Category: Uncategorized

Flik | The Greatest Ant that ever lived

A Bugs Life, a children’s film or something much deeper?

Daily writing prompt
When you think of the word “successful,” who’s the first person that comes to mind and why?
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This morning I have decided to take an unconventional route with the daily prompt & subsequently I’m writing about a fictional Ant, bear with me 🤭. If you have not seen the movie A Bugs Life, I would highly recommend it. It’s an animated movie from 1998 by the same people who made Toy Story. I won’t ruin the plot for you, but it is laden with deep philosophical meaning.

The protagonist Flik, although well intentioned, is a hapless liability to his Ant colony, often coming up with crazy inventions, schemes & plots to improve the lives of his fellow Ants. They are plagued by a gang of rogue Grasshoppers stealing all of their food & Flik sets out on a mission to fight back. Given that he is prone to a mishap or two, this results in a series of comical events that will have you laughing out loud.

Although it is technically a children’s fable, there are some profound quotes & lessons that can be taken from it. As Flik attempts to rally the ants to fight back against the Grasshoppers, he has to make the ants realise that although they are small individually, if they work together they are bigger & stronger than the Grasshoppers. I think the same is true of people & communities. In this crazy digital age, it’s easy to get lost in the noise of it all, making it tricky to find your place & purpose. Whilst you may feel small in amongst a population of billions of people, getting out into the community, doing volunteer work & helping people, has such a positive impact on other people but also your own sense of fulfilment. One of the things I have loved most about creating this blog, is reading other peoples & the charity/community work they do. It reminds me there are good people out there, the world needs more Fliks, lots of people pulling together & working towards common goals. Circling back to the question, without giving any spoilers, my successful person is Flik, even the smallest & clumsiest of Ants can become a hero!

Let me know who your successful person is, I will have a look on WordPress Reader later, but also happy for you to share a link in comments to your writing prompt post 😊

I shall leave you with one of my favourite Flik quotes “You’re not a tree yet, you just have to give yourself some time. You’re still a seed.”

Have a lovely day & thanks for reading ❤️

Computers | Crazy space age technology, a force for good?

I rarely write the daily prompts however this topic piqued my interest & is a subject I have spent a lot of time ruminating over recently. Computers & the internet allow you to connect with people all over the world, find communities who share similar interests & for a lot of lucky people earn a living on the move, doing things they love. Computers have been a source of immense utility both on an individual & societal basis. However, the level of integration into our every day lives is frightening & a little overwhelming.

Daily writing prompt
Your life without a computer: what does it look like?
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As a species, Human beings are incredible, with such a resilience & adaptability to survive through hundreds & thousands of years of harsh winters, wars, famines, droughts, geological, cosmological & solar events. However, the rate at which computers & the internet are changing the very nature of what it is to be human, is leaving little room for people to adapt & evolve in parallel. To me, it is insane that I am able to access an entire library’s worth of knowledge at my finger tip whilst eating a packet of Jaffa cakes on the sofa. I guess with anything, it can be a tool for good, as long as you are disciplined & using computers alongside daily life rather than outsourcing thinking & decision making to a computer or AI model.

In direct relation to what does life look like without a computer? I often find myself seeking serenity in the countryside, even if it’s only a temporary recluse. Visiting places with no internet or phone signal, really makes me appreciate the beauty in nature. Coming back from these trips, it feels like a digital detox & a fresh mindset. If you live in the UK, the Peak District is the perfect place, I am very fortunate to go regularly. If you are interested in visiting, I have some travel guides on my page (I’m not on commission or selling ads or anything like that, I just want people to experience the Peaks). You can see my posts on Grindleford (Here), New Mills (Here) & Hope/Castleton (Here).

Thanks for taking the time to read, I am really interested in what you think, so please let me know. Also if you have any tips for reducing screen time & getting a good balance of digital time vs offline, I would love to hear them. I often start out being very productive, writing for my blog & reading up on things, but then before long I am playing computer games & looking at memes. Which is fine in moderation, if you can find a balance, which I currently don’t do very well 😂. Have a wonderful weekend ❤️

Is it ever possible to choose just one favourite album?

Daily writing prompt
What’s your all-time favorite album?
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Personally, I would say a truly fantastic album should play as a holistic work of art, rather than a collection of individual songs that don’t have any intrinsic relevance to each other. The beauty of a great album is that you can revisit it having not listened for a while & it can mean something completely different to you every time you hear it. The songs & lyrics are still the exact same, but your perceptions & paradigms in which you view life & the world are constantly evolving & adapting.

It isn’t hyperbole to say I couldn’t pick one favourite, I would love to hear some of your favourite albums? I am always on the lookout for new music recommendations.

Some of my favourite albums, in no particular order are Biffy Clyro -Puzzle, Ludovico Einaudi – In a time lapse, Linkin Park – Hybrid Theory, Oasis – Definitely Maybe, Bruce Springsteen – Born to run, R.E.M – Automatic for the people & David Bowie – Legacy (which I know is a bit of a cheat due to it being a compilation, but it’s a banging album & I have it on Vinyl 😍). Thanks for reading & have a wonderful day!

Is life without music a soulless existence?

Daily writing prompt
What would your life be like without music?
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This is my first time writing for the ‘Daily prompt’, however this subject definitely caught my attention. I truly feel that music is such an integral part of what makes us human. For me, music is a sort of composition of various sounds arranged in such a way that can produce incredible sounds that can be deeply moving. There are so many different types of music, genres, sub genres & more instruments than I could ever list here. Having the fortune to listen to live music is such a profound intimate experience that I couldn’t imagine never going to see a show again.

When you visit a country, I feel like the two things that really go to the heart of a culture are the food & the music. Of course the buildings & scenery are important, but I feel everything about the history & the people is poured into the food & music. When I was recently in Finland, I sat in a bar on my own for about 2 hours listening to Finnish people sing Karaoke. I had no idea what the lyrics meant, but it was a wonderful experience. I had something similar in Egypt, having no clue what the band were singing in Arabic.

Without music, I would definitely be lost. I love food, but it doesn’t stir my soul in the same way that music can. I have a very eclectic taste & have been fortunate to have seen some incredible live performances. Some of my favourite have been to are Bruce Springsteen, Duran Duran, Oasis, Scooter, Sean Paul, JFDR, Olafur Arnalds, Ludovico Einaudi, Andre Rieu & Johann Strauss orchestra, The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Hans Zimmer, Kasabian, Gerry Cinnamon, Biffy Clyro & The Blossoms (I have been to about 100 shows in last 3/4 years).

Let me know some of your favourite music, I always love to listen to new things, so any recommendations appreciated 😊

In Bruges | Quaint, Charming & Ethereal 😍

Wonderful day trip, but a serious over indulgence of… 🧇🍫🍻

Setting the scene

Another ‘Anywhere trip’ on Skyscanner brought me to Brussels for a few nights, so I decided to take a trip out to Bruges for the day. My perception of Bruges was always that it was a cute place you would visit with your spouse or partner. However, since those are thin on the ground these days, I went solo & loaded up on all of the good stuff, Belgian Beers, Fries, Waffles & Chocolates! Needless to say my Samsung Health Tracker calorie counter was surplus to requirements. I got the steps in though, so surely it all balances out?

About Bruges…

Bruges is the capital of West Flanders in Belgium & is a World heritage site with UNESCO. It’s origins stretch all the way back to a Julius Caesar conquest & was a really important coastal settlement for trade etc!

Between the 12th & 15th centuries Bruges went through a significant period of growth & innovation, attracting all sorts of wealth & traders. Onwards from here Bruges fell behind Antwerp as an economic power (I would love to visit Antwerp, any recommendations welcome 😊).

During both World Wars Bruges was occupied by Germany, although it wasn’t destroyed like a lot of other cities. Today it is an absolutely stunning place, with bendy narrow streets, beautiful canals, historic monuments & awesome architecture. I promised honesty in this blog, so want to call out that the city is very popular & subsequently extremely busy. I went in October, so it may be more quiet if you want to brave the cold in Winter. It was still an incredible experience, however if you aren’t comfortable with really busy crowds etc Bruges may be a little overwhelming.

Story time 🏰

An absolute must visit is the Bruges Beer Experience, there are a lot of rip off places, so I am sharing the link to the actual one here . Usual caveats apply, I am not on commission for this recommendation, but if the boss sees it & wants to send me some free beers, sign me up 😂. They have 16 different beers in the bar & you get 4 for 10 euros, which in Bruges is exceptional value.

They are not full pints, but you get a little paddle of 4 & the % of them is really high. I decided I was going to complete all 16, as they say, when in Bruges! This was not one of my brighter ideas, by the time I stumbled out, I almost missed the tour bus back to Brussels. If you are going to do this, do it at the end of your day so it doesn’t ruin your sightseeing etc.

I could ramble on for pages & pages about the chocolate! As I went to go into a little chocolate shop a friendly local started talking to me & advised that shop had counterfeit chocolate, not to waste my money. “No good, I show you good place”. Now I may look like a dimwit, but I am usually good at spotting scams. To me, chocolate is chocolate, so I went in anyway, turns out the gent was right, it was pretty grim! He explained that there are authentic stores as part of a collection of chocolatiers, that have a little sign outside the window. I will share the sign in the photos. The chocolate in there is next level 😍

Some photos of the trip…

  • Rozenhoedkaai canal panorama view
  • Beer Museum
  • Beer Museum
  • The beginning of the end
  • Street Performer
  • Random canal
  • Random canal
  • Beautiful Holy building
  • Random canal
  • Some famous building according to the tour guide
  • Some famous bridge according to the tour guide
  • Sign of chocolate authenticity (Image from Google)

Where to eat & drink? 🍻🍽️

The food in this place was nothing to write home about, however it’s a set menu, at a decent price, with quick service & the best pint of Leffe I found in Belgium. It was called Brasserie Rozenhoedkaai & It also has the most stunning view of the famous Quai du Rosaire / Rozenhoedkaai upstairs on the first floor. If you don’t fancy the food, just pretend you are going to the loo upstairs to get a photo of the view!

Getting around 🚕

I only stayed in the city centre & everything is within walking distance. They do have horse & carriage, which I wouldn’t take, however I must say the horses seemed a lot better looked after than other places I have been. If you wanted to travel out to the Pier/ waterfront , I would recommend taking an Uber.

What is coming next? 🤔

Next up I will be posting travel guides for some domestic places ahead of Summer! The UK is awesome when the sun comes out, for that whole week once a year. Next weeks post is on Knutsford & Tatton Country Park, which has been my favourite post to write & I will have a very important poll for you, you won’t want to miss it! Then there will be a mini series on spots in the Peak District & more historical places like Chester, Edinburgh & York. I would love to take any recommendations in the comments, if I can get there by bus, train or plane, I will go 🤠

Hit subscribe to get notified when the post goes live, thanks for reading through as always, if you have any questions drop me a comment & I will get back to you as soon as possible ❤️

Tyler’s Travel Tales ✈️

I am from Bonnie Scotland! However, I have been seeking refuge from the harsh Scottish winters & living in England for a few years. Welcome to my first blog post, where I will be sharing some (hopefully funny) travel tales from my wanders. Along with lots of practical advice & on everything from Sites to visit, Keeping safe, Restaurants, Bars & Getting around.

I take THE worst selfies (Check out my Pyramids outtake pictures for evidence😂) & wear the most ridiculous outfits. All photos shared are my own, using a Nokia 3310 standard of phone camera, with no editing. All of the words are my own, without the use of any AI (Better to crash & burn on your own material than fly on some soulless generic ChatGPT output). I will regularly post a new blog article from a different place, beginning with the incredible Cairo, Egypt.

Over the last few trips, I have been lost so many times I should be the Hide & Seek Champion, have had guns pointed at me, been dragged out of Holy buildings & ruined Athlete Home Coming Parades (All entirely accidental of course). All information given is correct to the best of my knowledge at the time of posting, but opening times & prices change etc. Therefore, it’s important to remember that Abraham Lincoln famously said “Don’t believe everything you read on the internet”.

I am not selling anything, nor on Commission for any places recommended, my aim is to provide an honest, useful resource to anyone considering visiting these places & hopefully make some new friends along the way. Feel free to leave any feedback, either singing my praises or howling abuse at me, it’s all welcomed! Thanks for stopping by, please subscribe (for free) & lets conquer the World, one tale at a time ❤️✈️🏝️