Varadero

Friday morning on a backstreet near Paddington Station. Like last time in London, I have been absorbed by marking but now I am finally nearing the end of the alphabet. Meanwhile, high above the usual Heathrow approach, an A330 belonging to Air Berlin is making its way from Düsseldorf to Cuba. Despite my promise to cut down on my coffee consumption, I order an Illy double espresso and allow myself to disappear into the blue dreamy sky above.

Regardless of the Brexit gloom, London is still London. Yesterday at the National Portrait Gallery one could really tell that the history of these islands has never been straightforward or free of moral contradictions. Yet, coming from small-town Umeå, it is still true magic to be able to follow up some highly authentic Vietnamese food with Italian coffee at Frith Street before heading over to Islington for some mixology escapades.

Over the next two weeks, I will work full-time with my co-authored book project with little time for blogging. On 13 October, the Ukraine awaits.