WTF-Beta

@wtg said:

I officially give up.

I'll pop over and you can take me for

Steinway Tower, unbelievably amazing views

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/111-W-57th-St-PT75-New-York-NY-10019/464426067_zpid/

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1EgDybXhhg/

True, but I think I'm more likely to talk to someone on the underground than in Costco

Another Borge this time comping with superb violinist
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1ceneXcAQr/

I guess the variation of each costco is likely here too.
The London one always seems to have lots of small cafe and shop owners buying (eg.) vast amounts of bottled water and coke cans and paying hundreds of pounds, in cash. They then charge double/triple in their cafe.
And gallons of cooking oil, large plastic bottles for frying the all day English breakfast.

I must try the Costco close to us now, near Newcastle, and compare.

@wtg @mik
In London this is the trade off, of excellent optics & selection of booze, versus the crush of the unwashed hoards (there are queues to enter at 9.30).
Thank goodness for Waitrose, excellent coffee in a quiet cafe, but buy very little in there as it's pricey.

I do like a Costco chicken bake. Gives me indigestion but

Bit of colour still with an Iceland poppy and rose suddenly showing again.
Apples and pairs are amazing this year:

Their tyres are also good value.

The samples in the UK tend to be highly processed food or alcohol. Nearest thing to healthy is occasional cheese on a stick.

My uk summary:
Big & overly busy, crowded even despite size, always long queues at the tills, buy in bulk so need storage.

Easy parking.
Good for food generally.
Some interesting products. Cheaper even after membership fees, yet I always come out having spent £100-300. So it encourages spending.
Very little seating in the cafe/takeaway, they want you to pay and go.

I really dislike it, worst shopping experience in the UK

@ShiroKuro
Bought the sword as a graduation present for younger daughter. Dates from 1860-70, and is 'resting', in a simple shirasaya wooden scabbard.
Our London flat can be very humid over winter and she asked us to keep it safe.
Here with a jo on a stand I made for her

It's interesting how routes have changed. In England the lowlands were marshy and also filled with trees, so often avoided. People travelled on higher ground and along hilltops where there was drier land and meadow. They also lived on higher ground that could be farmed and defended.

Now our roads (like those of the Romans which we tend to build upon) are generally built to follow land that is flat, lowland, and often a river valley. The natural vegetation is mostly gone or changed over the centuries. We mostly live in valleys and lowland.

I keep an antique katana in ours, a place both humidity controlled and discreet.

We currently have bright sun and rain showers together, quite unusual. Some clouds have their own horizontal faint rainbow.
Outside stripping paint using electric heatgun in the sun, had to stop.
Cut a bit of foliage before it got heavier and took the hint, packed up and made a sandwich.

@mary-anna
Seems it's a review of everything we've found so far. In the UK many of our modern roads are on or follow the roman roads, or drovers roads. We live within 100 yards of one that is partly under tarmac(and was excavated by archaeologists), then continues as a farmers muddy track.
@Daniel
Yes the Romans were in Scotland

Rush hour

https://www.ft.com/content/96f911e8-eb7d-4d50-aada-7e751d42d83b?syn-25a6b1a6=1

2026 Last night of proms
Yuja Wang performed Barber's piano concerto, then a jazz suite. Her playing (and dress) dazzles, I watched it through despite not liking the Barber much, nor the jazz.
How, who, to follow her?
... very entertaining tenor singing a fab Scottish medley.

Omelette