Quite a bold statement, especially for someone who has a Finnish train-related chaos story and lived in Switzerland. I do like Swiss trains – somehow they’re almost invariably timed so that you can quickly get comfortably interchange everywhere, they’re clean, quiet, efficient and the tickets are easy – any given ticket is for a journey … More Why Finnish trains are the best
This was my third trip to Helsinki (if you don’t count the one evening I spent there before getting the train to the Arctic Circle via the train wash…) and I’ve already been over to Suomenlinna three times. The “castle of Finland” (or “of Sweden” if you use Finland’s other official language) is a more … More Taking the icebreaker to Suomenlinna – or is it?
The Rebel Badge Club’s February challenge badge was fairytale-themed and one of the clauses was to go skinny dipping, in brackets, legally. That clause caught my eye. I’ve spent enough time in Icelandic showers and German saunas that I can probably do that. But where? Go down to the sea on my own after dark? … More Skinny dipping in Helsinki: women’s day at Yrjönkatu
Two weeks in advance, a sunrise swim in a geothermal pool floating in the Baltic seemed like a beautiful idea. The night before, while ill with something unpleasant brought home from Brownies, the idea of setting an alarm for 7am while on holiday and walking the kilometre and a half through Helsinki at somewhere around … More A sunrise swim at Allas Sea Pool at -12⁰
A couple of weeks ago I ran into Esme (Creator Collective aka official content creator for Girlguiding; Brownie leader; Our Chalet volunteer; future Chief Guide probably) at Girlguiding HQ while buying Ranger badges. She’s one of a very small number of people I know in real life who also knows about my secret online life … More I celebrated 100 years of World Thinking Day six times
This is something that came up last week when Brogan Tate didn’t think to take off her silver bracelets before getting in a sulphur bath in Tbilisi (one I haven’t been to and is on my list for my return trip, so I’m kind of jealous!). The minerals in the water blackened them, as they … More My silver jewellery turned black in the Blue Lagoon! What do I do?
Reynisfjara is known better to tourists as “the black sand beach”, although almost all beaches in Iceland have black sand. It’s therefore confusing, potentially misleading and it’s just plain rude. You wouldn’t come to England and talk about going to “the big yellow clock tower” or go to the US and talk about your visit … More Reynisfjara has been washed away. Now what?
And so do you! One of my favourite things to do in London, if time and events align, is to take the DLR out to Stratford, get hopelessly lost around Westfield and eventually wash up at the London Aquatics Centre, aka the purpose-built swimming and diving facility from the 2012 Olympics. These days, it’s just … More I, an ordinary person, get to swim in an Olympic pool
I think my old favourite small-space-for-a-small-price in London has been ousted but one of my favourite places to stay in London in the last few years has been Snoozebox Olympic Park, a hotel of very compact rooms made out of shipping containers. By London standards, it’s a pretty good price, especially considering you get your … More Sleeping in a shipping container: Snoozebox London
I did this back in May and this is the winter version: what I do between work finishing at 5pm and starting again the next morning at 9am. The summer version had a festival and kayaking and camping and archery and a trip to London. No watersports or festivals in January, alas. A proper 5-9 … More How I use my 5-9: January 2026 edition
I Am A Polar Bear 