Nothing serious happening today worthy of commentary.
La Famile Ockham continues their European holiday and this week sees us back in The Eternal City.
January is the best month to visit Rome as the pickpockets are still in hibernation and the illegal immigrants have moved on to Calais in preparation for the opening of the spring sailing calendar.
As I will be unlikely to pass this way again for some years, I’m going to potentially risk getting a table at one of the best kept secrets in the city, and tell you that you should have dinner at Tullio’s next time you’re here. I’ve eaten there many times and it never disappoints. Hint; look at the dessert menu and, if they have Mont Blanc, plan backwards from that.
I am fully aware of the Jedi level of pretentiousness to admitting to having a favourite regular restaurant in Rome.
Anyway, as I say, Brexit votes notwithstanding, nothing important is happening on the world stage today so I wanted to share a holiday photo;
No, that’s not me, I’m the shadow.
Why did I take a photo of some random stranger at The Colosseum?
Look at what he’s doing. By the way, his head is turning because I’d just said, “what a fucking twat” to him in a loud voice. He then went for a fairly brisk walk away from me.
I’ve always wondered who on earth visits 2,000 year old monuments and inscribes, “I woz ere” on it.
If you have wondered this too, this picture will help solve the mystery.
Bill’s Opinion
Previous pan-European projects have failed.
Let’s hope tonight’s vote signals the failure of the current one.
Roman holiday, half yer luck, one of my favourite cities and yes, like most of Europe definitely and only in off season.
A must do would have to be the walk across the Ponte Sant Angelo bridge, swing left and walk towards St Peters and the Vatican. Where else in the world could you do such a short walk through the ancient world*, that ends up in Vatican Square. Plus, if you do it right you will have the potentially best photo/video collection that you could ever make on a single walk.
Tip set your iPhone up on a makeshift tripod and do a video looking from towards the Vatican just prior to crossing Piazza Adrianna with the traffic movement in the foreground, it’s the classic video shot you will never regret it.
By the way I have a very steady hand such that I can take video as if it was taken by tripod, see this one linked below that I took recently in Tokyo train station waiting to board a high-speed train to Osaka, I hand held that shot.
*Other than Prague.
Yes. Been all around there many times.
Agree re. Prague. There some parts of Athens that give a similar experience and also Olympus and Delphi.
I haven’t done Greece yet.
The one thing for sure is if you are from the UK, and then move to Aussie you always appreciate Europe far more than prior to living in Aussie for a period of time.
When I was first out, I used to get depressed about not being able to just go the Dam for a weekend bender, if someone interviewed me and said what was the biggest downside of Oz that is what I would have said to them. I still suffer from a bit of that right up until the present moment!
It’s a factor but not that great. I have the financial and work ability to take a month off each year for an overseas visit and we squeeze the life out of those holidays.
You must get to Greece. If you can sail, even better and charter a yacht for a few weeks. There are islands you’ll see under your own captaincy that are very inaccessible for regular travellers.
Places I’d recommend;
Delphi
Ancient Corinth (the modern version is a shithole)
Athens
The western islands, particularly Erikousa
Hydra
Cheers for that, exploring by sea kind of puts a different aspect on it altogether and probably a far more historic one in the case of Greece.
Are you still in Rome and where to next?
Yes.
Harry Honkers tomorrow for a few days.
An old stomping ground of yours, take the kids to The Monetary Authority, my youngest loved it, that may be because he he is a bit of a bread head mind you.
I was up there last year looking into a listing but we are far too small. I like it up there from the business perspective and also for its Britishness.
Have you tried melatonin?
No need to, 4-5 hrs sleep is all that I need, I have been known to skip and skim on that as well.
Looks like the link to the video never posted, trying again here.
https://streamable.com/s/hk6pr/qermwt
Yes, very steady hand but it’s not exactly the opening sequence of “A Touch of Evil” in its subject matter, is it.
It was shown to make the point. I used to travel around with all the gear, tripods the lot, no more. Still use tripods for professional stuff at work though.
Now on to the holiday movie making, that train arrival video is sped up so that it is far shorter and interesting and then you cut to this one below to show your arrival in Kyoto, all this with Jap music in the background, and os it goes with other footage of the kids making a low profile not central cameo appearance throwing coins in the fountains on for about 1.30 mins in total and up to YouTube.
https://streamable.com/53c1y