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EuropeExplored @europeexplored.bsky.social · 5h

I missed you (again), as I was on the 08:16 departure from St Pancras this morning.

EuropeExplored @europeexplored.bsky.social · 7h

We have have arrived in the ancient university town of Marburg (not to be confused with the Marburg that was once in the Austro-Hungarian Empire - now Maribor in Slovenia). A full explore of this attractive place will have to wait until tomorrow.

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EuropeExplored @europeexplored.bsky.social · 10h

Changing again at Frankfurt am Main, being careful to get in the right half of our next train, which will divide later.

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EuropeExplored @europeexplored.bsky.social · 11h

In the past, I have changed in Köln when catching this train from Brussels. Today, we are staying on board.

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EuropeExplored @europeexplored.bsky.social · 12h

Passing through the Santiago Calvatrava designed Liège Guillemins station. Not everybody's cup of tea, but I'm quite fond of it.

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EuropeExplored @europeexplored.bsky.social · 13h

Changing trains at Brussels Midi/Zuid, where most of the Belgian trains are on strike today. Fortunately, we are not relying on a Belgian train for onward connection.

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EuropeExplored @europeexplored.bsky.social · 16h

An on time departure, after negotiating the longest queue that I have ever experienced to check in at St Pancras.

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EuropeExplored @europeexplored.bsky.social · 18h

I know it's only a fortnight since I got back from my last trip, but I'm off again, this time accompanied by my wife. Since we planned and booked it, there have annoying timetable changes & engineering works that have somewhat messed up our plans.

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EuropeExplored @europeexplored.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

Good job you were coming back today, as that line is on strike tomorrow, with about half the trains currently shown as cancelled.

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EuropeExplored @europeexplored.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

When was in Leipzig in 1985, there was no sign that anything would change anytime soon. It was good to revisit 39 years later and see the transformation.

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EuropeExplored @europeexplored.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

One of my favourite stories, which I was retelling earlier today.

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EuropeExplored @europeexplored.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Today is the second Friday in October. Before the Covid pandemic, this was always the day the Chess Train tournament began. It ran for ten years, starting and finishing in Prague but taking a different route via four European cities, with the chess tournament on the train. I did it three times.

europeexplored.org

Chess Train 2019

“The beauty of chess is it can be whatever you want it to be. It transcends language, age, race, religion, politics, gender, and socio-economic background. Whatever your circumstances, anyone…

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EuropeExplored @europeexplored.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

I would like to use Eurostar more for long distance journeys where Paris or Brussels is just the first stage, and I do use them quite a lot for these journeys. I don't mind that it takes longer than flying, but it's difficult to justify when it is more expensive, less pleasant and more unreliable.

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EuropeExplored @europeexplored.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

It was five years ago today that I caught the 08:04 departure from Paddington to Penzance to spend my first night away from home, after 18 months of not being able to travel because of Covid restrictions. Since then I have spent 236 nights away from home and have travelled 65,000 miles.

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Reposted by EuropeExplored

EuropeExplored @europeexplored.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

A new blog post about the first half of my most recent trip. It is mainly about Bosnia & Herzegovina - a country whose recent history I found both fascinating and horrifying. I learnt a lot during my time there, but, as a visitor, I realise that I probably have only a superficial understanding.

europeexplored.org

Europe Explored – Trip 22 – Mixing the New and the Familiar – Part One: Sweden and Bosnia & Herzegovina

“Bosnia is under my skin. It’s the place you cannot leave behind. I was obsessed by the nightmare of it all; there was this sense of guilt, and an anger that has become something much d…

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EuropeExplored @europeexplored.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Voting takes place today in Bosnia's General Election - there was a lot of campaigning going on while I was there. I don't claim to understand fully the labyrinthine (and arguably illogical) electoral system, which has quotas based on ethnicity. Early unofficial results are expected by tonight.

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EuropeExplored @europeexplored.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

europeexplored.org

Europe Explored – Trip 22 – Mixing the New and the Familiar – Part One: Sweden and Bosnia & Herzegovina

“Bosnia is under my skin. It’s the place you cannot leave behind. I was obsessed by the nightmare of it all; there was this sense of guilt, and an anger that has become something much d…

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EuropeExplored @europeexplored.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

I consider myself a fairly knowledgeable person, but I have to admit that I did not know where Granville is until I looked it up.

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EuropeExplored @europeexplored.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Now that I am nearly home (apart from three more trains), here is a depiction of my route this time.

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EuropeExplored @europeexplored.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

About to depart from Bologna, on what I believe is my 50th Ryanair flight.

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EuropeExplored @europeexplored.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Probably time to start making my way home. There is now a fast monorail from Bologna Centrale to Bologna Airport. The ticket for the 7 minute ride on the monorail cost twice as much as the 70 minute journey from Ravenna this morning.

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EuropeExplored @europeexplored.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Bologna University is the oldest in Europe, founded in 1088. Last time I was here it was graduation time, with raucous celebrations going on. It was much more sedate when I wandered through the university area this afternoon.

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EuropeExplored @europeexplored.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Last time I was here access to Bologna Town Hall and its art collection was inexplicably closed. So I went this afternoon. The pictures hanging on the walls weren't that exiting, but the building and, in particular, its ceilings were amazing.

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EuropeExplored @europeexplored.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

I had been before, but I decided to visit to the Palazzo Pepoli, which houses the Museum of the History of Bologna. The sections on Bologna's recent history had been expanded since last time. Here I learnt that Bologna has its own language - with standard Italian taking over through TV in the 1960s.

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EuropeExplored @europeexplored.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Last time I came to Bologna I climbed to the top of the Asinelli Tower. This is longer possible, as the tower is in imminent danger of collapse. While they have barriered off its immediate area, given its height, if it does collapse, I would have thought there would be widespread carnage.

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EuropeExplored @europeexplored.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

The train has brought me to Bologna, a city in which I spent two days in 2019. Bologna is famous for its long covered porticos that line the main thoroughfares. There is a Franciscan religious festiva taking place this weekend in the Piazza Maggiore.

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EuropeExplored @europeexplored.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

It's now time to leave Ravenna on a busy train this morning.

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EuropeExplored @europeexplored.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Day 10. After missing out yesterday, I made sure that I saw inside the Arian Baptistery by getting there when it opened. Its superb ceiling depicts the baptism of Christ. Arianism was a branch of Christianity, practised by Theodoric, which was considered heretical by the Roman & Orthodox churches.

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EuropeExplored @europeexplored.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

The National Museum of Ravenna occupies the former Benedictine Monastery of San Vitale. It has a very extensive collection ranging from Roman times to the Renaissance. On display are 14th century frescoes by Pietro da Rimini which have been removed from another Ravenna church.

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EuropeExplored @europeexplored.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

In a park on the edge of Ravenna is the Mausoleum of Theodoric. The site was chosen by Theodoric, 6th century king of the Ostrogoths, to be his final resting place. The Mausoleum is on two levels. While his sarcophagus is stil there, the remains of Theodoric have disappeared.

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EuropeExplored @europeexplored.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Being Italy, some of the major attractions have weird opening times: closing for lunch or only being open in the morning or afternoon dependent on what day of the week it is. One of the World Heritage Sites that caught me out was the Arian Baptistery, which closes for the day at noon on Thursdays.

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EuropeExplored @europeexplored.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

As the religious sites were starting to get busy, I paid a visit to Ravenna's city art gallery. Given mosaics play a big part in Ravenna's cultural heritage, it is no surprise that there is also contemporary mosaic art here. Klimt was inspired visiting the city & there is a Banksy in mosaic outside.

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EuropeExplored @europeexplored.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

The Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo was bulit in the 6thC by the Ostrogoth king, Theodoric, as his palace chapel. It gained its current name in the 9thC when remains of St Apollinare were moved to it from a church near the coast because of fears the original location would be raided by pirates.

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EuropeExplored @europeexplored.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

The Cathedral of the Resurrection is an 18th century Baroque construction built on the site of it predecessor. As it was getting itself ready for the wedding of Michele & Grazia later this morning, after a brief look I retired to its Archdiocesan Museum.

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EuropeExplored @europeexplored.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

The Bapistery of Neon is a Roman construction built in the 5th century on the site of former roman baths. It is octagonal in shape. The ceiling mosaic depicts the baptism of Christ by John the Baptist. It is the oldest complete Christian baptistery in the world.

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EuropeExplored @europeexplored.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Near the Basilica of San Vitale is the Mausoleum of Gallia Placida, dating from the 5th century. It is misnamed, as she is not buried there. Small, and plain on the outside, the inside is covered in rich mosaics.

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EuropeExplored @europeexplored.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Day 9. Ravenna was the capital of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century. In the sixth century, under the Ostrogoths, the Basilica of San Vitale was built. This World Heritage Site is an exquisite example of early Byzanantine design, with the interior covered in mosaics.

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EuropeExplored @europeexplored.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

In the building where Lord Byron lived, there are three museums covered by one ticket. Two are very good. The Byron Museum even has a bit about The Vision of Judgement (my O level set poem). The Risorgimento Museums tells of the struggle for Italian unification. The third is a collection of dolls.

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EuropeExplored @europeexplored.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

I don't know why the previous post appeared twice, other than that it wouldn't send initially, but it seems it did.

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EuropeExplored @europeexplored.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

I have come to Ravenna, where I took the precaution of booking tickets for tomorrow for the main highlights when I first planned this trip. However, I have been to pay my respects at Dante's tomb.

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EuropeExplored @europeexplored.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

I have come to Ravenna, where I took the precaution of booking tickets for tomorrow for the main highlights when I first planned this trip. However, I have been to pay my respects at Dante's tomb.

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EuropeExplored @europeexplored.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Rimini is split by the railway between the beach resort and the ancient Roman city. It's now time to move on, with no time to visit the beach side on this occasion.

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EuropeExplored @europeexplored.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Rimini was the birthplace of the filmmaker Federico Fellini and there is a museum here, in two separate sites (one being the Castel Sismondo), to him and his work. Last time I was here I gave it a miss, but in the intervening period I've seen La Dolce Vita, so I decided to pay a visit today.

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EuropeExplored @europeexplored.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

I am changing trains in Rimini, a city I visited four years ago on my way to Athens. As I have a bit of an extended wait here, there is time to reaquaint myself with the place.

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EuropeExplored @europeexplored.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Only a brief explore of Ancona this time. Fortified with a strong coffee from the station café, I am about to leave by train - a double-decker! (Hopefully, it will do better than the train I caught last year from Ancona, which developed a fault, delaying its departure by an hour.)