We arrived at Yaroslavksy station in the evening to catch the Trans-Siberian train that was taking us to Tomsk. We thought it would be more fun to mix with the locals so had booked berths in a compartment for four. … Continue reading By Train to the Oxford of Siberia
An interview with the Rector of the Polytechnic University was not on my itinerary. Even when, in a moment of desperation, I had suggested seeing the university, the possibility did not cross my mind. But then I had reckoned without … Continue reading An Unexpected Interview
I realised that I might have made a mistake when the first thing our guide for the week wanted to know was whether our travel insurance covered helicopter evacuation. It had seemed like a good idea when I saw the … Continue reading Braving Bulgaria
The writers of nauseating management platitudes say that when life gives you lemons, you should make lemonade. In Sorrento, they appear to have taken this advice to heart in a big way. There are a lot of lemons in Sorrento. … Continue reading A Taste of Sorrento
The idea of a pilgrimage for religious reasons is centuries old. People wanted to see places mentioned in the scriptures for themselves, or to see or touch what they believed to be holy relics. In the 4th century AD a … Continue reading A Literary Pilgrimage
In what seemed like a scene from a spy novel of the Cold War era, we waited at the border for our contact. And we waited. Although it was late July, and we had left Kashgar in brilliant sunshine and … Continue reading A Glimpse of Kyrgyzstan
As I sat on plastic chair in a very institutional-looking corridor, I wondered whether I was in my right mind. Outside, the sun was shining and the birds were singing, but I was inside a drab university building waiting for … Continue reading What not to visit before lunch in Bologna
“to Charles Ryder, with the aid of whose all-seeing eyes I first saw the Mausoleum of Galla Placida and San Vitale…” The brief mention of Charles Ryder’s ‘economical’ Easter vacation in Ravenna with his friend Collins, who considered the mosaics … Continue reading Mosaics and Mausoleums
We could see the curved yellow building of the Museo Enzo Ferrari through the windows as our train from Bologna pulled into Modena Station. Once we had worked out which way to go, it was only a short walk to … Continue reading Ferraris and Art: a day trip from Bologna to Modena
I first started travelling in 1984, when I managed to persuade my mother that Austria was a more interesting holiday choice than Norfolk again (not that I have anything against Norfolk.) Since then I have never looked back. This site … Continue reading Welcome to my blog
Travels with me aren't 