Per Magica Ad Astra

 2023 is coming to a close and Thailand is pushing the boat out to end the year wish a blaze of lights, sounds and fun. The actual New Year Eve countdowns will be pretty big BUT out little Tang Would die of fright. So here is a look an the Tha Pae gate New Year eve's eve goings on. Just a short one honest. Happy New Year all.

 We went to the Red Lion for our traditional Xmas dinner again this year, mind you the Chinese Foundation where we park had a heck of a blaze going, we thought the place may burn down The atmosphere at the Red Lion was, as always, really festive, a great way to tuck into Xmas dinner Except Pin who shared chicken wings starter with Satang And prefers fish and chips to turkey A good time for all, here we are in the festive spirit. Merry Christmas everyone.

 Time for another little snippet about here and about and what a wonderful time it is although I admit, a day is needed today Xmas eve to recharge the batteries. Why is it the most wonderful time of the year? Well, our Tang is now home and so much better, yes, she needs more rest and she hates having her meds but the tail is wagging and she has resumed her barking at strangers and especially at cats. We have been taking her with us everywhere and since the last little blog we have been taking in the rather good Royal Park Rajapruek. And as a special treat we called at Sausage King for a late lunch just so Satang could eat all of the chicken out of my chicken and stuffing butty. Well it wouldn't be one of my blogs without a food snap would it... Then yesterday… Yesterday was one of those very very special day as, with Steve and Isabella her with us, we were able to celebrate Isabella's 21st birthday together with Pin and I’s wedding anniversary. What a good day, in the evening w

 Greetings all It has been a busy time here in the Trinder household. Our friends Steve and Izzy are here, it’s great to see then after the Covid enforced travel ban so here are a few snapshots of the stuff we have been up to. Christmas dinner at O.M.G A wander around the 700-year park A wine or two at Moment and Wine A walk by Mae Kuang Dam where the water is still so high the lower road is under and no longer accessible. Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden Mon Jam And the Stinky Canal. All of this has been wonderful but for Pin and I it is clouded by our Satang being seriously ill and needing an operation. The good news is she looks to be healing well and today, fingers crossed, she can come back home and we can be a family again.

 Our first full day in Vietnam and we had booked a trip to the DMZ, thank God we had booked it for then, just before central Vietnam flooded. A highlight was the tunnels so I decided to dedicate a video to just that. Here it is. Coffee.

 The Oldies continue to take SE Asia by storm, or more correctly a storm takes the Olympus Oldies when they go to Viet Nam.

 Sepang is a great venue to watch the MotoGP and we are lucky that one of our party has connections that are wonderful hosts. The video is flawed but...

 Only a month after the event, it is a good job I am not paid as a reporter. Anyway, with a November scheduled to a bunch of oldies that once worked for Olympus, when Olympus was Olympus that is, setting out to take South East Asia by storm (more a gentle breeze) the world needs to know that later life can be fun, an awful lot of fun. The drawback does include getting stuff wrong, like deleting the bikes onboard video before checking it had been transferred😖 so on this particular video you have to make do with the Relive trace. No way do I, or am I anything like the talented friends from Olympus and elsewhere when it comes to artistic prowess but it is good to be able to bring the viewing public down to earth now and again. Coffee.

 When will I bloody learn not to post a blog directly onto Blogger. An hours work creating what I hoped would be and interesting blog vanished without trace. Here are some snaps And a video Plus the reason for the title I need coffee.