After a pleasant, relaxed stay in Tasmania, Stage 3 of my Round the World in 50 Days trip took me to the Australian mainland and the state of Victoria. Although the smallest of the mainland states, it is the most densely populated and includes Australia’s second largest city, Melbourne. My plan was to spend a couple of days exploring […]
Recent research findings in the annual Motoring on the Continent Report (produced by Post Office Travel Money) have revealed that about half of all UK motorists have at some time driven in continental Europe and almost 20% of them have been stopped by the police. Now that you can drive throughout almost the whole of Europe without stopping at borders, it […]
There are very many interesting and attractive cities in Spain including Granada (see my recent Touring Holiday), Seville, Bilbao and the capital Madrid. What sets Barcelona apart for me is its vibrancy and outward-looking approach to the world, as signified by the statue of Columbus pointing out from the port. Curiously he is pointing East rather than […]
The pound may have fallen over the past twelve months against most world currencies, but in some holiday resorts you can get up to 21% more for your money this year. This is according to a recent Post Office Travel Money Report on the value of a basket of ten typical holiday items such as a cup […]
Tasmania has a temperate climate and compact size, about three quarters that of Ireland. It lets you get a feel of Australia without having to contend with the vast distances and the sometimes extreme temperatures of the mainland. Well that’s how I saw it when I planned the second stage of my Round the World in […]
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Helmsley and Rievaulx Abbey – Short Break
The market town of Helmsley and the ruins of Rievaulx Abbey lie on the south western boundary of the North Yorkshire Moors. An ancient three mile footpath links the two, well-trodden by monks and townspeople many years ago, and popular now with visitors to the area. After my recent Short Break in the seaside resorts of Scarborough and Whitby, I moved 30 […]