The Sound of a Wheeled Suitcase on Cobbles
An honest reckoning with over-tourism in Andalusia – the residents’ protests, the livelihoods it feeds, and the discomfort of being part of it.
-
-
Ronda and Setenil – a Christmas Day escape
Two of Andalusia’s off-beat yet dramatic towns in a day: Ronda’s gorge-spanning Puente Nuevo and white cliffs, and Setenil, its streets tucked under the rock.
-
Sinhagad, the anchor trek (Pune Region)
We went up Sinhagad countless times. Being the closest non-trivial trek to Pune city, it was the go-to trek, not only for us, but for the whole Puneri trekking community. Pune, being an industrial city, had Thursdays off – so Thursday morning was a popular time for the hardcore trekkers to be there. The more…
-
Trek the Sahyadris
From a 1993 internship in Pune to a lifetime love of the Sahyadris – the Western Ghats that ring the city. Treks in all seasons, all weathers, with an inner circle of friends who had rules, standards, and strong opinions about what counted as a real trek.
-
Epilogue (Mar 2026)
Mar 2026 Reading through this letter full of memories from ~30 years ago, it’s been great reconnecting with my younger self. Some felt like discoveries, and some had stuck with me through the years and came back enhanced in full color detail. Note to myself now – revisit Italy! Venice without a romantic partner had…
-
Málaga – the trip exhales by the sea
The final stop on a Moorish Andalusia rail trip – the Alcazaba and Gibralfaro, the Roman theater, the cathedral’s stained glass, and New Year’s Eve by the sea.
-
When a Food Culture Doesn’t Want You
Eating vegetarian across Andalusia: why Spain’s protein-first food culture left me hungry – and the few things it gets gloriously right.
-
Granada – a city I’d already visited in my head
Granada, imagined long before I arrived – the Generalife gardens, the white Albaicín, snow on the Sierra Nevada, and a flamenco night that surprised me.
-
Seville – exuberance, and a quiet refusal
Four winter days in Seville – the Royal Alcázar, Plaza de España, the Giralda and Las Setas – and one traveller’s quiet refusal of the bullfight.
-
Córdoba – where the idea becomes a building
A reflective day and a half in Córdoba, where the Mezquita-Cathedral – a cathedral built inside a mosque – makes Andalusia’s layered history visible.
