Books to Read Before You Visit Ireland
I’ve just booked my trip to Killarney in October, and I’ve been thinking about what books I’d recommend to anyone visiting Ireland for the first time. It’s not an easy task. Ireland’s long and sometimes troubled history, combined with a rich folklore, has provided...
Exploring Tarnów, a Day Trip from Kraków
To visit a new country and only see one town would be a bit like going to a wine-tasting and only sampling one wine. So, although I only had a few days in Kraków, I was keen to take a day trip, to travel through the countryside and explore a different place. There...
In Search of the Kraków Defence Walls
Why do I enjoy walled towns so much? Perhaps because they tend to be old and mired in history. Or because walking around town walls gives me the opportunity to imagine what the town was like in the past, at a time when walls were a vital defence rather than a...
Why I Visited the Wieliczka Salt Mine (and Should You Bother?)
You’ll know by now that I’m not a great fan of major tourist attractions. So why did I want to visit the underground cathedral in Poland's Wieliczka Salt Mine (estimated annual visitors in excess of 1.5 million)? And would I recommend my readers to go there? (Read on...
Exploring the History of Pembroke Castle, Wales
I visited lots of medieval castles on my recent trip to Wales. However, the one that made the biggest impression on me was Pembroke Castle. Privately owned and imaginatively managed, Pembroke Castle has an enviable location, with a long history stretching right back...
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?...
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...
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...
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...
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...
