Freetown Christiania: Copenhagen’s “Independent Republic”
Last time I was in Christianshavn, the lively canals and islands area of Copenhagen, I saw a man with an iguana draped over his shoulder. I was on my way to Freetown Christiania, a self-styled independent republic. It is the sort of place where you can expect the...
read more
Books to Read Before You Visit Italy
Italy is a major destination for British and American tourists, and there is no shortage of books for the curious traveller. So my problem in compiling this post was not what to put in, but what to leave out. The choice that follows is just a small selection of books...
read more
Leiden, An Alternative to Amsterdam?
One of my aims on my recent visit to the Netherlands was to find a city that could offer an alternative tourist destination to Amsterdam. Why? Because, although Amsterdam is undeniably beautiful, and interesting, it is also packed with visitors. The figures are hard...
read more
Kinderdijk and its Windmills: A Day Trip from Rotterdam
You can’t go to the Netherlands without seeing windmills. Or canals. Kinderdijk, an easy day trip from Rotterdam, is a classic Dutch landscape of water and windmills. It is also a place to learn about the long struggle between the people, their land, and the sea....
read more
How to Enjoy the Art and Architecture of Rotterdam
With several world class museums, Rotterdam is an obvious destination for art lovers. But there is also plenty to see for free. The city is full of street art, sculpture and cutting edge architecture. At times it feels as if the whole place is an open air museum. ...
read more
Five Reasons to Visit Rotterdam
As I came out of the ferry terminal at Rotterdam Europoort there were several coaches waiting to whisk people off to Amsterdam. And just one minibus going to the centre of Rotterdam. Yet the second city of The Netherlands is a vibrant city with a lively arts and...
read more
Book Review: Experience Italy from Lonely Planet
It is no secret that I love Italy. In fact, I used to have a separate blog for my Italian travels, which I called Bewitched by Italy. So I was very happy to get a new title from Lonely Planet: Experience Italy. It could have been written just for me… Experience Italy:...
read more
My novel “Shadow of the Dome”
Now available from Amazon
