Any Excuse to Travel

Stories from travels in

December 2013

Fishing in the city

I’m the first one to admit to a bad first impression. Mind you, I doubt my saying ‘You know, when I first met you, I

Old space, new ideas

I didn’t think there could be much more that would surprise me about Swiss efficiency. Having a tram where you can leave your Christmas shopping

Wishes do come true

What to do? Shops exhausted. Christmas markets all ticked off. Singing Christmas tree marvelled at. What I needed was a dose of mountain air and

The Singing Christmas Tree in Zurich

I live a life without issue, that is I have no children. I can’t ever remember wanting to have children but that said, I wouldn’t

Biggest, brightest, best

I’m quite partial to  the concept of Christmas markets. I like wandering around, wrapped against the elements, clutching my steaming mug of hot wine and

A change of heart

The last time I was in Zurich, some random individual (male) got on the tram and started whaling on me with a rolled-up magazine. It

The simple truth

Despite its religious significance, despite the hoards of pilgrims of all faiths who besiege it with a fervour that would make you wonder why there

When walls tell stories

It may seem like I’m a little obsessed with the wall around Bethlehem and perhaps I am. Oddly enough, it was the non-religious aspects of

Goose feathers

On holiday in Mexico many (many) years ago, a hotel receptionist asked for my autograph. She thought I was Mrs Bruce Willis. Back then, Demi