Fantasy Holidays in a time of COVID

Imagine a teenager with an inchoate desire to test herself but no ability to foresee consequences who goes AWOL from a charter flight that stops to refuel in Greece, then hitchhikes her way alone through Europe and returns, spirits (and virginity) intact Robin takes us to the road from Athens to Patras along the Aegean on a starry summer night at the start of her adventure thumbing through Europe. 

She’s since made her life in New York City where she’s worked in the field of Brand Engagement while raising a daughter from Jiangsu, China and is now pursuing an MFA from Bennington.  

Her work has appeared in The New York Times Modern Love column, Mc Sweeney’s, The Missouri Review (Winter, 2022) and Off-Assignment. Sound Engineer - Nour Harakati 

https://robinreif.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/robin-reif-46133a/ https://www.facebook.com/robin.reif.96

During the early 1970’s times were hard for Brian and Susie Bannigan.   They'd previously left Ireland to come to England in the early 60's.   Now with a gaggle of ten boys Brian was working at the Corby Steelworks.  He was also driving taxis and coaches in between shifts, some nights and on days off. 

Thinking that life overseas might bring more opportunities, he contemplated a life in Australia like so many others at the time; but naturally sad at the thought he might never again see his homeland again he wrote a poem to capture his thoughts.

Eamonn, his son recorded him reading this poem around 12 years ago purely to capture his voice.  It was never intended for a public audience and hasn't been professionally recorded. Today is his birthday and ten years since his passing.  Today we celebrate his voice, his love of storytelling and to share his poem.  We think he would have loved it.  Enjoy and be sure to capture all those special memories and voices while you can x

Angkor, Cambodia The current COVID travel restrictions trigger memory of a visit to a deserted national park, now an extremely popular tourist destination. The reasons for the solitude are not what you think. 

Christine DePedro is an American currently living in Chicago, Illinois. She has lived in London, UK and Sydney, Australia as well as Phnom Penh. After a 30+ career in publishing and journalism, she is exploring her love of food and cooking, producing a book and videos of Swedish home cooking. https://www.patreon.com/greenpeppercornpublishing. She intends to explore Khmer home cooking next. She can be reached on Twitter @streetsmart_chi and Instagram @green_peppercorn_pub Christine DePedro control@ticktick-boom.com

Joanna shares her trip to visit an Altai indigenous family living in the Karakol Valley, Ongudai Raiyon, Altai Republic (southernmost Siberia), where she lived and worked as a translator representing the indigenous people. 

Joanna is a Russian to English translator and interpreter based on the North Norfolk Coast. She is currently writing a work of creative non-fiction based on her experiences of the Altai Republic and the Altai indigenous culture. She delves into themes of archaeology, homeland, visual arts and eco-translation. Instagram @altaipilgrim and for more Information on the book about Altai and my events www.altaipilgrim.com

Image copyright J Dobson

Joanna is a member of LWS

A moorhen chirps outside your porthole, geese honk hello as they pass by, and now and again a kingfisher flies close in a flash of blue And if you're lucky, you’ll wake early enough to catch the dawn chorus as it bursts into life in the quiet morning air. This, this is boatlife on the Grand Union Canal, London. Welcome aboard. 

Ruth Stokes is author of The Armchair Activist’s Handbook (Silvertail Books) and a content designer in the charity sector. In a former life, she was a journalist for the likes of the Guardian, The Ecologist and New Internationalist.

What could possibly go wrong travelling with the family on on a Coach Trip to the South of France? 

Let's go dancing on the beach at Sunset Bar.    Come on don't be shy.   Just dance like no-one is watching.  

Memories and fantasies of Hong Kong travel the narrator takes us from touchdown to ferry, through street fairs and beyond; on this retelling of a very special Hong Kong journey. My Instagram which I will use for cross promotion is: @rickyrrrr22 I also maintain presence on Airtime, as host of 1 hour live streams in the form of Tarot State of Mind, The Exhale, Multilingual Mingle, and RjtheRandonaut. Most likely I will be promoting this in Multilingual Mingle at a minimum.

An early morning narrative from a hotel balcony in Karimabad, the capital of the Hunza District in Northern Pakistan. Dawn breaks, revealing the snow capped peak of Rakaposhi towering 7,788 metres above the roaring glacier fed Hunza River. Early Friday morning prayers in the city of Skardu in Northern Pakistan, considered the gateway to Concordia - the 8000 metre mountains of Pakistan's Karakoram range. David Harden started travelling at the age of sixteen when he hitch-hiked to Greece from London during a school summer holiday. After leaving school he set out from the UK to travel overland to Australia, but only made it as far as Afghanistan. After working in the corporate world (for fifteen long years) he's returned to what drives him forward the most: recording sounds, taking photographs and travel. His website: travelwornsatchel.com has a collection of sounds and photographs from his travels. Instagram & Twitter - davidharden123 and his Travel Worn Satchel Podcast is available to download via most podcast players.

Suffering in a cold Swedish winter, a journey to Cape Town is remembered, touring Table Mountain and Devil’s Peak, admiring Candyfloss pink houses. Watching Penguins and Ostrich in awe. Hungry for the mouth-watering taste of Cape Malay dishes. 

Kat Trigarszky, originally from Britain now lives in Stockholm, Sweden. A freelance writer, editor and translator she was trying to break into travel writing when the pandemic hit and late last year decided to write a novel.  Kat also jointly hosts the ‘Swede-ish’ Podcast. A member of LWS.

This Archipelago of some 340 coral and volcanic islands lies in an isolated location of the South Pacific, 400 miles North of New Guinea and, reputed to be THE top scuba diving spot in the world, is encircled by a huge barrier reef system. Sam Beck, graduate of Wesleyan University, a young New Yorker and Palauan has spent many childhood holidays on the island. Here he takes us along on his dream holiday, swimming in a clear blue lake alongside friendly jellyfish.

Stepping carefully up a wobbly plank in the port of Santorini, a passenger boards the boat sailing through the Greek Islands to Mykonos.

Suchandrika Chakrabarti is a London-based journalist and trainer. She has reported and edited for national newspapers and international news agencies, trained journalists and non-journalists in essential digital storytelling skills, launched podcasts as the idea-pitcher / presenter, and now also as the producer / editor. A member of LWS.

Recalling her search for an old lady 'Hagia Sofia' a beautiful antique place of Worship.

Anne-Charlotte Gerbaud invites us on her journey to finally meet a special old lady in person, the travels described in her beautiful French accent. A member of LWS.

A 16-year-old girl travels alone on an adventure to this summer playground.

Kezzabelle Ambler - Performance poet, author of 'Permission To Speak', Weaving Words Facilitator, voice over artist, actor & creative coach. She is passionate about encouraging the arts to be expressed by others, hoping the pen will become a tool for life. www.kezzabelle.co.uk

I've conjured memories of Majorca from before that time I was jailed by COVID 19, the new Secret Police Force. ‘If you leave home without a mask...