Many times. Parochial bloody list. But I can’t think what a good version of this activity ought to be for people who don’t live in Europe. Been in the Statue of Liberty’s head? Had your supper stolen by a gull at the Sydney Opera House? Walked across the Grand Coolee Dam? That’s the odd thing about...

In 1977 my then wife and I went to Toronto. She had a real job and so, amazingly, did I, earning something unimaginable like $10,000 a year as a postdoc. We had plenty. And I think we were truly satisfied. But this is a silly topic, because every study I am aware of shows absolutely no link between...

Was it really on 23 January that I temporarily abandoned these attempts to expand on the Things I’ve Done? Wonder how long I’ll last this time? Longer if I don’t try to be fancy about illustrations.

This language thing is a farce. When I drove down here, more than eight years ago, I listened t...

] The worst part was the smell of the oilskins. How many people had worn them before? In how many degrees of heat and humidity? Bad enough to have to put them on, moist and clammy at one and the same time. But to then have the funk of all that humanity waft on up was torture indeed. These days, sear...

Sunsets are so much easier than sunrises. With a rum and water in hand (just a brief grating of nutmeg, thanks) every evening on a Caribbean island is a sunset watch. And very, very occasionally, a green flash special.

I think I prefer sunrise to sunset. Not that I sit around watching the sun ris...