The Old Gods

Imagine a time when there was a whole panoply of gods and goddesses, each with their own godly specialty: some were capable of bringing victory in war, some favourable winds at sea, others could induce love. These were more relatable gods. They roamed the earth, meddled in human affairs, and even had their own volatile emotions and petty squabbles.  Nemesis[…]

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Searching for Tufas Along the Amalfi Coast

For the next month, we are staying in Sant’Agnello, a place famous in the 18th and 19th centuries as a place for Bourbon princes and Russian millionaires to escape the “crowds” of Sorrento. The region still attracts the rich and famous, and it’s easy to see why: a dramatic coastline rising high above clear, blue-green waters; richly coloured, ornate buildings; charming shops;[…]

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Lost or Found?

Get Lost!

We arrived in the village of Torroja del Priorat under the cover of a cool, dark night. Thankfully. Perhaps in the dim light, none of the townsfolk saw what came next. We had been driving for over five hours, en route from Madrid. Following directions provided by Google Maps, the roads had narrowed steadily, slowly funneling us toward our destination.[…]

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Running in Flip-Flops

Kinshasa, 2007. The sprawling, chaotic jumble of streets, shacks, cars, people, animals; the ever-present odour of burning garbage in the humid air; the litany of security restrictions. After working for a month with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in Kinshasa, I confess that I jumped at an unexpected opportunity to transfer to Lubumbashi, D. R. Congo’s second largest city. “Lubum”, as[…]

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Girl jumping from swing

In praise of fear

“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone, there will be nothing. Only I will[…]

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