Castle on the River – Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic
This town is really beautiful. Cobbled streets, towering castle battlements, and a fast flowing river lined with trees flowing through and around the citadel…
Saddle Sore – Angkor Wat, Cambodia
…There is a vertiginous weight about the structures. Passing through the gates into the temple enclosure, struggling up the endless steep stairways, I am acutely aware of the intention of Angkor’s architects: impress the bollocks off people – make them feel very small… Me and J-man get on the slow train out of Bangkok. Actually,…
Last Stop Lion Palace – Granada, Spain
…Europe is intense. I like the cheese. I like the noisy little cars. I like the pastry, the architecture, the museums, the people, the fashion, the weather, the diversity, the pashing (it’s an Aussie word for what Parisians do), the colours, the countryside… I’m not so keen on the dog shit situation… My time in…
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…
Super Hospitality – Mont-St-Michel, France
I feel like a pilgrim to a palace from Lord of the Rings. The island is completely covered in medieval stone structures, walled around with soaring battlements, and topped with a sky piercing spire adorned with a gilt statue like an angel. Sea birds circle the island, and here and there men are walking across the sand flats barefoot, with baskets, collecting shellfish…
Sleeping in a Castle – Caen, France (#1)
I’m nerding out. I may go LARP at any moment and start running around with a toy sword screaming battle cries in Tolkien-ese. The bell in the cathedral sounds 11pm as we settle down in our sleeping bags in the moat of Chateaux Ducal de Caen. The moat is dry nowadays, and is dark…
Australia’s Own Castle – Ballarat, Australia
Kim, our ride from Ballarat to Craigieburn last week, took us to look at Kryal Castle, which is a bizarre place. I never knew there was a castle in Australia. It was built in 1972, but looks incredibly authentic, and narrowly escaped being turned into a brothel recently.