Only an idiot would go for two days to Istanbul and hope to achieve anything- and so we did just that. It has to be said that our saving grace was having been to Istanbul before, and, on these occasions, having ticked off all the ‘cumbersome’ must-sees, the palaces, the mosques, the churches, the cisterns,…
A Good List Goes a Long Way: 2023 Edition
I realised that for reasons I can now hardly recall, I skipped the yearly lists at the end of last year-it may have been some sort of weird conviction that lists don’t matter- that it’s pointless to draw lines at the end of a year, and then make resolutions for the one to come. Admittedly,…
City of Liquid Gold: October in Prague
I find myself raiding local bookstores whenever I travel, even in countries where I don’t speak the language. Bookstores are a window into a country’s soul, and, with a bit of luck, you’ll find at least some English translations of local authors. (The availability, and language, of translations is also a good way to gauge…
Through the Storm, In Search of Light- Another September on Hydra
You go to Greece for the sunlight, you take it for granted, not just any light, any sunlight, but Greek light, Greek sunlight, the one which is purest, strongest, and immutable. There is an expression in French, probably invented for the Mediterranean weather of the French riviera, but I only ever associated it with Greek…
Baby, We’ll Be Fine: The Unexpected Joys of Seeing The National In Munich
It takes a special talent to go to Munich during the Oktoberfest, but not go TO the Oktoberfest. I plead guilty to it. In all truth, it’s not really, entirely, my doing. It all begins with the fact that I have a select few bands that I would like to see live at their own…
A Great Place To Be Lost In- Athens Diaries Continued
We arrived in Athens on a windy day, which sent my two randomly assigned fellow travelers into a bit of a state, as they don’t often fly, don’t really like it, and the bumpy descent was really not what they’d signed up for. They were in their early 70s, came equipped with lovely straw hats…
Through Our Lenses: Sziget 2023 Days 5&6
Caroline Polachek and Lorde, Monday, August 14, Main Stage The ladies have been bundled in together not only because they performed together Lorde’s Green Light, but because, even before the duet, the two shows seemed intriguingly interconnected, like two sides of the same coin. Musically, I would always go for Lorde. It recently dawned on…
Through Our Lenses: Sziget 2023 Days 3&4
TV Girl, Saturday, August 12, Freedome Stage There are two basic types of ‘concert epiphanies’ on Sziget: the one where you realise that you really enjoy listening to a band’s recordings, but they don’t really work live. And the one where you just stop by to listen to an artist you find underwhelming, or don’t…
Through Our Lenses: Sziget 2023 Days 1&2
Let’s begin with a disclaimer: the complex power dynamics of the Sziget photo pit results in only the apex predators being allowed in for pictures to most Main Stage headliners, with a few notable exceptions. As such, this coverage will not include concerts that we did enjoy, such as Florence and the Machine and Billie…
Marseille in Fumes of Pastis and Revolution
Untimeliness in putting the Marseille experience to paper (or, more precisely into a word editor which systematically objects to my choice of English spelling and reverts to the one it likes best) means that in the meantime, Marseille has been on the verge of obliteration by riots or bin fires several times- as a matter…
Pocket Diary Budapest 