Stories from travels in

Europe

Grateful 9

Hate takes effort and energy and, quite frankly, I’m too lazy to expend either on something that offers little reward. There’s some food I’d rather

Orchardshare

With so many sitting back and waiting for others to step forward and save the world, coming across Broadlands Orchardshare community orchard was like …

Bemused by Bath

I’ve been to Bath many times, but never really as a tourist. I’d never taken the hop-on, hop-off tour bus or even visited the Royal

A new twist on catering

‘The caterers will be here at 6.30’, she said. Unusual, I thought, given her penchant for cooking, her single-mindedness about sourcing local produce, and her

Three cheers for Miss Philippa

When I look back at my travel career, I note with interest my progression from self-catering  to fully catered, from B&Bs to boutique hotels. Of

All aboard

I can’t even begin to imagine what it would be like to be trapped aboard a ship with the same people for days on end.

A shattered mirror in a secret room

If ever I need a dramatic rise in blood pressure, I take myself to the Párizsi Nagy Áruház on Andrássy. I go upstairs to the

Still rolling at 86

I’d just finished a rather graphic account of my recent foray into colonic hydrotherapy when he turned to me and asked – ‘Do you like

A view from above

‘You can’t miss it’, he said. ‘It’s the second-tallest building in Budapest.’ This was what was rattling around in my head as the metro approached

Thermal weapons and wine

Up until the mid-sixteenth century, thermal weapons were all the go. The objective was simple: inflict maximum damage by scalding or burning. Hot water and