L’art de voyager

My week in pictures 2

Here’s a summary in pictures of my trip to Thailand. It was a week full of noise, hustle and bustle, colour, tranquility, frustrations, emotion. A week of contrasts. A great week. Bangkok Ayutthaya Kanchanaburi Pattaya What an experience!

A life changing moment at the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary

I made a friend today. She’s a few years older than me and has had a tough life working in the logging industry in Thailand. These days she’s retired but she still bears the emotional and physical scars of her working life. She’s blind in one eye and nearly blind in the other. A lowContinue reading “A life changing moment at the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary”

Bangkok first impressions

I’m not really used to going somewhere I don’t know any more. I’m pretty familiar with most of the major cities in Europe and to a greater or lesser extent feel at home in them. Strange for me, then, to be somewhere completely new. My first impressions were not great. I was very tired, itContinue reading “Bangkok first impressions”

Flying

It might not be as glamorous as it used to be but I still love the whole business of flying somewhere. I still, although only just, remember the glamorous days. I remember my mother worrying about what she would wear on the plane. I remember as a little boy being dressed up and brushed upContinue reading “Flying”

Bangkok

I have just arrived in Bangkok. I’m not ready to write anything yet. I’m still recovering from the flight. Here are a few photos to whet your appetite. I’ll write a blog post in the next couple of days. What I can tell you is that it’s hot and humid and bustling and noisy andContinue reading “Bangkok”

Home again

I love living in the south of France. I love the climate, the beauty of the countryside, the proximity to the Mediterranean, the food, the wine and I could go on and on and on. So, as usual, I was thrilled to be at home for a few days. Every so often, in February, weContinue reading “Home again”

Notre Dame de Paris

I did eventually pluck up the courage to walk down to Notre Dame. I wasn’t sure I wanted to but knew that, sooner or later, I would have to, especially as I have a lot of work in Paris this year. I knew it would be painful, I hadn’t bargained on it being quite soContinue reading “Notre Dame de Paris”

Leonardo at the Louvre

I spent nearly all day yesterday thinking about the Leonardo exhibition. It was an overwhelming experience. There were so many of the artist’s works, all presented with a wealth of new biographical information thanks to the exhaustive research that went into preparing this exhibition. I left, thrilled by what I’d seen but not able toContinue reading “Leonardo at the Louvre”

Leonardo

I’ve just seen the Louvre’s Leonardo exhibition which marks 500 years since the artist’s death. At the moment I’m completely overwhelmed by it. I will need a day or two to get my thoughts together. I’ll post soon. In the meantime I hope you enjoy this selection from the exhibition. It was an extraordinary morning!Continue reading “Leonardo”

Mont St Michel

It’s not often you see the Mont St Michel without hoards of tourists, so it was lovely to arrive on a grey January day to find virtually no one else there. I usually have a love hate relationship with the Mont. I love the grandiose setting, the scale and beauty of the bay. The knowledgeContinue reading “Mont St Michel”

Normandy sunrise

I’ve been to Normandy many times but today was the first time I had stood on a deserted Omaha beach at sunrise and wept. The day was going to be busy. There was a lot to fit in. I had a group of high school students with me. We were going to “do” Omaha beachContinue reading “Normandy sunrise”

Greco 1541 – 1614

Beautiful, inspiring, thought provoking and moving. The El Greco exhibition at the Grand Palais surpassed my already high expectations. The paintings on display transported me into another world this afternoon. The mystical quality of the works. The complexity of the personalities in the portraits. The other worldly light in the eyes of his subjects. TheContinue reading “Greco 1541 – 1614”

My week in pictures 1

I thought it would be fun to have a look back over the last 10 days. There’s been a lot of art, history and architecture and some special moments. Paris revisited. I was very happy to be in Paris again after an unusually long absence. It felt like coming home. Normandy. A brief but veryContinue reading “My week in pictures 1”

Paris revisited

I can confidently state l’art de vivre is alive and well in Paris. I was a bit worried it might not be. I haven’t been to Paris for a while. Work and leisure trips have taken me to other cities recently. Madrid, Rome, Berlin, Florence. I love them all. Paris has, however, always had aContinue reading “Paris revisited”

Next stop Paris

Just a quick post to let you know what to look out for over the next couple of weeks. In Paris I’ll be visiting two major exhibitions. Greco at the Grand Palais and Leonardo at the Louvre. I’ll then be going to the Normandy beaches and Mont St Michel. From there to Amsterdam where I’llContinue reading “Next stop Paris”