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In Cologne, They Say It With Handcuffs

They say that you never forget your first time – and for me that was in Seville. While strolling along in the unfiltered sunshine, sharp flashes of light caught my eye. This was it, this was what I had heard about:

British Weather Photo Competition, Win £10 000

In Britain, talking about the weather is an accepted, even expected, way to start, finish and sometimes fill a conversation. Every time it snows, the country grinds to a halt and…

The Safari Symphony- The Okavango Delta, Botswana

Despite the stillness of the water, there’s no sound of silence. Insects skim across the reeds with a soft buzz and woodpeckers…

Explore/HATCH Short Film Competition

Explore.org, a non-profit educational and inspirational multimedia organization, is inviting film submissions that tell the story of…

The Okavango Delta From the Air

The world’s largest inland delta, the Okavango Delta in Botswana, from the sky

Drifting Along the World’s Largest Delta

The Okavango Delta is the world’s largest inland delta. Between reeds and palm trees, “the Delta” in Botswana nurtures crocodiles and herons, impala and elephants, locals and, for a while at least, me. While wildlife is abundant, electricity is scarce. So, here’s a taste of what I’ll be blogging about in the weeks to come [...]

Chunky Britain

“Is it weird to be back?”

I hear that a lot each time I return to this jigsaw-shaped island…

Petrol Art – Bringing Beauty From the Sludge

s it turned out, this was Petrol Art, a creative enterprise distilled from the desire to convert environmental damage into something more worthwhile.

Ronnie Scott’s: A Jazz Legend in London’s Soho

Ronnie Scott’s has become a byword for top quality music. At least to everyone I know. Sadly, as is often the case in all things musical, I was playing catch up from the moment I heard the word “acoustic.” So…

Unusual Journeys: Racing Around with Formula One

Words from one of Formula One’s secret masterminds, Italian-born Race Engineer Gianluca Pisanello from Lotus Racing…

Smoking Black Eggs in Japan

Steam shoots out of the earth and the sound of furious bubbling travels through the air. Here, only a few hours from Tokyo, this fierce, smoking whirlpool is…

Living Like a Rock Star – Benicassim FIB 2010 in Photos

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t tired, but as the security guards shine a torch on my pass and I stride around that corner…

The Prodigy Live

Employing the unfair advantage of being sober, it’s actually quite easy to get near the front. With…

The Best of the Benicassim Festival – Behind the Scenes at FIB

It’s a surreal feeling, to come this close. For although the eyes of thousands are watching him, someone now watches me.

Flying High – The Earth From the Air

The small town of Benicassim on the northeast coast of Spain hosts the annual music festival, FIB. In between catching the likes of Kasabian, the Gorillaz and Dizzee Rascal, I had the chance to take to the skies…

In The Spotlight with Kasabian- the 2010 Music Festival in Benicassim (FIB)

The air in Benicassim throbs with heat, with screams, with expectation. Overhead somewhere, the sky must be thick with darkness but right here, right now…

Does Size Matter? Inside Europe’s Largest Aquarium…

The Oceanográfico forms part of the spectacular City of Arts & Sciences complex in Valencia. As the largest aquarium in Europe…it makes me uneasy.

The Real Face of Formula One

“A lot of people talk about the F1 bubble,” says Tom, as reporters walk past in jeans and T-shirts…

Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright – How and Where to Find You

“We’ve been here all week,” say the first couple we meet in Sawai Madhopur, when we ask the question that’s on everyone’s mind.

Street Art in Valencia

Valencia has plenty of street art. Whether you think about it in conventional terms, conjuring up the “graffiti” from Bristol’s edgiest neighbourhood, or in alternative terms…

Inside Action at the Valencia Grand Prix

“It’s about to get extremely loud in here, guys,” says the Lotus spokesman. “Really loud.” I’m in the Lotus Formula One team garage – and with…

Win a Year’s Free Travel with Radisson-Blu

These days, a lot of offers float into my inbox and I’m only one reflex away from the delete button. This email, however, from the Radisson hotel chain really caught my interest…

Summer Solstice & Those New Year Resolutions

So, yesterday was the summer solstice (in the northern hemisphere at least), an important-sounding and fairly random point in the calendar for pausing for breath and catching up.

Seduction in the Ghetto

Venice has a tempestuous love affair with the world. Millions of adoring fans visit La Serenissima each year, lured by the sirens of the Adriatic. Perhaps I’ve spent too much time squashed on the London Underground, but…

New York in the Twenties

These grainy monochrome photos show New York City in the twenties…

She still has not abandoned me…

Last week, I wrote about NO8DO, the mysterious motto of Seville. Later that day I received…

Geneva Convention: Searching for Warmth in a Cold City

Geneva, Switzerland. My first thoughts leaped to watches, chocolates and human rights – and my first half hour in the city certainly backed up that list.

She has not abandoned me…

Five symbols squeeze together, like children trying to fit into one photograph.

NO8DO, NO8DO, NO8DO.

It’s written on unfurling flags and…

Unusual Journeys: Swimming to South Africa

Well, I thought I was a pretty active and adventurous person, scaling ice walls and climbing mountains and even managing the staircase after a busy day in the hospital.

Then I heard about Rob…

Brain Food

No, this isn’t about literature, philosophy or trying to justify playing computer games. Brain food is actually about, well, brain as food.