Author: Amanda
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Top Travel Spots and Experiences, 2025
The view over Florence from the Piazzale Michelangelo It’s impossible to tire of this stunning view over the red tiled rooves and buildings of renaissance Florence. A blissful panorama over the magnificent dome of the Duomo, the spire of Santa Croce, the old white, yellow and cream palaces lining the river Arno, and the dark…
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The Southern Caucasus: Georgia, Part 2
We are swapping Tbilisi and its traffic clogged roads for green and mountainous pastures now. In the suburbs of the capital, the Bank of Georgia appears. It looks like a pile of white lego blocks poking out from a central pillar and facing in different directions. Built in 1975, a fine example of Soviet architecture,…
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The Southern Caucasus, Georgia: Part 1
The Balakan-Lagodekhi frontier between Azerbaijan and Georgia is our current location. Having passed through passport checks in Azerbaijan, we commence trundling our suitcases upwards along paths and ramps to exit one Caucasian country and enter another. The final flag in Azerbaijan billows farewell, while a smaller Georgian flag, along with that of the EU (notwithstanding…
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The Southern Caucasus: Azerbaijan, Part 2
I am currently on a jaunt in Azerbaijan. Having tasted the delights of bold and busy Baku, the group is now heading into its hinterlands, there to savour things natural. Ateshgah Temple Our penultimate stop today is on the Absheron peninsula, the eagle’s beak, to the east of the capital, to view the Ateshgah Temple…
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The Southern Caucasus: Azerbaijan, Part 1
Covid 19 it was that thwarted my forays to the Southern Caucasus in 2020. I was, at the time, living east of the Caspian Sea and this region lies to the west of the Caspian Sea. It would have been a fairly quick flit across therefore but, frustratingly, postponed. The area is a bit off…
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Italy: A walk around Florence
I have been to Florence many times. As have great artists, architects, writers, poets, pilgrims, those wealthy souls on their grand tours, historians, politicians, and royalty over the centuries. My sister lives in Florence. Lucky her. Lucky me. Today I plan to walk around some of the major sites, armed with my tourist map, hat and…
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Laos, Part 2: Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng and Vientiane
Luang Prabang Arrive at nightfall in the town of Luang Prabang. Our hotel awaits us on a quiet side-street. Polished wooden floors and wooden stairs gleaming within and a pleasant little outdoor area in front with chairs and pinkish flowers on tables. Welcoming sort of place. A tidy walk from the centre though. Several of…
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Laos, Part 1: The Mekong River
Considering that I have been up for a substantial number of hours from the morning’s first blush, the mood is sparkling. First an early breakfast overlooking the Mekong from Nam Khong Riverside café on the Thai side of the border. So early that the sun still reflects orange in the river. I am on a…
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Thailand, Part 2: The Bridge over the River Kwai, Kanchanaburi
Valentine’s Day. Not exactly a romantic outing planned for today, more of a sad, sombre and thought-provoking one. I am embarking on a tour to Kanchanaburi where the Bridge over the River Kwai is located, along with the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery and the JEATH Museum. This will be followed by a journey along the infamous…