October 2026

Now a good haunting is called for. I am back in the UK after 10 weeks travelling. I planned to mount my first solo painting exhibition at the home of Odysseus in the northern part of Ithaca. To do this, I needed

The Human Produce Is Still Alive I have risen on the Grimaldi ferry, having had a half-decent sleep in a biggish bed in a bedroom that does not entirely look like the inside of a shipping container. It looks like a Magnet

Day 5 Orvieto, Dogs and the Pursuit of a Decent Sandwich The Shower Shuffle I awoke to a sunny morning at the Agri and did my ablutions. The shower, while not the death-trap bath combo, had a sort of odd touch. The shower door would

Ferry Food, Fine Wine and a Night in Orvieto For anyone who hasn’t travelled with Grimaldi Lines, I can highly recommend it in certain respects. The ships are heavy and tired-looking. That need not be bad. It might describe me! Life Aboard the Grimaldi The

The Oracle of the Dead, Parga and a Friendship Lost Ancient mysteries, tourist traps, troublesome dogs, insurance commissions and a ferry journey that ended with one fewer friend. The Necromanteion: A Visit to the Underworld The sun is shining, and our day will

Leaving Ithaca Behind Having left beautiful Ithaca behind, I was being disgorged off the pirate ship Ionian Pelagos onto the crowded harbour of Astakos. As usual, the foot passengers scurried and jostled to get off first, oblivious to the massive trucks struggling to hurdle

Stefano, an Italian friend who lives in Spain with his beautiful family has been given leave to visit and then accompany me part of the way back home. We are catching the Ionion pelagos from Ithaca portat 9.00am. He has even