The Sicilian
A favourite fictional detective of mine these days is Inspector Salvo Montalbano. He is Sicilian, the creation of Andrea Camilleri.
Like switching to Tesla from a Renault
If you are a 72-kilo man hiking 14 or so miles a day with a daypack, you need at least 3,600 calories in your system. How do you get that in if you are also on a 20-hour fast?
On Route 66, a cowboy rides into a dusty town
It was high noon and scorching when I rode into Oatman. “Feed and water him,” I told the boy who came running to take the reins. “Curry him down with the saddle on.”
How the Norwegian crossed the road in Nepal
“It takes courage to cross the street in our part of the world,” Mr Brown said to Mr White. “Not many Westerners have that kind of courage.”
Peter and Jesus
Jesus is retired now. But for his fans, when the time is right, he is willing to return.
Where all views are stunning and everyone knows how to make good pasta
Positano is a town best enjoyed with a thick wad of cash, a healthy pair of lungs, and excellent knees.
Ullivadas, uzhunnuvadas, and bondas
In the Kerala of my childhood, before my people succumbed to the invasion of ‘cafes’, ‘restaurants’ and ‘bistros’ selling everything from bel puri to kebabs to malayalified Chinese, we of the old ate at chayakkadas (tea shops).
Narva
FROM THE ESTONIAN border city of Narva, it is a swift swim to Ivangorod in Russia, though why any Estonian would willingly swim to Russia is a question worth pondering in all its geo-