Xiamen: Zhongshan Road Coming back from exploring Changting, the city where Cat was born, we stop for the night in Xiamen, before next morning's flight to Taipei. I don't know what I expected, hadn't really thought much about Xiamen at all. But this harbour city on the Taiwan Strait turned out to be a cool [...] World at a Glance: Zhongshan Road in Xiamen is a post from Sophie's World ..read more

Not exactly turbocharged in Taipei Cat and I were recently in Fujian in China, on a very interesting and very personal journey, which I may get back to in a later post. Today, however, I thought I would share a bit about Taipei. We were only in town for 32 hours, and on top of [...] A Tiny Taste of Taipei is a post from Sophie's World ..read more

I have finally managed to visit Kish, folks. Here's how that went down. Wednesday 13 Nov: Stepping off Ethiopian Airlines at OSL in the early hours, after exciting and tightly packed days in Burundi and Comoros. Head straight for a day at the office. Get home. 5 minutes later, stumble into bed. Sleep for 12 [...] Kish Island: Iran light is a post from Sophie's World ..read more

Just back from Kish Island. I'm here in Dubai overnight, waiting for the flight home. Spending the night in the airport seems just toooo tiring for words, even when that airport is DXB, so I find a hotel/social hub in downtown Dubai. Here's how I killed a few hours today, and you can too, if [...] World at a Glance: #InTransit – Dubai overnight is a post from Sophie's World ..read more

I have an intriguing little titbit of a country for you today, folks. A country with some obvious in-your-face problems - but also with huge potential. The Moon Islands. In November, Syria was on the agenda for some of us. But then things happened there. Travels had to be deferred. So what to do with [...] Comoros: nature v. human activity is a post from Sophie's World ..read more

My first encounter in Marrakech is this lovely building. And what a vision it is, Marrakech railway station. Traditional Arabic architecture, tiled facade, marble interior, all the light... Welcome to Marrakech We have arrived in Marrakech after a long journey through Mauritania, visiting desert oases and the ancient libraries in Chinguetti, travelling atop a giant [...] The Medina of Marrakech: souks, hammams, food and fun is a post from Sophie's World ..read more

Palermo Airport Falcone Borcellino, 1 August 2024 I’m in Palermo today, peeps. Sort of by chance. And by chance, I mean a cheap direct flight from Oslo and a flight onward to Lampedusa (also cheap). I've been curious about that enigmatic island for a long time, and will tell you about it in due course. [...] In transit: One day in Palermo is a post from Sophie's World ..read more

Bujumbura, you ask? Where on earth is Bujumbura? Although... if you are a regular reader of this blog, you are probably curious about the lesser known places in this world, and you already know.  Even though it has been stripped of its official capital status, Bujumbura is the largest city in Burundi, and although [...] Bustling Bujumbura is a post from Sophie's World ..read more

Have you ever dreamt of flying in a jumbo jet but also have a fear of flying? Are you a plane geek, but prefer to keep your feet firmly planted on earth? Well, fret no more. I have just the thing for you. Jumbo Stay in the Scandinavian autumn night Not far from Stockholm’s Arlanda [...] Jumbo Stay: Sleep in a 747. Without leaving the ground. is a post from Sophie's World ..read more

On my way to Öland Island last month, I stopped for the night in Kalmar, on the other side of the Kalmar Strait. I meant to head straight back to the airport the next morning, but a nightly wander around the city made me want to explore a bit further. Especially when I spotted Kalmar [...] Kalmar Castle – and the Scandinavian Union is a post from Sophie's World ..read more