This afternoon, a man on a bike cycled past me. He had headphones jammed in his ears and was singing along to music which was only faintly audible: the song was one…
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Personal
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Have you ever seen a hundred naked human bodies? It started in Oslo, on a muggy summer Sunday with a hint of rain in the air. After two weeks on board…
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“Shall we walk home through the city?” Beverley and I had been out for lunch on a sunny Sunday in London’s Southbank, treating ourselves to burgers and beers beside a window…
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It’s finally springtime in London. Joggers and dog walkers are multiplying; people walk down the pavement with sunglasses and smiling faces. This morning I am sitting at a desk in the new…
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Language Personal Peru South America Spanish ChallengeThe Spanish Challenge: a Surprise Return to Paracas, Peru
It’s early in Lima. Men scurry along either side of the barrier which divides the congested highway in two. They carry paper-covered boxes of snacks to sell to car drivers through their windows:…
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Arriving in Santiago de Compostela didn’t feel the way I expected. The Spaniards I had been walking with for the last seven days had tears in their eyes as we walked through…
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Croatia France Middle East Personal Syria VolunteeringFrom Syria to Calais: Nine Years of Changing Perspectives
In the summer of 2007 I travelled to Syria. Our group were on a trip around the Middle East when we crossed over the Jordanian border to arrive in the ancient walled city of…
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They say the Camino brings out the best in people. I didn’t believe them at first, but it’s true. Becoming a pilgrim means talking to, befriending and helping out others just for…
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When I was eight years old, I got locked inside a toilet cubicle in a Japanese KFC. I’d been eating fried chicken with my parents mere minutes before; my fingers were…
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Camino de Santiago Challenges Personal Solo Travel Spain Spanish ChallengeConfessions of a Camino Newbie
“Is my little toe supposed to feel numb?” I’m walking through the forests of Sigulda with Janis, my Latvian guide. I’m wearing newly purchased hiking boots with equally new insoles which the shrewd…