Our next stop was to see  the 'Ollantaytambo ruins, a massive Inca fortress with large stone terraces on a hillside. Major sites within the complex include the huge Sun Temple and the Princess Baths fountain. The village's old town is an Inca-era grid of cobblestoned streets'
The stepped landscape no longer had crops on it but was still impressive. Many members of the group decided to climb to the top to see the view, but Sue and I explored the grounds around the site. In the far hill the granary storehouses, built such a long time ago, seemed almost inaccessible. 

Leaving the ruins, we went into the town to wait for the coach. Fortunately, we were entertained by local children practicing for a coming festival, although it meant the coach had difficult parking.

Leaving on our coach for Cusco, we stopped after a while for a last view of the sacred valley. 
​Arriving in Cusco, our guide showed us around the town, where we enjoyed the views of this pretty town.

Walking around, we were warned about the effects of being at this altitude, and to take everything easy. This was alright in the day but the lack of oxygen really hit me in the evening, so it was an early night, after another interesting day.

Today was the day we had been waiting for as we were going to Machu Picchu, the first reason for going on this adventure.
The day started with catching the train to Aguas Calientes, where we made a new friend. From here we would get the bus up to the ancient site. An interesting little town and we even met a resident from Peru as we sat having a snack on a bench.
​After a walk around the town and panicking a little when we saw the queue for the buses, we sat down with the group for a meal. Coming out of the restaurant, we arrived at our allotted time and were pleased to see that the queue wasn't too bad. We were soon on our way.

Arriving at the site, we were met by our local guide and stood at first in awe of the landscape in front of us. The idea that all this had been constructed on top of this mountain was incredible, and the fact that all the lower hillside contained further structures that were still overgrown certainly made you think. Also impressive was the way the large stone blocks that made up the structures fitted so perfectly together. 

We spent a few hours exploring the site with the guide explaining about its history. Without being there it is impossible to explain the awe that visitors feel, and we left feeling that all the long journey to get here had been worthwhile.
​Our special guest that Sue had brought certainly enjoyed the visit as well.

 Another long day with an early start and flight to Cuzco ready to start the next leg of our journey.
Our first visit was to Sacsayhuaman or as the guide described it Sexy Woman, where we saw the remains of a large Inca fortress. This proved to be a short stop before we continued onwards.
The large stones fitting together were very impressive but reading about this huge site later, it seemed a shame that we only saw a limited amount of the area.

The next part of our journey was to the Sacred Valley, stopping on the way at a viewpoint overlooking the valley. Not knowing what to expect, we were surprised that it was mainly farmland, but thinking about it we could see why it was special. Here was an ideal farming area protected all around by the mountains, an ideal place for people to settle. The Incas thought that this valley was blessed by the gods and looking at the amount of produce cultivated still in the area, it still was!

Our stay here was also to be our starting point for the first major visit of our tour!

Full of trepidation and with a big dose of excitement, we set off to Heathrow to get our flights to Lima. After roughly 28 hours, we finally arrived tired and hungry as Latam Airlines mainly only offered cheese dishes for the meal options, and we survived on snacks for subsidence. We stayed in Miraflores for two nights before starting off on our adventure around the continent. 
Our first walk was down to the sea,  where we found a nice park with sculptures and a kind of Goudi inspired type of seating area with murals on the benches. Returning the next day, we admired the surfers riding the waves and took note of the various sculptures around the area.
The other highlight near the hotel was the John F Kennedy park where local artists sold their artwork. and more sculptures. It was also the home to a colony of cats with a range of interesting houses for them.

In the afternoon we set off for a tour of the city centre. Unfortunately, it was a religious day and the traffic was backed up, meaning we took over an hour to reach the centre. Having caught a glimpse of the procession in the distance we finally managed to get off the coach to visit the impressive Cathedral and see the Palace .

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Our final visit was to Basilica and Convent of Santo Domingo where we first entered this historic library and then we travelled to the national museum where we viewed hundreds of pots collected from local sites and a display of gold headdresses and jewelry from the past.

A fascinating afternoon although very tiring due to the delay getting into and back from the centre with the congested traffic. Once back in our room I did get a chance to capture a few images of fellow travellers to work on later in the holiday.

On our recent visit to Prague, we spent the first day exploring the city and to our surprise when wandering down a side street we spotted a sculpture, and decided to investigate.
It turned out to be in the grounds of this convent and as we explored we found several more by the artists listed. This find was completely unexpected as we were using this day to find all the recommended sites and just acclimatize to the town.

There were benches, chairs and even sun loungers scattered around for visitors to sit on and enjoy the gardens.
We also spotted a unique play house for children. 
​ We finished our visit at the cafe for a drink and everyone's holiday favourite, an ice cream!

We did find many of the must see buildings as well though. All very impressive, although, we had seen more interesting moving clocks in other towns on our journeys.

It was a shame that Wenceslas Square, the main square in the New Town, had construction going on and it seemed  like we were  walking through  building site!
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​A tiring day but full of surprises and even a dumpling meal in the evening!

We always enjoy a chance to explore an area with a themed walk. In this case it was music themed with 88 guitars and installations around Manchester city centre.  These had been donated by well-known artists including Oasis, Elbow, Doves and many more.
Starting off from Deansgate train station, we proceeded down Deansgate, using an app our daughter had downloaded where we found our first guitar. Here we also picked up a leaflet with a map to help us if needed. Our daughter was the navigator as we followed her down the side streets to King street, where there were several decorated guitars in shop windows as well as two sets strung up across the street. 
After lunch, we continued on to Piccadilly Gardens and then past Affleck's Palace towards the Craft and Design centre, where we stopped for a drink. Starting back towards Piccadilly we stopped at Fred Aldous where we collected our final sighting before deciding to have a meal and return home.

An interesting afternoon on a busy Saturday, we managed to collect several from the list in this four hour walk around the area. 
From the 5-7th September they will all be on show at The Peoples' Museum and after that they will be auctioned off on the 12th September for the charity Forever Manchester that supports community activities around Greater Manchester.

​The cruise proved to be one of the most relaxing holidays we have ever been on. In the evenings, early twilight, we sat watching the mountains on both sides as we cruised down the fjords. The evening skies were a delight. Norway certainly lived up to its reputation as the 'land of the midnight sun' as these sunsets show.

​On sea days, whilst sitting in one of the cafes, I did manage to do a few digital drawings of some of the passengers enjoying a quiet break. 

​In future we hope to venture further North, and pass through the Artic circle, having enjoyed this first taste of the area.

Recently, I have become aware of a couple of items that made me realize that I started my artistic journey nearly fifty years ago. On a newsfeed I saw that a local school was using one of my early paintings as a teaching resource, and I also saw that some of my early cityscapes were coming up for auction. 

Over the years, being an artist from Salford, I have often been asked by researchers, publicists etc. to comment about L. S. Lowry and at times how my work relates to his. I never really thought deeply about this until recently when I was asked to give a talk about my paintings to the art club.
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Before I began my talk, the organizer introduced me and talked about my links to Lowry and his artwork. Afterwards, he gave me his notes and now a couple of months later, having thought about it, I decided to make this video which sums up my feelings.

#paintermans first encounter with #abstracto and #splatterman

Introduction
 
Many years ago a dark force arose threatening to destroy all traditional art  and replace it with only modern artwork. A hero was chosen by the Brush of Ages and Miles Palmer became the first Painterman. Having defeated his enemies order was restored and art continued to embrace all styles. Miles returned to his former life and  the memories of this time were forgotten.
With a new danger coming a new Hero is needed!
 
Real Name: Paul Robert Waterhouse
Alias: Painterman
Affiliation: The Keepers of the Canvas
Base of Operations: The Old Gallery, hidden beneath Manchester’s Northern Quarter
Origin Story:
Born in Salford, Paul Waterhouse grew up surrounded by the gritty charm of Lowry’s industrial landscapes. Inspired by the works of L.S. Lowry, Impressionist masters, and the bold modernism of David Hockney, Miles developed a reverence for traditional art from an early age.
As an art restorer working in the archives at Salford Museum and Art Gallery,  he uncovered a forgotten canvas containing a shimmering, ancient brush—The Brush of Ages. When he touched it, something changed. The paint surged into his veins, awakening a power that connected him to the spirit of all great artists.
Haunted by visions of a future overrun by soulless digital art and cultural decay, Paul took on a new identity: Painterman, protector of artistic tradition and creativity itself.

Signature Equipment:
🖌️ The Brush of Ages
A legendary brush imbued with the essence of the great painters. Painterman uses it to:
Animate Classic Art – Summoning living figures and scenes from famous works
Paint Constructs – Creating bridges, weapons, or shelters out of raw brushstrokes
Undo Damage – Restoring damaged structures, art, or even memories
🎨 Utility Belt of Chromatic Canisters
A custom-made belt lined with small, enchanted paint canisters, each with a unique effect:
Crimson Bolt – Red energy that blasts through barriers
Cerulean Shield – A defensive mist of calming blue
Verdant Vine – Green tendrils that grow and entangle enemies
Golden Glaze – Reveals hidden truth or forgery
Monochrome Mist – Temporarily silences digital interference with grayscale fog
Each canister can be snapped into the Brush of Ages for enhanced power or thrown like a flash capsule for instant effect.

🛡️ The Palette Shield
Strapped to his left forearm is The Palette Shield, a sturdy, curved painter’s palette made of enchanted wood and tempered glass.
Physical Defense – As strong as steel, able to deflect attacks
Chromatic Reflection – Can absorb a colour-based attack and reflect it back
Blend Mode – When spun, creates a whirling blur of colour that confuses enemies and hides his movements
Portable Canvas – Can be painted on directly with the Brush of Ages to create quick sketches that come to life

Powers and Abilities:
Brushstroke Animation – Summon and manipulate painted life
Impressionist Blur – Evade danger by smearing reality itself
Restoration Aura – Heal, preserve, or stabilize damaged people or places
Chromatic Combat – Tactical use of colour-themed paint canisters
Shieldmaster – Skilled with the Palette Shield in both defense and creative offense

Mission:
In a world overrun by mass-produced AI-generated images, visual noise, and soulless reproductions, Painterman fights to preserve the spirit of human creativity. His enemies include:
Abstracto, who hates all traditional art and leads a gang of similar villains
Splatterman, who admires Jackson Pollock and throws paint on traditional artwork.
M’Lady Monochrome, Dislikes colourful artwork and changes it to Black and White.
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Painterman doesn’t reject modernity—he believes new art must grow from old roots. His mission is not only to protect the masterpieces of the past, but to inspire a new generation to learn from them.

Painterman battles those who threaten art’s soul. Whether it's the leader Abstracto, Splatterman or M’Lady Monochrome.
                     Painterman fights to remind the world that art is history, emotion, and identity.