Call Me by Your Name

A film about a summer romance between a twenty-five year old man and his employer’s seventeen year old son in Italy during the 1980s may well not be up your strada but I have seen it and will try and make you change your mind.

Portraits

There are two exhibitions in London worthy of your attention and both on until early next year. Isn’t it frustrating to read a recommendation about a play/opera that is about to close or is sold out? First Paul Cézanne’s 19th century portraits at the National Portrait Gallery. I will report in due course, if there… Continue reading Portraits

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Categorised as Art

The Bread of Life

Recently I stayed in two houses (both in France) and went to lunch at another (in London) where the bread was home made.

Business News

When I last wrote about the markets it was to warn of impending doom and to mock that eternal optimist, Ken Fisher. Well, so far, Ken is on the right side of history.

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Categorised as Business

Educating Christopher

Now that the clocks have gone back the winter film-on-a-sofa season is officially open. I rummaged around and realise that I have far too many  DVDs.

Pines & Needles

There is more to Rome than the churches that have featured here recently and not all of it is good.

Baroque around the Clock

We left J L-M’s exploration of Roman architecture at the Tempietto on Thursday. He chooses one more example of the Renaissance style: Palazzo Pietro Massimo alle Colonne.

The Last Stuarts

No Plan Like Yours To Study History Wisely is a useful mnemonic: Norman, Plantagenet, Lancaster, York, Tudor, Stuart, Hanover and Windsor.

Tosca

It’s not easy to date the opera house in Rome because it has twice been altered. Most recently the facade (not my greatest picture) was re-done in 1958. Prior to that, in the 1920s, there was a substantial make-over.

Romanesque & Renaissance

James Lees-Milne fast-forwards from Early Christian (Santa Constanza) to Romanesque; Santa Maria in Cosmedin. It was built in 782 on the site of a granary and grain market. Astonishingly the church has two reminders of its mercantile past: some of the columns are incorporated into the walls and two grain measures are preserved in niches… Continue reading Romanesque & Renaissance