Napoli

Sweeping views of Naples

It still astounds me to wake up in a new city!  To step out and behold Napoli at my feet!  It has been a long time but I still remember the taste of the pizza, the chill of the cobbled streets under the weight of the grey sky and drizzling rain, not to mention the noise from the morning markets in the piazza below from my last visit. … Read the rest

Messina

Sweeping views of Messina

Messina.  Another glorious day, another glorious port.  After feeling that I missed out in Valetta yesterday, I am well equipped for today and have a trail planned out.  This pivots around being in the city’s main square at midday to see the clock chime 12pm and the mechanical performance that enshews.… Read the rest

Valetta, Malta

The Grand Harbor and Fort St. Angelo

I am utterly unprepared for the delights that Valetta, the capital of Malta, has to offer.  I have heard of the beauty of the Greek Islands, the party scene and endless nights that Ibiza has to offer but I seem to have missed Malta altogether. … Read the rest

Archaeological Museum of Rhodes

Archaeological Museum – Upper Courtyard

The Archaeological Museum of Rhodes is housed in a building complex that was originally the hospital run by the Knights Hospitallier, the Knights of the Order of Saint John.  It at the bottom of the Avenue of the Knights, just down from the Palace of the Grand Master. … Read the rest

Wadi Aday

Wadi Aday and Yiti, the nearest town, is an off the beaten track, yet comfortable 1 hour drive, south of Muscat.  So the day hasn’t exactly gone to plan so far.  Not that I can complain – I spent the morning at the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque while my husband ran the kids around in 40+ degrees Celsius at the nearest park and then got picked up and taken to lunch. … Read the rest

The Forbidden City

The Forbidden City

The only word that comes close to describing the enormity of the Forbidden City is “vast” and even this doesn’t seem to do it justice.  It’s hard to comprehend that the Forbidden City (Palace Museum) was built in the Ming Dynasty (around 1420) and served as the primary imperial residence until the fall of the Qing Dynasty in 1911. … Read the rest

Drum & Bell Towers

View of the Drum Tower from the Bell Tower

Together the Drum and Bell Towers, which stand opposite each other at the end of Drum & Bell Square, were used as the city’s official time keepers (right up until 1924!), the drums were beaten and the bells were rung to mark the time of day.… Read the rest