Tag: Europe
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Romania, Part 3: the Black Sea and the Danube Delta
Constanţa I am heading out of the capital now to make my way eastwards to the Black Sea. I take the metro to the Gare de Nord railway station (yep that’s right ‒ named after the French station in Paris). Grimace as I eye the queues at the ticket desks. An employee with kindly countenance…
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Romania, Part 2: Transylvania
I am on a journey in Romania. Sated with the sights of Bucharest, it is time to venture into its wildish hinterland to view the highlights of the enigmatic region of Transylvania. Not much sleep was had last night. Thumping music carried on until at least 03:30, making the fabric of this old palace hotel…
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Romania, Part 1: Bucharest
Spring just never seemed to arrive in England this year. Day after day of dreary drizzle. Activities, which might normally rouse the passions, palled. Time for a trip to an undiscovered country, undiscovered by me anyhow, to rekindle the spirit. Things natural: mountains, water, forests. How about Romania. That should do the trick. It has…
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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, Part 2: Georgia
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, Part 1: Azerbaijan
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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The Azores: São Miguel and Faial
When I mentioned to a friend that I was planning on going to the Azores, I was asked ‘Where’s that?’ Well, the Azores Islands, or let us say the island of São Miguel, which is the biggest, are about 950 miles as the crow flies west from mainland Portugal. The Azores make up one of…