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ENVIRONMENT <br />
THE FREEBIRD TIMES<br />
ISSUE 3, AUGUST 2018<br />
VIEW<br />
FROM<br />
THE TOP<br />
we talk to Dawson<br />
Stelfox, the first Irish<br />
man to reach the<br />
summit of Mount<br />
Everest<br />
EAT WELL TO<br />
STAY WELL<br />
TRAVEL<br />
WITH US TO<br />
BOSTON AND<br />
BORDEAUX<br />
GET TECH<br />
SAVVY<br />
START TO<br />
APPRECIATE<br />
ART<br />
MEET THE<br />
MAN STILL<br />
FLYING<br />
HIGH AT 73<br />
THE FREEBIRD TIMES – ISSUE NO. 3, AUGUST 2018<br />
1<br />
freebirdclub.com
THE FREEBIRD TIMES – ISSUE NO. 3, AUGUST 2018<br />
LET’S GO<br />
Contents...<br />
Come and join us! 3<br />
Welcome to the third edition of the <strong>Freebird</strong> <strong>Times</strong>.<br />
Beautiful Bordeaux 4<br />
Moira Allan discovers the delights of Southwest France.<br />
GoGoDermo 6<br />
Dermot Higgins cycles into the Guinness Book of Records.<br />
THE FREEBIRD TIMES<br />
ENVIRONMENT <br />
ISSUE 3, AUGUST 2018<br />
VIEW<br />
FROM<br />
THE TOP<br />
we talk to Dawson<br />
Stelfox, the first Irish<br />
man to reach the<br />
summit of Mount<br />
Everest<br />
EAT WELL TO<br />
STAY WELL<br />
TRAVEL<br />
WITH US TO<br />
BOSTON AND<br />
BORDEAUX<br />
GET TECH<br />
SAVVY<br />
START TO<br />
APPRECIATE<br />
ART<br />
MEET THE<br />
MAN STILL<br />
FLYING<br />
HIGH AT 73<br />
freebirdclub.com 1<br />
View from the top 7<br />
We talk to mountaineer Dawson Stelfox, the first Irish man<br />
to reach the summit of Mount Everest.<br />
READING<br />
THE FREEBIRD TIMES<br />
Summer reads 10<br />
<strong>Freebird</strong> Club members let us in on their favourite authors<br />
and current reads.<br />
Let’s Cook 13<br />
Niav Halpin shares her grandmother’s recipe for a<br />
“pick me up” dessert.<br />
High flyer 14<br />
Captain Bob Holly is still flying choppers for a living at 73.<br />
Tips for healthy eating 16<br />
A good diet boosts health and wellbeing in older age.<br />
Love art! 17<br />
Volunteer gallery guide, Maureen Dunne, shares some of<br />
her favourite artworks.<br />
Hitting the high notes 19<br />
Why singing is good for you.<br />
Boston has it all! 20<br />
Boston-born Julie Colby tells us about her native city and<br />
Jackie Keady gives us the low-down on the Pioneer Valley.<br />
Tech savvy 22<br />
Top tech tips to improve memory and travel.<br />
Take a look at our easy-to-follow<br />
video to learn how to read the<br />
magazine online.<br />
While most people know intuitively<br />
how to turn pages in a printed<br />
publication, the techniques for reading<br />
a digital publication are a little bit<br />
different. We want to make your read<br />
as easy as possible and have made a<br />
short video to help you navigate the<br />
magazine with a few simple clicks.<br />
If you still prefer to read a paper version,<br />
you can simply download and print it.<br />
See the video below to learn more.<br />
Picture this! 23<br />
How to upload photos to your PC or Apple device.<br />
Club news 24<br />
We have a special discount offer for new members.<br />
2 THE FREEBIRD TIMES – ISSUE NO. 3, AUGUST 2018
WELCOME <br />
Come and join us!<br />
We are delighted to present the third<br />
edition of the <strong>Freebird</strong> <strong>Times</strong>, the<br />
digital magazine specially designed<br />
for <strong>Freebird</strong> Club members, friends<br />
and fans around the world.<br />
As you may already know, the <strong>Freebird</strong> Club is a<br />
travel-based social network for the over 50s which<br />
allows members to travel and stay with each other as<br />
part of a trusted community of peers.<br />
For <strong>Freebird</strong> travellers it’s a sociable way to see<br />
the world, for <strong>Freebird</strong> hosts it’s a new source of<br />
income, and for all it is a fun and accessible way<br />
to meet new people and enjoy social and cultural<br />
interaction in later life. If you are aged 50+ and<br />
haven’t joined already, there’s no better time to get<br />
on board. We have a special discounted membership<br />
offer on the last page and there is lots of great<br />
reading to be done on the way there.<br />
In this edition we have some fascinating and<br />
inspiring features. Who could not but be inspired<br />
by our very own <strong>Freebird</strong> Club member Dermot<br />
Higgins from Dublin who cycled his way around<br />
the globe and into the Guinness Book of Records.<br />
He is not the only high achiever here, however,<br />
as we also feature the exploits of helicopter pilot<br />
Captain Bob Holly and mountaineer Dawson<br />
Stelfox. For those looking to up-skill with<br />
computers and technology we have some great tips<br />
and tools. Food features strongly in this issue – both<br />
for nutritional value and sheer taste, while art and<br />
music lovers (especially singers) are in for a treat.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re are, of course, also interesting travel articles<br />
sure to give you itchy feet all the way from Boston<br />
to Bordeaux.<br />
We continue to benefit from some great press and<br />
media coverage, and even had a video produced by<br />
US media company, ATTN, which went viral on<br />
social media with over seven million views. See it<br />
here http://bit.ly/2K4evOo<br />
We were honoured to be invited to present at two<br />
major international conferences; the Social Economy<br />
Forum in Lisbon, Portugal, and the Innov-Aging<br />
Expo in Ancona Italy. This followed our selection as<br />
a finalist in the global Silver Economy and Ageing<br />
Well Awards. We have also just started re-developing<br />
our website, which will make for a much more userfriendly<br />
online experience for our users.<br />
We are particularly pleased to announce a new<br />
partnership with Australian over 50s digital media<br />
company WYZA who will be promoting <strong>Freebird</strong><br />
throughout their extensive network in Australia and<br />
New Zealand. WYZA provides a digital platform<br />
for people over 50, delivering age relevant content<br />
and products to their 50+ audience (www.wyza.<br />
com.au). We look forward to collaborating with the<br />
WYZA team and availing of their industry experience<br />
and expertise to bring the <strong>Freebird</strong> homestay travel<br />
movement to our friends ‘down under’. Staying with<br />
that part of the world, we are on our way to Malaysia,<br />
as a finalist in the World Tourism Forum Lucerne<br />
Start-up Innovation Awards. We have been selected as<br />
one of the world’s 15 most innovative travel, tourism<br />
and hospitality start-ups, and get to pitch with the best<br />
for the grand prize on September 12th. Wish us luck!<br />
Finally, be sure to check out our own website: www.<br />
freebirdclub.com <strong>The</strong>re you will find warm welcoming<br />
hosts in great destinations around the world. As the<br />
Club is driven by our members, we are always open to<br />
suggestions about what content and features to include<br />
in the magazine. If you are not yet a member we would<br />
love to have you join us. Furthermore why not tell<br />
your friends and family over 50 about us? <strong>The</strong>re’s never<br />
been a better time to spread their wings! <br />
In other news, we have been busy growing and<br />
promoting the <strong>Freebird</strong> Club internationally. In<br />
the Spring we completed a very successful diaspora<br />
engagement project with our friends in the London<br />
Irish Centre, whereby a group of their members<br />
came to stay with <strong>Freebird</strong> hosts in Kerry, Ireland.<br />
Suffice to say the “craic was mighty.”<br />
THE FREEBIRD TIMES – ISSUE NO. 3, AUGUST 2018<br />
Best wishes,<br />
Peter Mangan<br />
<strong>Freebird</strong> Club Founder<br />
3
TRAVEL<br />
Beautiful Bordeaux<br />
Moira Allan, positive ageing advocate,<br />
explorer, writer and speaker supposedly<br />
moved to France for just two years.<br />
Several decades later she’s still there!<br />
Here she shares some of the delights of<br />
Southwest France, one of her favourite<br />
regions. Moira’s complete Southwest<br />
France travelogue is on our website<br />
www.freebirdclub.com<br />
and aluminum inaugurated in 2016, in honour of<br />
the wines of the world. <strong>The</strong> eighth story belvedere<br />
offers an unparalleled 360-degree panoramic view of<br />
the city, the river and way beyond to the vineyards.<br />
From Bordeaux, move onto Saint Emilion, also<br />
a UNESCO world heritage site, steeped in 2000<br />
years’ history between man and the grape. <strong>The</strong><br />
climb to the top of the main square will reward you<br />
with a magnificent panoramic view of the region<br />
stretching all the way to Castillon La Bataille, your<br />
next stop 13 km further east.<br />
Cité du Vin<br />
Bordeaux is a good place to start<br />
discovering the southwest. <strong>The</strong> river capital<br />
is France’s 9th largest city. Founded in<br />
300 BCE by the Celts it sprawls along the<br />
banks of the majestic Garonne as it swoops<br />
through the city, and clearly manifests its<br />
merit in earning UNESCO World Heritage<br />
Site status for its centuries old Port of the<br />
Moon, the old Bordeaux, a hub for the<br />
wine industry since time immemorial.<br />
Segway, cycle or stroll through the<br />
Esplanade des Quinconces, Europe’s<br />
largest square, and admire the neoclassical<br />
architecture. You will enjoy your selfguided<br />
tour of the Cité du Vin – it’s a flair<br />
of a building swirling up on the banks of the<br />
Garonne, a contemporary monument in glass<br />
Being inducted into the Ordre des Vins de Castillon is a<br />
serious business and requires a signed commitment to honor the<br />
traditional values.<br />
4 THE FREEBIRD TIMES – ISSUE NO. 3, AUGUST 2018
TRAVEL <br />
This is a must, especially if you are there in the July/<br />
August holiday period because if you are, you are in<br />
for a medieval treat. It was at Castillon-la-Bataille that<br />
the French defeated the British and ended the 100-year<br />
war and 300 years of English possession of Aquitaine.<br />
I first discovered this town and its exciting historical<br />
pageant in 2003 when I was with friends who were<br />
house hunting. (<strong>The</strong>irs is a fairytale. <strong>The</strong>y found their<br />
dream house and are still living happily ever after in the<br />
Dordogne). Every year, more than 600 local citizens reenact<br />
the Battle of Castillon with an infectious joy and<br />
enthusiasm and keep their audiences enthralled as the<br />
spectacle unfolds over the 7 hectares surrounding the<br />
Castegens Castle within cannon range of the original<br />
battlefield. This intense 90-minute outdoor spectacle<br />
with amazing pyrotechnic effects plunges the audience<br />
into the middle ages with gusto.<br />
Plan to arrive early and enjoy the medieval<br />
exhibitions and excellent local fare at the modestly<br />
priced restaurant. <strong>The</strong>re are 18 performances over<br />
summer and it’s best to book in advance. <br />
Our hosts<br />
CLICK TO<br />
BOOK<br />
CLICK TO<br />
BOOK<br />
Fabienne’s place<br />
BORDEAUX<br />
Loves: Cooking, walking,<br />
swimming, biking, relaxing<br />
in a deckchair in the garden.<br />
Philosophy of life: If you<br />
can not do what you love,<br />
try to love what you do.<br />
Caroline’s place<br />
LIMOGES,<br />
HAUTE VIENNE<br />
Loves: Pilates, reading,<br />
knitting, sewing.<br />
Philosophy of life: Enjoy<br />
and make the most of<br />
every moment.<br />
Bordeaux describes itself as “the world wine<br />
capital,” and the Gironde region produces<br />
more wine than any other area in France.<br />
Many of the estates are now involved in wine<br />
tourism and it has become very easy to visit<br />
their vineyards and wine cellars and sample<br />
their production. <strong>The</strong>y’ve been growing<br />
wine in Bordeaux for over 2,000 years so<br />
they’re pretty good at it…..<br />
If wine isn’t your thing, there is no shortage<br />
of other things to do. Bordeaux is a port city<br />
so there are seaside walks and boat tours to<br />
enjoy and it is also a World Heritage Site<br />
with impressive examples of neo-classic and<br />
French civil architecture.<br />
Planning a trip to France? To see our full list of<br />
hosts, visit our website www.freebirdclub.com<br />
THE FREEBIRD TIMES – ISSUE NO. 3, AUGUST 2018<br />
5
WELCOME HOME!<br />
GO GO DERMO<br />
WELCOME HOME!<br />
<strong>Freebird</strong> Club member, Dermot<br />
Higgins, battled rough weather and<br />
even rougher terrain to cycle into the<br />
Guinness Book of Records!<br />
Earlier this year Dermot Higgins became the oldest<br />
man to cycle around the globe. Dermot, and his<br />
trusty bicycle, Karolina, started their epic journey<br />
in June last year and arrived back in his hometown<br />
of Rush, Co. Dublin in April 2018 after 29,000<br />
kilometres of tough cycling over all sorts of terrain<br />
in all sorts of weather.<br />
A retired schoolteacher, Dermot undertook this<br />
journey to raise awareness of the UN Global<br />
Goals for sustainability and to raise funds for the<br />
charity, Trocaire. An avid environmental activist,<br />
he is passionate about educating people on ways to<br />
protect our planet.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Freebird</strong> Club was a proud supporter of<br />
Dermot’s “GoGoDermo” odyssey and its founder,<br />
Peter Mangan, said “we are immensely proud to<br />
have sponsored such an inspirational member<br />
and are thrilled with his outstanding achievement<br />
in becoming the oldest man to cycle around the<br />
world. As he travelled the world our supportive<br />
hosts provided a warm welcome, allowing him<br />
to rest, refresh and recuperate in their great<br />
accommodation.”<br />
Dermot’s adventure took him across Europe, into<br />
Asia via Russia, Kazakhstan and then on to India.<br />
He cycled the length of New Zealand, then went to<br />
Australia and from there to the United States. <strong>The</strong><br />
final leg of his journey brought him back across the<br />
Atlantic to Portugal and Spain.<br />
Along the way he encountered many challenges,<br />
life changing moments and colourful characters,<br />
including his <strong>Freebird</strong> Club hosts! From homecooked<br />
meals with Lyudmila in Kazakhstan,<br />
meeting his musician heroes in Los Angeles with<br />
host Gaili, relaxing poolside with Kelly in France,<br />
to a final stop off in Washington - where he enjoyed<br />
lively chats with environmental scientist, host Dean<br />
– Dermot truly lived the ethos of the <strong>Freebird</strong> Club<br />
which encourages those over 50 to get on their bikes<br />
or into trains, planes and automobiles to explore the<br />
big wide world that awaits them <br />
6 THE FREEBIRD TIMES – ISSUE NO. 3, AUGUST 2018
COVER STORY <br />
ON TOP<br />
OF THE<br />
WORLD<br />
Dawson Stelfox approaching<br />
the 2nd step on Everest’s<br />
North Ridge, 27th May 1993.<br />
Photo by Frank Nugent.<br />
When you’ve made your mark as the<br />
first Irish person to reach the summit of<br />
Mount Everest it must be all downhill<br />
after that? Not at all! Now 60,<br />
Dawson Stelfox looks forward to new<br />
adventures in the hills in an exclusive<br />
interview with John Stanley for the<br />
<strong>Freebird</strong> <strong>Times</strong>.<br />
Dawson Stelfox’s paternal grandparents were one<br />
of the earliest influences on the man who would<br />
become the first person from the island of Ireland to<br />
climb Mount Everest and, as a dual passport holder,<br />
THE FREEBIRD TIMES – ISSUE NO. 3, AUGUST 2018<br />
the first British person to complete its challenging<br />
North Ridge route. <strong>The</strong>y were both botanists and<br />
when his grandfather, Arthur, retired as a curator in<br />
Dublin’s Natural History Museum they moved to<br />
Newcastle in Northern Ireland.<br />
As a regular summer visitor the young Dawson was<br />
brought out walking and plant hunting. “That was<br />
probably my earliest introduction to the outdoors<br />
and I loved it,” he recalls. His mountaineering<br />
career began around age 10 and when he tried rock<br />
climbing at 15 he was hooked.<br />
One of the motivations for mountaineering is<br />
escape from normal, every day life, but Dawson<br />
says he had an added stimulus. “I was one of the<br />
7
COVER STORY<br />
generation that grew up during<br />
the troubles in Belfast. I was<br />
at school in the centre of the<br />
city at the height of the IRA<br />
bombing campaign. Getting<br />
away from it at the weekends<br />
was also part of the motivation<br />
for me, both as a teenager and<br />
as a young adult.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> mountaineering club at<br />
Queens University Belfast introduced Stelfox to<br />
climbs across Ireland, Scotland, the Alps and further<br />
afield. Like a few other sports, mountaineering<br />
has always been an “all island” activity that unites<br />
climbers beyond the boundaries of nationalism<br />
or sectarianism. On the successful 1993 Everest<br />
expedition, for example, it was neither an Irish<br />
Tricolour nor a British Union Jack that Dawson<br />
planted on the summit but simply the pennant of<br />
the “First Irish Everest Expedition.”<br />
“Back in the 1980s it was an exciting time with a<br />
strong pioneering element to it. Opening up new<br />
crags and putting up new routes was a big element<br />
of the motivation and even at the height of the<br />
troubles you would find climbers coming up from<br />
the south to climb in the Mournes or at Fair Head<br />
in Antrim,” he recalls.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re was an important<br />
social aspect to the<br />
sport too. Dawson met<br />
his wife, Margaret, at<br />
the university climbing<br />
club. “Luckily, she is<br />
also a mountaineer<br />
and we’ve done a lot<br />
of travelling together.<br />
We’ve two boys, so there<br />
was a period when she<br />
was doing less because<br />
she took the brunt of<br />
raising them, but we’ve<br />
had lots of good trips<br />
together.”<br />
Shortly after university<br />
Dawson discovered<br />
another passion -<br />
conservation. “I trained<br />
It’s whatever<br />
you plan to<br />
do next that’s<br />
important<br />
”<br />
“<br />
as an architect but fairly<br />
quickly became interested in<br />
the conservation of heritage<br />
buildings. That’s been my<br />
specialisation, and my passion<br />
really. I find it enormously<br />
satisfying to bring historic<br />
buildings back to life.”<br />
Over many years Dawson has<br />
been one of the leading lights<br />
in Ireland’s climbing world. He is Chair of the<br />
Mountain Training Board and a past chairman and<br />
current board member of Mountaineering Ireland.<br />
And although he is a qualified mountain guide<br />
and instructor, his personal preference has been<br />
to remain an amateur climber. He now considers<br />
that the Everest expedition of 25 years ago was<br />
one of the last of the amateur big peak expeditions<br />
“before commercialisation took hold.”<br />
Everest is the obvious pinnacle of his climbing<br />
career. Requiring “three months of unrelenting<br />
hard work and lots of suffering,” it was the<br />
culmination of “a huge amount of effort and<br />
teamwork.” However, he readily admits that many<br />
other expeditions were more personally satisfying<br />
including one to a remote area in Greenland, where<br />
Dawson and Margaret<br />
Stelfox at Phuelli Bal Vatika<br />
School, built by the Irish<br />
Nepalese Education Trust.<br />
8 THE FREEBIRD TIMES – ISSUE NO. 3, AUGUST 2018
COVER STORY <br />
Dawson and<br />
Margaret on their<br />
way up Mera Peak,<br />
Nepal 2013.<br />
only one expedition had been before and only one<br />
mountain climbed. “Seven of us were dropped<br />
off by a ski-plane and picked up three weeks later.<br />
In that period we’d climbed 16 peaks for the first<br />
time.” Another personal highlight was a long,<br />
complicated Alpine route, the Peuterey Integral<br />
done with, a long time friend and fellow member of<br />
the Everest expedition, Robbie Fenlon.<br />
Dawson is a great believer in looking forward. “Really,<br />
it’s whatever you plan to do next that’s important,” he<br />
says. Now in his 61st year, he will be going to the Alps<br />
this year with another Everest expedition member,<br />
67 year-old Frank Nugent. It’s a special climb of the<br />
Eiger to mark the 160th anniversary of its first ascent,<br />
which was led by an Irishman from County Wicklow,<br />
Charles Barrington. <strong>The</strong> 2018 team includes two of<br />
his great grand nephews, young climbers Joshua and<br />
Mathew Barrington.<br />
“I think one of the fantastic things about<br />
mountaineering is that even though you get a bit older,<br />
a bit weaker and a bit more unsteady you can always<br />
pick challenges to have a new adventure,” Dawson says.<br />
“<strong>The</strong> whole trick is to pick something which is difficult,<br />
so you get a sense of achievement, but not too difficult;<br />
there’s a fine line between easy and impossible. And that<br />
to me is at the heart of what mountaineering is. <strong>The</strong>re<br />
always has to be an uncertainty about the outcome to<br />
give it that edge of excitement.”<br />
Earlier this year Dawson stepped down as the lead<br />
partner in his architectural practice to become a<br />
THE FREEBIRD TIMES – ISSUE NO. 3, AUGUST 2018<br />
consultant, which gives him more time to go into<br />
the mountains. “ I’m looking forward to the next<br />
10 years of a bit less architecture and a bit more<br />
mountains and travelling. But I still see myself as<br />
working in conservation for some years to come.”<br />
Typically modest about his lifetime commitment<br />
of “giving back” to the sport and to his community,<br />
Dawson still has strong connections with Northern<br />
Ireland’s Tollymore National Outdoor Centre, which<br />
introduced him to rock climbing 45 years ago. He is also<br />
the chairman of Outdoor Recreation Northern Ireland,<br />
an organisation established to improve access to the<br />
countryside. He and Margaret continue to be involved<br />
with the Irish Nepalese Education Trust, a charity that<br />
had its origins in the Irish Everest Expedition.<br />
Dawson is a great believer in the benefits of the<br />
outdoors. “Everybody benefits from being able<br />
to get outdoors, to take exercise and enjoy the<br />
countryside, to appreciate nature,” he says. “ You<br />
don’t need to be climbing mountains to get out,<br />
there’s lots of good low level and medium level<br />
walks and treks. And I think electric bikes are a<br />
fantastic invention in terms of getting people out<br />
cycling, they take a lot of the sting out initially,<br />
at least. “<strong>The</strong>re are huge opportunities and huge<br />
rewards from getting outdoors and it doesn’t have to<br />
be at the extreme level. <strong>The</strong>re is so much potential<br />
at whatever level you want. People find that once<br />
they get a bit of fitness they want to see new places<br />
and start to meet other people – and before they<br />
know it they’re doing treks across Europe!” <br />
9
SUMMER READS<br />
One<br />
for the<br />
books<br />
<strong>The</strong>re is nothing like settling down with<br />
a good book so we asked <strong>Freebird</strong> Club<br />
members to let us in on their favourite<br />
authors and current reads.<br />
Daphne Dhimitri,<br />
Perth, Western Australia<br />
I like to read all sorts except horror. I am currently<br />
reading Inspector Pitt e-books by the author Anne<br />
Perry, (published by Headline Publishing UK) a crime<br />
novelist writing in the 1800s onward. Basically about<br />
crime in that era and how Inspector Pitt conducts<br />
the case, at times with the help of his wife and her<br />
sister (though he does not ask for their help). <strong>The</strong>y<br />
are interesting as they give an insight into how things<br />
may have been in that period. One of things I do<br />
find distasteful is reading<br />
about how men conducted<br />
themselves then. I doubt<br />
I would have survived<br />
five minutes! My other<br />
recommended reads are<br />
<strong>The</strong> Seven Sisters, a series of<br />
books by Lucinda Riley. I<br />
love to read Clive Cussler,<br />
Matthew Reilly and Oliver<br />
Bowden and I can keep<br />
going…..<br />
Kay Davis, Cuenca, Ecuador<br />
My greatest joy in retirement is being able to read<br />
as much as I want for as long as I want. I not<br />
infrequently read an entire book in a day. I read<br />
historical novels, historical romances and mysteries<br />
based in the past as well as those by living author,<br />
James Lee Burke. My favourite current author<br />
is E.A. Allen, a man with an amazing personal<br />
history. Allen’s series of Edwardian mysteries<br />
feature detective Gerard de Montclaire, the French<br />
equivalent of Sherlock Holmes. In fact, the two<br />
meet in one book! Both are deeply flawed (as<br />
we all are), but Montclaire has an even darker<br />
side than Holmes. I’ve read so many mysteries, I<br />
usually figure out ‘who did it’, but Allen can keep<br />
me guessing far longer than<br />
most writers.<br />
James Lee Burke remains<br />
one of my favourite living<br />
authors. His writing is more<br />
poetry than prose. Some of<br />
my early years were spent in<br />
South Louisiana USA, and<br />
he evokes memories of the<br />
sights, sounds and smells<br />
of that special part of the<br />
world.<br />
Judit Bujdoso, Eastleigh, UK<br />
I enjoy all kinds of mystery books and often read<br />
late into the night, as the suspense grows in the<br />
story.<br />
I am currently reading <strong>The</strong> Goldfinch, by Donna<br />
Tartt, an American author. I love the plot and how<br />
it weaves a lot of art-related facts into a story of loss,<br />
love and mystery. It won the Pulitzer award in 2014.<br />
(Published by Little Brown & Co.) Gone Girl by<br />
Gillian Flynn is another great read (published by<br />
Crown Publishing Group). Amy goes missing on her<br />
wedding anniversary and the “gone girl” brought me<br />
10 THE FREEBIRD TIMES – ISSUE NO. 3, AUGUST 2018
SUMMER READS <br />
on a journey through her marriage and her life. It was<br />
slow to get started, but worth the wait.<br />
I also recommend “Before I wake” by Robert<br />
Wiersema. (Published by Random House.) A<br />
shocking accident leaves a young girl in a coma<br />
with apparent miraculous<br />
healing powers. This brings<br />
many problems for her<br />
parents and those who visit<br />
her bedside, hoping for<br />
cures. Different, exciting,<br />
lots of twists and turns and<br />
a very enjoyable read. So<br />
many different personalities<br />
and problems we all meet<br />
in daily living. I couldn’t<br />
put it down for long!<br />
Jan Hively, “Age Friendly” Yarmouth,<br />
Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA.<br />
(Jan is a social entrepreneur and activist for<br />
positive ageing. Read more about Jan’s work here<br />
www.passitonnetwork.org)<br />
I’m a “big picture” issues person seeking fresh ideas<br />
about how people can share their strengths and<br />
create community. I am currently reading Sharing<br />
Cities: Activating the Urban Commons, 2018, edited<br />
and published by shareable, www.shareable.net. Here<br />
is a brand new, optimistic guide about Sharing with<br />
100+ case studies and model policies from 80 cities<br />
in 35 countries.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Gifts of Caregiving, and Wisdom from Those in<br />
Care, by Connie Goldman, published by the Society<br />
of Certified Senior Advisors. This pair of books tells<br />
the stories of caregivers and those who are being cared<br />
for and asks questions<br />
for readers to mull over<br />
in relation to their own<br />
experiences with caregiving.<br />
My “must read” book for<br />
older adults is <strong>The</strong> Mature<br />
Mind: <strong>The</strong> Positive Power<br />
of the Aging Brain, by Gene<br />
Cohen, published by Basic<br />
Books. It’s an easy read<br />
that transforms our ageist<br />
THE FREEBIRD TIMES – ISSUE NO. 3, AUGUST 2018<br />
assumptions and shows how our personalities, creativity,<br />
and psychological “selves” continue to develop in later<br />
life through four developmental stages: midlife reevaluation,<br />
liberation, summing up, and encore.<br />
Sue Baxter, Steyning,<br />
West Sussex, UK<br />
Having spent my working life trying to teach the<br />
classics of English Literature, I now, in blissful<br />
retirement, prefer well written and translated, “scandi<br />
noir” murder mysteries. Having begun with Henning<br />
Mankel and Wallander I now devour as many scandi<br />
crime writers as I can find. Favourites are anything by<br />
Anne Holt or Jo Nesbo. Currently I’m just starting<br />
on another novel by Clare Mackintosh. <strong>The</strong> first one<br />
I read was “I See You..” <strong>The</strong> book is a slow burner,<br />
but the final scenes have a terrifying twist. Women<br />
are being followed on the<br />
tube after a website posts<br />
details of their commute.<br />
It’s the ordinary made<br />
frightening, as in all good<br />
murder mysteries. (I See<br />
You by Clare Mackintosh<br />
published by Sphere and<br />
available on Kindle). I<br />
would recommend any book<br />
by Anne Holt, but Modus,<br />
featuring the police profiler<br />
Johanne Vik, is a good start.<br />
Sean Lawlor, Belfast,<br />
Northern Ireland<br />
I enjoy books about real life stories and in particular,<br />
where people overcome obstacles. I also have a<br />
deep interest in books that explore the spiritual<br />
aspect of life and again<br />
offer a perspective that is<br />
positive. I am currently<br />
reading “On Tuesdays I’m<br />
a Buddhist” by Michael<br />
Harding - expeditions in<br />
and in-between worlds<br />
where therapy ends and<br />
stories begin. This book is<br />
such a personal story of the<br />
everyday stuff of the author’s<br />
life and I particularly enjoy<br />
this story as he combines<br />
11
SUMMER READS<br />
wit with very real life experience.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re is also a lightness and a<br />
non-serious look at just how<br />
life is. Definitely worth a read. I<br />
particularly liked the story about<br />
him and the Russian man climbing<br />
the monastic site. Makes me want<br />
to travel more myself and meet<br />
interesting people.<br />
Conal Hegarty, Dublin,<br />
Ireland<br />
I enjoy both fiction and nonfiction<br />
plus documentary style<br />
books. Currently reading Swimsuit<br />
by James Patterson (Random<br />
House). Fictional detective story<br />
about a serial killer. It has a<br />
different twist to it as the killer<br />
is identified at the beginning of<br />
the book and continues the nasty<br />
deeds as the story unfolds.<br />
I recommend any Clive Cussler<br />
book if you like an adventure<br />
story, Andrew York is great for<br />
a detective read and both Bill<br />
Bryson and the Ross O’ Carroll-<br />
Kelly series by Paul Howard<br />
make me laugh out loud. Ross<br />
O’ Carroll Kelly’s “Game of<br />
throw-ins” is a must read for<br />
those of us who dreamed of<br />
playing rugby during our midlife<br />
crisis. Great fun, lots of<br />
laughter and family members we<br />
can all identify with <br />
Current reads<br />
Rula Atalla, Jordan:<br />
<strong>The</strong> Ministry Of Utmost Happiness, by Arundhati Roy.<br />
Peter Mangan, Dublin (founder of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Freebird</strong> Club):<br />
Gather Together in My Name by Maya Angelou.<br />
Page turners<br />
Ask an Astronaut, Tim Peake.<br />
If you’ve ever wondered how an astronaut prepares<br />
to go into space, what kind of food they eat when<br />
they’re there or what all the different parts of the<br />
Space Station are, this is the book for you. It’s also<br />
a handy one to have to hand if the small people<br />
in your life start asking tough questions like “is it<br />
noisy in space?’ or “does space smell?” Tim Peake is<br />
a European Space Agency astronaut and a test pilot<br />
who served in the British Army Air Corps. He is also<br />
the author of Hello, is this Planet Earth?” – a book of photographs taken<br />
from the International Space Station which won the British Non-fiction<br />
Lifestyle Book of the Year award in 2017.<br />
Elon Musk, Ashlee Vance<br />
Outspoken and volatile, South African-born<br />
entrepreneur, Elon Musk, is rarely out of the<br />
headlines. But whether you approve of Musk’s<br />
unorthodox style or not, there’s no denying he’s a<br />
visionary thinker, a highly resilient and determined<br />
businessman and a force to be reckoned with<br />
in the transport and space industries. Journalist<br />
Ashley Vance’s biography of Musk is a pacey read<br />
that gives an insight into Musk’s manic energy<br />
and charts his rise from his early days with PayPal<br />
to the launch of his electric car company, Tesla, to his grand plan<br />
for space travel and ultimately colonising Mars through SpaceX<br />
exploration which he founded in 2002.<br />
A lifetime of writing –<br />
British author Penelope Lively<br />
is still writing at 85 and her<br />
novel, Moon Tiger, has just<br />
been nominated for the 50th<br />
anniversary Golden Man Booker<br />
award. Lively started out writing<br />
for children and didn’t publish her first adult novel,<br />
<strong>The</strong> Road to Lichfield, until her mid 40s. One of her<br />
great passions is gardening and she has written a<br />
wonderful book that is part personal and part history<br />
that is sure to appeal to literary garden lovers everywhere. Life in the<br />
Garden is published by Penguin.<br />
12 THE FREEBIRD TIMES – ISSUE NO. 3, AUGUST 2018
LET’S COOK <br />
Just like Grandma used to make<br />
Grandmother’s Orange Cream<br />
Niav Halpin<br />
writes about<br />
the pick-me-up<br />
pudding her<br />
grandmother<br />
taught her how to<br />
make.<br />
OK, so you are feeling<br />
under the weather, not<br />
sure what you want<br />
to eat but know you<br />
should eat something.<br />
What you need is my<br />
Grandmother’s Orange<br />
Cream. This recipe has<br />
been handed down<br />
through generations<br />
in our family and is<br />
the ‘go to’ dish for<br />
anyone who is just not<br />
themselves. It is a tasty,<br />
nourishing, refreshing<br />
jelly that goes down<br />
easily and you will feel<br />
just a little bit better<br />
and a little bit loved<br />
after eating it. Of<br />
course, you don’t need<br />
to be feeling under the<br />
weather to make it, this<br />
is delicious any day of<br />
the week. In fact, it is<br />
my daughter’s favourite<br />
dessert! You can make<br />
it in one large bowl or<br />
in smaller individual<br />
bowls or glasses just like<br />
you would with jelly.<br />
6 servings<br />
Preparation Time:<br />
10 /15 mins to make plus chilling time in<br />
the fridge -5/6 hours or overnight<br />
Ingredients<br />
• 1 x 12g sachet or 3 teaspoons of<br />
powdered gelatine*<br />
• 500mls / 1 pint / 2 Cups of freshly<br />
squeezed orange juice<br />
• 2 free range egg yolks (beaten)<br />
• 70g / 2½ oz caster sugar (quantity<br />
optional depending on how sweet the<br />
oranges are)<br />
*(For vegetarians use 2 tablespoons agar flakes<br />
or 2 teaspoons of agar powder & follow the<br />
instructions on the packet although it may not set<br />
quite as well as with gelatine)<br />
Nutition Facts<br />
Servings: 6<br />
Amount per serving<br />
Calories 108<br />
% Daily Value*<br />
Total Fat 1.6g 2%<br />
Saturated Fat 0.5g 2%<br />
• Dissolve the gelatine according to the<br />
instructions on the packet remembering<br />
not to use boiling water to dissolve it.<br />
• Stir vigorously until clear. (If it doesn’t<br />
dissolve fully, sit the container in a bowl of<br />
hot water and stir until the liquid is clear)<br />
• Put approx 100ml of the orange juice into<br />
a saucepan with the sugar (if using) and<br />
heat gently until the sugar is dissolved<br />
i.e. grains of sugar no longer visible at the<br />
bottom of the saucepan.<br />
• Add the dissolved gelatine mixture into the<br />
saucepan, then add the rest of the orange<br />
juice and whisk in the beaten egg yolks.<br />
• Bring the mixture almost to the boil (until<br />
bubbles appear around the side of the<br />
saucepan).<br />
• Pour into the dish or dishes and leave aside<br />
to cool.<br />
• In a separate bowl whisk the egg whites to<br />
a froth and fold into the orange mixture<br />
gently - they will form a white fluffy layer<br />
on top.<br />
• Leave to cool for 5 or 6 hours in the fridge<br />
to set.<br />
Cholesterol 55mg 18%<br />
Sodium 24mg 1%<br />
Total Carbohydrate 20.9g 8%<br />
Dietary Fiber 0.2g 1%<br />
Total Sugars 19.1g<br />
Protein 3.5g<br />
THE FREEBIRD TIMES – ISSUE NO. 3, AUGUST 2018<br />
13
PROFILE<br />
High Flyer<br />
International correspondent, Karin<br />
Holly, writes about her father, the<br />
high-flying Captain Bob.<br />
Meet Capt. Robert F. Holly. He’s 73 years old and<br />
works as a helicopter pilot on contract for the U.S.<br />
Navy. He’s currently stationed in the Middle East<br />
on a supply ship. From there, Capt. Holly launches<br />
his Puma SA330 helicopter to make deliveries to<br />
other military vessels. Quite often the ships are far<br />
out at sea and have no way to obtain supplies of<br />
food, fuel and spare parts in a safe harbour.<br />
Capt. Holly and his colleagues deliver everything<br />
ordered by the men and women living on board<br />
these ships at sea. Most appreciated are deliveries of<br />
mail and ice cream. <strong>The</strong> pilots pick up sling loads<br />
of the supplies to fly them to the vessels and have<br />
to contend with tremendous heat, sand storms and<br />
strong winds. His job also includes the occasional<br />
medical emergency airlift where an injured crew<br />
member is flown to a land-based hospital for help.<br />
<strong>The</strong> work requires a lot of training and my Dad<br />
spends several hours each year in a flight simulator.<br />
Here he practices worst case-scenarios. He also<br />
had to train to become a fireman, as well as be<br />
submerged in a pool to practice freeing himself if<br />
an aircraft goes down. <strong>The</strong> U.S. Federal Aviation<br />
Administration also demands regular written tests as<br />
well as a medical exam every six months.<br />
Robert Holly was born and raised in Connecticut.<br />
He started flying helicopters during the Vietnam<br />
War. After his tour there he was transferred to<br />
Germany where he met his wife. Dad then decided<br />
to continue his flying career in the private sector<br />
and took a job in Iran. Since then his adventurous<br />
career that has taken him around the globe and he<br />
has spent many years working in Chile, Borneo,<br />
Trinidad, Afghanistan and Nigeria.<br />
14 THE FREEBIRD TIMES – ISSUE NO. 3, AUGUST 2018
PROFILE <br />
Among one of his favorite<br />
assignments was flying geologists<br />
in Greenland where they were<br />
conducting mineral surveys. At the<br />
time, he and his crew lived on an<br />
ancient wooden boat which early<br />
explorers used.<br />
“I also flew geologists in Nigeria.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y were doing survey work to<br />
design and plan the new capital<br />
city in the Federal Territory. <strong>The</strong><br />
new capital is called Abuja, which is<br />
located in the geographical center of<br />
the country, uniting the different<br />
tribes that make up the area’s<br />
population,” he says.<br />
Off and on Robert Holly spent<br />
nearly 30 years working in<br />
Nigeria. At 65, local laws forced<br />
him to retire. However, he wasn’t<br />
ready to hang up his flying suit.<br />
“When I started my career, many<br />
pilots had to retire at 55. But we<br />
all get medically evaluated every<br />
six months. As long as you’re<br />
healthy and still enjoy what you<br />
do, I don’t think you should be<br />
forced out of your job,” he says.<br />
“<br />
As long as<br />
you’re healthy and<br />
still enjoy what<br />
you do, I don’t<br />
think you should<br />
be forced out of<br />
your job<br />
”<br />
<strong>The</strong> U.S. Navy was searching<br />
for contractors and signed my<br />
Dad. With more than 22,000<br />
hours in the air, high security<br />
clearance and experience<br />
in flying this type of Puma<br />
helicopter, he was a perfect fit.<br />
<strong>The</strong> work is hard. <strong>The</strong> hours<br />
are long and yet Dad calls it<br />
his perfect retirement job.<br />
“It’s great to be needed and<br />
challenged,” he says.<br />
At the same time my Dad<br />
is aware that he is truly<br />
fortunate to be healthy<br />
enough to work at such a<br />
demanding job. He has a<br />
lot of support from his wife<br />
and family during the long<br />
months he’s out at sea.<br />
But a lot comes down to good<br />
genes as well.<br />
Dad feels that retirement is a<br />
very individual choice.<br />
“It really depends on your<br />
health. And by that I mean<br />
both your physical and mental<br />
health. Working longer isn’t<br />
for everyone. But it was the<br />
right thing for me,” he says<br />
THE FREEBIRD TIMES – ISSUE NO. 3, AUGUST 2018<br />
15
LIVING & LIFESTYLE<br />
Tips for healthy eating<br />
Eating properly can be a challenge<br />
as we get older but don’t get ‘stuck’<br />
eating the same things and cooking<br />
the same meals every day says food<br />
lover, cook and blogger, Niav Halpin.<br />
Eating well as we get older is just as important as it<br />
is when we are babies. It helps us feel good, gives us<br />
energy to do things and should be enjoyable. Also,<br />
unlike many aspects of our health and wellbeing,<br />
what we eat is totally within our control. A good<br />
diet can help decrease the risk of heart disease, high<br />
blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol and<br />
can help greatly with recovery from illness or injury.<br />
Think of your food as medicine as well as one of<br />
life’s great pleasures!<br />
Top tips to keep eating well<br />
• Plan your meals and don’t skip a meal.<br />
• Pack in the protein. We all lose muscle mass<br />
as we age and not getting enough protein can<br />
be detrimental to your health. Try to include<br />
some protein at each meal if you can. Eggs are<br />
a great source of protein and are the original fast<br />
food - scrambled eggs with smoked salmon and<br />
wholegrain toast can be made in five minutes and<br />
is the perfect way to start the day. Lean meat,<br />
turkey, chicken, salmon, sardines, tuna, beans,<br />
pulses or nuts are also great sources of protein.<br />
• 5 a Day. Fruits and veggies are packed with<br />
important nutrients. However, eating five a day<br />
can be difficult. Remember these can be fresh<br />
or frozen and eating a variety is important as<br />
is colour. If you find this difficult try making<br />
smoothies. Many fruits freeze well and can be used<br />
straight from the freezer e.g. bananas, mangos,<br />
raspberries, strawberries or blueberries. Spinach<br />
added to a fruit smoothie is an excellent way to get<br />
those super green leafy vegetables into your diet.<br />
• Eat fibre-rich foods like 100% wholemeal or<br />
wholegrain bread, porridge /oatmeal, brown rice<br />
and brown pasta. A high-fibre diet can lower<br />
the risk of developing many chronic conditions<br />
including heart disease, obesity and some cancers.<br />
• H2O - drink lots of water. Ideally you should<br />
drink 8 glasses / 2 litres a day as getting<br />
dehydrated can make you feel tired and<br />
sometimes dizzy.<br />
• Avoid empty calories. This means limiting or<br />
avoiding processed foods like ready-made meals,<br />
sausages, cold meats, biscuits, cakes, savoury<br />
snacks (crisps, peanuts), sweets. <strong>The</strong>se foods can<br />
be high in calories, fat, sugar and salt and low in<br />
nutrients.<br />
• Fermented foods are super for digestion, gut<br />
health, reducing inflammation and for boosting<br />
the immune system. Many of these can be<br />
made at home such as milk kefir, kimchi and<br />
sauerkraut. You can find making instructions on<br />
You Tube. <strong>The</strong>y are also available to buy in many<br />
health food shops and online.<br />
• Bone broth is a great source of protein and is<br />
good for joint and bone health. It can be drunk<br />
on its own or used in soups, stews or casseroles.<br />
You can make it at home if you can source the<br />
bones from a good butcher or it is available to<br />
buy in many good food stores and can be ordered<br />
online.<br />
• Double up. If you are cooking something for<br />
dinner today double the amount and it will<br />
provide dinner or lunch tomorrow.<br />
• Cook from scratch as this way you know what<br />
you are eating with no hidden sugars, salt or bad<br />
fats. It doesn’t have to be complicated. With good<br />
ingredients the simpler the better.<br />
• Spice it up - try adding more herbs and spices<br />
such as turmeric, ginger and cinnamon to add<br />
interest ad flavour.<br />
• Running out of ideas? Check out cookery classes<br />
or courses in your area or look online for new<br />
recipes and great tips. <br />
16 THE FREEBIRD TIMES – ISSUE NO. 3, AUGUST 2018
LIVING & LIFESTYLE <br />
Love Art!<br />
Maureen Dunne studied History of Art<br />
and Architecture/Ancient History and<br />
Archaeology at Trinity College Dublin as a<br />
mature student and now thoroughly enjoys<br />
working as a volunteer with the National<br />
Gallery of Ireland.<br />
Working on the information desk in the splendour<br />
of the National Gallery of Ireland surrounded by<br />
the paintings of the greatest masters in the world,<br />
I am constantly reminded of just what is meant by<br />
“art appreciation.” Not all art is contained in the<br />
grandeur of such establishments. Art is everywhere<br />
in plain sight.<br />
So, what do we mean when we talk about art<br />
appreciation? Well, just that. Appreciating art in<br />
all its forms from its creation, composition and<br />
space to the medium used, the colour palette and<br />
the style, form, function and context. We are also<br />
talking about its subject matter and what it says to<br />
the viewer as he/she stands and studies it.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re is no “right” way to appreciate art. We should<br />
just let a painting embrace us as we rejoice in the<br />
storyline or the depiction unfolding before us. We<br />
should envelop ourselves in the tones, hues and the<br />
use of space within the canvas and if possible ‘enter’<br />
the space and feel part of it.<br />
When visiting a gallery it is easy to just walk along<br />
and glance at the line of paintings as you pass. But<br />
I would recommend taking it more slowly and to<br />
dedicate a period of time to studying say three or<br />
four paintings in an afternoon. Such focus can open<br />
up a whole new world.<br />
You don’t have to travel far to appreciate the art<br />
around you. Start by getting familiar with your local<br />
gallery and your local artists and wallow in what is<br />
on offer. Appreciating art is a meandering and very<br />
rewarding journey….bon voyage! <br />
Three of my favourite artworks in Dublin<br />
<strong>The</strong> Book of Kells<br />
Dublin’s Trinity College is home to one of the earliest and most beautiful<br />
artworks ever produced - <strong>The</strong> Book of Kells. Written by monks in<br />
approximately 800AD, the delicacy and fineness of the iconography<br />
depicted in the gospels is unequalled. It is adorned with lavish script,<br />
decoration and paintings of the Evangelists – all for the glory of God.<br />
THE FREEBIRD TIMES – ISSUE NO. 3, AUGUST 2018<br />
17
LIVING & LIFESTYLE<br />
Caravaggio<br />
‘<strong>The</strong> Taking of Christ’<br />
Housed at the National Gallery of<br />
Ireland in Clare Street, this is a story full<br />
of sorrow. <strong>The</strong> sombre mood is depicted<br />
by the chiaroscuro/darkness. However,<br />
there are definite light sources that draw<br />
the eye of the viewer to take a very<br />
close look into the painting and study<br />
everything surrounding Christ, whose<br />
face is visible to us, as he is taken away<br />
by the soldiers.<br />
Vermeer ‘Woman Writing<br />
a Letter with her Maid’<br />
This painting is also part of the collection<br />
at the National Gallery of Ireland.<br />
Dutch painters of the 17th century<br />
“Golden Age” thrilled us with depictions<br />
of everyday life. In this painting the<br />
maid is seen taking centre stage – most<br />
unusual as normally maids and servants<br />
were hidden. But from this painting<br />
we can assume the maid was totally in<br />
the confidence of her mistress as she<br />
writes her letter. <strong>The</strong> maid looks out the<br />
window awaiting her chore of delivering the letter. But to whom? What is the letter? A love letter to her<br />
husband or a letter to a secret lover – let your imagination run riot …….<br />
<strong>The</strong> Book of Kells can be found at Trinity<br />
college Dublin, click below for details:<br />
Carvaggio’s ‘<strong>The</strong> Taking of Christ’ and Vermeer’s ‘Woman<br />
Writing a Letter with her Maid’ can be found at National<br />
Gaery of Ireland, click below for details:<br />
18 THE FREEBIRD TIMES – ISSUE NO. 3, AUGUST 2018
LIVING & LIFESTYLE <br />
Singing is health enhancing at any age<br />
In 2016 I did something I had been<br />
considering for years - I joined a choral<br />
society! It has proved a remarkable<br />
experience and I’m only sorry I didn’t do<br />
it a long time ago writes Des O’Neill.<br />
<strong>The</strong> choir I joined was incredibly welcoming but also<br />
had a fantastic forward impetus and work ethic. With<br />
little previous experience, I found myself singing<br />
a moving Beethoven oratorio, a sublime Schubert<br />
Mass, three performances of the Messiah, and a<br />
delightfully arranged Christmas concert over a period<br />
of six months. Since then I have experienced Rossini,<br />
Jenkins, Liszt, Gounod, more Handel, and have now<br />
sung twice in the marvellous lunchtime ‘Handel in the<br />
Street’ concert which takes place in Dublin’s Fishamble<br />
Street on the 13th of April every year to celebrate the<br />
world premiere of Messiah in Dublin back in 1742.<br />
I have also discovered and joined a new ‘event’<br />
choir, the Irish Doctors Choir. It rehearses for a<br />
few weekends and then performs. To date we have<br />
sung in Mahler’s mighty Second Symphony and<br />
Rachmaninov’s deeply spiritual All-Night Vigil.<br />
<strong>The</strong> rehearsals for both choirs are as important<br />
as the concerts. I find myself looking forward to<br />
Tuesday evenings when all else is cleared from my<br />
mind as I concentrate on the score allied to the<br />
pleasure of singing together.<br />
In addition, there is the constant proximity to the<br />
beauty of the music. As a race we are not given<br />
to discourse on aesthetics in our personal lives,<br />
but aesthetics feature in Maslow’s hierarchy of<br />
needs as the penultimate step in self-actualisation,<br />
a truer understanding of who we are. It is also<br />
notable that many choirs focus on religious music<br />
and in a secular/pluralist society we rarely dwell<br />
on and articulate the hugely important themes of<br />
suffering, love, death and redemption encountered<br />
in these texts with their impact magnified by the<br />
deeply moving and powerful music. <strong>The</strong> aesthetic<br />
experience is unbelievably heightened when<br />
performing in one of these masterpieces, almost as<br />
if one becomes a living character in a great novel<br />
or in a celebrated painting like Rembrandt’s <strong>The</strong><br />
Night Watch, moving from observer to embedded<br />
participant.<br />
THE FREEBIRD TIMES – ISSUE NO. 3, AUGUST 2018<br />
<strong>The</strong>re may<br />
also be health<br />
benefits to<br />
singing!<br />
Support for<br />
this suggestion<br />
comes in a<br />
recent Irish<br />
study from the<br />
University of<br />
Limerick which<br />
examined the<br />
topic with 1,779<br />
choral singers<br />
from around the globe. <strong>The</strong> results suggested an<br />
overwhelmingly positive perception of the health<br />
benefits of choral singing.<br />
While the health aspects are undeniable, these may<br />
be overplayed relative to the importance of how it<br />
helps us to rethink and reshape our world, experience<br />
pleasure and companionship, and connect to<br />
something deep inside through text and music.<br />
Most choirs make strenuous efforts to encourage<br />
membership and provide support for novices,<br />
including supportive recorded material, and there<br />
are also online sites which provide similar help, so<br />
you should not feel daunted by approaching a choir<br />
for the first time. <strong>The</strong>re are many avenues, and if<br />
not through one of the mainstream choirs in your<br />
area, consider also the tried and trusted route of the<br />
local religious or community choir, often avid for<br />
new members<br />
Professor Desmond O’Neill is a consultant physician<br />
in geriatric and stroke medicine<br />
and co-chair of the Medical and Health<br />
Humanities Initiative of Trinity College Dublin.<br />
For a contemporary take on choral music,<br />
the hauntingly beautiful compositions<br />
of US composer Eric Whitacre are worth<br />
a listen. For a classical experience try<br />
the powerful Ode to Joy with words by<br />
German poet Friedrich Schiller from<br />
Beethoven’s 9th symphony.<br />
19
TRAVEL<br />
Winter, Spring, Summer<br />
or Fall – Boston has it all<br />
Boston-born Julie Colby gives us<br />
a whistle stop tour of her favourite<br />
aspects of her native city.<br />
With an abundance of historic sites, utterly<br />
charming neighbourhoods, beautiful public parks,<br />
a variety of museums, and delicious dining options,<br />
there are plenty of things to do in Boston. It is one<br />
of those cities where each season brings a variety of<br />
new things to do and see.<br />
Go on the Freedom Trail and get a glimpse into the<br />
history of the USA. You can take a guided tour or<br />
go on your own with map in hand. It’s a journey<br />
that will take you through churches, graveyards,<br />
meeting houses, a ship and if you follow the painted<br />
red line every step gives you a glimpse into the past<br />
and the beginning of the American Revolution. <strong>The</strong><br />
entire trail is 2.5 miles but you can decide what you<br />
want to see and make it shorter.<br />
If art is your thing then <strong>The</strong> Museum of Fine Arts<br />
should be on your list of places to go but my top<br />
recommendation – and make sure you leave a whole<br />
morning or afternoon to go and see it - is <strong>The</strong><br />
Isabelle Stewart Gardner Museum. This collection<br />
of art, tapestries, furniture, and an old Roman<br />
sarcophagus all housed in this palatial Venetian<br />
designed palazzo complete with a great courtyard<br />
is where the Gardners used to live and is now a<br />
museum where you can get up close and personal<br />
with the collection.<br />
Perhaps you’ve heard about the great heist of<br />
1990 when 13 works of art were stolen worth an<br />
estimated 500 million? This happened at the Isabelle<br />
Stewart Gardner Museum when the artworks were<br />
cut out from their frames. <strong>The</strong>se empty frames<br />
are still hanging on the wall in the hope that they<br />
will eventually be reunited with their paintings.<br />
<strong>The</strong> guides here are incredibly passionate and very<br />
knowledgeable.<br />
If you are more into the great outdoors just strolling<br />
through Boston Public Gardens is a pleasant way to<br />
spend a bit of time and you can take a short Swan<br />
Boat ride in the park. And of course, you are only<br />
a stone’s throw away from the famous Cheers pub–<br />
where everybody knows your name! A must do is to<br />
eat dinner or just go and get some pizza and have<br />
a cannoli for desert in the North End. <strong>The</strong> city is<br />
really easy to get around by foot or on <strong>The</strong> T run by<br />
the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority <br />
20 THE FREEBIRD TIMES – ISSUE NO. 3, AUGUST 2018
TRAVEL <br />
Visit the Pioneer Valley<br />
Amherst is a just a short hop from our host Christine’s<br />
house in Belchertown and nearby resident, Jackie<br />
Keady, gives us the low-down on her local area.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Town of Amherst, located in the lovely Pioneer<br />
Valley of Western Massachusetts, is a diverse,<br />
inclusive community offering numerous outdoor,<br />
educational and cultural opportunities. Host to<br />
Amherst College, Hampshire College, and the<br />
University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst<br />
enjoys a tradition of quality education, support for<br />
open space and agriculture, and respect for its history.<br />
Nature enthusiasts, lovers of culture and the arts,<br />
sports aficionados and foodies will all find plenty<br />
to enjoy in the “happy valley” as it is affectionately<br />
referred to by residents of western Massachusetts.<br />
Nearby Northampton, MA (8 miles) is home to<br />
Smith College and Mount Holyoke College with<br />
additional parks, shops and restaurants. Amherst is<br />
also two hours from Boston and an hour to southern<br />
Vermont for those who wish to explore further.<br />
Some suggestions for every type of visitor would<br />
include:<br />
OUTDOOR RECREATION:<br />
• <strong>The</strong> Seven Sisters<br />
• Quabbin Reservoir<br />
• Manhan Bicycle Trail<br />
• <strong>The</strong> Charlemont Gorge<br />
• Look Park<br />
• Mount Tom<br />
• Bridge of Flowers<br />
CULTURE AND ARTS:<br />
• Forbes Library<br />
• <strong>The</strong> Emily Dickinson Museum<br />
• Mead Art Museum at Amherst College<br />
THE FREEBIRD TIMES – ISSUE NO. 3, AUGUST 2018<br />
FOODIE HAVENS, RESTAURANTS AND BARS:<br />
• Blue Heron<br />
• Bistro 63<br />
• Judie’s<br />
• Amherst Brewing Company<br />
• Northampton Brewery<br />
• <strong>The</strong> Lone Wolf<br />
• Black Sheep Bakery<br />
• Atkins Market and Bakery<br />
• Amherst Farmers Market - April thru November<br />
SHOPPING:<br />
• Yankee Candle Company<br />
• Thorne’s Market<br />
• Silverscape Jewellery<br />
• Artisan Gallery<br />
• Downtown Sounds<br />
• Pinch Pottery<br />
• Zanna Clothing<br />
Our hosts in Massachusetts<br />
Thomas’s place,<br />
Roughly 3 hours North of<br />
Boston.<br />
CLICK TO BOOK<br />
Lea’s place<br />
Chestnut Hill<br />
A suburb of Boston.<br />
Christine’s place<br />
Belchertown<br />
Roughly an hour and a half<br />
West of Boston.<br />
Jeanine’s place<br />
CLICK TO BOOK<br />
CLICK TO BOOK<br />
Nantucket Island<br />
Roughly a four-hour road<br />
trip followed by a ferry ride<br />
but faster using the high-speed ferry from<br />
Hyannis. Boston to Hyannis is roughly an<br />
hour and a half by car.<br />
CLICK TO BOOK<br />
21
TECH SAVVY<br />
TOP TECH TIPS<br />
Michael Redmond Jr. chooses his top<br />
tech picks to improve your memory and<br />
make your travel experience easier and<br />
more enjoyable!<br />
Our Top Three tech Tools<br />
1. Elevate (available on both Android +<br />
iOS): https://www.elevateapp.com/<br />
Lumosity (available on both Android<br />
+ iOS): https://www.lumosity.com/<br />
I have tested both of these “train your<br />
brain” applications. Both are easy to sign up for<br />
and start using right away with no verification of<br />
identity needed. Both have free and paid versions<br />
available. <strong>The</strong> paid versions aren’t that expensive and<br />
offer a lot more “in game” exercises. <strong>The</strong> prices vary<br />
depending on the type of membership desired.<br />
Personally, I liked Lumosity more than Elevate because<br />
it gives you a score for how you performed relative to<br />
others in the same age bracket. <strong>The</strong> user is limited to<br />
three free games per day and I feel this a good balance<br />
as you can have experience with the app but not become<br />
addicted to it as the next set of games won’t be available<br />
until the next day. Elevate doesn’t seem as challenging<br />
and doesn’t feel like I’m exercising my mind as much.<br />
Try both for yourself and see which you prefer.<br />
2. Ever found yourself wondering how<br />
you know if someone is visiting or<br />
what’s coming up in your day? A free<br />
app, Prompt by Memrica for iPhone<br />
and iPad, combines a visual diary with<br />
notes about your history with people and places. It’s<br />
really straightforward to use and is a great reminder<br />
service for those moments when you just need a<br />
‘Prompt’ to remember! http://memricaprompt.com<br />
3. How-To Resize Photos, a Step-by-<br />
Step Guide is available at: https://<br />
www.wikihow.com/Resize-an-<br />
Image-in-Microsoft-Paint<br />
Handy Help for Travel<br />
a. Travel Phrasebook | Translator<br />
(available on both Android +<br />
iOS): https://www.apple.com/<br />
ie/ios/app-store/ https://play.<br />
google.com/store?hl=en<br />
b. Travel Gadget:<br />
Tile Mate is a bluetooth “finder<br />
app.” Attach to your keys, wallet,<br />
suitcase, etc. and download the<br />
app. Can locate your missing<br />
item! https://www.thetileapp.<br />
com/en-eu/store/tiles/mate<br />
c. Xiaomi Mi Power Bank Pro<br />
(portable charger) – handy to<br />
have if no socket is close by.<br />
https://amzn.to/2Lkmnji<br />
d. Universal Adapter - https://www.<br />
tripsavvy.com/best-travel-adaptersto-buy-4136335<br />
e. Mini Portable<br />
Phone Fan<br />
(available for<br />
Androids and<br />
iPhones) – This<br />
little gadget attaches<br />
to your phone and<br />
keeps you cool on<br />
warm days.<br />
Apple: https://<br />
amzn.to/2LiHHpr<br />
Android: https://amzn.to/29QPgA1<br />
22 THE FREEBIRD TIMES – ISSUE NO. 3, AUGUST 2018
TECH SAVVY <br />
Picture this!<br />
Michael Redmond Jr. explains how to upload<br />
photos to your PC (Windows) or Apple devices.<br />
Uploading to PC<br />
1 Connect your device (e.g., phone, camera, tablet,<br />
etc.) to your computer using the USB *cable it<br />
came with. This is done by plugging the smaller<br />
end of the cable (Micro-B or Lightning port) into<br />
your device and by plugging the USB (bigger end)<br />
into your computer.<br />
*This will be the same cable used to charge your<br />
device.<br />
2 Open your File Explorer from the start menu and<br />
locate your device on the left hand side-bar. Double<br />
click on your device’s name to open its files.<br />
3 Now that you can see your devices files, Select<br />
the folder you saved your picture under on your<br />
device. For most devices, this can be seen in the<br />
Photos folder already setup on your device.<br />
4 Now that you’re in the folder where you saved your<br />
photo, locate the picture you’d like to transfer.<br />
5 Once you’ve located this picture, Left click and<br />
Hold on the image’s icon. While still holding<br />
the image, Drag the image over to the desired<br />
destination *folder.<br />
*to ensure you’re over the correct folder, the folder<br />
will be highlighted and little note will appear<br />
saying “→ Move to [folder name]”<br />
After 2 seconds of hovering over a folder, this<br />
message will disappear and the folder being<br />
hovered over will open up so that you can place it<br />
in a subsequent folder if desired.<br />
6 Once you are sure you are over the desired<br />
destination folder, Release the left click and this<br />
will Drop the picture into that folder.<br />
7 To ensure this was done successfully, left click<br />
on the destination folder and locate your image<br />
file. If you are able to see it, then this was done<br />
successfully.<br />
Uploading to a Mac<br />
from your iPhone or iPad<br />
1 Connect your device (iPhone or iPad) to your<br />
computer using the USB cable it came with. This is<br />
done by plugging the Lightning port (smaller end of<br />
the cable) into your device and by plugging the USB<br />
(bigger end) into your computer.<br />
*This will be the same cord used to charge your<br />
device*<br />
2 Once your device has been connected follow the on<br />
screen instructions to allow your Mac to access your<br />
device. This usually involves agreeing to allow access<br />
on the Mac and then typing in your password on your<br />
device to allow it to Trust this computer.<br />
3 Now locate and open your “Photos” application<br />
on your Mac. It should be located on your dock<br />
but if not, search for it using command + spacebar<br />
button combo to open the spotlight feature and<br />
search for it.<br />
4 Locate your device on the left hand sidebar and<br />
click on it to open it’s contents.<br />
5 Click the checkbox next to Open Photos and<br />
select the desired location where to upload in the<br />
“Import to”: dropdown.<br />
6 You should be prompted to Unlock your device,<br />
but if not, still just unlock your device and leave it<br />
unlocked. You will now be able to see your device’s<br />
photos on your Mac.<br />
7 Locate the photo(s) you wish to upload and click<br />
on the desired one(s). You will now see the Import<br />
# Selected button made available to you at the top<br />
right hand corner of the screen. Click this button<br />
and the photo(s) will be uploaded.<br />
8 Your photo(s) will now be accessible for upload to <strong>The</strong><br />
<strong>Freebird</strong> Club website by navigating to this photos file<br />
when you are choosing where to upload from.<br />
THE FREEBIRD TIMES – ISSUE NO. 3, AUGUST 2018<br />
23
CLUB NEWS<br />
NEW MEMBER’S OFFER<br />
€25.00<br />
YOU PAY<br />
€10.00<br />
USE PROMO CODE: SUMMER2018<br />
Join <strong>The</strong> <strong>Freebird</strong> Club NOW for just €10.00 (Usual joining fee is €25.00)<br />
AND<br />
Enjoy an additional 15% discount on all trips WORLDWIDE<br />
booked before 31st December 2018.<br />
JOIN THE FREEBIRD CLUB NOW<br />
Terms & conditions apply<br />
Follow us on:<br />
1) Offer valid until 31/12/2018 only.<br />
2) <strong>Freebird</strong> Club booking must be confirmed by 31st December 2018 and travel completed before 30th June 2019.<br />
3) This offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other discount code or special offer.<br />
24 THE FREEBIRD TIMES – ISSUE NO. 3, AUGUST 2018