Category: Europe

A Trip to England: Covid Risks and Responsibilities

Aboard a Delta flight, July 2021. In November I’ll travel to England, my first overseas trip in over 1½ years. This will be the first time I’ve flown eastbound across the Atlantic on a daytime flight. But, enough of firsts. The trip isn’t assured. It’s possible Covid travel restrictions to the UK could be tightened…… Continue reading A Trip to England: Covid Risks and Responsibilities

The Ministry

((Archive picture, 33 things you only know if you’ve worked at ‘the Ministry’ for HMRC in Longbenton, ChronicleLive.)) The campus in this photograph became the main offices for a British government ministry in 1948. You could be forgiven for wondering if it was a prisoner-of-war camp, repurposed as The Ministry of Truth, The Ministry of…… Continue reading The Ministry

Antequera: the Case for B-List Travel

Estimated numbers of hotel rooms in places we stayed: Granada, Antequera, Marbella and Nerja, Spain. May 2019 data from Instituto Nacional de Estadistica. If you’re planning to visit Spain’s Costa del Sol, you’ll probably be staying in a busy place. It can be hard to avoid over-loved places, but I prefer to seek out B-List…… Continue reading Antequera: the Case for B-List Travel

Using a Smartphone to Bypass Lines in Spain

April 2018. Hundreds of people were lined up in heavy rain to buy tickets for Spain’s national art museum, the Prado. Some fiddled with their smartphones to alleviate their boredom as they shuffled slowly towards the entrance. They seemed unaware they could use their expensive devices to simplify their lives. I found a sheltered spot…… Continue reading Using a Smartphone to Bypass Lines in Spain