There’s so much more to Bergen than Bryggen
Well known for its wooden wharf-side buildings that lean on one another for support, the World heritage site of Bryggen annually attracts thousands of sightseers and artists who clog the narrow alleyways in search of artisans, easels and esoteric clutter that belies its old trading and seafaring heritage. The nearly sixty buildings that date from after the fire of the early 1700’s were rebuilt in the 12th century style and look as if...
Aalborg – a puzzle of pictures
This thriving little town at the narrowest point of the Limfjord that cuts through Jutland, Denmark, is a real puzzle. It’s not easy to summarise this colourful city, as it seems to have been made out of three different puzzles with their pieces randomly fitted together to form just one picture. As the European Commission concluded that the citizens of Aalborg are the most satisfied people with their city in Europe, then this amalgam...
Mallorca – game, set and match
Combine a group of friends, a love of tennis, fine wine and food with a stunning villa and you’ve got the perfect recipe for fun in the sun. It’s become something of an annual tradition for a group of us to pick a country, find a villa with a tennis court and pool that will accommodate all, a location that offers interest and distraction – and then get stuck into full-on enjoyment for a week of games, great dining and lots of...
Calm and charm in the Cotswolds
When an English summer permits, there’s no more enchanting a place than Easter Cottage to spend time just chilling in the Cotswolds. We set off with the roof down on a blisteringly hot summer’s day and after an effortless drive turn up, lightly-toasted, at Church Enstone in the heart of the beautiful Cotswolds. We’ve eschewed more grand and ostentatious alternatives in favour of investigating the quietly charming and comfortable...
The destruction and delight of Dubrovnik
Few cities can have gone through the same trauma as Dubrovnik and come out glowing as if little had occurred. This magnificent city has endured destruction by earthquake and conflict, yet glows with all its original majesty to be one of the must-visit destinations of the Mediterranean – or more precisely, the Adriatic. This Croatian city dates back to the 7th century and steadily grew as a multicultural seafaring and trading centre...
Corfu – charmingly more Greek than Greece.
Corfu wakes up from its slumbers from between May and September each year when the locals exert themselves to earn a few Euros to see them through the winter sojourn. Olive groves rest unattended – it’s too much like work (a convenient practice attributed to local patron saint Spyridon who forbade these labours in a vision) – and the narrow rutted roads inland from the coast deter tourists from overcrowding them – in fact tourists are...
