[Video] “8 Lessons I’ve learned in 2020” + blog news!

“Lockdown. Quarantine. Self-isolation. Social distancing. Life in times of Covid-19. …What did you learn from 2020?”

Hello Wanderers! It’s been a while, I know.

This year had a completely unexpected turn since the very start, didn’t it? I guess a pandemic wasn’t in the cards of any TV horoscope man, nor in any of our New Year’s resolutions lists… And yet it happened, and we had to deal with it, change our plans and our perspectives, let go of something, adjust, survive. Learn.

Life has many ways of teaching us a lesson, and this was quite a brutal way but it definitely taught us something. When I asked my followers on my Instagram stories what lesson they have learned from the past year I got all kinds of answers. Some hilarious ones, revolving around having a good stock of wine at home mainly (which is sooo relatable!), other ones very personal but surprisingly appliable to all of us. From those answers emerged a common urge for self-improvement (being more productive, stop procrastinating, invest on our own project…), but also a desire for a better world, populated of better human beings. Someone in the middle of the first lockdown said “we will come out of all this as better people than we were before”. I want to hope so. It sure will be so if we are smart enough to learn the lessons that this year taught us.

I made a video about it! In this eight minutes of comedy, stumbling on French words, saucy confessions, mental health talks, tripod smashing and much more, I share with you a bit of my 2020 experience, open-heartedly. The challenges I went through, but most of all the lessons I’ve learned. I hope you enjoy it, and if you do, feel free to like/share/comment/subscribe! 🙂

Also I have an important announcement about this blog, that comes from a necessary adjustment to this year’s events. “The Artful Wanderer” was born mainly as a travel related blog: I wanted to share my experiences, tips and suggestions about cities and countries in the world, gathered during my time performing abroad and my personal holiday trips. But then Covid-19 happened. What to do of a travel blog in times where travelling freely is not possible? This was the question… Well, I decided to make a change, a small but significant shift. My activity as a blogger will not be limited to travel stories anymore, but it will embrace a broader range of topics. Which is a risk, because it will mean to get more personal sometimes too. But I think I’m ready for this step, in a way I’ve already started creating videos in which you can hear more of my “voice”. We need connection. We need to share thoughts, feelings, impressions, not only information and visuals. We need empathy, kindness, human interaction.  “The Artful Wanderer” will not only physically wander around the world when possible, but he will talk about the endless wander (funny how similar to “wonder” it sounds) that life itself is. And I will reveal more of the person behind the pseudonym, which is me, Carlo. I will use this blog for the written word, but most of all, my YouTube Channel. So please, if you want to follow and support me during this new chapter don’t forget to subscribe the channel! I’ll make sure to always create good and interesting content!

Thank you all! And enjoy “8 Lessons I’ve learned in 2020” 🙂

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“Tecniche di diario creativo e mindfulness” – Il workshop completo in Italiano

Ciao a tutti!

Sono felice di annunciarvi che il mio workshop “Tecniche di diario creativo e mindfulness” è finalmente disponibile in lingua italiana per l’acquisto in streaming!

Cos’è?

E’ un video-corso di 37 minuti che combina il processo creativo e l’uso di tecniche artistiche come il collage e lo scrapbooking con il concetto di scrivere un diario personale, evidenziando i benefici che queste due attività associate possono dare al nostro benessere mentale.

In un’epoca dominata dal digitale, in cui momenti e ricordi vengono affidati ai social media fino a non sembrarci più concreti e tangibili, questo workshop vi riporterà al concetto di registrare pensieri e momenti su un diario fisico, e lo farete creativamente, imparando e applicando tecniche artistiche che renderanno l’oggetto-diario una vera e personale opera d’arte. Ma non solo. Impareremo ad assaporare il momento creativo e a ritrovare una connessione con il momento presente. Vi suggerirò esercizi e modalità per utilizzare il vostro diario creativo per migliorare il vostro benessere mentale, se per esempio soffrite di ansia o se la vostra mente fatica a trovare concentrazione o motivazione.

Il video-workshop e’ diviso in tre sezioni:

1) Materiali e Glossario, con suggerimenti e tutorial per realizzare una collezione di elementi da usare per le vostre creazioni;

2) La Zona Creativa, in cui vedremo in dettaglio come comporre il vostro diario creativo;

3) Diario Creativo e Mindfulness: come utilizzare il diario per il nostro benessere mentale.

Durata totale: 37 min.

Come posso acquistarlo?

Al momento potete beneficiare della Promozione Invernale 50% Off, e acquistare il workshop in streaming a metà prezzo, a soli 10 euro invece di 20! Per farlo vi basta inviare una email di interesse a carlopavan79@gmail.com . Vi risponderò spiegandovi come effettuare il pagamento tramite PayPal o online banking, al seguito del quale riceverete il link esclusivo al video completo del workshop, che potrete guardare in streaming quante volte volete 🙂

“Tecniche di diario creativo e mindfulness” vi aspetta! Acquistatelo ora e suggeritelo ai vostri amici!

Grazie!

[Video] Video-diary of my weekend in Brighton!

Hello Wanderers!

I know, it’s been a long time since my last post, but life got a bit in the way 😀 But I’m finally back with two brand new posts! I’ve spent a lovely weekend in Brighton some time ago and I’ve prepared this little video-diary to show you some highlights of this awesome UK city, perfect in the summer but fantastic all year round. If this video tickles your curiosity then you absolutely should check my list of…

…31 things you’ll find in Brighton that will never make you want to leave!

You’ll find pictures, useful links, tips and suggestions about food, places to go and things to see!

But now it’s time to press play and see me loving my life by the seaside 😀 Enjoy!

 

A weekend in Bruges

 

Oh, Bruges.

Definitely one of those cities that you can’t help reminisce about with a little sigh, a comma and its name. Oh, Bruges… (yes, feel free to add an ellipsis as well, for extra drama.)

Romantic European getaway, relaxing and unusual hen-do destination, family friendly location or lone traveller’s mind-clearing retreat, this Belgian gem of a city needs to be experienced at least once in a lifetime. First of all, it’s the perfect city to see in a two-days weekend (even better if you have three days, of course). Really, you don’t need more time than that to soak up all Bruges’ beauty. Choose springtime, because of the good weather and because it tends to be packed with tourists in high season.

Bruges oozes with character. Think of Venice meets Siena, with bold brushes of colour and a lot of chocolate. Tons of chocolate.

From London St. Pancras, Eurostar trains take you to Brussels (so, if you have time, you can combine these two very different cities in the same holiday and it’ll be totally worth it!); from there you can continue your journey on a national train and it’s only 40 minutes more. Although Bruges is not exactly cheap, visiting on a budget is still possible, taking advantage of the Ibis Budget Hotel (located just outside the station, a short walk to the city centre and a good abundant morning breakfast!) or opting for an Air BnB dig.

What to see –  Everything! Just walk and lose yourself, you’ll always find your way to beautiful views. One of the two main squares is Markt (Market Square), famous for its unique and colourful pointy roofed buildings and for the Historium, museum that offers virtual historical tours and a wonderful view from its rooftop. Burg, the other one, is more tucked away, but it’s home to the magnificent gothic City Town Hall. You probably have seen a place called Rozenhoedkaai in the pictures of all your friends who visited Bruges before: this famous photo-spot overlooking the canal, with a suggestive weeping willow and typical architecture as background, is the main area for cafes and restaurants, you are really spoilt for choice. You can also visit Saint-Janshospital, which is one of the oldest hospitals in Europe, with its own museum of artifacts not for the faint hearted. In the late afternoon (or at any time, really) don’t forget to have a long and relaxing stroll across Minnewater Park: expanding around what is known as the “Lake of Love”, this beautiful park will soothe your eyes and make you want to kiss a stranger on a bridge. Well, don’t. (Joking, follow your heart, sweetie).

What to eat  – You definitely should try the Flemish Stew (or Carbonnade Flamande), a stew of succulent beef chops slow cooked in dark beer and onions, served with crispy fries. Oh, so good. Or the famous Moules-Frites, delicious mussels cooked in wine, beer or cream and paired again with a rich side of fries. Fries and potatoes in general are massively present in Belgian cuisine, and you can try different kinds of mash as well as an alternative to the crispy sticks. Of course, being in Belgium, you have to indulge in the wonderful chocolate creations that this country provides. Go to Neuhaus (or to Elisabeth if you have time to kill when you’re in Brussels) and stock on the gorgeous assortment of lush pralines, truffles and bonbons that combine the finest Belgian chocolate with creams, fruit and nuts beyond your imagination. It’s pure sex. Another unmissable dessert in Bruges is Belgian waffles, fresh from the iron cast and topped with voluptuous mountains of cream, ice cream, fruit and/or flooded with thick melted chocolate. Delicious and quite filling. You can’t leave the Belgian border without having experienced a food baby from waffles. And of course be adventurous with the selection of crafted Belgian beers from the many beer bars in Bruges. I went for wine. I know: “Italians”.

What activities to do – Visit the many museums that Bruges offers! At the moment two big exhibitions of Picasso and Salvador Dali are snatching all the attention, but if you’re bored with Art you can find an Archeological Museum, a Chocolate Museum and even a Fries Museum! Pay a visit to the Brugs Biermuseum if you are fascinated by the whole process of creation of beer (and go wild on the sample tasting area!). Boat tours along the many canals in Bruges are another option that allow you to embrace the spirit of this lovely city. Or you can venture just outside the city centre and visit the windmills of Bruges, some of them still working and open to the public after three centuries.

What’s Instagrammable – Basically the whole city. But if we want to point out some highlights from Bruges let’s say that your Instagram feed can’t do without

• the doors and the houses (with infinite colour combinations and quirky decorations);
• weeping willows (really, they are so poetic);
• strawberries dipped in chocolate;
• the thousand small statues that you can spot on corners of buildings;
• Tintin memorabilia;
• waffles, waffles, waffles like there’s no tomorrow;
• you on a bridge. And of course you and your loved one with the backdrop of Rozenhoedkaai (not going to share that one with you, hope you don’t mind 😀

I hope this post and my photodiary enticed you into visiting and discovering this precious city, that surely will stay in your heart much, much longer after the chocolate praline box from Neuhaus is finished. (Which usually happens on the way back to the hotel, it rarely survives one day. Mine didn’t, ça va sans dire.)

Have you been to Bruges? What did you love the most?

 

Homeowning

Hi everyone!

I’m on a train to Bruges at the moment and I’ve finally found some time to write, after being away for more than a month (sorry!), swallowed by my life basically. What happened in the past busy month? First of all, this blog turned one year old (yay! virtual prosecco for all my followers).

But the biggest news is a personal milestone I’ve finally achieved: [drumroll…………] I’ve bought a house! Well, a flat actually, not an entire building, which in London is already a pretty big thing. But yes, I’m officially an adult with a mortgage, scared and excited. I know that most travel&lifestyle bloggers prefer to have a more nomad life and flexible bases, and I thought about it a lot… coming to the conclusion that for me it was very important to stop wasting money on rent, making landlords rich and having to deal with ridiculous letting agencies (and having to argue because they wanted to charge us 334 £ to change a toilet lid that was cracked. Yep, 334 £, true story. Not even in the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi I’ve seen toilet lids worth 334 £). I wanted to start investing in something more solid for my future. Plus, my partner and I really wanted to have a house to call our own and we felt this was the right time.

The past year has been dedicated to this project entirely. Saving money was a priority: after a delightful contract on board SilverCloud I had to put my performing on hold and commit to a more regular day job (aaaaaargh….). I had to find ingenious ways to live, eat, go out, even have holidays on a budget. I’ve switched to a capsule wardrobe, minimising and optimising the purchase of clothes. I’ve mastered a shopping list template that allows me to buy groceries for an entire week for two people spending less than 30£, salmon fillets included. I’ve cooked nice and healthy meals to take to work, so that I could cut extra costs (and extra carbs). I bought an insulated flask and started preparing my coffee at home, with my beloved Italian moka espresso machine (saving a minimum of 2,70£ a day). This was the best part, but it was tough at times. I had to constantly remind myself that I was working towards a goal, and that sacrifice was only a temporary and necessary step.

And here we are, all settled in our new place, having a fresh new start. I feel a bit tired and overwhelmed by emotions, but at the same time I’m happy and energised. We still don’t have Internet connection at home (we live in a brand new development and the works for the fibre broadband are delaying a bit), but I think I’ll use the local library to have my blog work done. I need to get back in the game, and after this important milestone there’s so much more I want to achieve, personally. Things I want to do, places I want to go, best versions of me I want to be. But first, I’d better put up the curtains on the bedroom window, because I’m currently sleeping with a black t-shirt wrapped around my eyes like I had been kidnapped by a dodgy gang in Tijuana.

See you all soon!

 

 

Yoga, wellness and healthy food at LEVELSIX Peckham!

London has a brand new place for those who love body and mind wellness, yoga practice and healthy living. It’s for those who want to join a friendly and caring environment with an artistic edge, made by people who absolutely love what they do and offer a full experience that goes beyond the simple ‘hour of yoga class in a crowded gym’. A place to leave the stress of the city life behind, nourish our spirit and reconnect with ourselves in the best way possible. This place is called LEVELSIX Peckham.

The brand new yoga studio was founded by the combined forces of yoga teacher Will Wheeler (read his lovely interview for Wandertalks here), with lawyer Ben Rose, project manager Tania Eber and chef Woody Pike. The four decided to make their vision come to life by joining the vibrant and interesting hub of Peckham Levels, a beautiful project to transform an unused multi-storey car park into a creative space for artists, new businesses and for the community to come together, in a new and organic exchange of energy, art, good vibes and… good food! “It took a year and a half to go from concept to the official opening” says Will Wheeler, while we sit at the big table in the warm and cosy café area at LEVELSIX, “and it was so exciting to see the project come alive bit by bit, month after month: it required – and still requires – a deep commitment and a lot of energy, listening and engaging with what people want and look for, to be sure we are shaping our project in the right direction… But when we finally launched LEVELSIX back in December we were amazed and happy with the great response we got”.

What makes LEVELSIX different from the other yoga studios in London?

The answer is pretty simple: LEVELSIX offers a wholesome experience of yoga, wellness and healthy food for EVERYBODY. It’s an inclusive environment, familiar and accessible, with a timetable that collects the finest yoga teachers in London. “Everyone is nice!”, Will says with a smile, and I can confirm it after attending a lovely class of Vinyasa Flow with the extraordinary Mischa Varmuza, who shared with us her passion and knowledge of mantras and yoga culture. There’s a clean and incredibly bright atmosphere at LEVELSIX, and you breathe it as soon as you walk in. The two studios, spacious and open, offer the perfect dimension for practice, whereas many other yoga places in London tend to fill up their timetables with tons of classes, crammed in minuscule rooms, missing the point of yoga entirely. There’s also a room for wellness treatments, such as acupuncture, sport massage, therapeutic massage and energy healing, that will be launched this week.

The experience at LEVELSIX is enriched even more by the partnership with some of the best brands in the sector: you practice on yoga mats by Lululemon, shower with a fresh and voluptuous bergamot shower gel by Malin+Goetz and sip on the hot premium teas of Rare Tea Company.

Another important factor that contributes to the success of LEVELSIX is the beautiful café and the healthy food offering. And we are not talking about pre-packed protein bars and bottled juices here: at LEVELSIX, chef Woody Pyke combines the best seasonal, fresh and organic ingredients (as local and km zero possible) creating a varied and brilliant vegetarian and vegan menu that nourishes your body and spirit. Breakfasts, soups, lunch bowls, smoothies… all prepared with art and care in front of your eyes. The café area has an industrial vibe, made homely and eclectic by colourful printed cushions, candles and yellow daffodils, and it really invites you to take your time before and after attending the class: you can sit down anytime and indulge in one of the heartwarming bowls of gorgeous food (I highly recommend the chickpea tagine with quinoa, labneh and rich creamy yoghurt, and the turmeric latte, which is the tastiest I’ve ever tried) and relax your mind (or nose around the big jars of sauerkraut, kombucha and yoghurt that chef Woody prepares and ferments in-house).

Attention to the yoga practice is the strong backbone around which LEVELSIX is structured. The studio offers Vinyasa Flow (gentle & dynamic) classes, Pilates, Restorative, Kundalini, Hatha and Yoga Nidra. Every Friday evening yoga teacher David Kam teaches an unmissable Candle Lit Vinyasa Flow class, and more events, Yoga Brunches, workshop and day-retreats are on the schedule for the near future. We talked about ‘inclusivity’ as a key element of LEVELSIX, and this translates practically into the aim of shaping up their classes around the needs of all levels (beginners, intermediate, experienced), offering a community programme with deals and promotions, and classes especially designed (yoga for kids, classes for sight impaired, and more).

On the 16th of March, LEVELSIX will host a delightful event, a Mythical Flow Workshop and Dinner with Tanja Mickwitz. Incorporating storytelling into the asana practice, mentor and teacher Tanja will take you for a journey through Indian mythology, mantra and mudra, providing you with a deeper understanding of yoga, as well as yourself. After the workshop, you will be served a freshly prepared organic seasonal supper in the LEVELSIX café. For more information you can visit the event section on the LEVELSIX website or call 020 39411950.

I’m already looking forward to my next visit to this gem of a place. I recommend you to take advantage of the great introductory offer for newcomers at LEVELSIX: 2 weeks of unlimited yoga (14 calendar days) for only 20 £, a price that is lower than a dinner out in London, to enjoy the City’s latest and hippest yoga place to the fullest.

See you all at LEVELSIX Peckham!

[LEVELSIX Floor 6, Multistorey Car Park, 95a Rye Lane, Peckham, London SE15 4TG]

 

Celebrating Chinese New Year 2018 in London!

Well, the Dog Days may be over, as Florence & The Machine claim, but the Year of The Dog has instead just started! This weekend, London celebrated Chinese New Year 2018 with a series of colourful and sensational events that took place mainly between Chinatown, Soho and Trafalgar Square, including the famous traditional parade where all the Chinese folklore takes centre stage.

London’s Chinese New Year is the biggest celebration outside Asia, attracting around 700000 people, so it’s quite an unmissable event! Restaurants in the Chinatown area, along with street food stalls, give the visitors the best of Chinese cuisine, and the streets become a precious light tapestry of red lanterns and dragons, a real feast for your eyes.

The Chinese Year follows the traditional animal zodiac, which cyclically repeats 12 animals (and their attributes): Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig. This year we celebrate the Year of The Dog, and the attribute of Fidelity.

So, Happy Year of The Dog everyone!

 

[Video] My Dublin Days – What to see, to do, to look for in Dublin!

Hello Wanderers!

I’ve just returned after my four-day city break to Dublin (actually to Dundalk first and then Dublin)! My first time ever in Ireland, which means I can add it to my list of countries visited so far, reaching the count of 39 (applause, epic Oprah music, confetti shower, hand waves with teary eyes).

Dublin, a capital that is so full of character and so human-friendly, with a pace of life distant light years from rat-racey London. A city that maintains a village feel, with its buildings that don’t aim to scrape the sky, its evergreen pub culture, its coloured doors. Oh those lovely doors! History says it was a way for the residents to put their personal flair to the strictly structured Georgian constructions; legend wants that it was an easy trick to be able to find their house when drunk, on the way back from the pub.

Immersed in tradition, but at the same time a city that is undergoing a huge development, especially in the zone around the Grand Canal Docks: after a long walk surrounded by red brick houses and swans gliding peacefully on the waters we reach an area that reflects (still in its own particular way) the structure of London docklands, with modern buildings of multinational companies and mirror-windowed offices, flown over by flocks of seagulls. The feeling is that, after the surely risky and clumsily conducted Brexit manoeuvre, many important international companies are now transferring their operational headquarters from the UK to Ireland, setting up the country to a huge renaissance in terms of jobs and economic opportunities.

I want to thank my wonderful locally based friends Herachya and Gianluca, that made me feel at home and made my Irish days memorable, helping me discover the best of places, food and things to do. So, would you guys know what I saw and did in Dublin and what I recommend? Cool, first of all…

Trinity College

You really shouldn’t miss this. The University’s green and cobbled internal yard is luxurious (especially on a sunny morning, and I was so lucky with the weather on those days, can’t believe it!) and you can breathe in the magnificence of the elegant buildings where Oscar Wilde and Samuel Beckett have studied. The College’s Library treasures original medieval gospel manuscripts (go and see the exhibition about the Book of Kells! Entrance is 13 euro, but you can see the incredibly detailed creation process of the book, from the stretch of calfskin to create the vellum, to the decorating work), and one of the most impressive book chambers worldwide: it’s called The Long Room (long indeed: 65 metres) and it houses two hundred thousands original books. You enter the room and you smell history. And the jawdropping arched ceiling, raised in 1860, will allow you to take stunning pictures!

The Spire

I’ve asked my friend Gianluca “where shall we meet?”, and he promptly replied “where all the people in Dublin meet: at the Spire!”. In O’Connell Street it’s impossible to miss this huge stainless steel monument. 120 metres high, like a gigantic whale tooth that rises to the sky (not really matching the style of the surrounding buildings, to be honest, but it’s an interesting contrast), the Spire replaced Nelson’s Pillar, destroyed by an IRA bombing in 1966. The monument illuminates the night sky in Dublin… and its tip swings when the wind is strong, sometimes up to 1,50 metres! (It’s perfectly safe, I just wanted to scare you a bit). Oh, don’t even bother trying to take a full picture of it, if not from a ridiculous distance (and even at that point, it will just look like a random lamp post).

Temple Bar

Temple Bar is the area on the south bank of the river where the most of Dublin’s artistic and cultural life takes place: live music, theatre, cinema and multimedia institutes and events, and a vibrant night life. Hallmark of this gorgeous area is of course The Temple Bar Pub , another to-go place in Dublin if you really want to get the feeling of the city.

Statues of Dublin

Dublin is literally full to the brim of statues! It could be a nice game to play, walking around with friends and trying to spot them first. The James Joyce statue seems to stare at the Spire with a skeptical face, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find Oscar Wilde chilling on a rock in Merrion Square. Fun fact: Dubliners love to give quirky (and sexual) nicknames to statues and monuments, so that the statue of Molly Malone (heroine of a traditional Irish song) is often called “the Tart with the Cart”, James Joyce is addressed as “the Prick with the Stick” and the huge Spire column is commonly known as “the Pole in the Hole”, “the Stiffy at the Liffey” or even “the Erection at the Intersection”.

The National Gallery

What a gem! I highly recommend to spend a couple of hours admiring this amazing collection of the finest artworks by artists such as Perugino, Rembrandt, Degas, Monet, and of course some real Irish masterpieces by Jack B. Yeats. I was mesmerised by the colour tones of two of the big rooms (one red, one teal), and how this precious gallery manages to merge a stunningly modern architecture and overall concept with timeless art from the past. Absolutely beautiful and FREE ENTRY (subscriptions are of course welcome).

Embrace the pub culture to the fullest

Basically all the blogs and guidebooks list a visit to the Guinness Storehouse as a must-do thing in Dublin. Well, sure, if you are interested in seeing the whole process of preparation of this iconic beer it might be a nice experience, but tickets are quite pricey (around 18 euro) and it would take a chunk of your time in the city that you might prefer to use for other activities on a budget. What I suggest you is to scrap the Guinness Storehouse, and instead have your dinner meals at pubs that brew their own selection of beers: don’t miss for example the pubs of Galway Bay Brewery Company , that offer a delicious chocolate stout and vibrant red ales, along with finger licking pub food. If you have the chance (and if you feel young and reckless) sign up for a pub crawl. Pubs tell you a lot about the spirit of this city, the big heart of the people who live in it and the traditions of the whole country.

And a few more tips:

• Stroll in St. Stephen’s Park – it’s a gorgeous green space, and if you’re lucky with the weather it would be one of the most pleasant moments of your holiday.
• Churches and Cathedrals – they are fantastic, I wish I had more time to visit all of them properly…
• Enter Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre – the interiors of this mall look like a giant liberty style train station. Very Instagrammable.
• Support local art – I already mentioned live music and theatre events, but if you want to bring home some exclusive pieces of Irish art & design I suggest you to visit the Jam Art Factory in Dublin zone 2, where you find fine art prints and decorative objects for a very affordable price!
• Go for one-day getaways: Dublin is the perfect starting point to go and explore other marvellous areas in Ireland, reachable by train in one hour or so. The stunning Cliffs of Moher, Connemara and Galway City, Glendalough, Newgrange… If you have more than three days to spend in Dublin you might consider a day for one of these trips, you’ll be rewarded.

And this is all for now, but I can’t leave you without a little video-diary I’ve prepared for you while walking up and down the city. I’ve chosen to accompany the images with the voice of the extraordinary Dolores O’Riordan, Irish icon and one of the biggest idols of my adolescence, with a song that would give me the same shivers it gave me when I was 15, even if I listened to it thirty years from now.

Enjoy and… visit Dublin!

 

 

 

[Video] Canary Wharf Winter Lights 2018! Celebrating Light Technology and Art

Hi Everyone!

Every year Canary Wharf celebrates light technology and art with an extraordinary ten days event, showcasing dazzling artwork and cutting edge installations scattered all over the dockland. Some of them are in the main squares and lobbies in the area, and some others have to be discovered walking (detailed maps are available on the website and on site): and a big part of the pleasure in this kind of event is right in the walking and be surprised when the pieces of art unveil in front of our eyes along the path.

Canary Wharf Winter Lights reaches this year its fourth edition and the artwork it displays goes from stunning big interactive attractions (like the Sonic Light Bubble in Jubilee Plaza, pulsating with light and sound when you approach it) to small intimate “treasures” (some of them accessible one person at a time in little black rooms) to fun pieces perfect for your Instagram stories (playing with the pixel cubes in Adams Plaza took me back to the 80’s!).

 

At the time I’m posting this, the festival have come to his final day (so whoever wants to go, you still have one night!), and I have to say it was another beautiful city event. I want to give a special mention to the people who spent these supervising the installations, directing visitors and regulating the access to the attractions, operating mostly outside in the cold weather for hours (I had to turn to my best friend Paracetamol after that evening, it gets very cold and humid along the river): these are the people who make these kind of events flow smoothly and deserve to be acknowledged.

I’ve prepared another one of my three-minute videos for you, collecting some of my favourite installations. Ready for it? Enjoy!