Next Stop: England

In a few days I'll be leaving on my trip to England so I've been very busy with the last minute preparations. All of my travel documents have arrived, I was able to take advantage of the drop in the British pound brought on by Brexit, and my packing is well underway.

I won't be posting to my blog while I'm away but when I return I'll have lots of new photos to share, not only from London but also Oxford, Canterbury and a tour through Devon and Cornwall. And I'll tell you about the new play, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, that officially premieres this weekend (without giving away any secrets, of course). I also plan to track down some of the BFG Dream Jars scattered amongst London's landmarks.

If you're following me on Twitter, I hope to tweet a few photos as time and technology will allow.

Have a wonderful summer. See you in September!

UPDATE:
If you'd like to see some of the photos from my trip, from Buckingham Palace to Doc Martin's Port Isaac, you'll find them on my Pinterest boards:

London
London Day Trips
England: The West Country

And Now, Nice

After the tragic events in Nice on Bastille Day, I remember the city in happier times.

Festa del Redentore, Venice

The third weekend in July is a very special occasion on the Venetian calendar. This is when Festa del Redentore, the Feast of the Redeemer, celebrates the end of a devastating plague that killed 25% of the population of Venice. I first read about the festival in Rosanna Chiofalo's debut novel, Bella Fortuna.

Redentore Church, Venice

My 5 Favourite Food Moments

I love to try different foods while visiting other counties. Even within individual European nations there can be so many different regional cuisines. It was a difficult task to narrow my choices down to only five, but here are some of my favourite food moments in France and Italy.

1.  Beef Bourguignon in Beaune, France

Home to grazing Charolais cattle and sun-drenched vineyards, the region of Burgundy was the ideal place to try the local specialty, Boeuf Bourguignon.

Boeuf Bourguignon, Beaune

Travel Theme: Exits

As I looked through my travel photos for samples of exits I realized I was much more likely to take photographs from the point of view of the entrance, a time of anticipation. When I leave a place my mind has often moved on to the next. There are a few notable exceptions. The sculpture of Seated Hermes in the sculpture loggia of Villa San Michele in Capri drew me in to the pergola covered pathway beyond.

Villa San Michele, Capri

Art: Larger than Life

Works of art are no longer confined to the hallways of museums and galleries. Contemporary pieces sometimes appear outdoors where you least expect them – like this colourful bouquet of metal flowers in Place Antonin Poncet in Lyon. The piece was designed by Korean artist Jeong Hwa Choi for the Biennale of Contemporary Art in 2003.

The Flower Tree, by Jeong Hwa Choi