Author: David Roberts

Reports of my death are generally exaggerated

ByDavid Roberts August 17, 2021 39 Comments
Reports of my death are greatly exaggerated - To paraphrase Mark Twain  But it was close! I’ve just had an amazing travel adventure. A 30 km dash followed by 5 days in bed. Ummm, in hospital. Typed on Gionny’s sickening Olivetti Lettera 22 View from my bed Boring Context For a few weeks I’d been experiencing an increasing shortness of breath. At first I attributed it to lack of...

Marjorie

ByDavid Roberts August 10, 2021 7 Comments
“David’s new amante.” When I was retired by Greenpeace a few years I had many plans for my future. One of them was to buy a large van, convert it, then live, travel and work from it. Typed on Gionny’s continuingly friggingly annoying Olivetti Lettera 22 Have van will travel. Now I have Mercedes, or rather “A Mercedes” otherwise know as Marjorie. Why did I wait so long? Many reasons:...

RANDOM RAMBLINGS

ByDavid Roberts April 1, 2021 8 Comments
Most of us are currently buggered regarding travel.  In my case I am in Wales and last week the UK government announced that anybody trying to leave the country would be fined £5000 for any unauthorised departures. I haven’t seen four of my kids in Spain and France for nearly two years. But that does not qualify. However, travelling to Europe to attend to holiday homes DOES...

DODGY TRAVEL TIPS

ByDavid Roberts February 27, 2021 4 Comments
Hold my beer...watch this! When deciding what title to use for this epistle we discarded DUBIOUS and then DOUBTFUL, both perfectly good adjectives, before realising DODGY was perfect. In our original Code of Misconduct we declared we would not be offering classic travel advice.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTCVQJTipQ4 How to use a hammer Classic tips are really like those self help videos...

THERE REALLY ARE SOME SHIT HOLES ON OUR PLANET

ByDavid Roberts February 12, 2021 14 Comments
This week’s blog is dedicated to the memory of ex shipmate and activist TED HOOD who recently passed away. He accompanied me to some of the places listed below. He was an all round good bloke and a fun travelling companion. R.I.P Ted. Ted Hood en-route to Antarctica. Typed on Gionny’s objectionable Olivetti Lettera 22 This quote from the really admirable Douglas Adams helps me come to terms...

SCOUTING, RESEARCH OR JUST PLAIN SPYING?

ByDavid Roberts December 8, 2020 0 Comments
Typed on Gionny’s loathsome Olivetti Lettera 22 Scouting, research or just plain spying - I totally identify with that quote – much of my travel back in the day with Greenpeace was justified by; “We’ll need information.”  Oh, I just realised that I left you all hanging at the end of my previous episode (that would be the one entitled TRAVEL ADVICE). What was that mysterious light?...

Travel Advice

ByDavid Roberts November 6, 2020 3 Comments
Typed on Gionny’s bloody repugnant Olivetti Lettera 22 typewriter. Go west young man. No, go east. Wait, better to go north but on the other hand maybe south would be better at this time of year – oh bugger it, just GO. Gionny met this guy standing beside his local NAB (National Australian Bank) ATM, offering shitty advice for a donation. Gionny gave him 20 bucks and he was blown away,...

HOTELS – love ‘em or hate them.

ByDavid Roberts September 1, 2020 0 Comments
Typed on Gionny’s continuingly abhorrent Olivetti Lettera 22 Fawlty Towers would have been such fun to stay in. BUT only if Basil was there.By definition a hotel is an establishment providing accommodation, meals, and other services for travellers and tourists. They come in all shapes and sizes and cater for the rich and poor alike.  Love them or hate them they range from rich indulgence...

Signs of the times.

ByDavid Roberts August 10, 2020 6 Comments
Typed on Gionny’s maddeningly annoying Olivetti To rant or not to rant? It is impossible to travel anywhere without being confronted by street art, graffiti and advertising. They are often real works of art but sometimes they can be downright ugly and an assault on the senses. Then of course there are the countless signs or instructions extolling us to do this or do that. OR, conversely,...

Encore des faux pas

ByDavid Roberts July 28, 2020 3 Comments
Typed on Gionny’s repulsive Olivetti Lettera 22 More foot in mouth adventures While writing our previous blog about embarrassments I realised there was not enough space for all my foot in mouth experiences. Here’s a few more. Now I’m beginning to think there maybe enough for a book – a very large book! Encore des faux pasNot an airport in Korea but a ferry in Guatemala – but then, what...