The Hermitage, it is so famous, it hardly needs any introduction. Yet, I didn't know what to expect. After having visited the i Ufizi in Florence in 2016, I couldn't imagine anything to compare to this marvel of an institution.
Where on earth do you start?
I have been writing a lot recently, especially poetry related to Art with Andy Willoughby and his brilliant Ekphrasis courses at the University of Teesside.
I was hoping to leave St Petersburg with some more inspiration,and after this visit and the following visit to the Modern Art museum. I was not disappointed. Here are but a few of the masterpieces. Of course just as in any gallery, it is impossible to take it all in. But any advice? Yes book online as we did. Not a queue in sight!
Friday, August 31, 2018
Saturday 25th August- Park Run
Park run " Elagin Island'.
This was one of the main reasons for coming to Russia via Saint Petersburg.
Park Run has become a phenomenon. I was asked if I was a Park Run tourist , I suppose I am really. After running my first Park Run in Russia in April 2018, in the very famous Gorky Park, I am blown away with the hospitality and friendliness of Park runners around the world.
We arrived at Elagin Island in reasonably good time, to see that everyone was wearing a party hat. Nothing new there, there is always a celebration to be celebrated with cake at a Park Run!
Anyway it was their 4th birthday.
This was one of the main reasons for coming to Russia via Saint Petersburg.
Park Run has become a phenomenon. I was asked if I was a Park Run tourist , I suppose I am really. After running my first Park Run in Russia in April 2018, in the very famous Gorky Park, I am blown away with the hospitality and friendliness of Park runners around the world.
We arrived at Elagin Island in reasonably good time, to see that everyone was wearing a party hat. Nothing new there, there is always a celebration to be celebrated with cake at a Park Run!
Anyway it was their 4th birthday.
As I walked through the gate, I stopped in y tracks as a red squirrel ran in front of me.
Olga my colleague was a little surprised at how excited I was. I guess she didn't realise that red squirrels are as rare as the proverbial Rocking Horse Shxx in the UK.
As usual we had a piece of cake and a cup of tea after the Park run.
Well some things are meant to happen, I guess.
I was offered a job , to start as soon as possible with the Foreign Language team at one of the City's Universities. Watch this space, You never know. It could only happen at a Park Run!
In the evening we went on a canal cruise also on the Neva.
St. Petersburg Friday 24th August
So after a really long stay at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport. I arrived early Friday morning in St Petersburg.
My hotel was in the centre of the city in an area where the streets are named after Poets and Writers.
This became HQ.
The first thing we did was to discover the amazing Nevsky Prospect , the heartbeat of the city.
This lead us of course to the highlight for me the Hermitage museum and Art gallery, said to be the most important in the world.
St Petersburg is described as the Venice of Russia. The main artery being the Neva river.
The famous Singer building
The Hermitage
The Neva
Saint Petersburg
OK, it's true, the top of my bucket list has now been completed. St Petersburg!
Wow!
Is it a dream?
I was planning to come here in April 2018 on route to Kostroma with the team of volunteer English teachers from Durham.
However, politics and poisonings got in the way and I decided it would be safer and sensible to skip the visit, it also didn't help that the British Embassy was closed in the Tit for Tat games that governments play.
Wow!
Is it a dream?
I was planning to come here in April 2018 on route to Kostroma with the team of volunteer English teachers from Durham.
However, politics and poisonings got in the way and I decided it would be safer and sensible to skip the visit, it also didn't help that the British Embassy was closed in the Tit for Tat games that governments play.
Thursday, August 02, 2018
Well OK it didn't come home.
Well it didn't come home, but we gave it our best. The Russian World Cup of 2018 will be remembered for a long long time.
Edinburgh August 2018
SO I made a trip to Edinburgh in order to attend the Russian via office.
A complicated process that means I need to attend in person.
The office is situated near the Hibs. ground of Easter road.
A complicated process that means I need to attend in person.
The office is situated near the Hibs. ground of Easter road.
I then went on a tour of the Scottish galleries.
Starting in the National Gallery.
then to the Modern Art Gallery and then to the Portrait gallery
THE MONARCH OF THE GLEN
Edwin Landseer
A painting that really moved me was also being displayed att he National, yet it was part of an exhibition from the Gallery of Modern Art.
ALEPPO
by Jenny Saville
Reverend Robert Walker (1755 - 1808) Skating on Duddingston Loch
Artist:
Sir Henry RaeburnScottish (1756 - 1823
Sunday, July 08, 2018
1966 and all that
My God what a roller coaster of a World cup!
All of the negativity going into the World cup in Russia and it has been quite simply one of the best in living memory.
No matter what happens this Wednesday, as England go into their first semi final in a lifetime!
So good luck to England!
It's coming home!
https://youtu.be/RJqimlFcJsM
All of the negativity going into the World cup in Russia and it has been quite simply one of the best in living memory.
No matter what happens this Wednesday, as England go into their first semi final in a lifetime!
So good luck to England!
It's coming home!
https://youtu.be/RJqimlFcJsM
Sunday, January 07, 2018
2018
2018
What will that bring?
A family year , Beautiful
😃
Work, lots of it, very varied, very busy.Challenges, yes lots of them.
New partners at the Word in South Shields,
Develop our partnerships in Spain A CORUÑA- estupendo
Continue and develop our partnership in France á
IMEP BOURGES.
MAIS OUI!
Go to Germany, set up a new partner in Oberhausen. vhs Oberhausen
wunderbar !
DESTINATION BORO 2 American Road trip = run 500 miles, fenomenal
Go to Russia, run a Park run in St. Petersburg--- ОТЛИЧНО excellent!
Play the piano, go for grade 1 eccezionale
grade 4 guitar, impeccable
LEARN ARABIC? رائعة حقا Amazing!
OHO!
😀
Why not?
Write a poetry book! stimolante
|Write a book. Anything is possible!
Follow the BORO back to the Premier League?😃😃 eioeioeioeioeioeioeioeioeioeioeioeioeioeioeioeio
Friday, October 20, 2017
One day I woke up a Poet!
Life never ceases to surprise me!
I attended a wonderful Creative Writing course with the University of Teesside in the Summer.
After attending the beginners last year, I attended the research course.
Andy Willoughby our tutor suggested we looked at art for inspiration for our writing and we all had a go.
It now seems that we are to be part of published anthology of poetry, with a reading soon at MIMA.
Amazing!
So we are to go to the Launch of the project and the book.
AN ANTHOLOGY OF EKPHRASIS
My poem is about a couple of paintings of my home town Middlesbrough by JS Lowry.
Here they are. In one, you can see Lowry walking across the market place with his dog , whereas in the other he is not there.
I attended a wonderful Creative Writing course with the University of Teesside in the Summer.
After attending the beginners last year, I attended the research course.
Andy Willoughby our tutor suggested we looked at art for inspiration for our writing and we all had a go.
It now seems that we are to be part of published anthology of poetry, with a reading soon at MIMA.
Amazing!
So we are to go to the Launch of the project and the book.
AN ANTHOLOGY OF EKPHRASIS
My poem is about a couple of paintings of my home town Middlesbrough by JS Lowry.
Here they are. In one, you can see Lowry walking across the market place with his dog , whereas in the other he is not there.
HERE IS THE POEM
HEY
LOWRY!
Hey
Lowry. Where’s your dog gone?
Has
someone nicked it mate?
Old St
Hilda’s no longer there
And
there’s a padlock on the Sally Army gate!
Hey
Lowry, where’s that other bloke gone?
The old
town hall’s still there, just!
Remember
that old clock and the Tranny?
They’ve
just painted over the rust.
Hey
Lowry, they’ve flattened Fleetham Street and my old school
Are you
still collecting the rent?
Some
gadgie has recalled it Gresham
I
suppose it was well meant?
Hey
Lowry, we’ve got a MIMA, a Tenemos and a bottle now
The
General , the Infirmary are all in the past
No Ayresome park or a Holgate end
No
Parkies any more, but I can still run quite fast!
Hey
Lowry, there’s No Rag and Bonemen
No
refund on the pop bottles, no number 14 bus.
The
Poly’s a University
No
Hintons and no Pybus Bros
Hey
Lowry, old Baker Street’s still there
We’ve
got an Orange Pip market now
But the
slipper baths and the Gaumont are just a memory
But
I’ll never forget them, my childhood will not allow.
Spanish Language Update
SPANISH LANGUAGE UPDATE.
Muchas gracias a todos.
Thank you all for your support, we have more than 70 students of Spanish.
Our partnership with Susana and the project is flourishing.
As recommended, have a look at this amazing film.

As recommended, have a listen to this amazing music!
Click here for my web page and links to resources.
Monday, February 27, 2017
El taller Saturday 25th February 2017
CAFẾ PIERRE LANGUAGES
EL TALLER ESPAÑOL
SABADO 25th Febrero
language classes in
MIDDLESBROUGH, STOKESLEY, HARTLEPOOL, NORMANBY, REDCAR, YARM AND GUISBOROUGH
Muchas gracias a todos!
Special thanks to ANYA for her excellent presentation of LA REPUBLICA DOMINICANA.
Thanks also to VICTORIA, LUIS, IVAN, ANNA, VALENTIN, SANDRA AND REGLA!
MUCHAS MUCHISIMOS GRACIAS!!!
NEXT TALLER
Saturday 25th March 1-3 at the Multi Media Exchange in Middlesbrough.
Wednesday, February 08, 2017
New dawn of language learning
Café Pierre Languages are entering a new dawn of Language learning.
In the next couple of months we expect to see new Spanish, Japanese and Mandarin classes appearing on our programme.
Our workshops are becoming very popular, with guests from all around the world visiting and working with our students and friends.
The dates for the next round of workshops are below.
The dates for the next round of workshops are below.
El taller español- Spanish Language and culture workshop. Saturday 25th February 13:00-15:00 Multi Media Exchange , Corporation road in Middlesbrough.
L’atelier français, French language and culture workshop. Saturday 4th March 13:00-15:00 , Multi Media Exchange , Corporation road in Middlesbrough.
Der Stammtisch German language and culture workshop. 18th February 14:00-16:00 at the Buck Inn , Chop Gate.
[Peter, Gaelle and Martine at the last French workshop].
[Peter, Gaelle and Martine at the last French workshop].
We are planning a Japanese workshop , hopefully to include Manga Art.
A dutch workshop is also on the way.
We have had up to date, more than 1,000 enquiries for languages in the North Yorkshire and Tees Valley area and our venues are now in Middlesbrough, Redcar, Normanby, Stokesley, with classes planned for Yarm and Guisborough.
Skype classes have included tutors working from Russia, Germany and Spain.
Our list of languages now includes.
Arabic, Chinese Mandarin, Dutch, English, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Spanish.
For further informaiton contact Peter at
cafepierrelanguages@gmail.com 07929781421
cafepierrelanguages@gmail.com 07929781421
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
James Joyce Ulysses or Homer The Odyssey - an Update
Well, having read the Odyssey, I now have more questions than answers. But it is true to say that I really! enjoyed the experience!
And now the Marathon that is;
James Joyce, Ulysses.
I have just managed to finish the Introduction and I found myself reaching for the dictionary almost as much as my reading experience in Italian!
Another case of 'Watch this space!
Questions of Masculinity and the androgynous man.
Irish politics, Shakespeare, References to Tolstoy, Eduoard Dujardin, Samuel Beckett, Jean Paul Sartre, To name but a few!
And of course constant references to W.B. Yeats!
So the questions begin.
Will I recognise the themes , the likenesses of the Odyssey? Will I know when Leopold Bloom is representing Oddyseus and when Stephen Dedalus is portaying Telemachus.
Will I need to research Irish history to understand the story, The Easter rising?
How I remember my visit to Dublin and pointing out the bullet holes on the walls of buildings on O'Connell Street.!
Lets see!
Language News October 26 2016
French for Beginners, Spanish for Beginners and Italian for Beginners are all going to be available from January 2017.
Class lists are open and details will be available tout de suite.
Please contact Peter on 07929781421 or send an email to cafepierrelanguages@gmail.com for further information.
Friday, August 19, 2016
Florence July 2016
Where to start?
A month in Tuscany.
My first time in Italy!
Amazing course at the British Institute in Florence. Grazie mille!
Florence A city so full of magic, it is difficult to know where to start.
So many thoughts and experiences.
La Traviata.
My first Opera, in the Open Air in Il palazio Pitti.
A month in Tuscany.
My first time in Italy!
Amazing course at the British Institute in Florence. Grazie mille!
Florence A city so full of magic, it is difficult to know where to start.
So many thoughts and experiences.
La Traviata.
My first Opera, in the Open Air in Il palazio Pitti.
James Joyce Ulysses or Homer The Odyssey
It is getting to the point where I am wondering, should I also read the bible!
Writers are so influenced by classics and religion as well as there own experiences.
It fascinates me, but I guess it is similar to reading Russian text in that background knowledge helps to understand the message from the writer.
So here we go on my own Odyssey, I have decided ot have a look first at Homer. God knows I may need some help!! But if it helps me understand, James Joyec, Job done.
Watch this space!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)































