It's "Fanny-tastic" Checking out London's Vagina Museum...
Whilst there - of course - exists a penis museum (in Iceland, I believe), this is the first museum of its kind to redress the balance, and publicise the beauty of female genitalia! The idea that was initially floated was less sensationalist than educational - rather than have ‘Tracy Emmim’ style exhibits on display, it would exist as a learning space - a place where both adults (and teenagers) can be educated - learning more about the vagina…
Mayfair on Valentine's Day
For me this ‘day of love’ is on a par with New Year’s Eve - high pressure, high cost, and often low yield. The commercialisation, the gooey tv ads, the cloying red chocolate boxes in every store - no, it’s not my shtick. So, it was to my own surprise that, this year, I made a concerted effort to wander the streets of central London, in search of pictures to mark the day. And lo and behold, look what I found…in the backstreets of London’s elegant, fashionable and quite timeless Mayfair…
Cooking up a storm with Loca Local...
On the menu today is falafel, tahini, roasted eggplant (made in two ways) and tabouleh salad and everyone in the group is dying to don their apron and get to work. Andt that’s the beauty of Loca Local - whether you’re a pro or a beginner it doesn’t matter - and the fact that I’m cooking with a professional chef and a food blogger is all part of the fun…
The Perfect Day in Haifa
And, trust me, as you stare at the lush green lawns, surrounded by immaculately-tended flower beds, the glittering gold dome of the Shrine of the Bab and the turquoise blue of the Mediterranean, you’ll begin to understand the allure. The dome in the mid section of the gardens actually holds the remains of the Bab…the gardens are designed in an eclectic style, fusing the tradition of the East with the proportions of the West. (Italian stone, and precise symmetry).
"The Paris Wife" - Ambition, Glamour and Betrayal in Jazz Age France...
Arriving during the glittering Jazz Age (think flappers, Chanel couture, absinthe and many a coffee drunk at Les Deux Maggots) the couple are soon part of a dazzling literary circle…the novel conjures up a real sense of what Paris was like one hundred years ago…decadence, debauchery, glamour and a determination to live for the moment, after the horrors of the Great War.
Take a Break - an Autumn in Physio (Part IV)
Physio is a must - believe me - and don’t expect it to be pleasant either. If anything, it needs to hurt a bit - because, as they say, “no pain, no gain.” Personally, thought, not only did I find it much harder work than I’d anticipated, but it also gave me food for thought - how the body heals itself, how much education it takes to become a physiotherapist (not to mention patience) and how ingenious some of these gadgets are to help get your limbs moving again…
Take a Break - Two Months with One Hand (Part III)
Life in the kitchen was just as frustrating. I could not use a knife (my left hand wasn’t sufficiently dexterous) so it was impossible to chop vegetables, spread butter or even cut a piece of cheese. Attempts to make an omelette ended in chaos, tearing plastic was hellish so I resorted to my teeth and trying to open a bag of vacuum-packed coffee reduced me to tears…
Take a Break - Operation! (Part II)
I awoke, three hours later, incredibly groggy and horribly nauseous; I could see that my wrist was re-plastered and tied to a metal pole next to my bed (it needed to be kept strictly vertical, apparently). The pain was sickening…I moaned out for water, then began babbling incoherently. Steve, a veteran friend, later described the scene as having stumbled on a crack-addict in her drug den…
Take a Break - A Night in the ER (Part I)
“Yep - it’s a bad break” said the ER doctor, 15 minutes later as he ushered in a nurse to my cubicle. In her hand she held a syringe of morphine. Well, at least that was something. She shot the sweet liquid into my mouth and within a few seconds I felt my body relax. Dazed and giddy, I vaguely heard the doctor begin speaking…
"Just One More Tune..." - Arrivederci Rome!
Even so, it doesn’t take long for me to find my groove and, soon, a small group has gathered around me. I switch from Gershwin to Scott Joplin, then Chopin and onto Beethoven. Then a couple of pop classics, followed by some classic Elton John. I’m completely engrossed in the music, caught up in the thrill of sitting at a piano again and delighting at what my fingers can do at the keys.
Rome's Trastevere Neighbourhood in Pictures
I could spend weeks in Trastevere with my camera - every street is a joy, with ochre coloured walls and shutters, flower boxes, coffee shops, grafitti and blue skies at every turn. It’s a photographer’s dream, that much I know. Here are a few of my favourites, taken in the winter and spring of 2019…
An Afternoon at Gladiator School
The Lost Art of Letter-Writing - Part I
As an editor and writer, and a woman who is constantly travelling, I have come to appreciate the joy of email, WhatsApp, Instagram and Wikipedia and how it keeps me close to those I love, in whatever far flung part of the globe they reside. But I would be lying if I said I didn’t have regular pangs of nostalgia, for landlines, libraries and - most of all - letter-writing…
