Loving Lisbon

Lisbon guidebooks wax lyrical about the elegant facades of the gothic cathedrals, Moorish castles and Manueline palaces but if I’m completely honest, I’ve never taken much interest in architecture.  To me, a building is a practical structure and as long as it doesn’t clash with its surroundings, I generally don’t notice details in its construction.  That was, until I visited Lisbon.

One of Lisbon's Famous Trams

5 Reasons to Visit The Isle of Wight

The Isle of Wight has recently been voted the UK’s second best Island by Trip Advisor and had a great write up in Olive magazine for its gastronomic delights. Discover what else the Isle of Wight has been hiding other than great beaches and Cowes Week.

It has been a literary magnet for hundreds of years

Many great names have come to the Isle of Wight for its tranquillity and beauty.  Charles Dickens wrote David Copperfield while he was staying in Bonchurch;  Darwin wrote the first chapter of his Origin of Species while holidaying in Sandown; Tennyson moved here for a number of years and Keats and D H Lawrence both found inspiration while visiting the island.   And although not a writer, the real Warrior, the horse the Germans could not kill, lived and exercised on Brook Beach on the Isle of Wight.

Tennnyson Down - a beautiful walk on the Isle of Wight

The Bongo Goes to Scotland

We took our old Bongo up to Scotland recently, a journey of just over 1000 miles from the south coast of England.  A trip down the road to Australians, Americans and Canadians but for the British – that’s almost as far as you can go without leaving the country.

Bongo Camping by Loch Leven

Down Under Down Under - The Emotional Ups & Downs of Learning to Scuba Dive in Western Australia

What could be more pleasant than learning to scuba dive in the tropical waters off the coast of Broome in Western Australia, where the water is warm, visibility is clear and the sea life is abundant, and mostly harmless, I was assured.

I had imagined embracing the explosion of life and colour in this new environment; swimming effortlessly alongside shoals of coral fish and marvelling at the giant manta rays as they glided effortlessly above my head. But I was brutally wrenched from these notions before I even reached the bottom. 

Meet the Locals at Windjana Gorge

Windjana Gorge in the Kimberley region of Western Australia is an ideal place to see freshwater crocodiles in the wild. So we stopped off there for a photo opportunity on our tour of WA.

Wight Walker walks the Isle of Wight Coastal Path

Walking the Isle of Wight Coastal Path for Country Walking magazine to coincide with the Isle of Wight Waking Festival; the biggest walking festival in Europe.

Ticket to Ryde as seen in Country Walking Magazine April 2015

As I Scramble over boulders the size of small cars and lower myself from a six-foot ledge, I question the wisdom of deviating from the official coast path through the woods and following the beach instead. I clearly spent too long chatting at the floating café in Bembridge and the incoming tide has made my passage to the secluded pristine sands of Priory Bay an ungainly and undignified event.  This is the final day of my trek around the Isle of Wight following its coastal path; a distance of 69 miles that I have walked in six easy-going days. I have lived on this Diamond Isle for 20 years and explored for many miles on its footpaths, but this is the first time I’ve hiked right round its shores.

10 Free Things to do in Bruges

When you think of Bruges you probably conjure up images of luxury coffee shops overlooking romantic tranquil waterways graced by royal swans. Your hot beverage will undoubtedly be accompanied by a piece of the world’s premium chocolate and your table will be covered by the finest of lace both of which would have been crafted very close to where you are sitting. You can almost smell the chocolate in every street in Bruges; temptation lurks around every corner.

Here are 10 free things to do in Bruges in between coffee and chocolate.

1. Interesting Rik Poot Sculptures
 Look out for the cheeky statues by Rik Poot in the grounds of the Groeninge Museum. The bronze horses and riders depict Death, War, Famine and Plague and are somewhat phallic. Looking at the horses necks, you can see each one represents the various stages of arousal. Looking at the riders, you will see they are mimicking their horses.