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

Travel Report: Fitzneal Street, London.

December 13, 2021

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 […]

Travel Report: Cat Ba Island, Vietnam.

September 21, 2021

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 […]

Travel Report: Florida Nostalgia.

July 10, 2021

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 […]

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

May 30, 2021

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 […]

Travel Report: Ayutthaya Historical Park, Thailand.

May 01, 2021

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 […]

Baptism of Fire, a short story from Qatar.

March 17, 2021

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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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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11 Oct 2023

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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08 Oct 2023

Cool Spots Around Istanbul (Part II).

Cool Spots Around Istanbul (Part II). September-October 2020. Following my recent article, Cool spots Around Istanbul, it’s time to wrap up my last batch of sights from across the city. So let’s get going with… Cool Spots Around Istanbul Part II. Sometimes the most memorable travel moments can just be soaking up the atmosphere of […]

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04 Oct 2023

Cool Spots Around Istanbul (Part I).

Cool Spots Around Istanbul. September-October 2020. At long last I am edging towards the end of my Istanbul series. What an incredible city it is, something I have hopefully succeeded in showing over the last seventeen articles. Now, as per Leighton Travels tradition, it’s time to round up the best of the rest. And boy […]

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01 Oct 2023

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 […]

The Adorable Cats of Istanbul by Leighton Travels

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27 Sep 2023

The Adorable Cats of Istanbul.

The Adorable Cats of Istanbul. September-October 2020 & August 2022. I’ve been looking forward to putting this piece out for months. Sladja and I are both passionate and unapologetic cat lovers. Everywhere we travel, without fail, we end up befriending the local kitties. We nearly always stop to stroke friendly felines. Moreover, we have often fed […]