Fulham palace Road
November the 11th, 2009, Remembrance Day. It’s 3am As Joelle and Alix sleep we leave quietly. Remi drives. A hug goodbye. 5.55am. The plane pushes off. 9½ hours later; in […]
Thursday, December 4, 2008
The last time Joelle and I visited London together was thirty years ago, January 1978 after our French family, Christmas Day French wedding. We had already been married in Fremantle […]
Monday, April the 7th, 1975
Monday, April the 7th, 1975. Monday, April the 7th was when I first arrived in London. I loved London. After travelling around England and Europe in a Kombi van for […]
Saturday night, October 24th 1975
Saturday night, October, 24th 1975. I met Joelle at the Greyhound Pub. She was from France, working in Richmond and researching Pre-Raphaelite artist, Edward Burne-Jones. I knew of a Burne-Jones […]
The Woman Who Never Smiled
Waiting alone at the airport station, a train becomes a giant underground darkness worm; its single eye glowing brighter as it inches its way towards the end of the track. […]
Mezzo Juso Thursday Night
Mezzo Juso is about an hour’s drive, in a Fiat 500, from Palermo, and after mountain roads and dark, meandering streets, arriving in the piazza is a gift. It wraps […]
Diana Pictures
Last time in Paris; leaving the Musee Rodin and walking along boulevard des Invalides, a woman came hurrying from the direction of the Metro. She was so Paris. Having no […]
Tuesday, September 13
Tuesday September 13 Paris is a full belly, the Metro subterranean blood vessels stretching beneath taut skin carrying sight-devouring tourists from attraction to attraction. Normally I’m only in Paris for […]
Saturday, September 17
Saturday, September 17 The sun is shining but it’s cold, so different to the sticky and hot morning of a week ago. The taxi ride to Gare de l’Est is […]
Duccio and the Angel in Red
The End of Everything Part 2: Giovedi, November 20 Sitting opposite Joelle a woman has the face of the chubby cherubim of Raphael’s Madonna of Foligno. Her right shoulder bounces […]
Venerdi, November 21
Venerdi, November 21 – 2am. The pigeons warble in their roosts in the brick sized holes in the wall opposite Hotel La Perla’s window. Life must be rough for a […]
The Sacrifice of Isaac
Domenica, November 23 The Sacrifice of Isaac The Uffizi’s enigmatic blonde gazing at the viewer, in Botticelli’s Primavera, I think her name is Flora, looks like Cate Blanchett. A Wikepedia […]
Simone’s Apartment
The End of Everything Part 3: Hippopotamus November 24 (Lundi) 7am. It’s raining. There’s thunder. We’ve been lucky. Everyday has been sunny but today it’s raining. 7.45. The Duomo’s bells […]
The Flight to Egypt
Jeudi, November 27 At Gare de L’Est, waiting for the Nancy train, sitting next to a Holocaust deportation memorial. 11am. breathing out fog. It’s going to be freezing in the […]
The Annunciation
Samedi, November 29 Jacqueline has lost a pearl earring. It was Raymonde’s, Guy’s mother. Caravaggio’s The Annunciation, is in gallery 8, of Nancy’s Musee des Beaux – Arts. Mary’s head […]
A Black Angel
December 3 (Mercredi) Catherine arrives to drive us to Nancy railway station. Jacqueline waves goodbye from the kitchen window. 10.28 The train leaves. 10.48 Blobs of snow are scattered […]
The Greyhound
The End of Everything Part 4: Arriving at St. Pancras Railway Station at 6pm is a mistake. The taxi crawls through the traffic to Exhibition Road. We should have taken […]
Friday, December 5
Friday, December 5 I’m up early and on the Central Line to St. Paul’s and then to The City. Saint Paul’s is un-photographable. I can’t get back far enough. There […]
Saturday, December 6
Saturday, December 6 I’m up early and on the Piccadilly Line to Russell Square. It was a hotel on Russell Square, where I spent my first night in London. The […]
Sunday, December 7
Kew Gardens Sunday December 7 An underground guitarist plays Jim Hendrix’s Hey Joe. Our last day in London and on the way to Joelle’s favourite place, Kew Gardens. Joelle had […]