https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/2024/05/07/career-break-2-0/https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/writing-book2.jpgwriting-book2https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/books4.jpgbooks42024-05-09T09:42:25+00:00monthlyhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/about/https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/dkc1.jpgdkc12024-05-07T12:07:09+00:00weekly0.6https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/2016/10/09/on-the-road-pacific-northwest-part-ii/2016-10-09T13:48:23+00:00monthlyhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/2016/09/25/on-the-road-pacific-northwest/https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/nw45.jpgnw45https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/nw44.jpgnw44https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/nw43.jpgnw43https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/nw42.jpgnw42https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/nw41.jpgnw41https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/nw40.jpgnw40https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/nw39.jpgnw39https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/nw38.jpgnw38https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/nw37.jpgnw37https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/nw36.jpgnw362016-09-27T20:40:15+00:00monthlyhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/2015/05/10/australia-as-you-thought-it-was/https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/trav22-32.jpgTrav22-32https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/trav22-31.jpgTrav22-31https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/trav22-30.jpgTrav22-30https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/trav22-29.jpgTrav22-29https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/trav22-28.jpgTrav22-28https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/trav22-27.jpgTrav22-27Nothing to worry about, apparently.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/trav22-26.jpgTrav22-26See how friendly he is?https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/trav22-25.jpgTrav22-25https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/trav22-24.jpgTrav22-24https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/trav22-23.jpgTrav22-232015-05-10T18:00:58+00:00monthlyhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/2014/12/26/a-note-to-my-future-self-on-the-importance-of-home/https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/trav21-19.jpgTrav21-19https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/trav21-18.jpgDCIM100GOPROhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/trav21-17.jpgTrav21-17https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/trav21-16.jpgTrav21-16https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/trav21-15.jpgTrav21-15https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/trav21-14.jpgTrav21-14https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/trav21-13.jpgTrav21-13https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/trav21-12.jpgTrav21-12https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/trav21-11.jpgTrav21-11https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/trav21-10.jpgTrav21-10Rowf?2014-12-26T08:23:17+00:00monthlyhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/2014/11/07/australia-is-more-than-this/https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/trav20-28.jpgTrav20-28https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/trav20-27.jpgTrav20-27Or possibly Mordor.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/trav20-26.jpgTrav20-26https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/trav20-25.jpgTrav20-25https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/trav20-24.jpgTrav20-24https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/trav20-23.jpgTrav20-23After the Great Ocean Road he headed onwards to Adelaide, via the Grampians National Park. It kinda looks like Scotland.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/trav20-22.jpgTrav20-22https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/trav20-21.jpgTrav20-21https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/trav20-20.jpgTrav20-20My mum laughs in the face of danger.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/trav20-19.jpgTrav20-192014-12-29T01:36:18+00:00monthlyhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/2014/08/30/burma-and-britain-past-and-future/https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/trav19-20.jpgTrav19-20https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/trav19-19.jpgTrav19-19https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/trav19-18.jpgTrav19-18https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/trav19-17.jpgTrav19-17https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/trav19-16.jpgTrav19-16https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/trav19-15.jpgTrav19-15https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/trav19-14.jpgTrav19-14https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/trav19-13.jpgTrav19-13https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/trav19-12.jpgTrav19-12https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/trav19-11.jpgTrav19-11So this is the night time view from Vista Bar. Much better to enjoy the pagoda with a drink in your hand than pay to go in. Right?2015-02-28T13:08:24+00:00monthlyhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/2014/07/25/on-writing-and-food-in-penang/https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/trav18-16.jpgTrav18-16https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/trav18-15.jpgTrav18-15https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/trav18-14.jpgTrav18-14https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/trav18-13.jpgTrav18-13https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/trav18-12.jpgTrav18-12https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/trav18-11.jpgTrav18-11https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/trav18-10.jpgTrav18-10https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/trav18-9.jpgTrav18-9https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/trav18-8.jpgTrav18-8https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/trav18-7.jpgTrav18-72014-07-25T11:04:10+00:00monthlyhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/2014/07/19/food-courting-kafka-in-penang/https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/trav17-7.jpgTrav17-7https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/trav17-6.jpgTrav17-6https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/trav17-51.jpgTrav17-5https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/trav17-5.jpgTrav17-5https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/trav17-4.jpgTrav17-4https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/trav17-3.jpgTrav17-3https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/trav17-2.jpgTrav17-2https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/trav17-1.jpgTrav17-12014-07-19T11:45:59+00:00monthlyhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/2014/07/08/six-months-of-travel-things-to-remember-to-learn-to-forget/https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/trav16-28.jpgTrav16-28https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/trav16-27.jpgTrav16-27https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/trav16-26.jpgTrav16-26https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/trav16-25.jpgTrav16-25https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/trav16-24.jpgTrav16-24https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/trav16-23.jpgTrav16-23https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/trav16-22.jpgTrav16-22https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/trav16-21.jpgTrav16-21https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/trav16-20.jpgTrav16-20https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/trav16-19.jpgTrav16-192014-07-15T15:45:44+00:00monthlyhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/2014/06/21/beijing-shanghai-photo-essay/https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/trav-21.jpgTrav-21Remember this?https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/trav15-29.jpgTrav15-29And if you're still bored, don't worry - because there's a toboggan run all the way down to the bottom of the hill which is a lot more fun than the wall itself.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/trav15-28.jpgTrav15-28https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/trav15-27.jpgTrav15-27https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/trav15-26.jpgTrav15-26This is the view that you're paying £6 a beer for. Better enjoy it.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/trav15-25.jpgTrav15-25And laundry. I'm pretty sure it's fine to be a Christian in China as well.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/trav15-24.jpgTrav15-24We don't talk about the hairy building. Look away,https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/trav15-23.jpgTrav15-23We've got the whole post thing covered as well.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/trav15-22.jpgTrav15-22It's very popular.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/trav15-21.jpgTrav15-21Welcome to Shanghai! You can get married here.2014-06-22T09:29:12+00:00monthlyhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/2014/06/19/xian-smog-and-pottery-for-overachievers/https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/trav13-15.jpgTrav13-15I mean, when have you ever known the Chinese Government to be economical with the truth?https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/trav13-14.jpgTrav13-14https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/trav13-13.jpgTrav13-13Definitely real.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/trav13-8.jpgTrav13-8https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/trav13-7.jpgTrav13-7https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/trav13-6.jpgTrav13-6https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/trav13-12.jpgTrav13-12https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/trav13-11.jpgTrav13-11https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/trav13-10.jpgTrav13-10https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/trav13-9.jpgTrav13-92016-07-06T08:35:33+00:00monthlyhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/2014/05/30/hell-is-a-tropical-island-or-why-i-am-an-awful-backpacker/https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/trav12-7.jpgTrav12-7After some initial horizon scanning, we identified the things that were important to us in life and travelling, tabulated the data to identify what could/couldn’t achieve whilst travelling, and then set a colour coded schedule for the coming weeks with some overarching strategic objectives. What else would you do in this situation?https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/trav12-6.jpgTrav12-6I like to find solace by tormenting the local wildlife.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/trav12-5.jpgTrav12-5https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/trav12-4.jpgTrav12-4https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/trav12-3.jpgTrav12-3https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/trav12-2.jpgTrav12-2https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/trav12-1.jpgTrav12-12014-05-30T15:07:19+00:00monthlyhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/2014/04/28/burma-first-impressions/https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/trav11-1.jpgTrav11-1https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/trav11-2.jpgTrav11-2https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/trav11-3.jpgTrav11-3https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/trav11-4.jpgTrav11-4Breakfast: it was 62 pence, for both of us. And it was delicious.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/trav11-5.jpgTrav11-5A man washes leaves to wrap betel nuts in, for selling.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/trav11-6.jpgTrav11-6https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/trav11-7.jpgTrav11-72015-10-28T16:40:29+00:00monthlyhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/2014/04/27/china-goes-wild-nearly-hiking-tiger-leaping-gorge/https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/trav10-20.jpgTrav10-20https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/trav10-19.jpgTrav10-19https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/trav10-18.jpgTrav10-18https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/trav10-17.jpgTrav10-17https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/trav10-16.jpgTrav10-16https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/trav10-15.jpgTrav10-15https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/trav10-14.jpgTrav10-14https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/trav10-13.jpgTrav10-13Looking back from the start of the trail.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/trav10-12.jpgTrav10-12https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/trav10-11.jpgTrav10-112017-10-27T09:18:12+00:00monthlyhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/2014/04/06/on-becoming-a-celebrity-in-yunnan-province/https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/china-map.jpgChina maphttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/trav9-12.jpgTrav9-12https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/trav9-11.jpgTrav9-11https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/trav9-10.jpgTrav9-10Here’s a man that I photographed pretending to take pictures of something behind us. He quickly refocused his lens on something else when I pointed my camera at him.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/trav9-8.jpgTrav9-8https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/trav9-7.jpgTrav9-7 In Dali and Lijang, there was a big business of renting out the traditional dress of different ethnic minority groups so that Han Chinese tourists could dress up, have their photos taken and laugh at how funny they looked.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/trav9-6.jpgTrav9-6Have yourself a bite. The first one's free...https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/trav9-5.jpgTrav9-5Winners.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/trav9-4.jpgTrav9-4I think that spending a lot of time with just the two of us may have jeopardised our grip on normality somewhat.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/trav9-3.jpgTrav9-32014-04-06T13:55:21+00:00monthlyhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/2014/03/16/conversationless-in-china-from-hong-kong-to-guilin/https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/trav8-13.jpgTrav8-13https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/trav8-12.jpgTrav8-12https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/trav8-11.jpgTrav8-11https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/trav8-10.jpgTrav8-10https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/trav8-9.jpgTrav8-9https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/trav8-7.jpgTrav8-7https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/trav8-8.jpgTrav8-8https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/trav8-6.jpgTrav8-6somethinghttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/trav8-5.jpgTrav8-5https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/trav8-4.jpgTrav8-42015-09-23T05:24:35+00:00monthlyhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/2014/03/01/the-dangers-of-peach-blossom-and-other-tales-of-vietnam/https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/trav7-211.jpgTrav7-21https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/trav7-20.jpgTrav7-20An official looking man stands amidst the chaos, presumably after having given up trying to direct it.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/trav7-162.jpgTrav7-16https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/trav7-181.jpgTrav7-18https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/trav7-19.jpgTrav7-19A peach blossom tree outside the Temple of Literature in Hanoi.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/trav7-17.jpgTrav7-17https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/trav7-15.jpgTrav7-15https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/trav7-14.jpgTrav7-14https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/trav7-13.jpgTrav7-13 During the Vietnam-American War, Hue was captured briefly by the North during the infamous Tet Offensive. During the three and half weeks that the Vietcong held the city they massacred over 2,500 civilians as a ‘blood debt’ for fighting against the VC. The USA and the South Vietnamese responded by battering the city with bombs and artillery and dropping napalm on the Imperial Palace. Today, there is little left of it – just the outlines of where buildings used to be. By the end of the offensive, about 10,000 people had died in Hue, most of them civilians.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/trav7-12.jpgTrav7-122014-03-16T09:38:08+00:00monthlyhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/2014/02/13/remnants-of-a-war-fought-in-vietnam/https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/trav6-11.jpgTrav6-11With great coffee too.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/trav6-10.jpgTrav6-10The Vietnam war: now it's cool, like Che Guevara and Communist propaganda posters.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/trav6-9.jpgTrav6-9The youth of today.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/trav6-8.jpgTrav6-8https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/trav6-7.jpgTrav6-7The bunker in the Independence Palace is full of echoing hallways. It didn't provide much protection when the tanks rolled in.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/trav6-6.jpgTrav6-6https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/trav6-5.jpgTrav6-5https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/trav6-4.jpgTrav6-4The Independence Palace in Ho Chi Minh City was the former residence and seat of power of the South. Today, it is preserved exactly as it was on the day that the North Vietnamese tanks broke through the gates to the palace. It's all 60s architecture with a creepy sense throughout that someone just left.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/trav6-3.jpgTrav6-3https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/trav6-2.jpgTrav6-22014-07-08T08:17:53+00:00monthlyhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/2014/02/04/cycling-in-the-mekong-delta-or-the-long-reach-of-the-limerick-fire-rescue-service/https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/trav5-18.jpgTrav5-18https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/trav5-17.jpgTrav5-17https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/trav5-16.jpgTrav5-16https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/trav5-15.jpgTrav5-15https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/trav5-14.jpgTrav5-142014-02-04T09:30:45+00:00monthlyhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/2014/01/28/ho-chi-minh-city-the-mekong-delta/https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/trav5-13.jpgTrav5-13https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/trav5-12.jpgTrav5-12School children practice badminton in a park in HCMC. Badminton is big out here - it's common for courts to be marked on the streets. Perhaps the absence of mopeds driving across the court at the 2012 Olympics is why Vietnam's one Olympian badminton player failed to advance past the elimination rounds.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/trav5-11.jpgTrav5-11https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/trav5-10.jpgTrav5-10https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/trav5-9.jpgTrav5-9Banana flowers, delicious in salads.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/trav5-8.jpgTrav5-8I have no idea what the person in the top right hand corner of this photo is wearing.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/trav5-7.jpgTrav5-7A member of our tour group is a hit with the local women.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/trav5-6.jpgTrav5-6I can't testify to the animal welfare standards in Vietnam - but at least they're not battery farmed.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/trav5-5.jpgTrav5-5A Vietnamese lady doing her daily produce shop. The marvel is that I saw ladies like this also crossing the road unscathed in HCMC.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/trav5-4.jpgTrav5-4The Vietnamese take their dried shrimp very seriously.2014-01-30T01:38:55+00:00monthlyhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/2014/01/19/siem-reap-phnom-penh-or-why-i-love-morning-glory/https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/trav4-13.jpgTrav4-13https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/trav4-12.jpgTrav4-12https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/trav4-11.jpgTrav4-11Chum Mey, one of only 12 survivors of S-21, the infamous prison where over 17,000 people were tortured and subsequently killed under the Khmer Rouge. He visits the prison everyday to sell his book and to talk to tourists.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/trav4-8.jpgTrav4-8https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/trav4-9.jpgTrav4-9https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/trav4-7.jpgTrav4-7I didn't have the guts to try these.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/trav4-6.jpgTrav4-6As we sat and ate our lunch people would drive up on mopeds to buy soups from the giant bubbling pots at the front of the restaurant. The owner would ladle them into little plastic bags, like you might take home a goldfish from the fair in, and then they'd zoom off. Meanwhile, nearby shop holders would wander up and give the big pots a contemplative stir. If they liked what they saw, they'd get it to go as well. If not, they'd wander on. We soaked it all up.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/trav4-5.jpgTrav4-5Yes, its true, I have become one of those people who insists on taking a picture of their food before they eat it,. If I had 3G I'd be uploading it to instagram. I just don't know what's happened to me.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/trav4-4.jpgTrav4-4BK-C prepares to operate. Everywhere in SE Asia, people wear surgical masks. Mostly to protect them from the dust or smog when they're riding their mopeds - or in Vietnam, where there's a big line in leopard print surgical masks, just for fashion.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/trav4-3.jpgTrav4-3The sun sets over a rice paddy outside Siem Reap.2014-01-24T10:28:05+00:00monthlyhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/2014/01/11/angkor-wat-a-photo-essay/https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/trav3-20.jpgTrav3-20https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/trav3-19.jpgTrav3-19https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/trav3-18.jpgTrav3-18https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/trav3-17.jpgTrav3-17https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/trav3-16.jpgTrav3-16https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/trav3-15.jpgTrav3-15https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/trav3-14.jpgTrav3-14https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/trav3-13.jpgTrav3-13https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/trav3-12.jpgTrav3-12https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/trav3-11.jpgTrav3-112014-01-13T22:42:34+00:00monthlyhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/2014/01/09/upon-arrival/https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/trav2-1.jpgTrav2-1Not, as I thought when I bought this snack, wasabi peas.2014-01-09T09:02:05+00:00monthlyhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/2014/01/04/lost-in-transit/https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/trav3.jpgIt gets everywhereCosta Coffee: It gets everywhere. There's probably some witty joke about arabica coffee beans to be made here, but to be frank I'm just too tired.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/trav2.jpgAirport!https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/trav1.jpgEnglish Countryside2014-02-17T07:54:54+00:00monthlyhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/2013/11/03/a-years-navel-gazing/https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/rtw3-2.jpgRocking the good timesUnlike this rocking chairhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/rtw3-3.jpgThe writing on the wallhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/rtw3-4.jpgRTW3-4Devon: not where we're going.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/rtw3-1.jpgVietnamese VisaHere we come, Socialist Republic of Vietnam.2017-02-10T10:00:42+00:00monthlyhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/2013/10/13/north-of-san-francisco-the-kindness-of-strangers/https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/ca5-13.jpgCA5-13The kite flying that I remember doing as a child consisted mostly of running with the kite held aloft in a desperate effort to get it airborne, then a montage of stunning nosedives once the thing was in the air. In California, the kites just fly.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/ca5-12.jpgCA5-12https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/ca5-8.jpgCA5-8The state animal of California is the grizzly bear. Unfortunately, they've now all been hunted to extinction in the state, so they don't use real bear fur on the flags anymore.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/ca5-9.jpgCA5-9This is a creepy church in the one road town of Tomales. The Hitchcock film The Birds was filmed nearby, and I can understand why. The place had an end of the world feel to it.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/ca5-10.jpgCA5-10See what I mean?https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/ca5-11.jpgCA5-11Very close to where I live in London there is a heath where people are always flying kites. I've never been inspired to join them. It seems like a lot of hassle. I'd fly a kite here though.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/ca5-3.jpgCA5-3Crazy Manhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/ca5-4.jpgCA5-4Oysterhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/ca5-5.jpgCA5-5Oysterhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/ca5-6.jpgCA5-6Oyster2013-10-13T12:31:25+00:00monthlyhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/2013/09/18/on-buying-a-bag-the-agony-of-luggage/https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/rtw2-3.jpgBeer reflectionshttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/rtw2-2.jpgPoser DaveI still harbour ambitions to be featured in the John Lewis catalogue.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/rtw2-1.jpgBackpack Buying!2013-09-18T21:05:41+00:00monthlyhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/2013/09/08/goodbye-london-hello-world/https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/rtw1-6.jpgLago de Atitlanhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/rtw1-5.jpgOff the beaten trackI've never been so excited about the prospect of getting lost. When taken with my poor sense of direction, it's a winning combination.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/rtw1-4.jpgBell SilhouetteHonestly, you'll be sick of inanimate objects silhouetted against the sun by the time our year of travelling is over.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/rtw1-3.jpgLens GlareThere's going to be a lot of pseudo-arty pictures featuring sunsets and lens glare. ("Oh God not ANOTHER breathtaking sunset. Better get the camera...")https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/trw1-2.jpgDive bombingThe future. A perpetual roller coaster ride of excitement, and definitely not a year living in cockroach infested hostels.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/rtw1-1.jpgThe Future2013-09-18T06:25:26+00:00monthlyhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/2013/08/29/the-golden-gate-bridge-isnt-blue/https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ca4-10.jpgCity Lights Bookstorehttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ca4-9.jpgAlcatraz towerhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ca4-8.jpgThe evening from AlcatrazWrite somethinghttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ca4-7.jpgCA4-7https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ca4-6.jpgWireshttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ca4-5.jpgCrisis CallThe sun was shining as we rode across the bridge, and it was hot despite the strong wind blowing in off the pacific. We kept stopping to take photos of ourselves, of the bridge, of the bay beyond. Frankly we couldn't have been anywhere better at that moment. This is not always so with everyone who visits the bridge.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ca4-4.jpgCA4-4https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ca4-3.jpgSan Franciso-Oakland Bay BridgeThis picture is one of a series with the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge in the background, or the Bay Bridge as its known locally. We could have done with some of that local knowledge, because we spent the whole morning completely underwhelmed by the Golden Gate Bridge. "It's supposed to be orange," I whined at my wife, "I'm sure that it's supposed to be orange. It is in all the films. Why is it blue?" As we snapped more pictures of the underwhelming bridge she breezily reassured me that the light reflecting off the water made it look blue. I nearly tweeted some witticism about how the GGB was the wrong colour Thank God I didn't, because then I would have looked like an IDIOT.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ca4-2.jpgHanging AroundA lot of people seem to hang from the sides of street cars, certainly more than you would ever imagine could safely fit there. But when we travelled on a street car our driver seemed to know at all times how many spaces were left and where, politely telling people where to stand when they got on. They were all tourists, of course.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/ca4-1.jpgSan Francisco Street2013-08-29T18:47:52+00:00monthlyhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/2013/07/20/san-francisco-grape-grain-part-2-or-thinking-drinking-through-time-space/https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/ca3-19.jpgVintage Barrel Man2013-07-21T14:58:23+00:00monthlyhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/2013/07/14/san-francisco-grape-grain-or-how-you-can-never-be-late-for-beer-in-sf/https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/ca3-18.jpgCA3-18I think that you'll agree, I am ROCKING the socks and shorts look. Have I always been this tragic, or is it something that happened when I got older? On the plus side, after 3 glasses of wine this is exactly the kind of thing that you don't care about.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/ca3-17.jpgCA3-17https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/ca3-16.jpgWine GlassSomething wittyhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/ca3-15.jpgPeter CellarsNote the humorous play on a famous British actor's name.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/ca3-14.jpgCA3-14Not appropriate to use for bobbing for apples. This photograph would be better if it was straight but I was a little unsteady on my feed when I took it.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/ca3-13.jpgAcres of GrapesI'm guessing they're not seedless.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/ca3-12.jpgTasting Notes.Sip sip.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/ca3-11.jpgWine Pourer ExtraordinaireSlosh slosh.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/ca3-10.jpgMarvin the DuckMarvin does his customary duck impression before pouring the wine.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/ca3-9.jpgCA3-92013-07-14T11:56:04+00:00monthlyhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/2013/06/29/san-francisco-by-plate-fork-chopstick-or-how-stuffing-my-face-showed-me-san-francisco-part-2/https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/ca2-8.jpgCrazy TouristThose tourists just go crazy for the San Franciscan seafood at the piers. This one is dangerous because she hasn't been issued with her crash helmet yet.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/ca2-7.jpgMan Holds CrabLife in the San Franciscan piers.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/ca2-6.jpgHiyaaa!It's street food, so it's ok to let the sauce dribble down your chin when you bite into the deliciousness. Note: this is not ok in Coi.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/ca2-5.jpgCoi MenuAnd here's the menu from the night we were there. Our server presented it to us right at the end of the meal, after watching me desperately try to scribble down all the ingredients after each course.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/ca2-4.jpgOlive oil, all over your bodyIn Northern California, they love food so much that they spread it over their bodies. Don't try this with turnips at a farmers market.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/ca2-2.jpgWelcome to San Francisco - Proceed With Caution2013-06-29T12:48:42+00:00monthlyhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/2013/06/21/san-francisco-by-plate-fork-chopstick-or-how-stuffing-my-face-showed-me-san-francisco/https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/ca1-10.jpgTurnips at Farmers MarketNever before have I been so excited by turnips as at a farmers market in San Francisco.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/ca1-8.jpgThe Familiarity of the FamousThe familiarity of the famous - a dog walker takes a stroll.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/ca1-7.jpgThe familiarity of the famoushttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/ca1-71.pngCA1-7https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/whither2.pngwhither2https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/ca1-5.jpgCA1-5https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/ca1-0.jpgCA1-0https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/ca1-4.jpgCA1-4https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/ca1-21.jpgFlying Champagne SaucerAnd God bless Virgin Atlantic, too, for giving us bubbly (read: cava) in a champagne saucer on the flight over because it was our honeymoon. No it wasn't the hoped for upgrade, but after four glasses of cava at 30,000ft you could be sitting in the baggage hold and you wouldn't notice.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/ca1-2.jpgFlying Champagne SaucerAnd God bless Virgin Atlantic, too, for giving us bubbly (read: cava) in a champagne saucer on the flight over because it was our honeymoon. No it wasn't the hoped for upgrade, but after four glasses of cava at 30,000ft you could be sitting in the baggage hold and you wouldn't notice.2013-06-21T11:44:05+00:00monthlyhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/2013/03/09/saturday-snapshot-outside-the-george-vulture-city-of-london/https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/09036.jpg09036But on the other hand, the City of London does have a pretty wicked crest - a dragon with a St George's Cross - and it's everywhere. So: swings and roundabouts.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/09035.jpg09035Police withttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/09034.jpg09034Withttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/03093.jpg03093Something even wittierhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/03092.jpg03092Something equally wittyhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/03091.jpg03091Something witty2013-03-09T12:37:00+00:00monthlyhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/2013/03/03/the-walkfast-philosophy-commuting-in-london-travels-in-2012-part-4-of-4/https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/fed11.jpgFed11https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/fed10.jpgRed phoneboxhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/fed9.jpgLondon ReflectionsLondon people are busy people. Stay out of their way, tourists! Unless they fall flat on their face. In which case, please help them up and don't comment on the quality of their dive or how stupid they look. Thank you.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/fed7.jpgBigBenByNighthttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/fed5.jpgSledgingThe advantage of a sledge as a mode of transport is that there's not going to be someone listening to loud music behind you.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/fed4.jpgSnowball!But sometimes something happens to break down that barrier that Londoners put up against everyone else. Snow brings people together. After all, it's hard to ignore someone when they're throwing a snowball at you.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/fed3.jpgSnow Picturessomethinghttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/fed2.jpgSnowy BranchOfficially, the only time that you're permitted to speak to a stranger in London is when it snows. Usually in this instance, it's to share frustration about the disruption to transport.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/lon1.jpglon1Object 4: A 1960s Soviet Fed4 Camera. No I have no idea what all the knobs on the top are for either.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/fed1.jpgUndergroundOne of the Fed4 photos....2013-03-04T08:07:58+00:00monthlyhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/2013/02/19/old-new-in-berlin-travels-in-2012-part-3-of-4/https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ber17.jpgThe KissThe standard of graffiti is a little bit higher than I'm used to in London. Obviously I tagged this after taking the photo.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ber16.jpgAusganghttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ber15.jpgWriting setWe'd learnt from the Belizean slate: this time, the heavy memento of a place went in the main luggage, not the hand luggage.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ber14.jpgDoner KebabSomething about kebabshttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ber13.jpgThe FutureWe saw The Future on the streets of Berlin: bar codes on pavements.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ber12.jpgWall Street WallSort of how I imagined Berlin to be before I heard others raving about it.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ber11.jpgCV WallThe Wall is covered in art. Like all good art, it's truth that gives it power.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ber10.jpgAnother brickYes, I did buy a piece of concrete purporting to be a piece of the wall. I got certificate and everything. Fortunately, I managed to make my money back by flogging this brick to a credulous British tourist.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ber9.jpgHover CarIt was really remarkable how they made that model car float on top of the fountain. The building on the right is where Angela Merkel works, apparently. She didn't invite us in for Frühstück.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ber8.jpgFlag ManI always say that nothing brings history alive quite like a man with a flag who's painted his face and clothes silver. Without that, it's just a bunch of dates, you know?2013-02-20T21:45:53+00:00monthlyhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/2013/01/13/travels-in-2012-part-2-of-4-a-plastic-union-jack-in-devon/https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/devon12.jpgShip's Captain?I'll be honest, I don't think that this chap really is the captain of a ship.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/devon11.jpgSwing BoatsExactly where my car was parked only three hours earlier.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/devon10.jpgFlag JacketOk, so some people took the whole flag thing a bit too far.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/devon9.jpgPigs NoseDear People of the Pigs Nose: coming from London, I'm not used to green space. That's why I mistook your village green for a car park.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/devon8.jpgCoastinghttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/devon7.jpgSailinghttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/devon6.jpgNational TrustAn sign with a name, but no information board telling me what it is. Infuriating. Oh, and don't expect there to be a phone signal so that you can google it. Nope, you'll just have to wait, like people did in the olden days.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/devon5.jpgWheal BetsyThe sun shines over another one of those mysterious abandoned buildings so commonplace in Devon, exactly like it didn't when we were there in 2012. Yes, it's another picture from the sunnier visit of 2011. This particular building is called Wheal Betsy. I have no idea why.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/slide1.jpgJubilympicshttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/devon4.jpgFlagbumPlastic Union Jacks are excellent at keeping you dry when it's raining. In fact, this particular bum-saver was actually one of many distributed in the Olympic park during the 2012 Olympics. We never even had it in Devon. So how can it be the object of my post for Devon, you ask? Well, it was raining in Devon, there were lots of flags and, more importantly, the Jubilee weekend and the Olympics have come to be the same thing in the popular consciousness, eliding the gap in time between the two events. See my helpful chart below, which explains this phenomenon. 2014-04-18T03:21:59+00:00monthlyhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/2013/01/02/travels-in-2012-part-1-of-4-an-orange-in-the-alpuljarras/https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/orange20.jpgorange20https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/orange19.jpgorange19https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/orange18.jpgorange18Don't worry, if you didn't drop any oranges then it's ok, you didn't look that stupid. If you did drop oranges: return to step 1.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/orange17.jpgFinally: drink your juice! Refreshed? Good, because someone else probably needs a glass as well. Return to step 1. Remember to remind yourself that you're on holiday.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/orange16.jpgWell done! You've successfully navigated the perils of killer bees, looking like a moron, and repetitive strain injury to deliver one glass of orange juice.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/orange15.jpgNow, squeeze your oranges. By now you should be beginning to wish that you'd just bought some orange juice from the shop.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/orange14.jpgNext: cut your oranges in half. Getting bored yet? Don't worry if not, you soon will be.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/orange13.jpgorange13It's a killer bee! Panic! Panic! Remember: don't drop any oranges when you run away like a girl.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/orange12.jpgorange12Be wary of buzzing things in the tree above your head. It could be a bee. A killer bee.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/orange11.jpgorange11It's ok to eat oranges from off the floor, right? There's no three second rule or anything? Don't worry if they're dirty. It probably won't kill you.2013-01-02T11:33:19+00:00monthlyhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/2012/12/11/the-end-of-autumn-in-cumbria-or-how-i-am-not-a-country-boy/https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/brew-feature.jpgbrew-featurehttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/brew19.jpgThe ShardHome. I guess.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/brew151.jpgRed SquirrelWhat does the Red Squirrel Ranger do to any grey squirrels that he finds? And does he ride a horse?https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/brew18.jpgbeer fireI am, however, one step closer to becoming a country boy: I lit the fire! It only took four days of trying.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/brew17.jpgflower barbed wireThe contrast of metal and petal.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/brew16.jpgbrew16https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/brew14.jpgHorse SignI didn't see any horses in the town centre, but evidently this has been enough of a problem in the past that the local authority felt the need for a sign.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/brew12.jpgheadlinesSlow day on the local paper, or big news? I had no way of telling.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/brew91.jpgBorough MarketSomething wittyhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/brew11.jpgsquash!2013-02-05T18:43:28+00:00monthlyhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/2012/10/14/when-cardiff-is-like-a-film-noire/https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/cardiff4.jpgFaery cityIt's a funny thing the way strange and beautiful life is found even amidst darkness, damp, and decay.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/cardiff3.jpgCalming Autumn...calming autumn colours in the sunlight. My Happy Place. There's no stress here in the woods, no anger, only sunshine. No anger. No anger...https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/cardiff2.jpgSunlight on leavesAutumn leaves are highlighted by a shaft of October sun, slanting down exactly like sunshine doesn't in Cardiff.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/cardiff1.jpgRed leaves in autumnRed leaves, reminiscent of the red scales of the welsh dragon... a tenuous link? You bet it is. I have no photos of my 24 hours in Cardiff, because a) I didn't have my camera with me and b) I wanted to forget it. So instead, you have these calming pictures of autumn taken in Oxleas Wood, Eltham, London, yesterday. As my blood pressure was rising in Cardiff, this was the happy place I went to in my mind.2012-10-14T13:32:27+00:00monthlyhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/2012/10/04/climbing-the-stairs-in-penrith-or-proving-larkin-wrong/https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/pen2.jpgpen2https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/pen15.jpgReservoir Dogs?You can walk ahead of your parents, but you're still walking in the same direction.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/pen13.jpgCreepy Hand-HeadstoneWhichever way you look at it, it's pretty creepy having a hand on your tombstone.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/pen12.jpgDaisy in the GraveyardLife over death.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/pen11.jpgMottled gravestoneThere is a morbid fascination in looking at gravestones, though. The older the better. But when does it become ok to take photos of a gravestone? This graveyard was unusual in that it had some very old (1700s) gravestones and some very recent (2012) gravestones. As we entered the cemetery we exchanged pleasantries with a couple who had obviously just been to visit a grave. It's not ok to take pictures of those graves. The basic graveyard rule of thumb, which I would commend to any budding cemetery snappers, is: if the headstone is still shiny, don't photograph it.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/pen10.jpgSowerby ChurchLook, those who have read this blog in the past might think that I make a habit of visiting graveyards to take pictures, but this was just a coincidence, ok?https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/pen9.jpgLocked GateOk, so this gate was locked and we DID have to climb over it, but the map told us that it was a perfectly legitimate right of way...https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/pen8.jpgAggressive SheepIt became clear to me why the gate was locked when these sheep began chasing us. There was something sinister in their coal-dead eyes as they pursued me across the field.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/pen7.jpgLocked gateOk, so this gate was locked and we DID have to climb over it, but the map told us that it was a perfectly legitimate right of way...https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/pen6.jpgFallen down wallLook, it was like this when we found it, ok? We certainly didn't try and climb it.2012-10-04T21:12:12+00:00monthlyhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/2012/09/16/goodbye-to-all-that-after-the-olympics-and-the-paralympics/https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/o12.jpgO2 AgainIt's called the O2 again, not North Greenwich Arena.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/o11.jpgLegendOmar Hassan of Djibouti. He was lapped twice by all the other competitors in the men's T46 1500m race, and finished in 11m 23s - nearly seven minutes slower than his nearest competitor. At the end, he was the only man left running - or doing any kind of sport - in the Olympic arena, as 80,000 people got to their feet and cheered him on. At times it felt like he'd pack it all in (he was suffering from a foot injury, as it turns out), but he was there to the bitter end. “I thought of stopping,” he said afterwards. “But I kept going because I wanted to finish.” By far and away my best experience of either the Olympics or Paralympics.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/010.jpgSilhouettesSome were more interested in the running than others.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/o8.jpgConker on pathDon't be fooled by that sunshine. It's autumn. Only downhill from here...https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/09.jpgSweet ChestnutsSweet Chestnuts. In a few weeks' time, when they're at their best, Greenwich Park will be full of people sweeping these up into carrier bags. Don't worry, though, you'll see them again - when you pay £5 for a bag of them roasted, at a Christmas market.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/o7.jpgChild in FlagThis kid was all about the flags, less about the sport. It would be wonderful if his name was Jack.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/06.jpgFlags flyingThis is how I know it was impressive. From the crowd's reaction. That's the wonderful thing about being in a crowd of 80,000 people. You really don't need to do any thinking for yourself.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/o5.jpgRichard Whitehead running for gold.This is Richard Whitehead coming off the blocks in the men's 200m final, just before he won gold for GB. Beckie, my partner, screamed herself hoarse during the race. I was slightly distracted because after taking this photo my memory card filled up, I couldn't take any more photos, and I panicked. How will people know that I was here? I thought to myself. I can't just see it with my own eyes! I hurriedly tried to delete photos. As it turns out, this takes longer than it takes Richard Whitehead to run 200m. Consequently, I actually missed him crossing the finish line. But I understand that it was very impressive.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/o4.jpgMadeville at the GamesThis is my photo and I was there. We'd been to the Olympic Park, of course, but hadn't got tickets for the Stadium and utterly failed to get any tickets for the Paralympics. So receiving a phonecall from friends offering us two unwanted tickets to see athletics in the Stadium on a Saturday morning is in the same category as seeing people you know on the tube: impossible until it happens to you.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/o3.jpgWestcombe NewsEven the Westcombe News ("Free to 3800 homes, and in libraries & some shops") my local community newspaper and the home of rampant nimbyism, picked up the prevailing wind and realised that to come out openly against the Games would have resulted in their offices (if they had any) being stormed and the editorial staff (volunteers) being lynched in Greenwich Park. Still, as headlines go about the greatest sporting event that this nation has ever seen, "Was it worth it?" is hardly the unambiguous headline of unwavering support one might have expected. Especially when a load of the events are - literally - happening in your back yard. I mean come on people, it was the Olympics and it was happening not five minutes from your house. In the article the WN hedges its bets by beginning with a load of quotes from random people saying how amazing it had all been (including one from Sandra Barnes "writing from Philadelphia in the US" - you ran out of people in the area to say positive things and you had to go across the Atlantic to find someone else?), then moves on to talk about the impact on local businesses (bad), the stationing of Rapier surface to air missiles near Greenwich Park (unforgivable, but "at least locals did not have them placed on their roofs") and then transport: "the surges of passenger numbers on the tube and the railways were better managed than predicted [i.e. we thought we'd all be plunged back into the dark ages]: but many drivers, defeated by traffic jams, simply gave up any attempt to get to where they needed to be [i.e. I couldn't drive to Sainsbury's because of the one way system, so I gave up and came home]. They end with the standard disclaimer which now by law must be added when criticising any aspect of the Olympics: "Overall, most people agree that the games were a spectacular success." This is journalistic gold and I LOVE the WN.2012-09-16T15:41:43+00:00monthlyhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/2012/09/02/grave-intentions-or-how-i-didnt-meet-the-pope-in-twickenham/https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/pope17.jpgRainwater on gravesIs that the sky reflected in the rainwater, or my own growing sense of futility?https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/pope16.jpgThe rain comes downAs I sheltered under the eaves of the church, I realised that actually, yes, I could think of several better places to be during a thunderstorm. Sod this, I thought, and pulled out my phone to let the internet tell me where in the graveyard Pope was buried. A swift google search later gave me the answer: inside the church. Pope isn't even in the cemetery, he's in the sodding church which was LOCKED!https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/pope15.jpgPope's ServantThis was good enough for me.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/pope14.jpgGreen GravesWas one of these Pope? I have no idea.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/pope13.jpgChild's GraveI really can't think of anything funny to write about this headstone. Tragedy spans centuries.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/pope12.jpgAngelsThis is calling out for a Time Team episode. Where is Tony Robinson when you need him?https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/pope11.jpg1799One of the more discernable headstones from 1799.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/pope10.jpgpope10https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/pope9.jpgPope's ChurchThe Church! The Church where Pope is buried! I'd found it. But more importantly, I'd also found somewhere to shelter from the rain.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/pope7.jpgEel PieActually, then I found the nice part of Twickenham, next to the Thames. In South East London, the Thames is big enough to sail an aircraft carrier down it. I've seen cruise ships moored off Greenwich, before. In Twickenham, the Thames is a pleasant river to stroll along, possibly stopping at a pub for some Eel Pie and a real ale, before taking out the rowboat for a bit of a paddle.2013-03-11T09:15:28+00:00monthlyhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/2012/08/21/bring-me-sunshine-morecambe-lancaster/https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/lancs131.jpgLancaster flowersThis is probably what Lancaster would look like if you were on LSD.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/img_20120820_213251.jpgHead PokerThere really are rules to this game.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/lancs28.jpgEnd of the Line - Virgin TrainsVirgin Trains announced last week that they were unsuccessful in their bid to renew their 15 year right to manage the West Coast mainline. Strangely, I found myself feeling a little sad at this fact. So many hours of my life have been spent stuck in the middle of nowhere on their red seats. Also, they were the first train company to give us those toilets with the slowly revolving doors that someone inevitably forgets to lock and you push the button for them to open, and then the two of you must stand/sit there in mutual embarrassment as you watch them slowly appear and disappear, them observing you from the comfort of the toilet seat. Goodbye, Virgin Trains.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/lancs27.jpgLancaster rainThat's real Northern water, right there. None of this southern sunshine guff.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/lancs24.jpgVillage PeopleThe sailor is Lenny, the birthday boy of multiple Village People costumes fame. I didn't see him use that bow and arrow all bloody night...https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/lancs23.jpgSpider & BBQThe BBQ was a success. There's probably a beautiful metaphor here about the delicate nature of spider webs, their transient beauty and our wedding venue. Unfortunately, moments later the bin which this web was attached to was moved, and the spider despatched as a potential hazard to party goers.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/lancs20.jpgLancaster CanalSunshine really does make everything better.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/lancs19.jpgCheapsideThere really is no good reason for me to use this photograph except to use the line: in poundland, things were a bit on the...https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/lancs18.jpgThe StoreyThe Storey Institute. A wonderful building that is home to the Lancaster LitFest and various creative businesses. Also, coincidentally, where our wedding reception will be held. Last week the company which owns the venue went into liquidation, and the council has withdrawn funding for the building. Our intelligence gathering was compromised by Beckie loudly talking about how we were going to get married there in front of the bar maid. She was not very forthcoming with intelligence, beyond "we might not be here in a month." Great. Do you know how many hours of my life I spent going around wedding venues? Do you? I travelled the country to find this place.... Then Beckie gently peeled my fingers off of the bar maid's collar and made me put her down. Afterwards, I sat in a darkened room to calm down.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/lancs17.jpgStorey dressThis dress is made entirely of books. Apparently "it's a fire hazard" to get married in it, so Beckie tells me. Consequently I'm not allowed to wear it.2012-08-21T21:29:57+00:00monthlyhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/2012/08/13/a-strange-love-or-how-we-learned-to-stop-moaning-and-love-the-olympics-part-2/https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/mod32.jpgstadiumOutside the stadium at the time of the 100m final. It sounded pretty noisy in there.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/mod30.jpgOlympic RingsSeb Coe's final words at the London 2012 Olympic Ceremony: "Britain, when the time came, we did it right."https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/mod29.jpgcoke manAnd this is the pay off. It's like the Olympics, only in a bottle.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/mod27.jpgcoke hurrahThe good people of Coca Cola showed us how we could be Having Fun All The Time, if only we drank more Coca Cola.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/mod26.jpgmod26https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/mod25.jpgcoke initiationThis is our initiation into the Coca Cola Fraternity. Obviously I can't tell you what's happening here, because you're not at Level 3 Coca Cola Consumption.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/mod24.jpgmod24https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/mod23.jpgmorris dancersLike all good sporting events, there were cheerleaders.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/mod22.jpggrass olympichttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/mod21.jpgMurray WinsThere was some telly to watch.2012-08-12T23:18:39+00:00monthlyhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/2012/07/29/hello-world/https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/o9.jpg2012 phone boxOlympic route (n). 1. A route specifically for members of the Olympic family (athletes, coaches, etc). 2. The contorted route to work via zone 6, 2 and 4 that you take in order to avoid the Olympic crowds.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/savedate_239.jpgpostboxEven the post is disrupted by the Olympics.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/olympic2.jpgequestrian flagshotSee what I mean?https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/savedate_176.jpgflags on the heathFlags on the heath. All very civilsed. Actually there were flags everywhere, which is a problem for me, as I can't help myself taking pictures of them ("but look at it ripple in the wind! I need a picture of that!"). At least it was windy. If it's not I've been known to insist that we wait until a gust of wind unfurls the entire flag. I get the impression that this can be a little tiresome for anyone travelling with me ("It'll be dark soon, we have to go now.")https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/savedate_185.jpggreenwich borough signhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/olympic1.jpginflatable torch boyhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/o101.jpgHappy police horseI think that the police horses are like a consolation prize for people who didn't get tickets to the equestrian events. They're certainly popular with the tourists.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/o11.jpgpolicehorse childhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/o12.jpgpoint and shootPoint and Shoot.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/o7.jpg2012 lollypop lady.2012-08-06T16:06:17+00:00monthlyhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/2012/08/06/a-strange-love-or-how-we-learned-to-stop-moaning-and-love-the-olympics-part-1/https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/img_20120804_095216.jpgOlympic TicketsThe population of the UK divides nearly in two: those with tickets, and those who applied for tickets and didn't get any. One half of the population is even more cynical than the other.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/img_20120802_213239.jpgOlympic Mascot - ParliamentThis is our Olympic mascot. No one knows why.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/img_20120802_212826.jpgolympic mascot rainbowThey even painted the Olympic colours in the sky.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/img_20120802_212935.jpgBikeLicence to ignore all red lights, terrify pedestrians and have righteous anger about all other road users. Also the most dangerous thing you'll ever do in London.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/img_20120802_212101.jpgwestminster, olympics"It's a once in a lifetime experience." Most overused phrase when the Olympics is in town. Often used in conjunction with either a) a minor travel inconvenience that probably has no real bearing on your life or b) something that you didn't want to do anyway which the Olympics now gives you an excuse for not doing. For example, not wanting to work past 4.30 in the afternoon. "I've got tickets for the [insert sport here that you've never watched in your life]. It's a once in a lifetime experience, so I'm leaving work early."https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/img_20120802_211549.jpgwooden flagsObviously the disadvantage of wooden flags is that they don't ripple in the wind, which, as a seasoned flag photographer, I take as a bit of a blow. But you can't have everything.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/img_20120802_211929.jpgbig ben flagsIhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/img_20120802_211359.jpgParliamentNothing is above Olympic branding.https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/img_20120802_212350.jpgthames cable carsNew cable cars over the river from North Greenwich to the ExCel Centre. Because how else would you get across the Thames?https://elsewhereunderwritten.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/img_20120802_212618.jpgmillenium doneWhat the year 2000 gave us.2012-08-06T18:33:48+00:00monthlyhttps://elsewhereunderwritten.comdaily1.02024-05-09T09:42:25+00:00