Any Excuse to Travel

Stories from travels in

September 2012

All aboard

I can’t even begin to imagine what it would be like to be trapped aboard a ship with the same people for days on end.

A shattered mirror in a secret room

If ever I need a dramatic rise in blood pressure, I take myself to the Párizsi Nagy Áruház on Andrássy. I go upstairs to the

Still rolling at 86

I’d just finished a rather graphic account of my recent foray into colonic hydrotherapy when he turned to me and asked – ‘Do you like

A view from above

‘You can’t miss it’, he said. ‘It’s the second-tallest building in Budapest.’ This was what was rattling around in my head as the metro approached

Thermal weapons and wine

Up until the mid-sixteenth century, thermal weapons were all the go. The objective was simple: inflict maximum damage by scalding or burning. Hot water and

There’s only one beautiful woman

It’s not often that my illusions are shattered beyond repair. I can usually glue the remnants back together – enough at least to keep some

And yet another Budapest discovery

One of the many reasons I like living in this city is its discoverability. Just when I think I’ve seen it all, I find somewhere

No ‘i’ in Parlament

A long threatening came at last. For five years now, I’ve been walking by the line of tourists queuing up for a tour of the