Art and Abart

On Thursday I was at the Laeiszhalle to hear a Schubert concert conducted by Guy Braunstein.  Most of the work they played was new to me a...

Laeiszhalle, Hamburg The Laeiszhalle (pronounced lie-ss-ha-le), home of the Hamburg Symphony is named after the Hamburg businessman R...

Ship sailing the Elbe When ships arrive at or leave Hamburg along the River Elbe they pass the 'Ships Welcome Point'  in Wedel...

Frankfurt is one of the world's commercial hubs so it is no surprise to see the large blue Euro with yellow European stars near the F...

Frankfurt opera house is 'Klein aber fein' (small but elegant). The acoustics in the hall are excellent and while it is big enough...

Erika Sunnegårdh sings Senta I saw the Flying Dutchman in Frankfurt on Thursday. It was a very satisfying performance.  The costumes a...

Weisel The small village of Weisel, like many of its neighbours on the hills overlooking the Rhine River, has a lot of houses with slat...

Today I heard the most extraordinary piece of music. Satu Vänskä played the Locatelli Violin Concerto in D Major at Angel Place Concert Ha...

Mt Ruapehu - waterccolour When I was in New Zealand last year a snowstorm hit the Central Plateau just before I got there. The desert ro...

Coffee grinder with (Wagner) music At Art School in 2008 I had a wonderful time in the print workshop. 'Print' as in etching, in...

The garden today Sometimes Mother Nature sends a perfect day. Today is one of those. The sun is shining but it is not too hot, the air...

Exposure to our harsh southern sun fades cotton materials very quickly. I made chair covers five years ago to protect my newly upholstered ...

Window sill in need of some paint The first thing I did when I moved into this house was to paint all the window sills.  However our ...

Playing Haydn Packed hall, mouse-quiet intent audience, immersed musicians, warmly-felt rousing applause.  This week's evening of Ba...

 The unforgettable Fred Dag There is no one like him and he will be sorely missed.

Horrible Harriet set at the Sydney Opera House Horrible Harriet is a children's theater piece currently at the Sydney Opera House Dr...

Rain ... surprisingly hard to capture in a photo Cyclone Debbie has smashed its way through northern Queensland and is now bringing floo...

My mother was an avid gardener with a wonderful garden. She loved flowers, particularly roses, and enjoyed having them in the house. She h...

Daniil Trifonov plays "It isn't about rapport with the audience, but total obsession with the instrument," said a man besi...

Long-tailed tit by Robert E Fuller copied from his website If you want a different perspective on cobwebs, have a look at the latest p...