Raphael Louis Levy

Philosopher | Aspiring Barrister | Blogger | Traveller

That Jewish Story (in Vienna)

Virtually every Jew has that story. The one that explains why they are where they are and it usually is 'escaped the Nazis' (or, as the...

Eerie, yet beautiful

Prior to August 2023, despite visiting Israel on several occasions, I had never been to Tzfat (or Zefad, Safed or various other English...

Three men walk in a desert

This post originally appeared at The Cous Cous Diaries Yesterday's Daf (Shabbat 92b) ended with a new Mishna which stated: מַתְנִי׳...

The Grand City

"You're in Buda, looking over Pest aren't you, Raphael?" - My Father Me, somewhat smugly, "No, specifically the other way round." "Oh,...

Home is where the heart is

You can often pinpoint, with some ease, the moment on a trip abroad that you miss home. For my most recent trip, the subject of this...

Who's a writer now?

Not many people can say that a friend of theirs co-wrote something that is doing rather well at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. My friends...

The Eternal City

Allow me to add my voice to the presumably infinitely long list of people who describe Rome as unique. There is no better word to...

The Aimless Wander

Stockholm was not, if I am honest, somewhere I saw myself visiting. No reason. I guess I just had other cities on my ever expanding wish...

The Show Off City

Vienna, much like Prague and Odessa, is beautiful. Stunning, in fact. There is so much wonderful architecture, from palaces to libraries...

The Charming City

Odessa might not be quite as beautiful as Prague or Paris. It might lack the hustle and bustle of a New York or Hong Kong yet still lack...