Tag: discovery
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Bellissima Monteriggioni
Today I took a bus ride through the lovely Tuscan countryside to this perfect little hilltop town. Set amidst olive groves, vineyards and rolling green hills it is difficult to describe its qualities. The walls were constructed in the 1220s and the town was a defensive stronghold for the Republic of Siena against its perpetual…
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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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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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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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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…
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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 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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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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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…
Escape to myself 