Amsterdam wasn’t on my travel wish list this year but when I realised I had 30,000 bonus air mile points that were due to expire (that will teach me to read the small print more carefully), I was faced with a “use ’em or lose ’em” dilemma. Of course, it wasn’t much of a dilemma – … Read more
Travel can be exhausting. Ok, that complaint it’s hardly up there with toothache in the pain stakes, but after years of roving around the globe, there are times when I just get tired. Bone-wearily tired. It happened to me in Asia last year and I ended up bundling up my things and returning to Europe … Read more
Malaga. Uurgh. I let out a soft sigh. I was planning to spend a month in Andalucia and the cheapest flight into the region would land me in Malaga. Brits Abroad Central. Brits Abroad: The (embarrassingly accurate) stereotype It’s fair to say that I’m not a fan of my countrymen and women who meet the sadly stereotypical … Read more
I kill cameras. I don’t do it intentionally, so I guess it’s more manslaughter than first degree murder, but the end result is the same. A non-functioning, non-blinking, entirely useless hunk of metal. My first murder occurred back in my lawyer days, ironically. Vegas, the Bellagio (of course – too much money, too little sense). … Read more
History was never my favourite subject at school. My teenage thoughts were more focused on finding the next acid rave (hey, it was the 90s). But I did remember Pearl Harbor. How could I not? The surprise Japanese attack on the pacific fleet at Pearl Harbor Hawaii naval base on 7 December 1941 that dragged … Read more
I don’t know which was more painful – the shot in the ass or the $500 bill. Either way getting sick within 24 hours of landing in Oahu was not my anticipated introduction to Hawaii. I’m sharing this somewhat personal and painful detail because I tackled the hike up Diamond Head just 48 after being … Read more
Venice is sinking, there is little doubt about it. Which is why it was higher up my travel list than the likes of Naples or Florence when I visited Italy. But even without the clock potentially ticking on the future of the city, Venice has long been one of the country’s top tourist attractions. Appropriately named the … Read more
We’ve all heard the saying, “When in Rome do as the Romans do.” But considering the amazing Italian cuisine available there, it could be said that, “When in Rome, gain 10 pounds.” I did a touristy trip to Rome back in 2010 as part of my round-the-world adventure (if you want to travel back into … Read more
My trip to Florence was fundamentally flawed. It was July and on a whim I’d decided to re-route my ticket from Asia to spend a month in Italy. And, as habit would have it, I didn’t have a single plan to my name. For a style of travel that is theoretically carefree, it can come … Read more
“How do you get to Urbino?” It was a good question that came from a good friend when I declared I was off to explore a new part of Italy (new to me, I’m pretty sure Urbino has been on the Italian map for quite some time). I can plan a trip to Rome with my … Read more