Kieran

Wyoming: Pony Express

IN MAY 1860, ‘Pony Bob’ Haslam was riding the Pony Express east from Friday’s Station on the California-Nevada state line (where the resort of Lake Tahoe is today) to Buckland’s Station, 75 miles away in Nevada. At Buckland’s his relief refused to ride because of Indian trouble, so Haslam carried on to Smith’s Creek –Continue reading “Wyoming: Pony Express”

Missouri: The real Jesse James

THEY ARE very nice people in Middle America and tend not to say bad things about anybody. However, try as they might to put a fair spin on it, there’s no getting around the fact that the story of Jesse James, for all the mythology, is a nasty one.

Kiev: Beyond the Orthodox

IT’S the statues. Kiev looks like many a European city while the people in designer clothes, ever so slightly out of London style time, and the shops featuring labels such as Louis Vuitton or Nike could be anywhere. But the statues of heroic people straining their every sinew to serve the Motherland could only beContinue reading “Kiev: Beyond the Orthodox”

Lisbon: Looking out for No.1

AS any Sharpe fan will know, and hopefully most of the rest of us, too, Portugal is Britain’s oldest ally. Visiting Lisbon, I was reminded of the link between the countries by one iconic image: the bright red pillar box. Lisbon’s post boxes are the old British Victorian design, given a local makeover with aContinue reading “Lisbon: Looking out for No.1”

Zanzibar: Ancient ways

ZANZIBAR is one of those names – such as Casablanca or Marrakesh – that conjures up a romantic image of adventure and travel. We’ve all heard of it, though most of us might be hard-put to find it on a map. The Spice Island, to give it one of its titles, is actually two smallContinue reading “Zanzibar: Ancient ways”

Berchtesgaden: A leap of faith

‘HOW MUCH do you weigh?’ asks my instructor. An innocuous question normally but, considering I am just about to launch myself off an alp on a parachute that he has already attached to me, surely one I should have been asked earlier?

Calgary: The Stampede

THE four teams of horses – four thoroughbreds in each team – charge past, the light wagons they are pulling wheel to wheel as they come around the final bend and gallop, nostrils foaming, for the finish line. The drivers lash the reins, straining every muscle to bring their passion to their teams. Behind, another 16Continue reading “Calgary: The Stampede”

Dubrovnik: Historical ties

LIKE many of you, I lament the loss of the cravat. Not quite wearing a tie, not quite a slob, you have the best of both worlds: casual while being elegant. But did you know a tie is a cravat – ‘tie’ merely referring to the fact the cravat is knotted at the collar? AndContinue reading “Dubrovnik: Historical ties”

New Zealand: Coromandel characters

IN 1820, HMS Coromandel, a British Admiralty supply ship moored off a remote peninsular in New Zealand. Its crew had the job of cutting down kauri trees, whose thick trunks and lack of branches made them perfect for ship’s masts and spars. After a year, the ship sailed for England, leaving her name behind forContinue reading “New Zealand: Coromandel characters”

Mendoza: Wine from the Andes

SIT IN ONE of the many quiet squares of Mendoza and you feel a long way from anywhere. Although it’s not the prettiest of towns – there are one or two bustling avenues of anonymous shops, vibrant with identikit Internet cafés, and a few interesting colonial churches and municipal buildings – the land around itContinue reading “Mendoza: Wine from the Andes”