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Bucharest … “Little Paris”
After a pleasant trip through the snow capped Carpathian Mountains I arrived in a sunny Bucharest. I’ve settled into the hostel which is immaculate I have taken my usual stroll through the streets. I think it will be an interesting visit. It’s pretty busy and while it may not have the charm of some places…
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Sunshine … a beautiful day in Brasov and new friends
Brasov in the sun is beautiful. The hostel is fine and roomies chatty and ready to be open. Just the type of place I like most. This morning I took a free tour around the town with Alex our guide; it was a convivial group from all over the world. I had some interesting chats…
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At Sibiu … ancient capital of Transylvania
An early start on the 7.00 am train this morning for a day trip to this town in the south. A two hour journey of 50 miles, the train stopped at every station and little halt where passengers waited by the line and literally clambered aboard. But at £6 return I’m not complaining. The countryside…
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Sighisoara Romania
I left Budapest at 11 last night on the sleeper to Sighisoara. Night sleepers in Eastern Europe have a resonance… spies, murder and intrigue are the tropes we have from films and novels. The reality was less romantic and much more interesting. . An antique station and an even more antiquated train in a cramped…
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Architecture in Budapest; Odon Lechner
Today I spent a pleasant day exploring the architecture of Hungarian Odon Lechner who was working in the 1880s to 1910s. I first discovered his work in Bratislava at the Blue Church and the Gymnasium.Heavily influenced by both Art Nouveau and Vienna Secession his work is colourful, exuberant and idiosyncratic. There are many if his…
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Bratislava Old Town
A slightly warmer day … a tour around the old town with an excellent guide. It is quiet after Prague; lots of English tourists in almost empty streets. Our guide was very informative on the development of Bratislava particularly the 18th and nineteenth centuries and the role of Austria and Hungary in the creation of…
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My first full day in Prague
Well today has been full on. It’s been warm and sunny all day… T-shirt weather. My agenda was: visit to the Jewish quarter, visit to Tyn church, castle and cathedral area, wandering through the city looking at the architecture and finally a concert at the Clementinum. Prague is a rather beautiful city; cobbled streets, amazing…
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Wandering in Regensburg
As Augsburg didn’t enthral me after an early breakfast I went to catch the train to Regensburg… another UNESCO city famed for its well preserved old town. It’s a spacious and pretty place with multicoloured building from the Roman period through the middle ages to the Baroque. Situated on the Danube it is pleasant to…
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Augsburg
I arrived in Augsburg after a slightly delayed train journey. Well I’m not entirely impressed. I had to book a cheap hotel as the only hostel is a proper youth hostel and I’m obviously not in that category. I have a single room and it’s clean but not very sociable. I’ve taken my usual evening…
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A day in Speyer … it’s gemuttlich
Well after a late night last night I woke late so a quick cup of coffee and off to the station for my trip to Speyer. 45 minutes on the train and I arrived in this genteel and rather bourgeois town. It’s small but full of beautiful little back streets and shops me interesting churches…
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Heidelberg… charming and delightful
I spent today wandering around the city. Some little courtyards and alleys to see. The people in the hostel are really lovely and we’ve had some amusing, intense, and interesting conversations comparing cultural differences and similarities; Swiss, German, Norwegian and US among others. It’s a good place to stay. A good common space and because…
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Strasbourg
Well this is a charming city, full of character on a beautiful spring day. It’s a little disconcerting to be in a border town which looks so German and yet feels French. The rivers are beautiful to stroll by and the small squares are pleasant to sit and dream in. The magnolias are in full…
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Travel, searching and being queer
Life is a sum of all your choices”. So, what are you doing today? Albert Camus I’ve often posted about travel; the opportunities, the freedom, the possibility of reinvention and how I’ve felt many of the people I’ve met seem to be searching for a place to fit in this world. Gradually my sense of…
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Nikko … at Tosho-gu … a shogun’s resting place
I think Japan saved the best until the last. I had intended to visit Nikko, another UNESCO site but seemed a little thwarted. The train line there was complicated even by Japanese standards and getting a ticket was like an intelligence test which I almost failed but managed in the end. It was worth it.…
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Kabuki-za … a trip to the theatre
One of the things I wanted to do on this trip was to visit Kabuki performance and I was lucky enough to book a show here at the Kabuki-za in Ginza. It’s traditional theatre developed in the Edo period and the three plays I saw today were written in 1719. The first was the first…
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Tokyo National Museum… a rainy day
Yesterday ended well. Marci, (an American) had her birthday so Roxanne (Dutch) and I went out to a great restaurant to celebrate with her. The restaurant was on the seventh floor of a building in Shibuya. I’m always surprised by what goes on in these high rises; this one had several restaurants, a theatre, cinema,…
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First day in Tokyo … the epitome of Japan?
Up with the lark I decided to get going and sample the delights of Tokyo. I saw the sunrise and that inspired me. I decided to visit the studenty, boho type area at Shimokitazawa. I walked which was interesting as much of the way was through pleasant residential streets. I was s bit disappointed… lots…
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Arriving in Shibuya, Tokyo
After a fairly good journey on which I took the train in the wrong direction!(first idiocy in a month) I arrived in Shibuya for my Tokyo adventure. Shibuya is apparently the party capital and near the fashionista capital of Japan so I’m looking forward to exploring tomorrow. Shimokitazawa looks very bougie and a good place…
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36 Views of Mount Fuji … well almost
Hokusai, the celebrated Japanese woodcut artist, published a series called 36 Views of Mount Fuji. The most famous is “The Great Wave”. I haven’t really the space for 36 but these may suffice. After arriving in cold snd murky conditions yesterday with the Mountain shrouded in cloud I was a little concerned I would be…
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Shirakawa-go
This was a really interesting visit. The village houses date from the 17th century and are pretty unique. Designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO the houses are built in a traditional style called gassho. The area is famed for its woodworking skills and the houses are built without nails using ropes to secure the…
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At the Tokugawa museum and vintage shopping
This museum seemed like a great place so I walked to visit. I had called in at the Nagoya art museum first. It was good and had a good exhibition in the folk art tradition celebrating the beauty of everyday objects; Mingei. Very much like our Arts and Crafts movement in the UK and obviously…
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Takayama… a quiet but interesting day.
I arrived three days too late to watch this world famous parade of massive shrines though I don’t think I would have been able to book in anywhere as it attracts tens of thousands of visitors to the event. It has been celebrated for hundreds of years and many of the huge shrines, which are…
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Stunning beauty at Kamikochi
Today being fine and tomorrow forecasting rain I decided to take the bus to Kamakochi in the true mountains of Japan. A two hour trip climbing upward on narrow roads sculpted into the mountainside following hairpin bends through steep river valleys. There is so little level land that every tiny plot is taken up by…
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A Last day in Kyoto
Today was yet another fine and sunny day. I’ve been lucky so far. I decided to visit another of Kyoto’s wonderful temples; Kizomizu-dera. Set high on a hill it was very crowded; both local worshippers and tourists. A little more commercialised outside than many temples but with some excellent shops selling better than average wares.…
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The Philosopher’s Path 哲学の道, Tetsugaku no michi
Where to begin? Kyoto on this autumn day was quite wonderful. The leaves are beginning to turn and the weather is perfect for this five hour walk. But first a catch up on yesterday evening. The Gion area where I’m based is in a conservation area and retains much of old Kyoto; narrow lanes with…
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Back in Kyoto for some proper sightseeing and a Shunga exhibition
I left a sunny Okoyama and caught the train to Kyoto. Arriving before I could check in I dumped my bags at the hostel (very comfortable) and set off for an initial stroll. I’m in the rather nice Gion district and the hostel is surrounded by antique shops selling beautiful work as well as craft…
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A day at Museums
Last night i had a pleasant evening and dinner with Florence who is staying at the hostel. She was excellent company. This morning I got up late and had a slow start. The past couple of weeks have been quite hectic so today I will spend my last day in Okayama visiting a couple of…
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Hiroshima in the rain… a sombre day
It’s difficult to know what to say about this without being trite. Today I took a walk to the Peace Memorial Park which is where the bomb was detonated about 600m above the area which completely devastated an ancient part of the city. The dome was one of few buildings to survive the blast and…
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A ferry trip to the island of Miyajima … stunning
I intended to visit the island tomorrow but rain was forecast so I decided to make an early start today instead. A dull start turned into a fine, warm day. The trip was well worth it; a 45 minute journey from Hiroshima Peace Park. Today being Sunday is was quite busy by the harbour with…
Escape to myself
Travelling to reconnect
Escape to myself 