Just for the sake of posterity

I am aware of the time that has passed since my last post, unfortunately family illness mad it impossible for me to carry on as normal and so this blog was pushed to the sidelines. This is not yet
an attempt to rescue it from the grave, but simply to record a story which I once wrote (or at least
started to write) because of an art challenge. It was a somewhat unusual challenge but was based on
the idea of designing a set of banknotes for a fantasy country of your choice. The person who set the
challenge also mentioned that it might be fun to write about that country.

Well writing was not one of my interests at the time but I took up the challenge and started to write a travel journal based on the country I had imagined. I have just remembered this because of annother WRITING challenge and it took me some time to find it on my computer - actually archived on a external hard disc. So here are three posts which summarise this MY FIRST ATTEMPT at writing something other than song lyrics, which I hope will mean I can find it again should I decide to complete it just for fun.

TRISTOLARIA – A TRAVEL JOURNAL

Day 1: I have only just set out on a voyage of discovery to TRISTOLARIA, where the unit of currency is the BRYTA. I give an example of the 237 bryta note. This is the largest note in common circulation although for special purposes The Royal Bank of Tristolaria has issued a 1024 bryta note but which is rarely used in practice.

Other denominations of paper currency are 1, 4, 9. 16. and 52. I will post photos of these as I discover them. Like most bureau de change offices, I have only been given high denomination notes when I purchased my currency for this visit.


Tristolaria is a little known country in the southern tip of Eire, and it is possibly best known (amongst those who do know it) for its WET weather. It is almost perpetually raining or very damp. The humidity is the highest of any recorded anywhere in the world. Despite the so-called gazetteers claiming this record for tropical or mountainous regions of the world. Because of this persistent weather pattern, its main agricultural crop is moss. It is shipped from here to Japan and many other countries cultivating Japanese style gardens. It is also used in the production of whiskey but the main whiskey producing areas mostly grow enough of their own moss. There is little or no industry in Tristolaria, except sharpening gardening tools because they rust so quickly in the climate here.

Everywhere you go, the land is covered in moss and it is near impossible to grow any other crop. The constant threat of famine was raised when it was learnt that in Finland, peat mosses were used to make bread in famine situations there. A use which was seized upon by the tristolrians with great joy and rejoicing. Moss was hung as decorations on every spare wall and lamp post ( not many of the latter as the electricity fails regularly due to corrosion of the contacts) and then dried and converted into bread with a recipe stolen from the Finns by their great hero Anktu Robircha.

I must go know to claim my "bed" for the night ( stuffed with moss of course) as the dry ones go very quickly due to population pressures. There has never been so much food to go around. All hail Anktu.