The Eternal City

Recently whilst re-watching Fellini´s La Dolce Vita, I recalled my last trip to Rome and thinking how familiar the city was. That familiarity was possibly due to the fact that I had seen so many films that were filmed in the city, that I felt as a frequent visitor. I quite expected to see Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck walking down the Spanish Steps or running around the city in a Vespa; getting splashed by Anita Ekberg in the Trevi Fountain and not far from there, witnessing the theft of Antonio Ricci´s bicycle.

Fontana di Trevi

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A story of nymphs and satyrs...and it´s not about politicians

In Greek mythology, Orchis, the son of a nymph and a satyr was torn apart by the Bacchanalians for attempting to rape a priestess of Dionysus. His father asked the gods to restore him but, instead, they decided to make him into a flower and, thus, the orchid came into being.
A few photographs taken at an exhibition recently organised in Lima by the Peruvian Orchid Club. 

The Maltese Falcon, found in Lima

The other day, I felt like Sam Spade, the private detective created by Dashiell Hammett. In his novel, The Maltese Falcon, made into a film by John Huston. Sam Spade - played in the film by Humphrey Bogart, encounters the "Fat Man" and his dubious associates who are searching for a statuette of a falcon encrusted with jewels. Well, I found it in the Central Bank of Peru in Lima!!!!
I should explain, though, that the bird in question is in the museum run by the Central Bank in Jirón Junín 781, which has exhibits from the different cultures that have existed in Peru, as well as a coin and gold collection and a collection of paintings. The museum is close to the Plaza de Armas in the centre of Lima.

Could be The Maltese Falcon

Bansky, George Orwell, Peter Pan, the Michelin Man...

...and a large tea pot, ducks and swan lake. All to be seen on a Sunday morning in London.

Bayswater Road

Bibendum

Portobello Road

More posts about the United Kingdom:
Stand in Piccadilly and meet everyone you know
A minimalist hotel by the park
The lost land of Lyonesse
What Merlin brought from Ireland

A minimalist hotel by the park

On a recent visit to London, I stayed at La Suite West. The hotel is Anouska Hempel´s latest opening and continues the design tradition for which she is known. Standard rooms are small but they are fully equipped (including laptop safe; UK, US, and European sockets; bathrobes; and Rattan flip flops) and the marble bathroom has a heated floor. The hotel is a one minute walk from Bayswater tube station, which is only one station away from Paddington and, thus, very convenient if you arrive at Heathrow and take the Heathrow Express into central London. The area can get a bit rowdy at times, but on the plus side you are besides Hyde Park. Staff are friendly and very helpful and believe it or not, WiFi is complimentary. A good choice to stay in London.

More posts about the United Kingdom:
Stand in Piccadilly and meet everyone you know
The lost land of Lyonesse
What Merlin brought from Ireland

A secret park in Madrid?

If you have visited Madrid, you will have visited the Cibeles Fountain and the Puerta de Alcalá (Alcalá Gate) along the street called, Calle Alcalá, but what you probably have not visited is a park called La Quinta de los Molinos which is located at the very end of the same street. In fact, I would venture that only those people that live or work close to the park will know of it´s existence. The park is outside the usual tourist routes and possibly only worth the trip if you happen to be in Madrid in February and want to see almond trees in bloom. At least, now you know. (Tube station: Suanzes - Line 5).

Quinta de los Molinos

Quinta de los Molinos

Quinta de los Molinos

Quinta de los Molinos

More posts about Madrid:

Art triangle in Madrid
Madrid skyline
A slaughterhouse that is now an art centre
Where a Prime Minister hid his bonsai
A madrid art centre you have not seen

In the land of the Queen of Saba

I visited Yemen in 1998 and recall it was quite an experience. It was a business trip and I only stayed a couple of days in Sana'a. The unification of North and South Yemen happened in 1990 but a short civil war erupted in 1994 which was won by the North. The country was, and still is, very unstable, and it appeared that the Government did not have full control, especially outside of the capital, where tribal leaders held the real power. These tribes were also behind the kidnapping of foreigners, sometimes for money and others just to obtain advantages for their regions.
Arriving in Sana'a airport, the first hurdle was to go through passport control - even with a valid visa it took quite a long time whilst officials slowly checked every single page of the passports of each of the people waiting in line. I arrived at the Sheraton Sana'a Hotel, which since January 2013 has been taken over by the U.S. State Department to house it´s diplomats. The hotel was advertised as 5-star though, in reality, it was more like a 2-star hotel in Europe. In a way it reminded me of the T.V series Fawlty Towers. The rooms were very basic, we had a reception hosted by the Swiss manager of the hotel to welcome us, the entertainment was provided by a Bulgarian group and the food was...well, not what you would expect.
Sana'a is a city of contrasts, where you would see the newest model Mercedes trying to drive through a herd of sheep; a city where a lot of people walked around with a Kalashnikov assault rifle and all the men wore a dagger called jambia; and where all activity slowed down from around 1 PM when the men engaged in the ritual of chewing khat, a plant that contains an amphetamine-like stimulant. The architecture of the city is very particular with multi-story buildings that look like mini-skyscapers. The markets in the city, especially the one for spices, are unmissable.

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