If you enjoy a bit of peace and tranquillity and would rather not travel too far from home then the Aran Island could be a great place for you to visit. Situated in the Galway Bay off the west coast of Ireland, the Arans are a group of three islands with a population of just 1200. Although small, the community is famous across the world as the home of the Aran Jumper, those distinctive fisherman’s knits which became really popular in the 20th century. Continue reading
Holidays and Hurricanes
There is nothing quite like news of a hurricane to crystallise your thoughts when you are about to set off on holiday, especially when your accommodation lies right in its predicted path. This unfortunate situation has been visited on me twice and on both occasions I found myself glued to the weather reports. Continue reading
West End Live
If you love West End theatre but struggle to afford the ever increasing prices or if you are in a quandary over what to go to see then West End Live Could be the solution. The event is held annually in London to showcase the great musicals running in the capital and provides two days of fabulous entertainment for people of all ages. The best new is that the entire event is free. Continue reading
Holiday Souvenirs
Most holidaymakers like to bring back some sort of souvenir of their trip but treating yourself to something will eat into your spending money and tourist traps are not known for their bargain prices. It has to be said that a lot of what is brought back is basically rubbish which people wouldn’t dream of buying any other time of year so why do they buy it when they are on holiday? Continue reading
The Nightmare of Missing Your Flight
Whether you are departing for a much needed and well planned holiday or an important business trip, pretty much the worst thing that can happen is that you miss your flight. That eventuality can turn a dream into a nightmare, cost you a fortune and blow a big deal and the chances are that if you have missed the flight, it wasn’t your fault at all. Continue reading
The Beauty of Boot Sales
I used to do the odd boot sale to generate some cash from my unwanted goods but had largely given up on the idea since the arrival of eBay. The online auction site offered an opportunity to achieve better prices for items of genuine value and then there was the fact that you didn’t have to get up at some ungodly time of the morning to do your listings. Boot sales were looking considerably less attractive propositions in comparison to eBay but I have recently had cause to visit one again and it was well worth the effort. Continue reading
Exploding the Myths about Wine
There is nothing that is calculated to make mere mortals feel inferior more than a wine expert. Their seemingly incredible ability to discern a multitude of flavours and aromas from a single bottle of plonk is quite intimidating and matched only by the flowery language they use to describe what they have experienced. Listening to some of their proclamations would lead you to believe that certain vintages represent an orgasm in a bottle but I have privately suspected for years that this overblown hyperbole might not be all that it seems. Continue reading
Loving Limoncello
I cannot imagine why but I hadn’t tasted Limoncello until I visited the Sorrento region back in 2011. For those not in the know the drink is a lemon liqueur which has been made in the region for 100 years and more and is the second most popular liqueur in Italy. It is made by soaking the zest of the gorgeous Sorrento lemons in rectified spirit and then adding sugar syrup. The drink was quite a revelation to me but not for entirely good reasons. Continue reading
Travelling With Awkward Feet
I love travelling and take as many trips as my time and budget will allow. It isn’t only my budget that causes issues, however, it is also my feet! I adore adventure sports, hiking and exploring new cities but my feet are problematic causing my footwear to be a make or break feature of any holiday. Not only do I have to take a selection of shoes that would rival Imelda Marcos, said shoes must be carefully chosen to ensure that I can last the course. Continue reading
Illness Abroad
It is all too easy to get wrapped up in the excitement of a holiday and to forget that things can and do go wrong. I learnt at an early age how important travel insurance can be and in later life I never left home without adequate cover. Even the healthiest people and the best laid plans can fall prey to disaster and usually just when you don’t expect it. Continue reading