The author
Five places for a girl to propose (but not today)
If I was going to propose I wouldn’t do it today. If a man can propose any day of the year, so can I. I don’t need to wait for the 29th February for permission to get down on one knee. What I would need though, is the perfect location.
With that in mind, I’ve compiled my top five places for girls to pop the question.
Snowmen of Hackney February 2012
Snow falls and England goes mad, in a good way. Here’s a selection of Hackney’s finest snowmen, crafted from the 10cm that fell overnight. My, we’re an excitable bunch!
London Underground offers more than transport…
Nothing like something out of the ordinary to cheer up your commute. Thanks Angel Tube station!
The craziest things happen when you least expect them…
Check out this footage of a surfer nearly being swallowed by a pod of humpback whales feeding off the coast of Santa Cruz, California.
Parakeets in London
I took a trip to Kew Gardens last spring. Strolling down the daffodil avenue I heard a familiar sound that I first heard in South America – a parakeet. There it was, peering down at me through the blossom.
North Devon madness: wacky Minis
Sitting outside The Hunters Inn at the bottom of Exmoor’s Heddon Valley yesterday a long line of crazily dressed Minis wound their way past. Of course, I set aside my second pint of Addlestones and started snapping away, half cut (that cider is strong stuff). It turned out it was the Legendary Grand Tour in aid … Continue reading
Proust says it best
Marcel Proust neatly sums up what this blog is all about, although he had it figured out decades before me.
Post-trip tip 5: find local places that evoke your travels
Much as you love it, your local chippy is unlikely to evoke warm happy travel memories. Sniff out a few places that remind you of your travels and visit them when you crave a change from the all-too-soon-established norm.
Dishoom: a corner of Bombay in London
Dishoom was created by some seriously homesick Bombayites.
DISHOOM /dishu:m/ n.
1. The old Bollywood sound effect produced when a hero lands a good punch, or when a bullet flies through the air
2. Similar to popular slang usage of the expression “Mojo”; e.g. “He’s got that Dishoom”
The week that was: sea kayaking the Sea of Cortez, Mexico
This time last year I was pootling around in a kayak in the Sea of Cortez, tucked between Baja and the Mexican mainland. My photos from this week are nothing special but I do have this short video of a pod of dolphins swimming close to our kayak.
Post-trip tip 4: don’t be a travel bore
Yes, you loved travelling. Yes, life is immeasurably better on the road. Yes, you did some mind-blowing stuff. But there’s a time and a place to talk about it. Otherwise it’s called bragging and no-one likes a show-off. Especially when everyone else has been stuck in the same old routine under the same grey skies for an interminably long time.
The week that was: Belize and Mexico City
My top ten photos from Belize and Mexico City, 12th-18th March 2010
Post-trip tip 3: Relive those memories
Make a point of going through your travel photos and videos regularly. It will bring back all those old memories and remind you of sunnier climes and good times.
Callander Jazz and Blues Festival
Summer is definitely behind us. I’m delaying the onset of my SAD by focusing on all the brilliant events and places I could be visiting (if I had the money, of course). This weekend I want to be in Scotland, tapping my feet to some blues and downing a few wee drams.
Post-trip tip 2: adopt a new travel attitude
Just because you’re home doesn’t mean you’ve seen everything the area has to offer. Check out the, erm, rather novel approach to travel and tourism recommended by Joël Henry: Experimental Travel…
Feet, Ground: Head, Clouds 