Category: Travel

Two Nights in Kunduz

This is what I wrote in 2008 about two nights I spent in Kunduz, now perhaps captured by the Taliban. What I didn’t write then, was that on the first evening, walking through the streets, I felt for the only time on that trip to Afghanistan very much in danger and that, returning to our… Continue reading Two Nights in Kunduz

“Swing, swing together” – Slovenian Boating Song

A few days ago I mused on the shape of Europe I’d like to see in the years ahead; smaller government, more flexible institutions, accountable local government, and I pointed to Singapore as a conspicuous success. I didn’t need to look so far; Slovenia has achieved a lot for a similarly small country half the… Continue reading “Swing, swing together” – Slovenian Boating Song

Train Thinking

Yesterday’s post was about travelling by train in rural Ireland some fifty years ago. Yesterday I was actually travelling by train across Austria and into Slovenia.

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Don’t Expect The Orient Express

It is hard to convey how much pleasure I take in train travel. I think it may be because I didn’t get much exposure to it as a child, although the Dublin – Belfast line passed close to Grangebellew (by Mrs Kelly’s excellent snipe bog, shooting by permission and always granted).

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Categorised as Family, Travel

Wine Not Whine

Yesterday I mentioned that drinks in the Czech Republic, specially out in the countryside, are not expensive if you live in London and have been in Norway. Where we are is the second least populated part of the country (thanks, Wiki) and beer is the drink of choice.

Bohemian Rhapsody

South Bohemia is populated with a lot of forestry and pasture and only a few people. On a six hour circular walk this is what we saw.

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Lead In Your Pencil

source This is a picture of miners in festive dress outside a graphite mine in Český Krumlov. I did not know that graphite is mined and I did think that it was used in pencils but only about 1% is.

Český Krumlov

Service in Prague is done with all the Gallic charm and urgency of a Parisian waiter in an empty bar. However, other aspects of life here are more appealing; food and transport are cheap and the country is beautiful.

Nudge, Nudge

The Nudge Unit has been around since the 1990s and is now grandly called The Behavioural Insights Team. It has subtly and cheaply influenced my behaviour this week.

Argiope Bruennichi

I hope it won’t be too boring if I tell you a bit more about my stroll along the Suffolk coast.