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Stuart Edser
Stuart Edser

Stuart Edser

Psychologist | Author | Academic | Musician | Gay Silver Fox Czytaj więcej🇦🇺Newcastle
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    Canary Wharf
    LimehouseThe DLR1CoffeeThe Lady from the SeaIntermission1London by Night1Home. Jet-lagged. Exhausted. Happy.

    Canary Wharf

    21 września, Anglia ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    The 21st September sees us return to London for a few days before we fly back to Australia, this time staying at Canary Wharf. It’s a basic apartment but quite comfortable, in fact more comfortable than our first apartment in the Islington Barbican area a few weeks ago. The down side to this place is that it is much further from the Tube than we were led to believe from studying the maps and doing our due diligence organising ourselves for this trip. Added to that is the fact that the Tube station is split into two, one part on the Jubilee line and the other, on the Elizabeth line, the former having its own station, and the latter having its own station as part of a giant labyrinthine shopping mall. We never did quite work out where the Elizaeth line station was located.

    Canary Wharf is a relatively modern part of London these days, although built on a very old and historic part of the Thames. It has a few sky-scraper buildings and lots of glass but also canals and waterways and bridges and art installations. You don’t see a pub here every ten meters like you do in the rest of London. But this was our stay. A place to slow the pace, collect our thoughts and decompress before the long journey home.

    We took a ferry into town the first full day. We returned to Foyles bookstore and both of us purchased some more language texts. Mine was a Italian verb book which trains you in the dark arts of using romance language verbs, and I also bought a book on epistemology for some preparation for a book I’m thinking of writing. Foyles is fun. There is so much there.

    We took some walks around Canary Wharf and ended up in Limehouse with its lovely canals and punts and of course, a tow path, and had a go at taking the DLR (Driverless Light Rail) train to get home. Full marks. Excellent, comfortable, smooth ride. Coffee in a local restaurant bar owned by two cute Italians and finally, a trip into Tower Bridge to attend the theatre.

    Bridge Theatre was the venue for The Lady from the Sea, written by Australian Simon Stone and based on an Ibsen play of the same name. It starred Andrew Lincoln and Alicia Vikander. They along with a small ensemble of three or four others, including Australian Brendan Cowell were absolutely wonderful. The play was powerful, funny, thoughtful and brilliantly staged and performed. The penultimate scenes were unbelievably performed under a heavy rain shower with actors saying their lines drenched, and in the final scene, the actors performed in a swimming pool that they dived into and swam laps. Yes, the stage magically turned into a swimming pool. Judos to the stagecraft people. I loved this theatre. I gave it five stars, and it adds a third to the two best plays I have ever had the pleasure to witness. The theatre was gorgeous with its foyer and bar lights tied in sheer tule, as was outside alongside Tower Bridge, all lit up and looking quite majestic. So beautiful. That was our last night in London proper.

    The following day, a small walk, a pack up, and a long Uber ride out to Gatwick Airport Sofitel Hotel, there to stay for the evening in order to get our 10 am flight back to Australia the following day. Dinner was a shared pizza, some spritzes and a chat about our trip overall, our ambivalence about leaving and going home and what the next year is going to bring us.

    We left home on 25 July and returned home 25 September. What a ride !     Czytaj więcej

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    View of York Minster from the city wall
    KG giving Chris his beard trim2Chris sporting his new hair do at Gatehouse Cafe. So handsome 🙂Me on the Gatehouse CafeThe Minster dominates the cityThe Treasurer's HouseOur local Roman gate, Goodramgate.4The city wallViews from the wall12211Home, County House Retreat, Monkgate

    Little Trips around the City

    18 września, Anglia ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Today 18 September, we had a slow day of mopoking around the city. It was wonderful.

    We started by taking our washing to laundry service. Chris ahd a great conversation with owner Sam and fellow patron Tod from Seattle. I, on the other hand, went in next door to get a haircut. KG cut my hair to perfection. He is Kurdish and a lovely gentle man. He had the Quran prayer channel on his tv going quietly in the background. We had a good chat while he did my hair. He’s been here for five years, has many years experience barbering, worked for his cousin for most of those five years in Manchester but moved to York to start his own business. After me, he gave Chris a beard trim and facial massage under hot towels. Very nice indeed.

    After barbering we headed into the Walmgate Roman wall to revisit a café we went to last time we were in York. Still there. Walmgate is one of the major Roman gates into the city. A nice coffee in an incredible surroundings. We took a walk around the Minster again, once again being astonished at its sheer size and presence. I took a few pics of other buildings too including the Treasurer’s House, where I understand lived Elizabeth Montagu, a founding member of the Blue Stocking Movement and writer. Following that, we headed to the Old White Swan for a bite and beer, whose actual building dates from the 16th century. As the Old White Swan, it dates from 1703 but is believed to have been a pub well before that. Home for a rest and a little nap.

    After our sweet repose, we decided on a walk around the ancient walls. The last time we did this a few years ago, we went in the more suburban direction. This time, we decided on the opposite direction which would take us past the back parts of the Treasurer’s House and the Minster. What a fabulous decision! The views were stupendous. The trees and gardens. Gorgeous.

    At night, after dinner, we took a walk around the Minster to see if we could get some shots of it under floodlight. As a good part of it is under scaffold at the moment, there is not a lot of floodlighting, but certainly the main western door with the heart of Yorkshire window looks beautiful. A couple of pics of the streets and our place of residence under floodlight, which dates back to the 1700s and used to be a women’s hospital.

    A lovely relaxing day enjoyed by both of us.     Czytaj więcej

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    111The King's LatrineThe King's Chapel

    Clifford Has Heft

    17 września, Anglia ⋅ 🌧 14 °C

    Wednesday 17 September, we took ourselves to the Castle Museum adjacent the remaining tower of the York Castle, William the Conqueror’s largest and most important stronghold for containing the north.

    The Museum had a little of everything. It started out as a repository for a private collector, curios and whatnots, and has grown into an excellent museum for the city. We saw mechanical puppet shows and other similar devices, a section on nineteenth and early twentieth century fashion and some even older, including one of Queen Victoria’s mourning outfits, that is to say, one of her everyday outfits for getting around the palace. However, the highlight for both of us was the little Victorian exhibit that consisted of a number of streets and shops that you could wander into. It had coaches and horses, a police station, a school room, an apothecary, retail outlets, a haberdasher, all with a soundtrack that had chickens clucking in the background, horses neighing and their hooves on the cobblestones coming and going, human voices chatting and calling, a hive of business and energy. I loved it. In fact, we both did.

    We were only half-way through the museum by this point and decided to push on to the other half which started with Britain’s experience of the Great War. The ambience changed and, tired after the first half, we rushed through this section and decided to give the rest a miss. Sitting outside in the fresh air under the gaze of the remaining part of the castle, actually the keep of the castle, now called Clifford Tower, Chris decided he would head off home and I would ‘do’ Clifford Tower on my own. This we did.

    As you readily see from the pics, the castle is perched way up high on an earthen mound. The stair way to get up to its base felt like the stairway to heaven. As I went up, I started to feel early signs of vertigo, the feeling that I could fall backwards down the stairs. It was not strong, and I made it to the top, glad to be there, the ground floor of the castle, paid for ‘me ticket what gets you in’ and found myself in a large roundish/octagonal room that had alcoves around its circumference and with the requisite arrow holes to deter any uprising from those occupying Vikings at Jorvik, York’s medieval name, and any wannabe nasty northmen. Those damn Scots. So far, so good.

    Here's a sentence or two from the Wiki entry about the castle.

    “Clifford's Tower is of an unusual design. The two-storey tower has a quatrefoil plan with four circular lobes. Each lobe measures 22 ft (6.7 m) across, with walls 9 ft 6 in (2.90 m) thick; at its widest, the tower is 79 ft (24 m) across.”

    It’s what I would call ‘a chunky castle’. Clifford has heft.

    Inside, there were two spiral staircases that went up to the next level, but there was also a modern staircase up to the middle floor. I took this and half-way up, realised that you could see through it to the ground below. It was of a construction that saw its flooring as slats that you walk over rather than along. For me, it may as well have been made of glass, because it triggered some vertigo. Again, not severe, but enough to make its presence felt and keep me wary and hyper-sensitive. I trotted along the various see-through walkways looking for all the world like I had a mobility disability. However, I looked at the King’s Chapel whose floor seem to slope down to the wall. Not great for playing marbles on I would have imagined. The chapel was plain as would befit a stronghold. I also took a look at the King’s latrine. Very fetching.

    Next, the roof. I had come this far. At least that was my rationale. The only way up to the expansive open-air roof was either of the spiral staircases. I chose one and gingerly took one step after another pushing aside the obvious thought that I would have to come back down again. I emerged into the air and glad to be on firm flooring. This roof gave the castle 360° views of the surrounding land, perfect for sending down a volley of arrows. It’s a long way down to the bottom of the earth mound from up there. The opening in the middle of the roof down to the floor was interesting but I could not photograph it because holding a phone over an edge gives me an anxious sensation. The views were spectacular. You could see around York wonderfully and I really did enjoy that aspect. I took plenty of pics and breathed some fresh air.

    Now for the descent. I took a pass at a spiral staircase but could not bring myself to start. I took a second and then a third and walked away each time. By that time, I was silently using the F word in anger that this ‘malady’ should afflict me in later life when I had nary a skerrick of it as a youth or in middle age. However, when necessity hits you in the face, you act. I had to go down or I’d still be up there. I waited for the staircase to be free of ascenders or descenders and made my start. The spiral case in our Bologna apartment came in very useful at this point. I had figured a way of turning my foot on each step so the majority of the foot is on the step, not hanging over the side. And this is what I did. Very slowly. I took my time. Stopped once. Refused to stay stopped, and started again almost immediately. And made it down to the see-through walkways. No lingering. Down you go Stu. Just go. On the ground floor, I took a few breaths and then headed for the door and began my very slow descent of the stairs from the top of the mound down to terra firma.

    I was glad I went to the castle. It really was very interesting and despite a just short-of-medium vertigo attack, I had a good time and stayed quite a while. Another good day in York.
    What an amazing city.     Czytaj więcej

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    St Mays ChurchWhitby Abbey through the St Mary's cemetry

    Day Trip to Whitby

    16 września, Anglia ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Tuesday 16 September Chris and I hopped in our Nissan Juke and drove out of York headed for the coast. The historic and very pretty town of Whitby was our Yorkshire destination. The town has medieval roots, has a glorious harbour with a number of break walls, and it sits on the River Esk. Historically, it has had whaling and herring fleets, and it was here that a young James Cook learned his seacraft doing his apprenticeship and ultimately exploring the Southern Ocean in the Endeavour, built in Whitby. Needless to say, they have a house there where Cook lived while a youth, and a museum dedicated to the great explorer and cartographer.

    The trip across the Yorkshire Moors to get there was uneventful but interesting. The moors themselves seemed to me be rough ground with brown vegetation. We paid for a four hour park once there and decided to walk out to the end of one of the break walls to start our exploration. Dotted along the route were all manner of markets, fudge shops, Dracula places, because Bram Stoker set part of his novel Dracula in Whitby, ice-cream, pubs, and cafes. Even a clairvoyant. Seeing the ocean again after not seeing it since staying in Sorrento in Italy was lovely. The sights, the sound, the smells of the ocean, we are so familiar with.

    We searched high and low for a spot somewhere to sit down to eat but all the seats in all the pubs and cafes were taken at lunchtime. Whitby was full to overflowing with elderly people and dogs. Eveywhere. We eventually found a fish n chips place across the swing bridge called Mr Chips and sat up against their wall at a little bar. It was delicious but greasy.

    Following lunch and before we were overcome with post-prandial chip fatigue, we headed straight for the famous 199 steps and made our way up to the headland that overlooks Whitby and upon which, aside from St Marys Church and the modern museum, are the ruins of Whitby Abbey, a 7th century Cistercian monastery that later became the abbey. The monastery was built twice but the second one was destroyed by Henry VIII in 1540 during the Dissolution of the Monasteries.

    The ruins of the abbey were very special. I had not been inside ruins before, but we walked the considerable length of the abbey’s nave ‘inside’ it and looked down the transepts and out through windows with no glass to the ocean. Birds fluttered around here and there in the walls and arches. It felt kinda sad to see it in disrepair given its place as such a centre of learning for hundreds of years, but time has moved on and the abbey has had even to contend with German shelling of the headland during WWII which damaged it extensively.

    St Marys Church dates from the year 1110, but most of its interior is from the 18th century. It is strange to the modern eye as it retains old box pews that you step into. They are like corrals. A three storeyed pulpit dominates and a gallery upstairs surrounds. It is quite strange. We went through the museum and found it interesting, but it would have been a treasure trove for people studying the history of the area.

    Down the 199 steps again, we headed back to the car and enjoyed a leisurely drive out of the moors back to York. A lovely sunny day that gave us something new of England. Whitby was extremely picturesque and historic and I will remember it fondly.     Czytaj więcej

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    To York via Ripon

    15 września, Anglia ⋅ 🌬 15 °C

    Sunday 14 September was a travel day. Our time in Durham was brief, and Sunday saw us on the road again. As we left the city, I asked Chris to put on Roger Whittaker’s ‘I’m gonna leave old Durham town’ which he did, and the catchy little tune stayed with me for a while until we decided we would take it turns to choose a song each for the remainder of the journey. That was fun. A road-trip, easy-going, straight-forward.

    Our first stop was Ripon, there to meet up again with Chris’ folks who were staying in the town. In fact, it was their last day there. We met up at the Ripon Inn and had lunch together and caught up on the news since London and shared some of our travels and thoughts. The meal was fine and the company better, but we had to meet our induction host at the next gig at 3pm so we headed off just after 2pm to arrive in York by 3pm.

    Susan was a delight. She showed us through the 18th century building, a former hospital, and through our extensively renovated apartment. It’s always good to get an induction to a new place if you can get one as it makes things a little easier in that you don’t have to read instruction manuals for everything. A pain, I’m sure you would agree.

    It’s a beautiful apartment. Nicely painted and decorated and they have spared no effort in trying to make the welcome and the stay personalised. We even have a back garden. Now, we are just hoping that the rain will stay off for a day or two as we are staying here for a week.

    Today, Monday 14 September, we arose, breakfasted and walked in light rain to York Minster, the giant cathedral, a quarter of a mile long, there to line up for an early tour. The Cathedral volunteers take the tours, as they do in Durham, and they are very knowledgeable about their sacred space. Elisabeth moved about fifty of us around the cathedral floor deftly as we listened to her commentary about the great west door, the west window, the heart of Yorkshire, the southern transept fire, the screen of kings, the five sisters window, the chapter house and its doors (the oldest doors continuously used in all of the UK), the choir, the organ, the fire in the choir, and the great east window). It was a really interesting tour, and we learned lots of things we would not have known had we just had a poke through ourselves. The crypt below had remnants of the first Norman cathedral that William the Conqueror had ordered built on the site, as well as even deeper, part of the remains of the original Roman fort,

    It was raining fairly consistently by the time we got outside, but we braved the rickety streets of old York and found a Café Nero for a coffee and a little something scrumptious. Home in the rain afterwards and we have stayed put ever since, resting, reading and a little nap each. It’s been a good day despite the wet, and tomorrow we will try again.     Czytaj więcej

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    A Day in Durham

    13 września, Anglia ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    Yesterday, 12 September was a travel day. As travel days go, it was virtually problem-free and straight-forward. This is exactly what you want for a travel day. We arose, finished off the finessing of our packing, checked out of our room and said goodbye to the Native apartments next to George Square. It was a little sad wheeling our luggage down Buchanan Street, the paved pedestrian street that takes you almost down to the river Clyde. We use Buchanan a lot to traverse that north south journey, so it feels a lot like a home street to us. At any rate, we were to pick up our hire car at midday and we still had an hour to kill so we headed into the Crystal Palace and ate a breakfast muffin and had a coffee. We had a chat too and got ourselves ready to say goodbye to lovely Glasgow for this last part of our holiday.

    The young man who served us at the hire car place was gorgeous, smart, articulate, tall and friendly. He looked like a twenty something Omar Sharif. He did a great job in explaining everything to us and answering our questions. He carried my luggage down the stairs and loaded both sets of luggage into the back of a medium-size SUV, a Nissan Juke. Very nice and I was happy with the car they gave us.

    With adjustments to mirrors made and a quick run-through of what does what on the dash, off we went on our way to Durham. We visited Durham almost two years to the day in 2023. We loved it. It was smart, historic, unpretentious, friendly, well-equipped for tourists and offers the delights of nature, the River Weir, its banks covered on both sides by large trees, sentinels to the river as it winds and curves through the town and out the other side, and the grandeur of human ingenuity in its magnificent medieval cathedral and castle.

    The journey was without challenge. It rained on and off, but it did not bucket down, merely rained and then abruptly stopped, only to repeat the pattern every five to ten minutes. Not the whole trip but perhaps half of it. We stopped at a Services for a coffee and a tart and that gave me a break from driving. Why not. We reached Durham around 4pm or just after with still plenty of light for us to check in, stow our bags and walk up over the 12th century Elvet Bridge and into the town. There we had a pint and a burger at a local pub. It had won awards for its burgers, and we could see why. Meat that melts in your mouth. Incredible.

    I am still recovering from my virus thingy so I remain congested. Not a great night’s sleep for either of us. The bells of Durham Cathedral would have rung more quietly in our room last night than was my breathing. Poor Chris.

    Today, 13 September, Saturday, we arose and took our laundry to the same service we took it to two years ago. The same size basket cost us almost 50% less here than it did in London. We tipped the young woman for getting it done for us in the one day. We visited an old café friend, Vennels, for a coffee, and then walked up to the cathedral to take another look. It did not disappoint. Durham Cathedral is special, and it holds a special place in our hearts. Its colour palette, its size, the architecture of the columns and ceiling and naves and side chapels all need to be just gazed at. They possess an ambience that is enthralling. They ooze history.

    As they were setting up for a service and had roped some areas off, we could not get around the main altar to the back of the cathedral where lies St Cuthbert. A pity. But I have great photos from last time, so never mind. To think, that in medieval times, the pilgrimage to the tomb of St Cuthbert in Durham Cathedral was as important as were the pilgrimages to Canterbury Cathedral to the tomb of St Thomas a Becket.

    However, we did walk through the Venerable Bede’s resting place in a side chapel, and I heard a well-spoken grandma tell her little grand-daughter that Bede is a most interesting man, that he really is the English equivalent of Leonardo da Vinci, and it would be well worth your time looking him up to read about him. The little girl was intrigued.

    We had a morning tea of scones, clotted cream, and strawberry jam with ginger beer and rose lemonade. I half expected Ratty and Moley to join us at any moment. We had visited this café before. It is called Cafedral and is situated just down the hill from the church. We skipped lunch today and took a long walk along the river instead. It was just lovely. A little light rain every now and then, but we had our brollies in our bags, and it ruined nothing. By the time we had finished our walk, it was time to go back to the laundrette and pick up our washing which we did, as we arose from the river-bank not at all far from the laundry service.

    A little sit down and a rest in the bar of our hotel and then off to Rudi’s for dinner which serves authentic Neapolitan pizza. We did not have a booking so accepted two seats at the bar where they make the pizzas and put them in the pizza oven. Two spritzes, some incredible garlic bread served like a pizza, and our Cinghiale pizza followed. Absolutely delicious. A little walk in the cool of the evening before retiring back to the hotel.

    Durham remains lovely for us. A quick little visit down memory lane on our way south to York, which journey we will undertake tomorrow with a little stop-off in Ripon.     Czytaj więcej

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    Lighting a candle in memory of Mum and DadA street muralLunch at a gay run Spanish placeRamshorn CemetryThe Ivy

    St Mungos and GOMA

    11 września, Szkocja ⋅ 🌧 12 °C

    Yesterday, 8 September, Chris and I decided on a visit to St Mungo’s Cathedral and the St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art. These two buildings are adjacent. A short walk to Black Sheep café for morning coffee and then up a slight hill to the Cathedral precinct.

    The museum is named after the city's patron saint who brought the Christian faith to Glasgow in the 6th century. It is built on the site of the medieval Bishops’ Castle and is designed in its style. The galleries are full of displays, objects and stunning works of art that explore the importance of religion in peoples’ lives across the world and across time. It covers each of the world’s major religions as well as an occasional off-shoot. We enjoyed the exhibition. It was not earth-shatteringly deep, but then, it couldn’t really be, what with the libraries of books written about religion, but it gave a decent shot at covering the basics. We lingered in there longer than I had anticipated, so I think we both found it interesting.

    Then across the way to St Mungo’s Cathedral. It is a 13th century building constructed on a 12th century former church site. It is old and looks and feels old. It is now a Church of Scotland cathedral and has a dividing screen two thirds of the way down the nave, like Westminster Abbey. Vaulted ceilings and massive columns hold everything up, and there’s lots of stained glass letting the light shine through in many colours. Underneath is a crypt with the tomb of St Mungo and a number of chapels. All in all, it was interesting to see it even though it has scaffolding around its tall spire at the moment. As usual in Glasgow, I took plenty of pics of buildings on our way there and back again. Lunch at a hidden gay owned Spanish bar restaurant.

    Today, 9 September, we set out for a Black Sheep brekky because we enjoyed yesterday’s so much. After that, we decided on a visit to GOMA, the Gallery of Modern Art. I was not sure what to expect. For me, there is modern art and there is modern art. The building itself is a marvel, and frankly, much more interesting than any of the exhibition pieces inside it. It was originally a private residence, a bank, a bourse, and something else that escapes me now. It has a statue of of a mounted Duke of Wellington out the front of it that was inaugurated in 1844. But Glaswegians for over forty years have put a traffic cone (witch’s hat) on his head. The Council fought hard, an epic tale in itself, but in the end, the people won out and the cone is here to stay. They say it’s about Glasgow’s sense of humour, but I do wonder if there is not a bit of anti-English sentiment in that cone too.

    As for the exhibition, nothing arrested me and nothing tugged at me emotionally. This afternoon we strolled through a historic cemetery, the Ramshorn, which was really beautiful. Light rain fell as we walked slowly through the trees.

    A drink at the Ivy afterwards, then a good rest before a Nandos dinner. This has been our last day in Glasgow. We leave tomorrow, ultimately for York, but with a two night stop-over at Durham on the way. It will be nice to be on the road again.     Czytaj więcej

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    Countryside from train
    Glasgow architecture1Botanical Gardens Glasshouse11Glasgow architectureOur building

    Glasgow

    9 września, Szkocja ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Yesterday, 8 September saw Chris and I leave London in a manner we hadn’t accounted for. We had a 10.30am train to Glasgow. Tickets booked and paid for. Euston Station the departure point. Early rise. Ablutions undertaken promptly. Bags packed. Keys returned to their lockbox. Garbage put int the large skips. Apartment tidied. Everything ready. Just walk our bags to Moorgate Underground Station a block or two away around 9.05 (to miss the morning work Tube riders) in order to get to Euston a good half hour or more before our train departed. So well-planned. So well-thought out. Meticulous, we might even say.

    And all blown to smithereens by a train and underground strike. When we arrived at Moorgate, we discovered that the Northern line that would take us to Euston was not running. No other lines going that way were running either. We left the station thinking to get a taxi. Bad mistake. We walked down to the nearest big intersection to hail a cab, but none came. Time was ticking. Eventually, we decided to order an Uber and get to Euston that way.

    Our Uber driver was there in a matter of minutes, and we told him our plight. But London traffic Monday morning, oh yeah, you bet it did it damnedest to delay us. And delay us it did. We sat in that Uber for forty minutes trying to get across town. Thank God we didn’t catch a taxi. With a metered ride, it would have cost a fortune. In the end, we got to Euston Station at 10.35, five minutes after the train had left. We had booked Premium seats too for a nice ride. Bugger. The girl at the Avanti trains office told us there was another train going to Glasgow in an hour. In the event, there were two trains going to Glasgow, one at 11.30 and one at 11.38. Both would be packed as many people had missed their connections as a result of the strike.

    We managed to get two of the remaining few seats of the 11.30, which was a four hour journey, while the 11.38 was five and a half hours. They were by no means premium seats. In fact, we were placed behind a metal section of the carriage and not a window at all. We only saw a little slither of countryside from the window of the seat in front of us. Still, we slept, listened to music, read, and did all that again a few times. Around 4pm, we pulled into Glasgow Central, happy to be standing again and walking. We made our way to our new digs, an apartment in a building called The Anchor Line, just next to Geroge Square, which sadly, is cordoned off for major refurbishment. Our apartment is small, but we’ve had smaller, and is very tastefully decorated and supplied, so no complaints. It may in fact have the best bed we’ve slept in for the whole trip. We had an expensive meal down in the Brasserie in the bowels of the building, but we hadn’t eaten all day, so we were fine with that. A good night’s sleep followed for both of us.

    Today, 9 September, we caught the underground out to Hillhead and its lovely river, the Kelvin, where we had coffee and then a walk through Glasgow Botanical Gardens. The large glasshouse, with rooms going off to the sides was a highpoint, as was the arboretum down to the river. A lovely peaceful morning.

    Home to a rest and sleep. We are still getting over our respective viruses. Cough splutter. And tonight, we headed down the length of Buchanan Street to a pub we’ve been to before, Times Square, where we ate hearty UK pub food. A walk down to the river Clyde, then back up through Buchanan Street talking pics of buildings as we went because they are all so absolutely incredible.     Czytaj więcej

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    11111

    Spitalfields Hyde Park & the Albert Hall

    7 września, Anglia ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    Yesterday 6 September, Chris and I continued to take it easy. While he is in the recovery phase of his viral nastiness, I have picked up something myself, although I do not think it is the same thing as Chris’. For a start, my symptoms are much less serious. I have a headache, an eye ache and am congested, mostly on one side. However, a bit of paracetamol, a little over the counter codeine, and the odd Sudafed to keep me dry seem to be doing trick. It’s been around for a few days, as evidenced by sneezing at the start, but seems to have peaked by now, around day 4, so I am hopeful, with fingers crossed, that it does not develop in anything more debilitating. All that said, it’s been nice to slow down and just do one thing a day followed by rest. And good for both of us.

    I am enjoying London, although it has lost that first time feeling for me now. I guess that must happen eventually with all things new. This is my third visit to this glorious city, and I have visited twice each time, and I am feeling like I know it now, or at least am comfortable with it now. I am getting to know how it ticks.

    We wanted to keep things simple, so yesterday we set off on foot for some brekky at a nice café, The Coffee Tree, that we found in Old Street. Good coffee. Lovely service. From there we decided on a leisurely walk to Spitalfields Markets, not so far away. We took a few pics of buildings along the way, because, how can you not? It’s London.

    For a bit of fun, we gave Meta AI the instruction to describe the markets in the style of “an insufferable nineteenth century dandy.” Here is the result.

    “Dear fellow, Spitalfields Market is an absolute must-see destination for any discerning individual of refined taste and sensibility. Located in the heart of the East End, this venerable institution has been a hub of commerce and conviviality since the 17th century.

    As one strolls through the market's bustling stalls, one is treated to a veritable cornucopia of delights. From the freshest produce to the most exquisite artisanal wares, Spitalfields Market is a true treasure trove of gastronomic and aesthetic pleasures.

    But, my dear chap, it's not just about the shopping, you see. Oh no, Spitalfields Market is an experience, a sensory delight that will leave you feeling like a member of the haut monde. The atmosphere is lively, the crowd is fashionable, and the food... well, the food is simply divine.

    Now, I know what you're thinking, dear fellow. "Spitalfields Market? Isn't that just a bunch of trendy nonsense?" Ah, but no, my friend. This is a market with a rich history, a place where the Huguenot silk weavers of old would have felt right at home.

    So, do take a stroll down to Spitalfields Market, won't you? I daresay you won't regret it. The foie gras is to die for, the vintage clothing is à la mode, and the company... well, the company is simply the crème de la crème.

    Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a pressing engagement with a certain couturier. Ta-ta for now, old chap!”

    Chris and I experienced something of the truth of this. He bought a new bangle, and we stopped off at one of the pubs there for a refreshing soda water. Walking in and out of the stalls was very pleasant. No-one harangued us to buy, no-one was pushy as can sometimes be the case in such places. Had we been going through that market, I might have been tempted to buy an artwork, but getting artworks home from the UK is tricky, so I elected not to buy.

    Our day’s adventure at an end, we decided to eat out for lunch at a pub, and stay in at night, the reverse of our original plan. It was time I had a fish n chips meal since arriving on this verdant isle that is forever England, as I had not partaken of the famous delight by this time. It was delicious I must say, the fish delicate and tender and sweet. And a lot too. I couldn’t finish it. Although Chris did.

    At night, we sat through two more episodes of Untamed on Netflix. Both of us have essentially worked out what is happening, who dunnit and where it’s all going. But we’ll finish it. One more episode to go. We ducked out for a walk after dinner to Barbican Cocktail Bar and had a drink and spied Kevin McCloud of Grand Designs fame. Our second brush with fame after Chris spotted Siân Phillips at our Waitrose the day before.

    Today, 7 September, Sunday, and our last day in London for a while, we set forth for a stroll through Hyde Park. It has been a glorious day today, sunny, warm, friendly. The walk was a passeggiata and we stopped off at the same bistro overlooking the Serpentine Lake that we had lunch at a few years ago. It was lovely to sit in the shade, drink our coffees and eat our little cherry tarts while watching the birds on the lake. Two young Italian men sat in front of us, and it was nice for both of us to hear the lilt of the language again as it is spoken fluently. After coffee, we continued our stroll and came upon the Serpentine Gallery that was showing an exhibition of an Italian artist, Giuseppe Penone, who works with the forest. His exhibition was called Thoughts in the Roots and was all leaves and bark and trees and scribblings and fabric. It was lovely to see his valuing of the forest and vegetation. We both enjoyed it.

    Our walk continued and we happened upon the direct opposite, I would have thought, of Penone’s work, the Albert Memorial, Queen Victoria’s tribute in gold and gigantism to her late husband. Like his long-reigning wife, Albert is everywhere in London. I remarked to Chris that it felt like she wanted everyone else to value him as much as she did. Of course, the Royal Albert Hall is across the road, so we sauntered over there too. I had the Australian temerity to ask one of the doormen whether non-ticket holders could go in for a drink. He said yes and directed us to Door 12. There, a young woman tried to say nay, but I would have none of it, and I protested that we had been directed to this door by her colleague. She relented, hoped we would get a drink and in we went. They had Chandon Garden Spritz going so we duly purchased two of those and a bag of crisps (when in Rome). A strike on two Tube lines meant a little extra time getting home, but it was a lovely day and well worth it.

    Tonight, we pack up and watch the finale of Untamed. Glasgow beckons tomorrow. We are both looking forward to the train, about four and a half hours, and the city itself which we love. Life is good. Thank you once again London. You did us a treat.     Czytaj więcej

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    Battersea and Greenwich

    5 września, Anglia ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    Yesterday, 4 September, Chris and I took ourselves off to Battersea Power Station to see the new shops and maybe the top of the chimney. Catching the Tube to Battersea is a little more complicated than most stations as it is located on a separate branch of the northern line, so you have to make sure you’re on the train that heads down that branch, not the usual one. A little confusing for everyone. However, we made it.

    The first thing we noticed was just how big this complex is. It is gigantic. A couple of floors on each of the wings. The boilers and turbines used to be housed here. But now, fashion shops and cafes and restaurants. It’s a nice space I thought, a little sanitised, but it was clean and inviting and welcoming at the same time.

    We did decide to pay the money for the tour to the top of the northern chimney stack. At least I think it was the northern. This got you into a small group that headed through various rooms and special effects and eventually to the bottom of a spiral staircase, at the top of which were the glass doors of a lift that takes you to the top of the stack, such that the floor of the lift is at the highest point of the chimney stack. So, in effect, we were all sticking out the top on an on again off again rainy day looking out across London from 109 metres in the air. The trip up was accompanied by a light show that circled the chimney and felt propulsive. It’s a long way up. It’s a long way down too. Gulp. However, I felt safe enough and any thought of acrophobia disappeared, and I enjoyed the time that we had up there. The views were wonderful and even the rain, which stayed away the whole time were up there, couldn’t dampen our spirits. The whole tour took 40 minutes. And both of us felt that it was money well-spent.

    In the evening after dinner, a pint at a local pub, The Roundabout, was followed by a leisurely walk back to our apartment where we started a new Netflix drama, Untamed, with Eric Bana starring, and Sam Neil along for the ride. Episode 1 was good.

    Today, 5 September, we took an Uber ferry down the Thames to Greenwich. We’ve been before so we didn’t retrace our steps, just walked leisurely through the grand marine buildings, took another quick look at the chapel built for the sailors convalescing there, had a nice lunch at Grind, and Chris bought a new cap in one of the shops. We also meandered through the markets where Chris purchased a 1907 edition of Dickens’ Little Dorrit and a book of Andrew Marvell’s poetry. Very nice. After that, we headed back to the ferries and caught the next one going our way all the way back to Westminster. A 40-minute rest on the Thames. Beautiful.

    The city was very busy. We had to stop at Downing Street to let someone important drive out through the gates, surrounded by police of course, but we couldn’t see who it was. A walk then down to Trafalgar Square followed and we stopped by The Horse & Guardsmen for a pint. We ended up having a very important conversation about our life and future while we rested at the Horse & Guardsmen, which is a good thing. When you’re in a relationship, talking is always the right thing to do.
    Dinner at home tonight and short stroll outside in the cool air. A lovely evening. And a good day.     Czytaj więcej

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    The Gallery and the Museum

    3 września, Anglia ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Yesterday, 2 September, we took ourselves off to the National Gallery to see some works that we’ve not looked at before. They ended up all being Italian masters of the 16th century with a bit of Constable and the odd Turner thrown in. I’m not going to write a commentary on each, just to say that the Gallery has an extensive collection of these 16th and 17th century works that is simply amazing. I saw another Ecce Homo and have included the pic here.

    In the evening, we met up with friend James Moloney in Farringdon for dinner. James has just been in Paris and is spending a short time in London before he goes off to Brighton for a rest. All these major cities take it out of you when you’re seeing something each day, as the three of us could attest. Anyway, it was lovely to chat with James about his travels and life back home in Australia.

    Today, 3 September, we took ourselves off to the Victoria and Albert Museum. The V&A is vast, and there is no way Chris and I could last to see the whole thing, so we chose carefully a number of exhibits that we wanted to see and stuck with them. The building itself is impressive. It was always supposed to be. And it has an incredible collection. There were lots of people of course, but there was no crowd crush, and the plaques beside each exhibit were easy to see and read. The shop had lots of rather feminine accoutrements, scarves and jewellery, but not a lot that arrested either of us, so we didn’t end up buying anything at all, which is rare for us and a gift shop.

    A rest this afternoon, and then dinner at an Italian place down the road. Chris continues to slowly get better, but when his energy is ultimately used up, he is ready to stop. So, we do.     Czytaj więcej

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    11

    Chris' Birthday

    31 sierpnia, Anglia ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Today Chris turns forty-eight. And still going strong. Given that he’s recovering from a virus, we have continued to take things slowly. This morning, we headed out to Paddington. Looked through the station which is really quite lovely for a train station, then headed down the main street. We stopped at various stores looking for a nice café, only to find to find one down one of the side streets. It was owned and run by an Arabic speaking family who treated wus with the utmost kindness and warmth. We sat out on the footpath between two gentlemen smoking and speaking their mother tongue, and a young man, with the same language who greeted his friend warmly and invited him to sit down when he arrived some moments after us. Café Panache does wonderful home-made cakes and their coffee is top notch. We ended up sitting there for quite some time, shooting the breeze and having a second coffee each. We took a couple of pics of local landmarks on the way back to the Underground.

    In the evening, we met Jo and Graham at the base of the Walkie Talkie, there to go up to floors 35 and 36 to the SkyGarden and to celebrate Chris’ birthday at the brasserie. It is an extraordinary view from up top. Yu get to see the whole of London and beyond. We had a 5.30pm reservation so we stayed on the outside landing looking at the views and taking pictures until it was time to take our seats. We had our table for two hours.

    It was a wonderful surprise for Chris to have a young Brazilian woman, Feliciana, as our waiter, so Chris got to speak Brazilian Portuguese with her throughout the meal. It was a great treat for him. It was a lovely surprise for him when she brought out a little treat for him for his birthday. We all had lovely meals and a few drinks, took another circuit around the top to watch the beginning of the sunset before we headed into the lift and went back down.

    It was a wonderful day.

    1 September The Day After
    We met up today with Graham and Jo on their last day in London before they head off to other parts of the UK. We had coffee in the cafeteria of Foyles bookstore and then we all scattered to check out the books. Of course, we all bought some.

    For me, I bought an Italian language textbook and workbook designed for intermediate and advanced students. I am hopeful that as I work my way through it, its assistance and training, along with the other learning techniques I am using, will lift me to the next level, which for me would be C1. Here’s hoping, or as the Italians would have it, ecco sperare.

    After we said our goodbyes, Chris and I headed to Covent Garden to perfumery that we have visited before. Both of us have bought very nice colognes at Blooms on our previous visit. This vist was to be no exception. I bought a fragrance that I knew from 2022 or 23 when it was given to me a sampler with the main cologne I had bought on that occasion. It's called Ciel Immobile and I have been patient since that time to finally purchase a bottle today. It's so nice. I'm so lucky.     Czytaj więcej

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    1Graves in the SunsetWilliam Blake's GraveDaniel Defoe's GraveJohn Bunyan's Grave

    John Wesley and Alexander Hamilton

    30 sierpnia, Anglia ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    The last couple of days have been predominantly given over to rest. Chris has come down with a virus and as a result, has low energy levels. It suits me to slow the pace too as you get a chance to process things, talk, nap, read and rest. Neither of us want to be on the go all the time.

    Two days ago, we dropped into the Jugged Hare on our street for a pint and chips. We had had a slow day and were just out to stretch our legs and get some fresh air. It was a nice experience. The Jugged Hare is an historic pub. It had a lot of taxidermy behind the bar and mounted on the walls. Its bill of fare had things like grouse, black pudding and haggis, alongside porkpies. The chips were great, and the barman was handsome and spoke with a beautiful accent. What’s not to like?

    We finished off the Netflix series we had started, Hostage. Five episodes. The first three, arresting, exciting, done pretty well. The fourth was okay and the fifth, the big finale, a complete dud. Silly. Unbelievable. Badly written.

    Yesterday morning, we walked around to the other side of our block to take a look at Wesley’s Chapel. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, had the chapel built as a kind of mother church to the movement. It was simple, as you would expect for a Methodist church, plenty of timber, the pulpit, symbolising the Bible, taking centre stage. But it had a little bling too. Marble columns holding up the gallery surrounding the inside, and three prominent brightly coloured stained-glass windows of three events in Christ’s life. There is a museum downstairs, but we were more interested in Wesley’s grave which was in the garden. Simple with an inscription of his life’s work on one side. When I was in the Protestant wing of the Church, I had a lot of time for Wesely. He was a deep thinker, a scholar, a writer, and a great preacher. His brother Charles wrote the best hymns I have ever sung.

    On the other side of the street across from the chapel’s driveway lies the Bunhill Cemetery. It is very old, with mostly above ground sepulchres on top of the gravesites, many whose inscriptions are now so weathered that their details are lost to time and the elements. The cemetery holds the mortal remains of a number of famous people including Susannah Wesley (the mother of Methodism) and mother to sons John and Charles, the poet William Blake, the novelist and writer Daniel Defoe, John Bunyan (The Pilgrim’s Progress), Isaac Watts the hymn writer, Thomas Bayes (statistician and philosopher) and Thomas Newcomen (engineer) and one of the pioneering engineers who have a major street named after them in the east-end of Newcastle.

    We went for a walk in the evening, and I took a few shots of various buildings and streetscapes; always interesting in London.

    Last night saw us join Graham and Jo at the Victoria Theatre to see the musical, Hamilton. Despite the fact that the Hamilton has been around for a few years, I knew nothing about it. The cast were predominantly people of colour taking all the major roles, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and Aaron Burr. The show was tight, well-rehearsed, and historically compressed as I understand it. The performances were all great. It was a fun show and the first West End musical I have been to. The Vic theatre is gorgeous to walk through.

    Once home, we settled and got ready for bed but once midnight chimed, I sang Happy Birthday to Chris as he turns 48 on the last day of August. I think he would have liked to have been in better shape for the milestone, but the virus will go, and Chris has a new year ahead of him.     Czytaj więcej

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    Coffee art to start the day
    An old piano, might even be a fortepiano.Colours in the Carpet

    Dickens and Downtime

    28 sierpnia, Anglia ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Today brought to us to the Charles Dickens Museum. We met up with Graham and Jo for coffee beforehand, so we were well-energised to look at the Dickens house after the ten minute walk to arrive there. Apparently, it was his house here in London for about three years. I was surprised at how big it was. Five floors with accompanying double staircases for each, gets you from the bottom of the building, essentially the basement where the food prep and washing were done, up to the top where the bedrooms were.

    It was a grand old home, not full of ornate bling, but the furniture and crockery and ornaments of the late 1800s. A clock chiming on one wall, subdued colours for the walls, sometimes more colourful carpet, chunky bowls and plates, big cutlery, table lamps, pictures of family and successes, a piano. Dickens’ writing desk was large and had an incline sitting on top so that he would not be working flat. I understand that he wrote some of his earlier works in this house. It was a quiet gentle morning. I enjoyed it.

    Morning tea followed in the Dickens Tea Room and a good sit down. Standing and looking at things at museums and galleries, reading little plaques and here in this one, climbing the stairs as well, is all quite tiring. I think walking is easier. At any rate, a rest and then a farewell at the Tube to Chris’ folks and we were on our way home. Chris is fighting off a low-grade bug and not feeling great. Rest is what we need.     Czytaj więcej

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    Barbican
    Full-scale diorama of BarbicanLunch at BarbicanThe big pond thing at Barbican1The Masque Haunt pub

    Sleeps, Barbican and the Pub

    27 sierpnia, Anglia ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    We both slept well which, after a number of challenging nights in Bologna and the early start to get this country, we were really hoping for. However, it was clearly not enough, for after a lovely slow breakfast of fruit and coffee, we both had to shut our eyes again and have another sleep. We had thought about going out to a café, but we were simply not up to it. Instead, we listened to our bodies and fell asleep on the bed for second sleeps. I do think it was worth it because when we did awaken again, we both had a little more energy and enthusiasm for the day.

    After showering and cleaning away the brekky things, we headed out for a short walk around the neighbourhood which was a nice thing to do. You get to see how the streets are connected and where all the parks and the pubs and the cafes are, and in our case, the graveyard too. We did stop in at a rather hipster café and had a tolerable coffee and a Portuguese tart each, or as they call them here, pastel de nata.

    We then made our way to Barbican, that post-war brutalist piece of architecture, which just happens to be right next to our building. We have visited before, in fact, we’ve been to the theatre at Barbican, but today we were keen to once more look at its snazzy lefty book and gift shop, which we did. Overpriced, but not too much, it contains things that are not in the general run of things, so it is always an interesting half hour to meander around and pick up and put down various bits n bobs and books. In the end, Chris bought a paintbrush, a book and a pair of socks, while I contented myself with a Nigerian coming of age LGBTQ book called Blessings told from the point of the view of the young man and his mother. It will go on the existing pile, and I will get to it in the fulness of time.

    This afternoon, we took a load of laundry to a full-service dry cleaner laundromat. We followed that up by another walk and decided to stop in for a beer in a local pub called the Masque Haunt, a corner pub, a long rectangle in shape and a curved bar on the small side. Above the bar are all the beer glasses hanging upside down in racks the length of the bar. It’s quite a site and something I think of which they are quite proud, as there is a framed description of the glasses as though they were an objet d’art, which frankly, they could be.

    Dinner tonight at home and another episode of Hostage. We’ll catch up with Chris’ folks again tomorrow.     Czytaj więcej

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    Chris readying himself for a massage
    The four of us in the Great Court of the MuseumAn early stringed instrumentLibertyAfternoon tea in the pubA sunny afternoonChris and I sporting two of our Italian T-shirts

    Museum and Soho Shopping

    26 sierpnia, Anglia ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Today started off with me having a fight with the front door. No-one told me that in order to lock it, you have to push the door handle up with the turning of the key. I worked it out eventually but only after working up a sweat and throwing my hat to the floor. It still doesn’t lock easily even though I know now.

    Chris and I met up with Jo and Graham at the British Museum around midday. It was raining a little, so I bought an umbrella at a Russell Square Tesco. The rooms at the Museum we looked at were wonderful, the Europe rooms, but we didn’t stay too long as the hordes were coming over the fences and we all felt that the jostling and increased heat in the exhibitions rooms was getting a bit much. Besides, the restaurant could only seat us at 3pm, so we left and walked across Russel Square and treated ourselves, for the first time, to a lunch at Farmer J.

    It was good healthy fresh food served in a bowl where you get to choose your base, a main and two sides. It was delicious and very filling.

    Then into the shopping district of Soho to Liberty where Jo and Chris tried out some perfumes and Jo had a good meander through the upper levels of the store. A beer and a sit down with Graham at a nearby pub afterwards before heading off to our respective homes.

    We watched an episode of Hostage this evening, a new Netflix political drama, while we had a light dinner. I am quite tired still and hope to have a good night’s sleep tonight. Tomorrow is another day, but it will be a light day as we have nothing planned.     Czytaj więcej

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    Chris giving his Mausoleum of Galla Placidia T-shirt it's first run

    Hello London, It's Me Again

    25 sie–3 wrz, Anglia ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    There’s always a ‘getting there’ day when you travel. Today was that day. Now I have to say that flying from Bologna to London is a whole world away from flying Sydney to London, figuratively and literally. Our early morning flight at 7am left a tad early because the plane was ready to go and the tower evidently agreed and sent us on our way. The flight was supposed to be one hour fifty minutes but with winds in our favour, the captain told us we would get there early. I didn’t hear anyone complaining.

    We had arisen at 4am to make sure we were at the airport by 5am to do all the check in and security stuff, so by the time were at cruising altitude, I was already tired. However, I courageously took out my book, The Medici, and ploughed back into it. It will come as no surprise that ten minutes in, my head was becoming heavy and noddy, and not even the triumphant return to Florence of Cosimo de Medici from exile, as adrenalin-packed as that was, could keep me awake. I closed the book and slept soundly for half the flight.

    London turned on a gorgeous sunny day. Warm but not excessively hot. With our heavy bags packed with two months of clothes as well as bits n bobs we bought in Italy (mine was 19.5kg and Chris’ 17.5kg) we made the reluctant and expensive decision to take a taxi from the airport into Stockwell, there to meet up with Chris’ folks Graham and Jo, who had arrived here a few days before us. They graciously allowed us to stow our luggage while we waited for 3pm check-in time in our own apartment not far from the Barbican.

    After hugs, greetings, coffee and a tour of their apartment garden, we all headed off down the road to get some lunch and a drink and a bit of a de-brief of our time in Italy. The part of Stockwell they are staying in is known as Little Portugal, so there are quite a few Portuguese eateries in the vicinity. We stopped at Estrela and had panino melts with beer. Delicious.

    Eventually, we received word that our apartment was ready, so we made plans for the four of us to meet up for dinner, bade farewell and headed for Moorgate. Getting into an Air B& B is not always easy, but this one, after a confusion as to which lockbox to try, eventually gave up her secrets and we infested the place and will rest our bones here for the next two weeks. It’s not bad actually. Clean, neat, plenty of creature comforts, and well-located for supermarkets, walking and public transport. We even have a balcony.

    We met Graham and Jo last night in Farringdon, the location of our first ever stay in London. We took them down to the Sir John Oldcastle pub on the corner and, having eating Italian food for the last month, feasted on British pub food. It was fun to have some chips again. We both slept well after a long day and we are ready to continue our love affair with London, surely one of the most extraordinary cities on the planet.     Czytaj więcej

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  • Stuart EdserPrimo Assaggio d’ItaliaPodróżnik
    Last day Bologna
    Pics of Chris and Stuart

    Ultimo Giorno in Italia

    24 sierpnia, Włochy ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    I write this last Penguin post with a slightly heavy heart. I am in the Bologna airport bar having decamped our apartment and taken an Uber out here to the airport earlier in the afternoon. We fly to London tomorrow morning at 7am which will necessitate our arrival at the airport no later than 5am. Hence, the stay here overnight so that we can avail ourselves of the hotel shuttle bus to the international terminal.

    As much as I love the UK, and I really do, it feels like I am not quite ready to let all this go.

    Visiting Europe with a spouse has been a dream of mine since I was old enough to understand the concept of Europe. Back then, I thought this spouse would be a wife, but life has a way of interposing and before you know it, you're no longer flowing along with the main current but are in fact diverging into one of life's tributaries.

    This trip to Italy is my first time on continental Europe. I have waited until 66 of age to do this. An impatient know-it-all Stuart in his youth would never have countenanced such a long wait, had he known. He would have intervened in some way.

    But thank goodness he's not running the show any longer. Had he had his way, I would not have discovered my true identity, would not have entered into my own power, and I would not have met the love of my life, Chris.

    It is incredibly wonderful to me to have Chris here discovering Italy alongside me. And I have to say, that he has handled himself in this foreign land amazingly. Four weeks ago, he had no Italian. Now, he is ordering food and drinks and explaining who we are in excellent Italian. Everytime he does it, my admiration for his intelligence and courage goes up even further. Just amazing 😍

    As for my own Italian, in some ways, it has improved, much I think to do with so much listening to the flow of the language around me. However, when you're in the middle of a conversation with someone who is probably trying to 'English' you (pushing to revert to English because it's easier for them), I am not really using the more intricate and complex forms of verbs and nouns that I have learned. All my books and notes are back home and I am looking forward to revising those more advanced forms of the language so that I don't forget it all.

    Having said that, I have loved using Italian here, in simple ways often, but occasionally in longer and more interesting conversations, like the one with the Roman taxi driver, some with Manuel our favourite waiter at L'Incontro, meeting my extraordinary teacher Andrea at Salerno, and even today explaining to the Uber driver that I would tip him through the app. It's been truly wonderful. At the beginning of this year, I could not speak a word of Italian other than a few musical terms. Learning a new language, and a romance language at that, has been a delight and a blessing for me.

    I am quite sure that I have fallen in love with Italy. I have heard experienced travellers saying things like, 'you won't want to come back'. In some ways, that is true. But I don't think the feeling will last. But I do think the love of Italy and of its culture, food and language will last. I can see myself returning.

    Finally, my childhood dream has come true. Travelling and discovering Italy with my wonderful man Chris has been a delight and something I will never forget. Finishing the our little epic here in Bologna is perfetto. It is beautiful, not too big, historic, learned, friendly and unpretentious. Thinking about all this makes me teary, a phenomenon that occurs much more frequently as I get older. Thank you Chris and thank you Italia for the trip of a lifetime. A treasure memory.     Czytaj więcej

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  • Stuart EdserPrimo Assaggio d’ItaliaPodróżnik
    Train to San Luca
    The San Luca PorticoBasilica di San LucaViews over BolognaFinal apperitivo at L'Incontro and farewell to ManuelThe canal in the cityPiazza Maggiore

    Farewell Beautiful Bologna: You won me

    23 sierpnia, Włochy ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    My tristesse about leaving Italy is hitting me. I don’t want to go. But I am also looking forward to the UK which I love. A tearing asunder.
    Eddy Cantor “How you gonna keep’em down on the farm after they’ve seen Paris”?

    Our second last day in Bologna and Italy. We planned it to be light. It’s been a big month, and in a heatwave no less. A slow start at home, followed by la colazione at L’Incontro. Still the best coffees in Italy, we haven’t changed our minds.
    We had pre-purchased tickets to the Basilica of San Luca high on the hills overlooking the city. You get up there by walking the longest portico in the world, 3.8km with 666 arches, the last half seriously uphill, or by a little toy train. We chose the train. The only other time I have ever been in a little tourist train was when I was a young man and I visited my brother in Proserpine. We all took a day trip to Hayman Island that was, back then, still in its resort phase. The boat docked at a jetty far our out off-shore where we were met by a little toy train. We all climbed on board and were taken through the centre of the resort with the fabulously rich lolling about by the various pools and looking at us in our toy carriages as though we were monkeys in a cage. Dreadful.

    Thank Saint Luca we did not have to endure such derisory looks. The train journey began in the Piazza Maggiore in front of the Basilica San Petronio, wound its way through Bologna streets and parks, and up into the hills that overlook the city. The basilica on top houses a famous Byzantine portrait of the Madonna and Child that has been processed through the streets of Bologna and up to the basilica since 1433. The present basilica replaced an earlier version in the mid 1700s. We sat inside the basilica and just took it in. It is vast and cavernous with a number of cupolas. We saw the painting from a distance on the back wall of the sanctuary but did not join others who filed past to pray.

    The views of the city were splendid, but we did not tarry. We were keen to get back down again, so we waited for our little train to arrive and took the trip back down the hill and into the city where we started. A small lunch in a local bar followed by a rest and nap at home. We took an early aperitivo today as we intended to go our for dinner. We bade our goodbyes to Manuel who has been so kind and helpful to us all week. Then a little walk around the Piazza Maggiore doing some people watching and having a small gelato.

    Bologna, I am going to miss you.     Czytaj więcej

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  • Stuart EdserPrimo Assaggio d’ItaliaPodróżnik
    Canal outside our apartment
    La Colazione at L'IncontroFinishing his novelThe apartment front door1PorticoesTowersBuildingsThe Seven ChurchesUs in Italy 😀

    Washing and Walking

    22 sierpnia, Włochy ⋅ 🌙 23 °C

    Our second last day in Bologna led us to a lavanderia to get our clothes washed. Only it was closed. So we walked to another lavanderia and it was closed too. We looked up the street to a third lavanderia and lo and behold, you guessed it, it was closed. Our bag of clothes was substantial and none too light but we soldiered back to our apartment and put a load through the washer here.

    We headed down to L’Incontro for our morning coffee and cornetto, returned home to put the second load through and hang the first load on the clothes horse. This was not quite what we had in mind for the start of our day. But as experienced travellers, we understand you just have to be flexible and roll with it when things go awry, as they can do.

    After returning home to hang out our second load of washing, we headed back out again to photograph the towers of the city. There are a number of them. One of theml is like Pisa’s famous tower and is leaning heavily. It has been shored up, but I have no idea if that is a permanent fix or just a delay to the forces of gravity pulling it over. We had a nice lunch at a place called Roxy Bar that had a large open space with marble flooring and painted panelled ceiling. Quite fancy. A few more pics as we walked the various streets looking and discovering this and that. Then home for a nap and a rest and some reading.

    Around 5pm or just after, we headed out again to L’Incontro for aperitivo, our usual spritzes; me Campari Spritz (my new favourite drink) and Chris, L’Incontro Spritz. Our favourite waiter Manuel had a ready smile and “ciao” for us as always. Today, we learned he has only recently arrived in Bologna having come from Abruzzo for work. We’ll try to help out a little before we leave.

    We ate in again tonight and chatted about our day tomorrow. We have decided to leave the apartment a day early and stay at the airport hotel on Sunday night as our flight to London is 7am and we cannot guarantee a taxi ride at 4 or 5 in the morning to get us there on time.     Czytaj więcej

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  • Stuart EdserPrimo Assaggio d’ItaliaPodróżnik
    Cathedral of San Pietro
    Frescoes in Palazzo FavaCurios in Museum'Ecce homo'Jousting sticks (going straight to the pool room)

    A Cathedral, A Palazzo and A Museum

    21 sierpnia, Włochy ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    Today’s Penguins finds us a little better rested but still tired due to the all-encompassing heat that surrounds and eats you whenever you step outside of an air-conditioned zone.

    Last night’s rain did cool things down somewhat, and today has been cloudy and overcast, as though it wants to rain again, and it may well do, but this small respite in the weather has been a godsend to us, not to mention to the good people of Bologna. We slept last night for the first time without the air-conditioner switched on. This is a big deal because the air-conditioner is huge, bulky and sounds like a freight train in the bedroom. Chris, more than me, finds it difficult to sleep with. Combined with the hot evenings, we have not slept well since we arrived in Bologna accounting for our lower energies during the day.

    After breakfast at L’Incontro, we headed to our first stop in our continuing plan to see the sights of the city. First stop, the Cathedral of San Pietro, not to be confused with the Basilica of San Pietrono that we visited with Maurella on our tour.

    The Cathedral is the mother church of the Diocese. It is very large and high with vaulted ceilings, three naves, a central and two aisles, a sanctuary raised up high, and many side chapels. The original building goes back to the 4th century, but that was destroyed by fired and rebuilt several times over the centuries. The present building is of mid 17th century origin. It has the famous red brick that we see so often in Bolognese buildings. Four vast columns lift the sanctuary area and the painted ceiling over that part of the church is ornate. There is a large baldacino over the main altar that would not look out of place in St Peters in Rome. The lighting on the sides of the naves are in the shape of trees and their leaves and there are balconies overhead in some places.

    It has a dark feel but quiet and reflective. One or two were at prayer. I noticed a priest sitting all alone in his confessional waiting for one of the faithful to come along and confess. I enjoyed seeing this cathedral, although I must say it did not arrest me particularly architecturally, spiritually or emotionally. The two gorgeous large lions in red marble, from one of the earlier iterations of the church, are placed either side of the entrance exit doors and are a real delight. I'd love to take one home.

    Next, we made our way across the street and bought our entrance tickets to Palazzo Fava. Apparently, the Fava family came into possession of the building in 1546, but the building is much older. Nowadays, it is owned by a bank and houses the gallery that conserves and shows the 16th century frescoes painted on the walls of six rooms. The frescoes, painted by the Carracchi boys, depict scenes from mythology including stories about Jason, Europa and from the Aeneid. They are really incredible. Although the colour in many has softened over time, they are all still here, crystal clear and wonderful to see.

    Finally, we took a tour of the Museo Civico Medievale housed in the 15th century Palazzo Ghisilardi. It is next door to the Fava Palace and indeed the Favas eventually acquired the building. This museum, as its name suggests, houses a unique collection of odds an ends from the medieval world including funerary objects, ornaments and jewellery, armour and weapons and objet d’art. It is a formidable collection and quite large. I think it has over twenty rooms.

    By the time we had seen the twenty rooms and given them the attention they deserved, we had had enough, and headed out to a bar for a panino and a beer, followed by a coffee. Our bar proprietor was quite the character, a large, talkative, friendly salt of the earth type, and I suspect we’ll go back there.

    Home for a rest and a good lie down. And a haircut for me at 5pm. Not quite the Barber of Seville, but the Barber of Bologna will have to do. I feel I should be playing Rossini as I walk in the door.
    My barber's shortened name was Ford. He cut my hair, shaved me, plucked my eyebrows and trimmed my moustache. He spoke English really well and we had a great conversation while he worked, with a smattering of Italian from me thrown in at regular intervals. Apperitivo at L'Incontro where Manuel looks after us each night and then home for dinner on a cool faintly rainy evening. A lovely relaxed day.     Czytaj więcej

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  • Stuart EdserPrimo Assaggio d’ItaliaPodróżnik
    1111

    Bologna Extra Pics

    19 sierpnia, Włochy ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C
  • Stuart EdserPrimo Assaggio d’ItaliaPodróżnik
    1Basilica San PetronioEntrance to the University1Anatomy RoomOriginal lecture room

    Noi Camminiamo Bologna

    19 sierpnia, Włochy ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    Our first full day in Bologna began with a walking tour. It is not our first. We have done walking tours in Cambridge and in Bath in the UK and they were wonderful. Bologna, with our expert tour guide Maurella Zanotti, was no different. We had paid a little extra and we had the wonderful Maurella to ourselves. Just the three of us, taking our time, and hearing her insights about the history and buildings as we went. Maurella was very intelligent, fluent in English, witty, interested, and a pleasure to spend two and a half hours with.

    Given that it was our introduction to the city and to the university, I am not able to recall all the details, but we will research them over the coming week so that we can process the marvels we saw today.

    Suffice to say, that Bologna had an ongoing struggle between the church ie., the papacy, and the local government. This was an ongoing back and forth between the pope and the magnates of the city. The university is the oldest in the West, commencing in 1088 with its law schools, and was a force in the local economy as well. The Piazza del Nettuno (Piazza of Neptune) stands surrounded by the university, the notaries, the council, and the cardinal’s palace. All power literally centralised. The religious orders came next, the Dominicans, the Franciscans, the Augustinians and they all built their churches and cloisters. They are all still here.

    We saw the introduction of the city’s famous porticoes, 40km in the centro district and 62km if you include those outside the city gates; a tradition that lives on. There were 100 towers in the medieval period, with twenty-five still standing. An amazing city, ripe for exploration.     Czytaj więcej

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  • Stuart EdserPrimo Assaggio d’ItaliaPodróżnik
    1

    Bologna - Siamo Qui

    18 sierpnia, Włochy ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Well, if I were prone to pessimism, I would have said that today’s travel day would have been a disaster given the last one. However, as I am not prone to pessimism, unless all the chips are stacked against me, I felt that today’s travelling would be positive. And it was. The nearest thing to calamity that we encountered was at Ravenna train station when a guard came along and said, ‘are you going to Bologna?’ “Yes,” we said. “The platform has been changed from one to two, so just make your way over there for the train”. “Okay, grazie”, we said.

    The train ride was unremarkable. Comfortable, air-conditioned, uncrowded. I think I might have even dozed off for a few minutes at one point. We booked our luggage into a luggage storage place at the station when we arrived and went out and had some lunch. That was very welcome. Our train journey was just over an hour so not very arduous, but we were thirsty and a little hungry. It’s still hot here, don’t forget. Once our apartment was ready, we made our way there.

    I think this is one of those apartments where you need a face to face to induction on how to get in, how to get to your floor, how to call the lift, how to open the door, and how to lock all the doors after you. Instead, we had a picture graph of each step, and I intend to let them know how I feel. Frankly, it was confusing and unnecessarily stressful. By the time we got into the living room, we were a mess of sweat and decomposition. The apartment is nice, a bit pokey, but nice and I think we’ll be okay here for a week. The bedroom and bathroom is up a serious spiral staircase that turns for one and a quarter full rotations. We’ll manage.

    First impressions of Bologna, after heading out to PAM the supermarket for provisions, and then out again for a drink and something to eat this evening: friendly, young people, energetic, old buildings, porticos and colonnades everywhere, travertine and marble walkways (take note Newcastle City Council). Tomorrow morning, we take our only booked tour for the whole week, a walking tour of the University, one of the world’s oldest. For the rest of this week, we will take it easy, process our trip, read and write and discover a few Bologna treasures along the way. Should be very nice indeed.     Czytaj więcej

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