John Thomson
Bio
Former television news and current affairs producer now turned writer. Thanks Spell Check. Visit my web page at https://woodfall.journoportfolio.com
Stories (11/0)
Avoiding Trouble in Rome, Italy
Listen, I love Rome. I really do but now that we’re free to travel again, I have to fill you in on what to expect from the Eternal City. Masochists will love Rome. So will anybody else drawn to stress and anxiety. Don’t get me wrong, Rome has a lot of things going for it. Historical buildings, pizza, magnificent museums, pizza, stunning churches, pizza. Did I say pizza? Over nine million tourists a year visit the city and, for the most part, Rome is prepared. Yet there are a few trouble spots that can turn a Roman holiday into a Roman nightmare.
By John Thomson2 months ago in Wander
Ronda, Spain’s Magnificent Mountain Retreat
Ronda is a white village, so called because of its whitewashed houses, in the Andalusian mountains 56 miles north of Malaga and the Costa del Sol. Thousands of tourists visit it every year drawn by the magnificent scenery, the architecture and the quaint cobbled streets.
By John Thomson3 months ago in Wander
An Innocent Abroad
Nursing my kanelsnagle (cinnamon bun) at Zaggis on Frederiksboroggade and watching young Danes cycle past on their way to work, I have to admit I was feeling pretty chill. The Scandinavian word for contentment, hygge, came to mind and while its common to both Norway and Denmark, each country interprets it differently. The Norwegians think of hygge as simply a word meaning cozy. The Danes, on the other hand, take it one step further, incorporating hygge in the broad sense, into their national identity. The Danes are very, very chill.
By John Thomson4 months ago in Wander
My Illegal Irish Adventure
Like most travellers I check out the guidebooks before I jump on the plane. My recent trip to Ireland was no exception. Travelling east to west with Lonely Planet in hand I hit the major tourist haunts. Dublin’s Trinity College and the Book of Kells? Check. The Cliffs of Mohar? Check. The Titanic Experience in Cobh, the final departure point for the ill-fated liner? Did that. Kissing the Blarney Stone? No thanks, sounded like a mononucleosis-spreader to me.
By John Thomson8 months ago in Wander
Unsinkable: The Aircraft Carrier Made Out of Ice
It looked good on paper, a WWII aircraft carrier 2,000 feet long and 300 feet wide, three times larger than any other carrier at the time and capable of carrying 200 Spitfire fighters or 100 Mosquito fighter-bombers. Its size and bulk would make it impervious to bombs or torpedoes rendering it virtually unsinkable. And it would be made out of ice.
By John Thomson10 months ago in FYI
On the Prowl at Kangaroo Island
Kangaroo Island, a 96 mile sliver of land 70 miles south of Adelaide, Australia, is a bit of a misnomer. Sure, there are lots of kangaroos around but the island is a nature preserve, often called Australia’s Galapagos, with hundreds of other animals as well - echidnas, possums, penguins and koalas - sharing the area with 4,500 permanent islanders who farm or service the tourist trade. Connected to the mainland by air and ferry, the Island is a favorite vacation spot for Aussies and foreigners. Animals may have the run of the place but people live here too.
By John Thomsonabout a year ago in Wander
Revenge of the Stone People
Okay stone people, you got me. I visited Newgrange, your ancient Irish burial site and I think I hurt myself trying to figure out what your stone age society was all about. Sure, it was interesting but the squeezing and squirming through the stone, cold passageway took a toll on my back. I should have stuck to the brochure but no, I had to see for myself.
By John Thomsonabout a year ago in FYI
