Whenever Nicola and I have been to eastern Europe, we always comment how much we enjoy the Ottoman architecture, coffee, food and arts. So it was probably time we headed to Ottoman HQ, also known as Istanbul. We had booked a few nights at the Galata Istanbul Hotel MGallery, just on the edge of Beyoğlu. A converted bank, the hotel opened about a year ago … Continue reading Istanbul, Turkey
Transylvania instantly conjures images of vampires, bats and Dracula. But there’s far more to this region of Romania, which Nicola and I set out to discover on a surprise trip for my thirtieth birthday. The day before my birthday, Nicola handed me a little box that contained a little hand-drawn map declaring that we were going on a Transylvanian road trip that very afternoon. So … Continue reading Transylvania, Romania
We were on the train to Đồng Hới when I first read about the tigers. I secretly thought I could outwit the snakes. But with tigers, I wasn’t so sure. We had caught the train from Huế to go to Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park, an area in central Vietnam which borders Laos. The national park is home to the world’s largest cave (a five-day … Continue reading Phong Nha-Ke Bàng, Vietnam
Ho Chi Minh City was our first stop on a trip from the south of Vietnam to the north. Formerly known as Saigon, the city is home to eight and a half million people, and is chaotic, vibrant and bewildering. More so when you have just stepped off a plane into 35°c heat and it’s 7am. After a short bus ride from the airport to … Continue reading Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Skopje isn’t a city that attracts many tourists. Many Eastern European cities are busy with stag dos, couples on city breaks and backpackers, but Skopje seems to get overlooked. So, my friend Dave and I headed off in early Spring to find out more about the city. By late March, the temperature starts to climb in Macedonia. We had chosen Skopje with a vague itinerary … Continue reading Skopje, North Macedonia
People are always saying ‘flying isn’t what it used to be’. And too right, it isn’t. For a start it’s cheaper, more fuel-efficient and it’s certainly much safer. And the airport is a great place to sit, watch the world go by and tick off everything on this list. 1. Wheeled suitcases The click, click, click of wheeled suitcases on the tiles, and that person … Continue reading 10 reasons to love the airport
Every so often, we carefully pack the MG, I pretend to know what’s going on under the bonnet, declare that it’s ready for a long journey, then we set off to France. This time, it was towards the Côte de Granit Rose on the northern Breton coast. After arriving on the early ferry into Saint-Malo, we fired up the MG and headed towards Perros-Guirec, a … Continue reading Perros-Guirec, France
The Algarve is an ideal place for some spring sunshine: its quick to get there, the weather is warm, the flights are good value and when you arrive in Portugal, Nicola’s mum has a mega pack of croissants ready for you to eat. As with most trips involving Nicola’s family, there was a surprise element involved. It was Nicola’s Dad Clive’s birthday, and we were … Continue reading Loulé and Faro, Portugal
The Travelogue. 