Not quite Ethiopia…yet

I arrived at London Heathrow early Thursday to a beautiful sunny day, this after a a very rainy summer (as usual?).  My family live about 100 miles away in city called Bristol where I was born.  Bristol is a very old port city that was badly impacted from the WWII bombing, but fortunately enough of the old city remains that you can see what it once was.  Following the war, large parts were rebuilt quickly creating what I describe as a concrete jungle and the city has taken a very innovative approach to overcome that by inviting graffiti artists to use these buildings as their canvas.  The results and scale are impressive and a much needed improvement.  The other approach has been more dramatic involving the demolition and rebuilding.  It is not often I get excited about shopping centers but the new one in Bristol is impressive; it shows they don’t have to be boring rows of shops!

Even though the Olympics is now over, it is easy to see how much of a positive impact it had on the country, as witnessed by small things like the number of Union Jack flags still flying and being displayed in the windows of homes.  Everything I have heard about it has been incredibly positive and in particular the Paralympics has been a great success and it is sad it did not get much publicity in the USA.  Some of the achievements sound truly inspiring, such as the one legged high jumper who can hop higher than a normal door frame!

Anyhow, I leave for Addis Ababa tonight and the real adventures start when I arrive tomorrow morning!