Bachkovo Monastery

Bachkovo Monastery

Nestled in the Rhodope Mountains of southern Bulgaria, Bachkovo Monastery stands as a beacon of Bulgarian spiritual heritage and historical significance.

We arrive on a sparkling Spring morning after the night in Plovdiv and a quick stop on the way at Asen’s Fortress.… Read the rest

Kapana Walking Tour & Street Art

Kapana Walking Tour & Street Art

The Kapana is Bulgaria’s first ever dedicated creative district. Tucked in behind the Ancient Stadium of Philippopolis it is also known as ‘The Trap’. This is a direct translation and also a colloquialism. It refers to how one can easily become lost or trapped in the streets here.… Read the rest

The Ancient Stadium of Philipopolis

The Ancient Stadium of Philipopolis

Plovdiv is the modern site of the ancient city of Philipopolis. It is charming from the get go and given the range of things to see here, it is no wonder it was named Europe’s Capital of Culture in 2019.… Read the rest

Plovdiv Ancient Town

Plovdiv Ancient Town – ruins on Nebet Tepe

Plovdiv has an Ancient Town within its Old Town and more layers of Old Town within this. Centered along ul. Saborna we walk up the steep cobbled street that crosses over Boulevard Tsar Boris III Obedinitel, one of the modern city’s main thoroughfares.… Read the rest

Space Jam

Space Jam

Usually a fan of beautiful rather than bizarre, this Russian Soviet monument, looks more like something from Space Jam than from Bulgaria’s Communist past. Locally referred to as simply as the Socialism Monument, even ‘bizarre’ does not quite describe what stands before me.… Read the rest

Shipka

Shipka

The Shipka Memorial Church is a Bulgarian Orthodox Church located in the city of the same name. We are middle of Bulgaria both figuratively and literally, having just crossed the picturesque Balkan Mountains from north to south. We are on our way from Veliko Tărnovo and the Etar Ethnographic Outdoor Museum to the Kazinlak Tomb.… Read the rest

Veliko Tǎrnovo

The sites of Veliko Tǎrnovo

Arriving in Veliko Tarnovo is like stepping back in time. Arriving in the early evening at the end of a long travel day, my travel companion Charlotte and I are keen to get a little exploring done before the day is out.… Read the rest

Al Marjan Island

Al Marjan Island

Double Tree by Hilton, Al Marjan Island. We return. After visiting last September and quickly figuring out how to lose time doing very little and yet a lot, we return to Al Marjan Island for some R&R.

Road trip

Setting out on our road trip I have work calls to attend so the screens are permitted in the back of the car.… Read the rest

Sand Boarding UAE

Sand Boarding UAE

We head out to the Bedouin Oasis in Ras Al Khaimah for the weekend with sand boarding high on the list of activities. The boys are excited and so are we! The weather is still nice, we have a group of friends and some fun things lined up – quad biking, camel rides and dinner under the stars, plus a marshmallow or two around the campfire.… Read the rest