Wednesday: Night Aerials

Well, I had a most special morning today.  Last week, I was at an event where I was introduced to someone who worked at the Croatian Academy of Arts and Sciences.  He invited me, and a colleague from the MFA who was also a former pupil of his, over to the Academy this morning for a cup of coffee and to have a look round.

It was amazing.  We were taken round the private art collection by an art historian who pointed out things I would never have noticed.  We were also shown the private rooms where the members of the academy spend their time - they actually have separate seating areas depending on whether you are a scientist, an architect, a historian, a musician etc.

The Secretary-General hosting us was a real gentleman  with a wonderful grizzly grey beard.  In the hour I spent with him the conversation meandered through Spanish Civil War poets - Charles Darwin - the Balkan War - the Vatican Council of the 19th Century - Croatian writers of the 1930s - Tito's partisans - the Cambridge Spies - and many other subjects.  I would just like to add that I was very much in listening mode - he was so interesting to listen to but also wore his learning so lightly that I didn't feel intimidated.

And I would just like to point out this is not the Academy - it is much more impressive than this, but I didn't get to take a photo there.  This is us out and about this evening with our visiting friends.

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