In the heart of Wallonia – What to do in Namur, Belgium. Namur, Belgium, is in the heart of the French-speaking part of the country, Wallonia. Today, Namur is a thriving University City, with a charming, friendly and welcoming atmosphere, perfect as a base for exploring Wallonia or travelling further afield in Belgium and equally […]
Hotel Les Tanneurs de Namur
Boutique Charm in Namur at Hôtel Les Tanneurs. What is the thing you look for in a hotel when you are travelling? For some people being in the heart of the City is important, for others it’s finding a hotel that is contemporary, with every possible mod con. For me, it’s a hotel with heritage. […]
Châteaux and Champagne – visiting l’Aisne
Beyond the Battlefields – l’Aisne, France. A trip to l’Aisne in Picardie, France, is often triggered by an itinerary to explore the battlefields of the World Wars – but there’s much more on offer in this little-known region just an hour or so from Paris. Here’s a taster of what you can expect if you […]
Visit Antwerp – An Atypical Adventure
A Whistlestop Visit to Antwerp, Belgium. ‘Atypical Antwerp’ is the marketing slogan for a city that is creative, dynamic and vibrant, a small city of half a million people that punches far above its size in art, fashion, architecture and more. I had passed through Antwerp once before en route to Amsterdam and I suspect […]
Comté cheese – the Jura region France
The making of Comté cheese. An iconic French brand, Comté was one of the first kinds of cheese to receive an AOC (Appellation d’Origine Controlée) status in 1958. Having lived and worked in the French Alps I was already a fan of Comté and Tomme cheese, both of which are made in this area, and […]
Eating Europe – Lisbon Food Tour
Cuisine, Culture and Heritage in Lisbon on a Food Tour with Eating Europe. ‘What do you know about Portuguese cuisine?’ asked our guide, Beatriz Pestana, at the start of a long afternoon exploring Lisbon’s food culture. Salt cod, seafood, pastéis de nata were some of the responses. All true, but we were about to discover […]
De Witte Lelie Hotel, Antwerp – Review
A Luxurious Stay at the De Witte Lelie, Antwerp. Two words sum up Antwerp’s luxury hotel, De Witte Lelie: Absolutely Fabulous. I do believe that Patsy and Edina would have loved the Baroque gorgeousness of this boutique hotel and would have wasted no time in cracking open the Bolly in its bijou Bronze Bar. The […]
Mistral Crete – A Home for the Independent Traveller
Mistral Singles Hotel, Maleme, Crete: Solo travelling has plenty of plus points. There’s never a need to agree on plans. You can spend as much time by the pool, on the beach, at the museum or hiking to the top of the mountain as you like. The downsides? Well, who do you share those experiences […]
Wallonia, Land of Water
Wallonia, Belgium – Beer, Waterloo and More: Have you ever wondered where to go for a break and escape the heat of London? Wanting to escape the crowded heat of London, I got the chance to spend a few days in Wallonia, known as “the land of water”. Wallonia is the French-speaking region of southern […]
Conti di San Bonifacio hotel – Review
A luxury boutique Tuscan wine resort and hotel – Conti di San Bonifacio. Ever since reading Lampedusa’s The Leopard in my twenties I have wanted to be an Italian aristocrat of noble lineage. However, the Count of San Bonifacio got there first and his family line can be traced back for over 1000 years whereas […]