Do you remember when steampunk was a thing? Well, the perfect interior to match that look is to be found in this building. It’s gorgeous, it’s got a curious history and it’s been used in umpteen films, TV shows and music videos. And, it’s open...
When you’re travelling in the Mediterranean area, it may be that you have a good – or reasonably good – grasp of the languages you hear. Travelling through the South of France, into Monaco, over to northern Italy … those languages you hear are...
William Lott was born in this house in 1761. The house was owned by his parents and his siblings were all born in the house too. William lived in the house until his death in 1849. Not only had he lived there all his life, it’s thought that he’d only been...
This battered building has a varied history. Built in 1888 it started life as a theatre. It continued in its role until the final couple of years of the Second World War. It was one of the very few theatres in Hamburg that survived Allied bombing unscathed but when...
If you have a short-term property for rental – and advertise it on Airbnb or a similar site – the chances are that you’ve had a request from someone who wants to use your property for a photoshoot or even as a film location. Should you agree to host...
“Hey,” said the American tourist “We had a great time in London. Let me tell you about some of the things we saw. We saw that famous statue of Eros in Piccadilly Circus…” Let me stop you right there. You didn’t. I’m sorry, it...
Although I tend to favour luxury hotels whenever possible, I have to admit that I also have a fondness for the convenience – and fun – of camping. But I’ve grown out of the peeing-in-a-bush thing and although I love the freedom, I rather like to have...
You probably guessed from the photograph above… The people of the British Isles are great fishermen and fish-eaters. At one time, before curry became our favourite, and hence our national food, fish & chips was the most commonly eaten meal in the UK. Times...
In 1930 a youngish man called Grant Wood visited Eldon, Iowa. There he saw a house and sketched it. Shortly afterwards, in a later sketch, he added a man and a woman standing in front of the building. These people weren’t strangers that he’s rustled up...
You can’t not. Well, I can’t resist. If ever there was a road just begging to be driven, it’s the Stelvio Pass.The road itself is pretty hair-raising – all those hairpins. The scenery is nothing short of fantastic. It ranges from typically...
Traveling alone can be a lot of fun. But there are some times when you’d rather have a companion with you. Most of us like to travel with family or friends.So it’s a nuisance of your usual travel companions aren’t as eager as you are to indulge in...
Friluftsliv, like ‘hygge’, is a Scandinavian concept that became better-known thanks to social media. However, it relates to a lifestyle and not, as some people on Instagram seem to think, taking a selfie out in dramatic scenery.Friluftsliv is a way of...
When I was a lot younger, I was a lot more willing to rough it. As I got older, I found that I preferred to have running water, cool AC and proper toilets.But sometimes, you need to do without the ‘American’ luxuries to truly enjoy the experience of your...
Baku in Azerbaijan is the location of that fabulous building (the Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center) and this ancient and modern city is also known as the City of Winds. Due to the gloriously-named Khazri and Gilavar the city is known for its harsh windy weather. The...
What on earth is allemansrätten? It’s something that attracts visitors to Scandinavia from all over the world. It’s a principle that Sweden is proud of – as well as other Scandinavian countries and one or two in Europe too. It is ‘freedom to...
There’s a good reason why the Yungas Road in Bolivia is known as the ‘world’s most dangerous road’. I agree it doesn’t look it in the photograph above so how about this one… That gives you a better idea. Pretty scary stuff. The top...
Understandably, this tiny town in western Spain is often voted one of the world’s most attractive – if not beautiful – places. It features almost fairytale-like architecture and is located in the Las Batuecas National Park in the Sierra de Francia...
There are lots of fabulous advantages of being a traveller in this day and age – even more so than ten or twenty years ago. Today we can go to places that at one time would have been seen only in books. And the Kanheri Caves are a great example.The caves look...
If perchance you were a child in the twentieth century – as I was – or if you are a devotee of classic comics, then the name of Hergé will be familiar to you. That’s because it was dramatically announced at the beginning of each television episode of...
A bit of a minefield, this one. If you’re from the UK, you know exactly what a biscuit is. And if you’re from the USA you know exactly what a biscuit is. And yet the two products are totally dissimilar. Sometimes, you’ll read or hear that a UK...
