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“Short stories and travel reports from my life adventures around the globe”.

Travel Report: Fitzneal Street, London.

Fitzneal Street, London. July, 2019. With thanks to my dad and Uncle Doug for their help in making this article possible.  —— I had butterflies in my stomach as I turned off Old Oak Common Lane into Fitzneal Street. Butterflies because, dear god, the street hadn’t changed a bit in over 35 years. In an […]

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Travel Report: Cat Ba Island, Vietnam.

Cat Ba Island. April 2018. It was a hot and humid overcast day in Vietnam when I finally left Hanoi for four nights on Cat Ba Island. I’d had a wonderful time in the Vietnamese capital, but it had all been a bit full-on. Now, I figured, it was time for a little rest and […]

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Travel Report: Florida Nostalgia.

Florida Nostalgia. The summers of 1989, 1991, 1994. Hey folks, I’m gonna try something different today. In fact, this is is not your usual programming. After eight instalments documenting my U.S. travel nostalgia, I found myself tempted by the prospect of concluding the series with a piece that goes even further back. Now when I say […]

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Mad Day Out Beatles Taxi Tour, Liverpool (Part I).

Mad Day Out Beatles Taxi Tour, Liverpool. May 2019. Coming to Liverpool and seeing all The Beatles sites was a dream come true for me. Having toured The Beatles Story, visited the Double Fantasy Exhibition and caught some live music at both The Cavern Club and The Cavern Pub, it was finally time for the prospect […]

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Travel Report: Ayutthaya Historical Park, Thailand.

Ayutthaya Historical Park. April 2015. I was so damn excited on the train from Bangkok to Ayutthaya! Following my ten day stay in the Thai capital, it was finally time for me to head north to discover some rural delights. Back in Beijing, where I’d planned my trip around Thailand, it was the prospect of […]

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Baptism of Fire, a short story from Qatar.

Baptism of Fire, a short story from Qatar. In the summer of 2001 I boarded a near-empty Qatar Airways flight to Doha. Reuniting with my family who’d recently moved there for my father’s new job, it was my first time living abroad. —— ‘‘This is your classroom’’ said Jamla, switching on the light. It flickered […]

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Recent Posts

Goodness Gracious, Great Wall of China! a short story.

Goodness Gracious Great Wall of China! After a prolonged period of stability, I finally bid farewell to Belgium in the summer of 2009. Uninspired by life in grey, uneventful Brussels, I headed off to China for an unforgettable year of teaching and traveling. —— “Put your cookies in the bag!” I cried, addressing the group […]

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Bites & Gulps: Mouthwatering Moments in Istanbul.

Bites & Gulps: Mouthwatering Moments in Istanbul. September-October 2020. Well, dear readers, we have at long last arrived at my final Istanbul article. It is my 20th piece, and with today’s focus firmly on the city’s excellent food and drink scene, I hope very much to go out with a bang. So let’s get going, […]

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The Magnificent Mosques of Istanbul.

The Magnificent Mosques of Istanbul. September-October 2020. The mosques, the mosques, the mosques of Istanbul. Much like the city’s ubiquitous cats they are an ever-present feature wherever you go and whatever you do. Punctuating the skyline on both sides of The Bosphorus, these often stunning structures stand as vessels of community, faith, Turkish history and Islamic […]

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Leighton Thomas travel blogger travel writer

Traveling the world, one country at a time.

Let Me Take You Far Away Leighton Travels English travel blogger.

R.I.P. Leighton Literature 2014-2019

Leighton Literature Travel blogger Travel reports short stories.