Every visitor to West Wycombe knows about the mystical Hell Fire caves, the place where myth and reality are so entangled that you can’t separate facts from legend. The legend said after the local harvest failed Sir Francis Dashwood decided to give jobs to the local Read more…
Can you identify today’s city? Join us on Twitter to tell us your answers: Clues: 1) The city was the capital of the Republic of Ragusa. 2) The city while being an independent state, was the first country to recognize the United States as a sovereign state when it Read more…
The fragile snowdrops scattered around West Wycombe Park were the first signs of spring even though the weather was cold and damp. We followed the map given at the entrance, passing the Manor House of the famous Dashwood family. The house, in a distinctive yellow colour, stands graciously on the top Read more…
1. Sarajevo city is the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, situated on the Miljacka River and it has always been smack bang on a geopolitical fault line. 2. During the Roman Empire Sarajevo together with Bosnia was a border city between the Eastern and Western Roman Empires. 3. Read more…
Visiting the Taj Mahal by Moonlight involves bureaucracy, tight security, the risk of fog in January and February and you aren’t even allowed to get very close, but the silvery gleam of the white marble and the shimmer of precious inlay stones through the darkness makes it Read more…
The lake is a flooded gravel pit and in the middle is a spit of land where there may be anything from a few dozen to a few hundred water birds going placidly about their business – gulls, geese, ducks, swans – even black swans – Read more…
Petrovadin Fortress, known for its “reverse clock” with the longer hand showing the hours instead of minutes in order to help local fisherman to see the time from a distance, is located on the Danube River, in Novi Sad. The construction of the Fortress was started in 1692 by Read more…
When you’re cruising the Adriatic Sea one of the most popular cruising stops in Albania is Durres. The cruise ship port is in the heart of the city, so when you disembark you won’t have to travel far to see the sights of this Read more…
1. The Idea of assassinating top Austro Hungarian royalty wasn’t Gavrilo Princip’s – In 1910 an unsuccessful attempt was made to kill the Emperor, Franz Josef, on his visit to Mostar, and the same year five shots were fired at the Governor of Bosnia and Read more…
The name of the lovely town of Sarande has changed throughout history to reflect the influence of the different cultures in the region. Originally the name derived from a Byzantine monastery honoring the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste which later, under the Ottomans, changed to Aya Sarandi. During Venetian Read more…
If your cruise includes Albania, the city of Vlore may well be one of the port visits. While there aren’t as ancient ruins here as there are in Sarande or Durres, you’ll find plenty to keep yourself occupied- either enjoy the wonderfully scenic beaches or venture Read more…
The driver of the red car was very impatient and continued beeping his horn. Normally I would have agreed that he had the right of way – except for tonight. We were standing outside the pub cheering and waiting for our turn to take part in a dance with sticks and handkerchiefs in Read more…
Those are photos of bluebells in Buckinghamshire taken yesterday. We couldn’t resist sharing them with you.
This is really easy to find – it’s centrally located, just outside the main train station, with a big grey and green locomotive displayed outside, built in 1917 by Maschienenfabrik L Schwarzkopff in Berlin and it used to run between Gostivar and Ohrid in Macedonia until 1965. Today Macedonia is Read more…
The photographic icon of Belgrade is St Sava Temple which is still a “work in progress.” Its position, on the grounds of Vracar where the relics of Serbia’s first Archbishop, St Sava, were burned by the Ottoman Turks in the 16th century, is very impressive and is visible from every Read more…
Mathematical formulas are my forte, and I can solve most daily riddles with ease. The amount spent on my weekly shop are in my head before reaching the checkout desk, surprising the cashier with my accuracy. Numbers were my friends. Until now. Sitting in front of Read more…
“I was here, I saw this and it mattered to me.” Alain de Botton How many times have you been seduced by reading an article on the 10 best things to do at the destination you always wanted to see? The flawless writing full of Read more…