When we moved to Slovenia in June, I started a new series of blog posts called Postcards from Slovenia. These are generally short, image-heavy posts with a little background history of the featured place. There is no particular order to them, though I think that together they form a diverse and interesting series, Slovenia being... Continue Reading →
The Quarantine Diaries #37: Resolution versus Inspiration
Christmas has come and gone, and I've survived it. Always a relief. Now it's time to look towards the New Year. I know a lot of people are well and truly done with 2020. Personally, I think that anyone expecting the situation to change magically overnight in 2021 will be disappointed. That said, it's always... Continue Reading →
Curious Catalan Christmas Traditions
Though my family and I now live in Slovenia, we spent three Christmases in Catalunya, and have picked up some peculiar Christmas traditions during our time there. I'm not sure how well-known these are outside of Catalunya, so I thought I'd share them here. If you're ever in or around Barcelona at Christmas, you might... Continue Reading →
The Quarantine Diaries #36: Holiday Time!
Whether it's Christmas, Hanukkah or the Winter solstice, chances are the coming weeks are a season of celebration for you, at least under normal circumstances. One thing I love about the WordPress community is how it connects readers and writers from all over the world, different time zones, seasons and traditions, and allows us to... Continue Reading →
Slovene Cuisine #9: Potica
This is an authentic Slovenian cake recipe which dates back to the Middle Ages. It is traditionally served at weddings, at Easter and of course at Christmas, which makes it the perfect festive recipe to share with you today. It can be made with a variety of fillings, the most popular and traditional being walnuts... Continue Reading →
Postcards from Slovenia #39: Pokljuka in Winter
Today's postcard comes to you from a true Christmas wonderland, the Pokljuka Plateau which lies at an altitude of 1100-1400m (3,600-4,600ft) high above the lakes of Bled and Bohinj. Though the ski slopes are currently closed, it is still possible to ski and sledge here, which those lucky enough to be locked down in the... Continue Reading →
The Quarantine Diaries #35: Rising to the challenge of everyday
I have never been very good at the everyday. For me, the whole of life needs to be a challenge: I don't tidy up, I 'revolutionise my living space.' I don't want to go for a relaxing stroll in the park, I want to climb a mountain. I don't just wash the dishes, I...well, I... Continue Reading →
Experiments in Taste #1: Alcohol Free Christmas Bakes!
I'm taking a break from Slovene Cuisine this week to bring you my first ever 'Experiment in Taste.' I know that I have several sober-heroes amongst my regular readers, so I wanted to share with you the recipes I've been using to make my favourite traditional British Christmas bakes minus the alcohol. Alchohol-free Traditional Christmas... Continue Reading →
Postcards from Slovenia #38: First Snow in Bled
As we are locked down within our borough at present, I sometimes worry about these posts getting a bit monotonous. Thankfully the weather is providing variety as the landscape does not look set to change for weeks to come. I could write about places I've visited in the past, but I think this kind of... Continue Reading →
‘A Place of Perfect Peace’ published in Route 7 Review
I'm honoured to have my work included in this beautiful publication from Dixie State University. 'Route 7 Review' is an annual literary journal including short fiction, non-fiction, poetry, visual art and current affairs. My non-fiction entry is included in the 'Current Events' section which contains writers' and artists' responses to the Covid crisis. I turned... Continue Reading →