Travelling
When in St. Petersburg… the State Hermitage Museum is probably on most visitors itineraries unless their time in the city is extremely limited. One of the largest publicly accessible palace complexes in the world, the Winter Palace and its annexes house an amazing collection of …
This almost sounds like it’s too good to be true, right? The Baltic States, Belarus and Russia are linen producers and well known for good quality linen. So, it made sense on my recent trip to St. Petersburg and Tallinn to increase the stash – …
Russia and the former Soviet Union have an excellent reputation for classical music and dance performances. And when visiting St Petersburg, the Mariinsky (formerly Kirov) Theatre will spring to mind. It is the most famous theatre in St Petersburg – and also the most expensive. …
Do you print your photos? Make postcards? Books? I used to, but my efforts in recent years have been pathetic. I am never sure which printing companies print a good quality photo or gift. Most of my pictures have been languishing on hard drives and …
Gaillac is one of the oldest wine regions in France, yet it is little known outside France. But if you like your wine organic, and your organic winery small and fuss-free, an organic winery in Gaillac might be one of the best places to visit. …
When in France… buy cosmetics! Welcome to the cruelty-free French pharmacy! Once I discovered you can buy mid-priced, high-quality body care and cosmetic products all over France even in the tiniest village pharmacy, I brought home lots of skincare. I think plenty knowledge is out …
When you are looking just for a good nights sleep, when you have transportation to catch early in the morning, and you’re not interested in nightlife or sunset-watching, where do you prefer to stay? Enter the ultra budget F1 Hotel Blagnac. We had an early …
Bukhara is perhaps the place with the widest choice of charming small hotels in Uzbekistan, and perhaps Central Asia. So, on my trip to Samarkand and Bukhara, it made sense to push out the boat a bit and book a characterful traditional small hotel. I …
Samarkand is a large city and it is harder to find charming accommodation close to the major sights. The Antica Samarkand is a welcome exception. Samarkand hotels are typically large, business-orientated and geared towards tour groups. But if you are looking for somewhere individual on …
On my recent flying visit to the Silk Road cities of Samarkand and Bukhara, my first contact with the locals was in this guesthouse I had just booked quickly in order to crash somewhere upon arrival. I had already booked some fancier hotels in Bukhara …
“What on earth are you doing in Algeciras?” you might ask. This port city is mostly known as a passing through place en route to Morocco and the Spanish Enclaves, but not as a tourist sight on its own. What makes it a great place …
On our recent honeymoon driving round some of lesser known Andalucia, we thought we book ourselves a special treat. We checked into a real palace in Baeza. This town in Northeastern Andalucia forms an impressive coherent architectural ensemble of Renaissance buildings unique to Spain. It …
When I travel I cannot resist a bit of shopping. Having just returned form Spain, here is my guide on what to buy in Andalucia. I’m in a holiday mood, that money just sits a little bit looser. And I like nice things to remind …
Odessa. An Odessa haiku Just like yesterday water colours turned solid I walk and wonder Did you know that from November, Ryanair will fly from Berlin (TXL) to Odessa twice a week? I took the opportunity to nudge you to consider visiting this beautiful city, …
Back from Spain for two, weeks, a new job to settle into, house a mess and two bored cats – not the best circumstances for writing a long post. However, there is always a little time to write about Hotel Alcoba del Agua, one of …