Staying in ultra budget F1 Hotel: What is it like?

Staying in ultra budget F1 Hotel: What is it like?

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 

Hotel Review: Hotel Reina Cristina, Algeciras

Hotel Review: Hotel Reina Cristina, Algeciras

“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 

Hotel Review: Hotel Palacio de Los Salcedo, Baeza

Hotel Review: Hotel Palacio de Los Salcedo, Baeza

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 

What to buy in Andalucia

What to buy in Andalucia

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 

Our Andalucian Honeymoon

Our Andalucian Honeymoon

“Why forever roam and waver / see what is good lies so near thee!” That quote of Germany’s man of letters, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, should account for our wedding and honeymoon. After having lived in so many places, we wanted our honeymoon… a bit 

Hotel Review: Hotel Alcoba del Agua, Sanlucar de Barrameda

Hotel Review: Hotel Alcoba del Agua, Sanlucar de Barrameda

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 

Arcadion Hotel Corfu Town: A Central and Classy hotel

Arcadion Hotel Corfu Town: A Central and Classy hotel

On our spontaneous trip to Greece and Albania in autumn 2018, we were lucky to book late and still stay in consistently good hotels. The Arcadion Hotel Corfu Town is one of my favourited from this trip.  We usually look for somewhere mid-range and non-generic, 

Hotel Gjirokastra Review, Gjirokastër: Beautifully Traditional

Hotel Gjirokastra Review, Gjirokastër: Beautifully Traditional

For a first-time trip to Albania, we wanted to stay somewhere… safe? Read on… here is my Hotel Gjirokastra review – it was one of my favourite hotels on my trip! No no no, forget your prejudices against Albania. I had my work cut out 

A London day trip by low-cost airline: Crazy, stupid, or great?

A London day trip by low-cost airline: Crazy, stupid, or great?

You can say what you like about low-cost airlines, but their crazy pricing structure lets you fly around Europe for next to nothing. Does that mean you have to do it? Certainly not. And is it okay to go on a London day trip by 

The Magic of Lauscha Glass and its Christmas Tree Baubles

The Magic of Lauscha Glass and its Christmas Tree Baubles

Give me Glass, Give me Glitter, Give me an Eastern German Bauble! Eastern German Christmas tree baubles, to be exact. Do you like festive decorations? For us Europeans, Christmas probably marks the peak of  decorating and beautifying our homes. Germany is home to some very 

Local Yokel on a Day Trip: A Countryside German Christmas Market

Local Yokel on a Day Trip: A Countryside German Christmas Market

Good Evening! The Second Sunday of Advent has been upon us, and it’s not christmassling here in the normally infectiously festive House of Golightly. Will a German Christmas Market create instant seasonal cheer? All we have in terms of Christmas decoration are some rather dim 

The Easy Route into Albania

The Easy Route into Albania

This autumn, we fancied a bit of sun, good food and culture for little money. Would we find it in Greece again? Looking at the cheapest available flights for the last week of November, we found flights to Corfu, Venice and Bari for around 100EURO. 

Riding the Chisinau to Odessa Train

Riding the Chisinau to Odessa Train

After producing a lengthy account on the vintage train journey that is the Bucharest-Chisinau sleeper train, this one on the train to Odessa will be much shorter. Trainspotters: there is not a lot to see here! But wait until you get to Odessa! The geeky 

The Chisinau to Bucharest Prietina Express: A classic railway journey

The Chisinau to Bucharest Prietina Express: A classic railway journey

Classic Railway journeys are usually associated with breathtaking scenery, steam engines, white table clothes and uniformed stewards. When you ride the Prietina Express, you find nothing like this, yes it is a classic –  you get to a vintage Soviet train, and sleep in compartments 

Music, Wine and Beton Brut – at least three reasons to visit Moldova

Music, Wine and Beton Brut – at least three reasons to visit Moldova

“I am only here because Moldova is my last country in Europe to visit” my new acquaintance whispered to at the Ballet in Chisinau just before curtains went up. “Really?” I wondered, as the opening rhythms of ‘Spartacus’ thundered from the orchestra pit. “Should  Moldova