It took me a little while to realise how colourful Kyiv is. There’s plenty of big heavy Soviet architecture, plenty of brick and granite and stone and of course, the golden domes, but there’s also a lot of colour, so here are some examples of the colours of Kyiv. Even Kyiv’s logo wants you to … More Photoset: the colours of Kyiv
Last week I went to Ukraine and while I tried to read & be prepared, there was still plenty that threw me. So here is my Beginner’s Guide to Ukraine. Arrival – paperwork I knew that as a UK resident, I didn’t need a visa but then I arrived at the airport and found a … More Beginner’s Guide to Ukraine
I went on my first school trip abroad in 1998. We live on the south coast of England – and when I say “on the south coast”, I literally mean that half of us lived closer to the ferry than to the school and when we got to France, it was the same thing with … More My first school trip abroad
If you read my Chernobyl part 1 blog, you’ll know a little about the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone and its background. If you didn’t, go & read it before you carry on with this one. Short primer: 32 years ago, its nuclear reactor exploded. Consequences were as bad as you might expect. Tourists can now go … More A day in the radiation zone: Chernobyl, part 2
This time last week I was falling asleep at work because I only got home from Ukraine in the early hours of Monday morning. And one of the things I did while I was over there was a day trip into the Chernobyl radiation zone. If the name Chernobyl doesn’t mean much to you, it … More A day in the radiation zone: Chernobyl, part 1
You wouldn’t believe how many times I’ve tried and failed to write this post. How hard can it be to tell you about Myvatn Nature Baths, my favourite (one of my favourite?) spa in Iceland? Myvatn Nature Baths is a geothermal spa up in the north east of Iceland. It’s a major tourist hotspot for … More I love Myvatn Nature Baths
Wednesday is Halloween so let’s go back to Halloween four years ago. I was in Rovaniemi, in northern Finland. I’d spent the day in town, wandering along the river because everything was blue and white and silver and frozen and yes, I nearly died of hypothermia. Although in hindsight, having survived a white-out blizzard in … More Fortune telling in Finland
Back in 2002, I went on a school trip to Russia. I’ve written about part 1 (Moscow) here and part 2 (St Petersburg) here – but there’s more! Earlier in the year, I rediscovered a stack of boxes under my bed, containing assorted precious things from my schooldays, mostly. If I’d stopped to think about … More Documenting Russia 2002
Here are 10 things you need to know about Iceland before you go: tips for surviving the climate, making the most of your holiday and most importantly, not being an inconsiderate tourist leaving permanent damage behind. 1) Do not tread on the moss. No, never. Especially not for that Insta-perfect shot. That moss will take … More 10 Things You Need To Know About Iceland Before You Go
About this time last year, I bought an Osprey Farpoint 40, every travel blogger’s favourite backpack. I bought it because I didn’t really have a good-ish bag for shorter trips, that could be easily and conveniently transported, and also because I saw far too many people raving about it for a really long time. So. … More Review: every travel blogger’s favourite backpack
I Am A Polar Bear 