Galápagos sea lion or Lobos marinas ("sea wolf") are regularly seen hanging out by the harbour. I was dozing on a bench when this one crept up on me

That time I went diving in the world’s deepest swimming pool

OK, not quite the deepest. The record has just been beaten, in fact, by a new pool in Italy. But Nemo 33 in Brussels, Belgium, was the world's deepest swimming pool for 10 years, at 34.5m deep. And it was pretty spectacular. Along with my diving club, we travelled to Brussels for our Christmas "party" … Continue reading That time I went diving in the world’s deepest swimming pool →

A book I once read in Croatia

Tweet The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is one of the most life-changing, life-affirming books I have ever had the pleasure to read. I recently rediscovered my love for it, via an intensity of feeling in which I recalled some of the potent wisdom which is written among its pages. I first whipped through The Alchemist when I … Continue reading A book I once read in Croatia →

☾ Istanbul

Tweet September 20, 2014 It is evening. I blink through bleary eyes as a hazy, shimmering skyline emerges: tinged pink in the setting sun, and monstrous. Istanbul is not high-rise; the only things you'll see peaking (peeking?) above the slanted rooftops are the hordes of elegant minarets. But it is a sprawling city. While the … Continue reading ☾ Istanbul →

Vaccinations

Tweet So this evening it was off to the doctor's to get my vaccinations. I got hepatitis A&B in my left arm (which left it numb for about five minutes) and typhoid in my right (which felt fine at the time but has left it feeling heavy and sore today). You have to get them about … Continue reading Vaccinations →

A little history

Tweet Note: I am having to write this retrospectively, because my plan to use hostel computers didn't work out. Above is a rough plan of where we ended up going - not too much of a deviation from the original, in the end! And what follows will be posts I've made up from notebook entries I … Continue reading A little history →

Next stop: Eastern Europe

So, it has been decided. We have a one-way ticket to Budapest, leaving at the end of August. The rough plan is to get from Hungary to Istanbul via Romania, Bulgaria and (hopefully) Macedonia across the course of one month. Phenomenally excited about: forests, hiking, SUN, having time to think, and being away from a … Continue reading Next stop: Eastern Europe →

Sunday

It is the perfect winter's day. Bon hiver. The sun leaked out of a swathe of blue sky, the wind took his paintbrush and dusted our pale cheeks pink. Armed with rubber wellies, a camera and high spirits, we took to the hill which led to Highgate Cemetery. It is a palimpsest of bodies, memories; … Continue reading Sunday →