Since Damien set off from London to Syria via Istanbul on his first Lonely Planet foray, his work for them has revolved mostly around the Mediterranean basin. After an initial stint with a Middle Eastern and North African theme (Jordan & Syria, Egypt & the Sudan, Morocco and North Africa), fate launched him across the pond towards one of the nations closest to his heart: Italy. Faithfully accompanied by his sun-spotted grey Renault 5, affectionately known as Gnomo, he has careened around the peninsular in numerous grand tours for work and pleasure, coordinating numerous editions of Lonely Planet's Italy, and writing Florence, Venice, Best of Venice, Tuscany and Sardinia. Equally absorbed by the Med's other Latin giant, Damien and Gnomo have tootled about from one end of Spain to the other. Further titles there include Barcelona, Madrid, the Canary Islands and Catalunya & the Costa Brava. All those guides, many of which Damien continues to update, have left little room for much else, but Damien has been known to drag himself away from the Med to update a couple of editions of Switzerland, as well as contribute articles and photography to various publications around the world.

Nowadays, Damien's forward base is the almost distressingly popular Barcelona, on Spain's northeast coast. From there he flits back and forth to his top-floor garret in splendid Stoke Newington, in north London.