Moranis with enjoyable brief appearances from Steve Martin, John Candy, Christopher Guest and Bill Murray. Steve Martin is particularly funny as an evil dentist who has posibly the weirdest death scene I've ever seen! Despite gruesome deaths, swearing, sadism and domestic abuse, the film still somehow manages to be warm and fuzzy. But what really made it for me was the music. I'll be singing "Little shop, little shop of horrors!" for weeks!