When we stayed in Ferndale in northern California in late September the town was already going mad for Halloween. As we walked along the one main street decorators were out adorning shop fronts with orange bunting, placing numerous skeletons on all the buildings, and chatting to business owners about their own additions to the town’s displays. Of course it was all in fun, not to scare!
-
-
After a day with lots of rain in Paris, followed by one with none at all, today’s forecast was for sunshine and showers. We decided on another walk, with the possibility of a couple of small museums for shelter if the rain became too much.
-
They say we should never go back. And yes, sometimes when we visit old half-remembered haunts we can be disappointed. They may have changed, and we almost certainly have done so. How pleasing when instead of disappointment we find delight!
-
On the first day of our most recent visit to Paris we got wet – very wet! But we had a lot of fun too and found some places to explore out of the rain that made the day memorable. After all, what is a bit of water if you’re in your favourite city?
-
While many of England’s grand houses were (and in some cases still are) home to the aristocracy, others were built by those hoping to emulate or even join that exclusive set. The so-called ‘landed gentry’ indeed had land but no titles, although they aspired to climb the social ladder. Among them was Sir George Bowes, a coal baron from north east England.
-
The Coquet River rises in the Cheviot Hills on the border between England and Scotland, and follows a winding course through the beautiful Northumberland countryside before flowing into the North Sea at Amble. Just before it reaches the sea it loops around the charming village of Warkworth.
-
The setting of the small old town of Kotor is very special. The beautiful Bay of Kotor on one side, the mountains surrounding it on the remaining sides, and still-intact walls encircling it, pierced by three old gates. And as a bonus for many of us, the town is home to a veritable clowder of cats.
-
There is something rather special about exploring a city where layers of history are exposed. The story of the past is laid bare, no longer dry words but a series of visual clues to how things once were here. Past and present seem to coexist, and the lives of those earlier inhabitants are revealed as not so very different to our own.
-
The Croatian coast is dotted with pretty town and villages, but it would be hard to imagine a prettier one than Trogir. The town was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997 for its wealth of Venetian architecture, and it’s easy to see why. With its quaint streets and beautiful old churches, it’s no surprise to find it a busy tourist draw.
-
As anyone who travels to cities, and/or lives in one, knows, the only way to get to know a city is to walk in it. And ideally to walk without purpose, or at least open to the serendipity of the unexpected. A quaint alleyway, an unusually decorated house, a small church tucked away from the main thoroughfare, a garden or tranquil square … Who knows what you might find?
