Ride a cock-horse to Banbury Cross, To see a fine lady upon a white horse; Rings on her fingers and bells on her toes, And she shall have music wherever she goes And you can go and see her. See the image above. Banbury is located about 75 miles north of London and is...
One thing about travel is pretty certain – and that is, just like when you’re at home – a large part of your budget will go towards keeping body and soul together. In other words, food costs. Most smart travellers know that to rent self-catering...
Meeting and greeting your guests is an important matter and one that should be carefully considered. However, it’s equally important for you, or your co-host, to be on hand when your guests leave your rental. Some hosts would say that it’s more important....
Even a humble filling station can be a thing of wonder when it’s created by a world renown designer. The Skovshoved Petrol Station, on the outskirts of Copenhagen, was designed in the nineteen thirties by Arne Jacobsen. His client was the Texaco Company. The...
When you read about the history of this astonishing building – erected in 1975 – it’s likely that you’ll be told that the architect was Spaniard Ricardo Bofill. Well, yes, but in fact Bofill never completed his architectural training. The...
Of course, there are those who think that fast-food burgers are the work of the devil but even amongst us there are also those who love Mid Century Modern architecture (and the lifestyle it conjures up) and if you’re in the Hollwood area, then Bob’s is...
When you’re travelling, especially if you’re sticking to a budget, there can be the temptation to sneak an extra person or two into the accommodation you’re renting. Maybe you’ve rented a place on Airbnb or a similar site and the host charges...
Casa Grande`on Hendricks Isle in Fort Lauderdale was designed in the late 1940s by Michigan architect. C. Dale Dykema. He was commissioned to design this small and now historic apartment complex by another couple from Grand Rapids, Michigan. Walter and Leolyn Semeyn....
One of the creepiest places in the world, Muynak , is a sad testimony to what the human race can do to totally mess up the natural world. The town of Muynak was once a thriving seaport with a successful fishing industry. It stood on the shores of the Aral Sea –...
The fact is that Airbnb doesn’t want their hosts to cancel bookings. Your guests don’t want you to cancel bookings either. Understandably. If you cancel, then your guest’s trip is in jeopardy. Airbnb – and similar services – need...
Once you’ve visited the obvious tourist traps in London, the chances are that you’ll start to explore the less-familiar aspects of the city. And there are several reasons why you might end up in the Cleveland Street area. For example, Charles Dickens lived...
The Queen Elizabeth 2, the ocean-going luxury liner, had a long and illustrious career. But all things must come to an end and when the QE2 was superseded in almost every way by the Queen Mary 2 (QM2) the QueenElizabeth was retired from service. She had carried...
Question to hosts: It’s Friday and your guests have just checked out of your rental. The next guests aren’t arriving until check in time on Sunday. When do you get the space ready for the guest? Do you do it on Friday afternoon and get the job out of the...
When you visit the island of Mustique you really are walking in the footsteps of the rich and famous. The island is a private one, these days owned by a company that is made up of the property owners. In the past, the island was a safe haven for Princess Margaret (the...
When I was a kid, every year our family used to go in the car to Italy. This was a fantastic journey and a lot of the driving was through France. For us three kids, especially the younger ones, this could get a bit boring so we used to play those dreadful spot-the...
If you enjoy wine (me!) and love to gaze at architecture (me, again!) then a trip to the Quixote Winery is a must. The Stag’s Leap Winnery was bought in 1971 by Carl Doumani. Over the next two decades, the winery and its manor house were carefully restored and...
If you consider the internet to be a good research tools giving accurate results then it might surprise you to know that research has shown that in the hotel industry, twenty to thirty minutes is considered to be an acceptable time to prepare a guest room (plus...
The story is more than likely an urban legend but the building is real enough – standing proudly in Moscow since the nineteen nineties. It’s a part of the Russian Academy of Science. The building looks as though it was created in the nineteen sixties and...
Yes, I know that I tend to extol the virtues of other tourist places in England in addition to London, but there are some features of the city that are quirky enough to be included on this website. One of them is to be found in the famous Trafalgar Square. It’s...
Did you realise that when you become a guest at an Airbnb rental you join an elite group? Or at any rate, you can if you so wish. That group is made up of Airbnb members who have been given five star ratings by their hosts – ‘superguests’ if you...
