Here in Central Europe, summer hangs on a thread. The long, light evenings are closing in, the sun’s warmth is fading fast, and I’m already thinking back to my first holiday of the year in lovely Malta.
While the trees …
Shifting My Paradigm
When I’ve reached a grand old age and – like any self-respecting old lady – I am surrounded by an army of cats; I will look back over my life and remember the following things: living in multiple houses around …
Košice, Slovakia: Try Once, Love Forever
Home of Europe’s Oldest Annual Marathon
Slovakia is an underrated travel destination; most people I meet have never heard of it, and could not point it out on a map, so it was surprising to learn that Košice hosted Europe’s …
Goodbye, Serendipity
In March 2008 I visited a place that changed my life. Of course, back then bracing myself for every bump in the dusty road I had no idea where the rusted bus careening wildly along the highway from Phnom Penh …
Europe Travel: Eight Lakes in Six Days
“What do you want to see on our trip around Europe?” I asked my friend.
“Mountains, lakes, or beaches” came the reply.
Lakes, it is then.
Because Europe is so compact, one of the best things about travelling around the …
Reinvention, Promotion, and a Whole Load of Summer Travel
If you have read my blog for some time, you may have noticed that I have been absent for a while. On the other hand, maybe, you have not. Either way, it has been five months since I last wrote …
Heartbreak and Healing in the Holy Land
“May I have your passport, please?” asked the man at the hotel’s dingy reception desk.
“Certainly.” Smiling brightly, I handed it over.
“And the other one?”, he asked.
“Um, there is no other one. …
10 of the Best European Old Towns to Visit this Spring
Who doesn’t love visiting a Historic Old Town?
My teaching career has shuttled between Europe and Asia on more than a few occasions: I moved from the UK to Vietnam in 2007, Vietnam to Sweden in 2010, Sweden to India …
Help! How Should I pack for Tanzania?
This time next week I will be in Tanzania.
Other than a package holiday in Tunisia many years ago, Africa is a completely new continent to me. I am simultaneously jumping for joy about the prospect of my upcoming trip; …
A Snowy Weekend in the Tatra Mountains, Slovakia
A few weeks ago, I was tired of the rainy, grey, city sky. I desperately wanted blue sky, crisp air, and plenty of snow. I longed to see mountains; and for that, I would have to go to the Tatra …
Gazing into the Blue Eye, Albania
The unbelievably clear water of Syri i Kalter (‘Blue Eye’) in the South of Albania is beautiful, but it is not easy to reach. You have two options: 1) a laborious 5-hour journey along dilapidated roads from the …
Čachtice: The Castle of the Bloody Countess
It’s on a frigid Sunday in late October that I find myself climbing towards the ruins of a 13th Century limestone castle in Čachtice, Slovakia. Battling a bitter wind I draw my coat closer around me; but it is …
Hévíz: Bathing in Hungary’s Healing Thermal Lake
If you’ve been to Budapest then maybe you visited Széchenyi thermal baths; but did you know that with over 1,000 hot springs, Hungary boasts more medicinal spas than any other European country? What’s more, it even has a natural thermal …
A Year in the Life of an International Teacher
I often get people asking me about life as an international teacher, so to honour 10 years of living overseas I have put this post together to show you what a year in my life is like. As I’m a …
Spring in Bratislava is a great time to visit!
Readjusting to a European winter after two years of perpetual summer in India has been harder than I thought. I’m not sure why, because I like winter. For the last few months in Mumbai I’d been looking forward to feeling …
Boulanger & Patissiere: Bratislava’s Macaron Masterclass
I’ve always liked the look of a dainty, brightly coloured, meringue macaron. You know, the ones that you see piled delicately on silver platters in fancy cake shops? They look exquisite, but as I’m more of a cheesecake girl I’d …
Orava Castle: Inside the Lair of a Vampire
The flickering, grainy image of a hunched figure creeping up a silhouetted staircase, his claw-like hand extending towards a shadowed door, is an iconic piece of cinema history belonging to the 1922 German Expressionist movie, ‘Nosferatu’ – one of …
Festivals, Food & Fun: Seven Weeks in Bratislava
Having lived in Bratislava for only seven weeks I am still new to Slovak culture, particularly as I knew very little about either Slovakia or the city before I came here. It is true to say, however, that I have …
A Day Trip to Devin Castle from Bratislava
Autumn has arrived in Bratislava. Only last week I wore summer dresses and flip-flops, but this week it’s all scarves, winter coats and boots. When yesterday dawned cold but sunny, I went for a walk with friends in order to …
Stockholm ICEBAR: ‘The Cold Never Bothered Me Anyway’
What is Stockholm’s ICEBAR like? Well, as you’d expect, it’s like walking into a giant freezer. A freezer with a bar, that is. A freezer full of animals elaborately carved into huge blocks of glistening ice. A freezer where people …