“This sparrow flies swiftly in through one door of the hall, and out through another. While he is inside, he is safe from the winter storms; but after an few moments of comfort, he vanishes from sight into the wintry … Continue reading Birds, Flowers and Bellagio
Our exploration of Ferrara started slightly later than planned, as we took the wrong turn on leaving the station and ended up walking the long way round and entering via Porta Paula, just in time for much-needed elevenses at a … Continue reading Borgias and Brollies
If you stay in one place long enough, the world will pass by. What better place to sit, on a baking hot July afternoon in Taormina than a shady bench in the Public Garden, with a view of the bay … Continue reading Sicilian Interlude
The writers of nauseating management platitudes say that when life gives you lemons, you should make lemonade. In Sorrento, they appear to have taken this advice to heart in a big way. There are a lot of lemons in Sorrento. … Continue reading A Taste of Sorrento
As I sat on plastic chair in a very institutional-looking corridor, I wondered whether I was in my right mind. Outside, the sun was shining and the birds were singing, but I was inside a drab university building waiting for … Continue reading What not to visit before lunch in Bologna
“to Charles Ryder, with the aid of whose all-seeing eyes I first saw the Mausoleum of Galla Placida and San Vitale…” The brief mention of Charles Ryder’s ‘economical’ Easter vacation in Ravenna with his friend Collins, who considered the mosaics … Continue reading Mosaics and Mausoleums
We could see the curved yellow building of the Museo Enzo Ferrari through the windows as our train from Bologna pulled into Modena Station. Once we had worked out which way to go, it was only a short walk to … Continue reading Ferraris and Art: a day trip from Bologna to Modena
Travels with me aren't 