Hello :)

This is an episode I've been meaning to do for about three years, but for mainly logistical reasons, this is the first chance I've had.

The original idea came from the lifestyle podcast Sounds Fake But Okay; whenever they get stuck for content they scour the AITA forums on Reddit, and similar content in other places, to highlight allonormativity and generally go 'NTA, dump him'. I figured I could do the same for this pod, but looking at things more travel-related, ecen if there's less content about that.

However it's not the sort of episode that works well with just one person as it sounds like I'm just being bitter and ranty. So, my friend V was more than happy to help get involved. Even though she's not an ardent traveller. 

Topics discussed in this episode are:
* I'm going to South America
* Running update
* Reclining seats on aeroplanes
* Be nice to your flight crew
* Yes, you do need to stow your designer handbag
* How many photos do you need to take?
* How to take a selfie
* Does travel broaden the mind or narrow the attitude?
* Travel privilege (in brief)
* The trouble with defining how to count countries
* Do travel bloggers need more accurate visas?
* Learned helplessness and weaponised incompetence with travel companions
* Foreign Languages
* The Bermuda Triangle and Public Information Films
* Is 22 too old, or too young, to backpack Europe?

A PDF transcript of this podcast is available, largely due to the wonders of open-source AI which saved me several hours of transcription work.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

There are no contributions in this episode, however here's the articles we discussed (assuming they're still up):
* Couple banned from Cathay Pacific after seat reclining incident
* Passenger evicted from flight following row over handbag
* What's the appropriate number of photos to take on a trip?
* Traveling the world makes people assholes
* Learned Helplessness of my travel companions
* Is the Bermuda Triangle still A Thing
* Is 22 too old to backpack Europe

In addition, I ought to link to:
* The Sounds Fake But Okay Podcast
* Victoria Pearson's Website

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

I often say "Everywhere Is Interesting", but what do I mean when I say that? What makes a place 'interesting'? Or rather, given any random place in the world, what can make you 'key in' to that location over and above any other? Of course, this could be very personal, or at least subjective, so when I say 'Everywhere Is Interesting', what I mean is that there is something everywhere, in every place, that someone is going to have a connection to, or is related to a hobby or interest that someone has.

Topics discussed in this episode are:
* Why I was too busy to release this episode on time
* A refresher about Hometown Travel
* Travel for hobbies and interests
* Vicarious travel through music lyrics
* Every song and TV series is set somewhere
* Travel to film and video locations
* Overtourism

A PDF transcript of this podcast is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Contributions in this episode come from:
* Amanda, who has a website at Not A Ballerina,
* Claire, who blogs at Curious Claire, and
* Rebecca, who can be found at Almost Ginger

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

Of course it’s the New Year, and as such, the travel world is plastered with lists of ‘where to go in 2024’, ‘best places to visit in 2024’, and the like. Now, I have to say I’ve never been terribly fond of these sorts of things on a fundamental level for a number of reasons. I mean, sure they provide a good quick way of inspiring people, especially people who are relatively new to travel, but sometimes I feel that they tend to be quite … well, have a listen and see if you agree with me.

Topics discussed in this episode are:
* Back to Glasgow for re-coloured hair
* My eyes are getting old
* Time Out's "The World’s Best Cities For 2024"
* Great Cities are Big and Western
* Forbes' "Where To Travel And Avoid The Crowds In 2024"
* What does 'lesser-visited' even mean?
* British Vogue's "Best Places To Travel in 2024"
* National Geographic's "The Cool List 2024" - https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/uk-cool-list-2024
* CNN's "Best Destinations To Visit in 2024" - https://edition.cnn.com/travel/best-destinations-to-visit-2024/index.html 
* Conclusions

A PDF transcript of this podcast is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

There are no contributions in this pod, it's just my voice.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

The first "Special Episode" of my podcast, where I read one of my travel-related fiction short stories, based on the topic of "Inheritance".

Sexuality is a broad spectrum, but not every country in the world appreciates or accepts this. In this episode I talk about my own sexuality (or indeed, lack of it), and how it affects me when I travel. You'll also hear from a few other people on their experiences on travelling as an alternative sexuality.

Exploring "The Great Outdoors" is a wonderful experience for me, especially hiking through the countryside. In this episode I'll discuss what it means to me, and how "Saying Yes More" to my inner feelings has inspired me to take on a pretty intense hiking challenge.

While on my recent trip around the Southern Hemisphere, I spent almost four weeks travelling around the islands of Vanuatu. It's not a country that many people outside Oceania know much about, so I wanted to give an overview and flavour of the country and relate my experiences there. It's definitely a country 'beyond the brochure'.

I've just had an 11-week trip around Oceania & Sri Lanka, and arriving back in the UK has sent my mood a little low. I guess it's a form of Reverse Culture Shock, where being back in your everyday life comes as a jarring jolt after being used to the travel lifestyle. I've used my pod this week to talk about these feelings, how they affect me, and what I'm doing to mitigate them. Timely, perhaps, for #WorldMentalHealthDay.

Many travellers talk about having a "Bucket List", a list of places to see and things to do before they die. In this pod I talk a bit about the concept, then go into some details about my version - the 'anti-bucket list' of places I actively don't see myself visiting. I must stress this is my own opinion, and of course your mileage will vary.

"Everywhere is Interesting": a mantra that makes you take a different look at the places you visit, making even those areas close to your home that you may not have given a second thought ripe for exploration and discovery. In this pod I encourage you to step outside your house and see what's around your local town, and do the same myself, giving you some information about the places I live near.

Ever wondered about the meaning and concept behind my name of "The Barefoot Backpacker"? In this pod I go into detail about why I'll often travel barefoot, how it feels, why it doesn't hurt as much as you'd imagine (even while taking the roads less travelled), and admit why I don't do it all the time. Note this is the very first podcast I've recorded. Included too is an introduction to who I am and my background of travel, plus a small overview of the city of Vilnius, in Lithuania.

Hello :)

And so to the second part of 'let's make a podcast that's going to cause more unfollowers than followers'. Mind you, let's be honest, I've had several podcast episodes like that, and nothing untoward has happened. Maybe I should be more controversial. There again.

I wasn't originally sure what to do for this episode. I toyed with the idea of doing one on 'ancient and mediaeval Travel Bloggers you need to know about', but I realised it would require far too much research in the time I had available. However using the very first one, Hanno The Navigator, as a 'hook', I realised I could go down a very different path, which combines history, Instagram, and ethical behaviour, but not in the way you might expect.

Topics discussed in this episode are:
* A very brief housekeeping update
* The voyage of Hanno The Navigator
* Issues with the surviving account of Hanno's voyage
* Why everyone should take more selfies
* The South Sea Bubble
* History is elitist and biased
* Why editing photographs isn't that bad really
* Hanoi's Train Street
* Geotagging and the problem of lost cities
* Recording the mundane, from pencil sharpeners to Friendship Books
* Viking helmets don't have horns

A PDF transcript of this podcast is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

There are no contributions in this pod, it's just my voice.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

Well, you may be pleased to know I survived my trip to SE Asia. But it was a close-run thing as you'll hear at the start of this episode.

Anyway. It's Christmas. I should do a pod about this time of year. And this is one I've cobbled together at the last possible moment. I think I might well whine a bit more than usual in it. But it's fine; this isn't my time of year by definition.

Topics discussed in this episode are:
* The most 8 minutes I've ever had on a plane
* My Christmas is low-key
* 100 Countries by Age 50
* American Christmas Music Radio
* Whamageddon!
* Christmas trees
* Australia at Christmas
* Christmas markets I have seen and drank at
* Family Christmasses growing up
* Pantomimes
* New Year traditions

A PDF transcript of this podcast is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Contributions in this pod come from my friend Anne-Laure, who can be found on Instagram; my mother, who doesn't have a web presence of any note; and Amanda Kendle, of the Not A Ballerina website.
Also, the Deck of Many Aces podcast can be found wherever you listen to podcasts, but they're hosted here by Acast.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

As I'm currently away on a backpacking trip around South-East Asia, it makes sense to issue a podcast episode about the previous time I went to this part of the world (mainland, anyway, not the many islands off the coast) - back in 2012 to Laos and Cambodia. This episode is specifically about the Laos part of the trip; the subsequent Cambodian adventure will be my featured in next podcast.

A PDF transcript of this podcast will be available when I return, for ... admin reasons.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

I've been meaning to do a pod specifically about running for a while; it's something that I mention quite often in my housekeeping and I've also tangentially talked about it in smaller sections on pods covering a wider remit. As such, some of what I'll talk about you'll have heard before, but I felt it was the right time to cover this topic again now.

Topics discussed include:
* My purple hair
* All the ways I've been social this month
* Cross-Country running at my secondary school
* Why I rarely run when travelling
* Meeting up with other runners on the move
* Running clothing and shoes in luggage
* Travelling the world for marathons
* A first foreign marathon experience
* An overview of Parkrun
* Parkrun Tourism in several forms

A PDF transcript of this podcast is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Contribs for this episode came from:
Steven Ericson - Steven on the Move 
Steve Biggs - Biggsytravels
Alice (TrafficConeLlama)

Here is the blog post Steve Biggs mentioned where he talked to his father about marathons. 

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

Well, this is an unusual episode in several ways, but the main one is the relative lack of personal updates and housekeeping. If you want to know what I’ve been up to this past month, now would be a great time to sign up to my monthly Newsletter, deets below!

Now, I’m aware I don’t talk about my background or my family much, save for the occasional regular subtweet to my my mother. But anyway. A couple of years after I was born, my mother re-married. And Gary, the chap she married, had an interesting job – he was a refrigeration engineer in the Merchant Navy. While he’s long since left that role (he had some twenty-five years since doing the same role for a large supermarket chain specialising in frozen foods), this was how I first knew him, and thus may have been a childhood influence on my travels.

And it occurred to me, after I’d done a few of my podcasts, that it would make an interesting episode – it’s travel-related, it’s a historic snapshot of a life that’s very different now, and above all, it’s not something I think many of you would necessarily know about. I certainly didn’t know a lot about it growing up, and as you’ll hear, there’s probably some reasons for that. So a couple of years ago I went to visit, took my laptop and microphone, and set about interviewing him all about his life and his adventures. The full 2hr 11min interview is available on my Patreon, along with some images of the ships he served on.

Note he has a strong accent and a slightly fluid way of speaking. This did not help the transcription.

Topics discussed include:
* What is the Merchant Navy and why he joined
* Seasickness and bad weather
* What problems could occur en route
* How big the ships he served on were, and how they were structured
* What the working life was life, and who he served with
* Food and drink on board
* How he'd pass the time on long journeys
* Shore leave and visiting off-brochure places
* The Merchant Navy now

A PDF transcript of this podcast is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

Well, that was an unexpectedly long break. To be honest I wasn't planning it but I did kind of need it. But just in case you needed confirmation: Everything Has Been All Right. So far at least.

Anyway, this episode is a short one, just in part to let you know I'm still alive, partly to give you an indication of what to look forward to in the new series of episodes, for a given definition of series, and mainly to give you a housekeeping life update. There's also a call-to-action for future episodes. Normal service will be resumed next time. For a given definition of normal. 

A PDF transcript of this podcast is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

So, why did I call this episode 'everything is going to be all right'? Well, it's a mantra I've been repeating to myself quite a lot over the past month or so. If I say it enough, I might actually believe it.

In this episode I talk about my feelings about moving to Manchester, and why while I was initially emotional about the move, I quickly realised why it will go all rather well. I also talk a little about my issues with my phone, which is why I've been quiet online of late, then about the journey from Carstairs to Lockerbie, and finally a section about recent news stories that will make you feel that everything is going to be all right.

A PDF transcript will be available shortly.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello!

Yep, I've created a podcast with the help of AI, in this case specifically ChatGPT. Now, the first question you might ask is of me is why, given my skill with words, my unique and distinct voice, both literal and metaphoric, and a preference for real stories and experiences over auto-generated ones, am I dabbling with AI? Well, the answer is manyfold, as you'll find out.

What I look at here is how useful AI would be in creating content, assessing how good the information it provides is, and wondering whether it's something we should be embracing or something we need to be fearful of.

Topics covered on this podcast include:
* I'm leaving Glasgow (soon)
* My expectations and understanding of AI
* Getting AI to come up with a list of questions to ask on a podcast about remote places
* Getting AI to answer said list of questions
* Assessing the viability of AI's answers
* ChatGPT finds cute cafes in Glasgow
* How AI would explore its hometown
* What AI thinks about hiking barefoot
* Travelling as a non-binary person seems to be at the edge of its knowledge
* A Listicle about Solo Travel
* ChatGPT and beer
* Conclusions, usefulness, limitations, and things to be aware of

There are no contributions in this episode, unless you count ChatGPT itself. Voices for ChatGPT were provided by free online text-to-speech websites, by the way, and I tried to mix them up a bit.

A PDF transcript of this episode is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

So, despite recently moving out of Salford, I felt it was an interesting enough place to do a podcast about. Partly because 'Everywhere is Interesting' and my VA wanted me to prove it. And what could be more interesting than the location of the world's first municipal public park, the world's first bus route, the world's first street lighting, and the world's only canal swing bridge. And the UK's most polluted river, but let's not talk about that, and anyway the other half of it is in Manchester.

Topics discussed in this episode are:
* Running along country lanes
* A potted history of the Salford area
* Salford Central ... isn't
* Salford Quays - the posh bit
* Canals and Rivers and Bridges and Hotels
* Old and Listed Buildings
* Peel Park
* Vimto
* A short overview of Salford Pop-Culture from The Smiths to Coronation Street
* Salford Firsts

A PDF transcript of this podcast is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over. For this pod I've uploaded about 9 mins of extra content all about Salford's pubs, which I thought would make the episode too long for no real advantage, but which I might use in a future episode. Who knows!

There are no contributions in this episode, although my VA does purposely misrhythm a song lyric at the beginning.

Here, by the way, is my YouTube Short about Salford Lad's Club.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello!

This podcast episode is all about Chernobyl. It's an episode I've had pencilled in to do for quite some time, if in part because I went there in 2014, and never wrote anything about my visit at the time so I felt I ought to, you know, get round to it at some point. I even mentioned this in a podcast I did last year, Back In The USSR. Didn't do it then either, because, and I quote, "I think if I did it would make the pod much longer than I'd intended. In any case it probably deserves its own discussion." I guess this is that discussion.

Topics covered on this podcast include:
* I'm leaving Glasgow
* The dead railway station at IBM Halt
* A brief history of the 1986 explosion at Chernobyl
* What I was doing in 1986
* Why I wanted to visit (and why I wasn't barefoot)
* Visit to the Power Plant
* Walking through the ruined town of Pripyat
* Health and Safety in a Nuclear Fallout Zone
* The Duga-1 Radar Array and the Russian Woodpecker
* Chernobyl City and the people who stayed

Contributions in this episode come from: Helen Matthews, Jane Spurin, and Jess Harling

A PDF transcript of this episode is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello!

As you know, I'm always touting the idea of Hometown Travel, and exploring places close to home. Remember, people travel across the world to visit other cities but other people travel across the world to visit yours. Everywhere is interesting, And of course many people might not be able to visit places far away, but still want to enjoy the experience of travel and discovering somewhere new.

I've been living in Glasgow for two years, and I've walked round a lot of it, using the many railway stations as waypoints, It seems logical therefore to talk about some of the things close to where I currently live, and there's a convenient railway line that loops around my local area to follow. This is the Cathcart Circle, and I figured each of the ten stations on it has enough to fill a podcast. Indeed, a few could probably manage a podcast on their own, but I am not the Roundel Round We Go Podcast and I'd argue there's less call for an entire pod on the Glasgow suburban rail network than the London Underground.

But what do I know?

Topics covered on this podcast include:
* Google Analytics 4
* My future on Twitter
* Introduction to the Cathcart Circle
* Pollokshields East - theatre, gardens, and Sikhs
* Queen's Park - clue's in the name
* Crosshill - dead football stadiums
* Mount Florida - alive football stadiums
* Cathcart - parks, bridges, waterfalls, country houses
* Langside - Instagrammable houses and a very short battle
* Pollokshaws East - old buildings and benevolent Tories
* Shawlands - Pollok Country Park
* Maxwell Park - expensive villas and international cricket
* Pollokshields West - tenement housing and community spirit
* Crossmyloof - a free gift, and a building that moved

There are no contributions in this episode, but I am thankful to Scotrail, the organisation that runs the railways in Scotland, for putting all their recorded station announcements into the public domain last year. I may, may, have taken liberties with it.

A PDF transcript of this episode is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello!

As you know, I am The Barefoot Backpacker. My tendency is to go backpacking around lesser-visited spots around the world, independently, and usually solo, staying in hostels, airBnBs, and Premier Inns. I tend to move around from place to place a lot rather than spending too long in the same destination, and I generally book my onward journeys on-the-fly rather than having things booked in advance. The idea of being in a place for several days and not 'need' to worry about things like food or travel is not one I'm used to. I seek out craft beer bars and street food, and generally steer clear of other Brits travelling abroad for sun, sea, sand, sangria, and sex. And of course my only reference point for all-inclusive holidays has tended to be what I've seen on TV and in the media.

In short, I'm the least likely person to end up in an all-inclusive resort on the beaches of Cyprus for four nights.

However, life is often about getting out of your comfort zone, And, in a sense, given that this sort of trip isn't really what you'd expect from someone like me, doing it was exactly the point.

[Full disclosure - it was a blogger press trip gifted by Jet2Holidays. Which, given the above, and given how well y'all know me, probably in truth raises more questions than it gives answers.]

Topics discussed in this episode are:
* Walking in the Glasgow hinterlands
* Being tipsy in Manchester
* How I ended up going to an all-inclusive resort
* The ease of getting to and from the resort
* What the different tariffs offer
* Food and drink, buffets and specialist restaurants
* Our room
* All-Inclusive resorts and the local area
* An afternoon in the spa, including being steamed to perfection
* Having my back waxed
* Visiting an all-inclusive resort as an aroace non-binary person
* Not being part of a long-term couple at an adults-only resort
* Would I go again?

A PDF transcript of this episode is available, except for a seven-minute conversation with Laura towards the end.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Contributions in this pod come from:
Amanda (Thoughtful Travel Pod),
Ruth (Extreme Holidays Pod),
Kylie (Between England And Everywhere), and
Laura (my well-referred-to friend)

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello!

I've had a bit of a residual cold-type bug this week and I've been feeling quite fatigued (but apparently it wasn't covid), so I'm a few days later than planned with this episode. In addition, I had trouble getting time writing it so I persuaded V to chat with me about it in our old Twitter Space format. Which isn't ideal but does at least still seem to work.

It's about my recent trip to Lake Como and Milan in Italy, looking at how it felt to travel to a place that had never been really on my radar much. Although it had been on Laura's radar, which is why we went. I talk about the scenery, the food, the weather, and that despite its reputation, we didn't see anyone famous in Bellagio.

Topics discussed in this episode are:
* Let's start in Redbridge
* Why did we go to Italy? [Spoiler - Laura's idea]
* The benefits of rebooking a cancelled return flight
* Illness caused by Stansted Airport
* My expectations of Lake Como
* Where we stayed in Lake Como and Milan
* Getting around Lake Como (bus, train, and mainly ferry)
* How it felt to eat Italian food in Italy
* ... and random West African food
* The weather - including some great thunderstorms
* Travels with my still-injured leg
* Why did you visit Bergamo?
* And why did you visit Milan?
* Why I wore a skirt in Milan Cathedral
* Would I go to Lake Como again?
* Could you visit as a disabled traveller?
* Youtube Shorts videos are scheduled in the next few days

A PDF transcript of this episode is not yet available, because it requires me transcribing it and I don't have the spoons for that yet. I'll update when I do.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

As a reminder, V's website can be found here.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello!

I recently had a week and a half in Malta. This was for two reasons; firstly, my friend Laura wanted to get away for the Easter Weekend, because she believed it would be infinitely better than staying at home, and she'd never been to Malta. Secondly, the weekend after, there was a video content creation conference run by Traverse and I figured if I was going to be there anyway, I might as well pop along.

I'd been to Malta before, back in January 2017, and I'd always meant to do some blogs about my visit - indeed at the time I did some microblogging on Instagram - but I never got round to doing fuller posts. Once I knew I was going again, it made perfect sense to plan a podcast episode that merged together both trips.

Topics discussed in this episode are:
* Further leg updates
* Flight issues
* The Traverse KeyFrame Conference
* Expectations of Malta
* Ancient temples
* Gozo's Citadella
* A brief history of Malta
* All Along The Watchtowers
* Fort St Angelo
* World War Two
* Dingli Cliffs and Dwejra Bay
* The Salt Pans of Marsalforn
* Maltese beaches
* "A European Israel"
* Traffic and problems being a pedestrian
* The quiet backstreets
* The old town of Mdina
* Marsaxlokk
* The Co-Cathedrals of Malta
* A very small Cristo Redentor
* Maltese craft beer and wine
* Italian-esque food
* A watery irn-bru
* The Maltese Bus service
* Ferries across the harbour and beyond
* People
* The Maltese Football Premier League

A PDF transcript of this episode is available.

Here's a link to the Extreme Holidays Podcast I appeared on, that I mention in the episode.

Contributions in this episode come from:
Steph (A Nomad's Passport), and
Richard (Imkeepsake)

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello!

I've wanted to do an episode on Street Art for a while, as it's a subject that's always appealed to me. I'll often see if there's a street art tour in a place I'll be travelling to, and I'm always veering off down side-alleys in search of it when I'm walking through a city. As a result, this episode is my longest yet.

Topics discussed in this episode are:
* Leg Update and other housekeeping
* A brief history of street art
* What counts as street art
* Why do people like street art
* The art industry sucks
* Community and Belonging
* Street art in Brussels
* The Stockholm Metro
* Glasgow's Mural Trail and the SWG3 community
* Street art tours
* Wall murals in Palestine and Berlin
* Street art in Chile
* Council-funded public art projects around the world
* Examples of unusual public art
* Public art in Brussels
* Yarn-bombing
* The famous Glasgow traffic cone

Links to people mentioned in the episode (and IG accounts of street artists):
Amanda Kendle's podcast on street art
SWG3's website 
Instagram accounts of some street artists include:
Inti
Rogue One 
Cuibi
Creaturi Dragute 
Epod 
Morf 
Smug

Contributions in this episode are from:
Sarah Irving - The Urban Wanderer
Amanda Kendle - Not a Ballerina
Kate-Frankie Brennan - This Could Lead To Anywhere
Momtaz Begum-Hossain - Hello Colour
and my friend Adam who has no real internet presence

A PDF transcript of this episode is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello!

In my last couple of episodes, I spoke at length about my adventures with Inter-Railing, firstly about the trip I did back in 2000, and then a quick overview of where I went in the 2019 trip. In this episode though, I talk a bit more in general about travelling Europe, mainly by train, as a concept, including accommodation, food & drink, budgeting (kind of), and travelling as an older backpacker.

Topics discussed in this episode are:
* Recent forays onto YouTube
* Travelling by train across Europe, including overnight
* Why I went for a full Inter-Rail adventure in 2019
* Staying in hostels and AirBnBs
* European beer
* Restaurants we have visited and liked
* Things that went wrong for me on my trips
* Things that went wrong for Lix on our trip
* Backpacking as an older person
* How I don't budget for my travels
* Apparently I'm okay to travel with

The Humans of the Trail podcast episode I appeared on is here.

A PDF transcript of this episode is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Contributions in this podcast come from:
* Matthew Woodward (On The Rails)
* Amanda Kendle (Not A Ballerina)
* Lix Hewett - who has no website yet

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello!

So, if you recall, my last proper episode was all about my Inter-Rail trip in 2000, and how times and events had changed. I want to spend this episode talking a bit about my follow-up Inter-Rail trip in 2019, which was very different in scope, duration, and overall vibe. It's actually going to cover two podcasts as it appears travelling around Europe for two months means there's a lot to say, plus it gives more time for some contributions to come in.

This episode looks at some of the places I went to, with themes such as border crossings, old places, small countries, and seaside adventures.

Topics discussed in this episode are:
* How I'm still injured from Parkrun
* ADHD Update
* Websites I have contributed to recently
* Other people's 1980s Inter-Rail adventures
* My odd 2019 routing
* Crossing borders past and present
* European Microstates I have visited and been indifferent to
* A couple of sporting events
* Wearing shoes at the end of the universe
* Channeling my inner Asterix
* Lots of Romans and post-Romans
* Very wet seaside adventures. And dragons
* Sun, sea, sand, and (not) snogging

Contributions in this episode came from:
* Alison in Andalucia
* Matthew Woodward - On The Rails

Links to the other websites I mentioned at the start of the pod:
* Caledonia Kelly Interview
* Happy Little Traveler

A PDF transcript of this episode is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

This is the recording of the twelfth edition of my not-at-all regular Twitter Space sessions; the reason for their irregularity is finding a convenient time to record it.

Our topic this time is 'sports and fitness', or at least that was the original concept. It seems to have ended up being a third 'running parkruns barefoot', a third 'I'm no good at sports', and a third 'this is everything I've watched abroad'. We don't seem to have talked about fitness much.

Usual disclaimer, be aware this conversation took place over the phone and is then recorded directly from playback on Twitter, through my sound editing software, Audacity. I'm not sure why, but this edition seems to be a little worse quality than normal. This may be the last of our Twitter Spaces recordings actually - we're working on finding an alternative due to Twitter itself being a tad unstable but we haven't come to a conclusion yet. Certainly it's the last one we've done so for the moment my podcasts will go back to being purely fortnightly as opposed to having these extracts in alternate weeks.

Topics discussed include:
* Editing out hesitations in speech
* Does it hurt to run barefoot?
* Early experiences in running as a teenager
* Introduction to the concept of Parkrun
* Parkrun makes me accountable
* Running Parkruns barefoot
* Why I've never done a Parkrun (or running in general) on my travels
* Fitness at high temperatures and altitudes
* I'm not very good at sports other than running
* Sports I failed to do at school
* Watching people running is very boring
* Growing up with sports in the background
* Events and games I've been to in the UK
* Low-key European football matches
* Incidences in top-flight Italian football
* Other sports I've seen abroad (here's my podcast about Belarus)
* Buzkashi
* The future of our Twitter Spaces

I was interviewed by the lovely Victoria, but you can call her V.

A PDF transcript of this episode will be available later.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. You can also sign up to my newsletter and find out about future podcasts and recent blog posts.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello!

As a traveller, trains are by far my favourite form of transport. I find them comfortable, I like that I can just get up and walk around if I want to, I get a decent amount of legroom, and I can spend my time looking out the window at the passing scenery, which is invariably far more interesting than what the view out of a plane window. It's also the only form of transport I can sleep on in my seat, never mind the trains I've taken in the ex-Soviet states with flat bunk beds.

It's probably no suprise to learn then that one of my first travel adventures was very much centred on train travel. Back in 2000, me and my then fiancée Laure (originally a penpal of mine from France) did a trip using an inter-rail ticket around Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. This episode takes an overview of this trip, but also contrasting how travel blogging, the way I travel personally, and travel itself, has changed over the decades since.

Topics discussed in this episode are:
* How I'm still injured from Parkrun
* Background to our InterRail trip in the year 2000
* The ongoing issue of booking reservations for Spanish trains
* Why is it so difficult to travel to Santiago de Compostela on Easter Sunday? Ah ...
* Watching foreign television
* Do Your Research Part 2: Revolution
* ... I can tell you about the food but not about anything else!
* It's not a scam, it just feels like it (twice)
* Travels 'Beyond The Brochure' even in 2000
* Western stereotyping
* The malefits and malefits of film cameras
* Online mapping is a very useful tool
* Gosh! A museum!
* It's amazing how much we didn't do; a very fast form of slow travel
* Dial-up internet and a lack of useful websites

A PDF transcript of this episode is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

Given recent big concert tours, it feels like the right time to do an episode on 'travelling for music'. It's a subject I didn't think I'd have a lot to say about, given I don't often go to concerts even locally, never mind for travels, but the more I thought about it, the more interesting comparisons and contrasts I could find between my trips.

Topics discussed in this episode are:
* My first concert (Heavenly, 1992)
* The first concert I travelled for (Bon Jovi, 1995)
* Travelling to Paris to listen to French singers ...
* ... three times
* You Look Like Taylor Swift
* Other ways of travelling for music
[This latter point will be expanded and the episode re-uploaded once I get a further contribution]

A PDF transcript of this podcast is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Contributions in this episode come from:
* my old schoolfriend Alistair,
* Claire, who blogs at Curious Claire, and
* Juliet, who can be found at I Am A Polar Bear

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

This is the recording of the eleventh edition of my semi-regular Twitter Space sessions.

Following on from the previous Space, about Manners & Customs, it made sense to go over a bit of old ground and do a recording specifically on 'barefoot life. Because it's one of those subjects that it's kind of hard to get away from, given, you know, my online brand name, and my apparent hippy vibes. I'm aware that while the recording took place in early Autumn, I'm issuing it as a podcast in mid-Winter which for many of you ... is not barefoot-friendly weather. Still, you can imagine. Like the holiday-based TV programmes I watched as a kid; winter broadcasts for summer planning. I should have added some airy summer music in the background.

Usual disclaimer, be aware this conversation took place over the phone and is then recorded directly from playback on Twitter, through my sound editing software, Audacity. I'm fully aware the amount of hestiations, uhms, errs, and ahhs, we do, and the best way of editing them out seems to be not to do them in the first place. Am working on that. But it definitely shows how different I am in a live environment than a pre-recorded, scripted one. Not sure how that works with any potential career in radio I may want.

Topics discussed include:
* Why I don't like shoes
* Places I'm not barefoot - gravel, wild environments, etc
* How I judge if a place needs footwear or not
* The differences between walking and running, barefoot and shoes
* Going barefoot in different weather & climates
* Why I don't like mud, have to check Parkrun courses, but do like pavement
* The infrequency of blisters and the gradual hardening of my feet
* How it's easier to clean feet than shoes
* Why I've never noticed ringworm
* Twitter's most famous toenails
* Foot 'bling' and nail varnish
* Crocheted 'barefoot sandals' add +5 to Stealth Checks
* People don't notice other people on the street
* Hairy toes are icky
* How I handle the inevitable online foot fetishists
* The difference in cultural attitude between barefoot men and barefoot women
* Hiking barefoot, and coping with hills
* The problems with barefooting in the Autumn
* How to run barefoot
* Advice for people who want to try it more often

I was interviewed by the lovely Victoria, but you can call her V.

A PDF transcript of this episode will be available later.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. You can also sign up to my newsletter and find out about future podcasts and recent blog posts.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello!

Okay, let's start with a controversial statement: Everything you know about Detroit is wrong. Nothing like setting your stall out from the off, I guess. Well, not everything, but probably your first impression is. Certainly a couple of people I spoke to in Toronto were … somewhat confused when I mentioned I was off there, as if to say 'why would you want to go there', 'it's not safe', and, 'well, rather you than me'. But that's exactly why I visit some places, to prove to the world that they're worth visiting. And Detroit is one of the biggest cities in the USA so there must be something to pull you in, right?

In this pod I talk about the visits I've made there, the places I've seen in the city, a bit about its history, and consider what makes Detroit not just one of the most underrated cities in the world but also one of the most important. This is why you need to visit, and see for yourself.

Topics discussed in this episode are:
* How I injured myself at Parkrun
* Future directions of my online persona
* Initial impressions of Detroit
* The world's tallest (disused) railway station
* Riding the People Mover around the downtown buildings
* The Henry Ford Museum & assassinated presidents
* The lndustrial legacies
* ... but it could all have been so different (Whither Canada)
* The riot of July 1967
* Slavery and African-American influences
* Tamla/Motown
* Dearborn and Arab-American influences
* Detroit Zoo and Royal Oak
* It's even a UNESCO city

A contribution for this pod came from my friend Dayna, who I'd link to if ... she had anywhere online I *could* link to. :D

A PDF transcript of this episode is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

This is the recording of the tenth edition of my semi-regular Twitter Space sessions.

This was recorded back in August, as you can probably tell from the conversation at the start about the weather. We had a chat, a longer chat than usual, about Manners and Customs at home and across the world, a topic V originally suggested because of my preference for being barefoot much of the time. In general though, you can probably tell that while I like to think I do the right thing most of the time, even I baulk at some of the minutiae of customs and might be seen as a 'bad tourist'. Who knew?!

Usual disclaimer, be aware this conversation took place over the phone and is then recorded directly from playback on Twitter, through my sound editing software, Audacity. One of the down sides of Twitter Spaces is that you can't record them on a computer - you can only use the app on the phone. This means I can't use my headphones etc, and you get to hear every time I click the mouse. We're looking into alternative ways of doing these recordings.

Topics discussed include:
* The customs of being barefoot at home and in public places
* Researching local manners and customs before you go
* Local customs - seeing what the locals do
* The advantages of being obviously a foreigner
* Being slightly more conservative than you feel, when in a new place
* Dress Codes and gendered clothing
* "If you wouldn't do it at home, don't do it abroad"
* Being a representative of your country and culture when you're abroad carries responsbilities
* If you don't like a culture, don't go
* Tipping and Haggling
* The culture of hospitality and receiving strangers
* Visiting places as a tourist during religious holidays
* Cutlery customs, including chopsticks, especially with dyspraxia, and eating with your hands
* Toilet customs and when you *should* use your left hand
* What happens if you get things wrong? Apologising in a foreign language
* Rude gestures and finger counting
* Boundaries and taking part in closed cultural or religious practices
* Queer presentation and travelling as enby, including locally
* Off-limit topics, including religion, politics, and football

I was interviewed by the lovely Victoria, but you can call her V.

A PDF transcript of this episode will be available later.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. You can also sign up to my newsletter and find out about future podcasts and recent blog posts.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello!

As some of you know, I spent four days in early January 2023 on Jury Service. Now, I don't know how many of you listening have ever been called, and in any case some of the concepts seem to work differently depending on legal jurisdiction, so I thought it might be interesting to talk about some of that on this podcast. Plus it beats me nattering about Reddit or something. I don't know.

Although I don't talk too specifically about the case, I'd like to be open about potential content warnings about crime and victims, but I talk more about that in the podcast itself. The bit to avoid is between about 27:50 and 33:55. Otherwise, grab some biscuits and pretend you're listening to Law & Order: Special Brew Unit.

Topics discussed in this episode are:
* New Year, new Google Analytics
* Housekeeping - future trips, future pods, future YouTubes
* Why I'm not cut out for yoga
* How you get selected for Jury Service
* No you can't do Jury Service barefoot
* Everything's a surprise until you get there
* The purpose of a jury
* What is evidence and what is not evidence
* The layout of the courtroom and who's who in it
* The expected course of a trial
* How a jury reaches its verdict
* Very brief points about my trial
* How I felt afterwards, including acute loneliness

A PDF transcript of this episode is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

This is the recording of the ninth edition of my semi-regular Twitter Space sessions.

This was recorded back in July but I've only just got round to issuing it as a podcast episode. We had a long chat about hometown travel: how you can and why you should. And while it helps to have a sizeable hometown, something interesting can be found in even the smallest village.

Usual disclaimer, be aware this conversation took place over the phone and is then recorded directly from playback on Twitter, through my sound editing software, Audacity. Which I realised the other day is the digital equivalent of taping a song off the radio; very definitely quite old-school. At least I'm not using a physical tape recorder for this.

Topics discussed include:
* Why would you travel in your home town?
* What do you on holiday? Why not just do that close to home?
* Some people go on holiday to the place where you live
* Looking at things as if it were the first time
* I've always walked down roads just to see where they go
* How I use railway stations as waypoints
* Things to look out for when you step out your door
* Libraries and Tourist Information Offices help for inspiration
* Interesting things are often relative and subjective
* Sometimes even locals don't know what's in a town
* How to plan a trip around your hometown
* The practical advantages of being able to use your home as base
* Living in a place gives you time to thoroughly explore it
* How hometown travel can be a cheap trip
* Reasons why Milton Keynes (a large town) is interesting
* Reasons why Kirkby-in-Ashfield (a small town) is interesting
* How to eat like a local, when most locals eat at home. Or the takeaway
* Always look out for local specialities
* The Rhubarb Triangle, for all your forced rhubarb needs
* What to pack for a trip around your hometown
* How not to get lost while wandering your hometown
* Concrete cows and traffic cones
* Being interviewed by travel.radio

I was interviewed by the lovely Victoria, but you can call her V.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. You can also sign up to my newsletter and find out about future podcasts and recent blog posts.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello!

Some while ago, I did a pod on beer around the world. Having just come back from a PressTrip to Plsen in Czechia, where I was paid to drink beer, I figured it was the right time to do another on the subject, but this time looking at beer in general. About different beer styles. About where my interest came from. And about quirky experiences and unusual beers I've had in my life around and about.

So, why don't you settle down, open a beer (I will accept non-alcoholic ones though curiously I've never found a non-alcoholic beer I've liked. The last one was some German beer that tasted and smelt of feet that had gone off. And I'm not into that kind of thing), kick back, and listen to tales of ales.

Topics discussed in this episode are:
* The troubles of not having a bank card
* Being social
* How I discovered a liking for beer
* A brief history of beer
* Common types of beer around the world (and Germany)
* Ways of storing and serving beer
* How you can find out what beers you like
* Sampling beers
* The power of marketing
* Favourite and weird beers (cardboard? malt? ashtray?)
* Micropubs
* Travelling for beer, and beer while travelling

A PDF transcript of this episode is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello!

This episode, the first after my unexpected and unplanned hiatus, will be all about beer. Specifically, I talk about my Press Trip to Plsen in Czechia, where I spent 3½ days drinking beer for free, including touring a few breweries both large and small. This Press Trip was taken through the Traverse Organisation and in conjuction with Visit Czech Republic,,the Plsen Region, and Visit Plsen.

Topics discussed in this episode are:
* What I've been doing since my last podcast
* Overview of the city of Plsen
* The underground caves and beer museum - Plsen is literally built on beer
* Different ways of serving beer in Czechia
* A tour of the Pilsner Urquell brewery
* Visits to microbreweries in Plsen: Proud, Raven, Purkmistr
* Trip to Zlata Krava brewery in Nepomuk
* How it felt to visit a beer spa

A PDF transcript of this episode is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Introduction was provided by the tour guide who took us around the Pilsner Urquell Brewery.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello!

This podcast was supposed to have been on beer. But I was waiting for a couple of contributions that never came. That will be coming soon. Instead, I thought I'd do something related to that very fact, and talk about podcasting. Since it's been over four years since I started this pod, since I've done nearly 70 episodes, and since I've recently passed 20,000 downloads. I'm going to talk about 'things I wish I'd known before I started'.

Topics discussed in this episode are:
* Having been in Glasgow for a year
* Socialising with enbies and doing stuff in September
* Why I don't vlog (part 7832 of a series of 8490323)
* The sound quality of my early podcasts
* Abandoned and ended podcasts
* Meeting audience expectations
* Planning Podcasts leads to Perfect Performance
* Contributions, effects, and the need for a 'Sound Library'
* The sheer length of time it takes to make an episode
* It's okay to change
* Who listens to podcasts anyway?

A PDF transcript of this episode is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Introduction was provided by Kitty, one of the people on a WhatsApp group who sends TikTok videos.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

This is the recording of the eighth edition of my semi-regular Twitter Space sessions.

Today's episode was all about hiking, but specifically the Hike Across Great Britain I did with my hiking buddy Becky, in the summer of 2019. We're chattering about why I chose to do a hike of such length, how we planned it, the high and low points of the journey, and ponder on how people willingly do ultramarathons.

Usual disclaimer, be aware this conversation took place over the phone and is then recorded directly from playback on Twitter. I notice there's a few biffs and bangs in the first few minutes but they settle down. Also a shout out to Somebody, and You Know Who You Are (because there are very few people who do call me, and one of them I was already on Twitter Spaces with), who tried calling me at the very end of the recording. When this happens it causes my audio quality to drop considerably for reasons known only to Android.

Topics discussed include:
* Catchphrases
* Whatever happened to the Word Cloud Creation site 'Wordle'
* Overview of what my hike was
* How it took 57 days and why that was fewer than we'd planned
* Places where we camped en route
* Why I didn't do the hike alone, and how our styles fitted together
* The Singing Sands beach in Scotland
* Things That Went Wrong when I prepared for the Hike
* Taking footpaths not roads, and sometimes getting stuck
* Comparisons with hiking in Vanuatu
* British Summer Weather, and all that entails
* What we were carrying in our backpacks
* We've been hiking 9 miles, time for lunch and recharging
* Food, and why I lost weight on the hike despite the calories
* Why I only hiked barefoot for a quarter of the journey
* Things That Went Wrong (including injuries, broken windows, and getting lost)
* Saddleworth Moor is very bleak and remote
* Mental Health and how we motivated ourselves to keep going
* The best days of the hike (North Pennines and the end of the Pennine Way)
* Why I wouldn't have done anything much differently
* How it felt to complete the Hike, and what we did afterwards
* Why we did the Hike and what other challenges would I do
* Why pubs are useful places
* Ultramarathons
* Raising money for charity
* The next Spaces will be Hometown Travel

I was interviewed by the lovely Victoria, but you can call her V.

A PDF transcript of this episode will be available soon.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. You can also sign up to my newsletter and find out about future podcasts and recent blog posts.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello!

My therapist would object to the way I was going to start this pod, so instead I'll say 'thank you for bearing with me and accepting the slightly less-than-regular issuing of this pod'.

Anyhoo. I have an excuse this time, and it's very much the subject of this pod. I've been away from home, on a road trip around Ireland for a week and a half. My friend Anne-Laure wanted to visit Ireland and in summer 2020 we'd sketched out plans to do a 10-day trip there, but things kept getting in the way. Mainly Covid. But we finally managed to get there in mid-July 2022, and because of being away, it seemed the most obvious thing to pod about.

Topics discussed in this episode are:
* Non-Binary day, week, and socialising
* Background to our road trip, and what made it unusual as far as my trips are concerned
* Irish sport, and resulting travel concerns
* Dublin Student Accommodation
* Our various B&B stays across the country
* St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin
* Other religious sites visited, often called St Mary's
* The joy of Knock
* Various country houses and ruined abbeys
* The Rock of Cashel
* Ruins of Ancient Ireland
* The Burren
* The Isle of Inis Mor and the Cliffs of Moher
* Dingle
* Father Ted
* The Asexual Capital Of The World
* A distinct lack of road signs
* Beer and sausage rolls

A PDF transcript of this episode is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

My friend AnneLaure provided the introduction, whilst my friend V gave the interspersions, which are all song lyrics spoken in completely not the correct rhythm. This is on purpose.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

I've been thinking a lot recently about nostalgia. I mean, I always have, but I think over time my feelings have changed about it. There's so many people who think 'life was better when I was young', and I wanted to probe more into that, into how I felt about nostalgia, why people of my generation tend to be nostalgic, and also put some colder facts around it.

I also took a couple of trips recently to the places I grew up in, and it was interesting to compare memories of those places with how those places vibe nowadays.

Topics discussed in this episode are:
* I have moved house yet again
* Music and TV from my younger days
* Why nostalgia is different for older generations than younger ones
* "The Good Old Days"
* 1970s comedy is barely golden
* How nostalgia can affect your world outlook
* The world is a better place now, statistically
* Aircraft safety has improved
* Foreign Office Travel Advice from February 1998
* Some things change, some stay the same
* The House(s) I Grew Up In
* How it feels to go back to a childhood area
* Birmingham and La Rochelle - when I tried to be amatonormative

A PDF transcript of this podcast is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

There are no direct contributions in this pod, though you do hear the voices of my co-conspirator V, my step-dad, and my friend Sarah, not that one, this is someone I went to Primary School with, and who might well be the person outside of family who I've known the longest - we met at the school gates on our first day.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

This is the recording of the seventh Twitter Spaces that I did with my friend V.

This edition is on hiking; including: the sort of places I like to hike, what I take with me, problems I've encountered on my hikes, and a brief discussion on how apt my internet brand name is. We also discuss why cows are evil, and taking toilet breaks across internal national borders.

Usual disclaimer, be aware this conversation took place over the phone and is recorded via my computer's internal audio card, so the quality won't be as great as my normal podcast episodes. I'm also aware that every time I typed on my keyboard, you could hear it in the recording. On-line real-time research, gotta love it!

Topics discussed include:
* What I mean by hiking
* Hills in the UK I've climbed and loved
* Good and bad scenery I've walked through
* What I carry on day hikes
* Stuff I take on multi-day hikes, including not many clothes
* The joys of camping food and drinking water
* Maps - paper versus electronic maps, and route planning
* Getting lost, disappearing trails, and getting obstructed en route
* Travelling solo v travelling with others
* Overview of the Yorkshire Three Peaks
* Accommodation on multi-day hikes & finding places to camp
* Cows are evil
* Why and how I hike barefoot
* The benefits and malefits of hiking barefoot
* Dealing with bad weather. Usually rain.
* Walking round the suburbs & the city streets
* Wild toileting
* My longest hikes
* Is there a difference between a hike and a walk
* How would I start hiking if I'd never done it before

I was interviewed by the lovely Victoria, but you can call her V.

A PDF transcript of this episode will be available shortly.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. You can also sign up to my newsletter and find out about future podcasts and recent blog posts.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello!

This episode is a little delayed but that's because I needed to do a lot of research. There's quite a lot of statistics and information in it, but I hope it doesn't bore you too much.

Last month was Pride Month in most of the world, and I thought I'd take the opportunity to look at how LGBTQIA+ culture and people are affected in various countries. I chose to look specifically at four, either because I had a connection with them through social media, or because I felt they had important stories to tell. I also wanted to show how life was for LGBTQIA+ people in places that may not often get billing on the news in many international places.

The four countries I looked at were:
* Ghana
* India
* El Salvador
* Australia

While I've taken steps to ensure all my research and reporting is accurate, being from none of them means I may sometimes get some nuances slightly wrong, but I've always aimed to get the overriding sentiment.

Apologies for the quality of the national anthems. Gotta love MIDI files ...

A PDF transcript of this episode is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I also have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

My interview with Travel Radio is in the "On Demand" section at https://www.travel.radio - just look for "Global Gossip with Asma Younus" on 27 June.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

This is the recording of the sixth Twitter Spaces that I did with my friend V. This particular recording also saw a fair contribution from a Miranda, a mutual Tweep who lives in Netherlands.

This edition is on Solo Travel; I usually travel on my own and here I explain why, and whether there are any problems associated with that - especially with relevence to my Mental Health or Personal Safety. We also discuss the benefits and malefits of group travel, whether my experiences of solo travel would be different if I presented differently, and why I'm very unlikely to ever be taken in by a cult..

Usual disclaimer, be aware this conversation took place over the phone and is recorded via my computer's internal audio card, so the quality won't be as great as my normal podcast episodes. In fact, when I was editing it I realised it sounded pretty variable and dodgy. Blame Twitter for not allowing me to do Spaces through my computer.

Topics discussed include:
* Why I travel alone (planning, last minute travel, unusual places)
* "I go to these places so you don't have to" - vicarious travelling
* Travelling with me is a veritable pot of chaos
* How travelling with someone is hard from both people's point of view
* Being scared to travel solo, and social anxiety
* Places I wouldn't travel alone - mainly for admin reasons
* Feeling like a minor celebrity in a different country
* Dealing with language issues while travelling solo abroad
* How I tend to ignore scams
* Ways in which I don't get bored when I travel long distances
* What's it's been like travelling with companions
* Not keeping in touch with people you meet while travelling
* Six Degrees of Separation, and how it both helps and hinders travel vibe
* My feelings about full group travel; party buses, middle-class coach tours, & cruising
* Worries about being sick or having accidents
* The hidden expenses of solo travel
* Female solo travel safety, & how safety is often relative and personally-specific
* How someone should start if they want to travel solo but never have

I was interviewed by the lovely Victoria, but you can call her V.

A PDF transcript of this episode will be available shortly.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. You can also sign up to my newsletter and find out about future podcasts and recent blog posts.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello!

This episode is all about my recent trip to France. I've not long returned from around 10 days going around Annecy, Lyon, and Paris with my friend Laura, and I thought it made sense to do a pod about it. Partly this is because it was my first trip abroad since both Covid and full Brexit had kicked in. And partly because it was an easy episode to do that didn't require any real effort or sourcing contributions, because obviously I didn't record a pod in advance.

Topics discussed include:
* Hair Dye - I have purple hair again
* The background to why I went, and how it's weird two of my good friends have the same birthday
* Getting proof of Covid vaccinations, and how we didn't need them in the end
* Baguettes for breakfast
* Kebabs for dinner
* Local food from Lyon and Senegal
* I don't like sharing beds
* The joys of cheap hotels on the edge of nowhere
* Flying in the age of delays, cancellations, and being a third-country national
* Bus stations are ugly and unhelpful
* The Paris Metro has unhelpfully-named stations
* Finding flowers but not water-lilies in Giverny
* Getting sunburn in Annecy
* French old towns are quite pretty
* Loud music in Roman ruins
* Cities with rivers running through them
* Disused railway lines and gold-covered buildings
* A million dead people, but in a good way

There are no contributions in this pod, but my friend Laura gets a lot of mentions.

A PDF transcript of this episode is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I also have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

This is the recording of the fifth Twitter Spaces that I did with my friend V, back in March. We're definitely getting a bit better with it, though we're still talking over each other a bit which makes it hard to transcribe.

This edition is on Personal Safety While Travelling, and I must say a couple of times within the first 15 minutes we do talk about matters of a sexual and kink nature, where I may reveal a bit too much information about random hookups. But then given the cover image associated with this episode anyway, you might already have gathered that. No barefoot backpackers were harmed in the making of this episode. We do talk about other aspects of personal safety while travelling too, including visiting warzones, making sure my mother knows I'm safe, battling the elements, and how different aspects of gender and sexual presentation change how safe I feel.

Usual disclaimer, be aware this conversation took place over the phone and is recorded via my computer's internal audio card, so the quality won't be as great as my normal podcast episodes. Although it's clearly better than the previous Spaces recording. Otherwise, I hope you enjoy it!

Topics discussed include:
* My safety is affected by my privileges
* Visiting warzones and troublespots
* Travel Insurance and Government Travel Advice
* Taking safety tips from local people
* Crime statistics and local crime levels
* The safety of 'hooking-up' at home and abroad
* Planning many ways to scare my mother
* Keeping contact with friends and family when travelling
* Getting used to foreign currencies
* Staying safe in bad weather
* Ways my Twitter friends expect me to die
* How to preserve phone battery life
* Why sunglasses are important, even in winter
* Gender and Sexuality Presentation when travelling
* The difference between where you live and where you pass through
* Anonymity and making yourself less of a target
* Giving vague details, and why Strava is a bad idea

I was interviewed by the lovely Victoria, but you can call her V.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I also have a newsletter now which you can sign up to to hear more from me and find out what my future podcasts will be about.

In addition, I have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello!

This episode is all about myths & legends from around the world. Or at least, mostly around the UK, Ireland, and Michigan. Myths and legends might be hyper-local, specific to one town, or they might be known worldwide with the very name invoking an instant impression. They could even be the driving force behind an entire cultural identity and assumed history. Whatever they were, they're fascinating insights into a place and the people who live in it.

Topics discussed include:
* My recent trips to London and hiking the Yorkshire Three Peaks
* The tale of the Nain Rouge, Detroit, USA
* Other legends of Michigan (Dog Man, Melonheads, Pressie)
* My uncle's music collection is stuck in 1973
* The tales of Tam Lin and Matty Groves
* Lebor Gabala Erenn
* The myths and legends of the Ulster Cycle, with apologies for my bad pronunciations
* Take Good Care Of Your Cows
* What the ancient Ulster capital of Emain Macha looks like now
* Selkies. And Kelpies.
* La Llorona, and why children should stay away from water
* The tale of the Wizard of the Edge
* What do you mean Sherwood Forest is a real place?
* Robin Hood, Sheffield's biggest export
* Some myths are just a tax-avoidance scam

Contributions to this episode come from:
* Nat, from Natpacker Travel
* My friend Dayna, who doesn't have a web presence
* Author Joanna Hastings, who can be found on Twitter
* My co-conspiratior Victoria Pearson

A PDF transcript of this episode is available.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I'll also soon have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Until next time, bye for now. :)

Hello :)

This is the recording of the fourth Twitter Spaces that I did with my friend V, back in March. I'm realising what a ball-ache they are to transcribe; it's the exact opposite of my normal pod episodes which take an age to prepare but actually issuing them is very quick and easy; these Spaces take little to no time to record but all the admin is post-production. You'd have thought having six weeks between recording and turning into a podcast episode would give me ample time to do everything I need to, and of course you'd be very misunderestimating the power of ADHD.

Speaking of which … this session is on Mental Health While Travelling, covering topics such as: do ADHD and dyspraxia affect how I travel, why do I often feel mentally low when I'm in places, and what can I do to get myself out of those feelings. We also touch on why it helps being aroace, and how sometimes just staring out of a window is all I need to do to calm myself.

Usual disclaimer, be aware this conversation took place over the phone, so the audio quality won't be as great as my normal podcast episodes. Indeed, there were some technical issues that occurred at the time of recording; most of these have been edited out, but it is noticeable the quality of some parts of the recording is a little lower than even is usual for the Spaces. Otherwise, I hope you enjoy it!

Topics discussed include:
* What is Dyspraxia?
* How dyspraxia manifests in my travels - physically and mentally
* What is Executive Dysfunction?
* How Social Anxiety and Executive Dysfunction affect my travels
* The mental difficulty of doing 'nothing' when travelling; why I can't take 'rest days'
* Homesickness v Travel Fatigue
* Why I don't pay attention to the news at home when I'm abroad
* How personal relationships affect me while I'm away from home (and why you shouldn't date me)
* Ways I worry about money when I travel
* Moving to a new place often improves my mental health ...
* ... but sometimes all I can do is go home
* Why I never get 'bored' when I travel
* The troubles that come from needing to know when and where I am
* How I maintain my mental health when I travel

I was interviewed by the lovely Victoria, but you can call her V.

As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. The pod has a Facebook group you can join, too.

I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over.

Until next time, bye for now. :)