The weather during my exploration of New South Wales had been, to say the least, rather inclement. So I was very much hoping that the Queensland stage of my Round the World Trip would live up to its billing as the ‘Sunshine State’. I must admit I knew very little about Queensland or its capital, Brisbane. But in three days travelling around the […]
Think of Munich and October and you’ll probably get an image of thousands of people sitting at benches swilling down large quantities of beer, interspersed with roast pork, ham hock and pretzels. And that was the case a week or so before we arrived, as Munich celebrated the Oktoberfest along with millions of visitors. Fortunately, by the […]
I suppose I am a bit of an East European lake fanatic. I have a house by Lake Balaton in Hungary and have holidayed by the Plitvice Lakes in Croatia and Lake Palić in Serbia. Hence it is not surprising that I should decide to check out one of the most famous lakes in Eastern Europe, Lake Bled in […]
‘Narrow Dog to Wigan Pier’ is a travel story about two 75-year olds, Terry Darlington and his wife Monica, journeying on a narrow boat along canals in Northern England, accompanied by their two whippets. However there is much more to the book than that. It is also Terry Darlington’s autobiography and his personal reflections on matters great […]
I came across Kutná Hora by chance a few years ago when trying to avoid motorway driving as I travelled from Prague to Bratislava. Although only about 50 miles east of Prague, it seemed a world apart. I found it had many fine historic buildings and good bars and restaurants, like Prague, but without the crowds of tourist. […]
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Madrid in November: Palaces, Parks and Paseos – Short Break
I’d visited almost all the capitals of Europe, but for some reason had never made it to Madrid, the capital of Spain. I knew something of the city’s fascinating history. I also knew that it is the highest capital in Europe and that it is situated at almost the exact centre of Spain. Maybe I had been put off visiting […]