Berlin is a city where art lives and breathes. I went there recently for a dose of art and culture. My little Mediterranean island is piled with history, many stones deep. And beauty is present too, but art is scarce. And I need art to remind me of what my work could be. I was searching for a serious injection of creative inspiration. And so I began with the area I understand least: modern art...
Every once in a while a book comes along that shakes up your perspective, and provides deep insights into your past and present. This is one of those books. Blue Truth by David Deida showed up out of nowhere, at a time when I’d been struggling with a sense of stagnancy in my craft, and with the path I’ve chosen through life. It shone a fresh light on past experiences, deep hurts and...
I spent a week in Berlin right before the Christmas holidays. We rented an apartment in Mitte, near the Rosenthaler Platz U Bahn station. A gentrified neighbourhood of ethnic restaurants, dimly lit bars and newly renovated apartments with enormous windows, modern furniture, heated floors and soundproofed walls. Close to the fashion district, and to small galleries filled with big fringe ideals. I...
I was in Barbados all last week for work. A lot of my time was spent hunched over accounting ledgers. But I did find time for a little snorkeling and island driving. And of course I made the trip back up to the north end of the island to refill my engraved bottle of St. Nicolas Abbey rum! (You can read about my previous rum tasting adventures in Barbados in this blog) My friends at St. Nicholas...
I read something like 100 books a year. All sorts of stuff, from travel literature, history, fiction, classics, philosophy and memoir. And I like to end each year with a quick wrap up of what I liked best. These are the books that stood out for me in 2013. Have a look through the list, and pick up a few. You won’t be disappointed. Weeding out the best from the borderline — so you don’t have to...
I was in Berlin this past week, getting a huge dose of art and culture — something I’m starved for on my small Mediterranean island. I went there to soak up the gritty feel of the city, and to hang out in museums and small galleries. But I also ended up wandering through a bunch of Christmas markets. They were everywhere. And they had good food. The Christmas Market tradition goes all the way...
The British overseas territory of Gibraltar guards the entrance to the Mediterranean. The landward side of the peninsula borders the Spanish province of Cadiz. It’s a rather contentious border, and if you stretch it a bit I guess you could call it one of the last potential flashpoints in Western Europe. That’s what Spanish politicians would have you believe, anyway. I drove there from Conil de la...
You’ve spent 15 patient years saving for that once-in-a-lifetime trip to Europe. You dreamed about it. You talked about it. And you finally flew over and lived it — only to be left thinking, “Was that it?” Or maybe you’re a frequent business traveler, and despite the exotic cities you find yourself in, all you’ve ever seen is snooty restaurants and shopping plazas. There’s more to travel than...
I was searching for insights into this 40’s decade that I’ve somehow slipped into… I wanted to know more about the challenges ahead. Where I should focus my efforts. And why I now have this sudden very clear sense that the clock is ticking and my time is running out. My search led me to a classic book about the major crisis points we all face in our lives: I wanted advice for the...
You’ll recall that in my last blog I was scouting out the Costa de la Luz in Spain as a potential candidate for my “life after Malta” base. And I promised to reveal more about how I choose my next location. I’ve heard so many horror stories about folks who sold their homes and cashed in all their chips to move to their dream “place in the sun,” only to realize they absolutely hated it and wanted...
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