cmoorelife

Posts from the ‘Urban’ category

Sweaty and confused in Saigon

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This time last year I was stumbling jetlagged and bleary-eyed around the frantic streets of Ho Chi Minh city.

Whilst I love to walk in a city, I’ll never forget the death-defying road crossings through motorbike stampedes to get from the hotel near Tao Dan Park to the highest view point in town, the Bitexco Financial Tower.

Street cleaners in Tao Dan Park

Thankfully no motorbikes in Tao Dan Park!

I opted for the most expensive coffee in town so that I could sketch that great view of the Saigon River through the lazy afternoon smog.

How much is that coffee in the window?

I go misty over you

The Bitexco Tower from the Harmony Hotel breakfast room

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Tarragona, city of human towers

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The lovely city of Tarragona was one of the places the human towers originated. No human towers today, but I was lucky enough to get free entry to the 1st century roman tower, as the city celebrates Tarraco’s 17 years as a World Heritage Site.

Stunning views and just time for a quick sketch of the cathedral before descending through the throngs of roman re-enactors!

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House at the Black Madonna

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An avant-garde moment at the cubist, Grand Cafe Orient, Prague.

The cafe is on the second floor of the House at the Black Madonna. Originally built as a department store, it now hosts two gorgeous cafe’s, the Czech Cubism exhibition and the most stunning staircase.

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Brown nosers

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David Černý’s brown-nosers is hidden away in the back garden of the quirky Futura gallery in Prague. There is a special treat inside each bum-hole!

From backsides, onwards to Černý’s pulsating foam and metal embryo sculpture, which clings to a drainpipe in Stare Mesto. You can just see it throbbing in the dimness, across the square from the cosy Tricafe.

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A princely birthday 

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The urban sketchers are 10 years old this month. Today, in celebration, official groups around the world are sketching their cities, in a 24 hour ‘sketchwalk’.

Sadly there isn’t a group near Brighton, so I had my own, lone unofficial mini-crawl, starting in a damp Prince Albert Street.


I carried on the royal connection at George IV’s chinoiserie palace of debauchery, the Brighton Royal Pavilion. 


The ice rink is back for the winter. I’m sure Prinny would have thoroughly approved!

Definitely not a mosque

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