Stories from travels in

Europe

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

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

2013 Grateful 10

Just returned from the wilds of Alaska back in 2001, I found myself in Carlow at a nightclub. Some lad was chatting me up. His

2013 Grateful 11

When I arrived in Budapest all those years ago, with two suitcases, two framed pictures, and an assortment of mental and emotional baggage, Keleti Station

Alienating tourists

There’s a small part of me that has the makings of a conspiracy theorist. I have what I like to think of as a healthy

The calmness explained

In 1963 this drug was released and became astonishingly popular: between 1969 and 1982 it was the most prescribed drug in America, with over 2.3

When the wheel stops turning

What if I were to build a house in the middle of nowhere … would people come and be my neighbours? How long would it

The Bliss of Solitude

My short-term memory is worsening by the day. My long-term memory isn’t much better. I find myself having vague recollections of events and conversations rather

Something about Szeged

In Szeged last weekend for Porgy and Bess, I was followed by a feeling of disquiet the whole time I was there. It was as