North Korea - Day 2

After eating breakfast in the revolving restaurant on the 47th floor of our hotel in Pyongyang, we travelled the 175 kilometres (110 miles) down Reunification Highway to visit the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) and the border with South Korea. The journey took about 3 hours, including a brief stop at a small service area selling souvenirs.

At the DMZ we were given a guided tour of the border area by the North Korean military, before visiting the building in Panmunjom where the 1953 Armistice Agreement was signed.

We had lunch in a restaurant in the DMZ itself, where our waitresses were female military personnel. Outside there were North Korean soldiers of both genders who offered to sketch our portraits. I took them up on their offer and asked one of the artists to draw me with our guide Song.

We then visited the Koryo Museum housing old Korean relics, before beginning our second trip to the border, which was a stop at a military post overlooking the so-called Concrete Wall. This could be seen several kilometres away by looking through binoculars. Our guide was an amiable high-ranking military officer who explained the history of the wall before singing to us during the bus ride to the nearby city of Kaesong. 

After arriving at Kaesong, we were taken to see the huge statue of Kim Il-sung, before checking into our hotel, where a number of us opted to try the local delicacy, dog soup.

We finished the day with a very palatable North Korean beer, before turning in to prepare for the next day's agenda of the military parade in Pyongyang, followed by a visit to the Mass Games. 

Our waitress in the revolving restaurant

Early morning entertainment

Even William & Kate make the news in the DPRK

The 110-mile Reunification Highway linking Pyongyang with Kaesong

Parking at the service station

Souvenir sellers with their wares

Pins are among the items on sale

The 38th parallel with the border between North and South Korea running through the middle of the huts.

Tourists at the border with our military guide

The room in Panmunjom where the Armistice was signed in 1953

One table displays the original United Nations document

The other the document of the DPRK

Lunch in the DMZ

Our four waitresses

John showing off his photography skills to the ladies

A female soldier sketching one of the tourists in the DMZ

A male soldier drawing Song and me

Posing as a model with Song

Robert enjoying a joke with our DMZ guide

One of the many posters on sale in the gift shop

Any excuse to get close to the ladies....

Robert in front of the the border with South Korea near the Concrete Wall

A high-ranking official told us the history of the Concrete Wall

A view of Kaesong

The statue of Kim Il-sung from a distance

A group of local citizens paying their respects

Nick looking out on to the city

Our hotel in Kaesong

The large mural depicting Kim Il-sung and his son and successor Kim Jong-il in the hotel reception area

Robert in playful mode in our hotel room

The local delicacy, dog soup

After dinner entertainment at the hotel bar

North Korea - Day 1

At the end of July, I spent an incredible 8 days visiting the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The trip was unquestionably the most interesting one I've ever been on and I hope these photographs give you an insight into what I experienced there.

Having been lucky enough to live and work in the former German Democratic Republic before the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, this trip effectively took me back in time to a hugely important part of my life. In so many different ways, it felt like I spent a week re-living my youth.

On the first day, we took the 2-hour flight from Beijing to Pyongyang with the North Korean carrier Air Koryo. I was travelling with my U.S. American friend Robert and having arrived, we were met by our wonderful guide Song, before we joined up with the rest of our tour group. There were ten of us in total, all from England apart from Robert and two others from Nigeria.

We travelled by bus to the city centre, where we visited the Arc de Triomphe and then checked in to our hotel. After dinner and briefly exploring our surroundings, we got an early night to prepare ourselves for our momentous visit to the DMZ the following day.

My North Korean visa

In-flight entertainment

In-flight meal

Arrival at Pyongyang airport, 15 miles from the city centre

Our first stop was the Arch of Triumph in the capital, built to honour Kim Il-Sung's role in Korean resistance to the Japanese occupation from 1925-45. The arch was inaugurated on his 70th birthday in 1982 and is composed of 25,500 white granite blocks, each representative of one day in the Great Leader's life. At 60 metres (almost 200 feet) high and 50 metres (165 feet) wide, it is considerably bigger than the one in Paris.

The roundabout encircling the Arch of Triumph

Checking into the Yanggakdo Hotel

Our waitress in the revolving restaurant on the 47th floor of the hotel

The entrance to the entertainment complex in the basement of the hotel. The date commemorates the 60th anniversary of the victory of the DPRK over the U.S. imperialist and puppet South Korean forces on July 27th, 1953.

A news bulletin on a large screen in the entertainment complex

Korean dresses on sale in the hotel shop

A souvenir doll

English Morris Dancing

Rather like rolling cheeses down hills and burning effigies on November 5th, morris dancing is a quirky characteristic traditionally associated with the English.

Now that my brother has joined the ranks of the Shakespeare Morris Men, I was prompted to watch them perform on two occasions in very different settings on a midsummer's evening. Both performances were fascinating to watch.

Members of the English Folk Dance and Song Society for over 54 years, the Shakespeare Morris Men are proudly attired with the official Coat of Arms of John Shakespeare, William's esteemed father. They dance mainly Cotswolds 'traditionals'.

The Alvechurch Morris Men will soon be celebrating a quarter of a century together. Their entertaining blend of original and traditional dances from places such as Worcestershire, Gloucestershire and the Welsh borders are performed in working men's garb and with blacked faces.

Nobody knows for sure what the exact origins of morris dancing are. However, next time you see a troupe in action, space a thought for the performers and the dedication it takes to keep 

this age-old tradition going.

Summer 2013 in Europe

After the madness of last summer, I decided to drastically reduce my travels this year and opted instead to keep my stopovers to an absolute minimum.

I spent the first week with Monika in Brussels, visiting friends while I was there. 

As always, Grand Place looked spectacular by night.

The light show is still a firm favourite with tourists and locals alike.

I discovered that Julie's bichon frise Zoe is no longer as spritely as she once was. 

Consequently Luc had to carry her during our walk through Tervuren park.

Europe looks incredibly green to me after spending 2 years in Manila 

and Tervuren is no exception.

There was even a session of what looked like Tai Chi in progress to make me feel at home.

From Belgium I headed back to Blighty to spend the next few weeks with my family. 

My great-niece Lyra was a real cutie.

Once in Stratford, I looked on mesmerised as my brother strutted his stuff 

at several performances of the Shakespeare Morris Men.

In between, I spent a wonderful day in the Cotswolds with Sharon and Michael.

After leaving Brute's, I headed to Germany where I worked on my house in Little Krankow. 

Life doesn't change much there and the village characters remain as fascinating as ever.

Heiny is still sporting the hippy look.

Ingy is still auditioning for a part in the Smurfs.

Otto still cracks a good joke.

While Wolfgang and Eddy Redbeard are still the life and soul of the party.

My final port of call in Europe was Frankfurt, where I enjoyed a great weekend with the Boeck clan.

Eyke and Mark are still in fine form.

As indeed is Soeren.

Pascal unfortunately missed out on the get-together but was present in the form of his clone. 

Meanwhile the Boeck sisterly resemblance is still as striking as ever.

So after 7 wonderful weeks catching up with family and friends, I then set off to North Korea.

But that's another story.....