A Day Trip to Abu Simbel – tricky but possible!

A Day Trip to Abu Simbel – tricky but possible!

Who isn’t interested in ancient Egypt? Or, should I ask, monumental, mind-blowing Egyptian temples? It’s just a shame one of them is so deep in the desert of southern Egypt. There’s not much around it, and  it takes real effort to visit. I’m talking about 

Jordan in winter: a tale of adventure and incredible hospitality

Jordan in winter: a tale of adventure and incredible hospitality

Apologies for staying unusually quiet these last few weeks! After producing a few new blog posts over the quiet period of the holidays, work was unusually busy, and then I went on my much-awaited winter sun holiday. Or so I thought… Do you wonder what 

West Bank Banksies, Walls and Sweet Child Jesus: a Day in Bethlehem

West Bank Banksies, Walls and Sweet Child Jesus: a Day in Bethlehem

Bethlehem: I looked everywhere in my 2011 Bradt Guide, but couldn’t find it. What’s going on with Bethlehem? No wonder… Bethlehem is in the West Bank, one of the three Palestine Territories in Israel. It took me  a little to figure that out – being ignorant, 

Our Turkey Road Trip: Kusadasi and Ephesus

Our Turkey Road Trip: Kusadasi and Ephesus

We leave home in a downpour,  me pulling my flimsy travelling coat around me as I pull my little case to the train station. A train and a flight later, we are greeted by golden evening light in Istanbul and fly into the sunset to 

An Ode to the Atlanta Hotel Restaurant

An Ode to the Atlanta Hotel Restaurant

The Atlanta Hotel is a special case. So, after writing my ode about that one, I felt serving up a huge extra portion about the equally special  restaurant in the same post would be a bit too much. Especially since I appear to have eaten 

The other side of the Wall: A journey to Rachel’s Tomb

The other side of the Wall: A journey to Rachel’s Tomb

To be honest with you: I first heard of the existence of Rachel’s Tomb when seeing the Destination Boards of Bethlehem-bound buses: Rachels’ Tomb/Checkpoint 300. It is not without irony that the place where the Hebrew Matriarch Rachel is buried now signifies a checkpoint between 

First Time Israel: Finally Arriving in the Holy Land

First Time Israel: Finally Arriving in the Holy Land

Jerusalem – Holy City of three faiths and contested for millennia. It has long been on my list of places I wish to visit in my lifetime. And this is my report on my first time Israel trip. For many years, the Second Intifada put 

My 2019 Travel Review

My 2019 Travel Review

The end of the year is near. Time for my 2019 travel review, a year full of work and a moderate amount of travelling within the limits of three jobs. However… we Germans are lucky to get a generous annual leave allowance, so I have 

This was 2018 (in travel)

This was 2018 (in travel)

Just over a year ago, I started feeding this blog with a little more than a post every other month or so. Would it be possible in 2018 to travel and produce anything vaguely interesting with full-time job, freelancing and some research on top? Here 

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. 

Only mad dogs do Florence in July?

Only mad dogs do Florence in July?

Ooooh yes, dear friends, me, who’ll waffle on endlessly about preferring independent travel without crowds, is going to Florence for a weekend in July. It sounds a bit bonkers. Especially since I always try to take my holidays outside main season and school holidays. But then 

New Year, New Travel – what will 2018 have in store?

New Year, New Travel – what will 2018 have in store?

Yeah yeah, typical, writing this thing about travel plans when half the year is almost over. And I have no excuse. Does this happen to you, when your plans, great and totally practicable in January, become a bit woozy in February, then change again later, 

Eleven Alternative Reasons to Visit Georgia 

Eleven Alternative Reasons to Visit Georgia 

We returned from a (unusual for me) Easter Holiday… ummm, over six weeks ago.  We even celebrated Easter twice.  Once in Armenia – a country that is so special that it has its own church and a quarter of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre 

Taking the Waters in Budapest

Taking the Waters in Budapest

Is a winter trip to Budapest a good idea? It can be pretty cold, and due to its easterly location it gets dark early.  But flights to Budapest and hotels cost a lot less than in the summer.  Restaurants and attractions are open all year, 

Athens without the Crowds: 10 Tips to enjoy the Classic City

Athens without the Crowds: 10 Tips to enjoy the Classic City

Athens is great! Almost year-round sunshine, close to the Mediterranean Sea, safe, brimming with ancient history and museums full of artefacts. The food is excellent, and many people speak English. But this means it is extremely popular, and do not let the recent Greek economy