Category Archives: Travel

Lammas Day, Suffolk Coast

Posted on August 8, 2016 by

Lammas Day – the first day of August. School holidays, warm weather, beach visits, perhaps a swim in the sea? Or, on a windy cloudy day, a walk; a beach walk. At low to mid tide it is possible to … Continue reading →

Posted in Suffolk, Travel, Walking, wildlife | Tagged , , , , , | 12 Comments

In Bear Country

Posted on June 21, 2016 by

This was bear country. No doubt about it. Over breakfast Alfred from the guesthouse had said, “You should make sure that you talk when you go walking there – or maybe sing – that way you won’t take them by … Continue reading →

Posted in Balkans, Eastern Europe, Travel, wildlife | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

San rock art – Drakensberg, South Africa

Posted on April 27, 2016 by

One of the highlights of my recent trip to South Africa was to see some really well-preserved rock art. The cave paintings were made by the San people, the hunter-gatherers who inhabited the Drakensberg mountain region in KwaZulu-Natal province close … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, Human Geography, Travel | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Kumano Kodō, Japan

Posted on March 9, 2016 by

My feature on walking part of the Kumano Kodō pilgrimage trail in Japan will be published in a few days time in Elsewhere journal. Elsewhere is a Berlin-based print journal, published twice a year, dedicated to writing and visual art that explores the idea of … Continue reading →

Posted in Asia, Travel, Walking | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Ghosts of Empire – Park Street Cemetery, Kolkata

Posted on February 25, 2016 by

One way of looking at this evocative, if mildly disturbing, place is as a hidden enclave populated with the ghosts of colonialism. Situated right in the middle of Kolkata, tucked away purdah-like from the mayhem of the city streets, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Asia, History, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Lenins of the world, unite!

Posted on August 11, 2015 by

I don’t quite know what it is but whenever I have come across an old Lenin statue anywhere in the territories of the old Soviet Union I have usually not been able to resist taking a photograph. It may be … Continue reading →

Posted in Caucasus, Central Asia, Russia, Travel | Tagged , , , , , | 12 Comments

Crowland

Posted on July 20, 2015 by

Crowland – the name seems to be well chosen. Walking into the village I cannot help but notice several dozen crows perched on the wires above the village sign: a welcoming committee taking a brief respite from wind-wheeling above the … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Travel, wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Palmyra 2000

Posted on May 22, 2015 by

The news is always bad from Syria these days. The newsworthiness of the conflict seems to fluctuate as we in the West become increasingly inured to a lexicon that includes words like barrel bombs, Isis, chlorine gas, jihadi, caliphates and … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Travel | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Hanami

Posted on April 16, 2015 by

The Japanese have a word for it – hanami. The full meaning of hanami is difficult to translate accurately but in literal terms it means ‘flower viewing’ and normally refers to sakura, the blossom of cherry trees in spring.  Incorporated … Continue reading →

Posted in Asia, Cities, Travel | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

Rainy Day Kyoto

Posted on April 6, 2015 by

A  rainy morning in Kyoto. The immediate reaction is one of disappointment – a damper on photographic aspirations for the day. But umbrellas have their own aesthetic charm, as do rain-washed streets and silvery skies. The kimono-clad young women who … Continue reading →

Posted in Asia, Cities, Travel | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments