I’ve been everywhere, man; I’ve crossed the deserts bare, man

Talking Heads and talking points. Road to Nowhere and Flights to Nowhere. I’ve been everywhere, man and it’s a long journey home. There are some great contenders for a travel retail anthem.

Of Irish jigs, Triple Salchows and an end to Hong Kong hotel quarantine

In the face of inevitable and glittering industry acknowledgements Martin, you will always be more famous as the guy that did the Triple Salchow off the hotel bed during lockdown.

Celebrating 20 years as The Muffy Report is born for a day

Matilda’s name (and I’m not making this up) was taken from Australia’s beloved folk song ‘Waltzing Matilda’, a result of her penchant for stepping waltz-like from side to side.

Three RATS and a full moon in Hong Kong

Yesterday as I was packing to go and checking all the quarantine room drawers for my belongings, I noticed the room safe for the first time. If only I had spotted it earlier I may not have stolen my own passport.

Miscellaneous

June 30, 2022

Mounting a challenge at Mount Juliet

“It’s not how, it’s how many.” With that well-worn golf phrase and a wry smile did Paraguayan pro Fabrizio Zanotti try to temper my disaffection with another ropey golf shot at the Horizon Irish Open Pro Am at Mount Juliet, County Kilkenny on Wednesday. There I was a guest of Executive Vice Chairman and CEO

Quirky

April 3, 2022

So what’s in a (very, very long) name?

Yes, the story veered just a microscopic degree away from being true. Admittedly we are talking a very large microscope. But it was April 1, after all.

Quirky

December 20, 2021

Twinkle Twinkle Little Earth – a timely tune from Sestus Omicron 3

“The closing four pages are so cataclysmic and catastrophic as anything I’ve ever done—the harmony bites like nitric acid – the counterpoint grinds like the mills of God.”

Quirky

November 9, 2021

From A (Angostura) to Z (Zacapa): Toeing the line in a new kind of Rum Diary

The crack had appeared in the all-important distal phalange, one of 14 phalanges (a posh word for bone, as in ‘I’ve got a phalange to pick with you’ or ‘My favourite red wine is Côte de Phalange’).

Quirky

August 21, 2021

Testing times, a Praying Mantis and a countdown to freedom in the Interim Quarantine Bureau

“We’re here for the test,” said a woman in full PPE, who at first sight looked like a giant praying mantis. “So am I,” I replied lamely. “The All Blacks are ahead 16 to 8.”

Lifestyle

August 18, 2021

In training for the (very modern) Quarantine Pentathlon

The triple jump – What we used to call the hop, step and jump at school is a natural for a finely tuned quarantine athlete such as me. Hop? Why that’s so easy, I could do it on one leg.

Miscellaneous

August 16, 2021

Time to abandon the rear view mirror

It takes me 12 strides to walk the approximate 10-metre length of my room. That means 150 ‘laps’ or 1,800 strides to do my equivalent of the 1,500 metres. Today I plan to set a new personal best in a probably futile attempt to delay the onset of madness.

Travel