Author Archives: jkcahane

A TALE OF THREE CITIES: Oslo, Stockholm and Copenhagen by Rail

I have just returned from a whirlwind, seven-day tour by rail (mostly) of these three great Scandinavian capitals – Oslo, Stockholm and Copenhagen – with Great Rail Journeys. Now that I am relatively recovered from all the extensive walking and sightseeing tours and the challenges of hauling my too-heavy bags from one place to theContinue reading “A TALE OF THREE CITIES: Oslo, Stockholm and Copenhagen by Rail”

From Tulips to Tolerance: Exploring the Dutch Cultural Journey

As my recent trip to the Netherlands revealed, there is so much to discover and admire about this small yet mighty country, notwithstanding the darker elements of its colonial past. These are some key highlights and takeaways. When you think of the Netherlands – or ‘Holland’ as it is often mistakenly called (Holland proper isContinue reading “From Tulips to Tolerance: Exploring the Dutch Cultural Journey”

FIVE FILMS THAT CHANGED MY LIFE

While most big-screen movies offer only a few hours of momentarily rhapsodic but ultimately time-wasting escapism, there are some rare films that make you see the world differently, changing you in both subtle and profound ways that linger long past the end credits. So what is it that makes a film truly great?

2024: A Year of Trials and Miracles

Looking back over the year, I see many underlying themes of grace and comfort — not to mention several timely bona-fide miracles — amid what was undoubtedly the hardest year of my life. Even if my only achievement of 2024 has been surviving it despite everything, I have not lost my faith, my joy, my hope nor my desire to carry on

Life after loss: Moving on, looking up

Answering the question ‘what happens after you lose someone/suffer a major loss?’ is one of those how-long-is-a-piece-of-string-type questions, in that a. each person handles and processes grief differently; and b. the truth is that you never really stop grieving. Even when you move on, there is always that big black hole of sorrow inside thatContinue reading “Life after loss: Moving on, looking up”

Postscript: My Lemonade

Another pithy saying people often blithely use is: ‘When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.’ Being that I am a writer, the only thing I know how to do with all the sh** that has happened this year — first my dad’s death, then my husband’s a few short months later — is to write about it.Continue reading “Postscript: My Lemonade”

‘IT STARTS LIKE THIS’: An Unexpected Journey

What do you think of when you hear the quote, ‘Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans’*? Does one of those delightful ‘God incidences’ spring to mind? Or perhaps you were just out on your normal coffee break when you lock eyes with the person you instantly know is the love ofContinue reading “‘IT STARTS LIKE THIS’: An Unexpected Journey”

TIPS FOR FIRST-TIME TRAVELLERS TO JAPAN, or how to have a great time without pissing off the Japanese

Japan is an amazing, achingly beautiful country that deserves to be on everyone’s must-visit destination list. It is full of fascinating ancient and modern historical sites with a unique cultural and spiritual appeal, set in stunning scenery and abounding with a glorious natural beauty that remains undiminished and (mostly) untarnished by time and modernity. ItContinue reading “TIPS FOR FIRST-TIME TRAVELLERS TO JAPAN, or how to have a great time without pissing off the Japanese”

Samurai, Sakura and Onsen Satori: 18 Days in Japan

Japan is a fascinating country; even when you get lost and end up wandering through some residential district as I often did, noticing little details outside people’s houses or seeing one of its many species of swallowtail butterflies or huge ‘bear bees’ grants moments of pure rapture.