My body is a clean sheet. I have no tattoos. I have scars, plenty of them, but no ‘ink’. A couple of Christmases ago we were in India, walking in the glorious sunshine down the main street in Goa when we came across a tattoo parlour. As you would in Goa. Next to the shop – Read More-
Ok, I’ve been home a day, I’ve seen the lightening (holy shit, did I see lightening), I’ve mown the lawn, I’ve played with Lila, so can I go back to Moscow now? Is it time? Is it still called ‘defecting’ even if its just for a holiday? I missed Russia (other than those events above) – Read More-
My facebook photo is Gareth Bale. In a Spurs shirt. Making the ‘heart’ sign he did every time he scored. Which was ever such a lot. He left Spurs in 2013 but that’s fine. The photo has become ‘ironic’. Yet when one of (previously) ‘your own’ does good things you score ‘points’. Its like, when – Read More-
Ok, so this is a question that is profound, deep and meaningful: would you be happy learning your future? Would it make your life better, or worse??? Ooooohhhh, so you’d know how long you’d live, how your kids would grow, who they’d marry, which rehab clinics they’d frequent, all sorts of stuff. Or would that – Read More-
This is the entrance to Gorky Park. Probably the main one, granted, but there are dozens of ways in. My park at home where I play tennis every weekend has more of a ‘hole in the hedge’ kind of thing. Slightly understated, modestly humble but more importantly, Stalin never intended to drive 300 tanks into – Read More-
So my first love was St Petersburg and I really thought there could be no other. But then I came to Moscow. And I thought it would be dirty. And smelly. And filled with mafia (which it probably is but they generally don’t advertise) and pickpockets and all tea would be served with either lemon – Read More-
I’m on the Sapsan, the fast train between St Petersburg and Moscow. Its awesome. Currently travelling at 209kph through the Russian countryside and building up speed still. Feels like crawling over Brent Cross flyover at 45 (which is actually 5mph faster than the speed limit there, as I know to my cost). The train takes – Read More-
I know its MY problem. I know in some respects I’m not ‘normal’. Who is? Logically, statistically, the world would be the most boring of boring places if everyone was strictly on the mid-line of a normal distribution in every facet and parameter you could measure. So my ‘deviation’ is that I lack patience generally – Read More-
Part 2. We must have walked 10 miles today. Possibly more. All of it simply fabulous in the glorious Russian sunshine, Sunshine. We started with a ‘free walking tour’ which we always take in all cities we visit. Because they’re so much better than proper, pay-as-you-go tours because you only pay the guide what you – Read More-
So a geezer called, modestly, ‘Peter the Great’, built himself a city. As ya do. If you’re a Tsar and own, quite literally, the entire fucking world. Bit like Putin today, but with less hypocrisy. Because Peter wasn’t a ‘communist’, wasn’t a ‘man of the people’, he was a god. From each, according to their – Read More-