The Walled Towns and Fortifications of North Wales
The Norman castles and fortifications of North Wales are one of the area’s major tourist attractions. And rightly so: the buildings are majestic and offer spectacular views of the Welsh countryside. But why were all these fortifications necessary in the first place?...
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History, Food and Countryside: What to Do in Swellendam
This post has been sponsored by Expedia I stayed in Swellendam, on South Africa’s Garden Route, two years ago. It was part of a long held ambition to explore the Eastern Cape, the southernmost tip of the African continent. This is an area teeming with history,...
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Exploring the Architectural Folly of Portmeirion
Mention the Welsh village of Portmeirion to any Briton of a certain age, and chances are they’ll immediately say, “The Prisoner”, referring to the cult television show of the 1960s that was filmed there. Or they’ll say that they’ve got a piece of Portmeirion pottery...
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Why I’d Love to Stay at the IceHotel in Swedish Lapland
This post has been sponsored by Best Served Scandinavia Every so often it is fun to write about a place I’d like to visit, rather than somewhere I’ve already been. One such place is the ultra-cool (in all senses of the word) IceHotel in Jukkasjärvi, Swedish Lapland. I...
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TBEX Killarney, A Sneak Preview
My first TBEX (Travel Bloggers Exchange) conference was in Ireland, in the capital city of Dublin. I enjoyed it so much that I’ve been to all the TBEX European conferences since, as well as this year’s TBEX International in Jerusalem. In October this year, TBEX is...
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St Winefride’s Well: The Lourdes of Wales
Everyone has heard of Lourdes, the French town that pilgrims have been flocking to since 1858 in the hope of miraculous cures. Yet St Winefride’s Well, in the north Wales town of Holywell, is much lesser known. Even though it has been a place of pilgrimage and healing...
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Book Review: Lonely Planet Street Art
I enjoy street art. I like the colour, the boldness and the frequent subversiveness. And I like the way that street art is often associated with the renewal of places that have been damaged, whether through poverty, violence, or - as in the case of Christchurch, New...
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