We’d always known that Japan was going to be a cultural and linguistic challenge for a pair of Englishmen. And while we’d end up bemused by much in Tokyo during our first full day of exploring the city, at least we could go to breakfast in our Hilton Hotel confident that we’d conquered the punishing jet…
Category: City breaks
Japan: Narita, Tokyo and a dreadful case of jet lag
Flying from Heathrow to Tokyo’s Narita airport is tough. It means 11 hours stuck in a metal tube with minimal exercise and aircraft air-con, which always leaves me feeling as if every last drop of moisture has been sucked out of my body. But at least we had a better experience than most. Thanks to…
Verona: A city with a view
I’ve never been a fan of Shakespeare, nor have I immersed myself in his Romeo and Juliet. Verona is the home of the lovers and the Montagues and Capulets, and the city milks it to death. Tourists descend in their thousands on Juliet’s balcony and tomb, and a bust of Shakespeare is on show in…
Verona: A Roman survivor
Italy may change but some things remain resolutely the same. The food is great, the architecture is awe-inspiring and the locals can’t resist a shiny puffer jacket. On our first evening in Verona, nursing a beer in a touristy but quiet bar in the Piazza Bra, there were plenty of puffer jackets on display. Veronese and…
Italy: A weekend in Bologna
Bologna, the capital of Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region, is home to the oldest university in the Western world, incredible food and a wonderful cityscape of terracotta-roofed buildings. But there are other features of the city that don’t feature so prominently in the guidebooks, not least the amount of graffiti. Perhaps it’s something to do with Bologna’s history…
A walk on Bergen’s mountains
Bergen’s unpredictable weather delivered snow on our second day in town. Admittedly there was just a dusting around our hotel, but we could see that the mountains that encircle the harbour were covered with the stuff. So we decided to visit them after a hearty breakfast. Graham was suffering from a heavy cold while I…
Norway: A weekend in Bergen
Our first visit to Norway ended up being part city break in Bergen, part winter sports holiday in the mountain resort of Geilo. Bergen lies on the west coast, little more than an hour away from London. We’d climbed out of Heathrow on a clear February evening, the sun setting in the west, but landed…
Athens: Plaka and the hills
After the arid months of summer, Athens becomes a city of green hills in autumn. And we spent our second full day in the city exploring one of them – Filopappos Hill. Not that I had much energy in the morning thanks to a grotty night of sleep. Our hotel, the Herodion, was proving to…
A day touring Athens’ historic sites
I’m not the type who returns time and again to the same holiday destination. But I have been back to Athens. Admittedly, my last visit was 34 years ago and was nothing more than a hurried day trip during a week spent by the sea on the Greek mainland with my best friend Chris. My companion…
A cemetery, a murder and a musician in Savannah
Too much high living, rich food and booze had taken their toll on my guts so I didn’t feel too perky on our Sunday morning in Savannah. I steered clear of breakfast and watched Graham tucking in instead. But there was no stopping the sightseeing. Our first stop, with temperatures again high, was Bonaventure Cemetery,…
On the beach at Tybee Island, Georgia
Savannah was sweltering again so we decided to spend a day relaxing on the beach with the Atlantic Ocean and the breeze as our companions. We had, after all, spent most of the week on our feet, nosing around historic homes. After breakfast we jumped in the car and set the sat-nav for Tybee Island,…
A day touring Savannah’s grand homes
Sleep was troubled in Savannah, ahead of a day exploring the city’s Historic District. The air conditioning kept turning itself on and off and my long-dodgy and painful shoulder kept waking me. But breakfast in our hotel was delicious, including a pulled pork sandwich with a firey tomato jam and scrambled egg. Our posh innkeeper…
From Charleston to Savannah, Georgia
It’s surprising what you end up watching on TV in those quiet moments back in the hotel. Take Diners, Drive-ins and Dives on the Food Network. It’s very shouty and pretty much the same thing every day – man visits restaurant and stuffs his face – but we’d seen him in a place in Charleston so,…
A day touring Charleston’s historic plantations
After a day of exploring Charleston’s historic heart it was time to drive into the countryside, to visit a couple of the plantations that helped the south so rich and so notorious for slavery. The road to Drayton Hall took us through industrial and nondescript suburbs, along dual carriageways lined with fast-food joints and out-of-town stores. Later…
Exploring Charleston’s historic district
No matter what the time, it was hot and humid in Charleston. And with a belly full of food and booze from the night before, neither of us fancied a heavy breakfast. So we popped out for a quick coffee and a pastry at a local cafe instead, before going for a walk around Charleston’s…