Pet Sitting
Don’t Stay Too Long Travelling around Europe on a British passport is no easier than travelling on a Samoan one these days. Overstaying your visa risks a fine, or a ban, or both. For Brits especially, EU immigration authorities have …
Captain Haddock
We continue our occasional series on famous sea captains with the one who influenced me most: Captain Archibald Haddock. Tonnerre de Brest! When asked where my esprit d’aventure comes from, I recount how my grandmother shared stories of her travels …
Katie + Aron’s Wedding
August 13, 2022 My eldest Katie and her beau Aron had the coolest wedding on the hottest day of the year. After two years of lockdown and many delays, everyone was in a festive mood and ready to party. For …
Tai Returns
Position: 39°06’48″N 8°22’14″E No matter how many nautical miles you’ve got under your keel, or how many oceans you’ve crossed, you still have to find your sea legs when you reboard your ship. Every sailor gets queasy at some point. …
A Wanker with a Drone
Hiker Nearing the end of our 12-mile hike around the Brecon Beacons three years ago we approached the brow of a hill before descending towards the car. A brackish pond to our left fed a small stream picturesquely cascading down …
Heave To!
Position: 37°48’27″N 1°47’15″E Three days out of Sardinia, 75 miles from any shore, the weather finally turned nasty. It was dark, an hour from first light. For the previous three hours the weather had hung off in the distance. Miles …
London Town
Position: 51°31’0″N 0°02’32″W Back in the early 1980s, when I lived in London, each neighbourhood still had the distinctive feel of villages. There were greens surrounded by shops and a church. Local pubs were full of locals who had lived …
Dunrobin Castle
Position: 57°58’53″N 3°56’41″W The Sutherlands seem like a bloodthirsty lot. Or at least they were. At the turn of the 19th century they were also the wealthiest landowners in Britain. Eclipsing even Queen Victoria. One of the better-known Scottish clans, …
The North Coast 500
Position: 57°26’54″N 6°35’22″W The invention of the North Coast 500 (NC500) led to an inundation of tourists in the Scottish Highlands. Tourists in the sense of literally touring with a self-driven vehicle while pausing and snapping photos every 10 minutes …