Vasa was (is) a Swedish wooden warship that sank on its maiden voyage. This happened in the full view of onlookers. It was an extremely beautiful ship although not as much care was taken with its seaworthiness as its extravagant exterior. However, shipbuilding...
Forget those hair-raising rides at amusement parks and funfairs. Riding on the Stoosbahn, the steepest funicular railway in the world, will certainly get the adrenalin going. The video below gives you just some idea about the ride. It’s not just that the...
As the man in the video says ‘these are proper English chips – none of yer poncey French fries’. The super-stylish frontage – those wonderful tiles and that fabulous font! – could be the work of a modern architect but it is original to...
Some hosts have guests staying with them in their own homes – and allow the guests to use the family kitchen. Some hosts rent apartments, suites or entire homes that, naturally, also feature kitchens. In both cases, it can be helpful to the host to...
The man who is credited as its inventor, Buckminster Fuller, doesn’t describe the Dymaxion as a mere car. This is because it was intended to evolve further into a flying vehicle. Unfortunately the technology to create this was not available in the 1930s when the...
It’s very likely that you’ve heard about Colditz Castle. Even though it became famous (or rather, infamous) eighty or more years ago the very name can still give us a shiver. That’s not because it’s been the setting for a spooky film or because...
A few years ago, Lonely Planet named the Universidad de Chile metro station in Santiago as one of the as ‘Subway stations worth getting off the train for’. This was largely because of its mural, Visual Memory of a Nation. Created by Mario Toral, the first...
I’m all for healthy eating. (Most of the time). But when you’re travelling, what a great opportunity you have to sample the cuisine of other cultures. And anyway, there ought to be a rule that calories outside of your own country just don’t...
Bodily fluids. Yep, if you’re an Airbnb or short-term rental host, boldly fluids are something that you’re only too familiar with. So here’s an article on that very subject. Not something we all particularly want to discuss but a large part of our...
At the Clink Restaurant in London, you can combine fine dining with the experience of visiting a genuine working prison. There are four Clink Restaurants in the UK, run by the Clink Charity, and in every one meals are created and served by prisoners who are studying...
This astonishing edifice – a private home – was built in 1976. Architect William Nicholson created the building as part of an experimental series featuring what was referred to, not surprisingly, as ‘Blob Architecture’. The process involved...
Oh my goodness. What a lot of palaver there is online from Airbnb (and other platforms) hosts who ‘fear’ getting a bad review. You’d think that these were medieval days and a bad review means that you’re going to be hanged, drawn and quartered....
Its residents love living there. But the tiny settlement comes in for plenty of criticism. What’s to criticise about this charming medieval town? Well, the first thing is that it isn’t medieval at all – it was created in the nineteen nineties....
What’s the weather like where? Well, more or less anywhere really. When you’re planning a trip the weather may well be a factor when you’re deciding just where or when to go. Although the days are gone when most people rely on sunny days so that they...
There are several; contenders for the world’s most gorgeous bookstore but this is the one that has my vote. I could spend a lot of hours – or even days – in a bookstore and this one would probably keep me happy for even longer. It was founded in the...
Dietrich Mateschitz is one of the wealthiest men in the world. He wasn’t born to wealth but now that he has a fascination for – and a collection of – the most amazing flying and driving machines, he wants to share them so that we can all appreciate...
I have just realised – belatedly, I know – that there are some Airbnb hosts who actually pay attention to the somewhat ludicrous ‘price suggestions’ that Airbnb email to them or show them in the sidebar when they are adjusting their calendar....
Bornholm is a pretty special island (as you’ll see in the video below) and one of the most picturesque places on the island is Svaneke. It’s popular with travellers and there’s plenty to occupy you when you visit. But for architecture fans, a side...
There are so many fascinating buildings in London, For travellers interested in architecture, London is without doubt a feast. But among the important, historical and ancient, there are buildings and structures that have stories to tell about relatively recent times...
From time to time, you’ll find them on the internet – those horror stories about Airbnb guests. Or sometimes about Airbnb hosts. Well, do you know how many people stayed in Airbnb accommodation last night? Or how many will tonight? Or tomorrow night?...
