Deepest winter, which we are currently very much in the midst of, puts a limit on the amount of Norway’s great outdoors the casual tourist can reasonably engage with. The days are short, the roads are snowy, and all the country’s most popular fjord-based attractions are coated in several inches of solid ice. We kind of knew this when we booked our tickets, but we weren’t very … Continue reading Norway in a Nutshell
I arrived in Bergen at 3am not out of choice but because, as a general rule, planes do not work properly when I am on them. Bits fall off, flaps malfunction, things start to smoke…. that kinda thing. Today it was the windscreen that shattered on aircraft number one and the de-icer that called it quits on aircraft number two. Amongst other things. Here’s a full account of … Continue reading Bergen + Oslo
Header photo sandwich board credit to Cup and Spoon – supplier of my commute coffee and morning wit. I’ve never been a staunch believer in wind chill. I like to think that when the thermometer says it’s -15 degrees, it’s going to feel like it’s -15 degrees. Why shouldn’t it, goddammit? Recently I changed my views. Because Chicago. I’m from Scotland. I spent 22 years of … Continue reading Weathering Chiberia
The one time I forgot to check the weather forecast was the time Chicago experienced its 5th heaviest snow-dump of all time. OF ALL TIME. It began snowing at about 8pm on Saturday. I was in a dive bar in Ukrainian Village on a date of the romantic sort, and was informed by the establishment’s owner, as he showered us with free cheese puffs, that blizzard-warning nights are always … Continue reading #Superbowl #Snowday
Every time my parents decide to go on holiday for Christmas, I somehow end up living abroad that year and having to double the amount of flights it takes me to reach my turkey with all the trimmings. This year, I have flights booked from Edinburgh (my hometown) to Vienna (where I’ll be spending Christmas with my family), but spontaneously relocating to Chicago has turned what was … Continue reading A Viennese Christmas
The first time I visited Chicago it was December. It was 2008, it was cold, it was windy… And it was just about as close to a Christmas paradise as I had ever seen (there’s a reason they set Home Alone there). The thought of getting to spend a WHOLE DECEMBER in this festive city was potentially one of the bonus factors that pushed me towards … Continue reading Chicago Goes Festive
Back in the golden days of dirt-cheap budget air travel, when Ryanair wasn’t yet the dreaded last-resort carrier it is now, you could fly from Glasgow Prestwick to Milan Bergamo for around £30 return, including taxes, with no extra baggage fee, no check-in fee, no nothing. Those days are sadly long-gone, and with Prestwick Airport on the verge of bankruptcy – seemingly being kept afloat solely through … Continue reading 86 Hours in Milan
the lost scot 