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 Boston Review, The Globe and Mail, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Toronto Star, Counterpunch,The Irish World, The Straits Times, The Calgary Herald, Khaleej Times, DW-World, Rabble and El Pais. He also writes a bi-weekly op-ed column 'Camino a Ítaca' for the Spanish newspaper HOY. His book, Stories Left in Stone, Trails and Traces in Cáceres, Spain is published by the University of Alberta Press.As an ESL materials writer he has worked with publishers such as Macmillan and CUP.

Saturday, June 28, 2025

What If the Axis of Evil Served You Watermelon?


"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness."
— Mark Twain 

Samuel Clemens, the master of irony, wrote this during his "Grand Tour" around the Mediterranean in the late 1800s. It's a truism that doesn't always stick — not everyone becomes wiser through travel. But even for the most seasoned travelers, the road can still deal out unexpected lessons in humility.
In this week's Camino a Ítaca, I revisit one of those personal lessons — a journey through Iran that served up reality in heavy, humbling doses. As the war drums beat louder and popular narratives cast everyone in ancient Persia as villains from that awful 300 movie, Twain's words feel more urgent than ever.
Click through to read the longer English version in Counterpunch or read the version in Spanish over at HOY. (PDF en castellano abajo)


Saturday, June 14, 2025

How Pure Is Pure Enough? Asking for a Carpenter From Nazareth


God help us. The war drums are beating again. Somewhere between the tortilla and the gazpacho, the far-right guardians of Spanishness are having a collective nosebleed — purity tests for everything from ham to human beings. I couldn’t sit idly by and watch the madness. No, I strapped on my battered typewriter and unleashed a column so dripping in irony it should come with a mop in this week's Camino a Ítaca.

Thus was born: “How pure is pure enough? Asking for a carpenter from Nazareth.” in the SUR in English.

It’s a short ride through cultural absurdity — a landscape where being “too foreign” is a sin, but eating a Big Mac while complaining about immigrants is perfectly fine. If you’ve ever wondered whether your curry is unpatriotic, or if your neighbor’s flamenco isn’t pure enough to pass inspection — congratulations, you’re already in the story.

So pour a stiff drink, adjust your tinfoil hat, and click the damn link. The purity police are already watching — might as well give them something to read. Click over to read the Spanish version in the HOY or read below. (PDF en castellano abajo)


A Harmony of Difference

Los Eslim Reloaded in la Calle Gerona, La Alquitara Festival de Blues Bejar Photo @Ruben Martin In a world that often shouts about what sets...