All countries I’ve visited from A to Z

I “use” to be very scared of flying so never “risked it”. However, although I’m still scared I did fly for the first time in 1998 and ever since then till Covid I’ve been trying to make up for lost time.

This page is dedicated to all my friends who have had to endure me before and during flights, but especially my long-suffering travel companion/guide Mr Neil West (having said that it should be noted that when I collapsed through fear on a flight to Vietnam he was no-where to be seen!! But I’m grateful to the mid-wife who came to my assistance after the (second) announcement requesting a medic!

The appearance of Neil and Digger was never the same after their holiday in Nepal in 2004.
Well what do “Sunday Times” readers know about anything! (see the lovely Bulgarian entry below)

 


ARGENTINA (Feb 2015)

Durante sus vacaciones Neil y Digger estaban felices de solicitar la nacionalidad argentina (clarkson gracias por revolviendo para arriba! Tosser)

 

Argentina has its own Lake District

 

Argentina is more famous for its wine

 

FOR MORE PHOTOS GO TO http://www.diggersworld.net/holidays/argentina-2015/


BELGIUM (May 2002)

You can never be lost with this many guide books and maps. Brussels is a city of culture

 

Or not.

 


BELIZE (April 1999, March 2005)

And it was a Caulker! for snorkling and underwater photography.

 

 

 

 

 


BULGARIA (Summer 2000 and 2001-I think!)

In the “old days” it use to be easy to get to Bulgaria. You just needed to tag along with a butch of archaeologists and fly Balkan Airlines

 

And what wonders awaited you in the villages

 

And in the cities

 

But no one can say you can’t have a good time in Bulgaria. Donkey racing is a very popular sport when British archaeologist stay in a small agricultural village and think its like Roman chariot racing (how did I lose?)

 


CAMBODIA (March 2003)

 

Ankor Wat. What more can you say.

 

As the sign says “visit Cambodia 2003”. And we did.

 


CANARIES (January 2000)

Penguins in the Canaries? seeing is believing.(Presumably if you had the idea that this was a serious travel guide you are getting wiser now)

 


CHILE (Feb 2015)

 

 

FOR MORE PHOTOS GO TO http://www.diggersworld.net/holidays/chile-2015/

 


CUBA (January 2002)

Havana- just like the tourist adverts (photo by JT)

 

Missile Crisis. What crisis. (Photo by JT)

 


CROATIA (October 2015, 2016 & 2018)

Split is famous for its Roman Palace

 

Its also famous for its football team- Hajduk

 

Its less famous for its Lakes

 

And its waterfalls

 

FOR MORE PHOTOS GO TO http://www.diggersworld.net/holidays/

 


CZECH REPUBLIC (September 2003, October 2004)

 

 

 


 

FRANCE (July 1998, November 2007, August 2015, August 2016, August 2018)

1998-What did you during World Cup 98? Well I went to a small village called St. Bernard-de-Comminges in the South of France of course. Here seen in the (only) bar after the Argentina game.

 

2007- View from my bedroom window in the chateau across the vineyard to Trichot vineyard.

 

2015- Swim Les Gorges De L’Ardeche

 

2015- Swim Les Arch

 

2015- Swim Pont Du Gard

 

FOR MORE PHOTOS OF SWIM LE ARC GO TO http://www.diggersworld.net/holidays/france-august-2015/

 

2016- Swim La Dordogne

 

2016- Swim The Dord

 

FOR MORE PHOTOS OF SWIM THE DORDOGNE GO TO http://www.diggersworld.net/holidays/france-august-2016-swim-la-dor-dogne/

 

2018- Uzes. Great town but not so good for vegetarians.

 

2018- Evening meal at the villa

 

2018= Pont du Gard. One of my favourite places in the world (archaeology and river swimming= GENIUS)

 

FOR MORE PHOTOS OF FRANCE 2018 GO TO http://www.diggersworld.net/holidays/south-of-france-july-2018/

 


GAMBIA (January 1998)

Downtown Bansang.

 

A police station in downtown Banjul (to report the theft of a hire bike with the shop owner)

 

Swimming in River Gambia

 


GERMANY (March 1998, June 2006)

1998- on the Dutch/German border

 

2006- Leipzig for the clash between Iran and Wycombe Wanderers (disguised as Angola on this occasion)

 

2006- Wycombe Wanderer fans on tour for the World Cup Finals

 


GIBRALTAR (September 2008)

View of Gibraltar from the sea

 

Monkey!

 


 

GUATEMALA (March 1999)

 

Chichicastenango, a window shoppers paradise without the windows.

 

Tikal. Stunning site in stunning location.

 

They do like processions

 

I think I fitted in quite well!!

 


HONDURAS (March 1999)

Copan

 

 


ISRAEL (March 1997)

The first ever photo of Digger on foreign land having been on an aeroplane (Ovda Airport)

 

Somewhere for Easter with links to Christianity

 

At this time, 1997, their government was acting as if it was genuine with regard the peace process. Not any more, so don’t go.


ITALY (June 1998)

I don’t usually like cities, but Rome was different. Whether it was all that Roman stuff or the prostitutes on Via Appia………..well thats another story
Pompeii- what can you say?!

 

Herculaneum- what can you say?!!

 


JORDAN (March 1997)

Petra (well actually its Graham, Digger and Neil)

 

Day 3 of Diggers first ever foreign holiday. Sleeping rough in Wadi Rum (before the Bedouin took us away….). Re-arrange Fire and Baptism.

 

Jerash- less visited than Pompeii

 


LEBANON (October 2009)

Although Neil is an excellent tour guide and friend, I was a little surprised when the first thing he did when I arrived in Beruit was take me to the temporary mausoleum of Rafiq Hariri, his body guards and drivers!!!

 

Qadisha valley in northern Lebanon

 

Sea front at Tyre, southern Lebanon.

 

FOR MORE PHOTOS GO TO http://www.diggersworld.net/holidays/lebanon-2009/

 


MALLORCA (June 2002)

Digger spent a week on a “4-39 Club Holiday” in Mallorca. Here we see the tour guide (Jono) attempting to persuade Digger that this bridge is indeed Roman!

 

Digger investigating a possible location for Swim the Door

 


MEXICO (April 1999, March 2005)

Yes. YES. YES

 

1999- Chichen Itza- The ball court

 

1999- Chichen Itza- Main temple

 

1999- Tulum. Archaeology and sea swimming heaven

 

2005- River swimming at its best

 

2005- When in Mexico

 

 


NEPAL (March 2004)

Everest Base Camp is like being on top of the world (apparently some people go even higher!!)

 

 

 

 

 


NETHERLANDS (March 1998 and June 2006)

1998- the border

 

1998- All the best houses in Holland have silly shutters, but with auto-timer photography you can hide them.

 

2006- can you guess whether there was a football tournament on or not?

 

2006- one of the more unexpected flags I observed in a house

 


PORTUGAL (October 2008)

The Institute of Port in Lisbon. Need I say more?!!

 

I think the receipt says it all.

 


SENEGAL (February 1998)

Transport was colourful, but you often had to sit on the roof as the inside was sometimes full of fish

 

At this inland wildlife reserve we saw rabbits and deer……….

 

Senegal has some fantastic coast.

 


SYRIA (October 2009)

Palmyra: like Pompeii but in the desert

 

Great country, great history, great culture…………. crap rulers.

TO SEE MORE PHOTOS FROM SYRIA GO TO http://www.diggersworld.net/holidays/syria-2009/

 


TANZANIA (October 2006)

Safari

 

 

Ngorongoro Crater: a magical place that words cannot adequately describe.

 

 

 

 

 

Seaside

 

 

We’d change a bit by the end of the holiday

 


THAILAND (March 2003)

Ko Chang: Lonely Beach (not quite as lonely now as the name would suggest).
They like their signs

 

Although for a beach resort they do seem a bit alarming.

 

Bangkok

 


VATICAN CITY (June 1998)

Come on, when you only started flying/going abroad in 1997 everything counts!!

 


VIETNAM (February 2003)

TAM COC (three caves) boat trip through breathtaking scenery.

 


more to come (I hope)……..more to come (I hope)……..more to come (I hope)……..more to come (I hope)……..