Over the two weeks of our journey in Sri Lanka, I slept in a number of different places from upright in a crowded train carriage from Colombo, to a beach by the surf on the south coast. We stayed in…
Waiting in Rabat
I was waiting in Rabat. That is to say we; Linh and I, were waiting. We had stepped off a succession of flights leading from Perth, and now had time on our hands. At some stage later, the parents would…
An afternoon in Amsterdam
What would you do with a day in Amsterdam? The first time I found myself in the Netherlands, I was visiting my then girlfriend’s (now my wife) family to the north. As usual, we had a packed itinerary and only…
The Lake Below the Glacier
We had been in New Zealand for a bit over a week. Our Juicy Camper had carried us from Auckland, through Middle Earth and across the Strait to the South Island. We’d pointed further south along the rugged West Coast…
Parthenon Pinball Wizard
When you think of Athens, there is a fair chance that your mind will wander, fairly directly, to pictures of great architecture beneath stark blue skies. You might picture a buzzing square and a crowded café. You’d be remiss not…
South West Escape
Summer is nearly here for us in the Antipodean landmass I call home, and I’m looking forward to a very busy season of relaxing through the end of my long service leave. One of the joys of living in Western…
Wars and Walls in Berlin, also a cauliflower.
Berlin has always been a source of curiosity for me. As a student, I studied the city as a centre of conflict and turmoil across two global conflicts and into the Cold War, so naturally, I was eager to spend…
Tea Time in the Sri Lankan Highlands
Tea is one of those drinks that everyone is happy to talk about. Every person you meet has an opinion on it. How to drink it, how to prepare it, when it should be consumed; even how it should or…
Busted Flat…
The song ‘Me and Bobby McGee’ was originally written and performed by Roger Miller, although you might recognize it from Janis Joplin, Kris Kristofferson or any number of other artists. I’ve always loved the song and it is one of…
Einstein’s Barber Shop Itinerary – Japan: Temples, Cities, and Typhoons
Just Deserts.
Deserts are amazing places to be. The idea of being dropped into the emptiness of a sandy ocean is one of my favourite romantic ideals, and it has lead me across the world in the footsteps of T.E. Lawrence,…
High Art in the High Atlas Mountains
The minute we made the decision to travel to Morocco last year, my mind was filled with the things we would see! Tibetan temples, Egyptian ruins, ancient Rome! No, my geography skills aren’t off, I was thinking about Atlas studios.…
Wandering around Amsterdam
I have not spent a great deal of time in Europe. In fact, I have been to the region exactly once since I was two years old, when my dear mother was kind enough to drag me across the world…
Tuk Tuk Trek
Transportation while travelling is something of a romantic ideal to me. Wherever we trip across the globe, I’ll invariably return with a story where the means of getting from one place to the other is the central premise of the…
Fox Glacier Ice Climbing
I love rock climbing. My rapidly, prematurely ageing frame doesn’t necessarily love that I love rock climbing, but it’s still one of my favourite adventures! The challenge is a thrill, the technical aspect is exciting and beating a route either…
Fes: Lost in the Medina (Part 3 – exploration)
This blog is a continuation of last week’s blog. Haven’t read the first bit? Catch it here! The second bit is here! Having spent a couple of hours investigating the tannery, we changed direction and headed deeper into the walled…
Fes: Lost in the Medina (Part 2 – Tannery)
This blog is a continuation of last week’s blog. Haven’t read the first bit? Catch it here! The next morning, we enjoyed the first of many delicious Moroccan breakfasts in the courtyard as we planned the…
Fes: Lost in the Medina (Part 1 – Arrivals)
We arrived in Fes on our second day of driving around Morocco. The first day took us from the capital, Rabat, via the northern Port of Tangiers on the Mediterranean coast and south to the Blue City of Chefchaouen (you…
Essaouira – In Search of a Dream.
We expected a lot out of Morocco. The weight of expectation has built, for me, for over 20 years from the first time I imagined wandering through a crowded medina in Marrakesh. It has been so long since I began…
An American Musical Itinerary
After any significant trip, I try to post an itinerary that reflects the journey we’ve taken. During our most recent sojourn to the United States of America, however, our main goal was to visit family, so an itinerary would lack…
Two by two in a city of blue
If you have ever considered a trip to the North African country of Morocco, it is more than likely that you’ll have considered a trip to the mountainside town of Chefchaouen. It’s almost equally likely that, considering its remoteness from…
Investigating the Ivy League
One reason (read: excuse) for the pathetic lack of consistency in my upkeep of this little blog project over the past year or so has been my other (or more aptly, actual) job. I spend much of my time pretending…
Einstein’s Barber Shop Itinerary – Morocco: Deserts, Riads, Medinas, and the obligatory Fes!
Itinerary 5 – MoroccoAfrica
View from a Room/ Welcome to Hanoi
In the corner of the room, close to the window was an armchair. It was black, adorned with metal end-caps on the armrests, and a large pillow decorated with gold embroidery which was slightly too large to be useful. I…
Extra Cut! Huge Luge in Rotorua
Rotorua is known for its volcanic activity. It’s also become renowned for the quality mountain biking available right in the city. I don’t ride a mountain bike, so we tried the luge instead!