Travelling
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. …
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 …
Almost every year, we visit my family in Occitanie in France. It is a highly under-rated region. As we get to know it bit by bit every year, we venture further out to explore its beautiful countryside and charming towns. Rodez is little-known small city …
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 …
“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 …
“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 …
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 …
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, …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
