The Other Spanish Steps
The stairs outside the Church of St Ignatius in Dubrovnik are a replica of Rome's Spanish Steps - without the crowds.
The Poltergeist on my Roof
Thoughts as I hear footsteps on my roof..
Fire in the Rain
Using two pieces of wood to light a fire is hard at the best of times. Add a tropical downpour, and it becomes nigh impossible - but somehow these guts managed the impossible.
The Loreta: A Convent Carried by an Angel
The Loreta, Prague, was once carried by angels from the Holy Land to Italy, before miraculously appearing in Prague. It’s a gem of a discovery in this most beautiful of cities.
Petrichor, Rain, and My Washing
The word petrichor was termed back in 1964 by two Australian scientists studying the smells of wet weather. As one does. For it’s a smell to be found in a contrast of places: a bottle of red wine, a road steaming after a summer storm.
Basket boats of China Beach
The basket boats of China Beach, Vietnam, began life as a tax dodge. These manoeuvrable vessels can be found through South East Asia.
Snake Season, Hong Kong and Reading Newspapers
It wasn’t till I read an actual newspaper as I ate my breakfast that I realised it was snake season in Hong Kong - indeed, that this land of sky scrappers actually has venomous snakes (although no one has died from a bite since last century).
The Dragon of Halong
The Dragon of Halong: this messenger of the gods created this magical bay as he plummeted from the sky
An Angel, A Florentine Painting, and My Novel.
Sometime around 1252, a monk fell asleep and an angel finished his painting. If only the angel would do the same for my novel.
A Bamboo Bridge to Nowhere
Standing beside a bamboo bridge somewhere in Vietnam speaking broken French to complete strangers - the unexpected delights of travel!
Prague and my morning Becherovka
An early morning walk in Prague, aided with a nip of Becherovka, the local drink whose recipe remains a closely guarded secret.
Musings on Chopping an Onion
The first in my series of weekly musings. This week’s ponderings cover routines, chopping onions, and making focaccia while dreaming of Florence.
Beneath the Duomo, Florence
Beneath Florence’s Duomo lies an archeological treasure trove: remnants from the old Roman town Florentia, an early 4th C Christian Church, Santa Reparata. This was later rebuilt as the Cathedral Santa Reparata, only to be demolished in 1379 for the new Duomo.
The Ancient Forests of Yakushima Island
Yakushima Island, Japan, is covered in a forest of cedar. Many of the trees here are at least 1000 years old, with some nearing 7000 years.