Cottage Sitting and Aged Dog Minding ...

We had a different w/e looking after old Flint and the cottage of our friends in Derbyshire. Flint is a 14 year old sheepdog and wobbly on his pins - like the rest of us who approach ancient age.

Taking the old dog on his daily perambulations is usually a delight, but this time the hill home proved to be too much. Gasp, wheeze and a slippery, muddy ditch found him collapsed and looking like he had given up the ghost. Not a good situation to be in and especially since our friends had only left for their w/e break two hours before ... Fortunately, he revived after a while so that we were saved from carrying him back to the cottage - he's a big, heavy beast which I have only once tried to lift over a gate much to the distaste of  my aging limbs. All's well that ...

The cottage is warm and snug - with two fires going - and the setting beautiful. Birds abound. Weather wise we had two sunny, late-autumn days; all colour and pale blue sky. I enjoyed playing fireman-in-chief with the outcome, one evening, of filling the lounge with great gouts of smoke more suitable for the production of kippers ...

An excellent w/e with a bit of a scare ...

Sublime Autumn Sunshine in The Derwent Valley

After a dull and wet day you are finely tuned to the beauty of a sunny, autumn day in England. The light is perfect; the scenery looks like it has been lit in a photographers studio; colours of the autumn leaves vivid, grass bright green and the sky a clear, light blue. Nothing could keep us from catch in the bus to Hathersage.

We took a walk along the bank of the Derwent River for a couple of hours and finished the day with a cafe stop. The view from the river up to Millstone Edge is iconic of the area.

That's England folks; drab and wet one day and exquisite the next ...

Sunny Sunday - Fox House to Padley Gorge and Hathersage

The sun shone so it was essential to get on the 272 to Fox House so that we could walk down Padley Gorge to Hathersage; trouble was half the county and their dogs decided to do the same!

Travelling on public transport is convenient, but sometimes the experience can be a bit smelly. This especially if one of your fellow passengers has and elderly and infirmed dog with them; especially if said dog evacuates its liquid bowels; the owner didn't even tell the driver what had happened!!! The smell!!! Anyway ...

We had an excellent toddle from Frog Mouth, down Padley Gorge and on to Hathersage where we found our way to the excellent delli-cafe. Suitably refreshed we boarded the 272 for a smell-free return to Sheffield.

A very enjoyable, sunny day in lovely Derbyshire.

What Is The World Coming To?

"Restless Times" is the title of the show on at Millennium Gallery in Sheffield. It's an excellent show with loads of exhibits; it's even well lit! The theme is "Art in Britain 1914 - 1945". There are paintings, drawings, prints, videos and sound. It's so interesting I will visit again - the lithographs are really worth several visits alone.

The catalogue, if that's what it is, is printed as a newspaper with the head line: "What Is The World Coming To?"

I'm off to a life drawing class at the gallery; then there's print workshop ant the end of the month.

Sunny but Cool in Derbyshire

During the last two day we have been out-and-about in Derbyshire; Hathersage on Sunday and Bakewell on Monday. The local bus service provided excellent transport; it still puzzles me why most folk don't use public transport instead of driving ...

Weather-wise we had two lovely days; each stated with cold and misty condition which cleared to sunny afternoons. Typical autumn weather for England; the sort that encourages wearing fleecy cloths and brisk walks in beautiful countryside.

Bakewell parish church (All Saints) has an ancient past and really well preserved Elizabethan tombs; unfortunately these are hidden behind loads of stored items so it's difficult to see them properly. The village was awash with people because the markets were in full swing. Did that stop us visiting a cafe? No. We managed to include both lunch and afternoon tea in the itinerary - don't ever have the Bakewell Tart if you're in Bakewell; the local version is almost inedible!)

Back at the cottage both friends and dogs were in fine fettle and poached eggs on toast plus a generous slice of cake rounded off another visit.

Sad to Leave Venice - Again ...

We are always sad to leave Venice and it was the same this time. We seemed to get more from the visit this time because we are getting so familiar with the ordinary life there. Wandering, vaporettoing (yes, I know there is no such word) and visiting cafes, art shows, shops - just an excellent way to spend time.

Pet dislikes? Huge cruise liners, tourist groups (one was 60 people, yes, 60, yanks), beggars selling fake fashion accessories, tourist menus (they actually eat the stuff!), people who insist intaking photos while standing in the middle of the small bridges and alleys, people who think that any flight of steps are actually seats ... and dog shit!

Next visit? Maybe a month ...

The vaporetto, bus, aircraft, bus, train and taxi trip took 8 hours door-to-door. No problems. We were delighted. Thanks to all the folk that make these things possible!

Don't You Just Love a Good Rail Network

What a day!

One trip to Castlefranco Veneto and then hop onto another regionale to Treviso. A busy 10 hour day in all, but well worth the effort. Molto stancoed again!

The day started with an aqua alta; the new siren has several tones depending on the hight of the expected flood. We didn't know what to expect until I asked a local, in ear punishing Italian, what the siren was for. The 52 vaporetto had to divert and go down the Grand Canal because the tide was too high to disembark passengers along the regular route.

A quick coffee at the station and onto the train.

How do they do it? Where ever you go in Europe you never seem to get a bad coffee - bad means: bitter and almost undrinkable no matter how much sugar you put into it. In Australia and The UK it seems that the sole aim is to perform around the machine and produce a bitter tar which even the most avide coffee drinker couldn't drink - it's a puzzle. Tell me who started the bucket sized servings? That was rhetorical folks - its the yanks and those dreary TV shows where everyone drinks Starbucks, Gloria Jean's or whatever (any flavour including sump oil and peanut butter) in one of those paper buckets - make sure the talent has the label clearly facing the camera ...

Back to Italy - I've taken my pill so I'll probable not have another rant for a couple of hours ...

Castlefranco Venito has a small, but interesting, historic centre. A walled city with a duomo andseveral interesting buildings.

Treviso was a large walled city, but much of the historic building are re-builds because the originals were destroyed by bombing during the European WW2. The old city has a very pleasant atmosphere and the re-builds are exceptionally good. The duomo is very plain but worth a visit.

Bologna - Arcades Are Us!

The 7.56 am train from Venice to Bolgnga was excellent; packed with university students on their way to Padua, Ferrara and the like - a regionale; none of your intercity prices thanks!

Bologna streets are a feast for the eye - if you are into architecture made mainly of brick.

The duomo is plain inside, compared to the usual Italian basilica, but the height of the building is emphasised by the simplicity of the structure. The main piazza is amazing and reminded us of Florence and Sienna - a huge piazza; castlelike buildings and loads of bits and pieces which are essential to give the impression that Renaissance Italy is still with us.

Yes, there were loads of tourist groups; it gets easier to ignor them even if they are loud-mouthed Americans. Why do they always behave in such a crass way? Posted answers to the Department of US Education and Training must be in written in large block capitals using a black crayon on a single sheet of A4, ruled pale blue or green paper; words of more than two syllables are not acceptable ... ;)

We wandered about for hours just looking at the architecture which is so complex and interesting that it compensated for the frantic traffic and milling crowds. A visit to McDonnald's provided a much needed loo stop - always a good way of finding clean facilities.

Train back to Venice was less packed and a 42 vaporetto got us home in time for a feast of pasta and insalata. A 11 hour day in all - door to door; we were molto stanco.