About Me

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Troy Nahumko is an award-winning author based in Caceres, Spain. His recent work focuses on travels around the Mediterranean, from Tangier to Istanbul. As a writer and photographer he has contributed to newspapers and media such as Lonely Planet, The Globe and Mail, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Toronto Star, The Irish World, The Straits Times, The Calgary Herald, Khaleej Times, DW-World and El Pais. He also writes a bi-weekly op-ed column 'Camino a Ítaca' for the Spanish newspaper HOY. As an ESL materials writer he has worked with publishers such as Macmillan and CUP.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Springing Spring

Why does it seem that with every year, winter seems to get longer and longer? No matter how mild the year, as with this past winter here in Extremadura, the dark days of the 'other' equinox drag on longer than your 10th grade math teacher droning on about algebra. I even sometimes find myself wishing that global warming would speed up.

But thankfully spring is in full swing here in Caceres, so much so that its usual intense but brief appearance may even be waning towards summer, with temperatures well into the 20's this week. The jasmine in my patio is heady and I find myself spending less and less time indoors. Soon the boom boom of the droning Semana Santa drums will echo along the millenial walls here in the Old Town and the saints will come out for their yearly airing, accompanied of course by their eerie, hooded retinue.

I came across these photos the other day on the Guardian, scenes of another spring equinox celebration, one that runs from Turkey to China, Nowruz. The picture below reminds me of a particularly curious conversation I had with a student of mine in Azerbaijan who had recently 'found religion' as it were.

After regaling me with respun words learned at the Saudi funded mosque regarding the wonders of a purer islam than that which could be found at the Iranian funded house of worship down the street, he then moved onto the Novruz celebration that was about to take place there in Baku. He filled me in on the delightfully pagan traditions of growing fresh green wheat sprouts on every kitchen table and of course, the cleansing jump over the fire seen below.

I didn't have the heart to ask him what his Wahabi wiseman thought of that...

Friday, March 4, 2011

A Tripoli a world away from now

I look down and check the time on my Ghaddafi watch and remember walks through the old town in Tripoli, a world and a war away from the hell that it must be now.

Click over to Trazzler trip in the old medina.

A different time from now.





Thursday, March 3, 2011

Tripping Through the Okanagan

Helmcken falls, Wells Grey Provincial Park, B.C

I've been working with the great people over at Trazzler again, this time trapsing through the beautiful Okanagan valley in southern British Colombia. 10 trips, 10 different things to do while you pinch yourself and wonder if you really are in the frozen Great White North. OK...a few are not exactly in the valley, but if you're in the neighbourhood...well...

First Stop

- Mexican food in Oroville, Washington
- Then a bit of Iron Man
- Desserting on some ancient culture in Osoyoos, British Colombia
- Inland Sea Monsters on Rattlesnake Island, B.C!!!
- Getting some skiing in Apex
- Houseboating in the houseboat capital in Sicamoose, B.C
- Making Niagra seem minature in Wells Grey Provincial park near Clearwater, B.C

Troy Nahumko Writing Profile

I first got to know Rolf Potts in the dark depths of the pandemic when he hosted a series of interviews with people around the world discuss...