Lecce, Puglia, Italy – Baroque architecture, Olive Oil, Wine and Ceramics
Right in the centre, towards the bottom of Italy’s heel, is an area of Puglia rich in vineyards, olive groves, ceramics, and Lecce’s famous baroque architecture. In this part of the world, the roads are relatively straight and flat between towns and cities. Journeys between locations are filled with acres of vines in neat rows;…
Le Malve Cave Retreat, Matera, Italy – Luxury and indulgent hotel room in a cave!
Our recent trip to Italy was at the same time that the 2024 G7 summit took place in Borgo Egnazia (Fasano)…
Matera, Italy – An incredibly Sassi city where life has continued since the stone age
Our trip to the heel of Italy took us to the region of Puglia. It’s the area in the heel that…
EcoVia, part of AutoVia, Italian car hire – I was not expecting a car like this
We had booked a break in Puglia, Italy and arranged our car hire via Booking.com The price of the car we…
Things I know to be true – Whitefield Garrick – Sensational performance and script
Tonight’s performance by the cast of the Whitefield Garrick was probably one of the finest theatrical productions I have ever seen.…
Solar Skirt by Titan – Those damn pigeons were driving me crazy
We had solar panels fitted in 2012. Our neighbour, who was two doors away, also had them fitted. Move on to…
A Pebble for Remembrance – An excellent read by former colleague and friend
When I first married over 40 years ago, I made many new friends. We would get together as newlyweds regularly as…
One Two Dive, Adeje, Tenerife – a refreshing dive with a marine biologist
In 2002, I had a dive accident off the coast of Spain. I had a textbook panic attack, something I attribute…
Lisbon, Portugal – A vibrant cultural city of architecture and graffiti
Getting to Manchester Airport for our Ryanair flight to Lisbon required a very early start. I had booked (I thought) a…
The Coal Mining Museum, Wakefield – Down into the pits with a real miner
Its 40 years ago, in 1984 that the Miners Strike took place. Today the Coal Mining Museum exists to keep the…
Hiroshima, Japan – Sobering and thought-provoking
The journey from Kyoto was a trip along the southwest coast by bullet train at an incredible 200mph. Following the map,…
Kyoto, Japan – No wonder this was the Imperial Capital
Our trip to Japan took place in the Autumn of 2023. It is a time in history when the world is…
Gora, Hakone, Japan – A Volcanic retreat in a beautiful mountainous region
Getting to Gora from Tokyo meant an early start, and heading to Odawara, where we bought the Hakone Freepass. This pass…
Tokyo, Japan – A buzzing futuristic city where nothing stands still
On arrival in Japan, I first noticed that the roads were relatively flat and not a single pot hole … anywhere!…
Japan – London to Tokyo – To the land of the rising sun – Japan Rail Pass
I hope this article assists others to organise their travel plans in Japan It’s not often that I get excited about…
