Notes

Short observations on places, details and moments that don’t need a full essay.

Byron Bay
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Byron Bay

Sunrise at the lighthouse, coffee in flip-flops and dolphins offshore. A few notes on Byron Bay, where getting outside early begins to feel entirely normal.

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Athens
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Athens

Athens carries its history without ceremony. Ancient landmarks appear between graffiti-covered streets, while a new confidence takes hold across its food, drink and culture.

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Sifnos
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Sifnos

“Some magical island energy there,” an acquaintance messaged me while we were in Sifnos. Two months on, I know exactly what he meant.

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Catania
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Catania

Back outside, there’s a sense of danger I can never quite place. Nothing has happened, yet the city keeps me alert. An arancino helps.

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Modica
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Modica

We arrive late afternoon. It is winter and the warm light of golden hour has softly blanketed the opposite hillside, right before our eyes. Modica is a complex web of steep hillsides and even steeper steps…

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Siracusa
Joel Beighton Joel Beighton

Siracusa

The shimmer of the sea, broken only by small, elegant ripples, is how I’ll remember Siracusa.
At first light, fishermen line the shores of Ortigia, hoping for a lucky catch…

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Palermo
Joel Beighton Joel Beighton

Palermo

Palermo is a city living on the edge. It feels vibrant and full of life, but this isn’t a polished city. Beautiful palazzi sit alongside ruins. Chaotic marketplaces where shouting, singing and dancing are all commonplace are strewn with discarded vegetable leaves, as the smell of deep-frying panelle fills the air…

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