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 →
Nestled in the heart of Nantes's medieval centre lies the magnificent and imposing Château des Ducs de Bretagne, the former home of the dukes of Brittany. It was the place I was most excited about visiting in Nantes and on my first full day in the city, I made my way to the château, keen... 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 →
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 →
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 →
Regular readers of my blog will know that I unashamedly love a good castle, and for the longest time, I've been dying to tick off north Wales's big four: Beaumaris, Caernarfon, Conwy and Harlech. I visited Caernarfon years ago (great fun), have driven past Harlech and Conwy, but the one I was most keen to... 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 banks of the River Thames to the south-west of London are dotted with stately homes and grand palaces. From Kew Palace to the Duke of Northumberland's Syon Park, to Marble Hill House and the majestic Hampton Court Palace. So when I was browsing through the National Trust's handbook and came across Ham House and... 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 →
Little Old World 