And so ended the Italian section of our holiday - which was in fact most of it. Less than 24 hours exploring the Cinque Terre sounds a bit mad. It was an afterthought really, a stop on the way from Siena to the Côte d'Azur on the only route that made sense. Riomaggiore was very…
Anne and I have just returned from three and a half weeks travelling through France, Austria and Italy. Having spent four weeks Interrailing last year I wasn't sure I would enjoy it as much as last time. But it was wonderful! We had a first-class pass for seven travel days, bought in the sale for…
I read this week that "drivers over 70 face eye tests every three years”. Why “over 70?”, I ask, as a grumpy 70-year-old who has just had to renew his licence. As arbitrary numbers go it's no worse than 65 or 75, but what's the reasoning? The RAC will have a view (supporting its members,…
It’s 10 years since I retired from the British Library. A decade indeed! In mid February I reached my 70th birthday: generally known as a milestone, and it certainly feels like it. Hard not to refer to my age when meeting ex-colleagues, as I did last week, one of whom I had not seen since…
To the happy few who have followed this blow-by-blow account of our Interrail adventures, I bring good tidings. This is the final instalment. There is light at the end of the tunnel. Monday 24 June (cont.) When we're away from home for more than two nights we like to choose a "local" in which to…
I realise I am not going to get a lot of sympathy, but owning a second home brings a second set of problems. On our visit last month I was relieved to see that the builder had finally repaired the leaking roof of the lean-to, which back in November was causing rainwater to find its…
Is November the most miserable month of the year? Dark (even in London) by four in the afternoon, raining more often than not, and often surprisingly cold. That the clocks have just gone back hardly alleviates the gloomy atmosphere. And the knowledge that winter hasn't even started yet. Oh dear. Only a couple of months…
I've been remiss in not posting for over a month. I was going to write about our lovely holiday in Greece, (I sometimes wonder why we bother to go anywhere else) but that can wait a bit longer. After a frenetic summer, partly by choice and partly by necessity, Anne and I are now in…
After two lovely weeks in France we headed back to London on Friday 11 April. We drove north to spend a evening in Saint-Malo, the sun emerging just as we arrived. On our previous visit we'd seen that it would be possible to walk out on the causeway to the islet where Chateaubriand is buried…
My wife plays a Brahms intermezzo on the piano while I read the Times Literary Supplement. This sickening scene takes place at our holiday home in Charente. But there are worse things to be accused of than being middle-class. We returned from France on 27 February - and here we are again. They are forecasting…
The Wight Stuff 