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9 Italian TV series to watch
I started watching Italian TV series last year, amidst the third (and longest) lockdown. In fact, I published the post ‘6 French and Italian crime series to watch’ in April 2021, a few days after we came out of lockdown. Since then, not only have I watched more Italian TV series, but I’ve also been fortunate to visit Italy. A few months ago, I went on a 10-day trip to Southern Italy. After landing in Bari, the capital and the largest city of Puglia, I visited the inland towns of Alberobello and Locorotondo, as well as the seaside Monopoli and Polignano a Mare. I then visited Matera, a city located…
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A 10-day trip to Puglia (Lecce, Ostuni, Brindisi)
A few months ago, I went on a 10-day trip to South Italy. After landing in Bari, the capital and the largest city of Puglia, I visited the inland towns of Alberobello and Locorotondo, as well as the seaside Monopoli and Polignano a Mare. I then visited Matera, a city located not in Puglia, but in the neighbouring region of Basilicata. After staying there for a couple of days, I took the bus to Lecce and returned to Puglia. Here’s the final part of the itinerary I would recommend, with tips (as always) for where to go, and more importantly where (and what) to eat and drink. Day 6 –…
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Following in the footsteps of James Bond in Matera
Last year, I watched ‘No Time To Die’, the 25th James Bond film. The opening scenes were filmed in Matera, a city located in the Italian region of Basilicata. A few months ago, I visited Italy for the first time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Following in the footsteps of James Bond, I visited Matera, as well as Puglia, the region forming the heel of Italy’s ‘boot’. I stayed there for a total of 10 days, but I wished I had stayed longer to visit even more towns and villages. A few weeks ago, I published the first part of my itinerary (days 1-3). Here’s the second part…
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A 10-day trip to Puglia (part 1)
Italy is one of my favourite countries in Europe. I love the beautiful architecture, the delicious food and the mild Mediterranean climate. I recently visited Puglia, as well as Matera. The former, also known as Apulia, is the region forming the heel of Italy’s ‘boot’, whereas the latter is a city located in the neighbouring region of Basilicata. I stayed there for a total of 10 days, but I wished I had stayed longer to visit even more towns and villages. Although I was tempted to rent a car, I eventually decided not to, so I could enjoy the tasty Apulian wines. Here’s the first part of the itinerary I…
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3 days on the island of Kythnos
It’s been almost a year since I visited the Greek islands of Kea and Kythnos, together with one of my closest friends, Elsa. We first went to Kea (also called Tzia), where we stayed for 3 (and a half) days, before we continued our holidays to Kythnos, where we also stayed for 3 days. First day in Kythnos It was mid-morning when we arrived in Kythnos. As soon as we stepped foot on the island, we headed to the car rental place (a minute walk from where the ferry dropped us off) and soon afterwards were driving towards our hotel. Located in Messaria, the inland capital of the island, Chora Kythnos…
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Trauma: The Invisible Epidemic (book review)
I was recently asked to review the book ‘Trauma: The Invisible Epidemic’, by American psychiatrist Paul Conti. After two years of a pandemic and with the recent monkeypox outbreaks, any mention of the word ‘epidemic’ is going to be quite alarming. But, there’s no reason to panic. This is a different kind of an epidemic – trauma is not a contagious disease, but its consequences can be as (or perhaps) even more devastating than those of Covid 19. Here’s the full review as published on Goodreads and Amazon. Trauma: The Invisible Epidemic, a book review According to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), “a wide range of…
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Where to eat in Dubai (light meal or a feast)
A couple of months ago, I travelled to Dubai together with my friend Jini. We visited our friends Jigna and Ed, who moved to the UAE a couple of years ago. Although my recently published post ‘top 7 tips for a trip to Dubai’ included recommendations on where to eat in Dubai, I think that a separate post is warranted. Where to eat in Dubai (light meal) Cafe Bateel Our friends live at the Dubai Marina, a very pleasant place to walk around, full of cafes and restaurants. I was a regular at Cafe Bateel, which happened to be right next to their apartment. I would usually have a coffee and…
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Top 7 tips for a trip to Dubai
I recently travelled to Dubai together with my friend Jini. We visited our friends Jigna and Ed, who moved there a couple of years ago. This was not only my first ever trip to the UAE (a layover in Abu Dhabi airport excluded), but also my first trip abroad in nearly two years (my trips in England and Greece excluded). Since I can now work from anywhere in the world, I stayed in Dubai for a total of 3 weeks, combing 2 weeks of holidays with 1 week of work. It’s now been 3 weeks since I returned to London, and it’s about time to share my top 7 tips.…
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20 cafes for remote working in Central London
It’s been 2 years since we first went into a national lockdown in the UK. Since then, a lot of things have changed. For instance, many of us no longer have to work from the office. Although working from home has a lot of advantages, it can also be quite isolating. Since some of the restrictions were lifted, I have been spending my afternoons going for a swim, and then working remotely (writing reports and doing admin) from cafes in London. Today, I’d like to share my 20 favourite cafes for remote working in Central London. My 20 favourite cafes for remote working in Central London This list is by…
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A literary trip to Greece with Alex
Happy World Book and Copyright Day! Since I started this blog in June 2018, I have been posting an extra post on this day (‘Aristotle ’s Way: Ancient Wisdom & Happiness’ in 2019, ‘Best London bookstores, tsundoku & bibliotherapy’ in 2020, and ‘My 7 (+1) favourite books’ in 2021). In the meantime, books have inspired many other posts. For example, in June 2022, my friend Deborah sent me a link to the article ’10 of the best novels set in Greece – that will take you there’ which had recently been published in the Guardian. This gave me the inspiration for my post ‘A literary trip to Norway with Alex’.…