Author Archives: spikekalashnikov

A foundation of meaningful pleasure is contrast. I mean if you drink Champagne all the time, it becomes mundane. In the last two days I have had meaningful eating. Arisa’s birthday – we go to a tiny restaurant that has … Continue reading →

You will remember that Jack Aubrey https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Aubrey has to bring his badly damaged ship to Desolation Island to make repairs. https://www.google.com/maps/place/Grande+Terre/@-49.187292,69.3142365,82938m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5!1s0xb36b481ca16fd0e7:0xb9964abcebd3657f!8m2!3d-49.3948275!4d69.3544625!16s%2Fm%2F0lc9n1w?entry=ttu I am back in Okinawa and, having more or less recovered from the major bash I had, can get … Continue reading →

Friend Eli gets me a first class ticket on JAL for less than the Expedia economy price! I do not know how he does it but if you are going to fly internationally always contact eli@jetnsave.com. Drop my name, it … Continue reading →

My journey North and back was dominated by my swollen face. It was very bad and made it difficult to talk, to eat, to whistle etc. I also felt miserable. A pity. As fate would have it, lots of old … Continue reading →

I try to fight it off but it is no good, I have to snuffle around in the undergrowth pretending to be a Bear or an Eagle. I set off to drive Highway 101 from San Francisco to its terminus … Continue reading →

In 1987, I bought a chopping block from our local butcher, Monsieur Prost, in Collonges Fort L’Ecluse. It is a fantastic thing. The slab is made from hundreds of square oak blocks and the undercarriage is very solid pine of … Continue reading →

Not good news I’m afraid. A huge typhoon ripped through Okinawa yesterday. 100 knot winds for several hours and 1ft of rain! https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/video/typhoon-khanun-turns-deadly-as-it-lashes-okinawa-japan The boat has suffered. The cover ripped and blew off. The boat filled with water. The cockpit … Continue reading →

As I stand before the house in San Francisco, I notice two things, the house is looking ever more derelict and that it is blissfully cool. Bright sun, blue sky but cool! What delight! I thought I was going to … Continue reading →

I return to Okinawa to spend six weeks of blissful sailing adventure. As usual with boats, things do not work out as planned. While away in California there was a small typhoon resulting in much tugging on the bow mooring … Continue reading →

Off I go for a jaunt to Fukuoka. Unfortunately my visit coincides with a canicule in Japan and indeed the rest of the world. It is 36 Celsius and 80% humidity in the killer streets of Fukuoka, which makes walking … Continue reading →