An Englishman’s home is someone else’s castle

The French castle of where Richard the Lionheart was slain is up for grabs.

Van Gogh: A man unlike everyone else

“All living things contain a measure of madness that moves them in strange, sometimes inexplicable ways. This madness can be saving; it is part and parcel of the ability to adapt.” – Yann Martel, Life of Pi.

A matter of the gravest importance

An interesting article in Time Magazine (24 June 2013), “The New American Way of Death” by Josh Sanburn, tells how cremation in the USA accounts for about 20% of the $13.4 billion “death industry” – the way Americans deal with the end of life. One novelty on offer is a reef burial, in which cremated remains are placed in an artificial, eco-friendly environment on the ocean floor.