An empty stone lane lined with dark wooden houses leading to the five-storey Yasaka pagoda at dawn in Kyoto

A slow traveller's journal

Trip reports, practical city guides and photo essays from Europe and Asia.

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Hi, I’m the person behind Fieldnotes. I travel slowly and mostly alone, and I write down what I wish I’d known before I went: which tram to take, where the quiet hour is, what a long journey actually feels like on day six.

Latest from the journal

New trip reports, guides and photo essays, two to four a month.

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Photo Essays · Kyoto

Kyoto Before Seven

Higashiyama’s lanes in the hour after dawn, when the city belongs to shopkeepers and street sweepers.

21 September 2026

Trip Reports · Northern Vietnam

Ten Days in Northern Vietnam

Hanoi’s mornings, a night on Ha Long Bay and cycling Ninh Binh’s rice fields — ten days, one backpack, honest notes.

2 September 2026

Guides · Lisbon

48 Hours in Lisbon, Slowly

Two unhurried days in Lisbon: tram 28 before the crowds, Alfama on foot, and the viewpoints worth the climb.

14 August 2026

Destinations

Lisbon, Northern Vietnam, Kyoto and Istanbul — the places I keep returning to.

All destinations

How I travel

Solo, slowly, on a mid-range budget. I stay at least a week in a city when I can, take public transport, and walk more than is reasonable.

Every trip is paid for by me. No sponsored stays, no affiliate links.

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