Episode 111: In Italy…. Reflections from Lake Garda

Castello Scaligero di Sermione, Lake Garda, Italy

This episode comes after a week of travelling solo in Italy reflecting on events and pivotal moments that led me to taking time in Italy to restore balance and beauty in my life, to heal and let Italy and Paris work its magic. It’s not exactly a perfect introduction, there is grief and emotional baggage but life and blessed time in Italy is a guaranteed source to move me forward into writing and reading.

The simple pleasures of time alone and enjoying cafe life in Paris and Italy do work their magic. The gifts of travel, to old and new places help integrate and challenge me to move forward, to honour myself and make peace with a challenging time of love and loss.

Shownotes:

Visit the Novocento Museum in Milan - 20th and 21st Century Art in Italy

Picasso Museum in Paris

Modern Art Museum for Matisse Exhibition

Le Train Bleu Restaurant in Paris - Gare de Lyon

*Fabulous Paris Bookstores for English readers…. Shakespeare and Company and San Francisco Books

Books I am reading on the travel adventure!

How to End a Story by Helen Garner

Teach Us to Sit Still by Tim Parks

Patricia Highsmith - Her Diaries and Notebooks

A solo lunch that did not disappoint next to the Scaligero Castle at Lake Garda - Ristorante il Grifone - Below the cheeky waiter who pushed the dolce cart up to me insisting I try something sweet after my most beautiful lunch on a late spring day in Italy...

The beauty of Milano near the Sforza Castle, a wonderful walking area in the city

Walking the streets of Milano, in the centre and over near the high street Via Monte Napoleone

Milano is a fabulous city to discover for a tourist - I love the juxtaposition of history and elegance, the design and the fashion and old world Italy make the perfect travel place

A beautiful painting from the Pinocoteca Brera in Milan

Time to enjoy beautiful food and time to muse about things and write about the daily adventures in Italy

Novo Cento - Milan 20th -21st Century Art Museum

Giacomo Balla (Torino, 1871- Roma, 1958) = Spazzolridente (Laughing Sweeper) 1918

That first morning in Milano will continue to be a significant moment of taste and beauty and the thrill to be back in Italy again with my journal and a coffee to get me going and I loved this bar for its complete chill vibe, a few men fighting over the football and many Italians flocking in and out for their espresso hit (or two)... Love this for a 100 reasons

While admiring the Fascist architecture, scrutinising it as a curious traveler and contemplating the power of Mussolini I noticed that this is the place for the Memorial Site for the Jewish prisoners deported from Milan. It is the location - Binaro 21 - that Mussolini loaded the train and deported 1000s of Jews.

Between the Luxembourg Gardens and the exhibition of Matisse and Marguerite at the

Musee D’Art Moderne de Paris

Paris in the spring time - what a gift!

Parisian moments that are purely all about the place, there is nowhere like Paris, old world glamour and parks that make you want to stay all day,

Paris is a beautiful invitation as a traveler

Musee Picasso in the Marais Paris is one of my favourite museums for many reasons… one of them is the fabulous architecture that is this stunning building...inside and outside

Pablo Picasso - Nu couche et homme jouant de la guitare 1970

Picasso’s Women - it is hard to tell how he felt about women in general but there is one thing that is obvious they were indeed his muse… I would hazard a guess Picasso's relationship was fraught with conflict, caution and ultimately reverence to their unique beauty

The layered nature of Picasso’s work continues to shift over the years, he will never stop being problematic, nor powerful and profoundly important

This wine bar in Paris was quite perfect - La Grande Crèmerie RESTAURANT BAR A VIN Vins bios & biodynamiques 8 Rue Grégoire De Tours, 75006 Paris France