Alhambra classical guitars are synonymous with quality and highly regarded throughout the world. The path to success has been an interesting one as the company was founded almost by chance and nearly failed shortly after being established. Today the company is a great success producing beautiful, traditionally hand crafted instruments in Spain, fashioned from quality woods from round the world but the road to success was a rocky one. Continue reading
Category Archives: Europe
Why Go Shopping on Holiday?
Speaking as someone whose ideal holiday is a getaway in the mountains with no crowds and wonderful scenery I am shocked to find that for many people it is shopping that tops the list of things to do whilst away. Despite the global recession many travellers can’t wait to part with their cash on a trip to the shops and I find this astonishing! For me shopping is a generally a chore especially as these days most high streets and malls have exactly the same brands on offer and are largely interchangeable but it would appear that I am an exception. Continue reading
The British Hotel Experience
I don’t know if it is my imagination but there seems to me to be very little consistency in the standards at British hotels. Unless you do your research you don’t know if you are going to get a lovely bright modern room or a time warp, a sizeable space or a shoe box and the prices don’t necessarily reflect the quality of the establishment. I have never stumbled across a nasty room in America nor leaking taps, malfunctioning showers and crumbling furniture but in Britain it is a very different story. Continue reading
A Self Sufficient Lifestyle in Slovenia
On my recent trips to Slovenia I have found many things to admire about this small country. This is a nation with an embarrassment of natural riches including glorious mountain scenery, crystal clear rivers and unspoilt forests. There are also many pretty historic towns and villages to explore but one of the most impressive things about this lovely country is the level of self-sufficiency many of the people still manage to maintain. Continue reading
What’s Happening In Bovec?
There aren’t many places in Europe where you can take a skiing holiday on a budget without some sort of compromise in terms of the quality of the snow and the resort. Until 2013 Bovec in Slovenia was a fabulous choice with low prices, a pleasant town, great snow and wonderful scenery but all that changed in an instant and now the resort sits dormant waiting for someone to rescue the situation. Continue reading
Paradise on Earth
There can be few places on earth as breathtakingly beautiful and serene as the Soča Valley in Slovenia. The portion of the river near the town of Bovec was used as the filming location in the movie “Chronicles of Narnia – Prince Caspian” and it is not difficult to see why the director chose this wonderful place for the film. Continue reading
4 UK Activity Holiday Ideas
Are you looking for something a little different for your next holiday? Perhaps a world of action and adventure awaits!
Of course, even if you want to take on an activity holiday, it’s not always the case that your partner, your family or your friends want to do the same. That’s when compromises come in. Perhaps they don’t fancy something as active as skiing, but might prefer a walk that takes in a lot of the local scenery. There’s a lot of variety when it comes to activity holidays, and you can choose the perfect break to suit you. The great thing about holidaying in the UK is that you’re always comparatively close to a somewhere that has the right set up or facilities for such activities.
Here are four activity holiday ideas for your next trip! Continue reading
The Black Forest
Lake Titisee in the Black Forest
The Black Forest is a picturesque region of south western Germany which borders the Rhine Valley. The rolling hills of the area are covered in pine and fir forest and there are many attractive and historic towns and villages to explore. The region is easily reached by air from Basel/Mulhouse and Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden airports or by car from the A5 autobahn, a main artery through Germany. There is much to do and enjoy in the region which is popular with tourists from across Europe. Continue reading
Rome in Two Days
The Coliseum
The historic centre of Rome has an embarrassment of architectural treasures and with so many things to see the city can be a daunting prospect for the visitor on a short break. It is impossible to experience everything that Rome has to offer in just two days but you can certainly manage most of the highlights with a little planning and a lot of walking. Continue reading
A Gem in the Alps – The Hintertuxer Gletscher (Hintertux Glacier)
I haven’t been to many Glaciers it must be said, neither am I particularly well versed in the art of skiing. Recently a summer trip to Austria led me to come across this gem however, the Hintertux Glacier (or Hintertuxer Gletscher in German).
Photograph from the Hintertux Glacier by Larsjuh via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
This stunning glacier is located high up in the mountains in the Tux Alps, in a side valley that sprouts off from the popular Zillertal Valley. To say that this area is picturesque would be a true understatement. I visited in summer and was just as impressed with the scenery, being deep within the mountains at valley floor level, as I’m sure I would have been visiting during the winter season. Continue reading