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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
“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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
When I recently visited Florence, I had 48 hours, a friends reunion, and travelled with a day pack. Did I have time and room for souvenirs? Oh, yes, of course! Shopping in Florence, or shopping in general, is always part of my travels. As I […]
Want to soak up the sun and enjoy a city but only got a few days? Go to Aegina, and stay at Aeginitiko Archontiko. You could do worse than fly to Athens, take a bus to Piraeus, and be in Aegina and on the beach […]
Would you think of Gibraltar as a to-go place to learn sailing in the sun? Perhaps, if you are from the UK but otherwise? Croatia, Turkey, Portugal and Spain all spring to mind for super nearly all-year round sailing holidays, but Gibraltar? Well, deeply entrenched […]
Last October, I went to Athens to catch a bit of sun. We spent three days in Athens and three days on Aegina Island. In Athens, we stayed at the Marble House Hotel. We could not have wished for a better hotel: quiet, friendly, individual, and […]
Berlin is currently the third most popular European city trip, after London and Paris. But its airports are still firmly stuck in the 1980’s. Sure, there is a what was a state-of-the-art airport in 2010 waiting to be put into service, but until then (2020? […]
Throw back to late summer 2012, and a boat trip through the Vieux Port: As we glided past moored sailing yachts against the backdrop of a sunny Marseille, I decided that I must learn to sail. I have always liked water, and anything on or on […]
Yes, yes, listicles are so great, and lovely for SEO. So I am going to write one, too. It’s not gonna be great, but I promise it will be an easy read. It might provide you with some useful inspiration about what to do and […]
We have another cat! It was a long time in the making, but we were apprehensive having two cats in a rented place. But you only live once, and there are so many shelter kitties that really belong to a furrever home So, here’s […]
This mad dog is back from Florence! After seeing to the killer migraine and draining a few humongous blisters, I now want to tell you all about it. Is Florence in high season a good idea? As I reported earlier, I had little choice my […]
