On Friday, we got moving early for a visit to Newgrange, or as the whole experience is called, Bru na Boinne. The same crowd as the Howth walk on Thursday went, but this time we got a group photo! Bru na Boyne is a group of Neolithic mound sites north of Dublin. The three excavated sites are Knowth, Dowth and Newgrange. Fun fact, Knowth and Dowth have the vowel sound as in ‘ouch’ which is really hard when you’re used to saying ‘Howth’ as in ‘snow-th’. The tour starts at the visitors center, where there were some very cool paintings…

We arrived in Dublin to some really refreshing temperatures in the mid 60s, much more comfortable than the 90s in Italy (and for what it’s worth, also back in Chicago!) Rory had found the clay that I left him in portmarnock and we set out to play right away. A bit later, we took a walk to the high rock at the sea, via Paddy’s Field. After an excellent nights sleep at Barry and Frankie’s house, on Thursday morning a group of us (Colette and Rory, Phyllis, Issac and James, and John and I) went on a walk at Howth…

We returned to Milan the night before our flight to Dublin and we stayed overnight very near the train station. Here’s a view of the quite elegant train station from our hotel (where we had a Juliet balcony!) Great trip to Italy! Grazie mile!

One of the draws of Bologna was its reputation as a great food city (within a great food country!) We can confirm that the reports are true. Add in some gelato and espressos and we had a very delightful bunch of meals in Bologna!

We visited two very different but both excellent libraries in Bologna. First, we went to the main public library, Salaborsa. Today, our last day, we visited a real highlight in Bologna, the Archiginnasio Palace and Anatomical Theatre (and library). The central feature is the marble table that would hold the human or animal body. On the walls and ceiling are sculptures to gods and physicians, and there are tributes to popes and shields for regions and families. The theatre was first built in 1595 at another location, but this one was finalized as it looks now in this spot in…

So, porticoes. A portico is basically a porch for a large building, a covered entrance that can run the length of the building. And in Bologna, with the buildings all connecting to one another, the porticoes all connect so you can walk through the city, staying under the shade and cool of a portico all the time. Quoting here the history of Bologna’s porticoes from https://www.italia.it/en/emilia-romagna/bologna/things-to-do/porticoes-of-bologna: “The porticoes date back to the expansion of medieval Bologna, when the opening of the University in 1088 attracted students and academics from around Italy and the world. This sharp increase in population made it…

The writers at cndkmen had a meeting and decided that if we cover Bologna chronologically, each day will be a cycle of porticos + other architecture, food, charming things, and us looking happy but very hot! So instead we’re going to do a few themed posts. Here’s a quick preview on the themes as they stand now: Hope to post all tomorrow evening, on the train back to Milan! until then, we have some more porticoes, food and charming things to enjoy!

We continued on by train to Milan and arrived in the early evening and took a taxi to our hotel. We stayed in the fashion district, which is closer to where our friends Matthew and Patricia were, in the very trendy hotel hnow. That’s not a typo! I think it’s said ‘now’. Check out the daring design choices! We had a drink and nibble at the rooftop bar We then walked over to the restaurant the out friends suggested, seeing a fashion show, paparazzi waiting for celebrities to drive by, and a lively area along a canal that reminded us…

You might have noticed that I only mentioned one swim in days 1 & 2, which means I didn’t swim on Wednesday! Big mistake, one that I set out to correct on Thursday. I watched my time more closely and finished up work at 6, walked with John to the seafront, and swam at the public beach. Then back to the hotel to shower and change, and out again for a stroll before dinner. I went to the old city, the neighborhood called Le Sequet, that sits up very high on a hill. We had a really fun meal out…

I flew to Nice on Tuesday. The train that runs along the coast to towns east and west of Nice is a short walk from the airport (well done, Nice!) and I very easily got on a train to Cannes. The view was of the Mediterranean much of the 35 minute or so journey. I met John at our hotel, also a short walk from the Cannes train station, and quickly changed into my swimsuit to walk together down to the seafront. John peeled off to the evenings awards ceremony and I went to the public beach. Great swim! Quick…