This year has been a much better one in my little world than in the wide one, so in the interest of optimism I’m concentrating on myself.

The year’s first trip was Salzburg, in March, where I learnt that it’s unwise to mention the Sound of Music and the Second World War. Austrians don’t know about the first (but are keen to sell us SoM fridge magnets) and deny any involment in the latter. I also learnt that the 15th-century Prince-Archbishop Leonhard von Keutschach’s personal emblem was the turnip. Usually presented as a gilded turnip, but a turnip nonetheless. I discovered too that there’s a variety of Mozartkugel marzipan balls that look like breasts. (The photo above is of a wall in the St. Peter's Cemetery).

Milan in April couldn’t help but be somewhat less educational, but I did learn that the Monumental Cemetery there is every bit as marvellous as they say. With cats! That's the entrance to said cemetery in the photo below.

Alsace in May was another German-ish destination, being on that country’s historically very variable border with France. And, as you’d expect from an Alsatian trip, dogs were prominent. The draw here was taking a coach to Colmar to see the famed Isenheim Altarpiece, which did not disappoint. The medieval structures were a treat, but the downer of the trip was, well...I get used to people on these art trips asking me how long I’ve been a vegetarian. Most then claim to almost be veggies themselves, to which I smile politely. But when these people then have no qualms or hesitation tucking into foie gras, as they did here - not just meat, but the result of prolonged torture - my polite smile becomes a little fixed.

A couple of months to recover and then it was off to explore the churches of Norfolk in August. I had a couple of days in Norwich for a relaxed start, and discovered the Plantation Gardens, an instant new favourite place, with walls and stairways full of bits of old Victorian stonework and reused terracotta mouldings. The tour itself took in eleven churches in three days, with plenty of wall paintings, painted screens and many angel-filled ceilings – my kind of exhaustion!

The trip year ended in classic fashion, with Venice and Florence. The Venice trip, though, was guided and featured modern architecture. It also featured more swanky (and much nicer) food than I’m used to, including lunch at the Danieli. The Florence trip was focused on the Fra Angelico exhibitions, which were faultlessly curated and full of lovely stuff. I also found a church open which I hadn’t ever before. The other highlight exhibition of the year was the Siena show at the National Gallery in London in the Spring. Long-awaited, and finally presented in cramped rooms, but still well worth the wait. It was also the first exhibition where my contact list meant I got an invite to the preview. But this turned out to be a mixed blessing. A crowd that includes a fair few people whose books you've read is still a crowd, I found.

On the fiction front this year sadly saw no new adventures featuring Inspector Brunetti or Nathan Sutherland. John Banville provided Venetian Vespers, and Venice-set novels by famous authors aren't that common. It was a bit like Henry James, but not a lot. On the Florentine fiction front Laurent Binet's ingenius Perspective took the form of a collection of letters telling us all about the death of the artist Pontormo, murdered in front of his fresh frescoes in the church of San Lorenzo, and the subsequent investigation, entrusted to Vasari.

To make up a bit for the no-new-Brunetti disappointment this year a mysterious source, aided by AI, provided me with the final eight episodes of the German TV series, with English-subtitles, which Donna Leon had put the kibbosh on in 2015.

Next year’s guided trips are looking to continue medieval, and get even more German. There are a couple of gaps, too, for solo Italian jaunts – those websites aren’t going to update themselves. If 2026 turns out as full of stimulating trips and free of physical and medical worries as 2025 I’ll be a happy traveller. And the same to you!

My Top 10 CDs of 2025

In 1977 the dock buildings in Southwark are still
grimy shells, and  the NatWest Tower is unfinished,
as you can see in the photo taken from
 our kitchen window.

3.8.2025
The summer lull in trips also saw me buying a lovely little painting of arches in the Piazza San Marco (see right) and finally starting to scan in the highlights of my slide collection. I began taking them in 1976, after I bought my first proper SLR camera. And boy has London changed in those nearly-50 years!

Reviews June - July 2025
Andrew Taylor The Fire Court London
Margaret Willes Liberty over London Bridge: A History of the People of Southwark London
In Good Faith (A Question of Belief) Brunetti TV
Andrew Taylor The Ashes of London
Philip Gwynne Jones The Magus of Sicily Related works
Peter Burns Shadow Thieves London
James Alistair Henry Pagans London

11.7.2025
Fans will know that Donna Leon put the kibosh on English-subtitled versions of episodes of the German-made Brunetti TV series after episode 18. But now, through the miracle of AI, episode 19 with English subtitles is reviewed here.

8.7.2025
No trips of late, but last week I did a Courtauld Inst Summer School called Constructing the Heart of Empire: London’s Public Architecture. A bit of a mouthful, but not too political, dealing, as it did, with Adam, Wren and Pugin. We got to visit Adam's Home House, which is now a private club and hence unvistable for us plebs (see below near right) and The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, a spectacular building off Whitehall (see below far right) only open during Open House weekend, if you book ahead and your luck's in.

Reviews March to May 2025
Alsace Trips
Nell Zink Sister Europe Berlin
Milan Trips
Jessie Burton Hidden Treasure London
Richard Trench London Before the Blitz
Salzburg Trips

30.5.2025
Three trips in three months - phew! A bit of a rest now, until three-in-a-row during August, September and October. I've just posted the report on my Alsatian trip and yes - it does feature dogs! But also - WARNING - reports of the torture of ducks and geese.

30.3.2025
I think that we can all be forgiven for assuming that this year will see new novels starring Donna Leon's Inspector Brunetti and Philip Gwynne Jones's Nathan Sutherland. It's been that way for years. Not this year, though. PGJ is to alternate years between Venice and a new series set in Sicily, so the next Nathan is due in 2026. And it looks like we aren't getting a new Brunetti this year, the first time this has happened since the first one in 1992, although there is another volume of DL's biographical jottings, called Backstage, out in August. The only bright spot, then, is the publication in September of Venetian Vespers by John Banville, an old favourite novelist.

Reviews December 2024 - February 2025
Laurent Binet Perspective Florence
Liza Picard Victorian London
Elizabeth Macneal The Burial Plot London
Alan Moore The Great When London
Andrew Saint London 1870-1914: A City at its Zenith
Fiona Rule  The Worst Street in London

18.3.2025
The daffodils are up, the trees are budding, the sap is rising, and so a (not so) young man’s thoughts turn to travel. First up is Salzburg, next week. In May I have a week in Milan booked, which might result in a new page on Churches of Venice, but will definitely involve longer visits to galleries visited on previous trips and at least one visit to the famous monumental cemetery. September sees me on an architectural guided trip to Venice, and in October I’ll be in Florence for the big Fra Angelico shows.

28.2.2025
I made my first visit today to the Michael Faraday museum. Has there ever been a knitted Christmas tree angel of one of your forebears? (see right) A one-off made for a recent Christmas Lecture, but it now tops their tree every year, we're told.

16.2.2025
Well here's a thing, and not a thing that was mentioned in the books-to-look-forward-to articles in the New Year newspapers. Next week there's a new book out by Laurent Binet, a 'proper' author who we like, called Perspective. It's premise is that the artist Bronzino was murdered while painting his last fresco in San Lorenzo in Florence and that Vasari was employed to investigate. It's in the form of letters and seems to be not exactly accurate, history-wise, as Bronzino's fresco, according to the book's blurb, is said to have featured a racy portrait of Maria de Medici as a naked Venus. As his famous fresco is of The Martyrdom of Saint Lawrence a certain amount of poetic license is suspected. We'll see.

18.1.2025
HOT NEWS, that I confess has been slow coming my way. A new TV series based on Donna Leon's Brunetti novels has been announced. It's to be adapted by Julian Fellowes of Downton Abbey fame and all to be filmed in Venice. Not sure why it's taken so long NOT being reported in the UK papers. Maybe because of the lack of detail so far.

1.1.2025
Happy New Year!
Regular readers will know that I'm sometimes tempted to discuss goings-on in the wider world, but to keep matters upbeat I'm sticking here to the personal stuff. I'm looking forward to trips to Salzburg, Milan, the South Tyrol, Norfolk and Florence. Milan is a planned new page to start work on in the next couple of cold months.

The books-to-look-forward-to articles in last weekend's papers were pretty thin, keen-anticipation wise, except that September sees the publication of Venetian Vespers by John Banville, an old favourite novelist.
 

Sophie MacPherson St Mark's Square (study)

I have made my own muffins, but not for years. The muffin shops of the 90s have all closed,
and lemon poppy seed and blueberry seem the only flavours that coffee shops ever do.
This morning I made a batch of apple and spice with raisins,
 and they are light and tasty.

Season's Greetings 2024

This year was unusual, for my travel destinations and health improvements, both physical and, consequently, mental. I’ll get the latter out of the way, because its positivity makes it worth sharing, I think. As the years pass post-retirement one gets used to aches and pains and tests and worries. What I wasn’t expecting was that this process has its ups and downs. 2024 for me saw no calf pain, as have plagued recent years; my third intrusive camera experience found nothing this time, not even the harmless things found before, so they don’t need to see me again; I was told that my pre-diabetic eye tests have found so little to worry about that I only have to come back once every two years now; and my six-monthly medication reviews have now become yearly. I can’t help but be made very happy by all this, and and feel encouraged to look forward to many more years of trips.

My first trip this year was to the South Tyrol, in April, staying in the city of Merano, which is strictly in Italy, but when you’re there it’s much more German, and very medieval and mountainous. This trip took in Innsbruck too, and a morning in Switzerland, so setting the multiple-centric coach-dominated theme of the year. It also established the motif of pleasant and helpful hotel staff, in this case exceptionally so – baking breakfast cakes every day just for me. Next up was Ferrara & Bologna in May, which was my only website-related week, my only non-guided trip, and one of only two to Italy. The other one was June’s Piero Country, which took in Città di Castello, where we stayed, Sansepolcro, Monterchi, Arezzo & Urbino. Arezzo stood out, for its non-Piero highlights, and might well become a future page on Churches of Florence.

July saw no trips, but much joy. In addition to the medical stuff I over-shared above, the farcically incompetent and self-serving government we'd suffered for 14 years finally got the boot. Also a Courtauld summer school on illuminated manuscripts included a visit to the Eton college library, where we were shown some lovely medieval books, and then been allowed to touch and turn the pages ourselves – a rare treat. We'd also got to visit the college chapel and admire the little-known grisaille medieval wall paintings. And it’s all connected, as Eton college is famously a major source of the clowns that made up the aforementioned good-riddance government.

The final three trips of the year only increased my happiness. A trip to see some of 2024’s commemorative Caspar David Friedrich exhibitions took in Berlin, Greifsvald & Dresden, more of his wonderful stuff than I’d ever seen before, but also four coach rides that exceeded three hours each. Visits to the old art galleries in Berlin and Dresden also featured treats of altarpieces and Vermeers. Burgundy in October was a feast of sculptures only previously seen on lecture slides, and some more long coach journeys. Also Roger van der Weyden’s Last Judgment altarpiece - my no.1 reason for taking this trip – did not disappoint, despite the crowds. It carried on the multiple-centres thing (Cluny, Autun, Vézelay, Dijon, Tournus, and Beaune) but was unique in being the only trip I’ve ever taken where I bought socks in the colour of the trip’s name prior to travelling. It was also unusual this year for it’s grumpy and unhelpful hotel staff. This trip was to the French Burgundian territories, known as winey Burgundy, whereas the next trip was to watery Burgundy, so named for its canals. This one took in Delft, Haarlem, The Hague, Leiden and Amsterdam. Many more of my favourite paintings in the world were experienced, including the best Vermeers. Rembrandt, and Hals. And a fair few still-life painters proved to be no slouches too.

As an unprecedented five of my six trips this year were art guided tours, and due to their involving coach journeys to different places each day, this year I visited 31 European towns and cities! Next year I’m hoping to go on more solo site-updating trips, to right the balance. Maybe even including Venice! But it is looking like 2025 will be dominated by two big exhibitions. First up is Siena: The Rise of Painting 1300–1350, which has been long delayed - since before Covid - and is coming to the National Gallery in the spring. Then there’s a big exhibition devoted to Fra Angelico at the Palazzo Strozzi in Florence, opening on September 26th.

So the future’s looking bright, with one big orange American exception, which I haven’t mentioned, so as not to harsh the buzz. Art, books, cake, cats, travel – we will overcome.

Here’s to a happy and healthy 2025 for us all.

15.11.2024
With the completion of my hat-trick of non-Italian trips, all full of very special art and tasty treats, I face a winter indoors. My first trip in 2025 looks like being to Salzburg, but a return to Italy is scheduled for April, and a big exhibition devoted to Fra Angelico at the Strozzi in Florence later in 2025 is making a visit there then look essential.
On the fame and glory front an article about Michelangelo's Bruges Madonna in this month's Burlington magazine contains a photo of a fresco by me (see right) - my first credit in that august publication. There was also the possibility that some of my photos might have found a decorative role in the 2026 Venice Biennale, but this is now not to be. Oh well.

Reviews June - October 2024
Delft Trips
Burgundy Trips
Tracy Chevalier The Glassmaker Venice
Casper David Friedrich Country Trips
A.J. Martin The Night in Venice
Donna Leon A Refiner's Fire Venice
Piero Country Trips
Philip Gwynne Jones The Venetian Sanctuary Venice

6.9.2024
‘So, Jeff,’ I hear you ask, ‘what’s occurring?’ Well, after my excellent trip to galleries in Berlin and Dresden I’ve been able to add some altarpiece info and photos to some churches in Venice and Florence. Also, I’ve been able to belatedly add fascinating facts about Stollen to my London Cakes page, which, as you may know, also deals with tasty imports. I was going to spend some days in Arezzo next week, with a view to the creating of a new page, but for various reasons, not the least the forecast of thunderstorms all week, I’ve postponed that jaunt. Trips remaining this year are Burgundy and Delft, both in October. As I type it’s dingy, cool and rainy in London, but the future’s bright!

29.7.2024
July continued to make me happy. The farcically incompetent and self-serving government we'd suffered for 14 years finally got the boot and having hope again is good. Last month a Courtauld summer school on illuminated manuscripts had included a visit to the Eton college library, where we'd been shown some lovely medieval books, and been allowed to turn the pages ourselves! We'd also got to visit the college chapel and admire their little-known grisaille medieval wall paintings. So imagine my joy at discovering, last week, for sale online, a handsome etching of the Eton College Chapel, You can see it to the right And I say again - it's all connected, as Eton college is a major source of the clowns that made up the aforementioned good-riddance government.
 
19.7.2024
July this year is a month without trips, but it began with happy-making news. I had my  third colonoscopy on the 3rd, which was not fun. But this time they found nothing! They've not found anything bad in previous years, but the prospect of more uncomfortable invasions has hung over me for four years, and now it doesn't. This makes me very happy. And I'd forgotten that the new Donna Leon Brunetti novel was out this month too. I'm currently reading it, and it's even stopped raining for a whole day!

19.6.2024
Just back from Tuscany, following the Piero Trail with a tour group. Not my best trip of the year - too much lunching and not enough art - but I was mighty smitten with Arezzo, which I'm thinking might be my new page project over on Churches of Florence.

1.6.2024
Just back from Ferrara and Bologna, my second trip of the year. Lots of churches had to be visited and photographed, and sometimes even found, for the city's pages over on The Churches of Venice, but I didn't stint on the breakfasts and gelato. Fruitful visits then, except for my resolving to eat more cherries, as they have been so expensive in my own country in recent years. In Italy an ordinary-sized pannier was usually around €12!

Reviews January - May 2024
Ferrara & Bologna Trips
Ripley Venice TV
The South Tyrol Trips
Fruttero & Lucentini The Lover of no Fixed Abode Venice

22.4 2024
Just back from the South Tyrol, my first trip of the year. It could've been warmer, but it couldn't have been more stimulating and fun and full of mountains. I must get to Germany more.

6.4 2024
I was prepared for some late temptation amongst the list of satellite Venice Biennale venues, but this year there seem to be absolutely no unusual church openings, and so this continues to look like a year that I won't visit Venice. But I'm off to the South Tyrol, and the city of Merano, next week. It's all looking very medieval and mountainous.

22.3.2024
I'm blowing the dust off my compass and camera as my guided tour of the South Tyrol is happening just the other side of Easter. Not having had my traditional first trip in March this year has resulted in very itchy feet and sundry gelato withdrawal symptoms. March has been a thing of rain and nasal congestion and coughing, but I had a good birthday.

14.2.2024
As me and the crocuses raise our heads into the cool air, thoughts turn to Spring and trips. I've been busy, so I am looking forward to the South Tyrol in April, Ferrara & Bologna in May, Piero Country in June, Norfolk Churches in September,
Burgundy and Delft in October. No trip to Venice planned, as yet, but it's always possible that some specially-opened Biennale satellite venues might tempt me.

1.1.2024
As ever the new year brings news of the new Donna Leon Brunetti novel. It's called A Refiner's Fire, which is a departure from the usual cliché-phrase titles; and it's centred, it seems, on teenage gang wars in Venice. Further novelty, verging on actual shock, is provided by it coming out in July, not the spring. As a wise man once said - amazeballs!