Taxiarches Church, Cunda Island
This rather desolate but undeniably beautiful building was constructed in 1873 by the Greek Orthodox congregation of Cunda Island, off the west coast of Turkey. I watched magnificent sunsets from […]
An obelisk a long way from home
When pharaoh Thutmose III commissioned a special obelisk for his temple to Amon-Ra at Karnak 3400 years ago, he little imagined where it would end up. Carved from a pink […]
Faded grandeur and clattering teacups in Folkestone
I travelled for a change through south London’s Wandsworth and other dismal districts to reach Folkestone, which is only three hours by coach from Victoria Station. This was Wednesday, and […]
A gateway on the past
This is an old familiar sight in the heart of London, just off Charing Cross and a stone’s throw (by catapult) from Trafalgar Square. It’s an imposing 17th century stone […]
One in the eye in Cordoba
Wandering around the atmospheric backstreets of Cordoba, I came across this bust of one of the first attested eye-specialists in history. He was Mohamed Al-Gafequi, born sometime in 1165 in […]
Guardian of the house
This is my very own Green Man, who protects my garden against evil spirits and malignant fairies. The spate of burglaries we experienced in this street also abruptly came to […]
Assignations and midnight daggers in Venice
Venice always reminds me of Poe’s ‘The Assignation’ and ‘The Cask of Amontillado’, and all the other dark, seductive and quite beautiful tales I read as a young man, and […]
A touch of magic at Seaton Sluice
These fresh, colourful figures seem to embody the spirit of the sea up here in the wild, rugged and beautiful north of England. I don’t know why I bothered to […]
Overacting in a Jam Jar
I have to put a plug in here for a charming little cinema that recently opened in Whitley Bay, which for those of you unfamiliar with the UK layout is […]
Constantine’s Column – battered but defiant
One of Istanbul’s most venerable monuments is the Column of Constantine. It’s called the Hooped Column locally, for obvious reasons, and this in Turkish (Cemberlitas – Chem-ber-lee-tash) gives its name […]
theromantictraveller 