A visit to the Newport Street Gallery
Emerging from the lift at Lambeth North tube I was met by a thronged ticket hall. All passengers sheltering from a downpour beyond the barriers. As soon as the worst …
Read More
A l’eau, c’est l’heure – Day 57
As he boarded the longboat to be rowed ashore to St Helena, Napoleon said (in French ofc) ‘To the water, it is time.’ Which to an English ear sounds like …
Read More
Lens of history – Day 56
Lens, 20 minutes north of Arras where I was staying for my final night of the trip. My gourmand friend Nigel had recommended Arras so I knew it would be …
Read More
A musee – Day 55
At breakfast a text from Brendon. ‘Just woken up in the UK, three prime ministers later.’ He said he was having the full English with black pudding. We both agreed …
Read More
All saints – Day 54
Up with Eos and out into a magnificent day of clear sunshine. I left my bags with Leo the concierge and strode out to the Place de la Concorde. As …
Read More
Back in the 8th – Day 53
Another beautiful day, but now too cold to have the windows down. I had been so lucky with the weather. How long could it last? Oops now I’ve gorn and …
Read More
Hot stuff – Day 52
Before I left Orange, and not knowing when I’d be back, Pedders and I went for a hack around the town. I’d had a fantastic night of sleep. Cold outside …
Read More
Orange juice – Day 51
Oh what a night! And I don’t mean in a Frankie Valli way. The Hotel room was the smallest – and one – of the most expensive of the trip …
Read More
French connection – Day 50
The final ferry. Number 10. I’d roughly added up the total and it came to 78hrs of sea travel in all. This one, the Mega Express Two (inspiration clearly lacking …
Read More
Bastia – Days 47, 48 & 49
It hadn’t rained overnight but the streets were very wet. Sea fog I guessed. There was a delicious smell of ozone and seaweed. Got Peds out of the menage and …
Read More
Corse handling – Day 46
Another day, another ferry. This would be our ninth of the trip. Bonifacio – at the southern end of Corsica – our next stop – just a short hop. The …
Read More
An idea of Italy – Day 45
Yesterday. Monday morning. I was outside Andrea’s garage at 0830. ‘Sono qui.’ I said. ‘So I see.’ His eyes read. He took Pedders for a spin. Up the street I …
Read More
The Truman Show – Day 42, 43 & 44
In the morning I bought a bottle of wine, some bread and cheese and a bar of chocolate to stock up. The lady on the checkout gave me a knowing …
Read More
Riders of the purple sprouting – Day 41
I’d parked between the two rival trucks that sold indoor plants on the parking lot. They were permanent residents and both had a flat tyre or two. The parking girl …
Read More
Day tripper – Day 40
I read the news today..oh boy! In Truss I did not trust. And Shapps as Home Secretary? Well that was beyond a joke. It seemed the government couldn’t even run …
Read More
The Hill – Day 39
That morning I met the distractingly pretty parking attendant who had taken to calling me ‘Meester English’. The first night’s parking had been eye-wateringly expensive. But I was straight off …
Read More
Cagliari – Day 38
Some driving around to different places to see if I could get this sensor swapped out on Pedro resulted in a negative. Language problems and general disinterest. Who could blame …
Read More
Per Sardegna – Day 37
Pedro was chafing at the bit. Tranquilo bello, it is only a short run downhill to the port. Hannover 86 had beaten Palermo 4-1. I wondered how my German friends …
Read More
On the beach – Day 36
Whoever in their wisdom had decided to replace the door handles inside this hotel’s rooms with push bars needed to have his head examined. If you wanted to lock your …
Read More
On the town – Day 35
Yesterday afternoon, as I got back to my room the clouds broke and the humidity disappeared. A lot of rain then ensued on my balcony so I holed up watching …
Read More
In dock – Day 34
I dropped Pedro off at the dealership. Francesco, a very handsome young man, took down some details. Passport photographed, address in Sicily, home address, telephone number, email address and then …
Read More
Ortigia – Day 33
The day started well. We decided on a giro of Etna. We climbed for about an hour. Then the mist cleared and we started to go through pretty towns north …
Read More
In Catania – Day 32
Met Brendon on the short hop ferry from Reggio to Messina. He was from Brighton and travelling on his motorbike. His neighbours were completely redoing their house so they asked …
Read More
To Catania – Day 31
Last night, sleeping with the doors open. A spectacular lightning show out to sea. Later, a cloudburst and a massive drenching. Rain pouring off the cliffs like a waterfall. Exciting …
Read More
Pizzo my heart – Day 29
It’s never a good idea to arrive anywhere on a Sunday. Especially in a Catholic country. The world and his wife were out and about in the beautiful little town …
Read More
North by Northwest – Day 28
Meteora was one of those places you just had to see if you are passing. So now I’d been there and done that. A very comfortable night in the best …
Read More
Lip service – Day 27
Last night, a new entertainment to add to the variety of bathroom experiences. Flushing the loo, I pushed the cistern, which was not attached to the wall, backwards. I didn’t …
Read More
Volos city – Day 26
Down the hill I had to pull hard on the reins. Pedders wanted to go faster but whoah there young man. We had all day. We got into a rhythm …
Read More
Plain tales from the hills – Day 25
Next morning, overcast and with rain out to sea. Oh no, we don’t like that. Walked around the village. Lots of elegant and very well maintained houses. Beautiful stone roofs …
Read More
Riding Pelion – Day 24
I schlepped downwards towards the church to find Pedro. Unlike Edward Lear’s Pobble I did have toes and was thankful that they were – more or less – all in …
Read More
Thessaloniki – Day 23
A daunting mass of white buildings, going on for miles around the bay, revealed themselves as we crested a hill on the highway. Thessaloniki, Greece’s second city. It was Sunday …
Read More
The Kassandra crossing – Day 22
Out of Thrace and into Macedonia. A chilly morning with dew on Pedds, parked in a side street. The curling lacquer on the roof was coming off nicely, but unfortunately …
Read More
Ice cold in Alex – Day 21
Last night. Low in the sky. The most strange crescent moon. Blood orange and very clear. Appropriately hanging over the Turkish coast. I thought I’d try the kebab van on …
Read More
End of the road – Day 20
Up early and out on the road to Kipos Beach. Where the road finally runs out as it hits a mountain. Nobody here and nothing doing. The season definitely over …
Read More
Samothraki – Day 19
We were about 20 miles out of Alexandroupoli, slowly overhauling a fishing boat that was crossing our heading. Light blue and white. Trawler sized. Car tyre fenders along the gunwale. …
Read More
Turkey leftovers – Day 17
On the ferry back to Cannakale from the tour I’d met Brenda from Melbourne and Simone from Limerick. Both travelling alone and both great fun. Brenda – who seemed to …
Read More
Gallipoli Peninsula – Day 16
Dur yolcu! Bilmeden gelip bastığın, Bu toprak, bir devrin battığı yerdir. That is written in large letters on the cliff- face across the water. So large that you can read …
Read More
Hammam and haircut – Day 15
I awoke in the King Priam room of the Hisirlik Hotel. I wondered if the poor man had had better digs than these. He was however long gone, his problems …
Read More
The ringing plains of windy Troy – Day 14 – a bit later
In the afternoon, I arrived at the Hirsirlik Hotel on the outskirts of Troy. Hisirlik means ‘old ruin’. An appropriate place then to lay my bones. It’s run by the …
Read More
The call of the owl – Day 14
Plenty of G’s brethren were about as we climbed back up the steep and unmade road. They were crowding onto the track munching thistles and several times we had to …
Read More
Into great beauty – Day 13
I had to admit that my travels up the bay from Izmir had not exactly wowed me. Too much industry and sprawling, ugly towns had left me a little in …
Read More
A little bit of toast – Day 12
Breakfast was served in the canvas and glass affair attached to the front of the pansyon. I had some tomato soup. Not my typical morning go-to, but very good indeed. …
Read More
Siren call – Day 11
I had planned on staying at Eski Foca. Its jagged black rocks that, when the Meltemi blows, make a howling whine said to be that of the sirens of mythology. …
Read More
Hospital pass – Day 10
Next morning I had a pleasant breakfast of soft boiled eggs, toast and coffee. I asked Theodore if I could negotiate a late check-out. ‘No need’ he said, ‘the room …
Read More
Hotel Kyma, Chios Town – Day 9
The Hotel Kyma sits on a tiny promontary overlooking the Turkish coast and the harbour of Chios Town. Small but with the faded grandeur of a much bigger establishment. Its …
Read More
Nea Moni – Day 8
Two thirty in the am. Banging on the cabin door. ‘Meester waking up please! Ship is docking!’ Chios! Widely believed to be the birthplace of Homer, I’m not loving you …
Read More
Night boat to Chios – Day 7
The sun rose on the Saronic Gulf. By the time I’d finished 15 minutes of stretching it was high in the sky and hot. I’d felt it burning my tootsies …
Read More
To Loutakia – Day 6
Reminder to self. Remember the deck number you left your car on. I spent fifteen minutes with the backpack sweating it up and down narrow companionways with everyone else going …
Read More
Ferry to Patras – Day 5
I was woken at six thirty by passengers disembarking at Igoumenitsa. Another eight hours until we reached Patras. I tossed and turned in the giant bed of my even more …
Read More
Ferry to Patras – Day 4
The next morning I wound my way to the top of the Guasco hill to visit the cathedral. San Cirico – the saint’s body is in the crypt apparently – …
Read More
To Ancona – Day 3
In the morning there wasn’t a lot of room beside the bed to do my 15 minute yoga. But I found by opening the bathroom door and the wardrobe I …
Read More
Into Italy – Day 2
Up early and out of town..following miles of urban sprawl which the French seem to be so good at. Just before the motorway and on the outskirts I saw a …
Read More
Getting started – Day 1
In the end I did nothing to Pedro. I mean what could go wrong…really? Well, anything and everything in fact. With an old car like him, probably not worth more …
Read More
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nic Ricketts is an expert brand consultant helping scale-up organisations grow sales and market share. He advises sustainable womenswear brand Multemyr and ethical cross-border payments fintech ZymPay, creating fair value alternatives to money transfer.
