One of the joys of life is to return to the familiar, to catch up with others, to chew the fat and gossip. So it was this week I managed to push open the Hope Café doors for the first time this year, be washed by the warmth of people and the fug from the heating! I immediately spied Sami and Lisa at a corner table as I expected, as we had exchange texts earlier to ensure we could meet. As I walked in, I saw another lady, sixty-something and blonde, quietly reading Robert Harris’ latest book ‘The Act of Oblivion’.

On my way past, nosey as I am, I ask if she’s enjoying it.

“Only just started it” she says “but I love the idea that it’s kept quite close to the historical facts, that when Oliver Cromwell died and the monarchy was restored, there was a hunt for those who had signed King Charles 1’s death warrant. Have you read it?”

King Charles 1’s Death Warrant, with 59 signatories

“Yes … and, given that I don’t generally like historical novels, I found it brilliant. I’m Richard by the way.” “Hello Richard, I’m Mo.”

Not wanting to intrude further, I hoped she’d enjoy her coffee and moved across to Sami’s table. Lisa offered to get me an espresso and left to talk to Josh behind the counter.

“So pleased to see you Richard. Looking well! Haven’t seen you since before Christmas, so bring me up to date. Didn’t you say you were going to Rio de Janeiro?”

“Yes, we had just over three weeks, living in my brother-in-law’s apartment in Barra da Tijuca; he and his family are in Portugal. Wonderful views of Pedro de Gavea, the granite and gneiss mountain that rises 844m almost straight out of the sea. Normally we see its south eastern side. Look! Here’s a photo from that side

……. and this from somewhere near the top

……. and this the view from Barra by the light of a full moon.

During that time we flew off to The Atacama desert in northern Chile for five nights (see PCs 319 & 320).”

“Wow! How was that?”

“Not like anything we have done before, although we acknowledge that we tend to travel to places where there aren’t many people!! (Other places include Alaska, PCs 44 & 45 July 2015, and The Pantanal PCs 17 & 20 Aug/Sep 2014).” I sensed Sami and Lisa wanted to see some photographs so opened my iPad and tried not to bore them too much!

Part of the Moon Valley, north of San Pedro de Atacama

Sami seems very relaxed and his relationship with Lisa is obviously doing him good. He tells me the Post Office Enquiry is now focusing on the IT systems and Post Office Management response, although he’s fairly sanguine about any compensation for lives destroyed (See my postcard PC 235 Generosity in Government (June 2021)).

“Did you see that nonsense in France about the attempt by Emmanuel Macron to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64? Well, we think it’s nonsense but most people in France don’t. Look, I found this interesting table about retirement ages and life expectancy:

Sami, you and I weren’t around when the UK Government first introduced a state pension; it was in 1908. You could claim it on your 70^th birthday; it seems the treasury didn’t have to put a huge amount into the pension pot, as life expectancy for men was 51!  

Nations treat the elderly differently. In Latin America we are recognised in a number of different ways; I have experienced a few. Many years ago we had taken the bus from Rio de Janeiro to Petropolis (See PC 6 2014), about a two hour trip. On arrival in the bus terminal I needed to pop to the loo and, after showing proof of age (!), was waved through the turnstile by the attendant. On this trip both entering Chile at Santiago airport and entering Brazil when we returned, we had our own ‘passport control queue’. In Rio this was very fortunate as five aeroplanes had landed within a few minutes of each other (1000 passengers?) and the queue snaked forwards, around, backwards, around and would have taken hours! In Brazil the local supermarket chain Zona Sul has a check-out queue for those with walking sticks and the elderly; I am not proud when it comes to using it and Celina’s in my wake!”

Sami, Lisa and I caught up with other news.

“You know”, says Sami,” the war in Ukraine has, for obvious reasons, stayed in our consciousness since the invasion in February last year but not necessarily now at the top. Today the horrific earthquake in south eastern Turkey and Syria has our attention, for this loss of life is not the result of someone’s misguided ambitions and hunger for attention, Putin The Pigheaded, ……”

“Hey That’s my name for him, Sami!

“I know! I pinched it!  …. but the earth’s crust doing a little adjustment. In its scale, just a minor itch, but the reality for those buried under collapsed buildings is final.”

Rahmi my local newsagent is Turkish and has many relatives living there, but fortunately just to the north of the earthquake zone; one aunt has a broken leg. In his shop by the till is a plastic container used as a donation box and it’s already very full of folding money.”

Before I leave I go and have a chat with Susie, as the last time I saw her she told me her cousin had been knocked over by an electric scooter in Clapham and was in St George’s Hospital’s ICU. (See PC 312 December 2023)

“They performed miracles, Richard; seriously! There was a neurosurgeon Henry Marsh who managed to stop the brain bleed and the long term outlook is very positive. It’s over two months ago and he should be discharged next week.”

I couldn’t tell her that about the same time my sister-in-law, living in Portugal, had choked on some bread, suffered a blockage of her airways and had subsequently died. All too raw: maybe next time.

I nod to Mo as I leave, mouth ‘maybe see you next time’, and go out into the fresh air.

Richard 17^th February 2023

Hove

http://www.postcardscribbles.co.uk

PS Sunrise is often an enchanting time, the promise of a day of one’s life. Wednesday’s was stunning!