Wandering the streets of Florence moving around pedestrians I was impressed by the smooth and quiet moving of bicyclists. Women, men young and old and not a middle aged man wearing Lycra in sight.

Amazing – no MAMILS. the scourge of Australian cities.

At least Munch received recognition in his lifetime unlike Van Gogh.

Vigeland Park was a revelation- a whole park dedicated to the sculptures of Gustavo Vigeland. At the centre is a huge granite tower with over a hundred bodies intertwined. Three stonemasons worked from 1929 – 1943 to complete the sculpture.

At the moment I’m sitting in Joe and Martine’s apartment listening to Robbie Robertson, drinking a White Dog – Norwegian wheat beer.

Just reading a review of Colin Thurbon’s latest book: To a Mountain In Tibet. He writes about the journey in the classic form of a double helix: an outer and an inner journey intertwined. Reminds me of Peter Mattieson’s The Snow Leopard. A quote:
‘We are entering the mountain as if following a jagged knife thrust.”

There are lots of free downloadable books read by volunteers but nothing beats a book read by an actor. It must be the timing, pausing and ability to change voice.

One problem is that I fall asleep and have to find out where it was when sleep overtook me.

I spent last summer holidays in New York, Ireland and Australia. This year Castlemaine and Airey’s Inlet, Victoria are where¬¨‚ĆI will be relaxing during the holidays. There is more than relaxing happening in my world as we have cleared out Danielle’s bedroom to paint and to turn into a study. Three days to do this before we leave for Airey’s. We have set up the old study as a bedroom for her to stay in when she returns to enjoy some parental love and food and wine. Besides painting the room, algae is my other pressing concern; the fishpond keeps turning green with algae so now I’m trying to fill the pond with plants to see if this works by cutting down the amount of sunlight received. There are a few other activities that are keeping me busy.

¬¨‚ĆReading is the most enjoyable time spending and relaxing holiday activity for me. I’ve just finished reading The Girl With the Green Dragon Tattoo; am in the middle of Bombs, Books and Compass, and just begun an Inspector Banks novel.

I love the Brooklyn Bridge, and walked across it regularly during our four years in New York 1999-2003. This has been my first return to New York since 2003 and as Pat and I leave the cold of New York¬¨‚Ćtomorrow for 40 degree celius heat in Castlemaine,¬¨‚Ć we decided that today we’d enjoy¬¨‚Ć another walk across the bridge.

We caught the Q train to Atlantic Station, changed to the 3 and onto Park Place, strolled to JR where Pat bought a memory stick and I bought DVD’s or the The Wire Seasons 1 & 2. Then after a coffee at Starbucks it was the bridge stroll. But on the way I bought a couple of pencil sketches from a Russian immigrant, “I don’t speak English very good.” The walk was great. “It always feels terrific walking across the bridge,” the good woman said.

After the walk along the promenade and through Brooklyn Heights where I shocked Pat by not stopping at the second hand bookshop, it was onto the 3 to Atlantic, down to the Q and home to Kings Parkway.