In June, heavy monsoon rains will saturate the streets of Mumbai, so I am doing what most other foreign teachers here do—leaving India for the summer. And what better place to go than Europe? In contrast to India, Europe is …
The Eden Project: A Rainforest Without Bugs!
If you want to experience the rainforest’s exotic flora and fauna, but are terrified of bugs, then the Eden Project is for you!
There are many cool things to do and see in Cornwall, but the Eden Project is highly …
My 5 Travel Highlights of 2013
At the beginning of 2013 I had no travel plans. I had just moved to an expensive apartment in Stockholm and expected a light travel year similar to 2012. But, as is often the case for me, it turned out …
10 Foods To Try in Europe
Warning: This post will make you hungry!
I had not been travelling for long before I realised that my trip would become a culinary tour of Europe, devoted mainly to trying different, and amazing, new foods—even more so than experiencing …
Discovering Lovely Looe, Cornwall
In British English the word loo is a colloquial term for the toilet, so when my sister and her husband announced that they were moving to Looe—pronounced in the same way—they received a few sniggers and giggles.
My initial impression …
Europe’s Fairy-Tale Castles: Castell Coch, Cardiff
Ascending dramatically from a sea of tangled forest, the three turrets of Castell Coch are a scene straight from a fairy tale. The castle would not look amiss in any part of medieval Europe. It looks proudly out over Welsh …
Following Edinburgh’s Potter Trail
“How are we going to recognise her?” whispered my friend Grainne as we stood outside Edinburgh’s famous ‘Greyfriars Bobby’ pub.
“I don’t know. Maybe she’ll be wearing a cape!” I replied.
I was not wrong. Indeed, …
The Real Mary King’s Close: A Journey Into Edinburgh’s Past
“Hidden deep beneath the Royal Mile lies Edinburgh’s deepest secret; a warren of hidden ‘closes’ or streets where real people lived, worked and died. For centuries they have lain forgotten and abandoned…
…until now.” – Mary King’s Close brochure…
Scottish Highlands: A Romantic Retreat
There is nothing more romantic than the beauty of natural scenery, and my recent trip to the stunning Scottish Highlands got me thinking about how Scotland has the perfect landscape for a romantic retreat, and is maybe even one …
Why You Should Visit Wales
Rather than flowing over the top of the British Isles as usual, the Jet Stream’s current positioning to the South has brought the rainiest summer that the United Kingdom has had in decades (and let’s face it we normally get …
St Fagans: a Slice of Welsh Life
St Fagans National History Museum stands in the shadow of Cardiff’s Millennium stadium, and is only a stone’s throw from the uber-trendy Mermaid Quay bay area. It is a gem of a museum chronicling Welsh Life through the ages.
What Makes Britain So Great?
I recently read Mallory on Travel’s brilliant article ‘What’s So Great About Britain?’ with a huge grin on my face because, all things considered, my homeland really is an amazing place, and what better day to celebrate this fact than …
War Museums: Meaningful or Macabre?
Visiting a war museum is not a pleasant or comfortable experience and I have left the ones I have visited in tears. Many of the images and artefacts are deeply disturbing, exposing me to atrocities that I cannot possibly imagine. …
Wimbledon – A British Institution
It’s already well into the swing of tennis season and the next tournament on the agenda is, of course, Wimbledon. Even though the UK has not enjoyed much success on the hallowed turf of SW19 in recent years, it is …
Free to Travel – How I Broke Free From Debt
On the evening of March 15th 2007 I sat in a small bar in Northampton confessing to a friend of mine that I was struggling with debt. I didn’t know how I had reached that stage but all …
Bad Wolf Bay: The Rugged Coastline of South Wales (UK)
Although I enjoy travelling the world and have branded myself a Runaway Brit, I do still appreciate the beauty of my home country. The UK is a small but diverse island and has many unappreciated areas of natural beauty. Many …
Lest We Forget – Remembering The Fallen
“Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, We will remember them.”
Today is Remembrance Day: a day which many countries have adopted as a day to reflect …