I was recently emailing a friend who's on her way to live here. I described Pointe-Noire as a 'grey, flat shabby town'. I stopped to ask myself if I was being ungenerous. Well, no. Sometimes it seems like half the sites in town are either in the process of being built (a very positive thing)… Continue reading Getting Out Of Town
Category: Travelling
I’m in the wrong country today…
...because it's Shakespeare's birthday, and the 400th anniversary of his death. This year all sorts of events are taking place across the UK, not just in Stratford-upon-Avon or in London, where President Obama was welcomed today at the Globe Theatre. And not even just in the UK - tonight, in cinemas in Europe and other… Continue reading I’m in the wrong country today…
Congo Sketch – Departure Lounge
Barely an African-looking face amongst them, cheeks bump in constant cheery bisous. Every couple of minutes another healthily glowing French family emerges at the top of the stairs, smiling in anticipation, and so begins the procession of politesse as they saluer each family they know. They fan out in formation to greet colleagues and fellow school-gate… Continue reading Congo Sketch – Departure Lounge
My Northern Soul
This morning's rainy-season school run was under overcast skies, and the big drops started falling just in time for clambering out of the car. But I was having a happy moment. The heavy daylight gloom made it easy to see into lit shops, offices and apartments. The usual bright skies mean that interiors become dark… Continue reading My Northern Soul
Two Nights in Ethiopia
Last Autumn I took myself to the Ethiopian Airlines office and bought tickets for our family holiday - we were spending Christmas in the Seychelles. The most direct route from here is with Ethiopian, via Addis Ababa, with an overnight stopover each way. I briefly registered the beautiful Ethiopian language on the ticket wallets, then… Continue reading Two Nights in Ethiopia
When even the journey is a holiday…
I'm on a TGV on my way to a very special holiday - a residential writing course in the Loire Valley. It's been a few months since the shift in perspective that I managed to think my way into, when I realised that when it comes to the question, 'If you could do anything you… Continue reading When even the journey is a holiday…
Catriona Turner Books & Blog 