A Season in Saudi Arabia

After my family and I picked up the pace of our travels in 2025, it didn't seem time to slow down in 2026, so we lined up a trip to Larnaca in Cyprus for early spring, following Algeria. Annoyingly, a stray drone, reportedly linked to Hezbollah or Iran, or possibly something else entirely, slammed into the British base there a few weeks before we left, ramping up the tension as to whether this trip would even happen. EasyJet cancelled loads of flights in the wake of the attack, but ours went ahead without an issue, landing safely and bringing my country total to 61. As a hangout of a typical Brit, this is hardly an island I would usually visit, and the presence of small crowds of British drinkers in Larnaca's bars didn't change my mind straight away. But there is so much more to Cyprus than strips of beach, hotels and bars. That was the side of the island I was determined to see. I knew before arriving that I'd need private accommodation rather than a resort, so w...

It's probably worth mentioning that our departure to Algiers was immediately preceded by a clear skin check at Norwich N&N Plastics Department. I had expected it to be clear. Honestly, I know how to spot a melanoma and any other skin lesion. I know my skin. I know when something doesn't look right. As usual, the dermatologist was not from the UK, was a trainee, and didn't really check everywhere. I mean, how the heck can he tell if I've got a melanoma on my scalp if he doesn't look there? Or on my butt? Or on my feet? But I signed up for these ongoing checks and, if this is what I get for free, they're definitely better than nothing. And at least if something does crop up in the future, they'll cut it out relatively quickly.  A week later, my wife Miras, my son Raf and I were heading to Gatwick for a night at our favourite airport hotel: the Travelodge. We totally had the airport wired after last year's trips and had found a non-standard path to the ...