Rachel’s Wanderings in Spain – 9 – Good Rain, Bad Rain and in the Mountains Not on the Plain
Well after five or six months with no rain we have had some. Lots actually. Before moving to Andalucia I lived in Devon and I thought after 33...
Healthy Ageing in Austria at La Pura – Welcome to Gender Medicine.
I’m suspended over a pool of deep water. A jet of water is shooting at tight muscles, aimed by a highly proficient and reassuring therapist. This was not...
Gareth Butterfield takes the exciting new Hyundai i30 N for a test drive
WHEN I first drove the Hyundai i30 N I was bowled over. Here’s a company that has had several stabs at making sporty cars, but never really offered one...
Steve’s Sojourns: Murals and Markets in Sardinia.
Sardinia is one of the most beautiful islands in the Mediterranean. Its main delight is you never know what you’re going to find in some of the small villages...
Feed your body and soul in Conques – Meanderings through France n° 201
By Annick Dournes & Frédéric de Poligny Conques is a superb village east of Cahors and Bergerac in southwest France. Set in a remote semi-mountainous region,...
How to review motorcars for a (largely) non-motoring audience
IAIN ROBERTSON There was a time, states Iain Robertson, when you would spot half a dozen shelves packed with motor-related titles, every time you visited your local newsagent, or...
A Place to Stay; Where to Stay in Wales So you want a trip to Wales? Here are two cosy places that may just fit the bill!
Wolfscastle Country Hotel – Situated 15 minutes from Haverfordwest in the Pembrokeshire countryside with 20 en-suite bedrooms which offer a unique blend of rural charm, heritage & contemporary design....
Malta Diary Did Malta’s Neolithic inhabitants prefer to worship Astarte rather than Tanit? Were sacrifices of babies and children carried out?
ALBERT FENECH e/mail – Facebook: My Blog: Worship of the Goddess-Deity TANIT stretched back to Neolithic times and filtered down to the...
Taycan takes technology to new peaks for Porsche
IAIN ROBERTSON When considering that Porsche has never done things by convention, states long-time fan Iain Robertson, you can comprehend that its all-electric Taycan offering is likely to break...
A Stranger in Vegas The Clark County Museum
Halloween is around the corners, and I have been thinking of something exciting to do. It’s been a very long time since I’ve experienced something unusual but at...
Karl’s Chronicles. Article 5 Food for Thought.
Great metal pots, all bubbling away in the backyard as if the place carried a penchants towards sorcery and witchcraft. On the table nearby lay a pile of fresh...
Steve’s Sojourns; Luxury Under Sail
More people want to be environmentally friendly when they take a cruise these days and you can’t get much greener than a sailing ship especially one that has been...
Momentous RS7 adds to Audi’s ‘pant-wetting’ performance schedule
IAIN ROBERTSON Making an impression has become the self-elevated premise of ‘Four Rings’ branded Audi, highlights Iain Robertson, especially when it introduces yet another model to its hugely desirable...
Latest Vauxhall Astra appears unaltered, until you peer beneath its bonnet
IAIN ROBERTSON Definitely not a landmark in Vauxhall’s book, reports Iain Robertson, following his first drive of the new Astra, it is still a safe haven for buyers seeking...
Gareth Butterfield tests Kia’s latest design highlight, the Proceed
IF Kia had launched its Proceed 10 years ago, the world would have done a collective double-take. Nowadays, it’s just another pretty car that’s been launched by the firm....
Celebrating Leonardo and Chambord 500th anniversary – Meanderings through France n° 200
By Annick Dournes & Frédéric de Poligny Once again Chambord was in the spotlight to celebrate the 500th anniversary of its foundation. Works began on September...
Steve’s Soujorns Birding in Aberlady Bay.
Managed by East Lothian Council since 1952 Aberlady Bay is the oldest local nature reserve in Britain. About 12 miles east along the coast from Edinburgh. The site sits on...
To prove that car fans can never get enough of what they want, the ‘new’ Bentley Blower…
IAIN ROBERTSON Aston Martin, Jaguar Land Rover and a couple of other carmakers have been dabbling in the classic car scene, reports Iain Robertson, by revisiting their pasts and...
Boathouse Bar & Restaurant, Camber Sands Holiday Park.
When we stayed at the Camber Sands Holiday Park, we planned to have our meals in the caravan and to eat out once a day. See my last article;...
Taycan takes technology to new peaks for Porsche
IAIN ROBERTSON When considering that Porsche has never done things by convention, states long-time fan Iain Robertson, you can comprehend that its all-electric Taycan offering is likely to...
Taxi Noir: Starting Out as a London Cab Driver
Cab driving in London is one of the most democratic occupations known to man. How many other occupations allow you to start training with no previous qualifications, then offer...
Wired up smart makes smart much wiser
IAIN ROBERTSON It was in the mid-1970s, when the originator of the smart car (Nicolas Hayek) envisioned his means for future mobility, recalls Iain Robertson, which was always intended...
COVENTRY’S LADY GODIVA The City of Coventry is famous for many things, Ann Evans tell the story of its most famous woman – Lady Godiva.
A visit to Coventry would not be complete without discovering the city’s most famous woman from history, Lady Godiva. A bronze statue in her honour stands...
Karl’s Chronicles, article 4 Varied Shades of Green
Less than 40km, one hour north of Cape Coast in Ghana as the crow flies (3 days if it walks) is Kakum National Park. Exchanging the churning Atlantic for...
Byline Fest, already planning for next year after another successful event!
Although it’s only a couple of miles away from us, I’d never been to the Byline Fest or Pippingford Park. I was surprised at how big the Park is,...
Steve’s Sojourns A river cruise down the Rhone with Shearings/ARosa
I like a river cruise! So we tried one with Shearings on the ARosa Stella with only 160 people on board. The ARosa Stella is not as grandiose...
Rachel’s Wanderings in Spain – 9 – Autumn Looms, Almonds Fall and Time Flies By
I expect you know the feeling when days fly by and a week ago seems more like a month ago. That’s my life right now. Organising the Estate Agency...
Was the Charles Bridge mortar watered with wine and milk?
Charles Bridge. One of the symbols of Prague. The oldest standing bridge over the Vltava river in Prague and the second oldest preserved bridge in the Czech Republic. Thousands...
Gareth Butterfield reviews Lexus’s new entry into the small SUV market, the UX
IF you’re in the market for a small SUV – and, let’s face it, the world and his wife seems to be at the moment, then you’ve got a...
Steve’s Sojourns The Bass Rock
The Bass Rock is the largest single island gannet colony in the world and described by Sir David Attenborough as one of Earth’s twelve wildlife wonders. Most people...
Sweet Indian summer in Nantes – Meanderings through France n° 199
By Annick Dournes & Frédéric de Poligny According to opinion polls Nantes is one of French people favourite towns where they would love to live. Ideally...
Steve’s Sojourns A Place to stay in NORTH NORTHUMBERLAND
Sandwiched between Scotland and England Northumberland has drawn its lifeblood from both. If Scotland were to be described as red and England as yellow then Northumberland would be classified...
DISCOVER COVENTRY’S HERITAGE
Photos by Rob Tysall, Tysall’s Photography Ann Evans reminds us that Coventry’s Heritage Open Days are almost here. The City of Coventry is steeped in history and...
SHELLY BEACH SNIPPETS NO. 113 August, 2019.
Patricia Newell-Dunkley photographs by Reginald J. Dunkley Website: Facebook: Pinetree Gallery Patricia Newell-Dunkley Writer/Artist Google : Patricia Newell-Dunkley for all previous Snippets Greetings from down under where the...
Going to great lengths, Kia explains the new XCeed model
IAIN ROBERTSON When carmakers decide on the outlines of their latest models, writes Iain Robertson, they seldom admit to ‘errors’, yet Kia, a brand that seems almost gleeful to...
Steve’s Soujorns First Time to the fiords?
Cruising give you option of keeping costs down as Norway is so expensive food and drink wise. You can also see the Northern Lights or the Midnight Sun...
Electrified Tarraco SUV makes hay with FR sporting trim
IAIN ROBERTSON Hold your horses! It is another new model not due until 2020 but Iain Robertson has managed to grab a sneak preview of the hottest version of...
Gareth Butterfield spends a week in the all-electric Nissan Leaf
DAY ONE IF electric cars are the future then this, the Nissan Leaf, is a taste of it. I’ve driven lots of electric cars, and they’re often a bit...
Steve’s Sojourns – Allier France
Nine times out of ten if you took a map of France and stuck a pin in what you thought was the exact centre of the country you would...
Fontevraud Abbey, the impressive Plantagenet family necropolis – Meanderings through France n° 198
By Annick Dournes & Frédéric de Poligny Fontevraud Abbey is one of the largest monastic cities in Europe founded in 1101. Two great historical characters, Robert d’Arbrissel...