If you are hiring a car whilst away or even taking your own vehicle on the trip then do make sure that you have arranged insurance that includes roadside assistance and recovery as things can and do go wrong. It is tempting to think that breaking down is a long shot but long journeys and difficult terrain can make issues with the car more likely than ever. I travel abroad two or three times a year and have had enough problems to last a lifetime. In a remote area even a simple thing like a puncture can be big trouble. Continue reading
Category Archives: Europe
Is Pompeii Crumbling?
The Roman city of Pompeii was buried during an eruption of Vesuvius in AD79 and remained hidden until excavations began in the 19h century. Now some two thirds of the ancient city has been revealed but there are fears that the combined effect of a high number of tourists visiting, the wet weather and poor maintenance are causing Pompeii to crumble. Continue reading
Sending Myself to a Concentration Camp
Sometimes the inspiration for a holiday can come in the most unusual ways. I ended up booking a trip on impulse after watching a TV programme about dentistry in Poland! The broadcast did unveil the interesting possibility of having my teeth treated abroad but that wasn’t the reason for my desire to travel. Continue reading
The Goats, the Dog and the Beverley Hillbillie
Last year a hike in the Julian Alps of Slovenia resulted in the most bizarre interlude at a small croft in the mountains. I had taken a lengthy and steep hike up to a beautiful lake and was making my way down again when I encountered the most extraordinary individual. The whole episode began when I saw a gorgeous ginger cat perched on a post outside of the small farm. Continue reading
Get Out of London Theatre
West End shows make for a wonderful evening out but they are now very costly. It is possible to get your hands on discounted tickets through schemes like Get Into London Theatre and via special offers but it is never going to be cheap. This makes it all the more annoying when your entertainment is ruined by the behaviour of certain members of the audience. I have been attending shows for more than 40 years and I am sure that standards of behaviour are slipping. I wish that these idiots would get out of London theatre! Continue reading
The Cats of Torre Argentina
Rome is a stunning city with architectural marvels around every corner. Tourists flock to the eternal city to marvel at the ancient Roman ruins and Renaissance masterpieces but there is one special place that many do not see which is situated just a few hundred metres from the busy and fashionable shopping area of Via Condotti and the Piazza Venezia at the heart of the city. Largo di Torre Argentina is a beautiful square containing some spectacular Roman ruins but is equally notable for its feline residents. Continue reading
The Curious Incident
As a frequent theatre goer I was horrified by the recent ceiling collapse in London’s West End. Without warning large volumes of debris fell on the unsuspecting audience of the Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time at the Apollo Theatre. As yet no cause for the collapse has been identified making it a curious incident at the Curious Incident! All joking aside the episode is rather unsettling not least because I am in possession of tickets for the show. Continue reading
In Search of a Christmas Tree
One of the great joys of travelling is the excitement of discovering exciting new places whether they are a spectacular national park or a great restaurant. I have travelled far and wide in search of the next adventure and so you can imagine my surprise when I stumbled across two great places which were right on my doorstep. I thought I was acquainted which pretty much everything in my immediate area but I was wrong and my little adventure started with a Christmas tree! Continue reading
Paris In A Day
You may well ask why anyone would want to attempt to do Paris in a day and the truth is that in an ideal world I wouldn’t even attempt such a feat. There is much to see and do in this great city but on a recent visit to France I had just one day to introduce the sights and sounds of the French capital to two friends who had never visited Paris before. After a little thought I devised a tour which resembled one of those theatre shows which attempt to present the entire works of Shakespeare in two hours. So there I was on the train heading into the city facing the highlights of Paris – abridged. Continue reading
Longacres Garden Centre
I live on the Surrey/Berkshire border and there are several garden centres within a short drive of my house. They have not featured on my hot list of places to go, mainly because I hate gardening! If you don’t need any plants or tools a visit to a garden centre doesn’t tend to be a high priority but I have just discovered that it should be! In search of Christmas decorations I decided to pay a couple of these places a visit and boy did I get a surprise. Continue reading