LATEST ARTICLES
The Wettest Place on Earth
I'm from England, now living in the USA, and I have to say that I have got rather tired over the years of people 'telling' me that it always rains in England. Or that in England, you never see a blue sky because it's always grey and raining. That's because it's just...
Reims-Gueux, France
Abandoned anythings are spooky. Abandoned places that were once the scenes of fun and frolics are somehow even spookier. I'm thinking here about derelict funfairs or holiday camps. I get a bit weird and tend to imagine the ghostly sounds of laughing children. But...
“The Guest Has No Photo!”
I absolutely, completely and utterly hate the fact that I have got to the age when I could preface a sentence with 'in my day' so I'm not going to. But nevertheless, I'm getting increasingly impatient with Airbnb hosts who get grumpy because guests don't upload...
Antwerp Railway Station
Airports these days can be pretty okay, architecturally speaking. But as so many people now prefer to experience travelling by train instead of being sardined into a cylindrical tube in the air, the beautiful railway stations of the world are being fully appreciated....
Visiting Iceland: The Blue Lagoon
Although it looks pretty much like something from another world - or at least from ancient times - the Blue Lagoon has only been in existence since the local power station was created. It's the overspill; the by-product. To be sure that I've got the details absolutely...
You’ll Probably Need To Pack This
I've never really cared for using an umbrella, have you? I find them pretty unwieldy and unmanageable. Plus those small telescopic ones - and those are the best for travel - don't really provide enough coverage. (And I can never get the things folded up again without...
Visiting the UK: Should I Join English Heritage?
The British Isles are so jam-packed with history that you'd need several trips of many weeks to see even a fraction of the items of interest. In fact, you could spend weeks in London and only cover a small number of historic landmarks and sights there. And that's just...
Belgian Chocolate. Oh Wow…
You've probably read here before about how I like to immerse myself in the local culture when I travel. And one of the easiest ways to do that is by experiencing the local cuisine. This is especially the case when the country's speciality is something as purely...
The UFO, Bratislava, Slovakia. Would You Dare?
I might as well tell you, right now, that I wouldn't. Not for all the tea in China. I admit to being the person who hides behind a cushion when death-defying stunts are shown on the TV. And despite all the safety precautions in the world, this is one travel experience...
Why Do Sensible People Let Strangers Stay In Their Homes?
Don't expect an answer from me because I simply don't know. And I'm not going to say 'perfect stranger' because strangers are usually less than perfect. But imagine this...You have a prized possession. Let's say it's a Ferrari.Red, shining, powerful, beautiful.It cost...
Clifton’s Cafeteria, Los Angeles
You don't really expect calling in for a bite at a cafeteria to be a weird experience. That is, unless you've been to Clifton's. The best way to find out about it, apart from walking through the doors of course, is to take a look at the video below. That shows you...
Visiting the UK: Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem
There's really no doubt about it - there are two particularly outstanding things that most people enjoy when they are visiting the UK. They are the history of the place - you can't move without bumping into something or other that's historic - and of course, the pubs....
Sciacca, Sicily
Did you read that fantastic story about Carlo Giarratano at the end of July 2019? He is the captain of a fishing boat who, despite new laws to the contrary, went to the aid of 50 migrants in a poorly prepared and ailing boat one night out at sea. Carlo Giarratano...
Alwyn Court, Manhattan
It's not the sort of building you expect to see in New York. And many hundreds of people walk past it every day and don't look up at the somewhat astonishing architecture of Alwyn Court.This apartment building was built in the two years from 1907 to 1909 and featured...
What Was The Green Book?
The Green Book, a guide for travellers. was published more or less annually from 1936 to 1966. At the time, the publisher and compiler of this travel guide said:"...there will be a day sometime in the near future when this guide will not have to be published ... It...
Visiting London: The Magdala
Many people visit London because it's jam-packed with history. Visitors from newer countries love the fact that there are buildings, streets and stories that existed long before their own country did. But history from way back, although fascinating, is only part of...
Kleines Berlin, Trieste, Italy
I guess that the clue is in the name. A feature with a German name in Italy does make you wonder just what it is and (if you're me) whether it's a relic from the Second World War. Kleine Berlin is a network of tunnels and yes, the tunnels were built during WW2 when...
Divided by a Common Language: Tea & Coffee
Traditionally, stereotypically, the English are supposed to drink nothing but tea and Americans never do - they always drink coffee. Like most stereotypes, this is a load of nonsense. The two drinks can vary a lot in both countries though so it's a good idea to know...
Valladolid, Mexico
Okay, who wouldn't want to visit a place that had a sign like the one in the photograph above? If you can't read it, it says 'Don't Hurt the Plant'. A lovely sentiment.Valladolid, which is a lot more difficult to pronounce correctly than you might think, has so much...
Heidelberg Thingstätte, Germany
There are so many things to see in the old German town of Heidelberg. You'd need, I think, at least two weeks there in order to enjoy everything that the place has to offer.But one site, often overlooked by visitors, is the Thingstätte. The whatstatte? Well, exactly....
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