I was born in Glasgow in 1955. My parents, at that time, had no intention of moving. All their families and friends lived in Glasgow. But in 1959 Dad got a job in Surabaya, and off we went for a couple of years. It was the best thing that could have happened to me. By 1965 I’d lived for four years in Scotland, two in Indonesia and four in England. But apart from a short family holiday in Austria, I did not go abroad again until I was 16. That was a real eye-opener!

It might seem odd today, but I’d passed Spanish “A” level before I’d set foot in Spain. To see the Alhambra was the height of my ambitions. Then I got grants to study in Valencia and Coimbra and, excitingly, a year teaching in León. For the next 15 years it was Spain, Portugal, Italy, Ireland and Greece. Northern Europe was too expensive, Eastern Europe too risky and going to Asia and America too ambitious. Not that I am complaining. I enjoyed myself and I widened my horizons.

In 1990 I got married, and Anne and I started travelling further afield for our holidays. It was hugely enlightening to be able to visit countries like Cuba and Lebanon. Of course we were very fortunate to have been born at the right time and to have enough money to travel. And we have always had a great time, meeting friendly and interesting people wherever we went.

I’ve now seen (for example, and in no particular order)

The canals of Amsterdam, Bruges and Venice; the waterfronts of Copenhagen, Lisbon and Stockholm; the castles of Bodrum, Krak des Chevaliers, Heidelberg, Peyrepertuse and Saint Hilarion; Palmyra, Syracuse and Salamis; Grand Palace of Bangkok, Palais de Versailles, Palais des Papes, El Escorial; the amphitheatres of Rome, Pula, Mérida, Verona, Nîmes, Arles and El Djem; the monasteries of St Catherine in Sinai, Qadisha in Lebanon and Meteora in Greece; the beauty of Dubrovnik, Prague and Vienna; the chaos of Aswan, Fes and Varanassi; the Taj Mahal, Amer Fort and Lal Qila; the Ghetto of Cracow, the Killing Fields of Phnom Penh, Lenin’s Tomb; Hampi, Polonnaruwa and Angkor; Miletus, Didyma and Priene; the mosaics of Ravenna, Poreć and Cefalù; Kruger, Samburu and Serengeti; the Louvre, the Prado and the Uffizi; Garda, Maggiore and Como; Atitlán, Bled and Achensee; Tikal, Palenque and Chichen Itzá; Skara Brae, Carnac and Pech-Merle; Pompeii, Herculaneum and Ostia; Fort Jesus in Kenya, Salses in France and Galle in Sri Lanka; Boston and Vermont in the snow; the Pantheon (both Roman and Parisian versions) and the Parthenon in the sun; more ruins at Fatehpur Sikri, Volubilis and Famagusta; Greek temples at Agrigento, Egyptian temples on the Nile, Roman temples at Baalbek; Diocletian’s Palace at Split, Carcassone, Monemvasia; Basilica of Saint Nicholas at Bari, La Sagrada Família, the Eiffel Tower, the Pont du Gard, the Corinth canal and the bridge at Mostar; the Alhambra, the Giralda, the great mosques of Cordova, Kairouan and Damascus; Delphi, Mycenae, Vergina; the Buddha’s Tooth in Kandy, big Hindu temples in Madurai, small Hindu temples in Mamallapuram; the beaches of Goa, Diani and the Algarve; the restaurants of Bordeaux, Bologna and Bilbao; the cafés of Zadar, Zürich and Zakopane; Mount Teide, Table Mountain, the Matterhorn; the Doge’s Palace, Wawel Castle, Bran Castle; the churches of Lecce, Florence and Siena; Golden Roof of Innsbruck, Grand-Place of Brussels, salt mines of Wieliczka; Buda and Pest; Vienna’s Musikverein and Paris’s Opera Garnier; been snorkelling in the Maldives, camping in Spain, sailing and kayaking in France; horse-riding in South Africa, camel-riding in Egypt, elephant-riding on Ko Samui, birdwatching in Belize; seen lions, tigers and leopards; stingrays, dolphins and flying fish; traipsed about on islands including but not limited to Capri, Crete, Cuba, Korčula, Kos, Ko Tao, Hvar, Hydra, Lamu, Lanzarote, Majorca, Manda, Mull, Oléron, Orkney, Sicily, Zakynthos, Zanzibar… and even spent a few days on the Isle of Wight. 

Taking photos, more photos, and yet more bloody photos.

I could go on, and indeed I have

And there’s plenty left to see. I have never been to Canada, South America, Australia or New Zealand. Or Greenland or the Chagos Island. I have never even been to Northern Ireland, although that should be easy to put right. I have been to Tokyo and Hong Kong, but I was only six at the time. That would be an interesting return trip. I always thought I would go back to see more of Russia, but dictatorship and war got in the way.

***

I have been to Boston but not New York. In fact I have hardly seen anything of the USA, but I’m not contemplating that while the Orange Mussolini is in charge. I have, with sadness, assigned the US to the category of “detestable dictatorships”, along with Russia, China and North Korea. TBH, American culture has never floated my boat. What have the Americans ever done for us? I can live very happily without Mickey Mouse, a Budweiser or a Hershey Bar.

I do like a Fender Telecaster…

But seriously, it’s the gun culture, Bible bashing and aggressive policing which I find especially abhorrent. I despise bullying, especially when it is institutional. I’ve seen it at first hand in Franco’s Spain. I used to think that America was fundamentally sound, if not my favourite country. It had a constitution, elections, and checks and balances that no one man could ignore or destroy. It seems I am wrong. No doubt most Americans are kind and well meaning, but until there’s a change for the better at the top I wouldn’t set foot in the USA if you paid me. Until very recently I never believed that America would insult and threaten to abandon its allies – though anyone with any sense could see that Uncle Sam had always been an arrogant and hypocritical imperialist, and that the “special relationship” was a load of baloney.

We are off to Thailand in a few days

Of course I am looking forward to it, not least to get away from this tedious winter. We have been there once before and have had some memorable adventures in Asia. I like the food and I like the people. However I’m inclined to make these my last long-distance flights (though I wouldn’t bet against my being persuaded otherwise). The 12-hour journey, the faffing about at the airport, the jet-leg, the insurance premiums. Not much fun, even if it’s lovely when you get there. In truth I’ve seen enough temples, coral reefs and elephants to last a lifetime. So, mixed feelings.

If I have any say in the matter (which I probably don’t), as I move creakily into my 70s, it’ll be Europe First. Two memorable interrailing holidays have done nothing but increase my affection for life across the Channel.

Europe has its faults, but it’s pretty good

According to America’s mendacious leader, the UK and its European neighbours have gone to the dogs (so why are so many Americans keen to visit or even move here permanently?) Fake news man.

So, while I still have the energy for long-distance travel, it’ll be eastward not westward ho. And when that proves too difficult, I will be heading north to Scotland, or south to France on a ferry or a nice comfortable train.