MrJohn
@mrjohn.blog
Travel blogger and podcaster trying to lead a more adventurous life: travel | going outside more | discovering new music 🎶
Blog: https://mrjohn.blog/
Blog: https://mrjohn.blog/
In a shock move, the Leeds-Bradford tram is to be delayed (and might not be a tram) as the government seem to be looking at the business case - third time lucky! trib.al/9aidkrf
Delays for long-awaited Leeds mass transit network opening, Tracy Brabin reveals
West Yorkshire’s long-awaited mass transit network has hit the buffers and will be delayed until the late 2030s, transport chiefs have revealed.
trib.al
December 18, 2025 at 4:18 PM
In a shock move, the Leeds-Bradford tram is to be delayed (and might not be a tram) as the government seem to be looking at the business case - third time lucky! trib.al/9aidkrf
Lazing on the Silk Road
Operation 3am Journeys on planes are only as good as the seat you get. My first leg - a Turkish Airlines flight from Madrid to Istanbul - was an exercise in endurance not seen since Shackleton attempted to cross Antarctica. I checked-in online for my 11:55 flight, and was…
Operation 3am Journeys on planes are only as good as the seat you get. My first leg - a Turkish Airlines flight from Madrid to Istanbul - was an exercise in endurance not seen since Shackleton attempted to cross Antarctica. I checked-in online for my 11:55 flight, and was…
Lazing on the Silk Road
Operation 3am Journeys on planes are only as good as the seat you get. My first leg - a Turkish Airlines flight from Madrid to Istanbul - was an exercise in endurance not seen since Shackleton attempted to cross Antarctica. I checked-in online for my 11:55 flight, and was rewarded with a random seat at the back of the plane, a position incompatible with needing to cross the world's third largest airport terminal building in record time to make my very tight connection, essential if I wanted to get to bed by 3am.
mrjohn.blog
December 16, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Lazing on the Silk Road
Operation 3am Journeys on planes are only as good as the seat you get. My first leg - a Turkish Airlines flight from Madrid to Istanbul - was an exercise in endurance not seen since Shackleton attempted to cross Antarctica. I checked-in online for my 11:55 flight, and was…
Operation 3am Journeys on planes are only as good as the seat you get. My first leg - a Turkish Airlines flight from Madrid to Istanbul - was an exercise in endurance not seen since Shackleton attempted to cross Antarctica. I checked-in online for my 11:55 flight, and was…
In another giant step for me, I actually went outside and did Tai Chi proper with other people yesterday - a lot of wobbling around on one leg involved, but I think this might become an official new hobby
December 15, 2025 at 7:08 AM
In another giant step for me, I actually went outside and did Tai Chi proper with other people yesterday - a lot of wobbling around on one leg involved, but I think this might become an official new hobby
I'm changing my mind about King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard's Phantom Island album, I originally thought it was the poor relation to the more upbeat Flight b741, but having played it a lot over the past few days, I think it might be quite a bit better than its predecessor.
December 10, 2025 at 11:54 AM
I'm changing my mind about King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard's Phantom Island album, I originally thought it was the poor relation to the more upbeat Flight b741, but having played it a lot over the past few days, I think it might be quite a bit better than its predecessor.
In the end I got these Barkóczi Noémi albums in Budapest. I was unable to find any of the bands I'd researched in Wave Music, but had a great chat with the guy who worked there and went with his recommendations.
December 6, 2025 at 10:30 AM
In the end I got these Barkóczi Noémi albums in Budapest. I was unable to find any of the bands I'd researched in Wave Music, but had a great chat with the guy who worked there and went with his recommendations.
This is a very odd list, I don't know all the stations on this list, but I'm surprised to see no American stations on it, and to see Madrid's Atocha so high, even the nice old part isn't "spectacular" www.timeout.com/london/news/...
It’s official: the most ‘spectacular’ train station in the world is in London
Two of the capital’s rail hubs have been named among the planet’s most beautiful.
www.timeout.com
December 3, 2025 at 5:53 AM
This is a very odd list, I don't know all the stations on this list, but I'm surprised to see no American stations on it, and to see Madrid's Atocha so high, even the nice old part isn't "spectacular" www.timeout.com/london/news/...
Last trip of a long and difficult year
December 1, 2025 at 10:22 AM
Last trip of a long and difficult year
Budapest next week, and thinking of Middlemist Red, The Qualitons and Folkfonics to add to my music collection, and possibly One Minute Stories (István Örkény) and Budapest Noir (Vilmos Kondor) for books, although if they have Tibor Fischer's The Hungarian Tiger I'll probably get that too
November 28, 2025 at 7:55 PM
Budapest next week, and thinking of Middlemist Red, The Qualitons and Folkfonics to add to my music collection, and possibly One Minute Stories (István Örkény) and Budapest Noir (Vilmos Kondor) for books, although if they have Tibor Fischer's The Hungarian Tiger I'll probably get that too
Of all the things in the world, Black Friday is one of the least interesting in my opinion.
November 28, 2025 at 12:16 PM
Of all the things in the world, Black Friday is one of the least interesting in my opinion.
I have been on the same Air Europa Boeing Dreamliner three times in the past 10 days (back from Istanbul on my recent visit to Tashkent, then to/from Istanbul on my visit there this week).
November 28, 2025 at 6:02 AM
I have been on the same Air Europa Boeing Dreamliner three times in the past 10 days (back from Istanbul on my recent visit to Tashkent, then to/from Istanbul on my visit there this week).
We need to make is socially unacceptable to remain in your cramped airline seats, squashing a stranger (me) into the window seat, when there are plenty of available empty rows to relocate to.
November 28, 2025 at 6:00 AM
We need to make is socially unacceptable to remain in your cramped airline seats, squashing a stranger (me) into the window seat, when there are plenty of available empty rows to relocate to.
Happy to find this book on my Istanbul tour - I've read some Orhan Pamuk but fancied this by Elif Shafak
November 24, 2025 at 10:55 AM
Happy to find this book on my Istanbul tour - I've read some Orhan Pamuk but fancied this by Elif Shafak
I didn't really want to go to Tashkent, I was weary at the end of a long and difficult year, and unsure about going to a country and region I didn't know, but in the end it awakened a new fascination with the central Asian region - can't wait to go back.
November 22, 2025 at 6:28 AM
I didn't really want to go to Tashkent, I was weary at the end of a long and difficult year, and unsure about going to a country and region I didn't know, but in the end it awakened a new fascination with the central Asian region - can't wait to go back.
Fancy metro here in Tashkent
November 19, 2025 at 2:13 PM
Fancy metro here in Tashkent
Flying visit to a lonely sunny and warm Tashkent
November 17, 2025 at 8:24 AM
Flying visit to a lonely sunny and warm Tashkent
I'm travelling to Tashkent soon, I'll be working so very limited on time, so any top tips to get the most of my fleeting visit? #Tashkent
November 14, 2025 at 6:30 AM
I'm travelling to Tashkent soon, I'll be working so very limited on time, so any top tips to get the most of my fleeting visit? #Tashkent
There are no bins in England
I wasn't sure I wanted to write this post, it's not my usual kind of thing - it's four days of tourism with friends, not proper travel, and normally I'd turn my nose up at such things. My original plan was not to include it (hence most of the photos are not mine), but…
I wasn't sure I wanted to write this post, it's not my usual kind of thing - it's four days of tourism with friends, not proper travel, and normally I'd turn my nose up at such things. My original plan was not to include it (hence most of the photos are not mine), but…
There are no bins in England
I wasn't sure I wanted to write this post, it's not my usual kind of thing - it's four days of tourism with friends, not proper travel, and normally I'd turn my nose up at such things. My original plan was not to include it (hence most of the photos are not mine), but then I changed my mind because I learnt so much about London creating the itineraries, then even more when I started to tentatively write this, that I thought it was worth a try ...
mrjohn.blog
November 8, 2025 at 12:36 PM
There are no bins in England
I wasn't sure I wanted to write this post, it's not my usual kind of thing - it's four days of tourism with friends, not proper travel, and normally I'd turn my nose up at such things. My original plan was not to include it (hence most of the photos are not mine), but…
I wasn't sure I wanted to write this post, it's not my usual kind of thing - it's four days of tourism with friends, not proper travel, and normally I'd turn my nose up at such things. My original plan was not to include it (hence most of the photos are not mine), but…
Exciting - don't often get the chance to go on a proper train. Heading north.
October 31, 2025 at 1:30 PM
Exciting - don't often get the chance to go on a proper train. Heading north.
Next podcast has been recorded, so will be out in the wild fairly soon, am still catching up with old posts. New posts on the way on me trying to rekindle my "love" of cycling and on a recent visit to London with friends
October 25, 2025 at 7:12 AM
Next podcast has been recorded, so will be out in the wild fairly soon, am still catching up with old posts. New posts on the way on me trying to rekindle my "love" of cycling and on a recent visit to London with friends
Just listened to Rush "Signals" - the first album I ever got by the Canadian trio, back in 1983 - and it really is a cracking album, there's so much more to it than I first thought, songs like Digital Man and The Weapon are outstanding.
October 17, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Just listened to Rush "Signals" - the first album I ever got by the Canadian trio, back in 1983 - and it really is a cracking album, there's so much more to it than I first thought, songs like Digital Man and The Weapon are outstanding.
Heard Talking Heads in Aldi today, not for the first time either - was a bit narked when they interrupted it for a noisy advert
October 17, 2025 at 9:17 AM
Heard Talking Heads in Aldi today, not for the first time either - was a bit narked when they interrupted it for a noisy advert
I don't really take many photos at gigs, I like to live in the moment and enjoy the music, but this time I erroneously stayed in the balcony so a lot of the music was drowned out by the many people who come to a gig to chitchat with their friends #CountingCrows
October 17, 2025 at 7:15 AM
I don't really take many photos at gigs, I like to live in the moment and enjoy the music, but this time I erroneously stayed in the balcony so a lot of the music was drowned out by the many people who come to a gig to chitchat with their friends #CountingCrows
Many new things in London this week, top of the tree for me was the British Library, my new favourite place
October 5, 2025 at 8:46 PM
Many new things in London this week, top of the tree for me was the British Library, my new favourite place
I've never yet been on a TAP Air Portugal flight that has gone smoothly. Today is no exception, even this tiny short hop from Madrid is beyond them as a third delay is announced. My money is also on them forcing me to check in my hand baggage.
September 28, 2025 at 8:00 AM
I've never yet been on a TAP Air Portugal flight that has gone smoothly. Today is no exception, even this tiny short hop from Madrid is beyond them as a third delay is announced. My money is also on them forcing me to check in my hand baggage.