Day Trippers!

Ok I know this is probably not the thing to say but I really do not like Florence!! What a beautiful city it is and the Duomo is so beautiful it literally takes your breath away when you first see it – to say nothing of the almost “life-changing” moment of seeing Leonardo de Vinci’s David. Follow that wonderfully experience with a private tour of the Uffizzi Gallery and what more could you want. But oh dear the crowds and vendors and continuous harassment by people trying to sell anything from locusts made from palm leaves to fake Louis Vuitton make this a disappointing and tiring place to visit.
TT1 Do not stay in Florence! Rather take the hour and fifteen-minute, 5euro bus trip from Lucca for the day and see what have to rate as some of the most beautiful things in the world.
TT2 Do take a private guided tour to see the Duomo, David and the Gallery- it is expensive but there is little queuing and really we found that this made our experience of seeing these things even more special.
TT3 If you don’t take a private tour at least reserve entrance tickets on line-you cannot believe the queues outside the museums!
TT4 Get off the very congested streets around the Duomo for lunch and have a peaceful and excellent meal at Robiglio at 11 via Tosinghi. You can eat outside but we prefer a table in their air-conditioned dinning room.
TT5 A great place for a cocktail is the roof top of Renaisance-a large department store on Piazza de la Republica
TT6 If you do rent an apartment in Florence check before hand the terms of the deposit-our deposit was not returned but the full amount retained as electricity payment when we could have used no more than a fraction of it on electcity(this is the only place in the world this has happened)

 

Gilt Trip

Don’t walk past Palais Garnier, !, place de l’Opera, Paris’s main opera house without taking half an hour to go into this amazing building! Well worth the 8 euro entrance fee this is a mind-boggling place. Friezes,colums,cherubs and gold leaf abound in what the architect Charles Garnier called ” Napoleon III style”. So ornate and so beautiful!
TT1 Find out the times of the guided tours-you know how I feel about seeing places with a guide if possible!!!!

 

A Long and Lovely Road

As we set off for the Kalahari to the strains of Paul Simon’s Gracelands how could we not be excited when the map I was reading had notes that said” Beware of Kudu” along our route! We didn’t have to heed this warning but did see a mass of flamingoes on the lake as we came into Kimberley-so look out for a pink haze of flamingoes as you approach the historic diamond town.
TT1 Break this long journey with a night at The Kimberley Club -steeped in tradition this is a stay in a bygone era
TT2 I would not spend more than one night in Kimberley and then just to experience the club but it is worth visiting a beautiful small art gallery The William Humphrey’s Art Gallery before resuming you trip
TT3 Marvel at the wide open barren spaces-totally amazing to look for mile and miles and only see very beautiful hills and open landscape
TT4 If you blink you will miss Griekwastad but plan to fill up with petrol in this little “dorp” and do have a very good coffee and homemade rusks at Tip Top-a local “kofee winkel”, located in the row of dingy shops alongside the garage, that offers Nescafe or Ricoffy or filter coffee all at the price of R5!
TT5 We spent two nIghts in Upington in order to visit The Augrabie Falls and stayed at La Boheme-ignore the unusual décor and you have an extremely hospitable and well run bed and breakfast with a lovely outlook-you do not feel that you are in a town or suburb but isolated with a beautiful view.The owner’s attention to hospitable detail makes this a very nice stay
TT6 Don’t expect cuisine but book at Le Must for dinner-reputably the only good restaurant in town we had a pleasant enough meal there and do think it is really your only choice
TT7 On the drive to The Falls – about an hour from Upington, look out for Vergelegen Guesthouse,it is on your right as you pass through Kakamsa. A surprisingly good little restaurant and guest house- we did not stay there but looked at the rooms which are very nice and had a good coffee on their terrace. A group was eating breakfast there and that meal certainly looked delicious-a true local find!
TT8 If you are stocking up for a few days in the park both Pick & Pay and Spar (local grocery chains) are open 7 days a week until 8 at night! I do suggest starting at P&P as it seemed better stocked-do not expect special deli items but all basics are certainly available.

 

Johannesburg, Jo’burg and Jozi

Johannesburg, or Jozi as it is fondly known, is a city that is totally underrated!! You really have to know it to love it!! And I love it!! Why? It is big and bustling, confusing and fast, it is truly a new South African city and throbs with life. It is one of the few cities in the world not on a river or harbour, it is reputed to be the biggest man-made forest in the world, has breathtaking dusty sunsets and massive thunder storms and if you don’t know the history of gold you could truly ask why does Johannesburg exist- but exist it does!!!
TT1 Go to the Westcliff Hotel and have a meal or cocktail in The Conservatory- ask for a table at the window or better still a table at the pool for a beautiful view of the city (if not doing this on the spur of the moment do make a reservation especially over the weekends!)
TT2 The Saxon is an amazing hotel and if you are not staying there then it really is worth going for a meal! Breakfast buffets are extensive and excellent but I have enjoyed all their meals. When going for dinner go a bit early and have a cocktail on the patio; if having a long breakfast ask for your coffee to be served at the pool. Booking is essential, as you will not be allowed through the gates without a reservation!
TT3 Ask your hotel to recommend a reputable guide or driver
TT4 While in Johannesburg go to The Standard Bank Gallery this is an exciting, fine art space in downtown Johannesburg that shows the best in South African art as well as international artists.
TT5 I also like to go to The Museum Africa, a history museum in Newtown Cultural Precinct (121 Bree St. Newtown; phone 011 833-5624).

 

Hooked on Art

And now you know that I am hooked on art museums so of course I love to go to MoMA- a museum dedicated to being THE museum of modern art in the world. It is such an open exciting building with such amazing art that I always make a point of going there even if it is only for a stolen hour or two!
TT1 As I always say about museum visits- focus on one area and promise yourself a return visit.
TT2 Have a coffee or light meal in Terrace 5- the restaurant overlooking the Sculpture Garden- it is a lovely space and has this wonderful outlook, with New York sky line in the background.

 

Treasure Trove

I felt as if I had found a treasure trove when I discovered The Frick Collection- and of course I had! This beautiful mansion on 5th Ave (1East 70th St.) was built by Mr Frick, a coke and steel industrialist, in the early 1900’s and even then was designed with Mr Frick’s intention to leave the house and his art collection to the public. I love to visit this small museum because it seems so peaceful and the art so beautiful- to say nothing about the furniture and clocks. So it is a treasure trove for me with works by Ingre, Whistler and Degas and several of Francois Boucher’s charming paintings.
TT1 Do make time to visit this museum
TT2 It really is worthwhile watching the video on the history of the museum that is run throughout the day.

 

Views and Tapestries

Catch Subway A to 190th Street and walk through Fort Tryon Park to The Cloisters. It is a lovely walk with wonderful views of the Hudson River and then you arrive at this beautiful museum – a branch of The Metropolitan Museum especially known for its collection of tapestries. The buildings and cloistered gardens are in themselves worth seeing but so is the collection of art and architecture of medieval Europe housed here.
TT1 Call to find out the times of the free guided tours
TT2 Bus M4 goes from the subway station right to The Cloisters if you don’t want the walk uphill-but then you would miss the views so walk back down to the subway.

 

The Other Half

The other half of the excitement of being in New York has to be the wonderful museums! I never miss a chance to go to The Met- the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Even just walking up the beautiful staircase makes me feel that I am in a very special place.
TT1 Choose only a section or two to see in one visit and enjoy that rather than trying to see too much!
TT2 Notice the flower arrangements in the entrance hall-a result of a bequest to the museum and they are always quite beautiful
TT3 From May to late fall the Roof Garden Café is open on the 5th floor. While it is very informal and you often have to stand to have your cocktail the view over Central Park is fantastic and not to be missed

 

It’s not over until the Musee d’Orsay visit

To me a visit to Paris is not complete without a visit to the Musee d’Orsay!Even if your passion is not impressionist art this museum is worth seeing! It is hard to believe that this beautiful turn-of-the-century building was a railway station and at one stage up for demolition!
TT1 Don’t be put off by the queue- it moves fairly fast; I find going after 3 in the afternoon the best time
TT2 It stays open till 9.30 on Thursday evenings
TT3 Do take an audio guide- it makes any museum visit more interesting
TT4 Spend a long time in front of Manet’s Le Dejeuner sur l’Herbe

TT5 There is a great photo opportunity on the pedestrian bridge near Musee d’Orsay
TT6 If you want a casual meal after your museum visit try Cafe Le Terminus at 5 rue du Bac,just behind the museum

 

The Thinker and roses

I really enjoy visiting Musee Rodin not only for the chance to see the amazing work of Auguste Rodin, including The Kiss and The Thinker, but to see this beautiful 19th-century mansion and the lovely gardens, especially as I love roses and this garden is full of roses.
TT1 As you come into the complex The Thinker is in the garden to your right- from here you have an amazing view, through the roses over this famous sculpture, of the golden Invalides Dome.
TT2 There is a very nice small cafeteria in the gardens
TT3 From this museum it is an easy walk to Hotel des Invalides
TT4 If you only want to see the gardens you can buy a ticket that excludes entrance to the museum itself