Pavements, traditionally, are designed for pedestrians to walk along. The pavement design handbook says:- 1. They should be wide enough for at least one person, and ideally for a pushchair or a wheelchair. 2. They should be level, without trip hazards and free of obstacles and instructions. 3..They should ahave a kerb which encourages road…
Category: Travelling
Vietnam – emerging from the dark tunnels of tragedy
In 1945 Ho Chi Minh declared full independence for a united Vietnam, after long history of occupation from China and more recently France. It took 10 years for the French to completely leave the south, only to be gradually replaced by the Americans, who wanted to stop and reverse the spread of communism down from…
Enjoy Hanoi
Meandering through Hanoi past the endless myriad of miniature shops, offering everything from street food to foot massages, tuk tuk rides to conical hats. Every little business is fighting for a few feet of broken pavement to display and sell their goods. Competing with the shop next door, selling much of the same. All fighting…
All the colours of Tirana
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Istanbul – Finding the Essence
My third and final day in Istanbul, and a much sunnier one. Finally, it was starting to look a little brighter on the outside, if not any more colourful. Following a jolly five mile dawn run, and breakfast in the Crowne Plaza hotel lounge, I jumped on a tram to the city’s cultural centre and,…
Istanbul – Massive on the Inside
Norway Cruise – Days 2-6 : a Week on the Ocean Waves
It’s a strange and wonderful world living on a cruise ship for a week. We are not on one of those massive 3,000 berth Caribbean monster liners with 7 passenger decks, 7 bars and 17 nights of restless B-factor entertainment. Rather, we are on something of a mini-cruise on a robust Hurtigruten Nordic ship, working…
Norway Cruise Day 1 – Vardø Bewitched
Our giant ship sidles into the little Norwegian town of Vardø, gently buffering up against the daisy-chain of old tyres pinned along the dockside. Then, throwing out its ropes as an invitation, it is accepted and entwined to the harbour cleats. Five minutes later the boat opens its mouth, sticks out its gantry tongue and…
Norway Cruise Prequel – It’s cold up north
Kirkenes is a long way north. I mean a LONG way north. For those of you in London, it’s WAY beyond the M4. Even the Watford Gap is a comparative nip to the shops. For those of you have ventured a little further upwards, you may have seen the motorway signs on the M6 for…
BEING GROUNDED – The first 2 days
DAY ONE – MONDAY I have been grounded for the month of February. Normally on a Monday I would be taking the evening flight to Copenhagen, where I work for a very well-known optician. We have offices in five northern European countries. For February, we have instituted an international travel ban, to save some cash…
Unwrapping The World 