acediscovery

Overheard: Sicily

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 24 Oct 2026 22:17:35 +0000

I went to Sicily - to Catania, Taormina and Palermo - and here's what I overheard.

My wife doesn’t risk missing one church!
Look at that girl’s hair over there - that used to be my hair.
That’s what you want, and you wanna get what you want.
She should be working on her Japanese phrases.
This one is so famous even an ignorant person would know it.
This chocolate is, like, NOT sweet.
Isn’t that crazy, those little church bells up at the top?
Marilyn, should I get two or three? And one size up?

Should you get a DeutschlandTicket when visiting Germany?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 11 Oct 2026 07:35:29 +0000

I've now bought a DeutschlandTicket on several occasions, using it to visit towns and cities all across Germany. I've learned a lot about the pros and cons of buying the DeutschlandTicket, so I thought I would write down some advice.

The DeutschlandTicket is not really for tourists - it's aimed at people living and commuting in Germany. It gives unlimited travel on local and regional trains, as well as U-Bahns, S-Bahns, metros and buses. It's not valid on long-distance Intercity or IntercityExpress trains.

That said, the ticket can get you far - as some regional train lines in Germany cover a lot of distance. I downloaded this map of all the lines - there are so many!

So, here are the pros and cons for buying a DeutschlandTicket to visit Germany.

Good

The best thing is that everything is covered. You can get off a train and onto a tram or bus and do not have to worry about buying tickets; no fiddling around with machines - you've already got it on your phone, you're good to go.
You can go to a lot of places. Stopping en route is fun, and you can easily visit a lot of towns and cities without needing to 'invest' in tickets especially. I went to Baden-Baden, Heidelberg, Augsburg, Ulm, all on a whim, stopping off while heading to somewhere else.
The DeutschlandTicket now (in 2026) costs €63 per month. That's very good value - journeys I've taken have cost €50 for a single or return ticket, so if you take several trips, it is definitely worth the price.

Not so good

I've found the regional trains and certainly buses do not always have a lot of space for larger suitcases, so carry-on luggage sizes are ideal. Also not ideal if you have buggies, bikes or anything like this.
It is slower. A high-speed train goes on average about twice as fast, based on the trips I've looked up. (That said, Germany high-speed trains often have delays). You have to love the idea that you could be on a 2-3 hour train to cover some distances.
The trains can be busy and crowded, partly because of the popularity of the DeutschlandTicket.

Germany by train from the Netherlands

There are 4 regional routes to Germany from the Netherlands.

Venlo --> Mönchengladbach / Hamm
Arnhem --> Emmerich / Duisburg / Düsseldorf
Heerlen --> Aachen
Hengelo --> Osnabrück / Bielefeld
Enschede --> Dortmund / Münster

Worth noting that the DeutschlandTicket is not valid on the Heerlen-Aachen route. I've taken all of these, and my 'favourite' route is the one via Venlo. The trains seem more reliable and it's a short one-hour trip to Düsseldorf, whereas other routes take longer to reach larger towns.

Personally, I think buying the DeutschlandTicket to travel in Germany is worth it. With one easy payment, it offers a whole month of seamless travel. I want to say it's stress-free - in the sense that once you have the ticket, you don't need to think too much about it - but the reality is German trains are never stress-free. There's always a delay and a drama of some kind!

That said, one ticket that allows (slower) travel to bustling cities like Berlin, Hamburg, Baltic coastal spots like Kiel and Rostock, UNESCO heritage spots like Goslar and Baden-Baden, Rhineland cities like Koblenz and Bingen - to name just a few - is definitely worth it.

I buy my ticket from Tranzer via The Man in Seat 61.

Overheard: Greece

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 02 Oct 2026 18:25:05 +0000

I went to sunny Greece recently for a conference, spending some time on the beautiful island of Skiathos. It was actually rainy for quite a few days. Still, that gave me time to people-watch and people-listen.

So here's what I heard.

The plane landed in Tessa-loco* or whatever it’s called.
We came here to avoid our neighbour’s wedding.
...is it Scorpios or Skopelos?
She was so angry with me, cos she’s really small.
Sandra nods off on the couch. I think it’s cos we don’t do a lot.
It’s offputting is what it is. Offputting. They need to know! We’ll not be back!
I’ve a week of Emmerdale and Corrie waiting for me at home.
Have you been to York? Is it worth the four-hour drive?
I hear the weather at home is not too bad.

*Thessaloniki

Overheard: Amsterdam summer

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 07:10:18 +0000

Summer 2026 in Amsterdam gave heatwaves, cloudy days, 200,000+ lightning discharges, World Cup flags, boat trips, WorldPride - and I heard people saying these words:

Cos everyone wants a unicorn, but no one wants a lumberjack.
Wounds can be healed! Wounds can be healed!
Brussels? Absolutely not! Brussels? What a shit show!
If you go to the UK, to London, they are all orange in the face.
It's very, like, claustrophobic here.
I think he's straight... but he does play with his hair a lot.
The Dutch are pretty much the badasses of the world when it comes to languages.
Some nights we sleep together, some nights we don't.
What about the consequences, the enormity?
Oh, this wine is expensive... oh, this wine is good... This was a lovely wine, I'm going to get more.
Like, he will buy three baskets of peaches and five boxes of extension cords.
What happens in Chile on a Tuesday evening?
I'm following you... Do you know where you're going?
Thank God I brought chicken wings.
Take your winter coats out!
That McDonald's is good, it has an upper floor.
I don't think anyone is pretty like me... or prettier.

A curious case of Canadian fast food

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 20:21:42 +0000

Canada is not the first place that comes to mind as a home of fast food, like burgers and pizza - poutine and Tim Hortons notwithstanding.

However, recently I've noticed some fast food outlets naming themselves after Canada or Canadian places. And as they say, 'three is a trend', so here we go.

In Larnaca, in Cyprus, I saw Toronto Pizza. I've heard of Chicago pizza and Detroit pizza, but not Toronto Pizza. (Though Wikipedia claims there is a Toronto-style pizza, as well as styles named after several other Canadian places.)

In Spa, Belgium, I noticed this restaurant called Canadian Burgers and Pizza. The menu posted outside didn't feel especially Canadian.

Finally, in Oldham, I spied Toronto Fried Chicken - and I've seen it called 'the best fried chicken shop in Oldham' online.

So, the big question here is: why? and why Canada?

World Cup Flags in the Netherlands

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 19 Jul 2026 09:57:19 +0000

My favourite thing about the World Cup is seeing flags from countries around the world where I live.

In 2014, I took photos of World Cup flags I saw in London, so I thought I would do the same in 2026 - here are World Cup flags in the Netherlands.

Amsterdam

Orange flags in Jordaan

Teeny-tiny Colombia flag

Small Turkey flag

Rotterdam

The Hague

Utrecht

The First Homosexuals, Kunstmuseum Basel

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 16:38:59 +0000

A few months ago, I visited beautiful Basel in Switzerland to see an exhibition at the Kunstmuseum Basel. The First Homosexuals has a provocative title, looking at art from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

This was a time when the terms homosexual and homosexuality were coined and became popular. Of course, people in that time period were not the first people to experience same-sex desire - but they were the first homosexuals.

The exhibition makes the point that the history of art is simultaneously a complete archive of the history of sexuality.

The accompanying booklet had 2 pages dedicated to a 'plain language' explanation and around 40 pages for academic and theoretical discussion. Sometimes I wonder (and wish) why the plain language cannot lead the way. All the academic theories in the world cannot fully comprehend the many ways queer lives are lived and people's fluid and varied sexualities.

So instead of getting bogged down in academic art-speak, I've chosen to focus here on the paintings that show early artistic depictions of queer couples.

Henrik and John

This painting depicts Hendrik Andersen (left), then aged 22, with American painter John Briggs Potter, aged 29. It's a very domestic and intimate scene, set in a house in Florence where they both lived with Hendrik's brother Andreas, who painted the painting in 1894.

Interior with Hendrik Andersen and John Briggs Potter in Florence, Andreas Andersen, Hendrik Andersen Museum, Rome via Wikimedia Commons

The Andersen brothers were born in Norway, moving to the United States as children. It's never possible to fully know, but this artwork is often described as the first publicly displayed painting of an unambiguously homosexual couple. Hendrik Andersen later met the author Henry James in 1899, and the two had a long relationship. You can read about this here.

Emilie and Marie

Emilie Mundt and Marie Luplau were an artist couple from Denmark who lived together in a home in Frederiksberg, a district of Copenhagen. This painting by Emilie dates from 1893, and shows Marie with her and Emilie’s daughter Carla as well as Marie’s father in the background. This is easily one of the earliest artistic depictions of a multigenerational queer family.

Malerinde og barn i atelieret, Emilie Mundt, Wikimedia Commons

Emilie and Marie were very involved in fighting for Danish women to have an artistic education, opening their own painting and drawing school for women. You can read more about Emilie and Marie here.

Jacques-Émile and Rafael

This self-portrait is from 1890. It’s by French artist Jacques-Émile Blanche with Spanish artist Rafael de Ocha y Madrazo, who is understood to be his partner. Jacques-Émile Blanche was a portrait painter, largely self-taught. He worked in Paris and London and summered at his family’s country home in Dieppe.

Self-Portrait with Raphael de Ochoa, 1890, Jacques-Émile Blanche, The Cleveland Museum of Art

Louise and Sarah

This painting by French artist Louise Abbéma depicts her with her lover, the renowned actress Sarah Bernhardt. Set during a boat trip in the Bois de Boulogne, this painting was donated to the Comédie-Française, accompanied by a letter stating that it was ‘Painted by Louise Abbéma on the anniversary of their love affair’. The swans in the painting are said to be a representation of their love, as swans mate for life.

Sarah Bernhardt and Louise Abbéma on the Lake in the Bois de Bologne, Louise Abbéma, Wikimedia Commons

The First Homosexuals exhibition was excellent, a real deep exploration of the topic with many beautiful and fascinating paintings.

This is an edition of my ace-museums newsletter, republished here on Blogger.

Overheard: Manchester

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 16:14:49 +0000

On a recent visit to Manchester, here is what I heard.

He's got no money, but going to t'South of France on holiday?
He really thought his effectiveness was gonna drag him through.
If you mention his name in any Italian restaurant in Manchester, they think he's a god.
He's gonna have to wait and see what happens with what's-his-face health-wise.
I did say to him, it would be nice if you come, at least I have someone in the car with me.
She's alright but her lips are a bit off... she's got a massive nose as well
We're on a hen do. The groom is French, so we're wearing berets.
Has she told her mum that she's told the police?
I was born in Manchester and I haven't been back since.

Overheard: Vienna

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 19 May 2026 05:23:05 +0000

I recently visited Vienna - my fifth time there. As it was Eurovision Song Contest season, I kept my ears open and overheard the following.

The lighting is on point, the drinks are very good.
You can fly very cheaply, and you can stay at my place!
He's good on the bass i'n't he? He's got his own sound, yeah.
So many people find her empowering!
Every time I drink and try to study, it doesn't work.
I prefer the Danube because I'm a water person.
Rudolf was very sensitive and intellectual.
I need to charge my phone, and then I can relax.
You look so fucking disappointed!
It's a bangarangadrama!
When all that was going on, I stayed out of it.

Statues of people with disabilities

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 13 May 2026 11:25:50 +0000

Changing trains recently at Šiauliai in Lithuania, I noticed something that I don't think I've seen a lot before.

On the platform, there is a statue of Stasys Nosys on a plinth, depicting his visible disability.

Stasys Nosys statue, Šiauliai

Stasys Nosys (1905-1976) was a strongman and bodybuilder. In 1926, he lost both of his legs in an accident. He continued his training and performed in circuses with feats of strength, like breaking stones apart with his fist or lifting up a truck.

There was false propaganda in the Soviet Union that there were no people with disabilities, and thus Stasys Nosys was prohibited from his circus work.

I then started thinking whether I had seen statues depicting people with disabilities.

Alison Lapper sculpture, Abxbay, Wikimedia Commons

I remembered the sculpture of Alison Lapper that was displayed on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square between 2005 and 2007 (and is in Venice in this photograph). Somehow, I didn't think of this as a 'commemorative' statue, as Alison Lapper is still alive.

Beethovenhaus, Bonn

I also thought of this statue of Beethoven, at the museum which now occupies his home in Bonn. His disability is not visible, but perhaps it is still present in the sculpture?

What other examples do you know of statues depicting people with disabilities?

Overheard: Basel

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 19:22:00 +0000

I recently visited beautiful Basel. On a beautifully sunny evening, people were by the Rhine reading, eating, drinking, playing sport - and talking. Here's some of what I heard.

The application is due tomorrow or in a year. So it's now or never.
Oh yeah, yeah, Chopin... I never played this, it's too hard.
When we have the conversation, they place me in the mid-30s.
I'd like to think it's got better than it was 10 years ago.
There's no buts, Trump's just an idiot!
I found a watch I really liked, but... guess what happened?!
She was so mean to him... He used to just come in and she'd be like, 'sup ugly?
Fishing is the most calming thing ever.

10 days* of talking with strangers - the Chit Chat Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 18:05:00 +0000

Rob Walker's The Art of Noticing is one of my favourite newsletters. It encourages us to look intently, ask questions, and observe the world around us. Now he has teamed up with the Iridescent Ordinary newsletter for the Chit Chat Challenge.

For the next 10 days, between 23 April and 2 May, the challenge is to have a conversation with a stranger - to say hello, to ask a question, to make a connection.

I'm no stranger to speaking to strangers in public. I did 3 projects where I approached people in London and asked them to draw maps (Draw the World, EuroRevision, crowdsourced continents). So, this seems like a fun challenge for me.

I'm going to add an update to this blog each day, reporting on what conversations I do or do not have. I'll be travelling for at least some of the days during this challenge, which should make for an interesting element.

Thursday

Soon after arriving in Basel, I walked along the promenade by the Rhine River, where there were lots of people enjoying a sunny evening. People were reading, having a drink, picnicking, listening to music, playing cards, drawing, playing table tennis. Some were even swimming. These were the kinds of activities that I did not want to interrupt. At one point, I sat on a bench next to a man who was reading. I was just about to ask him a question, until I noticed he was only three pages from the end of his book.

The chat:

I sat on a bench, and asked the guy sitting next to me where the border was. Across the river was Switzerland and were we in Germany now or still Switzerland? He explained that the border is a little bit further up the river and further away from the city. Then he gave me some recommendations about museums to visit in Basel and a bakery, where you can buy a coffee and a chocolate croissant. You can sit by the river, eating it and feel like a king!

Friday

As I looked around the Basel Historical Museum, a young French-speaking guy asked me a question about a model of the city. Answering his question, I pointed out an 800-year-old painting of the city.

The museum's labels are in German, so we spoke about which languages we could speak. When I mentioned Irish, he lit up, asking if I knew Peaky Blinders and the actor (Cillian Murphy). I replied that Cillian is from the same city as me and has the same surname - he could be my cousin. The guy then spoke about something from TikTok about Irish people meeting British people, standing with their hands by their sides and not wanting to shake hands with the queen. I've no idea what that is, if it's real, from Peaky Blinders or TikTok or what!

Saturday and Sunday - no chats :(

Monday

A small chat today. I was in a store. The two women working there were talking to each other in a language I didn't recognise. When I was paying, I asked (in German) what language she was speaking. 'German,' she replied, looking confused. 'Ah, with your colleague?' 'Oh, Hungarian'. Which is why I didn't recognise it! I paid and then said egészségére in Hungarian, one of the handful of words I know. (I thought it was thank you, but it's cheers) She smiled!

Tuesday

The closest I got to a chat today was to lend a pen to a train conductor who needed one.

Wednesday

I spoke to a couple while looking at a baroque altar in a museum. They encouraged me to read the interactive sign, but didn't speak a lot of English (and my German failed me in the moment), so not a very long chat.

Later, as I was checking out of my hotel, I noticed a small bag left hanging from a chair in the lobby. I pointed it out to the man working there, and he ran off to find the guest in the nearby train station. He came back a few minutes later, saying he'd found him. A productive and helpful chat :)

Thursday

A brief chat with a receptionist as I checked into a hotel. The desk she worked behind was very wide, and she was quite short - so we had a little chat about that, how she stepped out from behind the desk to help people.

Friday

A brief chat about a membership card I have, as I visited a museum. It has a sticker with yellow text on a silver background that makes it hard to read.

Saturday - nothing! :(

Observations

Today's digital technology means you don't need to ask people questions. The answer is seconds away. We can also have 'conversations' with groups of friends that are far away, at the touch of a button. We can send things we see to people who are maybe on the other side of the world, and enjoy their reactions. That's really cool in some ways, while also maybe taking us out of the moment, the time and place.

It struck me that you have to find the right moment to initiate a chat. And that I didn't really want to disturb someone and impose myself on them.

*maybe - let's see how I get on!

Random round-trip: Warsaw

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 13:38:00 +0000

By my third day on a recent trip to Warsaw, I had walked something like 40km. I was tired!

So, on a sunny Saturday, I bought myself an unlimited public transport ticket (for €3.50) and jumped on a few trams circling the city.

I sat and saw sights. Here's what I saw.

A four-piece brass band playing on a street corner
A small rowing team on the Vistula river, and a 7-lane highway on its banks
The National Stadium, built for the UEFA2012 men's football championship

Rows and rows of portaloos, set up for the 20th Warsaw Half Marathon taking place the next day.
A pharmacy named after hibiscus
A park surrounded by a bright pink wall
Two girls wearing sparkly lilac outfits, learning how to rollerblade
The Varso Tower, the tallest building in the EU

A man on a one-wheel skateboard speeding down a street
A shop called Donald and a cafe called Charlotte
Four bridal shops side by side: Destiny, Clara, Carmen and StarBrides
A small glider mounted on a pole outside an official building
A group of Pegasus statues (a flock, a herd?) [Read about them here]
A bright blue statue of the Virgin Mary
Hi neighbours!

70 years of Eurovision - new flag design

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 12:05:00 +0000

This year, Eurovision turns 70. So to mark this anniversary, I've made an update to my flags of Eurovision winners design.

I originally made this design as a bored-in-lockdown project in 2020, and I thought it was worthy of an update to mark the Contest's big birthday. I've now made two versions - one that keeps the circular, abstract design, based on flag colours, and one that is more flag-accurate.

Both are available on Redbubble, where the designs can be bought as prints or on t-shirts, stickers, notebooks, coasters, clocks, cushions, and lots more. It can be bought against a navy, grey or white background - leave a comment here if you would like another colour, as that can easily be added.

➡️➡️ Go to Redbubble to buy

My 2020 design is easily the best-selling item from my Redbubble store. I was delighted to see it recently in the profile picture of the new OGAE UK president John Bennett! Below you can also see some ideas how the design will look, thanks to Redbubble.

OGAE UK president John Bennett

Overheard: Kraków

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 04:19:00 +0000

While walking around Krakow for a few days, I heard the following snippets of chat.

Old Town Market Square in Kraków, Krzysztof Zgłobicki, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

I can't wear a green bag out, it's degrading!
Was there a contract amount awarded?
There is a core team in America, and we are like a support team.
I could probably do it, but I thought I better not.
I'm fresh now, I'm happy.
There will be a new president, it will change.
He's gonna be like the king, and I'm now your duke bitch!

European Kraków | Kraków europejski

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 07:07:00 +0000

I recently spent a few days in Kraków. As I walked around the city, admiring the sights, I noticed many links to different parts of Europe.

Almost as soon as I arrived, I could see and hear connections to other European countries. It started with tourists on the airport train, then retail stores from multinational brands. So far, so capitalist. And then, with my eyes open, I began to notice more cultural connections.

I heard people speaking Dutch, French, Greek, Italian, Spanish - and, of course, English and Polish. I remembered that Kraków was European Capital of Culture in the year 2000, a special year when eight other cities held that title.

Here is the list of what I noticed in European Kraków.

🔗🔗🔗

🇦🇹 Austria: a hotel chain called Vienna House. And a café called Cafe Hawelka, named after the coffee house in Vienna. The owner's father, Leopold Hawelka, was from Bohemia, now in the Czech Republic. 🇨🇿

🔗🔗🔗

🇧🇪 A painting by Polish artist Emil Schinangel depicting an organ grinder in Antwerp hangs in the National Museum in Kraków.

Antwerp organ-grinder, 1930, Emil Schinagel

🔗🔗🔗

🇩🇰 Flying Tiger Copenhagen, a store on many European shopping streets

🔗🔗🔗

🇫🇷 The French supermarket Carrefour is in many locations across the city. I saw a French language school, and a French boulangerie named Pierre.

🔗🔗🔗

🇩🇪 German retail chains: Rossmann, Mediamarkt and a performing arts theatre called Scena Berlin.

🔗🔗🔗

🇭🇺 A plaque in the Old Town commemorates how the people of Kraków helped with relief after the 1956 Hungarian Revolution.


Hungarian Revolution plaque in Kraków

🔗🔗🔗

🇮🇪 Irish tourists on the airport train, at least three Irish pubs with huge flags and shamrocks, and a poster for an Irish festival in honour of Saint Patrick's Day.

🔗🔗🔗

🇮🇹 Pasta and pizza ristoranti all over

🔗🔗🔗

🇵🇹 A store called Bom Dia selling now-ubiquitous pasteis de nata.

🔗🔗🔗

🇪🇸 A Spanish pop song playing in the main square, while people danced and cheered.

🔗🔗🔗

🇸🇪 A Swedish bakery called Svensson.

🔗🔗🔗

🇺🇦 A painting of beehives in Ukraine, and plenty of Ukrainian flags.

Ule na Ukraine, Jan Stanisławski, National Museum in Kraków

🔗🔗🔗

🇬🇧 Lots of lads lads lads on stag parties, and an exhibition about Banksy.

Galeria Krakowska

Kraków's main railway station - Kraków Główny - is located alongside a large shopping centre. As I was leaving to travel to my next destination, I noticed this large mural with European capital cities.

Seeking statues of women

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 01 Mar 2026 08:57:00 +0000

Considering women make up around half the population, there is a huge lack of women on statues.

In many towns and cities, it's often the case that there are very few women on statues. Or very few named women on statues, as it's often the case that statues with female forms are abstract or mythological figures.

I wrote about there being so few statues of women in cities and towns across Europe in 2019 for Europeana, and recently published a gallery showcasing images of women on statues. Perhaps in the six years since that first blog, things have gotten a little better.

Since writing that blog, my eyes are now very open to statues that commemorate women. I spot them, photograph them, and upload them to Wikimedia Commons. See here for all the photographs of statues I've shared.

Here are some examples from various countries.

Armenia

Austria

Belgium

Canada

Czechia

Germany

Hungary

The Netherlands

United Kingdom

19 instagrams celebrating cities' typography and type

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 09:23:00 +0000

Walking through a city, one of the things I enjoy most is simply seeing words: typography, signs, lettering in all its forms. As you move through the streets, it often feels like the city itself is talking to you.

For years now, I’ve been sharing my take on these on one of my Instagram accounts, posting stylised snippets of words, tiles, bricks and other details that catch my eye. They come from many different places as I travel, from Bulgaria to New York - though most often from Amsterdam or London.

I’ve started to wonder whether these kinds of signs and lettering form a 'personality type' for a city, a visual language shaped by history, design and everyday life.

Today, I am highlighting a selection of nineteen Instagram profiles that focus on typography found in cities around the world, each offering a take on how urban spaces speak through letters.

EDIT: Since sharing this post on Instagram, I've received lots more recommendations, so I've added them as a list below.

Amsterdam

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Amsterdam typography (@type_of_amsterdam)

Bari (Puglia)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Letters from Puglia (@letters_from_puglia)

Berlin

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Berlin Typography (@berlin.typography)

Birmingham

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Brum Numbers (@brumnumbers)

Brussels

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Brussels typographies (@brussels.typography)

Dublin

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by TypoDublin (@typodublin)

Edinburgh

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by EDINBURGH TYPOGRAPHY (@edinburghtypography)

Frankfurt

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Frankfurt Typografie (@frankfurt.typografie)

Istanbul

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Typofist (@typography_ist)

Krakow

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by typo.krakow (@typo.krakow)

London

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Type Of London (@typeoflondon)

Madrid

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Madridgrafía (@madridgrafia)

Marseille

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Typo de Marseille (@typodemarseille)

New York

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Letters of New York (@lettersofnewyork)

Nottingham

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Nott Your Type • Nottingham’s Vernacular Typography (@nottstype_)

Oslo

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by OsloType (@oslotype)

Rome

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by typefromrome (@typefromrome)

Rotterdam

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Rotterdam Street Type (@rotterdamstreettype)

Tokyo

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Tokyo Typo (@tokyo.typo)

Want some more? Here are some links to other accounts.

A sense of wplace

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 06 Feb 2026 19:29:00 +0000

Wplace is my new internet toy. I first read about it as a 'digital graffiti project' in this article by It's Nice That, and learned more in this ZDNet article.

Digital graffiti is the best way to describe the site to me: a huge world map that can be drawn on, pixel by pixel. Like 'real-world' graffiti, people can add anything anywhere, adding to or drawing over existing artworks.

There are lots of wonderful examples of pixel art scattered all around the globe - some very small, which probably took a few minutes to make, and some massive, which probably took weeks to make. And then anyone can come along and paint over it [technically it is against the rules, but, from reading reddit, the site has moderation 'issues'].

To add art, you start with a tiny amount of credits, which increase every 30 seconds. Eventually, after a lot of time using the site, you would have built up a lot of these credits, compound interest style.

Here is some very nice pixel art I've come across on wplace. There are lots of flags (national, regional, pride, community), lots of pop-cultural memes, football memorabilia, political slogans, nonsense brain rot, and actually excellent art - just like graffiti and street art. (The heart above is located in Algeria.)

This lighthouse is found on one of the Chastye Islands in the Sea of Okhotsk, far in the east of Russia.

This triangular rainbow lattice, along with a bunch of random cats, is located to the north of Dundee in Scotland.

A beautiful double-portrait, with various 'tarot cards' below is in the middle of the English Channel.

The whole world itself can be found in northern Brazil.

In Amsterdam, wplace artists have replicated Van Gogh and Vermeer, the city's houses and lots of other random stuff.

Mario (I think) and blue skies are somewhere off the coast of the north island in New Zealand.

There's a whole floating stadium in France, near the border with Switzerland.

There are lots of 'lines' on wplace - national, rainbow, pride and trans flags - connected different locations. This one, to the north of Corsica, has two cartoon figures too.

Overheard: Canary Wharf

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 28 Jan 2026 08:36:00 +0000

On a recent visit to London, I paid a visit to the Winter Lights festival in Canary Wharf. Among the shiny skyscrapers, bright lights and concrete surroundings, there were a variety of light artworks. I'm not sure what I make of light-art festivals - the art feels like an afterthought in some cases.

As I walked around Canary Wharf, I sometimes wondered if I was in an episode of Industry. And I overheard these:

They're gonna build another building here, see?
The risk is that I run into people from work
I did enjoy that semi promotion effect.
All they want is yer facking money innit.
I said to her, 'Do I have to keep pushing you like this? We'll give it one more chance.'
Is this part of your working week?
No matter what... that guy hates Arsenal!
They've just just gone off the grid, it's weird.

Peoplewatching on Flixbus

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 19 Jan 2026 19:29:00 +0000

Sometimes when I visit Belgium for the weekend and want to return to the Netherlands, I book a Flixbus from Brussels to Amsterdam. It takes just under 3 hours, about the same as a train, and is often much cheaper, and basically, it does the trick.

The buses leave from Brussel Noord station. This sounds simple enough, but in fact it's a big station with many exits and the buses actually leave from a street a few blocks away. (My main tip: leave yourself plenty of time to get there. It's all pretty easy once you get the hang of it, but the first few times can be confusing.)

Anyway, taking my own advice, I often arrive around an hour to 45 minutes early, just to be on the safe side.

And, in a way, it's kinda fascinating. I've seen:

Low-cost buses departing to all parts of Europe - to Amsterdam, to Bilbao, to Genoa (via Luxembourg, Strasbourg, Saarbrucken and Aosta) and Warsaw (via many German cities on the way).
With each bus pulling in, a small flurry of activity: where is it going, is it to X place or Y place, stopping at X? The Flixbus staff ask 'where are you going?' and greet regular passengers.
A real mix of people:

A middle-aged man with a suitcase, he looks like a businessman
A couple, probably in their 30s, the man holding all their luggage
A young man with his elderly grandfather, holding an old-fashioned suitcase
People loading their luggage - sometimes simple plastic shopping bags filled with stuff
A woman with bright red hair, wearing a large white fluffy hat with a bright red bow
A couple, and a mother-in-law
A lanky young Dutch guy returning after an EU event, phoning his mother to say how it went
A woman bringing a fried chicken takeaway on board
Sometimes whole families come along to travel themselves or to wave someone off.

I often wonder who everyone is, why they are going where they are going, why on a bus. Maybe some are young migrants, returning home via a cheap way, possibly the only way their low wages allow. Maybe they are scared of flying? An irony being that, all the while, huge planes are landing into Brussels Airport, low on their descent.

So many different stories, in just one hour. And, in my experience, when on board, everyone goes quiet, looking at their phones or falling asleep. Something we all have in common.

Exploring the 1901 and 1911 census of Ireland

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 03 Jan 2026 20:33:00 +0000

I recently came across the Irish Surnames Map by Barry Griffin. This website uses census data from the 1901 and 1911 censuses of Ireland and maps them across the island - showing where surnames and forenames are most located. Lots of interesting things to discover!

On that website, I learned there were only 6 people named Adrian living in Ireland in 1901. Not very many, but I suppose the name became more popular in the 20th century.

Exploring that website led me on to the actual census data websites, run by the National Archives of Ireland. This site includes the 1901 and 1911 census records, and you can search it right down to the individual or household level. I think I found records of my great-great-grandmother and great-grandfather and saw their handwriting (my surname is one of the most common, as were their forenames, so I'm not 100% sure).

You can also search the data by origin. Within Ireland, that means which county they are from. Outside Ireland, it means country.

Ireland is now a very multinational and multicultural country. There's often some kind of belief that this is all new, but these records show that people from outside Ireland have lived here for more than a century.

I find all manner of interesting records. Here are some highlights.

In 1911, 365 people were listed as being from Italy, just a small increase from the 243 in 1901. The most common surname was Forte. They have a variety of occupations, with those relating to ice-cream the most common, as well as scholars, various shop professions and organ grinders.
In both years, there are around 3,900 whose country is listed as Russia. The majority of these have names that are Jewish. More than 2,000 live in Dublin, with others in various other counties, including one person, Joseph Fine, living in Leitrim.
18-year-old Carlos Cornelia Nissen was listed as being from 'Buenous Ayres South America'. In 1911, he was living with his aunt Mary Sheehan in Cappamore and working as a postman. In fact, on both censuses, there were around 100 people listed as being from Buenos Aires (using a variety of spellings). For example, one family in Wexford have two children who were listed as being from 'Buenos Ayres'.
A Dutch classics and languages teacher living in Dublin. He was 52 and living with his wife, who was from Tyrone. I wonder how they met?
In Loughrea, County Galway, a convent of Carmelite Nuns included 23-year-old Diavolinda Ferreira, who was from Portugal.
A Greek electrical engineer living in Belfast: 29-year-old Panagos Koconis was from the island of Patmos and married to Catherine from Greenock in Scotland. Their son Emmanuel was one year old.
A 34-year-old German masseuse named Sinon in Blarney, Country Cork who was staying or working or living (census record isn't clear) at a 'hydrophatic establishment'. This establishment may well be the Saint Anne's Hydro and Turkish Baths, which were a popular spa resort in the area in the 1900s. The venue records about 90 different guests there on the night of the 1901 Census. The spa now seems to be mostly long gone (but what remains is a protected structure) but a recent article implies there is a plan to redevelop it.
Spanish Salvador Gomez was 18 years old and studying dentistry, and his compatriot Anthony Russo was 22 and studying medicine. In 1911, both were boarding with Sarah McSwiney from Kerry in Dublin, along with two others.
August Pedro Piloto is 24 and a farm servant. He is living in Loughgall, a small village in Armagh, and described as being from 'E Africa'.
Alvino Luja is 26 years old, a teacher of French and German from Luxembourg. In 1911, she was living in Dublin at a school, Dominican College Sion Hill. It is one of the oldest girls' secondary schools in Ireland, founded in 1836.

These are just 10 examples from the thousands, if not millions, of interesting stories found in the 1901 and 1911 census. Anyone can explore these census records online via the National Archives of Ireland.

Ireland's census history is patchy. After 1901 and 1911, the next scheduled census was 1921, but this was cancelled due to war. A census was held in 1926, the first after Irish independence. Now, 100 years later, the records from the 1926 census will be released in April of this year.

Overheard: Dublin

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 08:15:00 +0000

I was recently in Dublin and overheard these words.

She just stopped in the middle of the street and ate the head off me!
Ah howya Diego, how's it goin?
Thanks very much for the fifty euro, a lovely gift, very much appreciated, right!
You can take your pick of the popcorn boxes.
First time in Dublin? Any plans? Yes, lots of alcohol. Beer, whiskey.
My chin is going to fall onto the floor.

Overheard: Richmond & Ted Lasso pub

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 09:41:00 +0000

During a recent trip to London, I paid a visit to Richmond. While I was there, I thought to look around some Ted Lasso filming locations. The building which 'played' Ted's apartment now has a shop dedicated to Ted Lasso / AFC Richmond. I decided to have a drink at The Prince's Head, the exterior of which is The Crown & Anchor in the series.

The bar is a fairly typical English pub, serving food and drinks. The staff were friendly, in that English charming way. What I noticed most was a more-than-typical number of tourists visiting because of the Ted Lasso connection. And I love people watching and listening, so here's what I saw and heard.

3 boys wandering in but getting turfed out 'without mum and dad'
Two German men carefully asking how many millilitres are in a pint of beer
Two Americans deciding to split their meal - 'Sharing a fish and chips, are we boys?'
Two guys debating what 'other shows are actually on Apple TV...?' They agreed on The Morning Show with Rachel from Friends.
A family of five ordering their drinks, and then all instantly started looking at their phones
The bar was not full but busy, a steady stream of people coming in and leaving. A lot of debate from new people: Should we stand at the bar?

Overhead: Canterbury

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 28 Nov 2025 08:02:00 +0000

I recently went on a day-trip to Canterbury, and overheard these lines.

I recommend going up the back, it's a bit more spacious. That's a big word, isn't it, spacious!
I was in Home Bargains yesterday and there was a woman doing my head in.
It's a super-efficient flying machine!
Lasagne and chips? Oh yeah, it's delicious!
Typical English bombasticism!
I think they're so insipid, y'know nothing going on... whereas you and I are a bit more y'know.