This was my first visit to the Hagia Sophia since it was converted from a Museum back back into a Mosque in July 2020. It turns out the conversion wasn’t merely some kind of symbolic gesture, but a full conversion to a normal working mosque. (But tourists, both Muslim and others, are still very welcome.) […]
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Istanbul: The Hagia Sophia Mosque
June 10, 2021
A Botanical Road Trip
April 2, 2021
I’m on an all-electric road trip through California into Arizona and back. The trip has ended up having a distinctly botanical flavor, including visits to: The Joshua Tree National Park. Indian Canyons, near Palm Springs, with lush palm groves along narrow desert canyons. The Desert Botanical Garden near Phoenix, for an amazing collection of mature […]
Yuma Territorial Prison
March 25, 2021
I’m doing an all-electric road trip across California into Arizona. I’ve got delayed a little in Yuma, Arizona, at the Yuma Territorial Prison – apparently there was a problem with my paperwork when I bought my admission ticket. I’m sure it will all be fixed soon, but if someone could bake me a cake in […]
Iceland: Puffins!
July 31, 2020
I’m up near Borgarfjorour Eystri in North-East Iceland visiting puffins. At Hafnarhólmi, visitors are allowed to walk right up to a puffin nesting area. There is a wooden walkway and a “hide” right in among the puffins. There are many, many puffins! They are slightly nervous of humans but only slightly. Some nests are right […]
Iceland: Geysir
July 27, 2020
I’m in Iceland, travelling the Ring Road around the island. I arrived this afternoon at the Hotel Geysir, which is in Geysir, a short walk from the geyser Geysir. Geysir (from whom all other geysers are named) is taking a rest this decade, but his nearby buddy the geyser Strokkur is spouting regularly, every 5-8 […]
Martinique: St Pierre
March 3, 2020
On 8th May 1902, the thriving town of St Pierre, Martinique, was abruptly destroyed by a pyroclastic surge from the Mount Pelée volcano. Around 25,000 people died within minutes. Sadly, the authorities had been fully aware of the many warning signs of an eruption at Mount Pelée. They had carefully determined that various intervening hills […]
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