The Traveling Psychiatrist is ready to travel again

Earlier this month, on the 16th of June, the Traveling Psychiatrist (the blog, not the blogger) turned 3 years old. This anniversary prompted me to reflect on my blogging journey so far, and re-visit the last 54 posts (published over the last 52 weeks). At the same time, fully vaccinated and on the verge of a burn-out, I have decided to take a break (from my work and from blogging) and travel again. I am not going to reveal my travel plans as yet, but I promise I will soon come back with tips about places I’ve never visited before.

But before I go, I will re-visit the posts published in the last twelve months.

A literary trip to Norway with Alex

Three years ago, long before COVID-19 interrupted our daily lives and travels, I met my friends in Oslo and had a wonderful holiday in Norway, one of my favourite travel destinations. Upon my return to London, I launched the Traveling Psychiatrist. Two years later and three months into the first lockdown, unable to travel, I found solace in books by Norwegian authors. This is why, a year ago, I embarked on a literary trip to Norway.

A classical music journey to Austria

That literary trip to Norway was then followed by a classical music to Austria. By July 2020, most of the music festivals scheduled to take place over the summer had already been cancelled. However, in early July, the situation in Austria was looking rather promising.

My favourite books and films about travelling

Last summer, while self-isolating in London and dreaming about travelling again, I found solace in reading books and binge-watching TV series and (feature or documentary) films. In July 2020, having re-read Alain de Botton’s ‘The Art of Travel’, I discussed some of my favourite books and films about travelling.

Island-hopping in the Cyclades

I then continued my virtual travels and ‘revisited the Cyclades, a group of islands in the Aegean Sea, so close to each other and yet so different. Like a group of old friends, each of them has her own distinct personality, her own unique character, her own charm.

From the Travelin’ Soldier to gaslighting

One of last year’s cultural highlights was the release of ‘Gaslighter’, the 5th studio album by one of my favourite bands, the Chicks (formerly known as the Dixie Chicks). It had been 14 years since they had released the excellent ‘Taking the Long Way’. Throughout July, I would obsessively listen to their new (and older) songs, whilst educating myself on the psychological concept of gaslighting.

Sweet v Savoury Tomato & Feta Cheesecake

I then found out that the 30th of July is the National Cheesecake Day in the US, and subsequently decided to celebrate the day with two cheesecake recipes: one savoury, the other sweet.

Savory tomato and feta cheesecake — Savoury tomato cheesecake

10 Icelandic films and TV series to watch

Meanwhile, the cinemas re-opened, and I simply couldn’t resist going. ‘The County’ (‘Héraðið’) was one of the first films I watched at the cinema, once cinemas were allowed to re-open in the UK. Directed by Grímur Hákonarson, it travels us to rural Iceland, where a woman fights against a mafia-like organization and against the injustice that this organization perpetuates. Although I am yet to visit the Land of Fire in person, this did not stop me from embarking on a virtual journey there, re-visiting 10 Icelandic films and TV series I’d recently watched. This turned out to be one of my most popular posts in the last year.

Then, towards the end of the summer, in August, I finally travelled again. My first post-lockdown trip was back home, to Greece, a country with six thousand islands of which 227 are inhabited (according to visitgreece.gr). Crete, Santorini and Mykonos were the most visited islands in 2019. But, there’s so much more to the Greek islands than the tourist-magnets.

There’s more to Greek cheeses than feta

The same is true for Greek cheeses. Feta may be the most famous, but there are so many Greek cheeses worth learning about and, of course, savouring. It appears that I am not the only one with a big appetite for cheese; this post has been among the most popular ones in the last year.

Fanouropita: a Rhodes-inspired recipe

Saint Fanourios, the patron saint of Rhodes, is commemorated on the 27th of August. Fanourios means the one who reveals (fanerono means reveal in Greek), and according to the tradition, Saint Fanourios helps people find their lost belongings or even missing persons. In Rhodes and other places in Greece and Cyprus, believers bake a cake called fanouropita on the 26th of August; then, the following day, they take it to the church where it is blessed and then offered to more believers.

6 delicious Greek summer recipes

My fanouropita recipe was among the six recipes featured in my post ‘6 delicious Greek summer recipes’, which turned out to be my most popular post ever.

A musical journey to the Greek islands (Part 1)

A musical journey to the Greek islands (Part 2)

In late August 2020, after spending a few days in my hometown, Thessaloniki, I visited Skyros, my late grandfather’s home island. Although Skyros is a short flight from Thessaloniki (25-30 minutes), we took the long way round: we drove to the east coast of Evia (6 hours), then took the ferry to Skyros (an hour and a half). Once upon a time, I would have made several mixtapes for the road. Instead, this time I simply compiled a 3-hour playlist, a musical journey to the Greek islands.

Travelling around Skyros with a local

During my 10-day stay in Skyros, I reconnected with my family, swam in the crystalline waters of the Aegean, relaxed by the sea reading novels and poetry, savoured Skyrian delicacies (see below), and sipped cocktails. This was the fourth time I visited Skyros as an adult, and it certainly won’t be the last.

Traveling around Thessaloniki with a local

Following my holiday in Skyros, I returned to Thessaloniki, where I stayed for another month. Although the number of COVID-19 cases in Greece remained low throughout September, I did not do any more travelling. I did visit, however, some of my favourite hangouts in my hometown. Unfortunately, the situation got much worse soon after I returned to London in October.

A weekend in Athens: top 7 tips

Even though I was born and raised in Thessaloniki, I’ve always enjoyed spending time in Athens. I was not fortunate enough to visit the Greek capital last year; yet, this did not stop me from taking a virtual trip and sharing my top 7 tips.

The Parthenon, in Athens — The Parthenon

Kos: the island of Medicine

This was followed by a virtual trip to Kos, the island where Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, was born (around 460 BC) and also began his medical career.

The statue of Hippocrates at the Archaeological Museum of Kos

15 culture-bound syndromes

I then returned back to London (physically, not virtually) and to work. Being a Psychiatrist (as well as a travel blogger and globetrotter), I simply couldn’t ignore the World Mental Health Day (10th of October). So, I put both these hats on, and talked about 15 culture-bound syndromes.

Trahanas: heart-warming Greek winter recipes

Fava: a healthy Greek island recipe

Spinach and feta cheese pie

In the meantime, home-bound and homesick, I decided to start tweaking traditional Greek recipes, foods that I enjoyed as a child and I still enjoy every time I visit my home country. From mid-October up until the end of the year, I would tweak one recipe a week, which I then shared on my blog.

At the beginning of November 2020, England went to a second national lockdown, that lasted for a whole month. Despite (or perhaps because of) the cold, dark and rainy days, I found solace in foods traditionally consumed in the summer:

Baked zucchini (courgette) fritters

Baked tomato fritters from Santorini

Traditional Greek stuffed vegetables

Greek semolina halva with orange and honey

Tomato pie with phyllo pastry

Melomakarona: Greek Christmas honey cookies

Then, when December came, I decided to bake something Christmassy: melomakarona, aromatic cookies made of flour and olive oil, flavoured with cinnamon, cloves and orange, and dipped in honey syrup.

Moussaka: a classic Greek dish

To celebrate my birthday on the 20th of December, I baked a classic Greek (albeit not Christmassy) dish: moussaka.

Goodbye 2020: End-of-year-reflection

As this challenging year was coming to an end, I took some time to relax a little, re-connect with my family, and reflect on the year just gone.

7 reasons to follow the Traveling Psychiatrist

2021 did not start off great. A few days into the new year, England went into a third (possibly the hardest and hopefully the last) lockdown. Meanwhile, I took the opportunity to re-introduce myself and my blog. Or, rather, provide 7 reasons to follow the Traveling Psychiatrist in 2021.

5 (+1) Books from the Land of the Rising Cat

Even though I have never been to the land of the rising sun, I’ve always been fascinated by the Japanese culture and pretty much anything else Japanese (including literature). Being an ailourophile, as well as bibliophile, I brought these three elements (Japan, cats and books) together in this post published in January.

6 Classical Music Festivals in Burgenland, Austria

Every year on New Year’s Day, I enjoy watching the Vienna Philharmonic New Year’s Concert, broadcasted live from the Golden Hall of the Musikverein. In 2021, due to the ongoing high rates of COVID-19 infection, the concert took place without an audience, under the baton of the Italian conductor Riccardo Muti. Listening to the beautiful music of Johann Strauss II and other Austrian composers, I learned that, in 2021, the state of Burgenland would celebrate 100 years from when it became part of the Republic of Austria. This prompted another virtual classical music to Austria.

A weekend break in Norwich

From Burgenland, I then ‘returned’ to England, specifically to Norwich. I had physically visited this beautiful medieval city almost a year before sharing my tips for a weekend break there.

Voilà: 9 Greek covers of French songs

When I learned that the 65th Eurovision Song Contest would take place in 2021, albeit not ‘as normal’, I was simply ecstatic. France was one of the first countries to choose the song that would represent them in Rotterdam in May. ‘Voilà’ (performed by Barbara Pravi) was an excellent choice, not only because it did very well (2nd place), but mostly because it was my favourite song of all 39 that participated. I loved it so much that it prompted me to curate a playlist, which includes not only 9 Greek covers of French songs, but also the French originals.

10 Greek covers of Italian songs

This was followed by another playlist, this time of 10 Greek covers of Italian songs, and the Italian originals. Amongst those, ‘Σταθερό’, the latest release by Eleonora Zouganeli (a cover of Mina’s ‘Impagliatori D’Aquile’).

10 tips on how to break up with your phone

In February, inspired by the book ‘How to break up with your phone’ by Catherine Price, and backed up by my own (personal and professional) experience, I came up with 10 tips on how to break up with your phone.

10 places in Europe to visit after the pandemic

Also in February, amidst the third lockdown, I started daydreaming about the places I was longing to go. The realist in me quickly took charge, so I focused my reverie on those places in Europe that I would like to visit (or visit again) once the pandemic would be over.

My 7 (+1) favourite books

On the 4th of March, the World Book Day, unable to visit an actual bookstore, I found solace in my favourite books, re-visiting 7 (+1) of those.

10 Greek islands to visit after the pandemic

Also in March, it was announced that Cyprus would soon allow fully vaccinated British tourists into the country without any restrictions, such as the need for a negative COVID test or quarantine on arrival to the island. Meanwhile, other countries, Greece included, started discussing vaccine passport systems, to facilitate international travel. Fast forward a few months later, not only such mechanisms are now in place, but also most adults in the UK have been vaccinated. It’s a therefore a matter of time before we visit the Greek islands again.

Lagana: the traditional Greek sesame flatbread

The 15th of March was a bank holiday in Greece, known as ‘Kathara Deftera’ (lit. Clean Monday). In the Greek Orthodox liturgical calendar, Kathara Deftera is the start of the Great Lent, and as such, it is the equivalent of Shrove Monday. The day falls on the 7th Monday before the (Orthodox) Easter; it follows the 3 weeks of Carnival celebrations (‘Apokries’). Kite-flying is one of the main Kathara Deftera customs, often accompanied by outdoor dining. The menu consists of seafood, taramasalata (fish roe dip), halva, and lagana, a traditional Greek sesame flatbread, baked only on this day.

Finland tops the World Happiness Report

A few days later, the ninth World Happiness Report was published. Rather unsurprisingly, Finland was once again on the top of the happiness rankings (for a fourth year running).

Samali: a traditional Greek mastic-flavoured cake

The 25th of March is a national holiday in Greece. To celebrate, I baked a samali, a delicious traditional Greek cake, made with semolina (instead of flour), flavoured with ground mastic, and soaked in syrup.

12 (+1) Italian films to watch

The 93rd Academy Awards ceremony, honouring the best films of 2020, took place a month later, on the 25th of April. A few weeks earlier, however, I’d watched the Italian film ‘The Life Ahead’ (‘La vita davanti a sé’) by Edoardo Ponti and starring Sophia Loren. Set in Bari, it is based in the novel ‘The Life Before Us’, which is set in Paris instead. Although the film was not nominated for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film, the song ‘Io sì (Seen)’ written by Diane Warren and performed by Laura Pausini was nominated for (but did not win) the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Inspired by ‘The Life Ahead’, I reflected on some of the many Italian films I had previously watched.

25 French films worth watching

With regards to the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film, the most awarded foreign country is Italy (with 14 Oscars won), while France is the second most awarded one (12 Oscars), as well as the foreign country with the most nominations (37). With the Oscars fast approaching, I took the opportunity to discuss some of my favourite French films.

6 French and Italian crime series to watch

I then discussed some of the French and Italian crime series I’d recently watched.

Best International Feature Film goes to…

Whilst waiting to find out this year’s Oscar winners, I took the opportunity to combine two of my main interests, film/cinema and travelling/geography, and discuss 11 of the films that have been nominated for, or even won, an Oscar for Best International Feature Film in the last 11 years (since 2010, that is).

The best recipe for tsoureki (Greek sweet bread)

In 2021, Greek Orthodox Easter (Pascha in Greek) was celebrated on the 2nd of May, a month later than Easter observances in the Western Church. Although I am not religious, Easter is one of my favourite holidays, a time of the year that’s all about customs, rituals and traditions (some of which are personal that I religiously follow nonetheless). Sadly, once again they were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. To find some solace, I baked a tsoureki, a sweet bread made by Greeks during Easter (as well as all year round).

The best tsoureki I'ever baked (and tasted) — The best tsoureki I’ever baked (and tasted)

10 Finnish & Icelandic TV series to watch

Having binge-eaten my tsoureki, I then binge-watched some Finnish and Icelandic TV series, which I subsequently discussed in this post.

A Cure For Darkness (book review)

Hosted by the Mental Health Foundation, the Mental Health Awareness Week took place from the 10th to the 16th of May 2021. As a Psychiatrist, I simply had to share a post about mental health. Being an avid reader, I shared my thoughts on the recently-published book ‘A Cure for Darkness: The Story of Depression and How We Treat It‘, by Alex Riley.

17 tips for 5 Norwegian cities

On the 17th of May 1814, the Constitution of Norway was signed, declaring the country as an independent kingdom. On the 17th of May 2000, an elderly assassin positioned himself at the Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel in Oslo in an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate Norway’s Crown Prince. Of course, this only happened in Jo Nesbø’s crime novel ‘Rødstrupe’ (‘The Redbreast’). The 17th of May, known as Syttende Mai (Seventeenth May) or Nasjonaldagen (National Day), is a day of national pride and festivities. Across the country, the streets are filled with people of all ages dressed in festive attire and celebrating. Having travelled to Norway many times in the last few years, on the 17th of May this year, I shared my top 17 tips for the 5 Norwegian cities I’d visited.

My favourite Eurovision songs

On the 22nd of May, Italy won the Eurovision Song Contest with the rock song ‘Zitti e buoni’, performed by Måneskin. This was Italy’s third victory in the contest, following their wins in 1964 and 1990. On the same day, I took the opportunity to look back to the last two decades and share my favourite Eurovision songs from 40(ish) participating countries (as well as some interesting facts and trivia).

Marillenkuchen: Austrian Apricot Cake

When I received an invitation to attend a Eurovision party hosted by a friend of mine, I decided to bake an Austrian dessert called marillenkuchen (apricot cake, in German). Not only the cake reminded me of those renowned Viennese coffee-houses, but it also got douze points from everyone at the party.

The G7 summit and 7 places in Cornwall

The G7 Summit took place from the 11th to the 13th of June 2021; it was held in Carbis Bay, a seaside resort and village located in West Cornwall. A few weeks earlier, I had been there myself, so it made perfect sense to subsequently share my tips for a road trip to the westernmost part of the South West Peninsula of the island of Great Britain.

St Ives, a charming seaside town in Cornwall

7 places in the Cotswolds and Gloucestershire

In fact, I had combined that road trip in Cornwall with a visit to the Cotswolds and Gloucestershire. A few weeks, I shared my tips for this beautiful part of England.

Bourton-on-the-Water, a.k.a. "Venice of the Cotswolds” — Bourton-on-the-Water, a.k.a. “Venice of the Cotswolds”

Kardemummakaka: Swedish cardamom cake

In Sweden (as well as in the rest of Scandinavia), Midsummer’s Eve is one of the most important days of the year. The celebrations involve a lot of dancing and of course eating and drinking. This year, it is actually celebrated today, a few days after the summer solstice and the longest day of the year (at least in the Northern Hemisphere). To mark the occasion, last weekend, I baked a moist and aromatic cardamom cake (known as kardemummakaka in Swedish).

Further reading