Category Archives: Europe

Bushy Park.

Posted on 19/07/2020 by awtytravels

South-west of Richmond, sandwiched between that florid neighbourhood, the equally affluent borough of Twickenham (Twickers for those in the know), and the considerably grittier Kingston is Bushy Park. I’ve lived in London for almost a decade, I’ve flown above it … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, UK | Tagged Airplanes, Animals, Antlers, Birds, Buck, Bushy Park, Coot, Crow, Deer, Duckling, Ducks, England, English countryside, Fern, Grass, Hawk, Kew, London, Oak, Parakeet, Parkland, Pond, Richmond, River, Royal Parks, Singapore Airlines, Starling, Swan, Thames, Trees, Twickenham, Twickers, Walk, West London | 15 Comments

Locked down.

Posted on 14/05/2020 by awtytravels

Day whatever of lockdown. As of this week we’ve moved from “Stay home” to “Stay alert”. Face masks may be worn in some shops and on public transport, but it’s only a suggestion. A fourteen-day quarantine for overseas travellers might … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, London, UK | Tagged Art, Boris, Bus stop, Coronavirus, Covid-19, Doors, Europe, Fiat 500, Holodomor, Hugh Grant, I worry for the NHS, Kids, Lockdown, London, Mask, Milk, Milkman, Monkey, NHS, Photos, Stay alert, UK, Urban photography, W3, W4, West London | 32 Comments

無月

Posted on 19/12/2019 by awtytravels

After ten years of repeating that Budapest had potential I arrived in town for a solo night – my first – to discover that, yes, the old gal has done it. Realising it, I mean. And ain’t that a surprise. … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Hungary | Tagged Bridges, Buda, Budapest, Citadella, Danube, Duna, Ernő Rubik, Erzsébetváros, Europe, Hungary, Magyar, Magyarorszag, Margit híd, Murales, Murals, Panning, Panning photos, Parliament, People, People watching, Pest, Photography, Street photography, TARDIS, Tram, Travel, VII Kerulet, Windows, Winter | 33 Comments

Every day is Legs Day if you’re in Lisbon.

Posted on 01/12/2019 by awtytravels

“Every day is Legs Day if you’re a dog” once said a philosophy-inclined former colleague of mine. For those of you not familiar with gym logic, he was referring to the fact that dogs, for obvious reasons, cannot skip training … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Portugal | Tagged Alfama, Azulejo, Bridge, Christ, Church, City, Clouds, Cobbles, Dog, Drizzle, Estuary, Every day is leg day, Hill, Hill climb, Intendente, Leg day, Lisboa, Lisbon, Miradouro, Nossa Senhora do Monte, Nova Goa, Port, Portugal, Rain, Rio, Santa Caterina, Sea, Ships, Sun, Suspension, Tagus, The Rock, Tram, Tram of Lisbon, Trekking, Uphill | 33 Comments

Swindlers’ Market.

Posted on 19/11/2019 by awtytravels

On a square dedicated to the saint patron of needleworkers and television, behind the convent sanctifying the memory of the protector of orphans and widows, Lisbon’s lady thieves are having their weekly gathering. Make of that what you wish. For … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Portugal | Tagged Antiques, Book, Church, Cloudy, Convent, Europe, Feira, Feira da Ladra, Flea Market, Food, La Tabernita, La Tabernita Lisboa, Lisboa, Lisbon, Lisbon Flea Market, Market, Morning, People, People watching, Photography, Portugal, Santa Clara, Sellers, Street photography, Sunday, Tourism, Travel, Urban photography | 20 Comments

À la recherche du bar perdu.

Posted on 13/11/2019 by awtytravels

There was a bar, once. A weekend away with friends. An April escapade with mates from high school, an occasion to appreciate how much we’ve grown – cancel that, how much we’ve aged in the last years. There were calls to girlfriends, … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Portugal | Tagged Ascensor da bica, Bairro Alto, Bar, Beer, Bica, Brazil, Drugs, Europe, Intendente, Lisbon, Music, Night, Night time, Portugal, Samba | 29 Comments

I was looking back to see if you were looking back at me to see me looking back at you.

Posted on 16/10/2019 by awtytravels

Grounded. I guess you can say this is my status at the moment. A new job with no duty travel means not many occasions to fly the nest. All there is left to do, then, is to polish up your … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, UK | Tagged 3D, Avocado, Book, Canal, Cyclists, Dal Naja, Dirt, Dog, East London, Edgy, Editor, Europe, Evening Standard, Fixie, Grand Union, Grounded, Hackney, Hipster, Islam, Literary agent, London, Massive Attack, Murales, New Job, Niqab, Old street, People, People watching, Photography, Represent, Restaurant, Safe from Harm, seagull, Shoreditch, Silicon Roundabout, Software, Spray paint, Street photography, Tech, Tech boys, Tourism, Tricky, UK, Urban photography | 28 Comments

Travels in Italy’s 11th most-visited region.

Posted on 06/10/2019 by awtytravels

There are twenty regions in Italy (or perhaps it’s only 19; Molise’s existence, much like dark matter, is still a matter for debate); together in 2018 they hosted a whopping 429 million tourists, half of them foreigners (of whom at … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Italy, Piemonte | Tagged Alba, Alps, Art, Asti, Autumn, Barbaresco, Barbera, Barolo, Belvedere, Beppe Fenoglio, Biella, Cattle, Cuneo, DOC, DOCG, Dogliani, Europe, Granda, Hills, Horse, horses, Italia, Italy, La Morra, Langhe, Llama, Mare, Modern Art, Monforte d'Alba, Montezemolo, Mountains, Occitania, Piedmont, Piemont, Piemonte, Prealps, Roero, Stallion, Torino, Tourism, Turin, Wine, Winery | 17 Comments

The quest for the best road.

Posted on 01/05/2019 by awtytravels

There are countless articles singing the virtues of this or that stretch of road, claiming it to be “the best in the UK/Europe/world” (delete as applicable). So what’s the point in writing another one? What’s the use of increasing the … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Iceland | Tagged Ólafsvík, Borgarnes, Creedence, DJ Krush, El Búho, Eldborg, Europe, Fortress of Fire, Grundarfjörður, Iceland, Icelandic horse, Kirkjufell, Music, Road, Road Trip, Route 54, Route 56, Route 574, Saxhóll, Sea, Snæfellsnes, Snow, Stykkishólmur, Suzuki Vitara, Tourism, Travel, Video, Vitara, Volcano, Winter, Xica Xica, Ytri-Tunga | 27 Comments

The worst-named animal in the world.

Posted on 19/04/2019 by awtytravels

As far as names are concerned, few animals have had it as bad as the Orca. Popularly known as “killer whale” – a connotative appellative if ever there was one – they don’t fare much better from a scientific point … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Iceland | Tagged Ólafsvík, Blackfish, Calf, environment, Europe, Fishing, Fjord, Herring, Iceland, Killer whale, Láki, Láki tours, Mammals, Marine Mammals, Matriarchy, Mountains, North Sea, Orca watching, Orcas, Orcinus orca, Photography, Sea, seagull, Snæfellsnes, Snow, Tourism, Travel, Trawler, Westfjord, Whale, Whale watching | 27 Comments