Archive for the ‘My life & thoughts’ Category


Visit to Nairobi (3)

October 21st, 2016 by Roger Darlington

For the first time in my three visits to Kenya to see the family, I spent sometime outside Nairobi when I took my granddaughter (soon to be six) Catrin to a place called Sanctuary Farm about two hours drive north-west of the capital (there is a wonderful view over the Rift Valley about half way […]

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Visit to Nairobi (2)

October 19th, 2016 by Roger Darlington

Since my last posting, I’ve had three more very busy, but thoroughly enjoyable, days with my family in Nairobi. On Sunday, Richard and Emily took baby Kara for a stroll in the Karura Forest, while I took Catrin to an amusement park next to the Muthaiga shopping plaza   She went on just about everything […]

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Visit to Nairobi (1)

October 16th, 2016 by Roger Darlington

Almost 14 months ago, my son Richard and his family relocated to Nairobi when he obtained a job as Head of Strategic Communications for the consultancy arm of a media company called Well Told Story. I am now on my third visit to them and, as well as my granddaughter Catrin (now aged 5 and […]

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20,000 days of the Darlington diaries

October 5th, 2016 by Roger Darlington

Like many men, I enjoy counting things. So I know that today is the 20,000th day of my diaries. And why have I kept a diary so long and so consistently? I’ve tried to explain here.

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Visit to Athens (5)

October 3rd, 2016 by Roger Darlington

Our last day in Athens was a shorter one than the others because we flew back that evening. We visited the Ancient Agora at the foot of the Acropolis which is known as the centre of Athenian democracy. The most complete and impressive structure is the doric Temple of Hephaistos which was constructed between 460-415 […]

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Visit to Athens (4)

October 1st, 2016 by Roger Darlington

On our third full day in Athens, my sister Silvia and I visited our third archaeological museum. This was the National Archaeological Museum where we spent a total of five hours. Our guide book calls the place “one of the world’s most important museums” and “Greece’s pre-eminent museum” and explains that it houses “the world’s […]

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Visit to Athens (3)

September 30th, 2016 by Roger Darlington

This morning, we visited Lykavittos Hill for the finest panoramic views of the city and an especially impressive view of the Acropolis through the urban haze created by the heat and the traffic. The name ‘lykavittos’ means ‘Hill of Wolves’ and in ancient times the location was covered in pines and inhabited by wolves. Silvia […]

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Visit to Athens (2)

September 29th, 2016 by Roger Darlington

It’s been 40 years since I visited Athens and much has stayed the same – after all, this is a city with 2,500 years of history. So it is still somewhat rough and raw with uneven pavements and  crazy traffic –  not a city that everyone would love. But a lot has changed: the city […]

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Visit to Athens (1)

September 28th, 2016 by Roger Darlington

Since my mother died in 1999, my sister Silvia and I have created a tradition of going abroad for a short trip without our spouses. We’re just about to set off for our 10th such venture and this time our destination is Athens. Silvia has never been there and my only previous visit was 40 […]

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The hottest September day since 1949 (now since 1911)

September 13th, 2016 by Roger Darlington

Here in London, the weather has been incredible today for mid September. The peak temperature – towards 2 pm – was an amazing 32C (of oldies, like me, that’s 90F). Fortunately I had no meetings today, so I did not need to endure the London underground to travel into the city centre. Instead I ate […]

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