Coffee, coffee, coffee!

Cold and cloudy today. Early bed at half past nine last night despite the usual broken sleep, improved the way I felt on waking up. After taking the blood pressure pill I felt light headed and slow thinking until I went for a walk and had lunch. That 'toxic head' feeling wasn't as intense as it used to be. I'll try whatever change of routine makes a consistent difference. Only taking a statin every other day seems to spare me the worst of the awful sensation I've been living with since the stroke. Tomorrow morning I return to St David's hospital for a second fasting blood cholesterol test.

Radio Four's 'In our time' programme this morning was all about the element silicon, its importance in the making of the universe, its physics and chemistry and its use in semiconductors and electronics. It took me back to my time as a chemistry student sixty years ago, when fresh discoveries about silicon compounds and how to synthesise them were being made. This was just before the revolutionary innovation of silicon based products began to be commercialised. It was an exciting time to be in a scientific environment. The inquisitive and imaginative nature of scientific enterprise attracted me. I'm not sure that I would have become sufficiently disciplined and competent enough as a practitioner to make a worthwhile contribution to science, however. I was more interested in people, how they think, what they think and believe, always interested in the bigger picture, and how everything works together for good.

Clare soaked and cooked a batch of beans to make a curry with some of them for lunch. They are soft enough to use for making our own hummus as well. I fell asleep in my armchair for an hour afterwards. I didn't realise I was that tired since I slept fairly well last night, but I felt better as a result.

I walked around Thompson's Park for an hour. The old park keeper's hut, converted into the 'Lufkin' coffee kiosk seven years ago, closed last year. It's being given a makeover and is about to re-open, re-branded as 'Ground' the sixth in a small chain of local coffee and pastry shops around Cardiff and Penarth. 

Another coffee shop, one of a chain of twelve under the 'Coffi Lab' brand, has just opened opposite the Half Way pub, competing with Coffee #1 further down the street, plus 'Cafe Castan' and 'Square and Fair' in Llandaff Fields. That's a remarkable number of coffee shops within five minutes walk of each other, with two of them pitched at dog walkers. 

It will be interesting to see how long they last, given the rising price of coffee beans due to the effect of climate change, plus energy costs due to economic fall-out from war in the Middle East. Fashionable matt black is the paint colour used in the latest of these renovated retail outlets. I wonder how comfortable it will prove to be sitting indoors if we have summers of extreme heat? Pontcanna has been featured in recent news items as a top ranking trendy lifestyle residential area. I wonder how that affects local house prices?

Trump's threat to destroy Iran's energy infrastructure is meant to put pressure on negotiations to end the war. Pakistan is acting as a go-between. As a sign of good faith, Iran has let ten oil tankers pass through the Straight of Hormuz. Meanwhile, The United Arab Emirates have been attacked by Iran while Hezbollah continues to attack Israel with missiles. Russia is supplying drones to Iran in the background. No matter how successful Israel and America are at destroying Iranian weapons production and stocks, this is bound to prolong Iranian retaliation and resistance. The Iranian regime although hit hard has not collapsed. Its assassinated leaders have been replaced by other hard-liners determined to maintain the oppressive status quo. Coercion and violence have produced much suffering and death, but succeeded only in prolonging conflict and a descent into global economic recession.

I found a new Italian crimmie to watch from 'Walter Presents' called 'Blanca'. It's about a young blind woman who becomes an intern at police headquarters. She has a highly developed sense of hearing from her job transcribing courtroom audio, and puts it to use in an investigative team. A clever idea showcasing  blind people's potential to be active participants in team work. The accents caught my attention. I guessed Northern Italy correctly, as the  setting of the drama was the port city of Genoa, with obligatory mention of pesto!  Listening to it through headphones was a really good thing, as the well crafted stereo sound track made the experience of the blind protagonist come alive.