After stumbling across the world's oldest library in Verona, we then discovered the world's oldest covered theatre not far away in Trento - clearly, there's a lot of old things in Italy. The Olympic Theatre (or Teatro Olimpico) was built between 1580-1585. It's still in use, and still has in place scenery from the first... Continue Reading →
If you want people to engage emotionally with your story, you'll need to make sure your characters feel real. No matter how outlandish your plot or unusual your setting, if your characters feel real, your readers will find it easier to feel connected to your writing. There are lots of ways to do this, but... Continue Reading →
Dante Alighieri, widely known simply as Dante, is one of the most famous writers in the world. His Divine Comedy, is considered one of the most important poems ever written and certainly one of the greatest works of Italian literature. Watch our Italian adventures on our YouTube channel! Although mostly associated with Florence where he... Continue Reading →
Let's start with the obvious. There are older libraries in the world. However, the Chapter Library of Verona is apparently the oldest continuously operating library in the world, dating from before the 5th century It's no surprise, given where it's located that this library has seen some turbulent times - earthquakes, plague, war and ransacking... Continue Reading →
It's been 13 days since we left the UK to start the first part of our world tour/mid-life crisis as detailed on my last post - and I still can't quite believe we did it. First stop, Munich We flew from Heathrow looking every bit like tourists, our belongings stuffed into two large suitcases and... Continue Reading →
I'm writing this post in a rental somewhere in deepest, darkest Wiltshire. I've sold my house and crammed most of my stuff into a storage container - including my books. My most precious ones aka all my Discworld and related works, are stashed in my parents loft in case of disaster. All of which leaves... Continue Reading →
Walking around certain parts of Wiltshire you're very likely to stumble across some ancient monuments without really trying. But if you do try, you'll definitely find some. Like this one, West Kennet Long Barrow. Neolithic Britain West Kennet Long Barrow was built in around 3650 BC so it's older than the much more well-known Stonehenge.... Continue Reading →
Cheddar, UK, is famous for its cheese, its gorge and its caves. In the gorge, you'll find the cheese and in the caves...you'll also find the cheese. Basically, the cheese is everywhere. This is not a bad thing. Cheddar Gorge was formed 225 million years ago, during the Triassic Period and slices through the Somerset... Continue Reading →
This summer we took a trip to London, making a not-so-quick detour to Kensal Green Cemetery to find Wilkie Collins' grave. The Victorian author is most well-known for his mystery novels "The Woman in White" and "The Moonstone", and was friends with Charles Dickens. Wilkie Collins was born in London in 1824. His father, William... Continue Reading →
Last year I managed to get to the "Magic of Middle-Earth" Exhibition at the Novium Museum in Chichester, two days before it closed. But I'm glad I did slide in near the end as it was a packed gallery with plenty for fans of Tolkien's work. For those of you who couldn't make it, here's... Continue Reading →
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