Graymatter Nomadic - The unhurried traveler's companion to cultural espionage n some of the most interesting places on earth.

Limestone, Miradouros & Empire: The well-kept secrets in a European capital

… I noticed a weathered, well-worn look to this former world capital. I cannot say that any building gleams. The point may be that Lisbon doesn’t need to. It is elegant and without pretense. The Marquis de Pombal’s Lisbon does not shout, “Look at me!” like Hassuman’s Paris. It doesn’t present the near perfect preservation of the centre of Amsterdam.
Lisbon is a more unassuming city than other European capitals, and that is part of the reason to visit.

How to criss-cross Croatia: Water Falls, City Walls, and a forgotten Roman Emperor

“It is easy to travel brilliantly in Croatia. It offers mountains and beautiful waterfalls in addition to a famous coastline, castles, and walled cities. My month-long trip to Croatia was like finally wandering down a meandering street just a bit out of the way in your home town. A month criss-crossing Croatia felt like a slow walk down that street which had been beckoning you but which you had never before had the chance to explore.”

NEW YORK: Pretend it’s a country.

If you haven’t seen the limited Netflix series “pretend it’s a City” featuring Fran Leibowitz and Martin Scorsese then I encourage you to do so, whether or not you are planning a trip to New York. While Fran never seems to leave Manhattan I visited all five boroughs during my first post-Covid stay. (Although I lived 30 years in New York I am sure that i never visited all five boroughs in a single year yet alone in just over a week.) Here is what I like to call the theoretical and the practical for a brilliant trip to the Big Apple.

Mukiza in the mist: memories, post-cards & mountain gorilla trekking

“After about an hour of hiking and John communicating regularly with the trackers by radio, he pointed to a pile of excrement on the gourd. He looked up at me, told me what we were staring at, and said, “Now I guarantee that you will see mountain gorillas!” My heart was beating fast from the hiking but it skipped a beat at those words.”

Geting a Covid test in Tanzania: A how-to guide

For more, see the series Tanzania

TRAVEL BRILLIANTLY: the practical & philosophical for unhurried, informed travelers.

“Our world is filled with amazing museums, monuments, temples, restaurants, national parks, theaters, and other wonders. My site aims to provide the practical and the theoretical information and advice you need to plan and enrich your next travel adventure”.

Home on your hips: A backpack for the unhurried traveler

“the design of the Tortuga has caused me to think of one section the main compartment as my bedroom, another as my bathroom, a long back pocket as my office — a feature I discovered only after being on a trip for a month.”

Africa on the cheap. What I spent on safari & more

For more, see the series Tanzania

Going Home: A Trip To The Cradle Of Humanity

“We then walked through the muddy ground to visit the concealed 30 meter long track made by our human ancestors so long ago. My guide was unimpressed — honestly there is not much to see but I was moved to be standing in a place occupied by hominids for over three million years. I was in the Great Rift Valley of Africa, in the Cradle of Humanity.”

Safari — Wildlife wonders & the journey of a lifetime

[Our guide] spoke like this: “Zebras and wildebeests are friends.” “The enemy of the baboon is the lion.” Animals did not make sounds. Instead they had “voices.” He told us which conducted “revenge attacks” and why. Trees did not have habitats, they had “rules for living” Elephants — intelligent, social, and so improbable — were wild dangerous but would “respect” our vehicle. I hung on each bit of safari poetry.

Be a brilliant traveler!