Get ready for this

Stay tuned for images from Albania, Ukraine and the usual suspects: Bosnia, Tajikistan, Macedonia, Serbia and Bulgaria. It will be a fun, wild time during April, May and June.

It must be some egg!

This is me in front of a giant timer in Budapest. It takes one year for the sand to fall through, and then they have to turn the whole thing. Imagine the yolk! Actually, it does tell time, but not for boiling eggs. The sculpture was commissioned for Hungary's entry into the EU. But it is fun to think about other uses.

Budapest is fun

I arrived knowing almost nothing, without a map and much of a clue. But it was easy, and such a nice city. Here is a shot of me on the other side (Buda) of the Danube, looking back at a very gothic parliament building.

Podgorica + Montenegro = boring

It is so dull in Podgorica, capital of Montenegro (which is just below Croatia, and was part of Yugoslavia years ago). At least it is warm, which is a welcome change. This is the most interesting photo I could find, showing the tallest building in Podgorica, and also my new 4 euro haircut. Getting your hair cut with no common language is a problem, I found, but somehow managed. Off to Budapest next, which should be a little more cosmopolitan, darhhhling.

Dead English people

Florence has been full of English people for a long time, as the film "Tea with Mussolini" proves. And of course some of them died and were buried here. I went to the English cemetery, on the edge of town, and enjoyed all that history. Some nice trees and, as this shot shows, pieces of sculpture too. Rather gloomy day too - so perfect for this type of thing.

Florence

Florence was fun too. This is me in front some big church (so sick of them).

I am also so sick of

1) Japanese tourists, and

2) teenagers (of all nationalities) whose parents and teachers think it is a good idea for them to see Florence, when all they want to do is take photos of themselves and giggle (not that I am against the latter),

3) dog poo (or doggo poopo in Italian) on the footpath.

My cup(s) of tea

I have been searching for the place where they hold the Venice Biennale, and stumbled on it yesterday. I saw the sign, and thought, "sounds like the place for me". Sadly, the Biennale does not start until June, but it was fun walking around looking at all the pavilions.