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The Bertha Benz Memorial Route
An American chap was once telling me a joke. It was about cars, two men were arguing; an American and a something-else that I don't remember. The punchline was that the American said "Well, I should know because we Americans invented the car". I didn't get it at all....
VegVisits: Where To Stay For The Veggie Foodie
You might not think that there would be a need for short term rental accommodation that's specifically for people who choose to eat vegetarian or vegan diets but believe me, there is. Do people who don't eat animal products really truly need their own dedicated...
Fort Lauderdale, Johnny Weissmuller and the ISHOF
The story I am going to tell you today is a legend. I don't know whether it's true - but I rather hope that it is. But before I get to that, I'm going to tell you several things that are absolutely true that all come together in the story of Fort Lauderdale,...
Airpods at Airports
I never knew that there was such a thing but the Airpod website says that the company is at the helm of the travel and 'napping industry'. Sleeping pods aren't new, of course, which are what the company provide but nevertheless I'm surprised that a napping industry...
Chateau d’If: France
I'm pretty much in love with France and if I had to live somewhere other than my favourite Florida, then France it would be. Especially the south. Especially Marseilles. In fact, here's a quote from Vincent Van Gogh: I am working with the enthusiasm of a man from...
Safranbolu, Turkey
The Old Town of Safranbolu is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site and offers a spectacular sightseeing opportunity for the traveller. It's easy to get to the town via train or road especially if you're travelling from Istanbul or Ankara (Ankara being the nearer...
Why Use a Travel Wrap?
I've often extolled the benefits of travelling with a light shawl or sarong as these items are incredibly useful for the traveller, especially when you're travelling in warmer climates. But there is also a place for the travel wrap. And by this is mean lightweight...
Hooray for Hollywood
In 1923, the Crescent Sign Company of Los Angeles were commissioned to create a huge sign. It was to advertise a new housing development, the name of which was Hollywoodland. It was intended to be a temporary structure that would last for about eighteen months - just...
Paternoster Elevator: Sheffield, Yorkshire
If you speak British English, then you will refer to it as a 'lift'. If you're American, or were taught to speak English in the American way, then you'll call it an 'elevator'. But despite this difference, I'll bet that we all have the same idea of exactly what a lift...
Hosts: How To Have Great Guests At Check Out
Most people in the world are friendly, law-abiding folk. who just want to get on with their lives. And yet if you were to read comments on, for instance, a forum for short-term-rental hosts, you might get the idea that as soon as a normal, average person turns into a...
Visiting Greece: The Olive Tree of Vouves
Most days during meal preparation, I'm likely to grab the bottle of olive oil. Sauteeing, dressing a salad, that olive oil is used so many times. And sometimes I'm in danger of being one of those children you hear about who think that meat comes in a package from the...
Flying: The Organised Way
A plane journey doesn't always offer the best possible experience. And there are two particular aspects that bother me about the flight itself. They are: The hygiene The tiny seat space Aeroplane hygiene never used to bother me but like many other people, I've read...
Spain: Autódromo de Sitges-Terramar
For many years now, travellers have been attracted to abandoned places. This isn't surprising as most have an atmosphere that's hard to compare with anywhere else. It's as though, forgive a little poeticness - these place still retain the spirits of those who have...
Visiting France: Hotel Le Negresco, Nice
The Hotel Negresco in Nice is located on the Promenade des Anglais. Eccentric dancer, Isadora Duncan, died on the promenade in 1927, - by many accounts right outside the hotel. She was wearing a long silk scarf, as was the fashion in the 1920s, when she and a...
What Happens To Old Hotel Sheets & Towels
The hotel industry does come in for a lot of criticism these days but we do have to applaud its initiatives to be more planet-friendly. For example, for several years now, fresh towels are supplied on request rather than the old system which meant all clean towels...
Two Egg, Florida
Yes, there really is a place called Two Egg in Florida. Google maps will even confirm it. And doesn't it amuse you that it's two singulars, rather than being Two Eggs? The Two Egg website says that the name developed because of the farm produce that the locals used to...
The Old Swan, Harrogate
In 1926, Agatha Christie was already well-known thanks to her novels. But in December that year she suddenly disappeared. Her car was found abandoned and for the next eleven days, a massive police search was undertaken. It was surmised that she had committed suicide...
Airbnb / STR: Cheaper Than Hotels?
We have so many accommodation decisions to make when we travel, haven't we? Hotel or bed & breakfast? Hostel, maybe? A rented apartment or studio? A rental house? Perhaps a room in someone's home? And the chances are that we'll have different needs during...
Dying Lion Monument, Lucerne, Switzerland
The monument depicts a mortally wounded lion and was described by Mark Twain as 'the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world' It was carved in 1820-21 to commemorate the Swiss Guards who died in the French Revolution. Mark Twain describes it in greater...
Shakespeare and Company, Paris
This quirky bookstore, which seems to be so very French, was opened in Paris in 1951 --- by an American, George Whitman. Although it's a legitimate commercial concern and sells new and secondhand books it's also a sort of literary drop-in centre and houses a free...
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