Some of my Travels in 2015
Lanzarote - February 2015
My annual trip to escape the depths of winter by heading to the Canary Islands and for me the ‘new’ island of Lanzarote. Read More
My annual trip to escape the depths of winter by heading to the Canary Islands and for me the ‘new’ island of Lanzarote. Read More
Trieste, Italy - May 2015
To Trieste, a city that has always acted as one of Europe’s hinges, a place where the Latin, Germanic and Slavic meet. I learnt about its unique status by reading Jan Morris, our greatest living travel writer, whose last book ‘Trieste, and the meaning of nowhere’ was about the city, and I read it while I was there. Due to its location it’s been under different ownership over the years but its heyday was in the 19th Century when it became the main port for Vienna. After Austria’s defeat in the First World War, it became Italian again; after the Second War it was under UN control until it was decided to hand it back to the Italians, where it remains. What you have is a lovely Italian city, with Hapsburg grandeur, the largest city square in Italy, and a fine aspect looking out to the Adriatic Sea. Well worth a long weekend of anybody’s time. Apart from the city itself, it’s only an hour from Venice, so if you want to visit Venice but don’t want to pay Venice prices then this is a good place to base yourself, as well as being a gem in its own right. Ryanair fly there.
To Trieste, a city that has always acted as one of Europe’s hinges, a place where the Latin, Germanic and Slavic meet. I learnt about its unique status by reading Jan Morris, our greatest living travel writer, whose last book ‘Trieste, and the meaning of nowhere’ was about the city, and I read it while I was there. Due to its location it’s been under different ownership over the years but its heyday was in the 19th Century when it became the main port for Vienna. After Austria’s defeat in the First World War, it became Italian again; after the Second War it was under UN control until it was decided to hand it back to the Italians, where it remains. What you have is a lovely Italian city, with Hapsburg grandeur, the largest city square in Italy, and a fine aspect looking out to the Adriatic Sea. Well worth a long weekend of anybody’s time. Apart from the city itself, it’s only an hour from Venice, so if you want to visit Venice but don’t want to pay Venice prices then this is a good place to base yourself, as well as being a gem in its own right. Ryanair fly there.
Trieste, Italy - May 2015
To Trieste, a city that has always acted as one of Europe’s hinges, a place where the Latin, Germanic and Slavic meet. I learnt about its unique status by reading Jan Morris, our greatest living travel writer, whose last book ‘Trieste, and the meaning of nowhere’ was about the city, and I read it while I was there. Due to its location it’s been under different ownership over the years but its heyday was in the 19th Century when it became the main port for Vienna. After Austria’s defeat in the First World War, it became Italian again; after the Second War it was under UN control until it was decided to hand it back to the Italians, where it remains. What you have is a lovely Italian city, with Hapsburg grandeur, the largest city square in Italy, and a fine aspect looking out to the Adriatic Sea. Well worth a long weekend of anybody’s time. Apart from the city itself, it’s only an hour from Venice, so if you want to visit Venice but don’t want to pay Venice prices then this is a good place to base yourself, as well as being a gem in its own right. Ryanair fly there.
To Trieste, a city that has always acted as one of Europe’s hinges, a place where the Latin, Germanic and Slavic meet. I learnt about its unique status by reading Jan Morris, our greatest living travel writer, whose last book ‘Trieste, and the meaning of nowhere’ was about the city, and I read it while I was there. Due to its location it’s been under different ownership over the years but its heyday was in the 19th Century when it became the main port for Vienna. After Austria’s defeat in the First World War, it became Italian again; after the Second War it was under UN control until it was decided to hand it back to the Italians, where it remains. What you have is a lovely Italian city, with Hapsburg grandeur, the largest city square in Italy, and a fine aspect looking out to the Adriatic Sea. Well worth a long weekend of anybody’s time. Apart from the city itself, it’s only an hour from Venice, so if you want to visit Venice but don’t want to pay Venice prices then this is a good place to base yourself, as well as being a gem in its own right. Ryanair fly there.
Munich Oktoberfest - September 2015
Having first read about the famous Munich Oktoberfest when I was 16, this year, 40 years on I finally managed to get there to experience it. It’s an impressive folk event with people from towns from all over Bavaria taking part, with their brass bands and floats highlighting their local traditions. The main parade on Sunday took two hours to pass by where I was standing. Of course most people go for the drinking and general fun. The Fair site has an impressive collection of gut turning fairground rides which surround the huge beer halls, where the drinking starts early. Drunken debauchery is not only accepted, it’s practically state sponsored, a celebration of drink and the good things in life and thankfully not only allowed but encouraged.
Having first read about the famous Munich Oktoberfest when I was 16, this year, 40 years on I finally managed to get there to experience it. It’s an impressive folk event with people from towns from all over Bavaria taking part, with their brass bands and floats highlighting their local traditions. The main parade on Sunday took two hours to pass by where I was standing. Of course most people go for the drinking and general fun. The Fair site has an impressive collection of gut turning fairground rides which surround the huge beer halls, where the drinking starts early. Drunken debauchery is not only accepted, it’s practically state sponsored, a celebration of drink and the good things in life and thankfully not only allowed but encouraged.
