Enjoying a holiday in distant lands it is easy to forget that those around us are working, and yet, taking an interest in people’s everyday lives is an excellent way to understand another culture. If we are trekking, one of
Travel Tales of Bhutan: a tribute
It was a tragic event for Bhutan when, in 2013, fire destroyed the Wangduephodrang Dzong, a fortified monastery built in 1638. The King walked sadly among smouldering ruins where salvage operations had managed to save many historic treasures and holy relics.
Travel Tales of Bhutan: floral connections
Did the ancestors of your garden plants come from Bhutan? One of the exciting things about travelling, for a keen gardener, is to see familiar garden plants in their natural habitat. Over the last 500 years, plants have been collected
Travel Tales of Bhutan: the Colour of Happiness
Bhutan is no Shangri-La, but it seems to have a better grasp of happiness than the rest of the world. So what does colour have to do with it? The first thing you notice when you arrive in Bhutan is that colour
Travel Tales of Bhutan: Thangkas
These hand-painted Buddhist wall hangings are never signed. The identity of the painter is not important: it is an act of reverence and meditation. This is the thangka I brought back from Bhutan: Padmasambhava seated on lotus blossoms. Shown here