4 reasons to visit Timişoara, Romania

visit Timisoara2021 Unirii Square architecture

Timişoara was European Capital of Culture in 2021 but it’s relatively undiscovered with plenty to offer visitors. Here’s why you should visit. Reason 1: Architecture in Timişoara is fabulous Its buildings may be less well recognised than those of its Romanian counterparts Sibiu, Sighişoara and Brasov; but Timişoara’s architecture is fabulous. Baroque and Austro-Hungarian influences are […]

How to spend a full day walking York city walls

York Gatehouse Coffee - York city walls walk

This locals’ guide to York city walls features several hot spots that make this English city so special. Plus: I include some insider tips about the off-wall places you shouldn’t miss. You could walk the 3.4km around York city walls in an hour or so. But, take in sights and the occasional pub en-route, and that hour could […]

How to spend 24 hours in Madrid

24 hours in Madrid: me at Plaza Mayor

With only 24 hours in this pulsating city, this guide helps you get to the beating heart of Madrid, Spain’s capital. A Modern-Art Morning Get your modern-art fix at the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, housing four floors of works by famous names such as Miró, Dalí, and Picasso. The 1937 work, “Guernica,” […]

Barcelona: where ships, sculpture and the sea meet the city

Barcelona Face. Barcelona sculpture sea

Walking down the famed pedestrian walkway of Las Ramblas in Barcelona, the smell of salty sea air starts to pervade. Heading south-east, the old architecture of the city peters out, as the cityscape turns to the seascape of Port Vell at the Columbus Monument, smack in the middle of a wide breezy plaza. The vista […]

11 tips for travel in Mexico

An old red VW beetle available for hire as a public address system in Izamal, Mexico

Bags of culture. Decent public transport. Good value. Chatty residents. All these make Mexico one of my favourite destinations. Here are 11 tips for independent travel in Mexico. Getting around – 11 tips for travel in Mexico 1. Combis Collectivos / combi vans are a steal for local transport (think camper van of the VW […]

Art in Athens: images from past and present

street art in Athens

Famed for the Acropolis and with a history where culture is prized; a creative exuberance seeps from every pore of Athens’s being. From mafia-influenced graffiti, to the Islamic arts of the Ottoman era, art in Athens is apparent in every step you take. Street Art in Athens Street Art is encouraged in Athens. Murals are […]

Albania’s UNESCO World Heritage sites

Albania's UNESCO World Heritage Sites - Gjirokaster

If you’re a castle and ruins-aholic like me, then Albania’s UNESCO World Heritage sites are a dream. An unexpected hive of history; castles peak out over mountain ranges, Greek and Roman-influenced ruins face the Ionian sea. The settings are as memorable as the remnants of the buildings they’re famous for. I visited three of Albania’s […]