I didn’t know what to do with my hands. I thrust one out to shake his, but that didn’t feel quite right. I hung my arms by my side and that felt worse. Finally I compromised. I clasped my hands together in front of me, waiting for a sign from each of the white-clad Arabs entering the cavernous room. To shake or not to shake? I’m not often at a cultural loss but then, I don’t think I’ve ever been surrounded by so many men who are dressed alike.     My intense discomfort had such a benign beginning. A quick check to see if a friend would be available for a light dinner during my brief stopover i ..read more

Once upon a time, in the days of the Egyptian god Osiris, there lived somewhere to the south a giant monster with three heads, called Gerió. Seeking to enlarge his empire he headed north where he built a castle and founded a city that would one day bear his name: Geriona, today’s Girona. Or not. Perhaps Girona was founded by the Celts. Or maybe it was the “Gerhona” of the Phoenicians. Or the “Kerunta” or “Gerunda” of the Romans. No matter. In this gathering of archways and cobblestones, what really counts is legend and myth, not necessarily history (although at times you’d think they are one a ..read more

Imagine an agile six-year-old clambering up the face of a five-story building, waving from the top, then slithering back down. Leaves your throat dry, doesn’t it? Yet several times a week, that’s exactly what happens when the Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia rehearse their castells, or human towers. “It’s not as dangerous as it looks,” said Helena Pons, explaining the inner workings of a tradition dear to Catalan hearts. “In fact it is less dangerous than other sports.” Perhaps, but my breath stalled as I watched a tiny girl skip over the shoulders of grown men and women, protected by little mo ..read more

Choosing the best food market in Madrid shouldn’t be too difficult. Madrid is, after all, a city to be eaten through, a city of interminable tapas, taverns, restaurants and bars with as much solid as liquid sustenance. And now it is also a city of markets, revitalized after years of decay. When I was a child growing up here, we went to the market, and I remember learning how to – in those pre-cellophane days – gently nudge produce and look for the crispest celeries, the greenest salads, the reddest radishes. Eventually the time-consuming habits of housewives – you rarely see a man shopping in ..read more

If I were looking for naked men, Latino street art and hippies within minutes of one another, I’d head to San Francisco. I don’t surprise easily so, San Francisco, well done! From the slightly perplexing to the jaw-dropping jolt, here are a few of the surprising sights of San Francisco that caught my eye during two visits in July and August. 1. That’s not rain, it’s mist! You may call it ‘mist’ but when it cascades down my face in huge drops, I tend to call it rain. Also, I understand that if I wish to experience summer in your city I should revisit in September (August is fleece weather). In ..read more

(Back to Part 1) “Weren’t the Istanbul Airport terrorists from Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan?” Yes, they were. Scared, no. Cautious, yes. “So why are you going to visit those two countries? Aren’t you scared?” And that’s been the gist of my email Inbox for days. I’m planning to travel through Kyrgyzstan the first half of September and Uzbekistan the second half. And my chances of being caught up in a terrorist attack are really, really tiny. I live in France, which carries the following advisory from the US government: “France’s Parliament approved an extension of the state of emergency imposed af ..read more

(Back to Part 1) That little bit of research I undertook to plan my initial itinerary barely counts. I now have to engage in more serious research. My pattern tends to be the same wherever I go: I start off with a long list of things to read and do, and feel lucky if I make it through even a quarter of it. I see no reason why this time should be different! Here then, in no particular order, is my research for Central Asia. Some things I’ll read, some I won’t, others will drift into that corner of consciousness where guilt and laziness meet for Happy Hour. Read a guidebook or more I mentioned ..read more

(Back to Part 1) You’d think it was straightforward… check out booking.com and reserve, right? Not quite. Beyond the main cities of Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, accommodation isn’t always listed on commercial sites. There are plenty of hotels and guest houses, and they’re not particularly hard to find. You just won’t be able to shop and compare reviews, especially at the lower, more family-run end. Is this a problem in any way? If you’re the kind of person who plans a journey’s minute details then I won’t lie, it is a bit of a problem. But if you can wing it a little, I suspect you’ll be amply r ..read more

(Back to Part 1) In ten days I’m off on what part of me wishes were a calm vacation, swooning in gentle relaxation along a balmy seashore, watching the palm fronds tickle the horizon. Instead, I’ll be going to the office. I’m incredibly fortunate: I have a job that allows me to travel and write so for the next month, my office will be split between Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. I’m a development journalist by profession and a travel writer by passion – or perhaps it’s the other way around. Planning for work isn’t quite the same as planning for a holiday. I still have to organize the basics, but a ..read more

When Matt Kepnes (of Nomadic Matt fame) asked me to review his latest book, I hesitated. Matt isn’t even 40 – and it’s no secret that I’m 66 and have been traveling solo since, well, before Matt was born. I eventually agreed because Matt is a friend and I’ve known him since his early blogging days, but I was uncomfortable. I knew I wouldn’t identify with his book, but how would I convey that in writing diplomatically for the world to see? The best I could hope for is that I’d find enough common ground to deliver a balanced critique. Well, I was in for a surprise (and I should know better than ..read more