This series is a collection of my immediate thoughts on what I saw and lived through in Italy, where I moved for work in September 2025. Sometimes it's diary entries, sometimes it's poetry, sometimes just runts about everything and nothing. Enjoy.
I originally posted the logs in form of stories on my Instagram, but gave up on it because I am bored with social media. From LOG 83 onwards the series will continue exclusively on this blog.
Missed Logs 71-79? Read them here. ;)
LOG 80
On Sunday, my flatmate and I took advantage of the ‘1st-Sunday-of-the-month-free-entry’ offer to explore museums and galleries in Milan.
After a discussion, we decided to go to GAM – Galleria d’Arte Moderna, hoping that it would not be as packed as all the other, more famous places in Milan.
The gallery is in a 18th century neoclassicist villa and holds a collection of Italian 19th century art and a temporary exhibition. Only the first exhibition is free for us to visit and we enter the world of portraits, landscapes and still-lifes from authors whose names I’ve mostly never heard of.
2-11-2025 Milan
LOG 81
As we are walking through the exhibition I notice that these 19th century portraitists have a way with painting photorealistic eyes. Some of the portraits are hard to look away from because of how alive their eyes look.
Then I enter another room, full of landscapes and I freeze in front of one of them.
I smirk.
So this is how the main character in my novel is going to escape from his imprisonment.
Thanks, art, for the endless inspiration.
2-11-2025 Milan
LOG 82
When we get back to the entry hall of the gallery, it’s raining outside. There is a huge queue of people in front of the entrance to the museum and we figure that it will be the same in all of them given the weather.
We decide to head home for the day.
I can’t get over how much inspiration can one visit to a museum or a new city give to an artist. It feels like nothing in life is a coincidence. Like I am always exactly where I am supposed to be exactly at the right moment.
2-11-2025 Milan
Photos from 2nd November from GAM – Galleria d’Arte Moderna in Milan:
LOG 83
Coming back to work after a full two-day weekend is tough.
First my microphone doesn’t work so my lesson starts forty minutes later and then I totally get tangled in a grammar point that my student brought as homework for school.
Maybe I shouldn’t have a two-day weekend afterall. It’s hard to switch my brain on after.
3-11-2025 Undisclosed town near Bergamo
LOG 84
Only a week after I visited Brescia for the first time, we are back with my friend from Milan. We are walking through the city, chatting and eventually we get to Castello di Brescia, Brescia Castle, which sits on a hill above the city.
The fortified castle complex is much larger than it seemed from the below. The round towers give us a beautiful view of the city and its surroundings and for a moment we are debating what it would be like to live in a city like this.
We both like Brescia.
It takes us half an hour just to walk around the complex and we are thinking about going to see the exposition of weapons, but after seeing the price we decide against it.
Only later do we realize that it was the price for four museums in Brescia and its duration is half a year.
9-11-2025 Brescia
LOG 85
After lunch, we are sitting by the fountain at Piazza Paolo VI. and resting. There is a musician near us, playing a saxophone and the sun is shining unusually strong for November.
Words are no longer needed.
9-11-2025 Brescia
LOG 86
We’re heading to another part of the city and reach the ruins of an ancient temple – Tempio Capitolino. The little square is dominated by three corinthian columns with a tympanum and there are ruins of a Roman temple hidden behind it.
If we had more time, or bought that joint ticket we could have visited the temple and museum, but we already missed that opportunity for today. I will be back to explore it.
Thoroughly.
9-11-2025 Brescia
LOG 87
I am looking at the pen in my hand in disbelief.
I bought it nine days ago and I was super happy to have a comfy pen to write with.
….
It’s done.
Finished.
I need a new one.
Since when do pens run out after 9 days?
Are four pages a day too much for one pen?
13-11-2025 Undisclosed town near Bergamo
LOG 88
It’s seven forty-five in the evening. I say goodbye to my favourite student and start getting ready to leave work.
Suddenly I hear someone singing ‘Happy Birthday.’
The door to my classroom opens and my flatmate and my colleague walk in with a cake with candles.
They tell me to wish for something, but the only thing I can think of, as I am blowing out the candles, is a short expression of gratitude to whoever is listening.
My colleagues are the sweetest.
xx-11-2025 Undisclosed town near Bergamo
Photos from 9th November in Brescia:
More photos in HQ in Italy through my lens: Lombardy and Veneto.
