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Metelkova

Metelkova is an area in the centre of Ljubljana that was originally a military barracks, then was squatted in the early 90s when the Yugoslav army pulled out after Slovenia declared independence, and is now full of social centres, workshops and gig venues. (And a hostel where I stayed overnight before crossing the border to Klagenfurt for work).... Read More...
Art & DesignPhotographySloveniaStreet artTravel2 Comments

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Deer

Our final stop in Japan before flying home from Osaka was Nara. In the 700s it was the capital of Japan, at the time when Buddhism really became established in Japan. Nowadays as well as Buddhism, it's known for the tame deer who live in the forest park surrounding the temples and shrines. We stayed in a hostel in the forest. It seemed a short walk from the train station, but we ended up walking along dark forest paths dragging cases seemingly forever, with deer staring at us accusingly like something out of Princess Mononoke. (The hostel turned out to be a pretty weird place too).... Read More...
AnimalsJapanNaturePhotographyPopular PostsTravel0 Comments

Kyoto Shrines and Temples

Kyoto is famous for its Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, many of which are UNESCO world heritage sites. There are so many in the city that even though I spent a whole day walking round different sites, I only saw a small percentage of them. People place stones on these Shinto torii gates for good luck. You can also see my photos of ema good luck plaques here.... Read More...
JapanPhotographyPopular PostsTravel1 Comment

Torbole

After Malcesine, Limone sul Garda and Riva del Garda, I present to you Torbole. I went to Torbole just because the boat from Riva del Garda to Malcesine stopped there along the way, and I'd never been there before. It was a weird little place. Like Riva, it used to be in Austria until 1918. Everyone except the staff of the restaurants seemed to be German, and really into intensely staring at you in the street. The light and the way the water looked along the harbour front was beautiful though, and I spent most of the hour before the boat back sitting on a bench soaking it in. I don't think this is a real place, I think it's a screen from one of those new-age computer games from the 90s like Myst.... Read More...
ItalyPhotographyPopular PostsTravel0 Comments

Riva del Garda

So far I've shown you Malcesine and Limone sul Garda. I also took the boat to Riva del Garda at the northern end of the lake (which is also in a different province- Trentino). It was raining all day, so I figured I might as well go to the colder, rainy end of the lake and visit the museum, and save the outdoorsy stuff on the southern end like archaeological sites for a sunny day.... Read More...
ItalyPhotographyPopular PostsTravel0 Comments

Limone sul Garda

Now I'm heading over to Limone sul Garda on the other side of the lake. I didn't spend much money while I was in Italy, but a hefty chunk of the (tiny) budget went on ferry tickets. Boats constantly criss-cross the lake to all the towns, and it's the most scenic way to see the area. If you're in a hurry, you can take the bus on land, but I was on holiday, so by definition, not in a hurry. ... Read More...
ItalyPhotographyPopular PostsTravel0 Comments

I’ve got it on, your favorite tee, it never looked as good on you as it looks on me

Talking of 90s revival, I realised that the clothes I was wearing yesterday were something I could easily have been wearing 20 years ago. This isn't the actual shirt I had as a teenager (that one, like all of them, inexplicably had a German flag on the arm), but it's pretty much the same. I got this one from an army surplus store at some point in my 20s for £4, but by mistake they gave me two, so it essentially cost me £2. I recently saw some identical shirts in Topshop for about £40. Sometimes it pays to be a loser who never throws anything away. Until about five years ago I actually did have a top I'd been wearing since the early 90s. It was a burgundy and black ribbed thing that seemed to be made of near-indestructible material.... Read More...
ClothesPhotography2 Comments

Malcesine, Lago di Garda

At the end of May I went on a last-minute trip to Italy by myself. I had given up my tenancy in London, because I was fed up of paying a small fortune to a landlord who was unwilling to fix the serious leak in the ceiling that was probably going to bring the plaster down sometime soon, and a relative asked me to house-sit. The house-sitting date then changed, but it turned out to be cheaper for me to visit friends in Yorkshire, and then go on holiday for a week than it was to extend my tenancy, which shows how ridiculous the prices are in London now. As it was a last minute thing, I had to go on my own. I don't mind travelling solo though, I used to do it regularly for work, and travelling alone is better than going on holiday with someone who doesn't want to do any of the same things as you. (In my case, wandering aimlessly for hours and hours, taking hundreds of photographs and eating a lot). I also got to re-read The Name of the Rose in peace.... Read More...
ItalyPhotographyPopular PostsTravel0 Comments

Mont St Michel

I went to Mont St Michel last week for the first time in years. It's a medieval abbey on an island on the border between Normandy and Brittany, about an hour's drive from my mum's house in France. We went there a few times when I was a kid, and the last time I was there was in the late 90s on a school trip. It has dramatically changed since then. There was something a bit seedy and cynical about the place in the 90s despite the spectacular town itself. Buses and cars drove over the causeway to the island, and parked in a decrepit carpark on the shore, which had a tendency to flood. As you made your way up through the snaking medieval street to the abbey at the top of the peak, there were endless shops selling cheap replica hunting knives, saucy postcards and boxes of firecrackers. It must have been a nightmare for teachers supervising school groups. ... Read More...
FrancePhotographyPopular PostsTravel2 Comments