Museums & Monasteries

The Svetitskhoveli Cathedral

My first destination this afternoon after exploring some More of Tbilisi is the Museum of Fine Arts.  Unfortunately it looks like it’s closed.  I check out the Kashueti St George Church briefly and then the Lado Gudiashvilli Art Gallery, giving the National Parliamentary Library of Georgia a miss although there are some cool book topped bollards out the front.… Read the rest

Sighnaghi

Sights of Sighnaghi

Sighnaghi, a tiny town in Georgia’s eastern Kakheti region, is an attractive town perched high on a hilltop with sweeping views across the Alazani Valley laid out below. Known affectionately as Georgia’s City of Love, the restored 18th and 19th century architecture of the centre gives the town a relaxed, easy charm focused around its tourist attractions.… Read the rest

Pyramids and Plans

The Pyramids of Giza

That first taste.  That first glimpse.  It’s never enough.  It only serves to whet the appetite, as the saying goes.  Likewise my first glimpses of Cairo. Plans are swirling.

Morning on the Nile

This is a business trip and, despite knowing that there will most likely not be time to take in the sights, I plan in spite of myself, hopes soaring. … Read the rest

The Heart of Sharjah

Coral walls of the Al Hisn Fort

Sharjah doesn’t have the mega malls of Dubai and can’t boast a mosque quite as grand as Abu Dhabi’s Grand Mosque but culturally and historically, it is every bit as good as a day spent around Bur Dubai (Dubai’s old town) or the Al Fahidi Historic District and in some respects, it is even better. … Read the rest

Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood

Al Fahidi wind tower

I arrive at the SMCCU (Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding) early and have time to wander around the Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood before my cultural breakfast begins.

Doorway

My real quest, heading into the quiet streets, is for a karak tea – that lovely, strong, sweet tea flavoured with cardamom (or sometimes other flavours if you’re lucky, like at Global Village). … Read the rest

The Kingdom of Bahrain

Arches at the Qal’at al Bahrain site

Of all our cruising destinations for this trip, I am most excited about exploring the Kingdom of Bahrain.  It’s also the place I feel I need to make the most of as this is the least likely port that I’ll get a chance to return to, at least in the foreseeable future.… Read the rest

Santa Chiara

Courtyard

The Complesso Monumentale di Santa Chiara is incredible.  Like a little walled world of its own, it must have been even more so, a haven from the outside world, during periods of Napoli’s unsettled past.

Santa Chiara Basilica from the side entrance

It’s another stunning day of our summer holidays and we’re exploring Naples. … Read the rest