Some Weird Stuff

J K Rowling, who wrote the Harry Potter Books, taught English at Porto in the 1990's. Nearby is the University of Coimbra (Sounds like Queenborough). It was also the university that our tour leader Ana attended. This university garb has some characteristics which come very close to Harry Potter. The cape can be worn by undergrads, but with very strict rules.

Cape must hang over left shoulder. (Very hot day)

Is that Hermione???

The older buildings are the basis for Hogwarts. Also they use bats to cleanse the library which stores old books of bugs and beetles. I would not have believed this had I not seen the wire netting on the front of the bookshelves and the large vinyl sheets which they spread to catch the bat droppings. On our way home, annoyed by the large TV and the Croatian French World Cup final, the bats screeched and dived around us. I screeched too!!

An Optical Illusion in Morocco???
While visiting the Heri Souani in Morocco we went to the vast stables and granaries. The stables could house up to 12,000 horses, so of course they needed lots of water. Moulay Ismail designed an elaborate scheme of aquifers and as we were going through the granaries he showed us where the water course flowed underneath the floor. You couldn't see it with the naked eye, but as soon as you looked through your camera there was a wide green line. Duncan saw a light fitting on the other side but it was hard to reconcile this with the green line. Puzzled!

A Total Eclipse of the moon in Croatia.
It had been a very different day for us, going to Bosnia where large numbers were killed in the Homeland War. Later an excellent wine tasting at Matusko winery, and then we anchored in the bay at Trpanj for a BBQ on the top deck with a gentle breeze and a gorgeous sunset.

Then I looked back (over Margaret's head) The moon looked odd and was diametrically opposed to the position of the sunset!! Very exciting - but took about 2 hours for the shadow of the earth to cover it completely - by which time it was well after 10pm. Some of these shots are where I've taken photos off someone else's high power lens camera.

And lastly, the really weird award goes to this turkey serving dish proudly displayed in Pena Palace (Portugal).