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Jun 14, 2024:
14 June 2024: Leipzig Walking Tour and Concert
We decided to learn more about the history of Leipzig, so in the afternoon we went on a …From Stumbling Stones to Sublime Sounds in St Thomas Church
Jun 14, 2024:
14 June 2024: Bach Museum and Archive
After my lightening visit to the Grassi Museum of Musical Instruments I rushed to meet Cathy at the Bach …Johann Sebastian and Anna Magdalena Bach
Jun 14, 2024:
14 June 2024: Grassi Museum Leipzig
I had not heard of this museum. Michael Dollendorf, my colleague in Berlin, told me I had to visit. And I’m so …Leipzig’s Museum of Musical Instruments
Jun 13, 2024:
13 June 2024: Bach and St Thomas Church Leipzig
Thomaskirche in Leipzig is doubly hallowed ground. It is a consecrated church and also the place I associate most with Johann …Hallowed Ground
Jun 12, 2024:
12 June 2024: Leipzig Bach Fest and Euro 2024
Today we journeyed from Paris to Leipzig. That’s not the clash of cultures I’m talking about. After rising at 4:00 am and some …A Clash of Cultures
Jun 11, 2024:
11 June 2024: Musée de la Musique
In 1997 I tried to visit the Cité de la Musique but was thwarted by an actor’s strike that locked …A Trove of Instruments in the Cité de la Musique
Jun 11, 2024:
11 June 2024: Our Last Full Day in Paris
Tomorrow we catch a taxi at 5:00 am to get to Orly airport for our early flight to Berlin. Early to bed, early to …Lunch at La Laiterie Sainte Clotilde
Jun 10, 2024:
10 June 2024: Galerie de Géologie et de Minéralogie
All the well-known museums were either shut today (Monday) or booked out. Gone are the days you could turn up and wait a reasonable …A Gem of a Museum
Jun 9, 2024:
9 June 2024: Gregorian Mass and Notre Dame
As it was Sunday, we decided to attend the 9:00 am Gregorian Chant Mass at Saint-Sulpice. In the evening we met up with some …A Quiet Day in Paris
Jun 8, 2024:
8 June 2024: Melun & Le Dôme
The day started with frustration and chaos that led to the serendipitous discovery of a beautiful …It Was the Best of Times, It Was the Worst of Times
Jun 7, 2024:
7 June 2024: The Gnomon of Saint-Sulpice
I was totally fascinated by the Gnomon of Saint-Sulpice and went right down the rabbit hole.Science in Saint-Sulpice
Jun 7, 2024:
7 June 2024: Paris – Church of Saint-Sulpice
After a long day of travel on 6 June, we awoke to beautiful summer’s day in Paris. We decided to walk to Église …I Love Paris in the Summer
Jun 6, 2024:
2–6 June 2024: Edinburgh and the Water of Leith
Our time in Edinburgh was pretty low-key. We took some time to rest and catch up with Cathy’s Scottish relatives over drinks …By the Waters of … Leith
Jun 1, 2024:
1 June 2024: Flodden Field
After Lindisfarne we decided to return to Edinburgh via an inland route with a stop at Branxton to visit Flodden Field, the …The Flowers of the Forest
Jun 1, 2024:
1 June 2024: Eyemouth and Lindisfarne
This was another big day out. We hired a car and set out to visit Lindisfarne (another Holy Island) off the …Our Pilgrimage to Lindisfarne
May 29, 2024:
29 May 2024: Iona to Edinburgh
Today was another big travel day: Iona to Edinburgh. All up it took 9 hours and 5 minutes. I didn’t take any photos worth …The Choreography of Travel
May 28, 2024:
28 May 2024: Iona - Dùn I
We decided to climb Dùn I, the highest point on Iona. It has an elevation of around 100 metres and offers some spectacular …The Heights of Iona
May 27, 2024:
27 May 2024: Isle of Staffa - Fingal’s Cave and Puffins
The sun came out in the afternoon and the sea settled down, so we were set for our expedition to the Isle of Staffa. The main things to …I 🩷 Puffins
May 27, 2024:
27 May 2024: Central Iona
We booked a boat trip to the Isle of Staffa in the morning. The weather was not great and the skipper said he …The Boggy Ground Did Not Stop Us
May 26, 2024:
26 May 2024: The North End of Iona
After a hearty breakfast we attended a Communion Service at the Abbey (see my rant below). In the afternoon we walked to the north …A More Relaxed Day
May 25, 2024:
25 May 2024: Iona – A Thin Place
Iona is often described as a ‘thin place’, a concept from Celtic spirituality. A thin place is a location …Celtic Spirituality and Ancient Christianity
May 23, 2024:
23 May 2024: Hallgrímur’s Church and Harpa Concert Hall
We started the day early with a visit to Hallgrímur’s Church. Cathy had missed out on our first day in Reykjavik due to Covid. We …Exploring Reykjavik
May 23, 2024:
23 May 2024: Reykjavik Street Art
We started the day visiting Hallgrímur’s Church because Cathy had missed out on our first day in Reykjavik recovering …Not All Good Art Lives Indoors
May 23, 2024:
23 May 2024: Reykjavik Galleries
We decided to wander around and see what we could find before meeting up with our friend Élisabet at the Harpa Concert …Iceland’s National Galleries
May 22, 2024:
22 May 2024: Old Reykjavik, Blue Lagoon & a Harp Recital
Today we explored Old Reykjavik and made some wonderful discoveries. In the late afternoon we went to the Blue Lagoon and …Vikings, Silica and a Harp
May 21, 2024:
21 May 2024: The Golden Circle
The Golden Circle is a popular scenic route, within a day’s drive from Reykjavik, that features …Kerið - Gullfoss - Geysir Strokkur - Þingvellir
May 20, 2024:
20 May 2024: Jökulsárlón & Svartifoss (South Iceland)
This was a huge day. 👍Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon – Diamond Beach – Svartifoss – Vík – Selfoss
May 19, 2024:
19 May 2024: Egilsstaðir to Höfn (Southeast Iceland)
To avoid driving back Egilsstaðir to use Highway 1, we took a short cut through the mountains. It turned out to be quite an adventure …We Took a Punt
May 18, 2024:
18 May 2024: North to East Iceland
A day of snow, waterfalls, a beautiful lake, mud pools and fumaroles, and hot baths. The forecast was for 2° C and the …Snow, Waterfalls and Mud Pools
May 17, 2024:
17 May 2024: West to North Iceland
Although not fully recovered from Covid, we set out from Reykjavik in high spirits. We had booked an activity: visiting …Lava Cave and on to Akureyri
May 15, 2024:
15 May 2024: Hallgrímur’s Church (Reykjavik, Iceland)
We arrived in Iceland in the afternoon on Tuesday 14 May. We had booked a hire car and drove to our Airbnb in Reykjavik. On …A Church Like No Other
May 13, 2024:
13 May 2024: The National Gallery
After The Last Caravaggio exhibition we decided to explore the rest of the gallery. It turned out to be a great idea.A National Treasure
May 13, 2024:
13 May 2024: The Last Caravaggio
National Gallery - The Last Caravaggio We queued up in stages to finally enter a small darkened room with just two paintings …An Enduring Storyteller
May 12, 2024:
12 May 2024: Oxford - A City of Colleges and Churches
The weather was excellent. The excitement was high. We set off early to Paddington Station to catch the train to Oxford. We …Around Oxford with a Don
May 11, 2024:
11 May 2024: Legion – Life in the Roman Army
After the Michelangelo exhibition at the British Museum we grabbed a quick bite to eat and decided to go to the other special …A Great Exhibition
May 11, 2024:
11 May 2024: Michelangelo: The Last Decades
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (6 March 1475 – 18 February 1564) I’m so glad we were able to …A Man of Many Parts
Michelangelo (wikipedia)
May 9, 2024:
9 May 2024: The British Museum
I have an abiding interest in Classical Antiquity and earlier, so the British Museum is my sort of museum. I always …Ancient Faces and Timeless Gazes
May 8, 2024:
8 May 2024: St Martin-in-the-Fields (London)
After a pleasant flight from Dubai, we touched down at Heathrow at 7:00 am. Customs was a breeze, and soon we were on the …An Evensong to Remember
May 2, 2024: Sulphur-crested Cockatoos These guys are regular visitors to the bird bath outside my home studio. They are not the least bit shy and very curious.
May 1, 2024: Greg’s Photo Blog Welcome to my photo blog. This is where I’ll post photos of my holiday in Europe in 2024. Also anything else that I feel like sharing, such as …