Naxos, Eastbourne and beyond

Sunday 21 September 2025

It's a marble rectangle, over two metres high, the remains of an unfinished temple. It stands on a rocky hillside on the coast; it's surrounded by marble blocks. Through it the white blocky buildings of the town of Naxos are visible, as well as dark, sunlit clouds. — About to leave Naxos by ferry on a properly (but temporarily) cloudy day

And that might be goodbye for now. Until last Friday I had been travelling by myself, but from now on I’ll be visiting friends and hanging out, and so I’ll have a lot less time (and a lot less need) to blog. Don’t unsubscribe yet — I might have more to say later, and I’ll almost certainly write something when I’m heading home.

Naxos

The courtyard of the hotel. The usual flat-roofed white buildings, but also palm trees and a pool surrounded by white and blue plastic sun lounges.

The outdoor seating area of a café, looking out onto a small square surounded by shops and restaurants. It's very sunny, and there are a few people sitting at the tables.

A narrow stone-paved staircase in the Kastro in Chora, Naxos, with whitewashed buildings on either side and an archway at the end.

The Catholic Catheral in Naxos, a beige-plastered building with a domed apse and tall arched bell tower, set in the narrow stone-paved lanes of the Kastro in Chora, Naxos under a deep blue sky.

I left Naxos on Thursday morning, after staying for five nights. I think I liked Naxos nearly as much as I liked Paros. It’s bigger and more touristy, but it’s always just a short walk to somewhere less central, and there are lots of nice places with excellent and varied Greek food. I spend four days chilling by the hotel pool, swimming, reading, wandering the streets and getting to know the town.

A glass cabinet containing six stylised female figurines of various sizes made out of white stone. — Cycladic figurines from the Archaeological Museum of Naxos, probably third millennium BCE

Nothing much more to report. The Archaeological Museum of Naxos has been closed for renovation for a while, but there’s a room in a nearby building that houses the important parts of the collection — the same sorts of Cycladic figurines and ceramics that were in the Museum on Mykonos. I found a skilled and enthusiastic barber. And my last late lunch on the island was ample and delicious, the sky was clear, the sun was shining and there was a cool sea breeze.

My flight back to London was very early on Friday morning, and so I spent Thursday getting myself as close as possible to Athens Airport. First, a ferry from Naxos to the Piraeus. Then a metro train to Pallini, a suburban town in the Greater Athens area. And then a bus to Spata, without an R, which is a smaller town about five kilometres from the airport. I arrived at about four in the afternoon, tired and vaguely hungry.

I had my last meal in Greece here, at a hip little restaurant called Ataka. And then I went back to the huge apartment I had somehow rented cheaply from a faceless company none of whose representatives I ever met or spoke to. And I was asleep by 7 so I could be ready to get to the airport at 3 the next morning.

Eastbourne

Now I’m staying with Joe and Mark in Eastbourne. Just like last time, the plan is to hang out and watch telly, and for me and Joe to do some podcasting together in person. We’ll catch up with a few more people too.

Yesterday, Joe and Mark and I travelled to London so that I could go to the British Film Institute — more specifically the bar at the British Film Institute — where I caught up with some friends who had attended the launch of the new Blu-Ray box set of the 1975–1976 season of Doctor Who. I also met a few people for the first time — some of them people I had podcasted with and some of them people I follow on Bluesky. And two people came up and said hello to me after they recognised my voice from listening to Flight Through Entirety. (This has never happened to me before.)

And beyond

I leave Eastboune next Monday, and I fly out of Heathrow the Monday after that. Between those two Mondays, three things. First, I’m staying with Angela, who I first stayed with in 2007 and who I’ve known since 1994 when we were both working at Grammar. Then I’m joining James to catch the Eurostar for a short trip to Amsterdam. And finally, I’m planning to catch up with a few more people before I go home.

2025 Long Service Leave

Epilogue

Tuesday 7 October 2025

The Victoria Memorial with its gilded statue shining in the sunlight in front of Buckingham Palace, London, on a clear blue day with crowds gathered around the monument.

I’m nearly home now. The first time I posted this holiday was from the airport in Taipei; I’m here again now on my way back. I’ll be home with Calvin and the dogs and my Nintendo Switch tomorrow morning.

I’ve only posted once since arriving in the UK. Since then, I’ve had a busy couple of weeks, hanging out with friends and doing stuff. It’s been fun, particularly after my solitary and relaxed time in Greece.

So: a quick summary of the last two weeks.

A pub with dark timber and whitewashed walls under a reddish-brown tiled roof, labeled “The Beachy Head.” Picnic tables sit on the paved courtyard in front, under a bright blue sky with scattered clouds. — The Beachy Head hotel

For just over a week, I stayed with Joe and Mark in Eastbourne. We hung out, watched telly, and ate. Joe and I recorded three episodes of Untitled Star Trek Project (episodes 166, 167 and 168), and an episode of Strictly Come Hamster. (It’s so much more fun doing this in person than over Zoom.) We wandered up to the Beachy Head with Rob to have lunch.We visited Brighton twice, once to have lunch and to visit famed genre merch treasure trove Snooper’s Paradise, and once to see a live podcast show called Uncanny. And one night, Col came down to join me for drinks and dinner in town.

A wide view of the foyer of the National Theatre, with people milling about and sitting on benches and café tables. The space features tall pillars, large windows letting in evening light, and a hanging sculpture of metallic leaves. — The National Theatre foyer

Then I stayed with Ange and Joseph in London for a few days. I first met Ange over thirty years ago, when I first started teaching at Grammar. It was great to just catch up and hang out, but we also went to see the Picasso exhibition at the Tate Modern, the new production of Euripides’ Bacchae at the National Theatre, and the exhibition on Marie Antoinette at the V & A.

A street in Amsterdam at night. The front of the Spijkerbar is visible, lit up in rainbow lights and festooned with rainbow flags. — The Spijkerbar

After that, two nights in Amsterdam with James, who happened to be over in Europe at the same time. We visited the highlights of the collection in the Rijksmuseum, ate some food and did some bar-hopping (including a visit to the Spijkerbar). It was not my first trip to Amsterdam, of course, but it was my first time travelling by Eurostar, so that’s another thing off the bucket list.

Finally, two nights in London at a hotel near Kensington High Street. The first day, I spent an afternoon with James and Conrad at the Fitzroy Tavern, meeting some new people and catching up with a couple of old friends. And then yesterday I went for a walk through Hyde Park to Buckingham Palace, before catching the Tube back to the hotel to pack. Then off to the airport for an evening flight.

Which brings me back here. It’s been another great trip, and after such a long break, I’m kind of looking forward to going back to work on Monday to catch up with everyone and to find out what’s been going on in my absence.

And after nearly thirty-two years at Grammar, I still have a bit of long service leave left. So, Deo volente, I’ll see you all back here in a couple of years.

2025 Long Service Leave