Exploring the world, one place at a time
We started our first full day in Venice by exploring the canals near our hotel in the Cannaregio district, snaking our way over the bridges and along the deserted canals, while soaking up the area's eerie stillness. As we got closer to the Rialto district and the Grand Canal (below), the city, unsurprisingly, became increasingly... Continue Reading →
Driving into the north Wales market town of Conwy is quite a surreal and unnerving experience, for the town is surrounded by a 1.3km unbroken ring of medieval stone walls, and to get into the town, I had to drive through a narrow gateway. It was an impressive and disorientating welcome to one of the... Continue Reading →
After spending our first few hours in Bilbao exploring its historic centre, our second day was spent focusing on the city's architectural gems and art galleries. Arriving in the city near the central train station, we again crossed the Bilbao River at Arenal Bridge, but this time instead of continuing straight ahead into the old... Continue Reading →
When I think of Bilbao, the first place that springs to mind is the Guggenheim Museum, the Frank Gehry-designed curved titanium and glass behemoth that put the Basque capital firmly on the international art map in the late 1990s. But there's much, much more to the city than its most iconic building. I recently spent... Continue Reading →
Of all the places I visited when staying in the Dordogne, the place I was most excited about seeing was the medieval town of Cahors. Not only does the town lend its name to my favourite type of wine, but its famed medieval bridge, the Pont Valentré (above), had been on my French bucket list... Continue Reading →
The ancient trading port of Hoi An is utterly charming and its old town embodies traditional Vietnamese culture, as for the most part, it's remained unchanged for centuries. In 1999, it was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the pretty port is the perfect place to spend a few days mooching around – which is exactly what I did. Sights... Continue Reading →
On our way from Hue to Hoi An, we stopped off briefly in Danang, a bustling city on the banks of the Han River. The city is home to a majestic golden Dragon Bridge, which apparently breathes fire and sprays water. Sadly the weather was atrocious the day we visited and with the gloomy clouds... Continue Reading →
The Swiss city of Basel is a cultural behemoth, home to 50 museums, the resting place of the scholar and humanist Erasmus, plus some seriously delightful architecture. My dentist visited the city the week before me and came back singing the city's praises, so based on all the great things I'd heard, I was really looking... Continue Reading →
Little Old World 