I wrote this in 2011, more in tribute to the liberating power of satnav (then very new) than as a homage to Hollywood, which is really a world-wide community of sitting with strangers in a darkened space and being transporting to the far corners of the imagination by images and music. ‘Hollywood is on a hill,… Continue reading
Browsing Category Travel Features
Across Turkey by train
The first 30 years of Turkey’s tourism story has been utterly dominated by air travel, and more recently cruise ships. It’s the rare intrepid visitor who drives all the way. But now the train is becoming a realistic travel option within Turkey, and even an alternative way to get there. While we continue to fret over… Continue reading →
The Mastersingers’ Market – Nuremburg distils the Christmas spirit
The Nuremberg Christmas Market opened on December 1st 2023 and runs until 2pm on Christmas Eve. **** On a late afternoon of nipping chill, in a city square in the heart of Europe, I found the antidote to brash, glitzy, overblown, commercial Christmas. As the daylight ebbed, a cheerful glow pulsed up from the… Continue reading →
Newport Beach mixes high style with free marvel
I wrote this article in 2012. Since then, because of the climate crisis, I have decided to fly as infrequently as possible – two flights since the start of 2020. It is ridiculous to expect people to give up flying altogether. But if many people resolved to fly less, that would help. In the meantime… Continue reading →
Strolling the mountains around Lake Uri, with super-helpful signposts
This is an update of a piece of mine originally published in The Times. In a gloomy recess in Ingenbohl Forest above Lake Uri, a buttercup yellow arrow beamed cheerfully out of a monochrome background. “Trust me,” it seemed to say. “I’m a Swiss signpost.” Think of a cartographical St Bernard, proffering reassurance, guidance and,… Continue reading →
Syria – when it was last at peace
This morning, December 8th, 2024, we heard that Bashar al-Assad’s unspeakable government in Syria had fallen. This was a piece I posted in 2010, just before the country entered its age of agony, when it was still open to tourists. ___________________________________ We stood on the high, haughty ramparts of Crac des Chevaliers. The rest of… Continue reading →