A love letter to culture, responsible tourism and slow travel
Ah Scotland: the highlands, the whisky, the midges and the glens! So many clichés, so many truths! When we walked the West Highland Way from Glasgow to Fort William last year, we came across all of them. But an hour drive from Edinburgh, there is another Scotland, a Scotland of royal history and coastal villages.… Continue reading
If there is one country I am familiar with, then it would have to be Spain. From the white villages of Andalucia to the bigger cities of Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia, it’s a country I have visited over and over again.… Continue reading
We are staying at Ecabazini, a cultural Zulu homestead in Kwazulu Natal, South Africa. Last year we’d been travelling from Cape Town to Johannesburg and this time I wanted to delve deeper into the Zulu culture, even if that means cleaning the floor with cow dung…
… Continue reading“It doesn’t smell that bad“, I hear myself saying while spreading cow dung across the rondavel floor.
Belfast and The Troubles: they go hand in hand. Even more than 20 years after the Good Friday Agreement, the city’s past is still very much present behind the scenes and a lot of visitors are keen to understand what this dark period in history was about.… Continue reading
Aaah, Rio de Janeiro! A name and place that leaves nobody indifferent! I planned on spending just a few days here, I ended up staying a week! A lot has been said or written about Brazil’s most (in)famous city. But how exactly do you “tackle” Rio?… Continue reading
“This is the place where Jesus met his mother on the way to the Cross” the shopkeeper explains to me.
“And if you take the next street on your right, you can see where Pontius Pilate condemned Jesus to death”…
I am standing on the “Via Dolorosa”, said to be the exact same road Jesus took on the way to the cross.… Continue reading
Let’s face it, Johannesburg doesn’t have a brilliant reputation when it comes to safety. Stories of crime, poverty, theft and murder are the main reasons visitors travel straight from OR Tambo Airport to safer and more secure places. And yes, you definitely have to keep your wits about you, but if you want a complete picture of South Africa, you simply can’t bypass Johannesburg!… Continue reading
I’m mopping up the last puddle of olive oil with a chunk of flavoursome focaccia bread. It’s become a habit over the last few days and I seriously start to wonder how many carbs is “too many”…
But who would be able to resist?… Continue reading
I’ve been three times to Liguria. I never really planned to, but sometimes life has different plans for you…
On my first occasion I visited the Cinque Terre, unanimously considered the highlight of the area. Fair enough I guess, five villages clinging on precariously to the cliffs with the blue waters of the Ligurian Sea below: there’s worse when it comes to scenery.… Continue reading
If you think Mexico is all about golden beaches and all-inclusive resorts, you’re in for a surprise! During my one month backpacking trip in Mexico, I spent a decent amount of time in the Chiapas, a region where dense rainforest jungle is scattered with remnants of the Mayan civilisation.… Continue reading