Hiking the Drakensberg

The eland, explained Sipelele, our young Zulu guide, was sacred to the nomadic San and Khoekhoe peoples who were once the main inhabitants and stewards of the Drakensberg region of South Africa. These indigenous artists created paintings on sandstone — in caves and on sheltered rock faces — that reflected…

The world from two wheels

Ever since a Ford GoBike station appeared a couple blocks from my house, I’ve been musing about whether this could help me get more exercise into my daily routine — especially right now when walking is painful (plantar fasciitis!). It’s less than a mile to the nearest BART station, but…

Postcards from Bath

She disliked Bath, and did not think it agreed with her — and Bath was to be her home.  (Jane Austen, Persuasion) Destinating Bath Any lover of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer must one day make a pilgrimage to Bath. Like so many others who have “destinated” Bath (an apt coinage I borrow from…