Sunday was train trip south of Copenhagen to Ishøj where a very new contemporary art gallery, Arken, has just been built. Its distinctive architecture stands out on the windswept coastal grasses and dunes. A whole room devoted to Damien Hirst, the British artist famous for his diamond encrusted skull and preserved shark and calf. Here the skull was a photo but the two halves of the calf were real. Both front halves, preserved in formaldehyde, in separate structures where you could walk between and have an intimate view of the insides of a calf. Two calves actually. A bit disturbing really. A room of 45 clowns confronted us next. Also quite extraordinary. Titled ‘vocabulary of solitude’ the clowns are seen before or after a show in a contemplative mood. All the faces are different. A video ... read more

Yesterday we spent all day on the train from Berlin, via Hamburg to Copenhagen, across the Baltic on a ferry to the city. Today was deciding what to do and see, and where to go. My first pick was the Little Mermaid based on Hans Christian Andersen’s story, about a thirty minute walk from where we are staying. I had heard that it is quite small. Well it was but not as small as what I had thought. It didn’t disappoint. Ian laughed hysterically when I said this was the reason we had come to Copenhagen! On the way, guess what. We passed the art gallery. A large impressive building with a new light-filled modern wing added a bit like the Auckland AG. Inside were some treasures. Years ago I had a bronze coloured relief brooch ... read more

Our time with all the family in Kunowice has come to an end. Can’t believe we have been here for three weeks. Our new addition Elliot Adam arrived safely and is thriving. Agata, his mum is also doing well. We can’t thank Ella and Ziebie enough for having us to stay, enjoying Ella’s wonderful cooking often with produce from Ziebie’s garden. Sour cherry cake anyone? The latest crop, as we left was buckets of little cornichons which everyone eats raw before they are pickled for year-round eating. We even took some on the train to eat on the way to Gdansk. The sunflowers, which just pop up somewhere in the garden (there are even renegades on the lake edge) each year, are in full bloom. Lacy hydrangeas, blue, pink and white, wave their pom pom heads ... read more

Three celebrations on one day, the 18th June - Nicholas‘s 11th birthday, Ella’s name day, and of course what we have all been waiting for, the birth of little Elliot Adam. While Agata was in hospital Ian and I moved into their house to look after Aidan and Nicholas. Alexander stayed with Ella and Ziebie. We cut the cake for Nicholas late in the afternoon when the cousins had returned from school. By this time people started arriving for Ella’s name day. She was all prepared with a BBQ dinner although you never know how many people will arrive. In Ella’s case, lots. We met her two sisters, Irena and Mariola, who live in Słubice. It was a very happy occasion, especially as we had heard earlier in the day of Elliot’s safe arrival. There was ... read more

We have really enjoyed Kraków. It helped having an extra day so we didn’t have to rush. Today was the Lady with an Ermine by Leonardo da Vinci. This was a surprise as we didn’t expect to find her here. She is caught with her body facing right while she turns left slightly as if to listen to and smile at someone in that direction. The ermine is fidgety as its hind leg muscles can be seen trying to wriggle out of her arms. The sitter is Cecilia Gallerani from Siena who was sent to the Court of Milan In 1439. She was young, beautiful and educated, wrote poetry and took an active part in philosophical and theological discussions. As such she caught the eye of the notorious Duke of Milan and became his mistress. Two ... read more