In 1974, Turkey invaded the northern part of the island of Cyprus and have controlled about 40% of the territory ever since. They’ve named it the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, but in truth it’s just an exclave of Turkey now. After all, they officially use the Turkish language and the Turkish Lira, and have an enormous Turkish military presence.…
1 CommentMost people go to Greek Cyprus for the clubbing. I’m not most people. In fact, I hadn’t even heard of Ayia Napa until after I came back home. Everyone assumed I’d gone to Cyprus for the hedonism and kept asking how drunk, high and laid I’d gotten in my week on the Med. I actually came to Greek Cyprus for…
1 CommentIn early 2015, I was sent over to Slovenia for a science education project that was being launched by the Prime Minister. It was an intensive couple of weeks. However, afterwards I stayed a few extra days in Ljubljana, so I could explore this relatively unknown – in Britain anyway – central European capital. Turns out finding Indian food in…
Leave a CommentClick here to read part one of the story. Stage two of my first ever trip to Islam’s most revered cities (aka Muslim Disneyland) was the main event: the Umrah (i.e. pilgrimage) to Makkah – birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad, where the Quran was first revealed and (according to Muslims) the holiest place in the universe. There are very specific…
1 CommentIn early 2015, I was given the opportunity to visit Saudi Arabia to perform the Umrah pilgrimage. It almost didn’t happen though. Firstly, thanks to a corrupt and deceitful travel agent my passport sat in a drawer for two weeks instead of being sent to the embassy. Then, secondly, I was stymied by the sheer incompetence of the staff at…
1 CommentEarly 2015 and I was heading back to Istanbul once again for a quick cultural tour of both the European old city and the Anatolian side. I love playing tour guide for family and friends who are visiting new places and, seeing as I’d lived in this city for about six months, I was the perfect person to plan the…
Leave a CommentClick here to read part 1 I’d already visited Ronda, Gibraltar and Cordoba, but we were only halfway through our tour of the Andalusian region. Having a hire car for the trip was exceptionally useful as it meant we were totally in control of our schedule and could decide to change our plans as and when we wanted. The fourth…
Leave a CommentAnother Christmas and another big foreign tour. Once again I’m spending my winter in a different country. This time around, I’ve decided to take some of my family to see the Andalusian region of Spain. As usual, we were taking the sensible option of flying into Malaga, hiring a car, and controlling our own schedule. If you have the ability…
1 CommentOnce again, thanks to my work, I got an opportunity to spend a few days exploring a city in the Far East. This time, I had four days in Bangkok, the capital of Thailand. Luckily, only two of those days were going to be for work. The rest of the time was mine to use as I wanted. And what…
Leave a CommentWork commitments meant I had to visit Sweden in spring of 2013. My meetings would only take up two days, but I booked myself a five-day trip so I could explore both the capital, Stockholm, and the University town of Karlstad. It’s more than 450 years old and sits on the banks of Lake Vänern – the largest lake in…
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