Francisco G?lvez - 'Deep in time.'

Renowned local ceramicist Francisco G?lvez Marrun impresses in this, his latest, exhibition entitled "En el tiempo". Essentially pictorial and figurative, the work uses clay tiles and vases as support. The pieces have a dream-like quality to them, enhanced by the addition of scraps of poetry, Tibetan mantras and calligraphic elements both in an imagined language and in Japanese, synthesising the cultural plurality of the world we live in. The gallery space has long specialised in craft workers and designers and also has a shop worth checking out for gifts.

Wat Benchamabophit, Bangkok, Thailand

Brunch at Momoyama

Weekend brunch seems to be all the rage these days in Florence, and although you'd be hard pushed to find anything as good as what's available in Britain or the US, there are some interesting options on offer. Momoyama is a trendy Oltrarno restaurant that serves Japanese and 'inventive' food. Sunday brunch there is based on natural, healthy ingredients plus sushi. Hot and cold dishes are prepared using cereals, organic vegetables and fruit, tofu, seitan and other products, carefully sourced from small producers.

The Real Thing

One of Tom Stoppard's most critically acclaimed plays performed by a visiting British drama company. The story is reminiscent of many other representations of modern marriage: a man leaves one wife only to discover that this second isn't quite perfect either. But this being a Tom Stoppard, nothing is ever that simple. The hero is a playwright who has developed very rigid ideas about words and love, so there's much subtext about discerning what's real. Shanghai-based theatre group, Madmen and Fools, even throw in a three-course meal.

Bargelb

Cluttered with kitsch, this fun bar is the latest in a clutch of new venues to open in the southern part of Kreuzberg in Western Berlin. Decked out with plush sofas in the back and bar stools in the front, Bargelb has a laid-back and friendly atmosphere and is anything but serious. An upbeat soundtrack takes in everything from French retro pop and house to breakbeats and cheesy German standards. The kind of place where every one seems to feel at home, it is especially popular with a youngish gay and lesbian crowd.

Bosques Andinos - Southern Andes Woods

Tokyo Delve's Sushi Bar

There's raucous behaviour going on inside this nondescript restaurant. It's one of the most rowdy places in town and is packed nightly. Singing and dancing waiters vie with singing and dancing (and drunken) customers. It's small but the sushi is great and the service excellent. Play fun games like Spin the Wheel or Lucky Lamp where the music starts and lights flicker one at a time above each patron's head. When the music stops, the lit winner is given their meal free.

081129 San Sarturnino (151)

Football: Rayo Vallecano vs Athletic Bilbao

This is a clash of two mavericks, each unique in its own way. Humble hosts Rayo, always in the shadow of two bigger, richer neighbours have become the capital's second club in recent times, and will enjoy it while it lasts. Bilbao are proud never to have signed a non-Basque player, spurn football's money-spinning internationalisation and historically rank fourth in Spain. Both hold their heads high in an increasingly mercenary game. As the run-in approaches, both teams need the points, which could go either way. Commitment and luck will both count.

Summer Rites

(5 Aug) - Brockwell Park, SW2 (020 7278 0995)


Brixton tube/Herne Hill rail.




A burgeoning,
gay-oriented festival, taking in a funfair, bars, market stalls, loads
of live performances and disco tents run by top London clubs. At the
time of going to press, the organisers were still considering staging a
'straight' event on Sunday 6 August.

Bike Hire and Tours

Spring is a great time to explore the Tuscan countryside on a bike as it gets too hot in the summer. Florence by Bike is a company that not only rents out a huge range of bicycles (and scooters), but organises tours either with or without a guide. There are three itineraries which run from 28kms to 70kms and vary in difficulty. They can include stop-offs for wine tasting and lunch, and pass through some of the most beautiful countryside in Europe.

Gabriele D'Annunzio

'The man, the hero, the poet' is the lavish title of this show dedicated to the colourful life and career of writer and adventurer Gabriele D'Annunzio. The various sections of the exhibition recreate his library and his study, while original manuscripts document D'Annunzio's life and work, both object of incessant scandal at the time. For book-minded car lovers, the writer's splendid automobiles are on display elsewhere in the city, at Termini station and in the Galleria Sciarra Colonna.

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