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Category: World War I and II, Cold War

Diving the Ghosts of Corsica, Part II

Diving the Ghosts of Corsica, Part II

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B-17G Flying Fortress ‘Her Did ’, Calvi Corsica is a spectacular place. Inland from the rugged coastline’s turquoise waters, mountains rise steeply, their towering granite summits patched white with snow even in the late spring. I stared out the window as the bus wound it’s way from Bastia to Calvi, through valleys cut by fast flowing rivers and over steep mountain passes. We descended into the town in the early evening, where the 400 year old walls of the citadel…

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Diving the ghosts of Corsica, Part I

Diving the ghosts of Corsica, Part I

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P-47 Thunderbolt, Miomo It had been 18 months since my last dive, and I fumbled clumsily whilst preparing my gear. I was sitting with two other divers in the spring sunshine, beside the picturesque little harbour at Erbalunga, Corsica. Our dive operator Rym, who took the task of conducting our refresher dive seriously, asked us questions about equipment and protocols as we fitted our kit together. Soon we were leaving the harbour in his fibreglass hull inflatable for a nearby…

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Visiting Mac

Visiting Mac

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It was one o’clock in the afternoon when we pulled up beside V.C. Corner Cemetery, near the small village of Fromelles in northern France. It was cold and drizzling rain, and the gloomy light made it feel much later in the day. We were the only visitors. We made our way though the gates and onto the lush, wet grass. Six large trees border the edge of the cemetery, and were sporting fresh, early spring growth. Beyond lie neatly cut…

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Podcast Episode 9. The Cemeteries of Gallipoli

Podcast Episode 9. The Cemeteries of Gallipoli

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G’day all and welcome to the Midlife Crisis Odyssey Podcast, where not all who wander are lost, but some of us definitely are. The cemeteries of Gallipoli hold tens of thousands; each with their own story of tragedy that occurred here in this beautiful place. If you would like to see the post for this podcast, you can find it here If you liked this podcast, you may also like Strange Meeting, Poland; Evacuation, Ukraine Know someone who might like…

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Hangar 10

Hangar 10

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A big part of why I had traveled to Germany’s Baltic Coast was to visit the small village of Zirchow. And the entire reason I wanted to visit the small village of Zirchow was to go to Hangar 10, a museum which houses a unique collection of rare aircraft. Figuring out local public transport whilst traveling can be challenging, but I thought I had everything sorted for my short bus journey from Ahlbeck to Zirchow. Turns out I didn’t. I…

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Pocast Episode 7. Strange Meeting, Poland

Pocast Episode 7. Strange Meeting, Poland

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G’day all and welcome to the Midlife Crisis Odyssey Podcast, where not all who wander are lost, but some of us definitely are. After seeing the main areas of Birkenau Concentration Camp, and learning of the horrors that had occurred there, it was a relief to find a tranquil patch of nature. Whilst enjoying the quiet and the late afternoon sun, I had a strange meeting. If you would like to see the post for this podcast, you can find…

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Exploring the Westwall

Exploring the Westwall

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‘I ordered the immediate expansion of our western fortifications. I can assure you that since May 28, the most gigantic fortifications of all time have been under construction there.’ Adolf Hitler, Nazi Part rally in Nuremberg, 1938. I had traveled to the small town of Pirmasens in Rhineland-Palatinate to visit a Ukrainian friend of mine. She, like many other displaced Ukrainians, has found refuge in Germany whilst waiting for peace to return to her country. At the closest point, Pirmasens…

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Red Cross Concentration Camp

Red Cross Concentration Camp

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Dark Tourism in Nis, Part II I crossed the Nisava River, after which the Serbian city of Nis is named, and headed north through steady drizzle. Another kilometre and I reached my destination: the foreboding walls of the Red Cross Concentration Camp. I followed the tall concrete until I reached the entrance gate, and stepped inside. Looking up the long path that lead to the large, grey, block-like building, I shuddered involuntarily. The silent, deserted place was chilling. I walked…

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Visiting the Berlin Wall

Visiting the Berlin Wall

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I climbed the stairs out of the U Bahn (underground city rail network) and popped out into the cool, overcast afternoon. Soon I was part of the jostling crowd of tourists surging along towards the site of Checkpoint Charlie. I had been a bit crook so hadn’t left the hotel for a couple of days, and to be honest I felt a bit overwhelmed by all the poeple, noise and clamour. During the Cold War, Checkpoint Charlie was a throttled…

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Stasi Bunker Museum, Machern

Stasi Bunker Museum, Machern

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I was doing some research into things to do in and around Leipzig, Germany, and came across the Stasi Bunker Museum in the nearby town of Machern. This unique museum is only open on the last weekend of every month, which just happened to be when I was visiting. Thankful for this stroke of luck, I jumped on a Sunday train at Leipzig’s main railway station for the half-hour journey to Machern. Being mid-2022, Covid-19 seemed to have been largely…

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