Posts from the category Travel
A pint with a view
Published in
I’m sometimes asked for tips on places to see and to visit in London. Among other things, visitors want to know where to eat and my usual tip – especially in the summer – is the Tattershall Castle. Although it may sound like the name of a pub, it’s actually a paddle steamer, built in
A picture in ten thousand
Published in
Before I was any good at taking photos, I’d flick through the pages of National Geographic and daydream of trips to new places, where I’d capture wonderfully lit scenes to my heart’s content. Michael Palin’s first travel TV series “Around The World In Eighty Days” was the first series which piqued my interest in travel
The Descent of Christ Into Limbo
Published in
What is it they say? “I don’t know what art I like; but I know it when I see it.” I was captivated by this golden, glowing painting in the Santa Croce church of Florence when we visited in 2011. I don’t know whether it was the depth of detail in the painting, the tremendously
The Old Man of Storr
Published in
The older I get, the more I enjoy walking, so holidays and time off are increasingly filled with plans for hiking and getting out into the fresh air. I made plans for a first serious walk in the UK to celebrate my fortieth birthday last year in the Lake District, when I went as far
On the western edge
Published in
As part of our travels in Britain – in particular since Jo’s parents moved to the northern part of Scotland – I’ve wanted to visit the far extremes of the islands. I’ve decided to make do with the mainland destinations first, as they’re within comparatively easy reach. Jo and I made it to the end
Against the wobble
Published in
Jo commented that the video I shot under windy conditions on Iona was remarkably steady. I did my best to hold the camera as steady as I could whilst filming, but the wind got the better of me and so the original film sequence is quite wobbly. The final version on YouTube, linked in this
Iona: a new favourite place
Published in
When we first began planning a visit to the Isle of Mull, off Scotland’s west coast, we decided to stay in the tiny port of Fionnphort. We chose the Seaview bed and breakfast primarily because we’d planned to visit the island of Staffa, travelling by boat from Fionnphort to see Fingal’s Cave, but also because its
Fyrish Monument
Published in
Looming over Evanton on the Cromarty Firth is Cnoc Fyrish (Fyrish Hill), topped by the strange construction of the Fyrish Monument. The construction was the brainchild of Sir Hector Munro of Novar, who had it built in 1792 to provide work for the unemployed during the time of the Highland Clearances.
More than just wooden stumps
Published in
If you’re heading along the A9 across the Cromarty Bridge in Scotland when the tide is out, you’ll see a number of blackened stumps sticking out of the mud of the estuary just next to the Ardullie roundabout for Dingwall. There is more of a history to them than you might think: they aren’t just random
Beware car rental comparison websites
Published in
As I travel fairly regularly, I am no stranger to renting cars. It’s always a slightly nervy moment for me after having so many unsatisfactory experiences over the years; from awful cars to tricky situations involving deposits. The most recent experience, though, is one that I want to share, as it’s an important lesson from
Jura
Published in
My friends Yannick and Lea made another film last summer of an extended journey around the Jura mountains, on the northern edge of Switzerland and into France. It’s quite delightful and rounded off wonderfully by the music they’ve used, which they composed and produced themselves. I am envious of their talent, it must be said.
London bridge trivia
Published in
In the British Parliament building, the Palace of Westminster, there are two parliamentary houses. The House of Commons is in the northern part of the building, in which ministers sit on green leather benches. In the southern part of the building is the House of Lords; here, incumbents sit on red leather benches. Spanning the
Glen Etive
Published in
Jo and I spent two great weeks in the highlands of Scotland, travelling from the airport up through the Trossach mountains to Rannoch Moor, Glen Etive, Glen Coe and then on to the islands of Mull, Iona and Skye before staying with Jo’s parents near the Cromarty Firth. There were few goals along the way, other
Flamborough Head
Published in
Just up the coast from the collapsing cliffs in East Yorkshire is the more solid mass of Flamborough Head, one of the northernmost sections of chalk which thread their way up from the south coast of England to the north. As the tide was out when I visited, I headed for the beach to inspect
Faulensee
Published in
I thought that it’s about time that I write a little bit about the village where we live, given that we moved a year a half ago and I’ve since had the chance to (intermittently) extend my collection of photos. Faulensee is a small village tucked into the curve of the lake shore between Interlaken
Cinque Terre, from the archives
Published in
In beginning to clear out the folders in my website this lunchtime, which contain photos and files I have used on the site since its relaunch in 2006, I came across a set of photos from a trip to the Cinque Terre region of north-western Italy in 2004. The most enduring memories of the holiday
Major Oak, Sherwood Forest
Published in
As I was running ahead of time when returning to the airport after my recent trip to Yorkshire, I decided to take a break in my journey at an interesting spot en route. Seeing the signs from the motorway to Sherwood Forest, I decided to divert to the visitor centre, take a stroll through the
Over the sky to Skye
Published in
…and Mull, and Glencoe, and Cromarty… I’m exceptionally looking forward to flying to Scotland soon, for a holiday during which Jo and I will get to see the west coast of Scotland and the “Western Isles” again. It’s been getting on for three years since we were last on the west coast, and a full
