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A day in Kyoto
I was woken at 5.45 by a fellow dorm mate who could not open the dorm electronic lock! Never mind … I wanted to enjoy this full day in Kyoto so had booked an early tour of the shogun’s palace at Nojo Castle and the Imperial palace. As Kyoto was the capital of Japan until…
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A quiet day in Nara
After a strenous day yesterday I wandered the town today and took it gently. I’ve made a little list of things I’ve noticed: Zebra crossings. You wait ages and they bleep in a chirruping sound which is aggravating. 2. The dustcarts sing a little song. The lotto stalls are unmanned but advertise through speakers all…
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Walking Yamanobe-no-michi
Today I decided to walk in the mountains outside Nara. It was 30 degrees but I still managed 11 miles. It was a magical experience. Yamanobe-no-michi is the oldest road in Japan and linked Nara to Edo (Tokyo). A train ride of 15 minutes took me to Tenri where i picked up the trail. It…
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A morning of deer, temples and shrines in Nara
Todai-ji This is a vast temple complex in the hills a short distance from the city. The complex passes through various gates until you reach the great hall containing a giant statue of Buddha… its quite magnificent and magical despite the number of people many of whom came to worship. It’s quite a stunning place…
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A day in Himeji
After a good sleep I awoke to humidity and heat but decided to catch the train to Himeji which is about an hour from Osaka. The train journey took me past rows of high rise apartments and small houses. Land is at a premium and there were few open spaces or gardens as I travelled…
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Tate Britain … 400 years of women artists in Britain
I visited this exhibition today with my friend. It was really interesting and inspiring to see such an excellent representation of women artists. While i knew many of them it was intriguing to see them together and explore the gradual development of their art in the context of the various artistic zeitgeist through the centuries.…
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Die Blaue Reiter at Tate Modern
Today I decided to indulge my passion for German Expressionist painting which I rekindled last month in Munich and Vienna. Since university I’ve always loved the energy and somewhat mystical nature of their work and Marc and Kandinsky have always been favourites. The exhibition was well put together and included many works by Kandinsky and…
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Last night with friends and today quiet places
It was so good to catch up with Cristina … she prepared one of her delicious dinners of pasta and then some tasty savoury tarts with asparagus and a soft chocolate pudding. We had a convivial evening. It was good to be back in her delightful apartment though it was challenging to drag up my…
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Krka National Park, Skradin and Trogir
A dull start to the day but perhaps this weather is more appropriate to the season than the heat I’ve been experiencing so far. Krka is very lovely and at 9.30 in the morning very quiet. A small group of people on the bus … all very friendly. Talking to them made me realise how…
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Split … tourism amidst history
I arrived in Split last night at about ten o’clock and settled into the hostel. Cheap but not very nice but it’ll do for two days. I’m missing the companionship of Mostar. I found a nice restaurant for breakfast and then started wandering the city. It’s very busy with tourist groups the layout of the…
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A last day in Mostar … on to Split
I loved Mostar; the friendliness, the beauty, the history and Hostel Miran. Miran and his family and staff made this a home from home. Being there was like being one of the family and Miran was an interesting, thoughtful and funny host. Communal breakfasts, wonderful guests; this is absolutely my best stay anywhere so far.…
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A day in Mostar with friends
Last night we went to eat at a lovely restaurant overlooking the river and enjoyed wine, good food and good company followed by a gelato on the way back to the hostel. Ina also came last night but she returned to the UK this morning. Today the three of us took a walk around the…
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A day in Bosnia; Blagaj, Pocitelj and Kravice
This was a really great day; new friends, good company and Miran the owner of our hostel who was a really great guide and who knew his country and particularly the Mostar area where he has lived all his life. The tour took in two villages, a beautiful waterfall and ended at a mountain top…
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Island hopping… Elafitski otoci in
Today i took a full day trip to three islands off the coast of Dubrovnik. The trip was all in including lunch and all the wine and soft drinks you could neck down. I should have known it wasn’t my kind of trip but i still enjoyed people watching. A group of 19 of the…
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The island of Lokrum
The shushing of the ever present Adriatic, the screaming of peacocks, smell of orange blossoms and pine resin. Lokrum is a small island a mile offshore from Dubrovnik and a short ten minute boat trip brings you to this nature reserve. This is an idyllic place. Blue is the predominant colour; the sea and sky…
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A walk through Shkoder to Rozafa Castle
Well where shall I start. I rather like it here. Shkoder is definitely a city of contrasts. This morning I woke to the sound of a cockerel from some garden nearby and then breakfasted in the garden on fried eggs, a type of spicy sausage, coffee, fruit juice, delicious bread and jam … all for…
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A day in Montenegro; Perast, Kotor and Budva
Today was interesting. A trip to three coastal towns in Montenegro each very different and maybe catering for a different audience. Only seven of us in a minivan with a driver who exhibited the macho culture in spades. However that was ok as we were very much left to our own devices in each town…
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Plitvice National Park
This was a wonderful day in bright sunshine in a stunning setting. A rare limestone geology (karst) has made lakes and waterfalls through a gorge. The Lakes are the most touristy part in a huge and wild area. Pine, cherry and beech forests are home to wolves, bears, lynx, wild boar, deer and much more…
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A morning in Zagreb
I arrived in the rain last night but the hostel is right on the main square, includes breakfast, has good lockers and you sleep in a spacious and private “pod”. It’s really cool. The morning dawned sunny and warm so I took a free walking tour of the city. An excellent guide , Luka, took…
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Morning at The Albertina … Lichtenstein, The Blaue Reiter, Die Brucke and other delights
A beautiful and warm morning and yet another gallery. Im a bit obsessed I think no but they give such pleasure and open my eyes to new things. The Lichtenstein was really wonderful really well curated. I saw an aspect of his work I was unaware of. I knew of his use of comics, films…
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At the Pinakothek der Moderne
On a beautifully sunny morning in took a walk through Munich and ended up in this peaceful place. This is an excellent and inspirational gallery and I think one of the best in the world. Its a beautifully curated collection showing the best of painting, photography and sculpture from the Twentieth century. Of course it…
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Musee D’Orsay … impressionists
This afternoon I visited an impressionist exhibition at the Museum. It was wonderful telling the story of the beginnings of Impressionism. In 1874 the artists who were excluded from the traditional Salon decided to mount their own … The Salon de Refusees. It was the first coming together of artists we now know as Impressionists.…
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Thinking out loud
I started this blog as a sort of exploration of self. Sometimes it’s been more of a travelogue with a few personal asides sometimes an open look at myself. Today as I get ready to embark on my next journey I’m thinking about my future and my place in it. I’m finding it increasingly challenging…
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Entangled Pasts … Art and Colonialism at the Royal Academy
As you enter the courtyard you are instantly arrested by First Supper by Tavares Strachan a reimagining of Leonardo’s Last Supper in black and gold portraying famous black historical figures. It’s a suitable introduction to this exhibition exploring art in the eighteenth century and beyond and its difficult, complex and often contentious relationship with slavery…
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Whale watching
Whales galore A fantastic day. After snowing like mad the skies cleared as we set out from the harbour. Almost as soon as we left we encountered three humpback whales which stayed around our boat for about two hours. Photographing them was difficult in the freezing cold but I managed a few decent shots before…
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Northern Lights and Þingvellir
Last night after a very stormy day the skies cleared and it was so windy that I was blown over! But Northern Lights trip was on! The snow ploughs had been out as roads out of Reykjavik had been impassable during the day. We left Reykjavik about 9.30pm and drove about an hour out of…
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A day at the Royal Academy … Impressionist drawings
A wonderful exhibition with some wonderful Degas pastels as well as Seurat,Van Gogh, Pissarro, Gaugin and Monet among many other great Impressionists. A real discovery for me was the Italian Zandomeneghi, a pupil of Degas and really accomplished. Some of the great women Impressionists were also well represented; Morisot, Gonzales and Cassatt. Its been a…
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A lovely final dinner with new friends
Laura prepared a delicious dinner for my last night and invited Gregorio, Roberta, Sandra and Maria Pia. A lovely final evening.
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My last day
Well I’ve just finished my last lesson. My Italian has improved and I’ve learned a lot although I got off to an over ambitious start which dented my confidence. The grammar of prepositions has been very difficult as Italian has about seven variants for each one and they use them differently … English is much…
Escape to myself
Travelling to reconnect
Escape to myself 