It looks like an ugly lump of concrete and … well, it is. It is also a protected historic monument. Really. The fact that it dates from 1941 gives us a clue as to why it’s a historically important structure. And its name? Schwerbelastungskörper means...
Numbers? What am I talking about? Five is five whether you’re speaking proper English or speaking American.. but of course, that would be just too easy, wouldn’t it? Yes, the numbers are the same – basically – but it’s how we use them...
This is a genuine secret garden that was lost – well, unknown – for many years. It had been creatyed in Victorian times but had fallen into disrepair and become overgrown. But in the 1990s a door was found into the walled garden that was buried in the...
Here’s one that’s definitely for your wishlist. The Koshu Nishiyama Hot Spring – see the map below for its location – is officially the oldest hotel in the world according to the experts; the Guinness Book of World Records. It was founded in...
It makes me chuckle. Probably most English people have a bit of a laugh about it too. There are so many articles on the internet that refer to our ‘weird English food’ and cites such items as spotted dick, toad-in-the-hole and other peculiarly-named...
This is a curious house with a curious history. It’s been seen in films and TV shows and residents need to access the place via a funicular. And it had curious beginnings. The original owner had been given the piece of land and the fact that he didn’t have...
Isbjerget means ‘iceberg’ and you can see why that name was chosen for this complex of variously sized apartments. Take a look at the photographs and the drone footage below and you can see exactly why. This award-winning housing development opened in 2013...
If you’re offering rental accommodation to the public, then it’s likely that you’ll have to write about it. It might be that you list your property on Airbnb or a similar site, in which case you’ll have to write about your place for your...
Just as Eileen Gray did in the South of France, so Lina Bo Bardi created another dream house – this time in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The house is named el Casa de Vidro (the Glass House) and was designed in 1951. Lina, born in Rome, was a pioneer of...
It’s a culture shock when you visit the USA. So many things are so different. And if your knowledge of the English language is, well, English, then American is going to puzzle you quite a lot. Picture me then, new to the USA and in a large store somewhere in the...
Stay in a property that neighbours one of the homes often inhabited by Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall. Freely wander through the grounds and you might see the royal couple walking their dogs. Stay in a room that has been carefully decorated with pieces...
It started life in 1929. Piscine Molitor, probably one of the most stunning man-made vistas in Europe – has a history that travels from Johnny Weissmuller (who found Hollywood fame as Tarzan of the Apes) through the decades to Pi Patel (whose tiger Richard...
Just look at that bridge. Located in a public park in Gablenz, Germany, the bridge was constructed in the nineteenth century. The park is a popular place to visit as its gardens – abounding with rhododendrons and azaleas – are spectacular. What’s...
If you’re an Airbnb host and for some reason, you don’t want to accept guests for a particular period of time, Airbnb offers you several options. There are many reasons why you might want to opt out of hosting for a while – personal issues, building...
It’s certainly not the best looking house I’ve ever seen but it is supposed to be decidedly spooky. And with its history, it’s hardly surprising. The architecture is interesting, to say the least, but this house – which is now a museum –...
I know, it’s a real cliché to say ‘step back in time’ but nevertheless when you visit Den Gamle By in Denmark that’s what you’re doing. Den Gamle By is the old town of Aarhus and has been preserved as an outdoor museum. The photographs...
Stepwells are absolutely astounding. Many date back hundreds of years are were often created as low-lying water supplies. Because water levels in streams and rivers could fluctuate with the seasons, the answer was these elaborate reservoirs or water tanks which were...
I prefer to think that I’m a really easy going person. But there are some things that I don’t like at all – pigeons, the word ‘awesome’, broccoli, cleaning toilets and … being cold. I really hate that. It’s why I live in...
No, it’s not a roller coaster. But it looks like one, doesn’t it? In fact, it’s an art installation but one that the public can enjoy – by travelling along and around it but on foot rather than at roller coaster speed. And the view is...
In December 2017, Prince Harry and American actor Meghan Markle announced their engagement. The scene for the to-be-historic photographs and interview was Frogmore House, a Grade 1 listed building in the possession of royalty for hundreds of years. Travel specialists...
