Category: Travel

The Irish Madonna of Hungary

I did not expect to find many similarities between Norway and Slovakia, where I am today. I am wrong. They have similar populations, a bit more than 5 million. They both dissolved amicably a union with another country; Norway from Sweden in 1905 and Slovakia from the Czech Republic in 1993, the Velvet Divorce. They… Continue reading The Irish Madonna of Hungary

Published
Categorised as Travel

A Passionate Potamolator

Hugh Trevor-Roper describes himself as a passionate potamolator* in a 1944 entry in The Wartime Journals. I am gratified to discover that, in a small way, I am one too.

Holy Right Hand

Last week, on 20th August, St. Stephen’s Day was celebrated in Hungary. I challenge you to name who wrote this, between the wars, about the St. Stephen’s Day procession of The Holy Right Hand in Budapest. “…the swaying canopy above the sacred relics borne by the Cardinal Prince Archbishop, glorious in crimson and ermine….bishops, monsignori… Continue reading Holy Right Hand

Plane Fare

When did you last take a proper picnic onto an aeroplane for a scheduled flight? Government and private jets don’t count, Oliver.

Democracy

The Norwegian parliament is called the Storting. Until 2009 there were two chambers but they came to the conclusion that the second chamber was just rubber-stamping legislation so they agreed to abolish it.

Mind The Doors

  It is less than four hours on the train from Geilo back to Oslo and an almost cloudless sunny day for it. But let’s tear ourselves away from vistas of forest and lake.

An Unreliable Cure

Today is the first thoroughly wet one. An excellent opportunity to visit the Leprosy Museum.

Bergen

Today was our last on the Richard With. This afternoon we docked at Bergen, its final port and from where it had started out 22 days ago. I don’t think Robert or I are cut out for cruises.