Visiting Cyprus We headed off to Cyprus in April for some non-Schengen travel after our extended stay in Bordeaux. Cyprus sounded interesting and it appeared that the weather would be nicer than the rest of Europe. We stayed in Limassol to start with, then moved to Paphos. Both towns are on the south coast overlooked by the Troodos mountains. We …
Eel Pie Island is located along the river Thames in Twickenham, just 18 miles from central London. Its history dates back centuries. It is rumoured that Henry VIII was a regular visitor with his many mistresses in the 1500s. The name comes from the eel pies which were served by the inn on the island in the 19th century to …
“Sólfar” (“Sun Voyager”) created by Jón Gunnar Árnason Traveling from Europe to the US has always been a long flight with no stops in between. However, Iceland is now offering an interesting twist to traveling and allows stopovers. We opted to tag a one-night stopover on our flight returning from London allowing us to break up the journey and see …
Although we have spent a significant amount of time in Provence we had never visited the region when the lavender was in bloom. The lavender fields are best viewed from late June to late July. In June the fields will start to bloom and by late July or early August it’s harvested. We were there in mid-July which was the …
Looking for a break from the Spanish coastal tourist resorts, we took a winding drive up into the hills to Ronda, some 100 km (62 miles) from Malaga. Our views were spectacular with many multi million dollar mansions dotting the hillside. On a clear day the views across the Mediterranean reach as far as Morocco. The ancient towns in the …
The town of Sintra is a short drive from Lisbon in Portugal. It is one of Europe’s finest examples of the whimsical and colorful Romanticism style of architecture. This elaborate 19th century design style was inspired by the love of art and the mysticism of ancient cultures, to create decorative and flamboyant buildings, of which the Pena Palace is the …
Whilst staying in Dubrovnik we took a day trip to the beautiful Bay of Kotor in the adjacent country of Montenegro. The city of Kotor sits at the secluded end of an extensive bay surrounded by the mountains, that descend down to the sea. This is yet another amazing UNESCO listed walled city that is worth a visit. It is …
The city of Split is full of character and history, but after a long day of sightseeing everyone needs a break. Marjan Park is a forested peninsular, just a few short minutes from the city center. It offers visitors a chance to escape the hectic pace of the city. Marjan is cherished by the citizens of Split for generations and …
Diocletian, born in Dalmatia, was a Roman Emperor for twenty years. He had the palace constructed in Aspalathos (modern day Split) near Salona. Diocletian had divided the Roman Empire into two regions, appointing another emperor for the Western Empire while he ruled the Eastern Empire. Salona was the capital of the Eastern Empire and as large as Rome, with around …
During our extended stay in Croatia, we decided to add the ancient city of Dubrovnik to our list of places to visit. Dubrovnik is steeped in history and from the moment we arrived at the Pile Gate to the city wall, it felt as if we were transformed back in time. As a UNESCO site, the city was carefully restored …
