I need little encouragement to run off to warmer climes in winter. But why Sri Lanka? As the years go by I get less and less keen on long-haul flights but Anne convinced me to go on an Exodus Travels tour of the island, and the more I read about Sri Lanka the more enthusiastic…
I’ve been thinking about 1982... down Memory Lane, along a tortuous, circuitous, cul-de-sac, but such is the way my mind seems to work. Bruce Taylor has written a biography of my former Spanish professor, Sir Peter Russell, who died in 2006. I’ve just reviewed it for the The Queen’s College website. Sir Peter, his pupil…
Here we are again... bashing out a review of our year with its ups and downs. It would have been a challenge to put all this on a card. There are some in-page links to posts made earlier in the year. Or you can skip to the end if we're boring you. If nothing else…
Our fourth and final night in Cirne/Kyrenia ended with a stroll round the harbour, then to "The George" (our temporary local) where we had the misfortune to watch England v Greece on TV. England lost 2-1 and were utterly useless. *** The next morning we took a dolmuş back to Lekoşa (i.e. north Nicosia), where…
You can never have too many holidays. Or perhaps you can? I'l ponder that fascinating question on another occasion. Be that as it may, we decided to take a short autumn break in Cyprus. I'd never been before, but I knew there was a lot to see and October seemed to be the best time…
To the happy few who have followed this blow-by-blow account of our Interrail adventures, I bring good tidings. This is the final instalment. There is light at the end of the tunnel. Monday 24 June (cont.) When we're away from home for more than two nights we like to choose a "local" in which to…
No Flixbus today Our first Italian train of this trip would be the 09:39 Frecciarossa (red arrow) from Trieste to Milan. Friday 21 June The first-class seats were comfortable, though when the brakes were applied it was a bit scary. The complimentary "meal" consisted of a stupid cardboard box containing two biscuits and a tiny…
After two nights in Zadar, an insanely early taxi for the 07:00 Flixbus to Ljubljana. Seven and a half hours' travel, including a wait at Zagreb for our connection, but such is life. Tuesday 18 June How lovely to see Zagreb bus station again - just enough time for a snack and a breakfast beer…
It was hot - well over 30c - when the Arta Line catamaran from Split docked at Hvar (the trip takes exactly an hour). The Pjaca, or Trg, one of the largest squares in Croatia, is surrounded by fine Venetian buildings and the Cathedral of Saint Stephen. There were plenty of souvenir shops and restaurants but…
Unlike Hungary, Croatia is a country we had already visited: in 2013 to the Istrian peninsula (Pula, Rovinj, Montovun, Beram, Poreč etc.), and in 1989, before the start of the Yugoslav Wars, to Dalmatia (Dubrovnik, Korčula and Split). Of course a sizeable chunk of Croatia's population has no memory of life in "Yugoslavia". Another thing…
The Wight Stuff 