The secret of Belgium’s capital city, Brussels, is to go with the flow and allow yourself to become part of its charming everyday life.
Having previously been ruled by Spain, the Netherlands and France, Belgium is one of those countries that finds it easier to describe itself by what it is not: it’s not French, nor is it Dutch, nor German. Belgium is a country with an identity crisis, in the most positive sense of …
When I arrived in Miedzychod to visit a friend who had relocated there, we went for a drive and soon were turning off the narrow one-lane, main road onto where there was no road at all–only a forest. The car, a creaky red Polish hatchback, crunched it way over the gritty forest floor, through a thicket of spindly pine trees. After parking in a small clearing, we got out of the car, gathered up the …
Ah, to be sitting on a train, the rolling, green European countryside whisking steadily past your window as you sip on a cold beer. Train travel is easily one of the most romantic modes of transportation, offering the chance to see the landscape without the hassle of driving. I am a huge fan of rail travel, as it is easily the most comfortable and environmentally friendly way to get around. Plus, in Europe, trains positively …
Some of the most charming villages in Germany look like they came straight out of a storybook, with their half timber houses, walled cities, and look out towers. Put on your walking shoes, as they are best explored on foot, and prepare to feel you like you have stepped back in time with these three picturesque villages located the south west state of Baden-Württemberg in Germany:
Maulbronn is most famous for its monastery founded in …
Holidays have become all about the destination, not the journey. We cram ourselves into an airplane, jet off for a couple of weeks in a different culture, and often return more exhausted than when we went away. Maybe that’s because we’re forgetting that life is a journey, not a destination.
Yet in today’s fast-paced, instant-access world, there are still amazing journeys to be had if you take a trip on a freighter ship. Deep within …
In the middle of the little town of Lahaina on the island of Maui, there is an ancient banyan tree that is massively huge. It has spreading, winding branches that fill the little park where it’s located. It’s quite impressive and was the largest tree we had ever seen.
But it could have been gobbled up whole by the huge redwood we were gazing at in the middle of Muir Woods. Soaring high above our …
The Great British sporting event – Wimbledon
Game…set…match. There is no sporting event quite as quintessentially British as Wimbledon. Where the players have to wear whites and despite the rain (which dependably showers down to stop play) crowds swan around in summer dresses drinking Pimms and lemonade and tucking into strawberries and cream. This is sport with a stiff upper-lip at its best.
Wimbledon runs for two weeks during June-July every year. Most court tickets …
An Eco-Caribbean Vacation
Grenada, a small, Eastern Caribbean island, sits at the southern extremity of the Windward Islands. Despite its Caribbean location, Grenada is not primarily a beach destination. The mountainous island is home to an active undersea volcano, lush rainforests, scenic parks and exotic bird-watching locations.
Grenada’s Flag
The yellow in Grenada’s flag represents the island’s abundant sunshine and the green symbolizes its vegetation and agriculture. The red color celebrates the bravery and perseverance …
“Out of whose womb came the ice? And the hoary frost of Heaven, who hath gathered it? The waters are hid as with a stone, and the face of the deep is frozen.” – Job 38:29
It is a land with little soil, where 96% of its mass is covered in ice, with no indigenous people, no indigenous government. No economic activity exists, except for that in small isolated encampments of scientists and from the …
In the early morning hours of a new day, when all is calm, a feeling of serenity permeates the air. As you walk through the dew-kissed fields in this small Pennsylvania town, it is difficult to imagine the bloodiest battle of the Civil War taking place here. Welcome to Gettysburg, where 51,000 Union and Confederate soldiers died in three days of intensive fighting July 1-3, 1863.
The Gettysburg battle is considered the turning point of …
Poperinge, a quiet little town a short drive from the Channel Ports, 175km from Brussels, is Belgium’s hops capital, and famously linked to WW1’s British war effort – it was well known to Allied soldiers who fought in the Ypres Salient. Other than its war memorials, the town also draws tourists for it’s Hops Festival each September.
The historical town square, surrounded by neo-Gothic mansions, has an assortment of taverns serving local brews and creative …
The world is full of beautiful beaches, but some places are better than others to spend your vacation. Think about what you really want to do on that trip before deciding where to go. You will find more to do than lying by the ocean at the best beach destinations.
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Perfect blue water, white sand and beach beds (not just chairs) everywhere. It’s hard to match Punta Cana. There are many …
It’s always the weird sights that grab my attention on holiday.
While other tourists are admiring a gaudy temple in Ho Chi Mihn City, I’m fascinated by a frog.
He’s supposed to be compliantly waiting for death in a metal bowl in a pavement market. But this is Adventure Frog. He suddenly springs clean out of the bowl and starts hopping for freedom down the street. The stallholder leaps up and gives chase, plonking him …
