Exploring the world, one place at a time
No trip to Venice would be complete without a visit to its most famous square, the Piazza San Marco, and the iconic sites that surround it, the Basilica di San Marco, the Palazzo Ducale and the Campanile. So after cruising down the Grand Canal, we disembarked at San Marco, where we stopped to take some... Continue Reading →
I didn't have much of a plan when I went to London, I had lots of vague ideas about different places I'd like to visit, but nothing set in stone and I found myself changing my plans on a whim during the trip. One of the places I'd thought about visiting was St Paul's Cathedral.... Continue Reading →
Chic, laid-back, friendly, welcoming and playful are just some of the words I'd use to describe the historic French city of Nantes. The former capital of Brittany (it's called Naoned in Breton) has been dubbed the 'city of the dukes of Brittany'. Even though it hasn't been part of Brittany since the Second World War... Continue Reading →
With its winding medieval streets, colourful timber-framed houses and handsome stone buildings, the old Breton capital Vannes (or Gwened in Breton) has bags of character, great shopping and lots of photogenic buildings. Originally named Darioritum, the charming market town, which sits at the mouth of the rivers Marle and Vincin, has a long history. It... Continue Reading →
One of my favourite things to do in Porto was visiting the city's many, highly decorative churches. From pretty tile-clad exteriors to breathtaking gilt carved interiors and superb views over the city, there was a lot to marvel at. But of all the incredible ecclesiastical buildings we visited (and we saw quite a few!), two... Continue Reading →
The Basilica of Saint-Denis to the north of Paris has been top of my Parisian bucket list for a good 20 years and I was determined to finally visit it last summer. The magnificent basilica is the resting place of almost all the French kings and queens, with 43 kings, 32 queens and more than... Continue Reading →
One of two small islands in the middle of the Seine in Paris, the Ile de la Cité is the oldest part of the French capital. Settled in the 3rd century BC by the Celts, Paris's historic centre is home to Point Zero, the point from which all distances in France are measured. But it's... Continue Reading →
Following my week-long sojourn in Béarn, I headed north-west to Bordeaux for a whistle-stop 21-hour tour of France's ninth biggest city. It was almost 4pm by the time I arrived in Bordeaux and checked into my hotel near the city's central railway station, the Gare Saint-Jean. Having dumped my stuff in my room, I set... 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 →
I'm a little ashamed to admit I hadn't heard of Wells, England's smallest city, until a couple of months ago when my Bristol-based sister and brother-in-law took my mother there on a day out. My mother came back raving about the place, insisting I had to go as she knew I'd love it. Fast forward... Continue Reading →
Little Old World 