Travel Lights

Join Stephen on a hot and humid hike in Hong Kong. There's Ian Fleming, fantastic views towards the South China Sea, and a lot of sweat.

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Thanks, and happy travels.

It's time to get stuck into a new travel project! Join Stephen as he introduces the A Lap of Scotland: A man, a GoPro and a Dacia Duster. The idea was to record beautiful footage from Scotland's edges - the coastline and the border roads, perhaps inspiring more journeys or just to give you a chance to see this beautiful country from the comfort of your screen. See the links below for more.

A Lap of Scotland Part 1 (South Queensferry to the English Border) with a jazzy soundtrack: https://youtu.be/Qp21ZyviwjU?si=fbfg-eLBy87s5m2N

A Lap of Scotland Part 1 (South Queensferry to the English Border) with a rock soundtrack: https://youtu.be/9HXz1HR9_0s?si=cLHGN3cbVZTiMyIz

A Lap of Scotland Part 2 (Lamberton to Gretna) with a jazzy soundtrack: https://youtu.be/JQRUxxbwWvc?si=xpuF1iJ6BsaaHQK0

A Lap of Scotland Part 2 (Lamberton to Gretna) with a rock soundtrack: https://youtu.be/ZLa2sifA3zk

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Reflecting on his overland journey from Kazakhstan to Scotland, Stephen discusses both the high - and low - lights of the trip, as well as offering some advice about the practicalities.

Mentioned in the show:

The Man in Seat 61: https://www.seat61.com/index.html

Caravanistan (Central Asia Travel Forum): https://caravanistan.com/forum/

Paul Theroux: https://www.paultheroux.com/

Matthew Woodward (link to Amazon author page - own website appears to be down): https://tinyurl.com/455n8ruj

Monisha Rajesh: https://monisharajesh.com/

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Thanks, and happy travels.

With the finish line in sight, Stephen enjoys a few hour among Amsterdam's cyclists and voyeurs, before a leisurely crossing of the North Sea brings him to a hipster coffee shop in Newcastle.

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Thanks, and happy travels.

A quiet evening on an efficient European train... is what Stephen thought he was getting when he booked the Nightjet service from Vienna to Amsterdam. It wasn't quite how it turned out. Listen now to found out how the night unfolded.

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Thanks, and happy travels.

Willkommen in Wien! Stephen arrives in the Austrian capital, home to great music, great films and great cakes. You might want to grab a nice slice of something rich and moist before you listen...

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Two trains, three capital cities. Hear Stephen's sketches of a sleepy overnight train ride from Bucharest to Budapest, a confused wander around the Hungarian capital, and then a short but strange trip to Vienna.

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Thanks, and happy travels.

The journey continues on and into beautiful Bucharest. Join Stephen for superlative architecture, unwarranted negativity towards railway station clientele, and, of course, a decent cup of coffee.

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Thanks, and happy travels.

Coach travel may lack the appeal of journeying on the rails, but sometimes it's the only option. Stephen continues his journey from Kazakhstan to Scotland by taking an overnight bus between Turkey and Romania, crossing Bulgaria and getting to know his fellow passengers into the bargain.

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Thanks, and happy travels.

No train journey from Asia to Europe would be complete without a stop in Istanbul. Join Stephen as he sketches out the scammers, wanders the sights and hunts out a cup of government-approved coffee.

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Thanks, and happy travels.