“Don’t step on the moss. It soaks up radioactivity” Nikolai warned us, using his Geiger counter to demonstrate the effect. It beeped obediently. As our local guide in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, his job was to keep us safe from … Continue reading Chernobyl: the Power of Nature
If there is one place that captures the essence of Kaliningrad, it is the Museum of Marzipan. Formerly the German city of Königsberg, home of philosopher Immanuel Kant, later a Soviet port closed to visitors, Kaliningrad is now a Russian … Continue reading Sweet Kaliningrad
Ten years ago I visited Venezuela and took a trip to the Orinoco Delta – probably one of the most remote places I have been, though in some ways it seemed strangely familiar. We waited nervously on the jetty at … Continue reading Just Like Norfolk?
It happened in Harrogate. A car halted at the zebra crossing, music blaring at full volume from the stereo. An elderly man stepped onto the crossing, did a little dance to the throbbing beat, grinned, waved at the driver, and … Continue reading A funny thing happened on the way to the teashop
“You must go to the Isle of Man.” This was the advice I was given during a university lecture on European History 400-1200. The lecturer in question was five feet nothing tall with a will of iron and you disobeyed … Continue reading Better Late than Never
The problem with the Great Wall of China is that it is not flat. Obviously this was not a problem when it was built. The mountainous location was after all a design feature intended to keep barbarians out. What I … Continue reading It sure is a Great Wall
Our luck ran out about half-way up. We were on our way up the single-track, winding, road, and another car was coming down. Both cars stopped. The driver of the other car refused to move. We couldn’t back down as … Continue reading Devon Jams
He pedalled on serenely, little caring that he was going nowhere. At first I barely noticed him. Pausing in my exploration of the city, I had perched on the edge of a fountain to enjoy the October sunshine. At a … Continue reading Destination Unknown
This took place on one of my early foreign holidays with my parents in the mid-eighties. We were staying at Obergurgl in Austria’s Öztal. [Note: this was so long ago that the Öztal’s most famous resident, Ötzi the Iceman, had … Continue reading Cowardice and Omelettes
If you were wondering whatever happened to Pinky and Perky, I can confirm that the porcine duo are alive and well and pursuing a lucrative career in the Cairo lift muzak industry. Their rendition of We Wish you a Merry … Continue reading Christmas in Cairo
