2011-03-14 13:55
The moment that Chinggis Khaan landed in the sleepy Basque fishing port of St Jean de Luz he knew that he had found a second home. He would have struggled to find a more removed place from h… Read More
Blog Directory > Travel Blogs > Basque Bylines travel Blog >
2011-03-04 15:55
"The time has come" the Walrus said,"To talk of many things:Of shoes - and ships - and sealing wax -Of cabbages - and kingsAnd why the sea is boiling hotAnd whether pigs have wings."The Walr… Read More
2011-03-02 10:57
Today when I woke up in Mongolia it was -40C. On Sunday when I wake up in St Jean de Luz it will probably be +17C. A delightful swing of +57C. In the meantime a nice wee walk across the hill… Read More
2011-03-01 14:53
In recent weeks there has been a marked increase in the number of animals in our garden, I say garden, the grounds of our rather lovely ex-Politburo apartments total some 500 acres.As the wi… Read More
2011-02-28 15:40
Well, it's almost ten months since I started to think about a wee trip for a couple of weeks to Outer Mongolia. I am still living in the cradle of Ulaanbaatar but my time here is almost done… Read More
2011-02-22 13:36
I like to consider myself a relatively adventurous chap when it comes to eating. You don't get to be my size if you turn your nose up at food too often. I've eaten almost every mammal in Eur… Read More
2011-02-21 14:32
This morning I woke up, clicked on my iPhone weather app and revelled in the fact that it was an exciting -18C outside. After the crazy cold of recent weeks this felt pretty balmy and I look… Read More
2011-02-18 07:17
After two weeks in Beijing I have returned to Ulaanbaatar for the final time. At the end of the month I am heading back to the warmer (though less sunny) climes of St Jean de Luz deep within… Read More
2011-02-01 09:51
I've learned a great deal from my time in Mongolia. Apart from the myriad of cultural and historic mysteries there are several funky tricks that I have picked up from living in this challeng… Read More
2011-01-28 07:14
I'd like to think that I was getting used to the weather in Mongolia; but I'm not. When the thermometer touches -40C only a very tempting offer would get me to leave the house; such offers m… Read More
2011-01-26 16:00
Ok, scratch what I wrote yesterday about Mongolia. The cold here is unlike anything I've experienced before. I tried to go for a walk this morning and not for want of trying I was warned aga… Read More
2011-01-26 15:59
There are not many places where you can look out of your sitting room window and watch cowboys at work. Yet again Mongolia bowls a googly. This afternoon I sat at my desk and watched a cowbo… Read More
2011-01-24 09:59
Ulaanbaatar is a funny old place. Although it is fairly primitive in many respects (there are only a few hundred miles of tarmac road in a country the size of France, Spain, Germany and UK c… Read More
2011-01-20 01:43
Flying back across the South Gobi last night was a world away from the heady parties, fine banquets and consumerist excesses that have marked my last month in Europe. Despite having gained s… Read More
2010-12-23 12:29
The only downside to Christmas that I can see is that they become less spread apart the older we get; after all absence makes the heart grow fonder.Far from being Mr Scrooge I am whole-heart… Read More
2010-12-17 10:34
This is the first Christmas I can recall since childhood when I have been truly excited (not in the French meaning of the word). Travelling the lesser voyaged paths is exhilirating and wonde… Read More
2010-12-15 13:23
Being back in Europe is odd. After six months in Mongolia I found myself wandering giddily around Morrison's supermarket buying up far more fruit and vegetables than I could possibly eat and… Read More
2010-12-13 11:51
Today is my last day living full-time in Ulaanbaatar, the fabulous capital city of Mongolia; coldest capital city in the world; fastest developing capital city and a splendidly wonderful and… Read More
2010-12-09 03:38
During my time in Mongolia I have eaten a vast variety of food. Before coming here I had presumed that Mongolia would serve up the same food as you find in Mongolian restaurants throughout t… Read More
2010-12-08 04:15
Mongolians really know how to dress well. More importantly, Mongolians really know how to dress well in frighteningly cold weather. An average amble around Ulaanbaatar is akin to a promenade… Read More
2010-12-07 00:43
Ask yourself; does this jolly little fellow really encourage you to go and purchase some of the canned coffee drink he is promoting? Personally it makes me think that the drink has to contai… Read More
2010-12-06 03:01
The sun shone brightly yesterday raising temperatures to a balmy -23C so I thought I would take the opportunity to spend the day horse riding across the Steppe. In weather like this you real… Read More
2010-12-03 03:15
Hats are a big deal in Mongolia. Whether you are walking around Ulaanbaatar or exploring the Steppe you will find hats, hats and more hats.They have three purposes:1. They keep you warm in t… Read More
2010-12-02 08:30
I've mentioned more than once that it is jolly cold in Mongolia. We are beginning to get used to it now. Reading about the media angst in Britain is hilarious; we long for any sign of humidi… Read More
2010-11-30 08:03
Well, it's been crazily cold for several weeks in Ulaanbaatar now. Proper Mongolia cold like -30C not that wimpy stuff they're complaining about in the UK. All vegetation has died, as have m… Read More
Subscribe to Basque Bylines
Get updates delivered right to your inbox!