Scandinavian Sojourn: Cologne and Home
Concluding my short adventure across Northern Europe.
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Travel
Scandinavian Sojourn: Oslo
Saved by the snow.
Scandinavian Sojourn: Stockholm
Cloudy with a chance of meatballs.
Scandinavian Sojourn: Copenhagen
Finding colour amidst the grey.
Scandinavian Sojourn: Brighton to Copenhagen
Like all great railway journeys, this one starts with a cancellation.
Brighton to Lisbon by Train
Nine stations. Seven trains. Four countries. 27 and half hours.
Crisis
A two-week stay in Berlin not only gave me time to explore the city, but also space to question the direction of my career and address a growing sense of disillusionment with my profession.
Tempelhof
On German Unity Day, a tour of Tempelhof Airport proved to be a powerful act of remembrance.
Berlin Bound
Ich bin ein Berliner?
Death of a Clone Town
What does the future hold for small towns like Walsall?
Back to Bradshaw’s
Having copied, pasted and formatted another 115 pages of OCR’d text, Bradshaw’s Guide now contains tours throughout South West England, the West Midlands, Wales and Ireland.
A Summer in Le Havre
Finding the unexpected in Le Havre, the French seaside city that’s full of surprises.
Away to Galway
In need of a break, I headed to Galway and the far western reaches of the British Isles.
Prague: An Adventure in Space and Time
Comparing a city with those previously visited might not be the best means of appraisal, but that’s what I found myself doing during a three-night stay in Prague.
Rotterdam Reflections
Some thoughts after spending a few days in the Netherlands’ second city.
Briefly Berlin
Before going freelance, I decided to take some time off during February. Part of this included spending a few days in Berlin.
Andy Higgs: Journey into Africa
justbeyondthebridge.co.uk
(Re)introducing Bradshaw’s Guide
Based on the 1866 edition of George Bradshaw’s handbook for tourists using Britain’s nascent railway network, my latest project puts his historical insights into the hands of a new generation, many of whom use the same routes he described 150 years ago.
Exploring the Causeway Coast
After attending Build in Belfast last month, Chris Armstrong gave Ethan Marcotte, Chris Shifflet and myself a tour of the Causeway Coast which, as the name suggests, is home to the famed Giant’s Causeway.
The Road to Nowhere
flickr.com
The Journey
A new pair of jeans, the reignited love for a city and an inevitable answer to a surprisingly surprising question. Just some of the artefacts collected during two weeks in America.
On The Road Again
Once again, I’m in Austin for SXSW Interactive; the forth time I’ve attended an event I find easy to disparage. Yet this is the first stop on a trip that will take in several hundred miles of Interstate highway between here and San Francisco; two points of familiarity on an itinerary that promises to be anything but predictable.
San Francisco: There and Back Again
Transcending America’s Pacific coastline aboard Amtrak’s Coast Starlight.
Vibrant Vancouver
In the front seat of a float plane, I enjoyed a breathtaking view of Vancouver as I descended into its harbour. For such a densely populated city, I’d arrived somewhere small and friendly.
Across the Salish Sea
After eight days exploring North America, it was time to visit its more westerly extremities, starting with Saltspring Island.
A Taste of Toronto
Some cities are best arrived at by air, while some are best approached by car. Others are best suited to arrival by train. Toronto is one such city.
Onwards to Ottawa
After Washington, it was on to another North American capital, Ottawa, a city with no end of ATMs unwilling to accept my debit card.
Back in the District
My North American adventure started in Washington DC, ostensibly to attend a conference, but it was also an excuse to see Shannon, who graciously planned a tour of the city.
Continuing Adventures in America
Before I write about my most recent travels across Canada and the United States, I address the hypocrisy of taking such a trip.
October: So Far, So Fun
October has been a crazy month, and I’m not even done with it yet!
Remembering Brasília
Thoughts on Brasília, which I visited back in March.
Ampersand & More
Much of the excitement has come in the form of web conferences, and looking back, I find it surprising just how many I’ve attended this year already.
The Brasília Palace Hotel
For anyone coming to Brasília for its modernist architecture, no visit would be complete without a stay at this hotel. Designed by Oscar Niemeyer and opened in 1958, it hosted dignitaries such as Queen Elizabeth and Che Guevara before being devastated by fire in 1978. After facing decades of abandonment and neglect, it was modernised and reopened in 2006.
I Never Left My Heart in San Francisco
As I walked the streets of San Francisco, buoyed by their comfortable familiarity and unique soundtrack, I knew that this was still a city I could never call home.
The Streets of San Francisco
twitter.com
SXSW: Greener is Better
I’ve decided to attend next years SXSW Interactive festival followed by a tour of North America. The details of where I’ll be visiting and for how long remain undecided, but I imagine my itinerary will be varied and involve much travelling by train.
A Green Focus
I ended my review of 2009 promising to write more about green issues and how I plan to lessen my impact on the environment. Now I expand on those ideas further.
Magical Melbourne
After two and a half weeks exploring various cities, it was finally on to Melbourne, the final stop on my short tour of Australasia.
Celebrating the New Year in Sydney
Since visiting Sydney in 2003, often considered which city in the world might be my favourite. As I flew over Sydney Harbour I realised there was no contest.
Absolutely, Positively, Wellington
Wellington will remain the most memorable stop on my brief tour of New Zealand, although perhaps not entirely for the right reasons.
A Small Taste of the South Island
Having arranged my flights into and out of New Zealand before deciding upon an itinerary, meant I had little time to really explore the South Island.
Auckland: A City in Search of Itself
Before the tan disappears I’d like to record my short journey across New Zealand and Australia. So over the next few days, I’ll describe how I ended the decade down-under.
My LA Ex
I hoped that almost missing my flight would be the worst my trip to New Zealand would have to offer, but thanks to overzealous immigration officials at LAX, that was nothing but a minor blip.
Ending the Decade Down Under
I’ve long held two ambitions. The first: to return to Australia before this decade is out. The second: to welcome in a New Year on Sydney Harbour before I turn 30.
Europa!
As predicted, I was unable to blog during my travels across Europe last month, although less predictable was this being due to the death of my laptop mid-trip. I’ll be posting reports and photos from the cities I visited over the coming weeks, but here are a few general thoughts to start off with.
Cologne
The first stop on my nine city tour of Europe, was Cologne in Northern Germany.
One Hour in Belgium
Brussels will quickly be forgotten.
A European Adventure
After a number of years focusing my travels around big American cities, today I start a three week jaunt across Europe.
SFO/LHR
Today was largely taken up by a flight back to London from San Francisco, where I spent the last ten days.
That’s Not My Name!
As I approach the end of my latest trip to America, I continue to fight the losing battle that is getting people to understand me when I say my first name.
Washington, D.C.: A Monumental City
The final stop in my four-city tour of the US in October was Washington, D.C.
Chicago: A City Apart
I briefly encountered Chicago in March, relaxing there for two nights after three long days aboard the California Zephyr. At that time it was a snow covered, cold and blustery city, but I saw enough to want to come back.
Seattle: Finding Gems in the Emerald City
The first stop in my four city tour of America was Seattle in the north-western state of Washington. Best known for its iconic Space Needle, it’s perhaps no surprise that I spent most of my time fixated on this slender looking tower.
Riding the California Zephyr
The California Zephyr is a 56 hour, 2348 mile long train journey that starts in Emeryville, California. After speeding across the deserts of Nevada and Utah, it climbs over the Rocky Mountains, tunnels under the Continental Divide before heading towards its final destination of Chicago’s Grand Union Station.