Fine idiosyncrasies
Sir John Soane was one of Britain’s most famous architects; he was also an art lover and collector who created one of the most eclectic and personal museums in the world.
Located in central London, a short stroll from many other London treasures such as Covent Garden, the British Museum, and the West End, Sir John Soane’s [...]
Posts in category Europe
Sir John Soane: The Art and Mind of a...
Fine idiosyncrasies
Sir John Soane was one of Britain’s most famous architects; he was also an art lover and collector who created one of the most eclectic and personal museums in the world.
Located in central London, a short stroll from many other London treasures such as Covent Garden, the British Museum, and the West End, Sir John Soane’s [...]
In Search of Sisi
Young, pretty and adored by all, she married her handsome prince far too soon. The princess was soon estranged from a much older husband and sought every opportunity to slip away from the stifling formality of the court.
No, not Diana, but the life and times of another European princess a century earlier were equally romantic – and tragic.
I [...]
To the Manor Born at Hartington Hall
Our latest home exchange in Britain was drawing to a close. By now we had explored much of the Midlands from our base in the ‘Black Country’ between Birmingham and the Welsh borders, so it was time to venture further afield – except that this would prove to be the wettest April recorded in England for a hundred years.
Hartin [...]
Home exchanging allows you to live li...
Living rent-free in London… too good to be true?
“Yes, I would be interested in an exchange… our two-bedroom apartment is less than a mile east of Tower Bridge. The Tube station is opposite – one change gets you into central London within half an hour…”
The novelty of driving in snow…
Jack, a retired motor company executive, meant busin [...]
Citizen Cow: a Very Special Breed of ...
Far from the madding crowd
The Auvergne in central France is a destination-within-a-destination where you experience peace of mind, gastronomic pleasures, and a common sense way of life.
This article of mine was recently published in FranceGuide Prestige, the magazine of the Tourism Department of France.
Here is an excerpt:
“Dramatic and be [...]
Do travellers need to take lessons?
Seen the TV series An Idiot Abroad? It makes me cringe – but only because I know this is exactly the way I’ve behaved in the past.
I remember arriving at the ferry terminal in Surat Thani, in Thailand. I thought I’d walked into a time-warp. Here were a whole bunch of “freaks” looking as I had been trying to look twenty year [...]
Merhaba! Images from Turkey
A selection of my Images from Turkey in May/June 2011 – with more to follow. Plenty of story material to hand!
Aya Sofya, the Hagia Sofia of the Byzantine emperors
With only hazy memories of Turkey in the Seventies, a waystation on the overland road to Kathmandu, Turkey this (northern) summer came as a revelation for me. Long, balmy nig [...]
Dublin … and Beer
What’s in a beer?
History, culture, national identity, pride, industry, agriculture … and the list could go on and on.
And what’s in a celebration of a national icon such as Ireland’s Guinness Beer? Well for one thing, it’s an opportunity to focus once again on a content-rich, culturally-rich travel destination.
And what about sport? Why are [...]
