When considering a visit to Birmingham, I had visions of heavy industry, busy roads and a dated, unimpressive city centre. Not exactly Short Break territory. A little research soon showed that to be a completely unfair view of modern Birmingham. Over the last few years the central area has greatly improved as the 20 year Big City Plan rolls forward. The city […]
Four hundred years ago two massive and historically crucial battles were fought near Mohács, a sleepy little port on the Danube in south central Hungary. The Ottomans won the first in 1526 and swept north, the Habsburgs the second in 1687, finally driving the Ottomans out of East-Central Europe. However, I didn’t come to Mohács because of its interesting history, but rather […]
I have passed by Peterborough many times, either by train along the East Coast Main Line or by road along the A1. However, I had never stopped to see what Peterborough has to offer. So when I was given a Steam Train Experience on the Nene Valley Railway as a present, I decided to combine the rail trip with a tour […]
Prague is the only one of my Top Ten Cities that is not a major port; it is situated about halfway between the Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean and about 400 miles from the North Sea. Hence Prague is uniquely at the crossroads between Northern and Southern Europe and between Western and Eastern Europe. I first […]
The North Yorkshire coast has many attractions with the resorts of Scarborough and Whitby being the major ones, but Robin Hood’s Bay lying between is well worth a visit. Scarborough is reputed to be Britain’s oldest seaside resort dating back to the 17th Century and much of the town still retains a charming Victorian feel. On my recent […]
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Kutná Hora, Czech Republic – Off the Beaten Track
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. […]