I pick up the story of my trip to Edinburgh on Sunday morning. Tom and I were going to see Ashley Storrie on Sunday afternoon. He had plans to meet someone around Sunday lunchtime; I had plans to try to catch up on a little sleep. However, the hostel was so noisy and I can’t… More EdFringe 2017 part 2
I wasn’t going to write this post because I was ashamed of how much stuff I took with me. I’m terrible at packing and I’ve never mastered the art of packing light. But come with me and see how atrocious it was. This is the bag I took with me. It’s my favourite Mountain Equipment… More Packing for Edinburgh
2017 is my third Fringe, although I did make two trips up there in 2013 – one scheduled and one spontaneous when FOMA got the better of me. Actually, I’d only been half-thinking about going this year (I was only working two days a week after two months of unemployment) but then in the pub… More EdFringe 2017 part 1
For the last decade or so, I’ve been a solo traveller. It’s not a lifestyle choice, it’s just the way things worked out and I’ve got so used to it that I can’t imagine travelling with someone else. This year I’ve done just that. In May I went caravanning in France with my sister. That’s… More One bear becomes two bears
Although I wrote this more than two weeks ago, today is the day that I’m coming home from my 2017 trip to Edinburgh. And what better August photoset than pictures from my previous trip?
It’s that time of month again – another trip back in time to my year as a student in Switzerland in 2005/2006. Today we’re going down to the shores of Lake Geneva. I’d found some caves in my guidebook, semi-secret ones and I wanted to depart at the crack of dawn to find them. Unfortunately,… More Chateau de Chillon
I’m a great believer in travelling with a knife and I have two. Opinel are a French manufacturer of relatively cheap but really good knives. Traditionally they have simple beech wood handles and they come in about a dozen styles. Most of them look pretty similar on the website so I assume the difference is… More Useful Travel Items: Opinel knives
In a week’s time I’ll be halfway through my 2017 trip to Edinburgh and Tom wants to go up Arthur’s Seat so let’s go back to my 2015 climb. Right in the heart of Edinburgh is a volcano. It’s an extinct volcano and it manifests itself in two places – Castle Rock and Arthur’s Seat. Castle Rock… More The Volcano Adventures: Arthur’s Seat
It’s August, it’s Edinburgh so first up in a series of special Edinburgh posts is Fringe 101, or “how to Edinburgh”. What is the Fringe? The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is a huge comedy festival. Well, strictly speaking it’s not just comedy – it’s theatre and dance and art and all things weird but the comedy part… More Fringe 101