Estonia and Finland
WOW, WOW, WOW. This trip was booked on a bit of a whim and without any firm plans, other than to arrive, explore and return. And why not? At under £21 per flight, it would have been rude not to… it turned out to be ….read more
Adventures, road trips, music & gigs.
Europe
Montgenèvre and Sestriere – Via Lattea
As long weekends on the slopes go – this was just about perfect. We booked a budget flight to Lyon for £35 per person per flight, hired a car and drove the 2.5 hours to the huge ski resort on Italian/French border known as ….read more
ZELL AM SEE, KAPRUN, SAALBACH, SALZBURG AND HINTERGLEMM
This was our first visit to this central region of the Austrian Alps, just a 90 minute drive south of Salzburg. Being so early in the season, a ski holiday was always going to be a bit of a gamble, but on balance it proved ….read more
Rhein Valley and Bavaria Christmas markets
We were both looking forward to this trip into Germany and its world renowned Christmas markets. The first place we found was a charming little village along the River Rhein, whilst the second was in the heart of Bavaria. We spent two days and two ….read more
Mallorca – Balearic Islands (Nov 25)
Even at this time of year, when many coastal towns have shut up shop for the winter, it’s easy to see why Mallorca is so popular. It was my first visit here, so my expectations were shaped a little by social media: a mix of ….read more
48 hours in Lyon (Nov 25)
I’ve been meaning to come here for a while, ever since Anne-Pierre, an ex-colleague, put this historical city on my radar. So when I saw a £16.99 flight on offer (each way), I just couldn’t resist. I booked my ticket, packed a travel bag, and ….read more
Istanbul – City of Majesty (Nov 25)
I’ve always wanted to visit this city but hadn’t got around to it… Why did I leave it so long? It’s an extraordinarily vibrant and bustling city, spanning both sides of the Bosphorus Strait. Unique in many ways: continental Europe on one side, Asia on ….read more
Portugal, Porto and Parque Natural da Ria Formosa (Oct 25)
We’ve just returned from an eight-day trip of two halves, offering two very different experiences. The first was a destination that’s become something of a regular bolt-hole for us, the quaint old town of Faro. Here we took time to relax during the day on ….read more
Türkiye – (Sept 2025)
Despite it being September, the heat still hit us like a blast furnace the moment the aircraft doors opened. It was Emma’s first time in this region of Türkiye, and I was eager to show her the sights, sounds, and flavours of the Dalyan region ….read more
Sol del Este, Bay of Mahón (May 25)
The second half of our Menorca excursion — and the main reason for the trip — took us to the eastern side of the island to meet up with Emma’s old university friends, the Lancaster Crew. The eight of us who came last year returned ….read more
Ciutadella – Menorca (May 25)
The tiny city of Ciutadella is located on the western edge of the island of Menorca, it oozes old school charm. This was our first port of call during an eight day trip to the island. I came to Menorca for the first time last ….read more
Kraków – Poland (Mar 25)
I really wasn’t sure what to expect when we booked this trip to Kraków; on the one hand it has all of the wonderful sights stunning architecture and vibrant night life I expected whilst, on the other, it is alarmingly close to the epicentre of ….read more
Dolomites (Jan 25)
Four days into the New Year and a fantastic ski trip involving most of our kids, my sister, their partners and friends. Thirteen in total. We arrived just about in time to catch the Christmas market in the village before it closed on 12th night. It ….read more
A return to Farol, Culatra and Faro (Oct 24)
I’m not normally one for returning to the same place time and time again, but I’m happy to make an exception for this little corner of the planet, especially for a weekend. This is our third visit here in relatively short succession. We’ve always come ….read more
Cornouaille – Bretagne (Sept 24)
Being only 150 miles south of Cornwall this place is so incredibly close, yet surprisingly, given how often I travel to France, this is my first time here. We stayed in the south west region of Brittany, a village called Plogastel-Saint-Germain, in the historic region ….read more
Tour des Pérics, Catalan Pyrénées – France (July 24)
As soon as Fabrice told me he was heading over from Vietnam in order to spend some time in Brussels & Europe, that was my cue to book a Eurotunnel crossing and arrange to meet up to do something, somewhere. No idea what or where! ….read more
Virpazar – Montenegro (June 24)
How on earth do you start to describe a place like this? Words and pictures hardly do it justice. I had wanted to show Emma the wonders of Montenegro ever since my cycling trip here two years ago. So I booked a quiet lakeside apartment ….read more
Es Castell, Menorca (May 24)
Now I don’t know what the correct collective noun is…. but Imagine an elegance of Marks and Spencer shoppers had ambled onto an aircraft… well that’s what an Airbus to Mahón, Menorca looks like. A collection of well dressed, well spoken individuals from middle England (‘twas a ….read more
Parque Natural da Ria Formosa and Faro – Portugal (Apr 24)
We really REALLY love it here, it ticks all the boxes! On the islands of the Parque Natural da Ria Formosa we walked for hours along the golden sands without seeing a single soul… it felt like we had stumbled onto our own little corner ….read more
Prague, Czech Republic. (Mar 24)
I didn’t believe for a split second that somewhere else could compete against my last trip so soon…. but then I didn’t reckon on Prague. Stunning! OK, I got lucky with the weather which was as picture-perfect as it could be when I arrived with ….read more
Vienna (March 24)
Wow. Just Wow. Now if I’m being completely honest, Vienna wasn’t on my list of cities to visit, but now I’ve been here I can’t quite fathom out why… and mores the point, why Vienna isn’t raved about by more people and more often. It ….read more
San Jose De Los Llanos – Tenerife (Mar 24)
Several years have passed since my last trip here, an island I had spent so much time visiting in a previous life.Returning to a place that holds so many memories was a little daunting at first, but I needn’t have worried, it turned out to ….read more
Gargellen (Feb 24)
We are back in Gargellen, a picture postcard Austrian village, the jewel in the crown of the Montafon valley and just a stones throw away from the Swiss border. This place is almost always above the snow line and this year being no exception, and as ….read more
The Dolomites – Italy (Jan 24)
With the temperature range between -1°C and -17°C the snow that had settled on the day of our arrival stayed around all week, creating near perfect conditions for the rest of our stay, especially when the sun came out after the second day. We stayed at ….read more
Almería and Murcia Spain (Sept 23)
We spent the week exploring the remote and unspoilt eastern corners of Andalusia and its neighbouring region, Murcia. This part of Spain has much to offer, from its Moorish influence and Roman ruins to its mountains ranges and beautiful beaches, which rival any in the ….read more
Venice (Jun 23)
With no plans or fixed agenda, we took our time exploring the hidden corners of Venice (including Lido-Pellestrina, the beaches of Punta Sabbioni, and the islands of Burano and Murano). Our base for the week was a small one bedroom apartment in the centre of ….read more
Paris and northern France (June 23)
This short four day trip saw us head for Paris via the stunning town of Arras, where we stopped a couple of hours for a late morning coffee and brunch. Arras is only an hour south of Calais and so was ideal for a leisurely ….read more
Austrian Getaway (Feb 23)
Of all the Alpine villages of this region, this has to be one of my favourites. At the top of a valley half way up the Montafon you’ll find Gargellen. This tiny picture-post-card village sits above the snow line at this time of the year ….read more
Budapest, Hungary. (Nov 22)
Another budget flight took us to the twin city of Budapest where some of our best finds came about by complete accident, like walking into a bar on the Buda side of the Danube river and finding a group of locals singing Hungarian revolutionary folk ….read more
Montenegro. (Oct 22)
Within minutes of arriving in Montenegro I just knew this would be an experience I wouldn’t forget. My landlady at my accommodation explained that she came here from Lichtenstein back in the 1980s when Montenegro was part of the Soviet Union’s Yugoslavia. She married a ….read more
Faro, Portugal. (Oct 22)
A last minute birthday weekend in the Algarve, courtesy of a crazily low priced (hand luggage only) flight to Faro! The first morning took us across the Ria Formosa lagoon to the empty beaches and turquoise waters of the Península do Ancão. The final stop ….read more
Bruges, Belguim. (Jun 22)
We’ve just spent a few days exploring a little slice of Belgium and the Netherlands from our base in Bruges. What a fantastic part of the world! The beaches just across the border in Cadzand were pristine with some great beach bars and restaurants hidden ….read more
Ski, Aosta Valley, Italy. (Feb 22)
Undeterred by our aborted Ski trip to Austria (on account of Covid entry rules for youths) Natty and I decided to travel by car to Italy where the entry rules are a lot less restrictive. Our accommodation was quirky to say the least, an old ….read more
Dordogne and Burgundy regions France. (Sep 21)
We have just spent the last two weeks exploring southwest France 🇫🇷.Our destination, a roomy Gîte (HPB site) just north of the Dordogne river, near the village of St-Felix-de-Villadeix, was closer both in time and distance than the area I visited in the highlands of ….read more
Road trip Tuscany, Italy. (Sep 20)
We checked into a delightful Tuscan vineyard for two nights on our route back to northern Italy.Sited midway between Sienna and Florence adjacent to the local hill top village of Radda in Chianti, this charming place is steeped in history, beauty and scenery! Point the ….read more
Road trip, Amalfi Coast, Italy. (Sep 20)
We found the unspoilt Mediterranean beaches we were seeking. The first near Conca dei Marini. It invited us in for a welcome swim after a hot and lengthy trek down the coastal path. ‘Twas sheer bliss and for most of the time we were the ….read more
Road Trip Rome, Italy. (Aug 20)
So the second leg of our socially distanced mystery tour of Europe (well at least of those countries with a lower rate than the U.K.) brought us to Rome.Yes Rome! And no… I can’t find another British car anywhere. No one mad enough I hear ….read more
Road Trip, Germany and Italian Lakes, Italy. (Aug 20)
With COVID-19, neither of us wanted to fly anywhere for our summer break, especially with the quarantine rules on return and the chances of being left stranded. But with the weather back home looking bleak we decided on a last minute tour of countries with ….read more
Montafon Ski (Feb 20)
It’s been another amazing blast with Natty in the Montafon region of Austria. This year we were joined by Emma, her first time skiing for 23 years! Conditions could not have been better with two fantastic fresh powder days and lots of sunshine in between. ….read more
Cassis France (Oct 19)
I paid a fleeting visit here in August with Natty and Django on our annual tour de Europe. It was no where near long enough! I made a promise to return. So here I am again, this time with Emma, soaking up the last of ….read more
Europe Road Trip – France (Aug 19)
It’s about this time of year that Natty and I head off on our European tour. Last year was magical. We had no idea where we were going then, much the same as now. This year has started off even better. The rough plan “was” ….read more
Off the beaten track – cycling in France.
France is a dream destination for cycling enthusiasts, not just because of its sheer size, but also due to its relatively low population compared to other European countries. If you travel outside the peak tourist season, you’ll find vast stretches of countryside where it feels ….read more
Ski Montafon (Feb 19)
This little corner of Austria is not to be found in most British ski tour guides – so I am thankful to my Godmother for marrying a “local” and moving here back in the 1970’s, else I’d have probably never found it. What has made ….read more