It was criminally early on a spring Saturday, and we’d headed south across Europe above a cover of clouds. But as the plane made its descent, I could clearly discern the outline of Pisa, a bit upriver from the estuary of the Arno. We veered out above the sea to line up for landing, passing…
Tag: travelphotography
The City is a Labyrinth of Lives- Walks Through Istanbul, Part Two
Our long and arduous quest for nourishment, somewhat hyped in the first instalment, lasted a whole five minutes. Istanbul Modern rubs shoulders with the Galataport development- to be more precise, it is in fact a part of it, dominating one of its ends, alongside the Nusretiye Mosque situated across the same square. For a moment,…
Turkish Words for the Human Condition- Walks Through Istanbul, Part One
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,…
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…
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…
The Joy of Simple Things- Visiting Lupa Island
While I was definitely aware of their existence, neither the much advertised Lupa Beach nor the neighbouring Omszk lake ever seemed like particularly attractive propositions to me. No matter how I look at it, the idea of a lakeside premium beach, in which the premium basically stands for faking a seaside experience so you can…
(Almost) Stuck in Paradise- A Spring Visit to Hydra
I’ve recently given in to the demons, and I spend an inordinate amount of time on Instagram reels. The AI has learned, and it now knows the kind of little videos I’ll enjoy. Cats jumping and miscalculating the landing. Italians having breakdowns over incorrect pizza. Anything poking fun at Harry Maguire, the poor sod. And…
Follow the Little Owl- A Spring Visit to Athens
A little discouraged that the previous flat I had stayed in in Athens, on the edge of Exarcheia, was not available for our planned weekend, I set out to scour for alternative options, looking for a sign that would point me to the right direction. The sign showed itself in the form of a pun,…
Pocket Diary Budapest 