Published in Medium Any trip through Italy will invariably involve visiting churches, museums and galleries.  People are often surprised to see violent and disturbing scenes depicted in paintings and sculptures.  Other artworks show saintly folks holding seemingly random objects, such as a grill or an arrow.  But why?  What does it all mean? This quick... Continue Reading →

Published in Medium I’d heard about lots of people who sold, or rented out their home to go and live like kings somewhere cheap overseas.  It sounded like something I wanted to know more about. We looked at our situation and decided we could afford to semi-retire, only work 6 months a year, if we... Continue Reading →

By no means exhaustive, this little list is designed to help travellers with the basics of getting somewhere, having a good experience and a couple of nice photos at the end of it.  These apps are clever, easy to use tools that will I've found to make travels more enjoyable and less stressful. MAPS.ME This... Continue Reading →

Chiang Mai Rating 91/100 Chiang Mai is often referred to as the Rose of the North.  It is touted as being Thailand’s cultural hub, filled with history and a more sedate way of life than the more touristy areas of the South. These descriptions and the photos on the net however paint a far more... Continue Reading →

Rome's big ticket attractions like the Colosseum, Pantheon, Vatican and Trevi Fountain, just to name a few, should definitely be on everyone’s ‘to do list’, but there are surprising sights that you may never have hear of, but will amaze you. 1.      Capuchin Crypts At first this can be quite a grotesque and confronting place. ... Continue Reading →

Images of the cruise ship, MSC Opera, careering into the quay in Venice is symptomatic of a broader threat: greed. Venice is a UNESCO world heritage site, a beautifully unique city, adored by the 30 million visitors it attracts each year.  However, it is fragile, and we are in danger of killing it.  The footage... Continue Reading →

Why not engineer your life to create the adventure you crave? It’s not as outlandish as it may sound.  According to various studies in USA, UK and Australia we will change our career several times over our working life.  These studies from Linkedin, Investec and ABS show that reinvention on a global scale is the... Continue Reading →

Why Italian Cuisine is a Myth Spaghetti Bolognese, lasagna, pizza:  Of all the cuisines, Italian is probably the one people feel most comfortable with in their own home.  However, it can be a different story when you’re in Italy.  For a start, spaghetti Bolognese doesn’t actually exist and there is no such thing as Italian... Continue Reading →