Continuing my short break in Helsinki………. Suomenlinna Islands This was the undoubted highlight of the weekend. Suomenlinna (Castle of Finland) is an inhabited sea fortress built on eight islands and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. During the Finnish War of 1808, Sweden surrendered the fortress that they had started building in 1748 to Russia, paving the way […]
I recently had a work assignment that took me to the Finnish capital for a week, so naturally I tacked the weekend onto my trip with my sister Jackie joining me for a few days. Finnish History When you think of Finland today, you probably get thoughts of a peaceful nation with a fabulous economy […]
By my reckoning there are 48 countries in Europe. I include Kosovo as independent, as well as the Caucasus countries of Armenia, Georgia & Azerbaijan. Excluding my home country of UK, I have now travelled to the other 47 with my arrival into San Marino. From France in 1979 on a school exchange trip to […]
My first fictional book entitled ‘Drip By Drip’ is a thriller set in Cambodia, and I will be reproducing some excerpts on my websites over the coming weeks. The book follows a middle-aged English couple Bill & Rachel Brown as they embark on a dream holiday, only to find themselves embroiled with a ruthless criminal […]
By my reckoning there are 48 countries in Europe. I include Kosovo as independent, as well as the Caucasus countries of Armenia, Georgia & Azerbaijan. Excluding my home country of UK, I have now travelled to the other 47 with my arrival into San Marino. From France in 1979 on a school exchange trip to […]
The Balkans region is a wonderful place to visit, being so full of history and contrasts. You can read about my travels there in my book available on Amazon. A brief history of the region appears in the book and is also shown below, giving you a flavour as to why this is such a […]
Our apartment was easy to find and entry was keyless by app. Even lock boxes have become redundant it seems. We picked up some supplies in a local shop and just stayed in after a long day. San Sebastián is on the notorious Bay of Biscay but has some very pleasant beaches as well as […]
When our favourite footballer moved to play in San Sebastián we hatched a plot to go and see him play. David Silva is the footballer in question and as he is now 37 the time was right, so we booked tickets to their end of season game against Sevilla. There was however to be two […]
Every morning at dawn the monks of Luang Prabang collect their daily rations from well wishers. Consisting mainly of rice, bread and fruit it makes up a big part of their diet.
My 2018 visit to Turkmenistan & Uzbekistan will always be one of my favourite ever trips. Such wonderful Islamic sites.
