Wherever we went in Toronto, the soaring CN Tower haunted us. The city’s trademark building dominates the skyline by day and by night, when it’s illuminated in a rainbow of colours. I loved it. But before we took our inevitable trip to the top, we had a few other stops to make on the city’s…
Tag: History
Toronto: Historic homes and a cider festival
After a day of rain, we woke in Toronto to sunshine ready to visit some great houses and explore the city’s history. But late-night revellers and the sirens of a city weekend had meant for a broken night of sleep so it wasn’t easy dragging ourselves away from the duvet to grand Casa Loma. Still,…
Berlin: Prenzlauer Berg and Friedrichshain
In the district of Prenzlauer Berg, in what was once Communist East Berlin, is the undistinguished open space of Mauerpark. But it comes into its own on a Sunday when it hosts a famous flea market. It gave us the chance to explore a Berlin beyond the historic centre and the popular tourist attractions we’d…
The magic of Matera
For an ancient Italian town perched on the edge of the Murgia National Park, Matera didn’t look promising when we drove into its unremarkable suburbs. But then came the historic centre and one of the most remarkable places I’ve been to anywhere in Europe… We’d driven up from the modest airport on the industrial edge…
The extraordinary amphitheatre of El Djem in Tunisia
The horror of terrorism in Tunisia closed much of the country to tourists in 2015, bad news for locals and holidaymakers alike. It meant that the glories of El Djem went undiscovered by many. The majestic Roman amphitheatre is one of the best surviving examples of its kind and even in the 21st century it…
Stratford-upon-Avon – home of Shakespeare
Call me uncultured but I’ve never been into William Shakespeare. I was made to read As You Like It at school but that’s about it. However, the man’s life and the mysteries that surround it are intriguing. So off we trotted to Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire for a family event, staying at the Q hotel, with…
Tenerife: A drive to La Laguna
If I learnt anything in Tenerife, it’s never to trust a sat-nav. After the traumas of getting to Teide, our expensive piece of tech managed to land us, somewhat embarassed, in the pedestrianised shopping streets of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of La Laguna. All I wanted to do was park the car but it…
A visit to La Oratava in Tenerife
We went all the way to Tenerife for winter sun and relaxation only to find a depressing layer of cloud that refused to budge from the volcanic mountains around Puerto de la Cruz. So while the Hotel Botanico pool may have looked inviting, it was a bit too cold to sit out, read and swim –…
Going weird: The ossuary at Kutna Hora
I’ve been around a bit and seen some weird and wonderful things. But the Sedlec Ossuary at Kutna Hora, deep in the Czech Republic, has to rank as one of the strangest. For those who don’t know, an ossuary is a resting place for human skeletons. At Kutna Hora, which we found about an hour outside…
Brittany: The stones of Carnac
I’m sure the beach at Carnac is one of the best in Brittany. Long and sandy, protected by dunes, overlooked by some handsome homes and towering trees, it promises much. But during our June stay it rained, and rained again. And when it didn’t rain, the wind blew and the clouds blocked out the sun….
Zurich: Churches and gardens
It was our final day in Zurich and raining again. But we filled it by exploring chilly churches and tropical palm houses. I slept late so we dispensed with breakfast and got ready to check out of the Hotel Europe – a lovely place with charming hosts but somewhat lacking in very necessary double glazing. A…
Alcatraz
Some tourist attractions are a class act while others really manage to screw up the experience. Alcatraz in San Francisco may be a tourist trap but it’s a winner from start to finish. It’s deluged with humanity, which is ironic for a place that many tried to flee during its time as a military prison…
Seville: From the cathedral to the river
As a young and angelic choirboy in the early 1970s I sang every week to the glory of God at St John’s Church in Caterham. But the experience never left me with a lasting faith. Listening to Canon Vile droning on from the pulpit, the endless hours of practice and the weekly Sunday school visits resulted in a…
Seville: Noble homes and spectacular plazas
Picking a good hotel is all about research and we’re in the habit of choosing some great ones. The Palacio de Villapanes ranks among them. Once the home of a noble Seville family, it boasts luxury bedding, great service and fancy design. A giant coat of arms on the grand marble staircase is one of the…
Seville: The Alcazar and the Metropol Parasol
On days when the news is dominated by atrocities and stories of hate, I find it good for the soul to go to somewhere like the Alcazar in Seville. It is a place of beauty, the work of generations of craftsmen and visionaries from many races and religions. It was our first full day in Andalusia,…