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A delicious dinner with Ruth
This was a delightful restaurant so for one night I pushed the boat out. An excellent menu, good wines and great company. A typical Tuscan dinner with local produce.
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A visit to Queer Cinema Festival
The film I’ve just seen was a documentary on Intersec. It was stunning, touching, heartbreaking and joyful. The experiences of the people interviewed were shocking and troubling and the efforts made to maintain a purely binary view of sexual identity by society and the medical profession were terrible and still exist today. What came through…
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Today … visits to Flea Market at Santo Spirito, Brancacci Chapel and Queer Cinema
Last night I enjoyed a delicious dinner at Laura’s with some of her friends. I had met Gregorio and Roberta before. They are charming. They had a very rapid conversation about the Meloni situation which was amusing. Cloister at Santo Spirito … a rather austere church Santo Spirito contains a crucifix by the young Michelangelo……
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A trip to Assisi
Assisi is rather beautiful perched on top of its hill. 3 miles from the station so you have to catch a bus into the city. Beautiful buildings newly restored after the two earthquakes of 1997 and 2016. The basilica is beautiful decorated with frescos by Giotto and Cimabue. the town itself is really hilly but…
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A busy day
Class was good for once and this afternoon I went wandering and then to the Florence Queer film festival with my classmate Ruth from Germany. She’s lovely. Saw a great short film. Then I ran home to get ready for dinner at Christina’s (my old landlady from June).
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Capella Scrovegni a Padua e Giotto
I’m writing this sitting by the Grand Canal having my Colazzione. Yesterday was very busy: St Marks, Doge’s Palace and Padua combined with a lot of walking. As i walked I was struck by how hard it must be living in Venice. Bridges and steps everywhere, deliveries by trollies, hauled up and over bridges or…
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A day in Arezzo
Yesterday evening after a busy day and a 2 mile walk in 30 degree heat from Santo Spirito along the Arno I found Laura had invited Cristina, my host from my stay in Florence in June, to dinner with her friend Gianfranco. Laura and Cristina are good friends it seems. It was lovely to see…
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A last evening in Oslo
Rivers and Hipsters … Grunerlokka I thought I should visit the hippest place in Oslo before I Left. You walk by the river and it many waterfalls on the way to Grunerlokka an old industrial area. Full of bars, thrift shops and graffiti. It’s really interesting and just around the corner from the hostel. I’ll…
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At the FolkeMuseum Bygdoy
This was a great day out and the weather was beautiful today; a ferry trip to the museum and a wander around this enlightening space. Founded in the 1890s it’s sim is to display Norwegian culture and heritage through buildings and objects. It is a little like our Weald Museum in Sussex and it contains…
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An unexpected day in Oslo
After my disappointment at missing Bergen … I really wanted to visit it! I spent the evening at a free film show in a square in Oslo. It’s part of their fringe festival. I really enjoyed it as it was in English with Norwegian subtitles. Liquorice Pizza was a charming film; funny and touching and…
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At the Munch Museum
I was blown away by this museum. A comprehensive view of Munch his life, his art and his themes and their interconnection. Of course like the Mona Lisa the Scream was almost impossible to see. However the vast array of prints, paintings and drawings more than made up for it. The themes that coloured Munich’s…
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First impressions of Oslo
Well the hostel is fine if large like all these northern hostels. I miss the smaller type of hostel I found in Italy. The city is modern and I was told it was boring but so far I’ve walked the city centre, past the Cathedral and ended up by the fjord and the Akerhus fortress…
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At the Vasamuseet
I spent a fascinating morning at the Vasa museum. Like our own Mary Rose this Swedish warship was salvaged from the Baltic having also sunk on her maiden voyage in 1628. Supposedly state of the art the ship is in a great state of preservation as a result of the brackish Baltic waters and is…
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Wandering in Stockholm Old Town.
I’m now wandering in Stockholm Old City getting my bearings. It’s very attractive with its cobbled streets and painted buildings. It is very touristy but that’s to be expected. Tomorrow I’ll go in search of something less so. I’ve been recommended Sodermalm as hipster Stockholm so I’ll give it a try. One thing intrigues me;…
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Arriving in Stockholm
Well I had a fairly good night and got a few hours sleep in. Cabin was fairly comfortable and I had a good supper and breakfast this morning. A little sad to be leaving Helsinki but looking forward to my next stay … the route the ferry takes is lovely and takes you past pretty…
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Sinebrychoff Museum Helsinki
This is a rather good museum. Set in the home of a nineteenth century brewer and next to the Brewery it is redolent of the second empire period and furnished as such. The main salon has a fabulous suite of furniture. The art collection is excellent and is particularly strong in Dutch golden age paintings;…
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Another day, another trip … Turku
Today was drizzling in Helsinki but I caught the train to Turku where the sun was shining and it was beautifully warm. Shirt sleeve weather. This is the ancient capital of Finland and major city when it was ruled by Sweden. It is the oldest city in Finland but little if the ancient city survived…
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Catching the bus to Lammassaari for a country walk
I decided to get out of the city for a little and enjoy some country air. Lammassaari is an island nature reserve a twenty minute bus ride from Helsinki city centre. So I put on my boots and my new Estonian socks and headed out. It was easy to get to in the 71 bus…
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Telliskivi graffiti and more
I visited this wonderful boho and bougie area this afternoon. It’s really great … cool and upbeat. It was a former industrial complex and now is home to art galleries, restaurants, a world beating photographic museum, a container hotel and many independent shops and bars. A great place to wander and have a coffee and…
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A museum for everything … some x-rated … be warned
KGB headquarters… very chilling stories Prostitution display at Tallin City Museum
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A morning in Tallinn
The tourists have arrived in force as the cruise ships are docking this morning. Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, German and many Americans. Question asked in Tourist Information; “ what can I see in the city in two hours? I have to be back on the ship.” Hansa trading city Tallinn has a fascinating history. The…
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A night out
Last night “the girls” took me out for an evening at Helsinki’s evening festival. I had first met them on my language course in Florence. They were so welcoming to a random stranger and during the past couple of days had kept me posted with interesting things to see in Helsinki. I didn’t feel such…
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Oodi… Helsinki Central Library
Wow! Amazing! Incredible! This shows what real investment and commitment from the powerful can achieve. While UK public libraries are in terminal decline and seem to have no impetus apart from closures, indifference and saving money this has been achieved. The design is fantastic both externally and the interior. It’s impeccable. A cafe to rival…
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A trip to Suomenlinna on the ferry
Suomenlinna is a fortress on a group of islands just off Helsinki built when Finland was ruled by Sweden. Building started in 1748 and it served as a navel base during the Swedish War with Russia. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site it’s a beautiful place to wander and take in the Baltic Sea and…
Escape to myself
Travelling to reconnect
Escape to myself 