calvisson-leblon

  A month ago in the Brazilian Pantanal, I got up close and personal with a randy jaguar couple.   I spent last week in the Brazilian Cerrado and met Savana (photo below), a relaxed female maned wolf ( Chrysocyon brachyurus, lobo guara in Portugues) near the lodge where I was staying.   She is the local matriarch and was surveying her territory; the Trijunçâo lodge stands in the middle of her playground. Since moving to Brazil, I have been puzzled by Chrysocyon brachyurus , a fruit eating Canidae.   It is Brazil’s largest Canidae and a symbol of the Cerrado , the world’s most biologically rich savannah.   Chrysocyon is an icon which graces Brazil’s largest note of R$ 200.   I had never heard of maned wolves until I read that Catholic monks were feeding them in their Caraça sanctuary in the state of Minas Gerais.   Up to two wild wolves visit the monks at night when they want to complement their usual critter catches with a treat of chicken and fru...

During a week, my friends and I explored Iguaçu Falls and the Pantanal wetlands.   They did not need much convincing to pay a visit to Brazil ‘s landmark, one of the 7 New Wonders of Nature and a designated UNESCO World Heritage site as well as to discover the wild side and exotic corners of Pantanal.  Moreover, these magnificent places are home to an incredibly diverse wildlife.  Iguaçu/Iguazu Waterfalls are naturally awesome; they are the largest waterfall system in the world.  During our stay, the water level was abnormally high due to heavy rainfall upstream.  There was so much water that the 275 individual waterfalls or cascades were all overflowing with milk-chocolate colored water.  On the walkways to the U-shaped Devil’s Throat Chasm, our flimsy raincoats did not offer protection, we were soaked to the bone by the water spray.  Information panels stated that the fall’s water had turned brown due to sedimentation resulting from deforestatio...

 Before repeated heat waves gripped the South of France, dipping in the pool was pampering, now it is a survival need.  I retired in 2003 in a pre-heatwave era, and I bought an apartment in Rio de Janeiro and a house in the south of France.  Having been an outdoor gal all my life, I wanted to enjoy my retirement in warm places with a celebrated outdoors culture like in Rio and Provence.   For the first twenty years, my plan worked out fabulously until climate change and global warming reshaped the previously balmy, sunny and easy-going Provence into a hellish spot where going out is potentially hazardous to one’s life.    One of the great delights of being in this part of France was the prospect of settling down at an outdoor café after exploring the picturesque village streets in the company of friends.   Temperatures now commonly reach 40 ºC (over 104 F), resulting in reduced outdoor activities and less social interaction.   I very much m...

 Artificial Intelligence has been hyped as the ultimate tool for achieving Nirvana: IA improves our daily life by making it smoother, smarter and more enjoyable.   From my own limited experience, I beg to disagree.  AI is making a large number of people lazy, dependent, trusting and dumb.  I am just a humble voice outside the chorus of distinguished experts who find that AI is addictive and undermines one’s critical thinking. Moreover, I am uncomfortable with the adjective “artificial”, does not it mean insincere or affected? Paradoxically, Donald Trump wants to replace it, probably to conceal its most malicious impacts.  In an AI world, we will have to stay vigilant to enjoy its benefits. I frequently use AI for tips, enquiries, references and blog writing.   Google Gemini often goes off the rails and provides wrong information, a double check is vital.     Microsoft 365 Copilot is a useful grammar checker but an unimaginative writing too...

Medieval castles always fascinated me, and one Welsh Castle in particular.   A year ago, an intriguing and scenic picture of the ruined medieval Castle of Carew captivated my imagination.   While browsing the Internet, I found pictures of several Welsh castles, each with a distinct eerie appearance.    Impressed and curious, I convinced my English friend B to organize a visit to Wales.     She is an experienced tour organizer; under her guidance I had already explored Scotland, Ireland and several regions of England.                                                                    Carew Castle Friends were puzzled by this travel choice, viewing Wales as a backwater compared to England.   Did not Wales rank last in the 2025 Six Nations rugby competition?   This poor opinion ove...

  Kärcher is a household name in Europe and a handyman’s best friend.   A few years ago, I bought a Kärcher high-pressure water cleaner to make my Calvisson handyman’s work faster.   Kärcher claims to be user-friendly and water efficient.   However, this year, my handyman was unavailable due to a minor domestic accident, and unable to find a replacement, I had to handle the cleaning myself.   I now believe that cleaning and weed removal are no   longer tasks for the local handymen.   The water cleaner’s operating manual is written in 28 European languages but lacks helpful pictures.   After watching two YouTube tutorials, I became Karcher proficient at 82, bingo! The equipment is a bit heavy to drag around but I discovered that the high-pressure gun is more fun to operate than a vacuum cleaner.   Wearing my rubber boots, I thoroughly cleaned porch, patio and terrace; all are now spick and span.     If “Kärchering” can be done by a...