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 

Where to go in 2019: My feasible dream list

Where to go in 2019: My feasible dream list

Halfway into 2018, I contemplated on travel plans for the year. And I wouldn’t be me if I had not thought for some time about where to go in 2019! This year I am a bit earlier, almost on time, but surprise, surprise, I haven’t booked 

Hiking to Gergeti Trinity Church for the Unfit

Hiking to Gergeti Trinity Church for the Unfit

No trip to Georgia would be complete without seeing the Caucasus Mountain Range. The easiest mountain trip is three hours up the Georgian Military Road which runs from Tbilisi to Stepantsminda. We had two weeks for Armenia and Georgia, were travelling independently, and had wine tasting, 

I control my panel: Lessons Learned in Blogging 2018

I control my panel: Lessons Learned in Blogging 2018

A blog of mine of some sort has been bumbling around WordPress since 2014, but it took reading inspiring blogs and a short period of illness to start again. It was pretty clear from the beginning that I’d write about travelling, and perhaps some other 

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 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. 

A Day Trip to Tzfat

A Day Trip to Tzfat

Tzfat, a small town in the hills above the Sea of Galilee, is mostly known to be a centre of Kabbalah. Not so much the Western esoteric type practiced by well-known celebrities, but more Jewish mysticism that emerged from the 15th Century onwards in Ottoman 

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 

Hotel Review: Hotel Albert 1er, Toulouse: simply perfect

Hotel Review: Hotel Albert 1er, Toulouse: simply perfect

I don’t know much of France, but I’ve visited enough cities to say that Toulouse must be one of the great underrated cities of France. It has a pretty centre, beautiful architecture, nice restaurants, classy shopping – who would not want to go there? It 

Yerevan to Tatev and back in a Day’s Journey

Yerevan to Tatev and back in a Day’s Journey

When you travel to Armenia, you will undoubtledly be offered a tour of the Country.  But will you really need one to see the noteworthy sights, or are Armenia tours something for those who like their trips super organised? And what about Tatev, pretty much