Sir, When pondering how to handle Russia, a little review of the past might help give some guidance. Throughout its history, Russia has been a great European nation. It has contributed to the spread of European culture as far as Japan, Korea, China, Mongolia and Central Asia, participated in most great European upheavals of theContinueContinue reading “A letter to The Economist: Your article “Russia and NATO – How to talk to Mr Putin”, Jan 8, 2022”
Category Archives: Travel
Angry land
Rome, 09.09.2019 The ferry sailed into the port of Brindisi very slowly, two hours late. Toilets were so dirty I avoided them. The sky didn’t promise any great weather. Driving out of the port Southern Italy hit me already on the very first meters. Run down warehouses, roads being reclaimed by nature on the sidelines,ContinueContinue reading “Angry land”
The Peloponnese
Igoumentisa, 01.09.2019 After 2 weeks of disconnect on an island in the Aegean, the car ferry reached the port of Piraeus at 05:00 in the morning. Driving through the deserted streets of Athens in the dark felt surreal, given the daytime traffic I was used to navigate in that city. Just half an hour laterContinueContinue reading “The Peloponnese”
Hellas
Athens, 16.08.2019 Istanbul in the morning of the Eid holiday was empty, trafficless and calm when I left it westwards. I’d never have imagined using these words to describe the city. The few hours to the border passed without major excitements. I skipped a winery visit I had thought about, as the Mini was alreadyContinueContinue reading “Hellas”
Crossing the Bosphorus
Istanbul, 12.08.2019 In the past three months I had crossed the borders of Europe and Asia repeatedly. In the Urals and the Caucasus I criss-crossed from one side to the other. From Çanakkale to the Gallipoli peninsula it was a short 30 mins crossing over the Dardanelles on the car ferry, avoiding the big cargoContinueContinue reading “Crossing the Bosphorus”
