2018

A year full of adventure — and one that took us back on a grand bicycle adventure! — along with seeing Mum and Dad in Europe, birthdays in Spain, a month in Ukraine and the true beginning of my love, fascination and, admittedly, addiction to Istanbul. Jan - Berlin, Poland

Feb - Berlin, Sicily

Mar - Berlin, Paris, Bordeaux, England

Apr - Berlin

May - Berlin, Bulgaria

June - Berlin

July - Berlin, Paris + Berlin, Ireland

Aug - Berlin, Spain, UK, Oktoberfest

Sept - Berlin, Poland

Oct - Ukraine, Moldova, Romania

Nov - Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey

Dec - Istanbul, Berlin, Nuremberg

January

A new years begins in Berlin — as does a new career! Creative Director for BRLO Craft Beer. But it doesn't take long for me to take advantage of said role, a few weeks later, taking off for...

Poland

Back to that wonderful little town of Sczechin for pierogis, opera houses, vodka and shockingly wonderful colors. But then it's back to Berlin for...

... a visit from Jess — one of my favorite people and one of the best photographers I know. Walks, sausages, wines, arts and much more...

... but work (if you can call it that), Berlin and my god niece were calling, so back to it.

February

The dark and depression official Berlin Winter begins, but not without a few pals + adventures to keep us sane...

... fortunately, Sicily - namely my favorite city, Modica - was a short + cheap flight away, so a romantic Valentine's (correction: Valentino's) Day awaits.

... and then back to Berlin.

March

The signs of a Berlin Winter finally fading (or so we thought), with red brewery lights, my first attempt at "art" and futuristic buildings... but in order to survive, one must get out, so me and my buddy Laura hop a bus back to...

... Sczechin, Poland - that wonderful little town just a few hours from Berlin. But only for a few days, and it's back to the grey...

... where more incredible artwork and weather await. So let's leave again, shall we?

... for Paris!

... and then south, to Bordeaux and many a wine country.

... from there, we hop a quick flight to my old stomping grounds of Southampton, UK, for pubs, Quavers, being shit at golf and a gorgrous country snow.

... but the sun finally appeared in Berlin, our beergarden opens back up, so it's back to work!

April

Spring finally arrives (and stays), so it's gorgeous afternoons, much beergarden-ing and even producing a beer + advertisement for Run The Jewel's weed beer (using the company credit card for this was wild). And while the plan was to stay put for a busy month at work, we still managed to leave town for a weekend in...

... the neighboring town of Potsdam - stunning and well worth a trip if you're ever in Berlin. But speaking of, it's back to it...

... for the onslaught of an absolutely gorgeous spring!

May

Berlin comes alive in May, and this one was no different. All the joys of boozy afternoons, allthewhile working for a booze company. Sun. Friends. Wine. Bliss. But we're in Europe, and Europe means nearby adventures, so we hop a plane - an accidental destination, it should be said, but we'll get into that in the full gallery someday - for...

... Bulgaria! What would end up being one of my favorite trips of all-time, what would end up being one of my favorite countries of all-time! So why only one photo? Because I ended up choosing 500+ from that trip and couldn't decide, so will just post them in their own seperate gallery. But if all you see is this, let this be enough to have you too booking a ticket, as it's one of the world's best kept secrets. But duty calls, so we head back to...

... Berlin + BRLO - where summer was about to take off.

June

Of long summer days, of World Cups in beergardens, of kink, of friends, of decay of SUN.

July

Summer was all about adventure and adventures at work (easily done when you make beer) - PRIDE, old Nazi airports, out-of-town excursions, Bowie's apartment and even a broken shoe. But if summer was fun up until then, it was about to get even funner, with the arrival of...

... Mum and Dad in Europe!!! I'll give them their own gallery, as it was such a fun trip.

... the parents leave and it's back to Berlin basics - if that can even be a thing. Summer still marching madly on.

August

We kick off the month with my birthday party with pals down in Spain. Lou and I would leave a few days later, first for Barcelona, then Madrid, through Don Quixote territory, back up through Valencia (igniting my decision to go search for The Holy Grail), then back to Berlin.

... from there, a quick weekend in Little Britain...

... back to Berlin where I make the decision to leave both the company and the city itself, but not without lots of fun (and lots more free beer)...

... Lou and I take a weekend cycling trip to the countryside - dusting off the bicycle that brought me to Berlin in the first place...

... but I can't leave without one last adventure with my little brother, Max, so we head down to Bavaria.

Sept

We say our goodbyes to Berlin, (over)pack the poor bike, enjoy one more free BRLO, head to the train station and head off on an adventure...

... we cycle (for the most part) from the northern shores of Gdańsk - visiting the location where WWII began - to the eastern city of Białystok (more on that below), a train to Warsaw and then a cycle into Krakow...

... but it was my new friendship with Bogdan - father to a friend of mine in Berlin - that made my enire trip to Poland so special. His time, effort, expense and generosity was something that has stayed with me since, and we are still in contact...

... we train it out of Poland to its eastern border once more. This time, though, crossing over into a country I'd been wanting to get to for ages, but never thought it possible - but here we are, finally in...

Oct

Ukraine(!)

With an explanation mark because I'd been wanting to get to this country for ages. Even more so over the last few years, the incredible documentary Winter On Fire notwithstanding. So we cross over into Lviv. Spend a week, then take a train to Odessa, grab rental car (complete with a LOT of forms - places currently at war + dispute) and hit the road...

... impossible to put into words how much I loved traveling in Ukraine. Maybe someday I'll go through all the photos - think I posted around 250+ of them in the gallery - and properly recap this adventure. A bit harder these days with the Russian invasion and things, but it was an incredible experience, incredible kindness and incredible people. But it was time to go, so we took a taxi to the border (complete with a post-Covid HAZMAT inspection) and to...

... Moldova. Interesting, sure. And maybe I should have spent longer there than I did, but gave it 10-12 days and decided to hop a taxi to one of the strangest places I've ever been, The Fake Made-Up Completely Contrived Country That Doesn't Actually Exist...

... and yet another one of those I need to write about. I think I did once, for the old magazine, but it was a bizarre (and somewhat frightening - having been told my many that my hotel phone was bugged) trip, so it was a taxi back to the border and onto...

... a train. One that begrudgingly allowed my bike one, but also one where I met a kind lady who watched my things while I slept. And the next morning, it was hello to the next country...

Romania!

November

We spend a few weeks exploring Romania - a place I was too much of a tourist in (see: Dracula, see: Dracula's Castle that wasn't actually and he probably never even went there). I'd like to return someday. Give it its just due. But two countries I adored waited, so we admittedly rushed through. But c'mon, it's...

... my beloved Bulgaria! Forever one of the world's best kept secrets, and a place I've been so fortunate to have gotten to know - mostly in part to my dear friend Alexandra, who not only introduced me to the country, but also let me stay in her spare apartment (and only would let me pay the electric bill). Sadly only there for a couple of weeks this time, as another favorite place waited...

... Turkey! Was a long and wet ride to the border, and one that ended up with finally caving in and taking the bus, but who cares? I was finally back in Istanbul - a city I'd been wanting to truly get to know, as my previous visits were always only a few days - and had an entire month to do so!

December

Istanbul for nearly an entire month! As mentioned, a place I'd always wanted to really get to know, so I buy every book I can and start exploring — namely the Grand Hotel de Londres, a crumbling old hotel that would someday be my home for a few months. But that was later and this is now, so we find an incredible apartment in the "dangerous" neighborhood of Tarlabaşı...

... but it wasn't - at least, not for me - and I moved into the most fantastic apartment you can imagine, complete with an olive dealer right outside my door, and the most dramatic of neighborhoods.

The majority of December was spent out the door at 8am and walking Istanbul every single day, soaking up and, subsequently, falling in love with it. But Christmas wasn't a big thing and we love Christmas, so it was on a flight back to Berlin...

... where we visited one Christmas market a night, getting our fill of sausages, Gluhwein and friends. But another market awaited - reportedly the best - so a quick flight to Nuremberg...

... and then back to Berlin for Christmas + New Years with pals.

... one heckuva year.

But another one was right around the corner!