The Highlights

So that’s the end of my 3 months of travel to England, Europe and Africa (oh, and Singapore). And needless to say I had a ball. There were moments it was a bit hard and not so good but I think when you sum up an event like this you not so much forget the bad things but you put them into perspective and perhaps reflect on them with the benefit of hindsight. I can’t be easy to travel with and I can’t expect people I travel with to be easy either. We all have the bits that we want to do and see and our attitudes will differ. But being close to groups of people makes you adapt your style accordingly.

I have come to the travel thing late in life due to my excessive fear of flying. On this trip it was something like 13 takeoffs that I did (and landings thankfully). Not saying that it was fear free but it was just something I had to plough through. But of course it was all worth it and that is why I was able to plough through. Without flying I would not have had my eyes opened to the differences of countries and the people that crossed my path. I would not have had my pre-misconceptions quashed and defined. I would not have witnessed the beauty first hand.

Everyone has been asking me “what was the highlight”. I now reply to this by saying “How can I have a highlight when it was as diverse as seeing the sunset over the sandunes of the Sahara Desert and passed over snow capped mountains in Norway.” It is just too hard. So what I have tried to do as a challenge is to pick one photo from each country as a highlight or as the thing that defined the country (from what I saw of it at least) or summed up how I felt about a country. So here goes.

Singapore – It is such a unique country. It has no natural resources apart from its location in relation to past trade routes, its political stability and its frugal investment of past income. It’s Asian, it’s British, it’s Malay, it’s Chinese, it’s Indian and it’s capitalist West all mashed into one tiny island. But what I took away from this trip (and this was about the 5^th trip there) is that it has not shied away from any of those elements. Yes, it is dominated by the Chinese population but the colonial buildings are still there as new buildings go up around them. The Malay element is still there as is the Indian. It makes for a bright, vibrant and economically secure country if not a little too controlled by the police.

Morocco – It is built on a harsh landscape that has had a tough history. I really enjoyed Morocco but I do qualify that by saying that I am a male and I was on a guided tour. I know from accounts that it can be quite unpleasant a place for a woman on their own. They aren’t as fundamentalist as I thought but their Islam is probably more uncomfortable to accept for us in the west. They are trying to become a more economically viable country with a lot of support to re-green the place and capture solar energy which they have an abundance of. This photo shows the old and the new and the race for some towards that new.

Ireland – Poor old Ireland. It was bloody cold and miserable the whole week. I could tell that it would be a spectacular place had the sun been out and the rain stopped coming in sideways but alas this was not happening for us. But, to compensate for the weather, the people were colourful. They, as a nation, punch above their weight with music, their accent is almost sung, they have a colourful use of the English language and a sense of humour that is wickedly hilarious. This row of buildings in Galway in the dull of a rainy day sums this up perfectly.

Croatia – To me it was a tough nation in a soft setting. The coastline was so beautiful. The interior was rich and breath taking. But they had been the centre of bad attention for all of their modern history and it has created a tough group of people. Don’t get me wrong, they’re beautiful and friendly but just don’t cross them. Everything needs to be fortified and protected and it can create this juxta positioning of beautiful aqua water lapping onto serene coastlines with a thumping great fort or walled city. Also, Dubrovnik is one of those European oddities. It is not connected to the rest of Croatia due to a deal it did with Bosnia giving them a bit north and south to protect it from the Austrians and it remains as such to this day.

Bosnia and Herzegovina – Was very tough but so enthralling to visit. The kick-off to WW1, conquerors after conquerors occupying them, the horrific siege. Then there’s the great coffee drinking culture, the winter Olympics ruins and the impressive height of their people. So much to take in I had to go with two pictures. There is a point in the old tow where you look one way and it is Ottoman architecture and you look the other way and it is Austrian. Sums up what has influenced this country until this day.

Montenegro – Churches, cats and cash. Churches everywhere and quite often half way up a steep cliff or on an island in the middle of the fjord. Cats rule inside the walls. They are protected and are taking over. And cash, in the form of bribes, is stopping this country from being the Monaco of the Balkans. So much bribery nothing can develop sensitivity.

Wales – The first thing I noticed as we drove to north Wales was the dual language road signs and I thought yes, it can be done. My conclusion with Wales was they stuck it up the Brits for a while and then said ok come in but let us continue to be Welsh. Let us continue to sing, play rugby in the Welsh way, wave our flag and have a Welsh sense of humour. So the town where they extended the name for a joke and to increase tourism sums it up.

Italy (Tuscany) – It had to be the wine, the old towns, the huge piazzas, the stylishly dressed, beautiful women, the siesta, the food. So much to sum up in one photo. This cute, tiny little restaurant in an old cobble stoned street with a bit of rain probably does it best. Later in my trip this restaurant was the scene for my famous dinner with an ex-rugby playing Italian. Best night.

Norway – Wet, cold, sunny, wet again – but beautiful. Could never live there but easily visit again. The architecture was incredible, the landscapes on the train journey were simply magical as they transformed each bend you turned. But these are typical shots from there so I went with the uniquely Scandanvian highlight – Moose Burgers and Reindeer Sausages.

Turkey – Oh please, how do I pick a highlight or summary from Istanbul, Gallipoli, Troy, Pergamon, Ephesus and Izmir. All of it was incredible and moving. The pilgrimage to ANZAC Cove was powerful, Ephesus just took me back to the book of Acts, Istanbul was grand, Pergamon was breathtaking. But the one simple, unimpressive view across a Roman ruin to the Christian basilica to the Muslim fortress sums it up for me.

England – The reason I was even on this trip had it’s roots in English village cricket. In 2023 Thali and I visited Ethan and watched a couple of games. Playing bingo outside the club house until 9pm after watching the days play on a balmy evening had me hooked and I knew I wanted to come back for a whole lot more. The weather wasn’t great early but in July it was great. Everyone has their reasons to travel and mine was my son and cricket. But being antipodean we’ve learnt to make the most of the 24 hour flight and we packed as much in as we can and I hope I have done that this time and that you have enjoyed the journey with me.