Nicola Beykirch Archives - Nicola Ann Art

Jan 16

by Nicola in Beach, Cities, London 0 comments tags: Bermondsey, London, Nicola Ann Art, Nicola Beykirch, River Thames, Tower Bridge

London’s “Riviera”

Mind the hissing swans at Tower Beach… Photographs captured by iPhone 8 whilst in Lockdown.

Aug 13

by Nicola in Nature, Sailing, Travel 0 comments tags: Adriatic Alternatives, Albania, Montenegro, Nicola Ann Art, Nicola Beykirch, Published article, Sailing Today, Sailing Today Magazine

‘Adriatic alternatives’ ARTICLE PUBLISHED BY SAILING TODAY MAGAZINE

ADRIACTIC ALTERNATIVES Nicola Beykirch works her way north from the Ionian Islands to explore Albania and Montenegro – two Balkan nations of contrasting allure Words & Photography By NICOLA BEYKIRCH Published By SAILING TODAY September 2020 Edition Regular readers of “Sailing Today” may recall from the April edition that Captain Barry and I had spent a couple of weeks exploring Greece’s Ionian Islands on “Bella Rose“, our Oyster 545. After that we decided to challenge ourselves by sailing up the Adriatic to Albania before concluding our latest voyage in Montenegro. Albania conjured up thoughts of isolation and mystery and appeared a bold place to visit, let alone sail. We relished the challenge, and so one August dawn we found ourselves setting sail from Erikoussa Island, northwest of Corfu, to commence our adventure. A sloppy sea and erratic winds over 50 miles transported us to Vlorë Habour, the only harbour in Albania that permitted foreign boats to check-in. We arranged a clearing agent who assisted us in tying up. He then grabbed our documents, hopped on his bicycle and sorted out the paperwork at the harbour office. We then sailed 6.5 miles to Marina Orikum, the only marina in Albania, where […]

Aug 11

by Nicola in Adventure, Nature, Sailing, Sunset 0 comments tags: Nicola Ann Art, Nicola Ann Beykirch, Nicola Beykirch, Oyster 545

Sailing from venice to croatia on Bella Rose, our oyster 545 yacht

Once Bella Rose, our Oyster 545 yacht, was fit for sail, after spending a week in Venice that included an exploration of the Dolomites and Lake Garda, we were finally free to hit the open sea. WELCOME BACK, SEA LEGS Upon completing the final checks, packing everything away and checking out of the marina office, we left Certosa Marina just before 11am on Monday morning. MAYDAY-MAYDAY! At the risk of repeating myself, if you value your boat, do not leave it for any length of time at Certosa Marina. We were not the only yacht owners that experienced heart-ship. Another avid reader of Sailing Today contacted me via my website after reading about our troubles in an article published by the magazine to empathise with our very long, agonising story. Please do contact me directly if you are considering berthing at the marina, and I will provide additional details about our ordeal. COULD I WANT FOR ANYTHING MORE? The moment we left Venice in our wake and only the sea greeted us from every direction, I felt an invigorating peace wash over me from head to toe. With the wind through my hair, sun warming my skin and water lapping at […]

Aug 10

by Nicola in Adventure, Cities, Nature, Travel 0 comments tags: MARINA CERTOSA, Nicola Ann Art, Nicola Beykirch, Social Distancing, The Dolomites, The Great Dolomites Road, Venice

LOST IN ITALY… VENICE, DOLOMITES & Lake Garda

Sadly, with the world in crisis, this year’s adventures didn’t go according to plan. After months of lockdown, and still feeling the sleepiness of the pandemic, we felt humbled being able to return to Venice, to sail Bella Rose to bluer waters. TO THE RESCUE, HERE I AM We’d left Bella Rose, our Oyster 545, at Marina Certosa in Venice for the winter. After experiencing endless issues and lack of action during her berth, we were desperate to return to the yacht, sort out as much as possible and leave soonest. Approaching the jetty at Certosa, a new restaurant loomed ahead. The owner had a Michelin Star restaurant on the mainland. It reminded me of a mini Ibiza, seating on the deck alongside the sea, bean bags and club music reverberated the moment we set foot onto the jetty. At night it turned into a sophisticated diner, music turned down and served simply delicious food, without any pretentious fuss. The best pizza had to be from Verde Pistacchio Pizzeria Sicilian, the tiny-mini-van at the far end of Certosa island. He did the perfect vegetarian without cheese, for us vegans and then we took our own ‘cheese’ the next few days, laughing at […]

Jul 20

by Nicola in Beach, Hiking, Nature, The United Kingdom 0 comments tags: Black Mountains, Brecon Beacons National Park, Cardigan Bay, Nicola Ann Art, Nicola Beykirch, Poppit Sands, The Cliff Hotel & Spa, The United Kingdom, Wales

Poppit Sands Beach, Cardigan bay and Brecon Beacons wales

While waiting for international borders to open, to be able to return to Venice to save Bella Rose, we embarked on a road trip to the recently opened Wales. As they say at home, “Local is Lekker!” From North London, we meandered through the Cotswolds, stopped for a picnic at Ross-on-Wye and then endured a stroll in bitterly cold rain along an almost deserted Poppit Sands, the highlight of our getaway. TOO COLD FOR A DIP Another blue flag bathing beach, Poppit Sands is a sandy beach on the west coast of Wales, dominated by sand dunes at the mouth of the Teifi Estuary. A couple of surfers braved the cold temperature and less than idyllic surf conditions. I didn’t dare stick my toe in the uninviting water. Nor did I take out my DSLR to capture the memories and only used my phone’s camera. Stopping off for hot chips, at a nearby chippie, provided the much-needed warmth. FIRST NIGHT OUT SINCE LOCKDOWN The Cliff Hotel & Spa is located on the coast of Cardigan Bay overlooking Poppit Sands and Cardigan Island. Due to COVID, the restaurant was closed and dinner was served inside the room. It felt as though […]

Jun 28

by Nicola in Beach, The United Kingdom 0 comments tags: Blue Flag Beach, Brightlingsea, Essex Sunshine Coast, Nicola Ann Art, Nicola Beykirch

Brightlingsea, Essex Sunshine Coast

We happened to be in Suffolk and decided at the last minute to venture to the sea. Brightlingsea happened to be the closest to where we were visiting. Situated between Colchester and Clacton-on-Sea, at the mouth of the River Colne, Brightlingsea is a coastal town in the Tendring district of Essex. COLOURFUL BEACH HUTS Its sandy beach runs along the Western Promenade next to Batemans Tower. Brightly painted beach huts border the promenade, providing an intimate walk close to the sea. Mind the sea spray when the weather turns vocal. Oh boy was it vocal! BLUE FLAG BEACH I’d never have guessed the beach is of Blue Flag status. Together with Dovercourt Bay, also a Blue Flag beach, and Brightlingsea are the two largest contributors to the tourist economy, which is worth, ‘£365 million a year to Tendring – £1 million per day – and this figure is on the rise from the previous year,’ stated Nigel Brown, Tendring District Council’s Communications Manager in 2018. IDYLIC RAMBLING Just beyond the beach, the seawall leads to picturesque walks amidst diverse flora and fauna, with plentiful birdlife, that flourish around this interesting corner of the Essex Sunshine Coast. Oh, and Winkies, around […]

Jun 06

by Nicola in London, The United Kingdom 0 comments tags: Berkeley Square, COVID-19, Crawling, Lockdown, London, Nicola Ann Art, Nicola Beykirch, Sophie Ryder

London easing out of lockdown…

It still felt as though the city was abandoned; a ghost town, never seen before in my lifetime. Mmm… The sound of silence. I could count the total number of people passed, social-distancing, of course, on both hands. From Regent’s Park, we headed to Great Portland Street, Oxford Circus, Marble Arch, Hyde Park, Mayfair, Maddox Gallery and Berkeley Square where I marvelled at “Crawling” by Sophie Ryder. ‘To me it encompasses so many emotions. The lady is strong and confident and she is moving along which makes one wonder “where is she going?” ‘She is a bronze that I scaled up from the maquette by eye from very small, straight to very large, which is a very difficult process as normally its done in several more stages than that. ‘I worked on it for a long time, 16 hours a day back in 1999. The first attempt collapsed on top of me in one big crash! I was a bit bruised and battered but learnt then that my structures needed to be better thought out. I had wasted a couple of months of work but gained years of experience. ‘Sculpture should adapt to its surroundings and be good from every […]

Jun 01

by Nicola in Sailing, Travel 0 comments tags: Croatia, Istria, Kotor, Montenegro, Nicola Ann Art, Nicola Beykirch, Sailing, Sailing Today

‘THE REST IS ISTRIA’ ARTICLE PUBLISHED BY SAILING TODAY MAGAZINE

THE REST IS ISTRIA Nicola Beykirch headed to Venice in search of a cheap winter berth and endured the hardship of sailing the length of the Croatian coast en route Words & Photography By NICOLA BEYKIRCH Published By SAILING TODAY Regular readers of Sailing Today will recall that Captain Barry and I had sailed Bella Rose, our Oyster 545, along the Mediterranean to Sicily, and then on to the Ionian Islands, before turning up the Adriatic to Albania and Montenegro before flying back for a two-week break in London. We now returned to the port of Kotor and Bella Rose, eager to resume our summer adventure by sailing north to Croatia before finishing in Venice. From the port of Kotor, after purchasing supplies, we motored into the sun at 7pm. Behind us, the peaks bathed in a lavender glow and we motored to the nearest customs port at Tivat for Barry to check out. Upon arrival in July, our clearing agent had arranged our cruising permit and said we could check out from any port after we had returned, with no need for another permit. I stayed on board for over an hour before Barry returned having been told that our cruising […]

May 17

by Nicola in Beach, The United Kingdom 0 comments tags: beach, English seaside, Essex, Leigh-on-Sea, Nicola Ann Art, Nicola Beykirch, Southend-on-Sea

Out of lockdown straight to Leigh-on-Sea

The moment the lockdown guidelines eased, we emerged from the North London suburbs and headed straight for Leigh-on-Sea. The sea! Someone said, “Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, is a town full of unique character and charm and is a must-see when visiting Southend-on-Sea.” The sea. Having grown up with the Indian Ocean at my toes, being near the sea is like home to me. I can’t quite put my finger or should that be toes? on it, but there’s something peculiarly different about the seaside along the coast from Bell Wharf Beach to Southend-On-Sea when compared to other English seaside towns. Could it be the… mmm… dense, sinking-mud? ALL ALONG THE SOUTH COASTAll along the south coast the sea is sort of there. The sun is sort of shining through a sort of salt-sea air. There’s a sort of “shall we” or “shan’t we”, a sort of “yes” or “no”, A sort of rolling up of trouser legs and a dipping of the toe. All along the south coast the day is sort of bright. At least it’s sort of brighter than it sort of is at night, A sort of “should we” or “could we”, a sort of “yes” or “no”. It […]

Apr 01

by Nicola in Sailing, Travel 0 comments tags: Greece, Ionian Islands, Ionian Sea, Mediterranean, Nicola Ann Art, Nicola Beykirch, Oyster 545 Yacht, Sailing, Sailing Today, Sicily

‘greece is the word’ article PUBLISHED BY SAILING TODAY MAGAZINE

GREECE IS THE WORD The magic of the Mediterranean is in the incredibly diverse cultures nestled on its shores. Nicola Beykirch charts a trip from Malta to the Ionian Islands via Sicily Words & Photography By NICOLA BEYKIRCH Published By SAILING TODAY I couldn’t believe a year had slipped by since ‘A Med Time Story’ and ‘Sailing Safari’, on Bella Rose, our 2017 Oyster 545. It took minutes to decide the outline of our summer sailing 2019 adventure, reinforcing how easy-going both Captain Barry and I are when it comes to exploring together. A true sail and trail team! How about we head from Malta to Sicily to the Ionian Islands to Montenegro to Croatia and then leave Bella Rose in Venice for the winter? Barry didn’t need to hold his breath for my answer. Finally, the day arrived. On a Saturday at 5:30 pm, we bid farewell to Valetta’s Grand Harbour, where Bella Rose had spent the winter. We motored into a blinding sun and 40-degree heat. Fifteen miles from shore the expansive rich blue sea and tranquillity greeted us in every direction: no buildings, no land in sight. The idyllic start to a journey! Soon after dinner of a […]

Mar 29

by Nicola in London, Nature, The United Kingdom 0 comments tags: Blue Bells, Hampstead, Hampstead Heath, London, nature, Nicola Ann Art, Nicola Beykirch

blue bells blooming early Hampstead Heath

The blue bells blooming early this year, due to the balmy weather, in Hampstead Heath during lockdown. A treat to see them each day, as long as they lasted, while ‘participating in one form of daily exercise outdoors’, as instructed by Boris. “Moments of solitude with Mother Nature is sunshine to a soul.” — Anthony Douglas Williams

Feb 29

by Nicola in Architecture, Cities, Travel 0 comments tags: Coronavirus, COVID-19, Nicola Ann Art, Nicola Beykirch, Pandemic, Venice

Coronavirus cuts short the Venice Carnival

25 JANUARY 2020 A gloomy yet invigorating weekend spent in Venice; busier than expected. 31 JANUARY 2020 Rome confirmed the first two cases of COVID-19. 23 FEBRUARY 2020 The Carnival of Venice was cancelled, result of Coronavirus, two days earlier than scheduled. 29 FEBRUARY 2020 Returned to Venice for another long weekend. NON-CONTACT THERMOMETER CHECKS I counted twenty people on the EasyJet flight. At Venice airport, before reaching passport control, medics checked each passenger’s temperature before permitting us to proceed. GHOST TOWN The carnival always marked the start of Venice’s peak tourist season. Sadly, this year the pandemic chased the revellers away leaving a ghost town in its wake. Surreal yet ingratiating, with most of the shops and restaurants closed. Police patrolled Piazza San Marco and guarded the tightly shut St Mark’s Basilica, museums and theatres. Almost redundant with only a handful of people scattered about. ETHREAL GRANDUER I relished the opportunity of getting up close and personal to the city’s ornate details without having to worry about stepping on anyone’s toes. ABSENT NON-CONTACT THERMOMETER CHECKS Returning to the UK, I counted sixteen people on the flight. At London Luton Airport, we freely entered with no medics to check our temperatures. […]

Jan 04

by Nicola in 4x4, Adventure, Beach, Off-Road, Sailing, Travel 0 comments tags: Anvil Bay, Dhow Sailing, Mozambique, Nicola Ann Art, Nicola Beykirch, Sailing, Santa Maria, Southern Africa Adventure

Unique Dhow Sailing Experience Mozambique

After settling in at Anvil Bay, we experienced a first sailing trip on a dhow at a nearby lake. Dhow sailing has been a traditional way of travelling around along the East African coast as early as 600AD. Anvil Bay collected their groceries, everything they didn’t grow themselves, from Santa Maria delivered by a dhow from Maputo. Through the Maputo Special Reserve and Machangulo Reserve for almost thirty kilometres, we explored villages, dune forests, mangrove swamps, freshwater lakes and coast before reaching Santa Maria Peninsula on the eastern side of Maputo Bay, near to Inhaca Island. The ‘berth’ place for dhows. Please Note: For copyright purposes, the resolution of each image below is considerably reduced. Dhow Sailing Experience at Anvil Bay The Sailing Dhows ‘berthed’ at Santa Maria

Jan 01

by Nicola in 4x4, Adventure, Beach, Nature, Off-Road, Travel 0 comments tags: Anvil Bay, Maputo Special Reserve, Mozambique, Nicola Ann Art, Nicola Beykirch, Southern Africa

Maputo To Anvil Bay Via MAPUTO SPECIAL RESERVE Mozambique

Early breakfast; early getaway. And direct to Maputo Special Reserve, through almost 1 500 km² of agrarian conservation to reach Anvil Bay, the private and exclusive barefoot beach camp. MAPUTO SPECIAL RESERVE Off-roading at its best, we had deflated the tyres and listened to the warning of the angry elephants at the entrance gate to the reserve. ‘They charge vehicles. Not mock, real, deadly charge. Drive forward or reverse as fast possible in opposite direction. They big business. Grande!’ The ranger widened his arms either side of him, reinforcing the “big”. Bring it on. Unfortunately, after spending over three hours exploring the reserve, okay, hunting down the unruly beasts. I’d only ever experienced a mock charge by an elephant. Tut! Now the thought of a real, deadly charge caused my amygdala to fire off every thrilling emotion. We never crossed their path. It was searingly hot, we resigned ourselves to accepting they took cover amid the thick bush, where vehicle tracks weren’t visible. Off-piste? No, respect the rules. The highlight was watching three jackals stalk four adults and two young wildebeest. They’d separated from the larger herd and ungainly tried escaping an ambush. The adults outsmarted the predators by keeping […]

Dec 30

by Nicola in 4x4, Cities, Travel 0 comments tags: Maputo, Mozambique, Nicola Ann Art, Nicola Beykirch, Peri-Peri, Polana Serena Hotel, Tofo Beach

Mozambique’s Tofo Beach to its capital Maputo

Early breakfast. Early departure. We drove from Tofo Beach, with a couple of stops en route, a total of seven hours, to Maputo. Through the main towns traffic jams, car accidents, wedding parties and livestock greeted us from every direction. Fortunately, the national asphalt roads were well maintained and drivers mostly behaved. Unlike when we first entered Mozambique. GRAND DAME BECKONS After checking into the palatial Grand Dame of African Hotels, known as the Polana Serena, we decided to leave the car behind and walk to Baixa, old town Maputo. Mozambique’s capital city, previously known as Lourenço Marques. After twenty minutes winding through the backstreets, we reached one of the wide main roads leading straight into the town. Suddenly it no longer felt safe and exciting. Many were finishing work and didn’t appear too pleased to see us, the only tourists as far as the eye could wander. FOOT DOWN “Let’s go back and get the car!” This time I put my foot down, defiantly insistent. Being enclosed within a vehicle made all the difference to feeling safer. Still, I felt on edge, keeping my wits about me even when in the car, ensuring the doors were locked and windows rolled […]