Michelangelo
How could I have not catalogued Michelangelo? Re-reading my Italy by train series reminded me of my intense admiration for him.
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Valencia – a soft beginning
(1.5 days) Quick links to main sights If you’d like to jump ahead to planning your own visit, check out the practical notes section for train bookings. Plus, here are quick external links to the main sights: Turia Gardens | Plaza del Carmen | Centro del Carmen (modern art gallery) | Torres del Serranos |…
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Impressions of Moorish Andalusia
An unhurried rail journey through layers of history 18th – 31st Dec, 2025 Moorish Andalusia had long been on my wish list, ever since I came across an itinerary in an adventure travel company’s brochure. I found the name so evocative that, for that reason alone, I wanted to go. Once there, the region’s distinctive…
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Delightful satire set in the hills of Italy
Cooking with Fernet Branca by James Hamilton-Paterson Book on Amazon | My review on Amazon 5 out of 5 stars Reviewed January 28, 2005 Best thing about the book is the dual perspective it is written from – alternate sections are written in the first person of two different people, Gerald, a ghostwriter, and Marta,…
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Milan Centrale (26th July 1997)
26 Jul 1997 Made a few half-hearted attempts to find a hotel or hostel, but at 12:45 in the night, believe me, it is difficult. I went after a few rucksack-carrying chaps but they were going to the airport. Taxis offered to take me to an ostello; I decided it was safer to stay in…
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Florence (25 Jul 1997)
25 Jul 1997 Friday. I got up at leisure, had a decent if not satisfying breakfast, and set off for the sights. At the breakfast table two Italian girls asked how old I was – you know, as if to say you ought to be with your parents. I said 25 and they said I…
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Vesuvius (24th July 1997)
24 Jul 1997 Nel and I decided to do Vesuvius the next morning. After a horrid breakfast that I couldn’t finish, we set off for Ercolano to get the bus. As usual, public transport was not conveniently timed. We waited for a few others to collect, and eventually five of us shared a taxi: Nel,…
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Naples and Herculaneum (23rd July 1997)
23 Jul 1997 Left around 8:30am this morning on a train from Rome to Naples, a journey of ~2.5 hours. The route passed through scraggly mountains and little stations. The stations here are very low – about a foot high – making use of all the steps on the train doors. Somewhat like village stations…
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Rome – The Vatican (22nd Jul 1997)
22 Jul 1997 Rome, day 2: Vatican was first on my list. The queue was luckily on the shaded side of the city walls, and moved fast. I was in by 9:30 am. I hired an audio guide – a real smart move, as I discovered later. Without it the tour would not have been…
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Rome (21 Jul 1997)
20th July 1997 The train got into Rome at 21:05. Setting about finding the YH, I felt something I hadn’t felt in Venice: safe. No tension about the dark. The metro and buses were bustling at that hour and people were friendly, going out of their way to point me to my stop. The YH…
