I’m Diana Steadman. I have spent most of professional life selling things, from drugs to computer systems. I have two children, new knees, a pilot’s licence, and I like travelling the world, eating and drinking wine.

I am smart, sassy, and impulsive often engage my mouth before my brain, this can get me into trouble but being sharp usually helps dig me out of that hole, before I get too deep. Alternatively I have been known to park myself in a corner and let someone else sort out the problem.

I gave up the rat race a few years ago: (or rather sold the best job I had), my children fled the nest, and so I have been travelling.

If you love travelling and exploring different cultures then hopefully you’ll feel right at home here.

This site got started because friends suggested I get on and start it. Up till now I have foisted on folk my travel stories, hopefully with some amusing stuff thrown in. The best stories often come from travelling solo, one is then forced to face the world alone, and I think it is then easier meet fellow travellers, and local people, some who will invite you into their homes – a complete joy.

This isn’t a travel guide but may have useful information; hotels and restaurants, bars that I like and essentially be anecdotal about people and places I happen upon on my travels. And the scrapes I get into. Leaving my suitcase on the tube in London the most recent one. What were you doing on the tube, I hear you say! The case mentioned was found pretty much immediately by the very nice Ben, who was nearly despatched down the line to retrieve it. To establish me as the owner, they opened it and asked what was in it, I told them, toothbrush, dirty washing etc, any food they asked, erm I don’t think so, “are you sure”. There was much sniggering going on and I wasn’t sure why till, I remembered, a cucumber! They thought that was very funny. Corinne had kindly given me one from her garden in Mougins.

This is not a blog to make money or to fund travelling, there will be no Eureka moments, (well unlikely) but the more I see, the longer the list of places and countries become that I would like to see.

This will also not be travelling on a shoestring and how far can you go having given up your job, while living on no money in an ashram, that said, I could go and visit one now I’ve thought of it!

I collect airports and am up to 136 and so far 44 countries, so that leaves a lot for me to go at. Of the 195 ish countries in the world there are quite a few I have no need to set foot in, the war-torn, the dangerous, or the completely misogynistic, though wherever I have been, I have been met with nothing but kindness and helpfulness.

Enjoy