Did she jump or was she pushed? That's what passengers on the Carnival Conquest must have wondered after a woman fell off of an upper deck and landed on the balcony of a cabin several decks below over the weekend. Read more…

One thing you can be certain about when travelling is that you can never be certain about anything. Boarding my flight from Sydney to Vienna, via Kuala Lumpur, the last thing on my mind was the prospect of unexpectedly ending up somewhere else entirely, such as Turkmenistan. But that's exactly what happened. Read more…

Vienna is still Harry Lime's turf. Every corner of the Austrian capital seems to have some connection with the classic spy film The Third Man, written by Grahame Greene and set in 1948 when, like Berlin, post-war Vienna was carved up into sectors administrated by the triad of victors, the Russians, British and Americans. Yet 60 years on the city still refuses to do a Viennese waltz with Harry. Read more…

Is there a finer, healthier or more efficient way to explore a town than by bike? Much like Melbourne, the city of Vienna heartily acknowledges the bicycle as king, which makes riding there pure pleasure. On a glorious sunny day, as temperatures hit the high 20s yet with a cooling breeze wafting through the streets, I set off around the Austrian capital to see its historic sights and hopefully also discover some hidden delights. Read more…

Calling all amateur sleuths ...... where in the world is Woody? I've provided some clues below in both words and pictures, so it shouldn't be all that hard to guess my current location although, given that I am somewhere in Europe, it does present several possibilities. Try and guess where I've gone, where I am now. Read more…

Trieste has turned up trumps for me, both in character and glorious weather. Yes, this is where I am and where I've languished for a couple of days enjoying the last brilliant sunny days of the European summer. And the longer I stay, the more beguiled I become by its spell. About a century ago this historic port exerted a similar spell on an Irish genius, James Joyce, whose slim, bronze likeness now stands resolute on the old porto rosso, spanning the Canal Grande, the narrow, excavated channel that once served as the main harbour for merchant sailing ships of the late 19th century. Read more…

My journey by train from Trieste to Rome heralds a change in the weather. Rome greets me with humidity and warmth but within a few hours the sky turns leaden. Then comes the rain, although temperatures stay in the comfortable mid 20s. The stop and start downpour washes Rome's tarmac roads and cobblestone side streets while casting a dull light on ochre walls and ancient stone. My weekend is spent darting for cover while sightseeing, nipping in and out of sudden showers. Umbrellas erupt everywhere, providing circles of bright colour along gloomily lit streets. Read more…

The Economist magazine's fictional airline, Veritas, has a new in-flight announcement that promises to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth. What additions do you think should be made to in-flight announcements to make them more authentic. Read more…

Venice turns out to be everything it's supposed to be: historic city, artistic treasure trove, unique water wonderland, tourist theme park. Whatever aspect strikes first there's no denying the essential truth of this unique city where boats replace cars: that it simply has to be seen to be believed. With so much prose already penned about Italy's marvellously romantic lagoon city it would be both pretentious and superfluous for me to attempt any further evocative description to what's readily available in print or accessible via the internet. Besides, I'm far too busy having the time of my life getting about on foot and via vaporetta in my bid to see as much as possible before my short stay ends. How long does a visitor need in Venice? Always a day or two more than planned. It's that sort of place. Read more…

A geneticist at the University of Pennsylvania, Amita Sehgal, has uncovered something interesting about fruit flies. They lack a certain protein which Sehgal calls "jet". Sehgal discovered that the fly sleeps normally when in light for 24 hours but adopts an unsettled sleep pattern when the insect is shifted from one "time zone" to another. Sehgal believes this protein, jet, is missing in humans and solving the problem could lead to a pharmaceutical remedy for jet lag. That could be someway off, so please share with us your jet lag fixes. Read more…

Qantas is the world's leading airline for in-flight entertainment, so says the World Airline Entertainment Association. Have you flown with Qantas and how do you rate it's entertainment service? I flew to Singapore with Qantas earlier this year. The entertainment service did not work to its full potential on the journey there, but was great on the way back. But I've also experienced similar problems with Air France. Read more…

Almost every restaurant in Venice offers a "tourist menu", generally priced between 16 to 20€ for two or three courses, which represents reasonable value considering the location although the quality of food and service varies greatly. But I found there's so much more than pasta and pizza to Venezia. Anyone who wishes to avoid common tourist tucker has only to step a short distance beyond the famous Rialto Bridge to find flavoursome twists to local cuisine. Read more…

Having been on the road for almost a month I'm looking forward to being at home, not least for having easy and reliable internet connections! I've travelled for years with camera gear and apart from worrying about loss or theft, have had few, if any, hassles with it. But packing a laptop and trying to blog on a regular basis on the road has at times proved problematic, leaving me feeling a far deeper shade of blue than the delicate turquoise feathers decorating this Venetian carnival mask. Read more…

For some reason this blog posted from Rome was never published. So here it is, better late than never. After a day of rain it was marvellous to wake up to sunshine over Rome. I set off from my lodgings in Via Laurina in the direction of the train station, Roma Termini, a cross-town hike through parts of the capital as yet unexplored, with the added purpose of booking a train ticket to Venice, my next Italian destination. Compared with my ramblings in the wet the previous day it was a stroll lacking truly significant monuments but it did show me city life unconnected with the regular tourist trade. Read more…

If my posting yesterday of a "truant" blog from Rome caused any confusion about my travels then welcome to the club. I woke up some time today not knowing where in the world I really was, only to realise it was in my own bed at last. After almost a month on the road it's likely to take me a while to readjust to home realities and cope with the inevitable feeling that descends after every long and eventful trip – that "the holiday is over". Read more…

Our week renting a villa near Panzano in Chianti began somewhat wet and gloomy but this did not signal a dismal start to our holiday. Far from it. Monday being a significant birthday for one of us, the day began with a special breakfast and the opening of gifts. Then we drove west, crossing the Chianti region to visit one of the best preserved medieval towns in Tuscany, where an unexpected and modern surprise awaited us. Read more…

Emails with Andy prompt questions and answers about my hotel choice in Bangkok at the Royal Asia Lodge. Read more…

How?s Eva Air? How long is the flight from San Francisco to Taipei? I try to answer that and more. Read more…

3 hours or so into the flight from San Francisco on my way to Bangkok. Let?s review the situation. Read more…

Touchdown in Bangkok, one night down and ten weeks of them to go, my first opportunity to get on the Internet since San Francisco. Read more…

Hotel hunting in Bangkok is not so easy. Tons of choice, more expensive walk-in rates and difficult to find Internet access. Read more…

Notes from last night?s drinking encounters with a Jewish Arab and a British ?risk management consultant?. Read more…

If you?re wondering how Bangkok?s new Suvarnabhumi Airport is, take my little photo tour and read the word blurb. Read more…

I went to Soi Cowboy, a little entertainment complex just off of Sukhumvit Road? Wondering about go go bars and go go girls? Read this one. Read more…

Yesterday?s tourist trap has pissed me off for the last time. Read about my story with the tuk tuks, TAT and the typhoon. Read more…