Coffee and Trains

Not much to say for today. We got a last wander around Gothenburg, complete with a cardamom bu/coffee stop. The rest of the day and into the night will be a train to Stavanger, with a brief stop in Oslo.

The joy of trains ...

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Notre Dame, the Left Bank, Another Really Old Tree, and Choux Buns!

Image
We were part of the sea of tourists at Notre Dame this morning. It was worth fighting the crowds to view the interior of the post-fire Cathedral. The beautiful rose window  St. Joan of Arc had a special place in the south transept of the cathedral. She led Paris in ousting the English invaders, then was killed as a "witch." With the benefit of hindsight they decided she wasn't a witch after all and beatified her. On the left side of the entrance is another sighting of Saint Denis holding his head. ______________ After a midmorning snack of crepes and coffee (with a marvelous view of Notre Dame), we wandered around the Latin Quarter where all the famous writers hung out in the 1920s -- Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, James Baldwin, and many more . ______________ We passed by the oldest tree in Paris. It was planted in 1602 by Jean Robin, the gardener of King Henry IV. Most trees in Paris live only about 80 to 100 years because of pollution, little water, and city life. But this...
Read more

London II / Berzerker Rooks

Image
A morning at the British Museum absorbing artifacts from our collective past was rewarding, despite feelings about plundering other cultures. Having walked (in 2013) on the Isle of Lewis where someone discovered the Viking Chess Set, we made our way to the room where they are displayed, this magnificent whalebone set with Viking-related pieces. The berzerker took the place of the commonly known rook. The "Berserker" rook is an alternative found only in the Isle of Lewis set, depicting a Viking warrior in frenzy for a battle, so excited that he's biting his shield. Also of interest was the watch and clock room, especially the clock from 1685 with a luminous dial -- lit by a lantern placed inside. (See the 10 lit up on the left clock.) It is my opinion that the London Tube is the easiest underground system I've ever used, not to mention comprehensive and efficient. After a pub lunch of fish and chips (Doug ate the chips, I ate the fis...
Read more

Searching for Carravagio

We weren't able to get tickets to the Borghese, nor to the temporary Caravaggio exhibit at the Palazzo Barberini. We tried months ago, but it was too late. So today, with a bit of research, we bought a 24-hour transit pass and spliced together our own Caravaggio tour. The best three paintings were in a church and free. It was a fun way to get to different parts of Rome. And around every turn is another 2000-year old ruin. And in the hunt, I found a new favorite artist, one I had never heard of before: Maestro Jacomo. His paintings are of figures in candlelight: a young boy singing, a woman wth lantern, a boy holding a bat. Then we did the goofy touristy thing and stuck our hands in the Mouth of Truth (Bocca della Verità). It didn't bite our hands off, so we must be relatively truthful. ( Carravagio's A Penitent Mary Magdalene, Rest on the Way to Egypt, and John the Baptist.) (All three of these Carravagio paintings are of St. Matthew.) ( Maestro Jacomo, Boy Singing) ( Maest...
Read more