Travel, life, loves and laughs.
I awake on my first morning in Tbilisi, Georgia excited at exploring all that my First Impressions promise. My travel companion, Diana, has arrived during the night and despite a restless sleep, I only doze a little before being ready to hit the town, so to speak.… Read the rest
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
The Abu Dhabi Louvre, the ‘new’ Louvre, has been on my list since before it opened in November 2017. Knowing it would be a day best enjoyed with another enthusiast I have delayed my visit more than once. … Read the rest
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.
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
Foyer of the Museum of Islamic Art
I am in Doha for the day. I spent the morning at Souq Waqif and The Pearl and much of the afternoon walking the sights after a dhow ride (see Doha by Dhow). … Read the rest
The Bahrain National Museum houses an extensive collection of artifacts organised into various galleries (rooms). We make our way there along Government Avenue after exploring some of the other sights of The Kingdom of Bahrain for the morning. … Read the rest
If there’s one thing Italy does well (after gelato), it’s Villas. Villa d’Este was a fantastic example of this, Villa Borghese is another. Whilst the Palazzos and Castellos are interesting and impressive, the villa gives way from the regal, political and military to a more laid back take on Italian lifestyle, architecture and the outdoors, namely a garden. … Read the rest
The alarm rouses me from sleep for a day at Villa d’Este and the first thing I feel is my aching feet, sore from a couple of weeks of walking. Not that I don’t like walking, I do, I like it a lot, especially when exploring new and wonderful places.… Read the rest
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.
It’s another stunning day of our summer holidays and we’re exploring Naples. … Read the rest
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