For the last nearly-week, I’ve been asked that question many times, by friends, family, colleagues & people who fit in multiple categories. And I don’t really know how to answer. You’re supposed to enjoy all your travels and holidays unconditionally, especially if you’re going to write two month’s worth of blog posts about them. But … More “How was Iceland?”
I’ve talked a lot about the time I got on the wrong train in Finland and went through the train wash. And I’ve talked about my Romanian train accident too but not recently. In June 2009, I went to Bucharest. It was hot. It was chaotic. It was difficult to get train tickets out of … More An unplanned day in Transylvania
Snæfellsnes is a relatively quiet and peaceful part of Iceland. Every first-time tourist does the Blue Lagoon and the Golden Circle and a good proportion of them go along the south coast. But it’s a long day trip to do from Reykjavik so Snæfellsnes tends to be the preserve of the slightly more hardened tourist. I … More Photoset: Snæfellsnes
I love Iceland with all my heart and soul but there’s no way to say this without sounding like a hipster: I loved it before it was popular. Not because I wanted it all to myself (although I do!) but because Iceland is too small and too fragile to cope with the volumes of visitors, … More It’s now official: tourism is killing Iceland
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
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
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
I Am A Polar Bear 