That gorgeous roof garden pictured above, and its stunning view, would be reason enough to stay in the Jane Hotel in New York but just wait until you hear more about it, especially its history. The hotel was built at the beginning of the last century (1906 –...
It’s something that was glossed over for many years. We know all about it now though, the fact that millions of animals served Britain and its Allies during the wars of the last century. It’s said that eight million horses died in the First World War...
Långholmen is one of the several islands in Stockholm and you may remember that I’ve written about it before – that fact that the old prison there is now being used as a hotel and hostel. The old prison also houses a museum so you can find out about the...
The Riverside isn’t in the least bit swanky or posh. You can tell that from the photograph above. But if you’re an aficionado of the blues then it has to be on your list. Since the forties it’s been either home or home-from-home for many blues...
If you know what a walleye is – and you’d like to catch a few – then the Northwest Angle is the place to go. If you’ve no idea what a walleye is – and furthermore don’t really care – then the trip still has plenty to offer...
Hartlepool in the north east of England is rarely on anyone’s list of places they absolutely must visit. Which is a shame because it’s only a few miles from one of the most wonderful areas on the planet (the North Yorkshire Moors, says this Yorkshire girl)...
I’m bonkers about cats, I admit it. My lovely boy, Stan, is possibly the best cat ever in my particular world. So I’m not in the least surprised that in Amsterdam there’s a museum devoted entirely to fantastic felines. How did this come about? Well,...
It’s one of those old idioms that’s been around since the early 1900s – the one about packing the kitchen sink. “Your mother wants to pack everything – I’m surprised she doesn’t pack the kitchen sink” “Wow, your...
I could happily spend hours – even days – in a great bookstore like this one in Bucharest. But even non-bibliophiles seem to love to visit the Cărturești Carusel Bookstore in Bucharest. It gets great reviews from TripAdvisor for the vastness of the store...
I’m not sure that Downey, California has a huge amount to fascinate the traveller but if you’re on a road trip and passing through, it’s an idea to take a look at the world’s oldest branch of McDonalds. It opened in 1953 so I’m imagining...
At first glance, Bletchley Park looks simply to be a rather ornate English country house. It’s only about 50 miles from London – to the north – and was built in the late nineteenth century. It has elaborate features, as you can see in the photographs...
Once again, the differences between English and American can catch us out when we’re looking for accommodation. Imagine an American looking at a listing that begins ‘First floor flat…’ We have a language difference right there – in just...
For well over a hundred years, the City Of New York has partly functioned underground. Out of sight to those of us on the surface, millions of people travel from place to place, quickly and efficiently. They are travelling on the subway – itself a marvel of...
This place is like one of those dreams. You know, those dreams you have when deep down you know you should get out of bed but you’re dreaming that you’re floating weightlessly in a beautiful lagoon… Ik Kil in Mexico is a cenote. A cenote is simply a...
It’s only about a hundred miles away from the fabulous city of Glasgow but yet the Isle of Jura is almost like going back in time. It’s the sort of place that you have to plan to visit – spontaneity isn’t recommended here due to the remoteness...
Once you’ve been to Lençóis Maranhenses, you might well exclaim, as other travellers have, that the photographs don’t do the place justice. And yet the photographs are magnificent. Can you imagine that this place is even more spectacular than the...
Many people travel to visit Ascott House and Gardens, a fabulous country estate in Buckinghamshire. And if it’s on your itinerary, make sure to allow time for a detour to Bridego Bridge. Yes, an ordinary country railway bridge in ordinary English countryside. It...
Are you in love with signage the way I am? I know that some people might think that having a passion for signs might indicate a person who is a bit, well, odd – but the Neon Museum in Vegas is my idea of paradise. Well, one of my ideas of paradise… Las...
When you’re an STR host, you might see your rental business as some sort of side gig. It might be that it’s not your ‘real’ job. You have other things to do. You have a life. However, as far as your guests are concerned, unless you’re...
Do you agree with me that Stephen King must have a pretty weird imagination? I think he must have to ensure his many years of great success writing those really creepy (but deliciously creepy) books. But what is Stephen King himself afraid of? In an article a couple...
