The Nano Engineer

  When I was in The Netherlands, I met a nano engineer. I didn’t know that was a thing either. Me and Nia were hitchhiking south toward Belgium.   This guy picked us up, and he was very friendly, and invited us to have a coffee with him.   He had to go past his house before…

Turning Forty

…As we ease ourselves into Paris, we are somehow infused with the romantic atmosphere.  It’s really true, that sexy reputation Paris has.  There is an atmosphere of repressed passion, especially after dark, when couples stroll together in leather jackets, embracing tightly and kissing long and deep… Flash back: July 2013. My wife and I are…

Another Big Feed – Fez, Morocco

As a small thank you to Ouma and her family for their gracious hospitality in Fez, we make them a big feed of pasta and cucumber salad.  It goes down well, especially with the kids, and we are very flattered by the praise of the aunties.  One Eid Al Adha I’ll never forget.    …

Fresh Meat! – Fez, Morocco

…Ouma insists I taste the brain, and the eyes, so I take a deep breath and…  it’s delicious.  Seems like anything Ouma’s mum cooks is good.  Now I’ve eaten brain I feel like a real adventurer.  Or maybe a zombie… Ouma invites us to spend Eid Al Adha with her family in Fez.  We are…

Viva Canadians – Fez, Morocco

  We roll into Fez with Hathim, a really nice guy who drives us all the way there from Chefchaouen. Hathim drops us at McDonalds, and we set about pinching a bit of WiFi.  A couple of friendly Canadians overhear us talking and say hello.   We talk about our travels, and explain that we…

Tarragona, Spain

…The area formerly housing the Roman circus was turned into a slaughterhouse, and the catacombs of the amphitheatre were gradually filled with rubbish by the city’s inhabitants, who used them as a convenient refuse dump… We wait a while for a ride out of Callafel, Spain.  Finally Nick offers to take us to Lleida. On…

Gold Mine – Brusson, Italy

  Guido picks us up in the Aosta Valley, in far north-west Italy.  Guido is 33, tall, lean and has a winning smile.  He is the sheriff of his small village. The name of Guido’s village is Brusson, which means “gold mine”, but all the gold ran out centuries ago. As we wind along the…

The Roof of Europe – Monte Bianco, Italy

…Italian people consider hitching old fashioned, associate it with the hippy era and rarely give rides.  Italians do not hitchhike themselves and consider hitchhikers to be dangerous… The further south we go in France the slower we move.  The cars get more expensive and the rides sparser. A guy stops for us and he is…

Strasbourg, France

  Walking to Strasbourg’s centre is a short stroll in morning sunshine.   The city is compact, but not crowded.   The people look handsome and relaxed. The old part of the city is superbly preserved, in contrast to the towns of northern France that were so devastated by the second world war. The cathedral is awesome. …