Traves Tangents

What is there to say…  …about Vézelay, which hasn’t already been said by better wordsmiths than me? We set off early because of the heat… …and to my great delight…had… …the basilica…more or less… …to ourselves… …in calm… …tranquil… ….peace. Do try… …and visit… …if you can. Part of my soul… …is always there.

  It’s a delight to be back in Moulins-Engilbert, where the cows are cows… …The millefeuille is plentiful… …and my beloved Christopher’s roses and fuchsias are flowering. After some weeks of awful dental pain… …I’ve been enjoying not doing very much at all…but the other day my Companion and I popped over to Mont Beuvray… …and said Bonjour to the Gallic David Niven, at the excellent archeology museum. It was too hot to comb to the top, so I had to content myself with peering into the beautiful, dark, depths of the woods.

  Sadly, my travelling companion was taken ill... ...so our trip was cut short. I had one last delight... ...a trip to the Roman port of Ostia Antica... ...where I feasted on walls... ...and other antique delights.

  Oh Siena cathedral, what can I say? I was luck enough to eat lunch gazing on this beautiful facade that looks like it's made from icing sugar. The inside is every bit... ...as magnificent... ...with black and white 'mint humbug' stripes... ...lots of popes... ...an extraordinary pulpit... ...with exquisite carving. I could go on and on...about the doors... ...the paintings... ...the marble pavement... ....the illuminated manuscripts... ...but that wouldn't scratch the surface!