Trees, trout and a tandem make for the perfect short stay: Once called the ‘’glittering jewel of the Vale‘’, Crickhowell is indeed a lovely little place. But the real gem of the Usk Valley is Gliffaes Country House Hotel, a few miles north of the town, set just above the river in acres of beautiful […]
Mayflower Heritage in Dartmouth
The Mayflower and Speedwell in Dartmouth Although the annual Thanksgiving Dinner marks the survival of the early European settlers in New England, the less remarked upon, but nonetheless remarkable story, is of the initial obstacles they encountered even before setting sail across the perilous Atlantic Ocean. This is set to change with a series of […]
Discovering Dartmouth
Dartmouth – Heaven on Earth in Devon “Ruby’s going to Heaven for her holiday” announced my young daughter, not registering my look of shocked concern. Further probing clarified that rather than departing to a celestial paradise, Ruby (our trusty motor) was hitting the highway and heading to Devon, a destination which, as I recently discovered […]
Why You Should Take a Short Break at The Shangri-La Doha Qatar
Ultra Luxury Short Break at the Shangri-La Doha Doha, the capital of Qatar, is known as a stopping point for many long-haul flights, especially those to Australia, but not many think of Doha as a short break destination in itself. So when I got the chance to stop over in Doha for a weekend I […]
A weekend in Stratford-upon-Avon
Shakespeare’s England – Stratford-upon-Avon: The Warwickshire town of Stratford-upon-Avon must be one of the best places in the UK for a weekend break. I was there to find out more about Shakespeare’s England – explore Shakespeare’s birthplace, visit the renowned Royal Shakespeare Company and take in a play at The Swan Theatre. All this whilst […]
Prague – A Short Break to a City with a Long History
Short Break in Prague: My first brief encounter with Prague just gave me an appetite to explore more of the City so I was more than happy to have the chance to spend another night there. Travelling to Prague from within the Czech Republic deserves a special mention. We’d been visiting Pardubice and our itinerary had […]
Eastern Bohemia – Heritage, Beer and Legends
Two Legends of Pardubice – and why you should visit! RyanAir has just opened a new route direct from London Stansted to Pardubice so if you are planning to visit the Czech Republic it is now very easy to reach and still much cheaper than Prague both for hotels and food. While accommodation choices may […]
SPAshell comes to Fishmore Hall in Ludlow
A Shropshire Sojourn with SPAshell: Fishmore Hall is a rather lovely boutique country house hotel in beautiful Shropshire. Like many fine English houses, it served its time as a school, then fell derelict and unloved until rescued by its current owner, Laura Penman. Laura has a wonderful eye, and although this is a country house […]
Culture, Cannons and Cuisine in Eastbourne
Mid-Week Break in Eastbourne: Eastbourne has the reputation of being the prim maiden aunt of the south coast. It doesn’t have Brighton’s raffishness or Hastings’ artsy scene, but it does have extraordinary scenery on its doorstep and some hidden treasures which I’m hoping to uncover on this trip. If you are driving then you should stop […]
Autumnal Dublin – Halloween, Bram Stoker and More
Dublin – A City of Contrast. The short flight from London to Dublin scarcely takes longer than the journey to and from the airports. And yet, despite a common language, despite a similar climate and despite, in part, a shared history, Ireland and Dublin in particular is another world. The Dublin I remember from my […]