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A literary trip to Norway with Alex
Although lockdown measures are being eased around the world, it will probably take some time for international travel to fully bounce back. In the meantime, a good book can take us to all those places we can’t (or may not yet want to) physically travel to. A few weeks ago, my friend Deborah sent me a link to the article ’10 of the best novels set in Greece – that will take you there’ recently published in the Guardian. This gave me the inspiration for this literary trip to Norway, one of my favorite travel destinations. A literary trip to Norway with Jo Nesbø and Harry Hole Jo Nesbø is…
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The Traveling Psychiatrist turns 2
Two 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 favorite travel destinations. Upon my return to London, I launched the Traveling Psychiatrist, with the very first (introductory) post published on 16 June 2018. Since then, I have been publishing a new post every single week, a total of 112 posts to date, including the one you’re currently reading (on a few special occasions, I published two posts a week, in case you’re wondering why the number doesn’t quite add up). Today, I’d like to reflect on the Traveling Psychiatrist ‘s journey…
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12 Norwegian TV series to watch
Since the beginning of the lockdown, many of us have found solace in binge-watching TV series on Netflix. Being a Scandiphile, I watched all Norwegian TV series I could find on the American network and some other TV and streaming services available in the UK. This was not the first time I watched Scandinavian TV series. In fact, I had been well acquainted with the Danish ‘landmarks’ ‘The Bridge’ (‘Bron/Broen’) (actually a Danish-Swedish co-production), ‘The Killing’ (‘Forbrydelsen’), and ‘Borgen’. Then, a few years ago, I came across more Nordic Noir drama on Channel Four, including two Norwegian TV series that I absolutely loved: ‘Acquitted’ (‘Frikjent’) and Eyewitness (Øyevitne). Almost three months into…
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Healthy cakes & bakes inspired by my travels
Aside from traveling, I also love cooking and baking, and I draw inspiration from my travels. Unable to travel during the lockdown, I have found solace in baking. In fact, over the last couple of months, I have baked dozens of healthy cakes, cupcakes and muffins, cookies and biscuits, and other bakes. As a Psychiatrist, I am a passionate advocate of work-life balance and wellbeing (which includes healthy eating, yoga and meditation), and I try to lead by example. In 2018, I decided to combine these passions of mine into something that I could share with my family and friends across the world. So, I launched the Traveling Psychiatrist, a…
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Bergen International Festival, Music & Silence
Established in 1953, the Bergen International Festival takes place from 20 May to 3 June 2020. Each year, the program includes over 400 events taking place over 15 days in more than 70 venues in and around Bergen. This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most of the events have been canceled, but there are still more than 50 events taking place in empty venues; these events are streamed online for free. They include music, theatre, dance, opera and visual art performances. Last Sunday, I watched the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra performing Edvard Grieg’s A minor Piano Concerto in Grieghallen. Considered the Bergen International Festival signature work, the Piano Concerto in…
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Reflecting on my childhood journey to Thailand
“Club Tropic Karma on the island of Koh Fun, southern Thailand, is a new luxury dive and spa destination owned by British property magnate Rich Long. Eight guests gather in the Beachview bar in the early evening; each has received an anonymous invitation. That morning the body of Bang, the hotel masseur has been found on the beach. She was discovered by hotel staff at 6am, but no alarm was sounded or police called. Two half-finished cocktails were near the body, along with a mysterious symbol drawn in the sand. As the last to leave the bar the previous night, all eight guests are suspects. One is a murderer. At…
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Reflecting on my travels around Europe
The Eurovision Song Contest 2020 final would have taken place tonight in Rotterdam, following the Netherlands’ victory last year with the song ‘Arcade’ performed by Duncan Laurence. Unfortunately, this year’s contest has been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I have to admit that Eurovision is my guilty pleasure and an annual event that I am very excited about and always looking forward to. So, understandably, I was rather disappointed when I learned that it wouldn’t be held this year. To mark the occasion, however, I’ve decided to embark on a mental journey and reflect on my travels around Europe. Having been born and raised in Greece, and being a…
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Traveling to Greece through film & music
The London Greek Film Festival has been taking place every year since 2008. This year, however, the festival will move online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Under normal circumstances, the screenings would have taken place at the Theatro Technis, an independent theatre in Camden, North London. The festival, due from 13 to 16 May 2020, showcases feature, short and documentary films either by Greek film-makers (no matter where they are produced) or simply related to Greece. According to the organizers, the festival showcases ‘films from Greek Origin Individuals and Production Companies from all over the world, or International Individuals and Production Companies from all over the world, with film or…
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A wellbeing journey with Víkingur Ólafsson
I recently watched the Icelandic pianist Víkingur Ólafsson performing live from his new home in Reykjavík. In that video, Víkingur played three pieces by Bach, Rameau and Debussy, but also talked about the power of music to take us on a journey, to transport us to another place, and to stabilize emotional turmoil especially during times of crisis. Unfortunately, that video is no longer available on YouTube, so I’m sharing today other videos with Víkingur Ólafsson on the piano. The power of music to stabilize emotional turmoil during a crisis As both a musicophile and a Psychiatrist, I am in total agreement with Víkingur Ólafsson. In fact, I have previously…
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Celebrating the International Jazz Day
Hello! Today, it is the International Jazz Day. A few years ago, UNESCO designated April 30 as the International Jazz Day to highlight jazz and its diplomatic role of uniting people in all corners of the globe. The inaugural International Jazz Day took place in 2012 in New York, with celebrations also taking place in Paris and New Orleans. Since then, the International Jazz Day is hosted by a different city (and country) each year. Subsequent host cities include Istanbul, Osaka, Paris, Washington DC, Havana, Saint Petersburg and Sydney (together with Melbourne). This year, Cape Town has been designated the Global Host City for the International Jazz Day 2020. Due…