High Tide

I always thought that the high tide floods in Venice occurred in exceptional circumstances such as spring tides, but it is in fact a regular thing especially this summer with so much rain. In the photos water blocks the entrance to St Mark's Cathedral and in fact water enters the church itself. What looks like puddles in the square is actually sea water coming up through storm water drains - doesn't stop the huge numbers of tourists who visit Venice every day.

The Two Towers

After a few

My last visit to Bologna was in 1979 and I remember it as an attractive city then and it hasn't changed much since then. The most appealing thing about Bologna is that is has nothing important to see or do so it attracts very few tourists. However, it is a great base to visit northern Italy with Florence, Venice, Parma, Modena, Ravenna, Ferrara and Verona all easily accessible by train and it is much less expensive to stay here.
 Best  of all Bologna is famous for its food (especially spaghetti bolognaise which is known locally as ragu). Every where there are small local restaurants many attached to delicatessens so you can chose the food you want to eat. Unlike the more touristy places, the locals are friendly and it is easy to settle for a night out.

That said it does have two outstanding medieval towers. Built in the 11th century, these towers were built to protect individual families during times of conflict. Common in most Italian town, most of the towers have been long since pulled down. In Bologna only 20 out of the original 160 towers survive, two of which have been become symbols of this city. The tallest stands 100 metres and is still in good condition 1000 years later. Right next door, a much shorter tower has a serious lean, though apparently is in no danger of falling down. Its a bit of climb up the wooden stairs but the view from the top is worth it.

 

The leaning tower is right below

Ravenna

Located on the Adriatic coast, Ravenna was briefly the capital of the Roman Empire in the 4th century after which it fell under Byzantine control for over 200 years. However, the city rapidly declined once the river on which the city depended silted up and trade ceased. Neglected until the late 19th century when a canal was constructed, the city has the most intact Byzantine buildings in the world.

Within these buildings are the most extraordinary mosaics. Not only are these mosaics undamaged but they are incredibly vibrant and colourful.

This is also the final resting place of Dante after his bones were dragged around for several hundred years....
 
Of course, very few tourists come here, which makes Ravenna even more appealing.

The Madonna of Sweat

A major draw card in the city of Ravenna for the more religiously inclined is the legendary, but not charmingly entitled, Madonna of Sweat. Dating back to the 10th century, the icon originally occupied a niche in a street opposite a tavern. One evening a drunken soldier slashed the painting with his sword and resulting cut miraculously sweated blood. After this the painting was moved to its own chapel within the main Cathedral. The  Madonna of Sweat is also credited with the saving the city from the plague in 1629.

Never mind the gap

While British Rail has become famous for 'Minding the Gap', Italian rail doesn't worry anywhere near as much.

Here there is no concern about 'a gap' - getting down from the train is a drop of nearly a metre and a gap of around 20cm.

Equally intriguing are these signs along the platforms. I am not quite sure if the signs only apply to people who are already one legged or that you will end up one legged if you dare disobey. 

In every Italian railway station is an automatic ticket machine that uses recorded voice messages. The woman giving instruction speaks good, but not perfect English that is heavily accented. In the Italian fashion she is inclined to end English words with a vowel so instead of 'Insert your card' you get 'Inserta your carda'. I just loved buying tickets just to hear her talk. She was the highlight of Italian train travel. 

Cimitero Monumentale di Milano

In contrast to the restrained and modest New Zealand cemeteries, European, and especially Catholic cemeteries, are opulent and grand. In many respects this one in Milan is no exception. However, right from when this cemetery opened in 1866, the intention was that is was to be 'monumentale' like no other.  No shortage of space, the tombs are laid out on neat wide streets and my guess that those folk without the money for the spectacular were invited to be buried else where.

While there are endless weeping angels, tearful widows and sorrowing Christs, there are also many evocative and personal tombs. My favourite is the snakes of the head of Medusa wound around an aircraft propeller.

 

A finger to whom?

Standing in the middle of the piazza in front of the Milan Stock Exchange is a giant statue of the upright single finger (the other fingers have been lopped off). The significance is not explained. Is this a finger to those who make money or a finger to those who oppose making money?

Dead in Paris

For many people, Paris is their dream city. Personally I find it monstrously monumental and overly ornate - if drag queens designed a city it would be Paris.

My last visit was 25 years ago and this time my main reason for going to Paris was to meet up with my Syrian friend Hakim, who moved to Paris last year from Dubai.

Things have changed - service and Parisians seemed more pleasant and friendly. French food has improved, eschewing the fussy for the fresh.






This was also a chance to visit the Pere Lachaise cemetery. Of course like everyone I headed for Jim Morrison's grave which now has been cleaned up and barriers erected to the protect the headstone. Right next to the grave is a tree covered with chewing gum. Originally fans made a heart shape from the gum but over time this has been simplified to just sticking gum to the tree. To protect the tree, authorities have wrapped in a light bamboo fencing.




In the same cemetery is the grave of Oscar Wilde, the Jacob Epstein headstone is also protected but in this case with perspex. Wilde's admirers used to kiss the headstone with heavy lipstick, but now they just leave their kisses on old metro tickets.

Art Nouveau Antwerp

Belgium is the home of Art Nouveau and in one suburb of Antwerp is an entire neighbourhood of houses built around the turn of the twentieth century. The small scale and domestic nature of the buildings makes this area particularly appealing.

Lift the flap

Today we associate the concept of 'lift-the-flap' with children's books, but this anatomy text published around 1580 uses exactly the same technique.

A triple lift-the-flap, here you can first lift the skin and then lift the ribcage...

Publishing - In the beginning

Printing presses

Editorial office

One of the reasons I went to Antwerp was to visit the Plantin-Moretus Museum. Christoph Plantin established the world's first industrial publishing and printing company in the middle of the 16th century and was succeeded by his son in law Jan Moretus. The mainstay of the company was religious texts,but they also published books on geography, history and reference, including the first 'modern' book on anatomy. Publishing up to 1876, the building was purchased by the city of Antwerp and turned into a museum.


It is amazing that this place survived so intact for so long and now houses two of the oldest printing presses, the original 17th century bookshop, two extensive libraries along with all the family's living quarters which were in the same building. Among the book collections are two Gutenberg bibles and a first edition of Mercartor's atlas.

Bookshop

Gutenberg Bible

Mercartor Atlas