• A Walk in the Black Forest, Germany

    A Walk in the Black Forest, Germany

    The Black Forest. The name conjures images of dark, mysterious mountain woods, inhabited by wild animals and supernatural creatures straight from the pages of classic fairytales. I was in the neighbourhood, so thought I’d spend some time exploring this place of legends.

  • The Statues of Skopje, North Macedonia

    The Statues of Skopje, North Macedonia

    Whoever was in charge of Skopje’s Statue Department clearly took the ‘more is more’ approach to their portfolio. The Macedonian capital has a lot of statues. And when I sat a lot, I mean heaps. Literally hundreds.

  • Vodici Ceremony, North Macedonia

    Vodici Ceremony, North Macedonia

    When I checked in to my apartment in the North Macedonian capital of Skopje, the landlord mentioned that the following day was a public holiday. He explained that a ceremony, involving hardy souls plunging into the freezing Vardar River, would be taking place in the city, and that it’s something I might like to have…

  • The Sound of Lake Ngototo, New Zealand

    The Sound of Lake Ngototo, New Zealand

    Hearing kids nearby singing along to Chris Cornell had me reminiscing about seeing live music in the 1990s

  • The Storks of Poland

    The Storks of Poland

    Apparently 25% of the world’s white storks nest in Poland, and therefore ‘every fourth white stork is a Pole’.

  • Taupo Volcanic Zone

    Taupo Volcanic Zone

    New Zealand is pretty much made up of a whole bunch of volcanoes linked together by other volcanoes. Despite the risk of incineration, tourists like me flock to the Taupo Volcanic Zone to experience a little geothermal action.

  • Ferry to Athens

    Ferry to Athens

    I decided to take the ferry to Athens. It’s more expensive than a flight, takes all night, and no-one chooses it unless they are taking a car with them, but I like ferries so I bloody-well booked it anyway.

  • Leaving Crete

    Leaving Crete

    After having a great time circumnavigating the island, it’s time for me to be leaving Crete. I will certainly take some great memories from this beautiful island.

  • The Simple Things, Crete

    The Simple Things, Crete

    Sometimes, the simple things really are the best.

  • Incidents and Accidents, Crete

    Incidents and Accidents, Crete

    A carefree holiday can turn into something else entirely just around the next bend.

Midlife Crisis Odyssey