On the Politics of Museums
The more time we spend in museums around the world, the more I come to realise how very, very political they are. Take the National...
Category: Bulgaria
In Which I Lose My Child. Again.
“Yeah,” I say to Z. “It’s too cold to walk a mile in this. Let’s catch the Metro…” After our chilly arrival, we are beginning...
Yes, Minus 22 Degrees Is Pretty Chilly, Thanks
One of many difficult questions I faced in balmy, lovely Indonesia was: “Is it cold in England?” Because, what do you say to folk who...
The Friday Photo: Sofia Cathedral
Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, isn’t on many people’s bucket lists. But the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, an enormous Byzantine revival edifice erected to celebrate the...
The Cutest City You’ve Never Heard Of…
Plovdiv Old Town is the single prettiest place we’ve visited since beautiful Lijiang in China. The city’s history is written in its walls. Successive generations...
A Balkan Train Ride
Is it possible to feel sorry for a train? Watching this little steam engine freezing in the snow at Bansko station, I almost did… The...
Anatomy of a Bulgarian Restaurant
We have spent more time than I am entirely comfortable with in Bulgarian tourist restaurants lately. Here’s what to expect, should you bow to the...
The Friday Photo: Our Own Private… Bansko
One of the things I love about skiing is when you get the mountain to yourself. Yesterday, we worked our way through a couple of...
All Ski Instructors Are Not Created Equal
We meet Emil on a run down the mountain. Or, to be more precise, slightly off the mountain, where Z has landed in a half-arsed...
How (Not) To Go Skiing On A Budget
Someone once compared sailing to standing fully clothed under a cold shower burning ten pound notes. Which would, I guess, make skiing standing in a...