Back through the Appenines only this time via the motorway, including the famous bridge that collapsed (and was replaced in two years) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_Ponte_Morandi_collapse Cherasco This is a village on a hill around 50km from Turin. It is now full of weekend houses but back in the day it had enough of a population to support 10 churches. We visited some of them followed by lunch. … Continue reading To Turin

Today the weather was very similar to what we’d left behind – very chilly, rainy and windy. It was supposed to rain all day but we didn’t get wet. Weather report over. Church No 1 – the cathedral. Started in the 11C and added to since, it is an interesting mixture. Inside are the ashes of John the Baptist. Not entirely sure where they came … Continue reading Churches – and a palace.

Despite the comfort and facilities of the hotel, not only does other people’s plumbing echo in my bathroom when they run the shower but I am next to the lift! Always travel with earplugs should be my motto. Today was a long art history day. Both Rubens and Van Dyck worked in Genoa and the aristocratic families during the 16, 17 and 18Cs were rich … Continue reading Day 2 – Genoa

I’m sorry for the long gap between posts but it’s not really appropriate to write constantly about walking the dog. Especially when it has been so wet it is impossible to walk a small fluffy ladylike (hates both mud and water) dog in either the fields or the woods. However, I am now in Italy again. After my idiotic mishap with trains in Germany last … Continue reading Hello!

Getting the train to Berlin from Leipzig. Not difficult and not far from the hotel to the station. In an effort to ensure we were all coping, the lovely Sonia from Martin Randall checked that everyone not on the group flight was ok and knew what they were doing. I agreed to leave early in the same taxi as an elderly Australian lady who was … Continue reading And home we go – despite everything

On the way to Leipzig from Weimar, we stopped in Sangerhausen (another place where JSB was organist and where he recommended one of his sons take up the organist’s job) to listen to an organ recital in the church. The church is a splendid amalgam of bits and pieces over the years and, like all the churches on this trip, heavily restored since the reunification. … Continue reading Sangerhausen and Leipzig

Bach moved to Ohrdruf at the age of 10 to live with his older brother when both his parents died. His brother was a town musician and organist at one of the churches. Johann Sebastian became a choir boy, played in the town band and went to the Lyceum school, where his brother taught. This is the Schloss Ehrenstein, site of a monastery from the … Continue reading Ohrdruf and Arnstadt

Up and away this morning back through the Thuringian forest to Weimar. Home of Bach, Goethe, Schiller, Liszt et al. Another beautifully laid out historical town with a plethora of old buildings. This morning we went out to the Schiesshaus. Built in 1805 in the forest as the headquarters of a local shooting society. Wikipedia says it was abandoned but i would imagine the DDR … Continue reading Weimar

Coach trip across the beautiful countryside to Eisenach where Bach was born and Martin Luther spent most of his childhood. Continue reading Eisenach

I finally arrived! I retired to bed (noticing that my room gave onto the main road and, I discovered in the morning, the delivery spot for the hotel) and leaped up all ready to do justice to the breakfast buffet in the morning. Hotel breakfasts are usually tempting and it is very difficult not to pile your plate high. Cake! Bagels! Obscure German sausages! Mühlhausen … Continue reading Mühlhausen