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**talk given at Pecha Kucha Night – 20 slides, 20 seconds to talk for each slide**

‘My Eyes – Circa 2003’

In 2002 I had just finished Uni and Art school.
I was sick of my home town and was ranging against the machine.

Surely the wide world held some answers?

Tonight we will visit Europe and Africa.

Central and Southern Italy, Switzerland, Tunisia, France.

1. Rome is a collision of the Old and New. Every new development – be it subway, building or road will be digging up layers of rubble from past generations.

This is the skeleton of the Colosseum – you can see the pits and holding pens under the stage floor for lions and clowns to jump out of.

Nuns are everywhere in Rome – their habits displaying subtle differences in sect uniforms.

2. The Spanish stairs are Young Rome.

Many consulates and language schools are located near the Spanish Steps and a must visit for all visitors.
The bus route between the Colosseum and the Spanish Steps is the most dangerous in Europe – there are large signs in many languages warning of pick pockets. I met 2 frantic people who had lost wallets!

3. Florence is a city of merchants, home of the Medici family. Every corner is seeped in history, from Houses of Traders, Doma Churches, museums, Art Galleries, private family chapels.

A tour guide will point at a window and tell you some one was hung out of it in the 1700’s.

The bridge you see on the left is full of jewellery shops.

In the Roof top view you can see many walled courtyards.

4. Sermoneta is about one hour south of Rome and – as you can see – a hill top fortress dating from the 13th-century.

It survived much of the ravages of the plague which killed half of the people in other parts of the country side.

It was home to a flourishing Jewish community.

People lived their entire lives here, never descending to see the surrounding country side.

5. There are 2 sorts of visits to The Isle of Capri … You can day trip it from Naples, or you can spend the night.

After the last tourist boat parts, the town came to life! The shops are full of $5000 handbags and $200 face creams. It is the party town of the rich! A different class of people stay the night!

Herculaneum fresco

6. Here we are on top of Vesuvius, the mighty mountain that destroyed Pompeii. It covered the whole surrounding countryside in metres of Ash.

You can see Naples at the top of the bay.

On the coast – much better preserved than Pompeii, hasn’t been raped by Archaeology and most of the artifacts are still on site rather than in the British Museum.

At Herculameum there were the only survivors from the Mt Vercuvious eruption. They escaped by boat.

7. This street hole in Naples is where road works has been stoped because something old was uncovered – A building site has changed into an Archaeology dig.

Herculaneum Artifacts statues & fresco

8. AND now for something completely different!
Zurich Pride Parade

Switzerland is the 1st place I saw a coffee shop, I smelt it first and then saw the hydroponics in the window. Yes, legalised. There are home delivery services who bring dope, pizza and wine.

The coffee-shop shock was followed closely by a gay pride march. I was by myself and don’t speak German, so I just wandered around asking to take photos.

9. Stromboli is an active island volcano north of Sicily (the ball). I stayed there for 3 nights, feeling the ground tremble regularly. Every night we tried to clime the volcano – It was only on the 3^rd attempt that we made it to the top.

Lipari is a large Island with a central harbour for all the Italian Islands. It is a beautiful town, and all the locals lie!
question to taxi driver: “Where is the youth hostel?”
answer: “It shut last week, come to my brothers house, he has a room.”

question at ‘hotel’: “What time does the ticket office open?”
answer: “Not till after your boat … give me your money, I get you ticket, just 10% more”

Landscape of African arrival

10. Tunisia matamata – living underground –

I found Tunisia the hardest Country to travel in … I couldn’t walk 2 metres on the street without being harassed by a man. Ahhh la petite gazelle

mud village – washed away and abandoned.

11. Tunisia tozeur street, cattle market

Mountains are the Algerian Border.

The original Star wars was filmed in Tunisia
How many of you knew that??
Here is the house Luke grew up in – in Matamata (now a hotel)

Below we have a desert duck and some other locals.

12.The top view is from my Brother-in-laws apartment in Paris 10eme arrondisment.
I’ve include the arc de triumph and the Eiffel Tower to set the scene.

13. Luc in the Drome – View from kite launch pad
le plessis, View from my parents-in-law
the apartment I learnt French in.

14. Anncey Lake, 300 metres above sea level

Nice, Bandol

French apartment buildings are an organic development of walls and passageways. Often when buying an apartment included is 3m2 in a ceiling space and a storage room in the bottom corridor.

15. Anncey chez nous view

This is the view I started at while I learnt French.

The windows and balcony were fascinating micro worlds.

16. Arivis mountains range in summer, Le Grand Born and the mountain top village I lived in. At 1000 metres

Along the bottom there is some memorabilia of a shop I worked in and a restaurant I ate at often – the Robleshon qui font.

17. Chinaillon – 1300m

This was the view from my bedroom in the hotel I worked in. I was cleaning, laundry and dishes. Fun job!

18. Le Grand Bornand winter views down the valley

Apartment balcony down the valley. We had 8 metres of snow over winter, it was magical. The whole world becomes silent and blue