Airlines have reputations and in Europe, the airline with the single worst reputation is Ryanair. If you’re fortunate enough to have never encountered Ryanair, it’s a low-cost low-frills airline of the lowest kind. To quote my boss’s disgruntled mum (to be fair, she’s disgruntled about everything and that’s putting it very politely), “we didn’t even get … More I flew on Ryanair for the first time!
Last year, I wrote a book. You might not know this because I don’t advertise it as heavily as maybe I should. I was inspired by TV’s Alexander Armstrong, who made a documentary series on ITV on a similar journey, Norway to Alaska via the Arctic, and then wrote (or possibly “wrote”) a tie-in book. … More I wrote a book: an update a year on
Yes, well done me for choosing a subject for which I have no pictures! But there’s a reason for that. Welcome to the second episode of The A-Z of Iceland: B for Bananas! These are not just any bananas, these are Icelandic bananas! If you go to Iceland you’ll hear almost as much about bananas … More The A-Z of Iceland: B for Bananas
Is this a post about my weekend in Glasgow in July or is it a post about traveller’s guilt? I don’t know. I went to Glasgow in July and although I did do some things, mostly I sat in my lovely flat, reading books and eating toast and lying in the bath. I don’t feel … More Me-time in Glasgow
When I first said that I planned a day trip by train out of Amsterdam, my sister was astonished. We were only going to be there five days, we wouldn’t have the time or the inclination to leave the city. I was adamant – I almost always take a day to see at least a … More A day out in Haarlem
In November I went to Amsterdam. I went with my sister and because – and only because – of her, we went to Anne Frank’s house. I wasn’t at all sure about that. For one thing, I’m not a museum sort of person. I’m just not. For another, I wasn’t at all convinced about the … More The Many Diaries of Anne Frank
Welcome to a new series for 2019, The A-Z of Iceland. These will be out every two weeks and will cover subjects from the truth of the Icelandic banana to abolished letters to sagas. We’re going to start with A for Álftavatn. Álftavatn is the second campsite on the Laugavegur Trail if you do the … More The A-Z of Iceland: A for Álftavatn
I went to Amsterdam in November. From the fact that it’s taken until January to start writing about it, you might not be surprised that Amsterdam and I didn’t get on all that well. If you’re into getting drunk and stoned and sampling the delights of the Red Light District, then this city is for … More The problem with Amsterdam…
Welcome to 2019 and welcome to the latest edition of my annual Two Bears Adventure series. This is Tom (also known as Tom Bear and, well, I am a polar bear, hence two bears). You may remember him from Two Bears in Swanage, Two Bears in Charmouth or Two Bears in Edinburgh. This year we … More A day at Lyme Regis: Tom & Julie’s Annual Adventure
I Am A Polar Bear 