Friday 19 February 2016

Spring on the pavements in Aachen

A cold sleety day for an Aachen pilgrimage - but a breath of spring at a florist near the Cathedral.

Wednesday 17 February 2016

Den Bosch pink



Tuesday 16 February 2016

Trip to Cologne, Aachen and Den Bosch

A trip to two cathedrals and what's described by the Guardian as the 'show of the century' - so far.
Starting with Cologne Cathedral which is stunningly close to the station. Dizzying black towers. Inside the light is very bright. Some of the stained glass was salvaged from the bombing.
It's a place of pilgrimage for anyone interested in German history and for devout Catholics as well. The remains of the Three Kings are here.
And ....  who would have thought it? Eau de Cologne actually comes from Cologne, the original created by an Italian in 1709.


Reading and watching

  • Foot by Foot to Santiago de Compostela/Judy Foot
  • The Testament of Mary with Fiona Shaw at the Barbican
  • The Testament of Mary/Colm Toibin
  • Schwanengesang/Schubert - Tony Spence
  • Journals/Robert Falcon Scott
  • Fugitive Pieces/Ann Michaels
  • Unless/Carol Shields
  • Faust/Royal Opera House
  • The Art of Travel/Alain de Botton
  • Mad Men Series 6
  • A Week at The Airport/Alain de Botton
  • The Railway Man/Eric Lomax
  • Bright Lights, Big City/Jay McInerney
  • Stones of Venice/John Ruskin
  • The Sea, the Sea/Iris Murdoch
  • Childe Harold/Lord Byron
  • All The Pretty Horses/Cormac McCarthy
  • Extreme Rambling/Mark Thomas
  • Story of my Life/Jay McInerney
  • Venice Observed/Mary McCarthy