Tag: Europe
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The Balkans, Part 2: Serbia
We leave Sofia in the shadow of Mount Vitosha, still snow covered. It is a bit early for me at 0800 and I am barely awake, whilst the guide is somewhat exuberant, giving some kind of commentary, which passes over me like the idle wind. After 20 minutes or so I am aware of an…
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The Balkans, Part 1: Bulgaria
The Balkans have always seemed rather mysterious. As I was growing up, Marshall Tito’s Yugoslavia was an independent socialist state comprising the republics of Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Macedonia, and Slovenia. Tito ruled this relatively stable country from 1943 until his death in 1980 after which it fragmented – or ‘balkanised’ – leading…
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Top Travel Spots for 2022
Temple of Apollo, site of the Oracle at Delphi, Greece A truly stunning site. Stunning even in winter. Standing on the slopes of Mount Parnassus above the Temple ruins one can imagine the great and the good from antiquity who came to this very spot: emperors, philosophers, warriors, kings. To receive divine guidance from a…
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Greece, Part 3: The Mainland
Delphi Our route leads northwards now, away from the Peloponnese peninsula to the mainland, via the Charilaos Trikoupis cable-stayed bridge that spans the west end of the Gulf of Corinth. This bridge was completed in 2004 just before the Summer Olympics in Athens. In fact the Olympic torch bearers were the first to cross it,…
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Greece, Part 2: The Peloponnese
Corinth Canal We are driving westwards in a minibus from Athens through pale greenish hilly countryside with our main guide for the tour, who gives us the lowdown on interesting landmarks. Every now and then we catch a glimpse of the glittering waters of the Aegean Sea as we approach the famous Corinth Canal. “The…
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Greece, Part 1: Athens
Sometimes, the business of deciding which country to visit next can become somewhat taxing. After all, there are at least 100 of them on my list. I have not yet resorted to sticking a pin in my world map at random, rather I try to prioritise those which pique my interest most and, of course,…
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Top Travel Spots and Experiences, 2023
Top Spots Thingvellir, Iceland I am biased probably, owing to my affiliation with Iceland, but the great parliament plains are still amongst my top 10 spots anywhere. The flowing river, the grass, the moss, the flowers, the pure white of the church, the ravines and distant volcanos. The history. Picture the scene: every summer for…
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Iceland: The Golden Circle and Blue Lagoon
Iceland is extraordinary. It is volcanic. Landscapes are weird and wonderful, the birds are plentiful, seals and whales frolic round the shores and the rivers are full of fish. The majority of the population of 400,000 or so is descended from Viking or Celt and the Icelandic language is much the same as it was…
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Spain, Part 2: Destination Ronda and Madrid via the Costa del Sol
I am on a short tour of some of the highlights of southern Spain. The organisation of the tour thus far has had its lapses. Bungled at the beginning and since then I have been shifted about like a supernumerary. To top it all, I have a sore throat. I managed to last through the…