Blog Feed: Fevered Mutterings

Blog Feed: Fevered Mutterings

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How To Fight Crime With Crap

Published on 2012-05-23 16:58:40

My rucksack top is open. I didn’t leave it that way, so…someone else has. They’ve pulled my bag under the chair I’ve been sitting on, and they’ve opened it. Mere curiosity? Alas – my travel wallet is gone, along with my passport, EastJet boarding pass and credit cards. I slump against a wall. I have 5 hours before [...] > read more

The Sheraton Edinburgh – Honestly

Published on 2012-05-22 17:53:07

There’s a knock at my hotel room door. “For you, sir.” “It’s what?” You’re kidding. An hour later, a young lady is squeezing my hand. “How does that feel?” “Um…it’s lovely. Thank you.” (I feel the urge to thank her with a handshake, but she’s already doing other things with her fingers). “I type a [...] > read more

An Odd Place To Be

Published on 2012-05-12 15:25:51

I’m in an odd place right now. There’s a very easy joke to make here about geography. I’m currently in the town I grew up in, Hornsea, in East Yorkshire. It is indeed an odd place, but these days I’m more sanguine about its backwater charms than I was a decade and a half ago, [...] > read more

An Odd Place To Be

Published on 2012-05-12 15:25:51

I’m in an odd place right now. There’s a very easy joke to make here about geography. I’m currently in the town I grew up in, Hornsea, in East Yorkshire. It is indeed an odd place, but these days I’m more sanguine about its backwater charms than I was a decade and a half ago, [...] > read more

Where The Shadows Lie: 3 Fantasy Authors For Fans Of “Game Of Thrones”

Published on 2012-05-10 10:41:35

So, Game of Thrones. Politics, sex, treachery, violence, more sex, more politics, urinating off the edge of the world, intrigue, betrayal, Sean Bean dead yet again, yet more sex, and then a lovely sexual torture scene to round things off. (Look, are you sure there was this much sex in the books, because…? Well, yeah). [...] > read more

Where The Shadows Lie: 3 Fantasy Authors For Fans Of “Game Of Thrones”

Published on 2012-05-10 10:41:35

So, Game of Thrones. Politics, sex, treachery, violence, more sex, more politics, urinating off the edge of the world, intrigue, betrayal, Sean Bean dead yet again, yet more sex, and then a lovely sexual torture scene to round things off. (Look, are you sure there was this much sex in the books, because…? Well, yeah). [...] > read more

Umbria: Give Me a Minute, Will You?

Published on 2012-05-01 19:12:30

Right now, I’m lost in time. I’m stood on a hillside. Heat hisses, in a way I remember from my Cypriot childhood (aha! I’m in the Mediterranean). Everything smells fresh in a way household cleaning products never could. Somebody is picking asparagus – not out of a tin – out the ground. I’m on an [...] > read more

Umbria: Give Me a Minute, Will You?

Published on 2012-05-01 19:12:30

Right now, I’m lost in time. I’m stood on a hillside. Heat hisses, in a way I remember from my Cypriot childhood (aha! I’m in the Mediterranean). Everything smells fresh in a way household cleaning products never could. Somebody is picking asparagus – not out of a tin – out the ground. I’m on an [...] > read more

What’s Your Story?

Published on 2012-04-11 08:40:24

These are the stories of our lives. (No, I promise I’m not springing a daytime soap opera on you. Well…not much). Being able to tell your own story is one of the most powerful lifehacking skills you can learn – and here are 3  reasons for that. (I’m going to use “you” a lot. Feel [...] > read more

What’s Your Story?

Published on 2012-04-11 08:40:24

These are the stories of our lives. (No, I promise I’m not springing a daytime soap opera on you. Well…not much). Being able to tell your own story is one of the most powerful lifehacking skills you can learn – and here are 3  reasons for that. (I’m going to use “you” a lot. Feel [...] > read more

Oh Dear: A How-To-Not Guide For ITB Berlin

Published on 2012-04-03 05:23:49

I’m handed a leaflet on Egypt. (Thanks). I pass suits, hotdogs, more suits, and enter another well-lit carpeted cavern. I’m handed a leaflet on Germany. (Uh, thanks, yes, I’m somewhat aware of the place). I thread between suits and skirts, deeply self-conscious of my hoodie and rucksack. I’m handed a leaflet on…I don’t know where, [...] > read more

Oh Dear: A How-To-Not Guide For ITB Berlin

Published on 2012-04-03 05:23:49

I’m handed a leaflet on Egypt. (Thanks). I pass suits, hotdogs, more suits, and enter another well-lit carpeted cavern. I’m handed a leaflet on Germany. (Uh, thanks, yes, I’m somewhat aware of the place). I thread between suits and skirts, deeply self-conscious of my hoodie and rucksack. I’m handed a leaflet on…I don’t know where, [...] > read more

Party On! / What Now? / Ho Hum.

Published on 2012-03-29 08:47:57

Well, that’s that, then. It’s last Friday. I’m stood waiting for the bus. Behind me is the University I’ve been working at for the last 3 years. As of 10 minutes ago, I don’t work there anymore. A number of small voices are squabbling, inside my head. One is yelling “TONIGHT WE’RE GOING TO PARTY [...] > read more

Party On! / What Now? / Ho Hum.

Published on 2012-03-29 08:47:57

Well, that’s that, then. It’s last Friday. I’m stood waiting for the bus. Behind me is the University I’ve been working at for the last 3 years. As of 10 minutes ago, I don’t work there anymore. A number of small voices are squabbling, inside my head. One is yelling “TONIGHT WE’RE GOING TO PARTY [...] > read more

Clueless (And Loving It) in Berlin

Published on 2012-03-22 17:11:44

He points at me – no, past me. A blast of German. “I..don’t speak…” “The train station is closing”. I turn around and head back out of the Alexanderplatz U-Bahn, running just far enough ahead of the advancing officials to buy a sandwich from a kiosk. I’m dimly aware I have a good walk ahead of [...] > read more

Blogging Masterclass Open – SIGN UP NOW!

Published on 2012-03-01 12:38:27

Hello everyone! As you know, I’m something of a goddamn genius. And because I’m enormously big-hearted as well, I’ve decided to scatter the seed of my geniusness far and wide – in as wide a swathe as possible. Yes! That’s right – exclusively to Fevered Mutterings readers, I am proud-and-yet-humble  to announce the launch of [...] > read more

Hadrian’s Wall: Fear and Loathing in Twice Brewed

Published on 2012-02-27 04:20:17

Okay, so… I’m a total fraud. But look, I’ve no time to feel sorry for myself. Get inside. Get warm. Self-loathing, later. I step into the pub – and everything goes white. Someone notices me standing in the doorway. “You have a room with us, sir? Ah yes. Shall I lead you there, because it [...] > read more

Okay – I Quit.

Published on 2012-02-18 11:00:47

I’ve decided this isn’t working out. So – I quit. Let’s talk about why. Two Things They Don’t Tell You About Improving As A Writer 1. It never gets easier. In fact, it gets more difficult. Luckily, it’s the kind of “difficult” that makes something deep within you roll up its sleeves and shout “YES! [...] > read more

I Think It’s My Heart

Published on 2012-02-05 18:01:49

“I think it’s my heart”, I say at the desk. The receptionist picks up the phone and speaks into it, unhurried but certainly not dawdling. I’m led to a waiting nurse. They’re all watching me. Waiting for me to do anything…dramatic. Oh god. Not like this. Please. I’m led to a crisply-sheeted bed. “Just hop [...] > read more

Who Is In Charge – You Or Your Map?

Published on 2012-01-29 16:30:17

They say it’s impossible to take a bad photo of Hadrian’s Wall. There are two reasons why this rule doesn’t apply to me right now. 1) My camera just died. 2) I’m nowhere near Hadrian’s Wall. In fact, I’m in a field. The remnants of Hadrian’s Wall cross many fields on their way from South [...] > read more

You’re Bored? That’s So AWESOME.

Published on 2012-01-26 18:38:10

So…I saw your tweet. You’re “bored”? WOW! I am…absolutely floored. Hopelessly lost in admiration! You are everything I aspire to be. Oh. Hold on. ….. Back. I had to go and check what “bored” meant, just in case the definition had changed in recently months, but no! It’s the same! In essence, you’re saying you [...] > read more

Fevered Mutterings: A Year In Review (Part 1)

Published on 2012-01-01 12:05:34

I’d love to tell you about all the amazing stuff I saw up on Hadrian’s Wall this week, or the things I have lined up for this blog in 2012, or the places I’ll soon be visiting and writing about, or start telling you about the other major thing I’ll be writing about for the next [...] > read more

Fevered Mutterings: A Year In Review (Part 1)

Published on 2012-01-01 12:05:34

I’d love to tell you about all the amazing stuff I saw up on Hadrian’s Wall this week, or the things I have lined up for this blog in 2012, or the places I’ll soon be visiting and writing about, or start telling you about the other major thing I’ll be writing about for the next [...] > read more

Introducing Hadrian’s Wall: Where Rome Meets Westeros

Published on 2011-12-22 12:55:57

Watched or read George RR Martin’s Game Of Thrones? Been captivated by that colossal wrought-ice defensive battlement known as The Wall? Here’s some news that may interest you. It exists in our world too. The Wall, the Others… where did that element of the story come from? Did that grow up as a plot device [...] > read more

Introducing Hadrian’s Wall: Where Rome Meets Westeros

Published on 2011-12-22 12:55:57

Watched or read George RR Martin’s Game Of Thrones? Been captivated by that colossal wrought-ice defensive battlement known as The Wall? Here’s some news that may interest you. It exists in our world too. The Wall, the Others… where did that element of the story come from? Did that grow up as a plot device [...] > read more

How To Be Rude To A Latvian

Published on 2011-12-19 20:24:46

(April, 2000) Well, maybe it’s down aisle 3. I try aisle 3. Bread. Strange jars of cabbagey, pickly things. More bread. Larger pickly things. Even more bread. Dear god, Latvians like their bread. Sadly, I’m not after bread, I’m after what is apparently the rarest of things in Latvia – a jar of curry sauce. And [...] > read more

How To Be Rude To A Latvian

Published on 2011-12-19 20:24:46

(April, 2000) Well, maybe it’s down aisle 3. I try aisle 3. Bread. Strange jars of cabbagey, pickly things. More bread. Larger pickly things. Even more bread. Dear god, Latvians like their bread. Sadly, I’m not after bread, I’m after what is apparently the rarest of things in Latvia – a jar of curry sauce. And [...] > read more

Baffled Into Being Myself: 7 Books That Changed How I Think

Published on 2011-12-17 12:21:33

Yesterday, the travel blogging fundraiser Passports with Purpose met its target of $80,000 – and then kept going. Last I heard, they’d overshot by $8,000. And so for everyone who asked me to curry them (keep an eye on your post-Christmas mail, guys) and everyone who donated so generously… Thank you. That money will be [...] > read more

Baffled Into Being Myself: 7 Books That Changed How I Think

Published on 2011-12-17 12:21:33

Yesterday, the travel blogging fundraiser Passports with Purpose met its target of $80,000 – and then kept going. Last I heard, they’d overshot by $8,000. And so for everyone who asked me to curry them (keep an eye on your post-Christmas mail, guys) and everyone who donated so generously… Thank you. That money will be [...] > read more

For Passports With Purpose, I’m Going To Curry You

Published on 2011-12-08 18:34:10

You know about Passports with Purpose, right? Because I was a little preoccupied over the last month with this and that, I didn’t register as one of the contributing bloggers, and therefore didn’t enter a prize. You know about the incredible amount of amazing (no, really - amazing) prizes to be won, right? All you have [...] > read more

For Passports With Purpose, I’m Going To Curry You

Published on 2011-12-08 18:34:10

You know about Passports with Purpose, right? Because I was a little preoccupied over the last month with this and that, I didn’t register as one of the contributing bloggers, and therefore didn’t enter a prize. You know about the incredible amount of amazing (no, really - amazing) prizes to be won, right? All you have [...] > read more

How To Dominate The World Without Mashing Your Trigger

Published on 2011-12-06 19:10:19

Master entrepreneur-maker Chris Guillebeau has just released his second manifesto, in which he draws comparisons between building a successful career and playing a game like this.  I recommend grabbing a copy (it’s free) and having a read. Thinky stuff. It also says a lot about why good computer games are as addictive, or even more [...] > read more

How To Dominate The World Without Mashing Your Trigger

Published on 2011-12-06 19:10:19

Master entrepreneur-maker Chris Guillebeau has just released his second manifesto, in which he draws comparisons between building a successful career and playing a game like this.  I recommend grabbing a copy (it’s free) and having a read. Thinky stuff. It also says a lot about why good computer games are as addictive, or even more [...] > read more

Hadrian’s Wall: A Birthday Adventure / Cry For Help

Published on 2011-12-01 18:45:57

Every year I set myself a birthday challenge – something that looks feasible from a distance but turns into a living hell close-up. Last year, I wandered across the North York Moors in an 8-hour October rainstorm (and ended up writing it up for the San Francisco Chronicle). On my birthday this year…well, I was busy. [...] > read more

Hadrian’s Wall: A Birthday Adventure / Cry For Help

Published on 2011-12-01 18:45:57

Every year I set myself a birthday challenge – something that looks feasible from a distance but turns into a living hell close-up. Last year, I wandered across the North York Moors in an 8-hour October rainstorm (and ended up writing it up for the San Francisco Chronicle). On my birthday this year…well, I was busy. [...] > read more

How To Turn Up For Work: The Folk Music Edition

Published on 2011-11-30 17:06:18

Here’s a story about how I found a folk band in my living room. If it’s seemed quiet in this blog recently (and let’s face it, you could have heard a pin drop in here most days), that’s because I’ve been wondering what the hell I’m doing with my career. A month ago, the answer [...] > read more

How To Turn Up For Work: The Folk Music Edition

Published on 2011-11-30 17:06:18

Here’s a story about how I found a folk band in my living room. If it’s seemed quiet in this blog recently (and let’s face it, you could have heard a pin drop in here most days), that’s because I’ve been wondering what the hell I’m doing with my career. A month ago, the answer [...] > read more

All It Takes

Published on 2011-11-24 17:25:00

(2008) The voice coming over the loudspeaker is beginning to struggle. “Uh – on platform 6, the Treno Notte to Roma will be leaving in approximately…” “SHOW ME TH’WAYDA GO-OME…..CAZZ I’M TIREDANA WANNA GOHDA BED…” I can’t make out exactly what’s being said, of course. It’s in Italian. I don’t speak a word of Italian, [...] > read more

All It Takes

Published on 2011-11-24 17:25:00

(2008) The voice coming over the loudspeaker is beginning to struggle. “Uh – on platform 6, the Treno Notte to Roma will be leaving in approximately…” “SHOW ME TH’WAYDA GO-OME…..CAZZ I’M TIREDANA WANNA GOHDA BED…” I can’t make out exactly what’s being said, of course. It’s in Italian. I don’t speak a word of Italian, [...] > read more

This Month In Travelllll (or Why I’m Freelancing Again)

Published on 2011-11-12 17:32:07

So, a few months back I was involved in the founding of a travel blogging news magazine called Travelllll.com, henceforth called T5, lest I break my “l” key. And I worked over there for a month, writing 30+ articles on press trip opportunities and the enviably clever things travel bloggers are up to, and rather [...] > read more

This Month In Travelllll (or Why I’m Freelancing Again)

Published on 2011-11-12 17:32:07

So, a few months back I was involved in the founding of a travel blogging news magazine called Travelllll.com, henceforth called T5, lest I break my “l” key. And I worked over there for a month, writing 30+ articles on press trip opportunities and the enviably clever things travel bloggers are up to, and rather [...] > read more

Austria, Unexpectedly

Published on 2011-07-04 06:41:08

Expectations are hard things to manage. They mess with your memory, fog up your present and drain your future of novelty. On this trip, I did my best to avoid them. Austria and I, we have history. In 1993 I realised my life was in dire need of a shak > read more

Austria Isn’t Just About The Cake

Published on 2011-07-01 14:39:09

As you can see, Austria isn’t just about the incredible, rich, plentiful, gobsmacking varieties and quantities of cake on offer. In fact, it’s approximately 95% about the cake. But there’s mountains and stuff too. (So I’ > read more

Megabus: No-Budget UK Travel (If You’re Tough Enough)

Published on 2011-06-28 15:25:55

I’m hollow-eyed and bleary today, and I haven’t had enough coffee. A little later I’ll be pootling round York, picking up travel essentials and converting my Brit money into Euros before jetting off to Austria tomorrow afternoon. To > read more

Bless Me: 5 Surprising Sides To York Minster

Published on 2011-06-26 13:37:54

York Minster dominates York. Arguably, it is York, having been its social and geographical focus for over a thousand years. It’s a Gothic-style cathedral (the largest north of the Alps) of a scale and intricacy that will punch the breath right > read more

Momentum Is Everything (And Everywhere Else)

Published on 2011-06-23 04:35:16

I’ve spent a decade dreaming of being published in a national newspaper. On Sunday, that finally happened – online and offline. (Except…it wasn’t in my own country). I’ve spend a decade dreaming of writing a soon-to-be- > read more

Freelance Writing: What I Did Wrong

Published on 2011-06-09 18:16:59

Okay, so I wrote this post called Freelance Writing: What I Did Right , about the things that worked for me in 2010 as a newly self-employed (p/t) writer. And I wrote it from the heart, as honestly as I could, in an attempt to avoid sounding smug. It > read more

Breaking, Entering, Hijacking

Published on 2011-06-06 04:08:57

Here’s a nice-looking, yet entirely unrelated picture from when I was on Naxos in 2007. Focus on how pretty it is, not how random it is. Thx. ********** I promised myself – myself and others – that I wouldn’t do this again. I > read more

Mountain Guiding: How To Lose Friends And Terrify People

Published on 2011-05-28 06:30:16

We’re on the summit of the 29th highest mountain in Austria, and we’re going to need to call for a helicopter. So believes a member of my walking party, anyway. A good portion of the last hundred yards of the Kreuzspitze has been a near-v > read more

State of Me (or, Me In A State) – May/June edition

Published on 2011-05-22 14:12:04

So, Mike, how goes it? What? Who…who are you? I’m your imaginary audience! Uh, I already have an imaginary audience. That’s the fuel that powers my ego. That’s the crutch that props up my personal blogging, allowing it to stag > read more

Can We Ever Agree On Authenticity?

Published on 2011-05-16 19:26:40

“Authentic travel”. Buzz-phrase of a generation. We’re all in search of it. The travel industry is obsessed with it. What a shame we have no idea what it actually is. Here’s an advert you’ll never see. Join us for the fa > read more

All Change At Cyprus

Published on 2011-05-09 18:31:23

For a change, I took the bus to work today. My daypack bulged with books: the Rough Guide to Cyprus, Colin Thubron’s Journey Into Cyprus, Tim Boatswain’s A Traveller’s History of Cyprus, and a number of careworn notebooks with ̶ > read more

Blogcast: What Makes Bad Places *Bad*? (Redux)

Published on 2011-05-04 04:47:11

For many years, people have told me I have the perfect face for radio. Every time, my reaction was the same – when the red mist lifted and I finally stopped hitting them, I’d mull it over for a while. You know, that would be fun. There > read more

Trains Lend A Sense Of Perspective

Published on 2011-05-01 07:39:47

Yes, trains certainly give you that. And there’s little more enticing than a railway track meeting the horizon. Railways, like rivers, are difficult subjects for writers because they go on and on. - Eric Newby, The Big Red Train Ride. All photo > read more

How Do You Avoid Wasting Good Advice?

Published on 2011-04-29 11:42:43

What do you do with good advice? Sometimes travel-blogging feels like one big difference of opinion. From the right way to travel to hating on partial RSS feeds, from debating whether the term “street food” is insulting to where the line > read more

Thirsk: It’s Traditional To Stop

Published on 2011-04-27 16:24:25

Outside the White Horse cafe in Thirsk, leathered bikers don’t quite know what to do with themselves. Like seasoned mariners experiencing land-sickness, they stomp around awkwardly, killing time. The sky’s glum but still empty of rain, so > read more

Freelance Writing: What I Did Right

Published on 2011-04-21 05:04:33

Hi! My name is Mike, and I’m the proud owner of a bouncing part-time online freelance writing business (staff: 1), focussing mainly on travel. So that makes me a travel writer, yes? Well…er… Tell you what, let’s discuss that > read more

Freelance Writing: What I Did Right

Published on 2011-04-21 05:04:33

Hi! My name is Mike, and I’m the proud owner of a bouncing part-time online freelance writing business (staff: 1), focussing mainly on travel. So that makes me a travel writer, yes? Well…er… Tell you what, let’s discuss that > read more

How To Fill Your Kindle (& Other Gadgets) For Free

Published on 2011-04-16 18:32:30

Don’t get me started on how much I love my Kindle. Thing is…as nice as it is tracking down an e-copy of a book you suddenly find you can’t live without, it costs money. This is not the road to enjoying the decadent self-disgust that > read more

How To Fill Your Kindle (& Other Gadgets) For Free

Published on 2011-04-16 18:32:30

Don’t get me started on how much I love my Kindle. Thing is…as nice as it is tracking down an e-copy of a book you suddenly find you can’t live without, it costs money. This is not the road to enjoying the decadent self-disgust that > read more

Geocaching 2.0: Now We Can ALL Get Arrested

Published on 2011-04-12 17:07:10

“Are they still looking?” says the hedge. I get to my feet, stretch and casually glance back. Ten sets of teenage eyes instantly fix upon me. “Uh, that’s a yes.” “Well….distract them.” While housemate A > read more

Geocaching 2.0: Now We Can ALL Get Arrested

Published on 2011-04-12 17:07:10

“Are they still looking?” says the hedge. I get to my feet, stretch and casually glance back. Ten sets of teenage eyes instantly fix upon me. “Uh, that’s a yes.” “Well….distract them.” While housemate A > read more

Crush It! – A Blogger’s Review

Published on 2011-04-06 17:54:03

“What, another one?” At the TBU Conference a couple of weeks ago, the inestimably sage John O’Nolan of the WordPress UI team suggested we all read a particular self-help book. Regular readers – hey, allow me my illusions ̵ > read more

Crush It! – A Blogger’s Review

Published on 2011-04-06 17:54:03

“What, another one?” At the TBU Conference a couple of weeks ago, the inestimably sage John O’Nolan of the WordPress UI team suggested we all read a particular self-help book. Regular readers – hey, allow me my illusions ̵ > read more

It Doesn’t Mean The Same In Greece

Published on 2011-04-05 04:44:09

Athens News, 1st June 2007 (read on Naxos, in the sunshine, waiting for lunch to arrive, picking through my Rough Guide and scoffing the free bread. Yes, a tough day). Share and Enjoy: > read more

It Doesn’t Mean The Same In Greece

Published on 2011-04-05 04:44:09

Athens News, 1st June 2007 (read on Naxos, in the sunshine, waiting for lunch to arrive, picking through my Rough Guide and scoffing the free bread. Yes, a tough day). Share and Enjoy: > read more

It Doesn’t Mean The Same In Greece

Published on 2011-04-05 04:44:09

Athens News, 1st June 2007 (read on Naxos, in the sunshine, waiting for lunch to arrive, picking through my Rough Guide and scoffing the free bread. Yes, a tough day). Share and Enjoy: > read more

“Lost”, We Deserved Better

Published on 2011-04-03 18:29:59

OK, Lost. It’s time we did this. I’m ready. (Spoilers aplenty, duh – and ditto opinions all mine, etc). 1. Your Ending Was Unforgiveably Rubbish “Oh, they can never resolve it properly in the time they have left,” said t > read more

“Lost”, We Deserved Better

Published on 2011-04-03 18:29:59

OK, Lost. It’s time we did this. I’m ready. (Spoilers aplenty, duh – and ditto opinions all mine, etc). 1. Your Ending Was Unforgiveably Rubbish “Oh, they can never resolve it properly in the time they have left,” said t > read more

“Lost”, We Deserved Better

Published on 2011-04-03 18:29:59

OK, Lost. It’s time we did this. I’m ready. (Spoilers aplenty, duh – and ditto opinions all mine, etc). 1. Your Ending Was Unforgiveably Rubbish “Oh, they can never resolve it properly in the time they have left,” said t > read more

TBU ’11: A List Of Top Non-Tens

Published on 2011-03-29 16:53:39

In the style of ieatmypigeon. With a dash of mobilelawyer-style list-hatred. And a dollop of laziness, because 10 is way too huge and my life is short. Last Sunday I attended the second day of the Travel Bloggers Unite 2011 Conference in Manchester. > read more

TBU ’11: A List Of Top Non-Tens

Published on 2011-03-29 16:53:39

In the style of ieatmypigeon. With a dash of mobilelawyer-style list-hatred. And a dollop of laziness, because 10 is way too huge and my life is short. Last Sunday I attended the second day of the Travel Bloggers Unite 2011 Conference in Manchester. > read more

TBU ’11: A List Of Top Non-Tens

Published on 2011-03-29 16:53:39

In the style of ieatmypigeon. With a dash of mobilelawyer-style list-hatred. And a dollop of laziness, because 10 is way too huge and my life is short. Last Sunday I attended the second day of the Travel Bloggers Unite 2011 Conference in Manchester. > read more

No Harpoons Left In Greece?

Published on 2011-03-24 17:55:04

Could he really be one? Could he? I peered over the top of my Greek newspaper as he passed on his third (third!) lap. Sunglasses? Hiding where he’s really looking, of course. Combat pants? “I am man of ACTION“. Cropped canvas-green > read more

No Harpoons Left In Greece?

Published on 2011-03-24 17:55:04

Could he really be one? Could he? I peered over the top of my Greek newspaper as he passed on his third (third!) lap. Sunglasses? Hiding where he’s really looking, of course. Combat pants? “I am man of ACTION“. Cropped canvas-green > read more

No Harpoons Left In Greece?

Published on 2011-03-24 17:55:04

Could he really be one? Could he? I peered over the top of my Greek newspaper as he passed on his third (third!) lap. Sunglasses? Hiding where he’s really looking, of course. Combat pants? “I am man of ACTION“. Cropped canvas-green > read more

Equipment Fail: 10 Traps of Travel Technology

Published on 2011-03-17 18:25:56

“Does technology make travel less interesting?”, asks Guardian journalist Vicky Baker in this article and on her blog. It’s a question we so rarely asked – maybe because it’s so tricky to answer. (After all, it’s t > read more

Equipment Fail: 10 Traps of Travel Technology

Published on 2011-03-17 18:25:56

“Does technology make travel less interesting?”, asks Guardian journalist Vicky Baker in this article and on her blog. It’s a question we so rarely asked – maybe because it’s so tricky to answer. (After all, it’s t > read more

Equipment Fail: 10 Traps of Travel Technology

Published on 2011-03-17 18:25:56

“Does technology make travel less interesting?”, asks Guardian journalist Vicky Baker in this article and on her blog. It’s a question we so rarely asked – maybe because it’s so tricky to answer. (After all, it’s t > read more

Can We Really Be Friends? The Facebook Years

Published on 2011-03-13 07:10:18

If you’re on Facebook, we can now be friends there too! Cast your eyes towards my right-hand sidebar. (Not literally, please, that would be disgusting). Ta. And Hi. Photo: a warm, increasingly fuzzy-headed evening on Naxos. In Greece, they bri > read more

Can We Really Be Friends? The Facebook Years

Published on 2011-03-13 07:10:18

If you’re on Facebook, we can now be friends there too! Cast your eyes towards my right-hand sidebar. (Not literally, please, that would be disgusting). Ta. And Hi. Photo: a warm, increasingly fuzzy-headed evening on Naxos. In Greece, they bri > read more

Can We Really Be Friends? The Facebook Years

Published on 2011-03-13 07:10:18

If you’re on Facebook, we can now be friends there too! Cast your eyes towards my right-hand sidebar. (Not literally, please, that would be disgusting). Ta. And Hi. Photo: a warm, increasingly fuzzy-headed evening on Naxos. In Greece, they bri > read more

Can We Really Be Friends?

Published on 2011-03-08 17:09:58

Have you actually met any of these people? - a large proportion of friends and family, to me, at various points in the last decade. Hi. There’s a very good chance that we’ve never met. But that’s okay – we can still be friends > read more

Can We Really Be Friends?

Published on 2011-03-08 17:09:58

Have you actually met any of these people? - a large proportion of friends and family, to me, at various points in the last decade. Hi. There’s a very good chance that we’ve never met. But that’s okay – we can still be friends > read more

Zeebrugge: Where I Couldn’t Leave Belgium Fast Enough

Published on 2011-03-02 16:49:32

No ferry. No ferry. This was alarming. Because this was the stop. The sign said so – “Zeebrugge”. Disembarking, I’d squeezed past the surly wide-nostrilled conductor who had greeted my attempts at ticket-time banter with such > read more

Zeebrugge: Where I Couldn’t Leave Belgium Fast Enough

Published on 2011-03-02 16:49:32

No ferry. No ferry. This was alarming. Because this was the stop. The sign said so – “Zeebrugge”. Disembarking, I’d squeezed past the surly wide-nostrilled conductor who had greeted my attempts at ticket-time banter with such > read more

I May Be Some Time

Published on 2011-02-25 16:22:04

“Excuse me,” says my new neighbour as I lock up, shivering in the night air. “Do you live here?” I squint through the glare of the front yard light while my mind explores what else I could possibly be, locking a front door beh > read more

I May Be Some Time

Published on 2011-02-25 16:22:04

“Excuse me,” says my new neighbour as I lock up, shivering in the night air. “Do you live here?” I squint through the glare of the front yard light while my mind explores what else I could possibly be, locking a front door beh > read more

Why I Love Your Travel Writing

Published on 2011-02-19 18:48:45

I love the way you write. Seriously. Such a thrill. I’ve read a lot of travel writing online and offline, and it’s such a relief to read someone who truly gets it. I love your stuff. And here’s three reasons why. 1. You’re Sub > read more

Why I Love Your Travel Writing

Published on 2011-02-19 18:48:45

I love the way you write. Seriously. Such a thrill. I’ve read a lot of travel writing online and offline, and it’s such a relief to read someone who truly gets it. I love your stuff. And here’s three reasons why. 1. You’re Sub > read more

Elsewhere (Sounding Off and Rolling Around)

Published on 2011-02-15 17:49:50

I’m over at EcoSalon today, looking at ways to turn the wearying din of the modern world into electricity and manufacture hydrogen fuel – or, put another way, the equivelent of  base metal into gold. It could be *that* big, if they nail > read more

Elsewhere (Sounding Off and Rolling Around)

Published on 2011-02-15 17:49:50

I’m over at EcoSalon today, looking at ways to turn the wearying din of the modern world into electricity and manufacture hydrogen fuel – or, put another way, the equivelent of  base metal into gold. It could be *that* big, if they nail > read more

The Blog Post I Least Want You To Read

Published on 2011-02-13 15:11:09

One of the many Rules Of Successful Writing (because there’s more than two, so yes, I lied – get over it) is that all your first attempts will be terrible. Your first drafts will fail to convey anything except confusion. Your turns of phr > read more

The Blog Post I Least Want You To Read

Published on 2011-02-13 15:11:09

One of the many Rules Of Successful Writing (because there’s more than two, so yes, I lied – get over it) is that all your first attempts will be terrible. Your first drafts will fail to convey anything except confusion. Your turns of phr > read more

Balderdash! – Busting 5 Myths About England

Published on 2011-02-07 20:44:01

Ah, England! The mist-shrouded Arthurian ruins, the rolling green hills dotted with sleepy hamlets, nuns on bikes free-wheeling over cattle grids, tankards of warm beer, castles and orchards, jodhpurs and shooting-sticks, where monocles legally repla > read more

Balderdash! – Busting 5 Myths About England

Published on 2011-02-07 20:44:01

Ah, England! The mist-shrouded Arthurian ruins, the rolling green hills dotted with sleepy hamlets, nuns on bikes free-wheeling over cattle grids, tankards of warm beer, castles and orchards, jodhpurs and shooting-sticks, where monocles legally repla > read more

Crossroads

Published on 2011-02-02 01:39:03

“Uh oh”, you’re thinking. He’s been away from his blog for weeks now, and he comes back with a post titled “Crossroads”? Sounds ominous. Is he going to say he’s giving up blogging because he’s moved ont > read more

Crossroads

Published on 2011-02-02 01:39:03

“Uh oh”, you’re thinking. He’s been away from his blog for weeks now, and he comes back with a post titled “Crossroads”? Sounds ominous. Is he going to say he’s giving up blogging because he’s moved ont > read more

I Have All The Non-Answers

Published on 2011-01-19 04:45:31

With freelance work piled high, I’m rushing hither and thither at the moment, fuelled by the usual things (coffee, existential doubt, a useful artificially-induced sense of panic, and these amazing little things). That’s why it’s a > read more

I Have All The Non-Answers

Published on 2011-01-19 04:45:31

With freelance work piled high, I’m rushing hither and thither at the moment, fuelled by the usual things (coffee, existential doubt, a useful artificially-induced sense of panic, and these amazing little things). That’s why it’s a > read more

Racing The Light In Chania

Published on 2011-01-06 20:30:19

I’m running along the harbour wall, and I’m not going to make it. Yet another heart-rendingly beautiful Crete sunset is turning the sea copper, pulling the distant coastline into shadow. Presumably I’ll get bored of these at some po > read more

Racing The Light In Chania

Published on 2011-01-06 20:30:19

I’m running along the harbour wall, and I’m not going to make it. Yet another heart-rendingly beautiful Crete sunset is turning the sea copper, pulling the distant coastline into shadow. Presumably I’ll get bored of these at some po > read more

2010 Was The Year Of….Oh, I Forget.

Published on 2011-01-03 05:00:29

I forgot a lot of really useful things this year. That’s the thing about multi-media modern life – there’s nowhere to put anything. In the words of David Allen, we need better buckets to collect everything in, else it passes right t > read more

The Worst Things To Tweet In 2011 (Part 1)

Published on 2011-01-01 10:13:02

However much I love Twitter (and despite being eternally conflicted, I do love Twitter) – there’s a lot about it that doesn’t bode well. It probably won’t destroy the world anytime soon, but the prospect of using Twitter in 20 > read more

The Sound Of Christmas Silence

Published on 2010-12-26 17:38:45

Every year, either on Christmas Day or Boxing Day, I wrap up well and head outdoors, to listen to the absence of everyone. This year it was easy. Instead of going back to visit my Ma as is traditional, I’ve spent it in York. Her pipes are froze > read more

Dumbing Down Is Not A New Thing

Published on 2010-12-17 07:00:58

During our travels we have consorted with several kings, as different in their manners and their opinions as are the different geographical situations of their countries, yet little by little we have found among them the same accord in recognizing th > read more

Maps: How One Travels Far

Published on 2010-12-15 10:04:32

Come with me into my dream home. Yes, there’s a lot of wood. I like wood. (Wooden flooring, so don’t go running around in your socks, there isn’t a doctor on this island. Do you like how the floorboards creak? Creaking is important. > read more

Haunted By Half-Seen Greece

Published on 2010-12-09 17:08:36

Some places haunt you. I’m somewhere north of Naxos, somewhere south of Piraeus, surrounded by the low, dry scatter of islands knows as the Cyclades. The larger, inhabited islands clamber out the water until they’re distant mountains, but > read more

York (1): Those Revolting Northerners

Published on 2010-12-08 04:28:42

It’s AD 70, and the North is in revolt. If you’re a Roman tactician at this time, you’re wishing someone would get around to inventing coffee. It’s all one massive coast-to-coast headache. The Claudian invasion of Britain that > read more

Digging myself out…

Published on 2010-12-06 16:08:11

…after a week of being snowed under. In both senses. Snapped hurriedly as I crunched my way to work this morning. Note: it hasn’t snowed since Wednesday. It’s very cold. ********** In other news, despite my recent uncertainty and ha > read more

Commercial Travel Needs Attention-Seeking Idiots

Published on 2010-11-30 19:28:30

If you’ve recently flown on a certain Cebu Pacific service, you’ll remember the air safety demonstration. And how many flights can you say that about? What first struck me about this was how hot the stewardess nearest the camera is how mu > read more

How The Kindle Won Me Over In 7 Minutes

Published on 2010-11-25 14:01:46

Time – 00:00 Here is Mike, sat at a table. Mike is a bespectacled, somewhat vague and dishevelled looking man of indeterminate age . He’s in front of his laptop – and frankly, they both look like they’ve seen better years. Fro > read more



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