Norway’s Atlanterhavsveien (the Atlantic Ocean Road) is just over 5 miles long and is considered by many to be the world’s most beautiful road. Rather like the Overseas Highway in Florida, the road travels over small islands and bridges – it curves...
I’ve written before about the northern seaside town of Blackpool in the UK and how it’s reinventing itself. And it’s doing a good job of reinventing what is probably its most famous feature, Blackpool Tower. Blackpool never really had much going for...
A couple of years ago, Wine Spectator published a research study which demonstrated that travellers who drink wine with their meal are protected from food-borne illnesses. Evidently, there are components in the wine (in alcohol to be exact) that scare off the nasties...
It was June 10th, 1944 – at the height of World War Two. The village of Oradour-sur-Glane in Nazi-occupied France was destroyed by the Germans. The inhabitants, over 600 men, women and children, were massacred. In the entire village, there were only six...
The two videos below give us a lovely insight into what air travel was like in the 1950s and 1960s. It was just so elegant. Immediately you’ll notice how the passengers are dressed – the men in suits and often hats, the ladies in demure frocks or suits and...
Although the Blue refers to itself as a hostel, many guests prefer to call it a hotel due to the high standard of the facilities. Plus of course, the fact that private rooms are available and not the regular hostel-style dorms. (See examples in the images below)....
The photograph above typifies Baku as the city is an unusual mix of extremely modern architecture plus ancient buildings. It is one of the quickest-growing cities in the world and has every possible modern amenity along with a huge slice of history and romance. The...
Imagine. You’re going to stay at a private island in sunny California. It has amazing wildlife and a fascinating history. What’s more, it’s not going to cost you a penny – your stay will be absolutely free of charge and even all your meals will...
I can’t even begin to describe to you that wonderful moment when I realised that Maggie Smith was going to play Miss Shepherd in Alan Bennett’s Lady in the Van. And a marvellous film it is too. For those who don’t know, it’s the (largely) true...
They say that writer Guy de Maupassant used to eat lunch every day at the restaurant atop the Eiffel Tower – because it was the only place in Paris that didn’t have a view of the thing. This ‘fact’ is doubted by my family as we once drove...
Dark Hedges is a stunning – and rather magical – parade of beech trees to be found in Northern Ireland and brought to general attention by its use as a location in the TV series Game of Thrones. This dark avenue of gnarled trees was planted in 1775 as the...
Way back in 1990, Flo Hayler started collecting Ramones memorabilia. He collected tickets and t-shirts, posters and pants. These were to form the basis of the Ramones Museum in Berlin. Yes, you’re right of course, the Ramones are mostly associated with their...
It used to be one of those mysteries of life. How old is this plane I’m travelling in? Smoking on planes was banned in 1988 so why does the loo of the plane I’m in feature an ashtray? The answer is pretty simple, although somewhat bizarre. By law,...
Here’s another seriously spooky hotel, this time the Grand Hotel Campo dei Fiori in the Italian Alps. The hotel was abandoned when tourism declined in the area. Since its abandonment, in the late 1960s, the hotel fell into a ruinous state. Furniture and decor...
Particularly important to travellers and to hosts of properties such as those listed on Airbnb, are the recent statistics that show what seriously turns people off bathrooms. My own huge turn off is seeing a pubic hair of dubious provenance on the toilet seat. But...
A cult movie of the 1980s, Dirty Dancing was set at the fictional Kellerman’s Resort in the Catskills. In fact, the filming took place at the Mountain Lake Hotel in Pembroke, Virginia. The film was set in 1963 and reflected the lifestyle of prosperous New...
Paul Theakston was born into the brewing industry and worked at the namesake Theakston’s Brewery in Masham, Yorkshire. That is until business and managerial mayhem made him leave in the 1980s. But – and many a Yorkshireman would say the same – beer...
The Hebridean Islands are well-known because of their incredible scenery, wild seas and astonishing wildlife. The islands are largely unspoiled and the Isle of Lewis is no exception. And if you want to baffle a friend with a trivia question, who do these three...
Paris is a beautiful city. Few people would argue with me there. But what exactly is the deal with reproducing wonderful places? Tianducheng is a suburb of Hangzhou in China and Paris has been reproduced – not very well – in a development that was built in...
Kunsthofpassage is a series of alleyways in the student district of Dresden. The area contains quirky bookshops and cafés – and unusually decorated buildings. One of the most famous is the one you see above. A series of drainpipes are displayed not only in an...
