What to See and Do in Bradford on Avon
Bradford on Avon is often overlooked by the tourists who flock to the nearby city of Bath. Which is a pity: like Bath, it has an enviable location in the Avon Valley and, unlike Bath, it is a medieval town with lots of older buildings. Whether you visit for a few...
read more
Can the New Venice Tourist Tax Combat Overtourism?
At the end of 2018 the Venice city council announced that it would be introducing a new entry fee, a tax on every tourist entering the city. This is partly a response to overtourism, and partly a way of bringing in much needed revenue. But what precisely is the...
read more
Visiting the Queen’s Horses at the Royal Mews, London
I was hardly aware of the existence of the Royal Mews: they were not on my “to do” list for London. In fact, they do not seem to be high on the tourist radar at all. I found them by accident, when I saw the mile long queue snaking around Buckingham Palace, and hastily...
read more
Virtual Reality and Travel: The Future of Tourism?
Many of us now use digital platforms to research and plan our holidays. Research in the US shows that 71% of travellers use the Internet for planning and 83% make online bookings. There is a similar trend worldwide, and the figures are increasing all the time. So it...
read more
Graffiti or Street Art? St Pauli and the Schanzenviertel, Hamburg
The areas of St Pauli and the Schanzenviertel in Hamburg are well known for their counter-culture. As in so many places, this culture includes music, political awareness, and street art. The street art is abundant, impossible to overlook. But is it art, or is it...
read more
Speicherstadt, Hamburg: Bridges, Canals and Warehouses
Hamburg is a city of water. Sitting at the point where the River Elbe widens into the sea, it is full of lakes and canals. And bridges: Hamburg has more bridges than any other city in the world (apparently more than Amsterdam, Venice and London combined!). One of the...
read more
Where to Find Jane Austen in Bath
Even if you’ve never read any of her novels, the chances are that you associate Jane Austen with Bath. As for most people of her time and social class, Bath was an important part of Jane Austen’s world, and she mentioned it in all of her novels. Two of the books –...
read more