Anne Skyvington
  • Writing
    • Craft
      • Structuring a Short Story
      • Alternative Narrative Approaches
      • Genre in Writing
      • A Grain of Folly
        • Novel Writing
          • The Sea Voyage: a metaphor
          • How I Created My Debut Novel
          • What I learnt from writing a novel…
          • Short Story
            • At the Swimming Pool
            • The Night of the Barricades
          • Poetry
            • a funny thing happened …
            • An ancient mystic: Rumi
            • A Window into Poetry
            • The Voice of T.S. Eliot
  • Publishing
    • A Change of Blog Title
    • 5 Further Publishing Facts
    • 5 Facts I Learnt About Self/Publishing
    • Highs and Lows of Self Publishing
    • A Perfect Pitch to a Publisher
    • A Useful Site for Readers and Indie Authors: Books 2 Read
  • Book Reviews
    • A Story of a Special Child
    • Discovering Karrana
    • A Young Adult Novel: My French Barrette
    • Randwick Writers’ Group: Sharing Writing Skills
    • The Trouble With Flying: A Review
  • Mythos
    • Ancient Stories from Childhood
    • Births Deaths and Marriages
    • Duality or Onenness: The Moon
    • The Myth of Persephone and Demeter
    • Pandora’s Box
    • 7 ancient artefacts in the British Museum
    • Symbolism of Twins
    • The Agony and the Ecstasy of Change
    • Voices From the Past
  • Australia
    • A Country College Residence
    • A Kit Home Goes Up in Vacy
    • A Sydney Icon or Two
    • 5 things about Coogee
    • Moree and Insistent Voices
    • Things To Do in Sydney
  • Travel
    • A Bird’s Eye View
    • A Tuscan Village Holiday
    • Back to Cavtat in Croatia
    • Travel to Croatia
    • 5 or 6 Things About Valencia
  • Guest Post
    • a father’s tale … by Ian (Harry) Wells
    • A Guest Poem: “First Loves” by Roger Britton
    • A Love Sonnet by Ian Harry Wells
    • “Snakey” by Roger Britton
    • Randwick Writers’ Group: Sharing Writing Skills
    • A Story of a Genteel Ghost told by Roger Britton
  • Psychology
    • Creativity and Mental Illness
    • Networking and Emotional Intelligence
    • C.G.Jung’s Active Imagination and the Dead
    • Psychology as a Field of Study
    • Western Influencers Down Through The Ages
  • Life Stories
    • Adriatic Romance … Rijeka to Titograd
    • Always something there to remind me…
    • A Well-Loved Pet
    • Candidly Yours…
    • Memoir Writing
    • River Girl: An Early Chapter of my Memoir in Progress
  • Welcome
  • Contact

Anne Skyvington

The Craft of Writing

  • Writing
    • Craft
      • Structuring a Short Story
      • Alternative Narrative Approaches
      • Genre in Writing
      • A Grain of Folly
        • Novel Writing
          • The Sea Voyage: a metaphor
          • How I Created My Debut Novel
          • What I learnt from writing a novel…
          • Short Story
            • At the Swimming Pool
            • The Night of the Barricades
          • Poetry
            • a funny thing happened …
            • An ancient mystic: Rumi
            • A Window into Poetry
            • The Voice of T.S. Eliot
  • Publishing
    • A Change of Blog Title
    • 5 Further Publishing Facts
    • 5 Facts I Learnt About Self/Publishing
    • Highs and Lows of Self Publishing
    • A Perfect Pitch to a Publisher
    • A Useful Site for Readers and Indie Authors: Books 2 Read
  • Book Reviews
    • A Story of a Special Child
    • Discovering Karrana
    • A Young Adult Novel: My French Barrette
    • Randwick Writers’ Group: Sharing Writing Skills
    • The Trouble With Flying: A Review
  • Mythos
    • Ancient Stories from Childhood
    • Births Deaths and Marriages
    • Duality or Onenness: The Moon
    • The Myth of Persephone and Demeter
    • Pandora’s Box
    • 7 ancient artefacts in the British Museum
    • Symbolism of Twins
    • The Agony and the Ecstasy of Change
    • Voices From the Past
  • Australia
    • A Country College Residence
    • A Kit Home Goes Up in Vacy
    • A Sydney Icon or Two
    • 5 things about Coogee
    • Moree and Insistent Voices
    • Things To Do in Sydney
  • Travel
    • A Bird’s Eye View
    • A Tuscan Village Holiday
    • Back to Cavtat in Croatia
    • Travel to Croatia
    • 5 or 6 Things About Valencia
  • Guest Post
    • a father’s tale … by Ian (Harry) Wells
    • A Guest Poem: “First Loves” by Roger Britton
    • A Love Sonnet by Ian Harry Wells
    • “Snakey” by Roger Britton
    • Randwick Writers’ Group: Sharing Writing Skills
    • A Story of a Genteel Ghost told by Roger Britton
  • Psychology
    • Creativity and Mental Illness
    • Networking and Emotional Intelligence
    • C.G.Jung’s Active Imagination and the Dead
    • Psychology as a Field of Study
    • Western Influencers Down Through The Ages
  • Life Stories
    • Adriatic Romance … Rijeka to Titograd
    • Always something there to remind me…
    • A Well-Loved Pet
    • Candidly Yours…
    • Memoir Writing
    • River Girl: An Early Chapter of my Memoir in Progress
Category

Travel

valencia-cityscape
Travel

5 or 6 Things About Valencia


General Facts

Valencia, on the eastern coast of Spain, is the third largest city. It has a 2000-year-old history dating back to the Romans, Visigoths and Muslims, since it was established in 130 BC. You can catch a bus into the Old Town in the city centre and view the spectacular architecture of the buildings down through the ages.

The Old Town

The Cathedral sits at the centre of The Old Town of Valencia. It is said to house the silver chalice linked to Jesus. We got off the tourist bus at the central Plaza del la Reina, and took photos of the buildings and vibrant scenes surrounding us on all sides. It’s an impressive cathedral that spans a variety of architecture styles, including baroque, Romanesque and gothic.

The Cathedral Façade

It was Sunday, and we sat inside the church during a mass. The size of the congregation was impressive, due to the faithful being joined by itinerants such as us. This mingling of crowds did not seem to bother the priest; we basked in the peaceful and beatific atmosphere that churches always instill in one, whether one is part of the religion or not.

Inside the Cathedral


Queen Square, Valencia

The adjoining plaza holds the famous Church of Santa Catalina, one of the oldest in the country. The beautiful and graceful eighteenth century Baroque tower housing the belfry is one of the most picturesque sights in the city. One can admire the five storey construction crowned by a small dome-covered temple. The tower of Santa Catalina is a landmark in Valencia, as well as marking the entrance to the popular markets.

The Tower of Saint Catalina

We had lunch in a bistro facing Santa Catalina and admired the lovely yellow facade of an apartment building in the Square. We decided it was a very livable city.

A Livable City
The Church of the Virgins

The inside of the Basílica de la Vírgen de los Desamparados (Basilica of our Lady of the Forsaken), Church of the Virgins, reminded me of Stendhal’s tendency to faint and suffer dizzy spells in the presence of architectural and artistic spleandour, which gave birth to the name of the Stendhal Syndrome.

After lunch, we walked around the city in search of the bull ring, where brave matadors and, perhaps, tragically doomed bulls, used to perform for the public. On the way, we came across this building with a lion on its front façade. Beauty everywhere! The Bull ring was silent and, although reminiscent of Rome’s Arena, it appeared to be defunct and of no interest to tourists or to the citizens of Valencia.

The Lion Building

The Climate

The land is flat and the climate of Valencia is dry, with 320 rain-free days each year. A river, the Turia, used to run through the city. However, in 1957 Valencia experienced a devastating flood, which led to a dramatic decision to divert the river and reclaim the land for the enjoyment of the populous. Today, several world renowned architectural monuments stand on the reclaimed land and compete for aesthetic appreciation with the structures in the Old City. Bridges now cross parkland boasting lush greenery with spectacular monuments on all sides for the feast of the eye.

The New Town

Arts & Sciences Centre

The City of Arts and Sciences is situated at the end of the former riverbed of the river. This majestic building, designed by the Valencia architect and engineer Santiago Calatrava, means that both the city and the Region of Valencia have the best infrastructure available in order to participate in international circuits, especially those of opera and major musical shows. The Hemespheric, also known as the planetarium or the “eye of knowledge,” is the centrepiece of the City of Arts and Sciences.

The Eye of Knowledge, Planetarium.

Another striking monument is the garden of palm trees enclosed in an aesthetic structure that showcases it to tourists and locals.

A Complex of Futuristic Structures

The Beach and Marine Culture

We stayed in a boutique hotel on the seafront, just outside the main city centre. It was close to the pleasures of the coast, including sea bathing and lots of restaurants. It was in proximity by bus or bicycle to the centre and other parts. People in Valencia seemed to be always on the point of breaking into song or dance, and the sound of drums and music could be heard across the seas from a far-off nightclub that was open from dusk until dawn. I walked and cycled around the area. Others choose to ride electric scooters or to catch buses. Close to our beachfront hotel was the marine area that spoke of a past history of a seafaring nation. I admired the marine decorations on some of the older buildings as I explored the area.

Buildings-from-the Marine-Past
Giant Sand Castle

The Cuisine

Valencia is the birthplace of paella, the saffron coloured rice-based dish that requires special knowledge and culinary skills on the part of the chef in order to perfect it. In the beach area and in the Old City, restaurants serving seafood, chicken and mixed paella dishes abound. We tasted several superb dishes while in Valencia, and Mark is now motivated to invest in one of the shallow pans, and some saffron, in order to try his hand at cooking the dish once again. Our favourite eating place was a plain tapas bar near our hotel. The fact that it was frequented by lots of locals was a sign for us. Our instincts proved right, as it was friendly and good. We ordered two small pans of Valencian and Seafood paella that we shared between the two of us. It was delicious and inexpensive.

Seafood & Vegetable Paella
Orange Trees in the City Centre
5 or 6 Things About Valencia was last modified: October 13th, 2019 by Anne Skyvington
May 29, 2019 0 comment
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in-full-fligh
TravelWriting

Return to Cavtat…uvijek!

We’re here in Cavtat on the southern coast of Croatia, for the 4th International Symposium on Stuttering that my husband convenes. Participants come from more than a dozen countries, from Europe, Asia, the UK, America and the Pacific region. We are a going to visit Zagreb where the Croatian convenor, Suzana lives, and stay one night in her country getaway near Samebor. After Croatia we plan on spending a few days relaxing on the Spanish coast at Valencia.


House Near Samebor.

Coming back to Cavtat is like waking up in Paradise all over again. It’s the Mediterranean like it once was many years ago. It’s the light, the wavy sea, the village stones and ancient buildings, the hotel that Tito built nestling on the cliffs like a sparkling cruise ship, the seagulls gliding outside the glass. It’s everything about this magical place. If it’s not heaven, then it’s a little piece of it. (A little bit of paradise: ‘malo raja’ in Croatian).

hotel-croatia
Hotel Croatia Cavtat
Hotel Croatia

The first site for this hotel was further back from the edge of the cliffs. Once work began on the original building, it was discovered that Roman ruins lay beneath the ground and the plans had to be revised. The hotel is now perched like one of the huge seagulls from this area, and looks out over the Adriatic Sea. It can accommodate up to 1200 guests. The seagulls like to hover over the waters on the winds outside our top floor unit. I think of the arms of the cliffs that mark the entrance to the harbour as being like the claws of crustaceans, so prolific in this region.

Croatian Hills
The Sky at Dusk
Another Sky at Dusk

The colours and the weather change very quickly here. We went to bed with clouds over our unit that fitted in perfectly with the grey/olives of the hilly landscape, and awoke early to a full moon in a blue sky over blue blue waters.

Full Moon at Dawn
View of Cavtat Port

The View of the Mausoleum


George Bernard Shaw, when he visited Croatia at the turn of the century, said ‘those who seek paradise on Earth should come to Dubrovnik,’ which he called ‘the pearl of the Adriatic’. That city is truly spectacular, with its magical Old City, its ancient ramparts, modern shops and restaurants; it has rightly become a tourist’s dream destination.

However, Cavtat, which was many years ago overtaken by Dubrovnik as a cultural and commercial centre, is today a haven of peace and beauty.

The monastic-looking building at the top of the village is actually the Racic Family Mausoleum, ‘Our Lady of the Angels’, from 1922. An inscription in the cupola states: ‘Know the mystery of love, and thou shall solve the mystery of death and believe that life is eternal.’

Down below is the Monastery of ‘the Lady of the Snow’ dating back to the 15th century. One of the items inside that has always morbidly fascinated me is the wall pulpit with an arm bearing a cross hanging out of it.

Our Lady of the Snow
The Alter: Our Lady of the Snow Monastery
St Nicholas at Cavtat
Mother and Baby Seagulls
Rainbows on Leaving
Return to Cavtat…uvijek! was last modified: May 26th, 2019 by Anne Skyvington
May 25, 2019 0 comment
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magnetic-island-bay
AustraliaTravel

Magnetic Island will pull you in…

Magnetic Island

Magnetic Island is part of the Great Barrier Reef.  Just outside our unit is a marked underwater reef that one can follow, either with a snorkel or by renting a  flat board, to view the coral. The island is shaped like an equilateral triangle. Each side of the triangle is 11 kilometres in length. The edges are scalloped by numerous inlets or bays, with sandy beaches where you can swim during the “safe” season.

Magnetic Island is a suburb of Townsville, which is only a 20 minute, 8 kilometre ferry ride away.  A very independent and environmentally aware population of 2,000, resides on the island.  The council has erected a large solar panel, which enables the island to supply 40% of their electricity needs, given that they are blessed with over 300 days of fine weather. It’s part of the “dry tropics” with rain falling only in summer.  The guide who drove a group of us around the island has brought up his young family here and is passionate about it.

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Magnetic Island will pull you in… was last modified: January 18th, 2019 by Anne Skyvington
June 28, 2018 0 comment
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colours-of-cavtat
Travel

Return to Croatia

En Route to Croatia

We just flew over the mountains of Eastern Europe en route to Frankfurt from Dubai. Qantas have teamed up with the United Arab Emirates airline, so we did the first leg from Sydney to Dubai with Qantas, and the second one from Dubai to Frankfurt with Emirates.

I really enjoyed stopping over at Dubai this time, as we were able to marvel at all the strange dress codes in the shopping arcade corridors, and then relax in the Emirates flight lounge until our flight was called. They’re much better than Qantas in terms of service at the moment.

Looking down on the snow-tipped mountains just now. I think of student days travelling by deux chevaux from Paris to Ukraine during the Cold War, when Russian troops marched into Prague and stopped us from going there.  (See “My Travel Journal” posts on this blog).

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Return to Croatia was last modified: March 29th, 2018 by Anne Skyvington
March 15, 2018 0 comment
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a-tuscan-village
TravelWriting

A Tuscan Village Holiday

Italy: Fast Cars

Driving on the autostrada is a relief after Rome. Watch on the right, my partner says repeatedly, having been traumatised when the mirror on our rented manual Fiat Punta was flattened against a truck in Rome’s crowded streets. I’m the driver, having learnt to conduire à la droite in France, as a student there. Mark will prepare lots of fresh dishes, based on heavenly tomatoes, plucked straight from the fields. When we get to the outskirts of Siena, we ask for directions to our destination.

Tonni: an Etruscan Village

A rusty sign on a hedge, after winding roads and an unsealed gravelly stretch, marks the hamlet. First settled during the Etruscan era. Dogs, cats, a few children and a smiling woman with false teeth greet us. Several small cars are parked on the narrow gravel street, mediaeval buildings, the lot set in field and forest—oak, laurel, elms, conifers, and the ever-present cypress pines.

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A Tuscan Village Holiday was last modified: March 26th, 2018 by Anne Skyvington
February 3, 2018 2 comments
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About The Author

About The Author

Anne Skyvington

Anne Skyvington is a writer based in Sydney who has been practising and teaching creative writing skills for many years. You can learn here about structuring a short story and how to go about creating a longer work, such as a novel or a memoir. Subscribe to this blog and receive a monthly newsletter on creative writing topics and events.

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  • The Night of the Barricades

    February 15, 2021
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    July 4, 2020
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About The Author

About The Author

Anne Skyvington is a Sydney-based writer and blogger. <a href="http://anneskyvington.com.au She has self-published a novel, 'Karrana' and is currently writing a creative memoir based on her life and childhood with a spiritual/mystical dimension.

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