I moved to the Mediterranean because I wanted to write an island book inspired by Lawrence Durrell. But it had to be a place no one else had written about — at least, not in that way. I found Malta after a brief web search. I knew nothing about the place apart from indirect Dashiell Hammett references and vague notions of Knights battling Turks. That vagueness appealed to me. And so we gave up...
We weren’t even halfway up the mountain yet, and I was already coming to terms with my own mortality. “Don’t take that trail,” the apartment owner had told us. “It’s very steep. Go around this way instead.” But we had slept late and missed the bus. And this trail began right at the edge of the village. It seemed like the most convenient option at the time. I began to doubt the wisdom of this...
I’ve been in Berlin for the past few weeks, soaking up some art and inspiration in my favourite city. And no visit is complete without soaking up a few of the local spirits, too. I had a chance to stop by one of my favourite cocktail bars last week. And it just happens to be in the very same neighbourhood as our current short term flat. It’s called Beckett’s Kopf. There’s no sign to mark...
When I was a teenager, my vision of university was one of solid stone buildings, some covered in vines. The footsteps of a single person echoing from a lonely courtyard late at night. Vast libraries with wood panelled walls and statues of ancient Greeks. And new worlds of knowledge opened by brilliant professors, who would spark discussions that would rage far into the next morning’s light. None...
I’m just back from a couple weeks in Iceland, exploring remote corners of the Central Highland deserts, and just soaking up the silence and that clean subarctic air. I’ll be writing a feature about the trip for Outpost magazine, so I don’t want to say too much about it here. At least, not until I’ve cut my notes together into article form. But I would like to share a few tips that you likely...
It’s in the middle of the Baltic Sea, halfway to Latvia, but it’s Sweden’s largest island. It’s been occupied since at least the Middle Neolithic, and you’ll find rune stones, ship burials and the remains of fortified settlements. You might even find buried treasure, like the legendary Spillings Hoard, a massive 85kg pile of Viking silver dug up in 1999. The island’s walled capital was the main...
I consume an enormous amount of salt — at least, according to my wife, who scolds me each time I twist that grinder over my dinner plate for more than 3 minutes. “It’s an insult to the cook,” she says. “You didn’t even taste it first.” “But I really like salt,” I reply. “And it’s loaded with crucial minerals. Without it we would die. Do you want me to die? Well, do you…?” The conversation tends...
Many people have written the horrifying story of Auschwitz, so I’m not going to rehash it here. I encourage you to click the link above and read the history, and to read the accounts of survivors who somehow lived through these events. I obviously can’t improve upon their stories, but I want to share with you what it feels like to visit that site today — and why it’s so important to do so...
Prague is one of Europe’s most recognizable cities. It’s long been a favourite of backpackers for its low costs and cheap beer. And it’s firmly on every European tour itinerary thanks to its beautifully preserved UNESCO listed old town. Strangely enough, I had never been there. The Czech Republic was totally new territory for me. So when an opportunity came up to meet one of my oldest friends in...
I believe that a library is a sacred space, and a visit to a library is a form of pilgrimage. I try to visit historic or interesting libraries in different countries whenever the opportunity arises, in the same way that a Christian will visit important churches or cathedrals. I do it to pay my respects to the collective wisdom of our human past, and simply to soak up that wonderful smell of book...
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