As 2025 draws to a close, travel journalist Simon Calder reflects on a year of global adventures marked by the usual frustrations of cancelled flights and closed attractions. Yet, amidst the chaos, he experienced a series of what he calls "minor miracles" – unexpected wonders that transformed his journeys, occurring at a remarkably steady rate of one per month.
From Airport Chaos to Ancient Wonders
The year began turbulently with a British Airways Airbus A380 to Singapore cancelled at the gate in January. Rebooked onto Singapore Airlines, Calder made his connection only for his Jetstar flight to Melbourne to also be cancelled. A costly last-minute Emirates business class ticket was a disappointing necessity, yet a miracle occurred upon landing: he went from inside the plane to a departing taxi in just nine minutes, arriving at his event just in time.
In February, a visit to Reggio di Calabria in Italy offered a publicly accessible miracle. At the National Archaeological Museum, he encountered the Riace Bronzes – two breathtaking, life-size Greek sculptures from 2,500 years ago, discovered by a fisherman in 1972.
Serendipitous Encounters and Private Voyages
March brought a Lisbon miracle born from a chance conversation. Disappointed by a characterless hotel room, Calder was handed a card for a beautiful apartment by a departing British couple, securing an urban dream stay. April's wonder unfolded in Croatia, where a booked berth on a Sail Croatia voyage from Split turned into a private yacht experience with a crew of nine for just eleven guests.
Summer travels continued the trend. A hitchhiking recommendation in Long Island's Hamptons in May led to a nostalgic trip to Coney Island. In June, he discovered the elevated rooftop park of Warsaw University Library, an urban oasis. July required a complex multi-leg journey to a remote Italian villa in Le Marche, arriving precisely at 6pm as planned.
Modernist Marvels and Historical Solitude
August saw a bargain peak-season BA return flight to Denver for £620, crowned by a visit to the Red Rocks Amphitheatre. September took him to the dramatic industrial archaeology of Ostrava in the Czech Republic, where a former ironworks is now a giant playground.
Perhaps the most poignant miracle came in October in Tyre, Lebanon, a city where the UK Foreign Office advises against all travel. On a professionally organised trip, Calder explored the spectacular Roman ruins completely alone before a serene waterfront lunch, a brief spell where all felt right with the world.
The year's final wonders involved self-service tourism. In November, a perfectly aligned chain of transport connections allowed him to reach Heilbronn, Germany, and use a key to explore the historic Hafenmarktturm tower unaccompanied. December concluded in Chandigarh, India, where a last-minute call from the Le Corbusier Centre manager, a speedy rickshaw driver, and a delayed tour allowed him to join an incredible exploration of the city's modernist government buildings.
Simon Calder's year proves that while not everything in travel goes to plan, the journey itself remains capable of delivering profound and unexpected moments of wonder.
