about

That's me in the brown shirt, with my mother and my brother last time I was home in Australia.

Captain Oddsocks is not my real name. My friends call me Greg. I've lived in the Czech Republic for about ten years now and have been writing about it in one way or another for about seven years.

I started by answering questions on the Lonely Planet Thorn Tree forum and from there progressed to writing fuller articles and reviews on Igougo.com, which is vaguely affiliated with Rough Guides. I won a couple of their awards including Photographer of the Year in 2005 and Itinerary with Intellect in 2008. This year I expect one of my photos to be published in a British photography textbook. They haven't actually specified whether it will be in the 'what to do' or 'what not to do' section, so I'm looking forward to getting my advance copy in the mail.

This blog is intended to present some of the information I've gathered in various wanderings around the country in the hope that it might be useful to travellers planning to see more than just the biggest city. I'm no architecture or history scholar (I'm actually a signwriter by trade), but I've done the course and passed the exam required to be a tour guide in this country, and I hope what I learnt there will enhance what I write here.

Alongside blog posts, I'm also trying to write a book. I'm travelling around the country by bicycle in five stages of about a month each and writing a chapter about each of the interesting places that I pass through. I harbour no pretensions about being 'A Writer' though, and reserve the right to frequently use clunky prose, the odd cliché and sometimes a bit too much alliteration when there's really no need for it. On the other hand, I pay attention to not mixing up they're, their, and there and I promise not to make stuff up just to sound good. Most of the chapters will appear here first as blog posts.

When I'm not in front of the computer or on the bike, I earn my living (just barely) as co-owner of the Poets' Corner Hostel in Olomouc and by running walking tours around the historic centre in the summertime. Anything I try to tell you about either of those things is undoubtedly a shameless plug and should be ignored.

If you're curious about anything else connected with the blog or book or have any comments, constructive criticisms or other suggestions, please send an email to oddsocks(á)olomouc.cz. If you're not trying to sell me dodgy software or offer me a Nigerian politician's fortune, I'll be very pleased to hear from you.

Thanks for reading and bye for now, Greg.