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 →
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 →
It seems hard to believe now, but at the end of January 2020 I was in Venice, little knowing it was the last time I'd go abroad for a very long time. I'd been umming and ahhing about visiting Venice for years – on the one hand keen to see the famous lagoon city, on... Continue Reading →
When Benjamin Franklin set foot on French soil in December 1776 to seek support in the American War of Independence, he came ashore in the tiny Breton port of Saint Goustan. Situated on the banks of the River Loch, adjoining the town of Auray, Saint Goustan is a delightful, picturesque affair. With a cobbled quayside... Continue Reading →
The contemporary art gallery Casa de Serralves is tucked away in one of Porto's wealthier suburbs. A bus ride away away from the bustling city centre, it would be easy to miss if you didn't know it was there. Opened in June 1999, the museum sits within the extensive grounds of Serralves Villa, a strikingly... Continue Reading →
For the last two and a half years, I've had an ever-growing list of posts lingering in my drafts folder that I held off publishing while we were in the throes of the pandemic, and it's got to the point where I haven't been sure what to do with them as it's been so long.... Continue Reading →
Portugal's second city is the perfect place for a weekend break. Boasting interesting architecture, a maze of alleyways that are ripe for exploring, museums, parks, churches, and fantastic food, it's a great city in which to spend a long weekend. Not to mention there's an abundance of its most famous export – port – on... Continue Reading →
Malaysia is a country, quite literally, of two halves – Peninsula Malaysia and Malaysian Borneo – and last year I was lucky enough to spend two weeks touring these two, very different, parts of the south-east Asian country. Featuring orangutans, sun bears and some of the best food I've ever eaten, this is my mini-travel... 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 →
When I asked one of my Paris-based friends what I should do in the city, the first thing she said was go to the Fondation Louis Vuitton. So after my morning visiting the Musée de l'Orangerie and over-indulging at Angelina, I hopped on the Metro to the Bois de Boulogne on the Western edge of... Continue Reading →
Little Old World 