Kolymvari

Kolymvari

Kolymvari

This small fishing village on the island of Crete, Kolymvari (also Kolymbari) is located about 25km (30mins) drive from the Venetian port town of Chania.

Out and about on The Little Fun Train for the afternoon, we visit this tiny fishing village which promises a lovely spot to linger for a day.… Read the rest

Vouves

Another tiny village in the hills behind Maleme, Vouves boasts the world’s oldest olive tree.

The Olympic Olive Tree

The Olive Tree of Vouves

This millennia old olive tree with its twisting, gnarled trunk still bears fruit. It is estimated to be between 2,000 and 4,000 years old.… Read the rest

Marathokefala

Views at Marathokefala

Marathokefala

A short way up into the hills we arrive at the traditional village of Marathokefala where time seems to stand still. Here, the pace of life takes the slow road, with many daily rituals continuing as they have done for centuries.… Read the rest

The Little Fun Train

The Little Fun Train – Traditional olive and orange groves near Spilia

We are taking the Little Fun Train for a bit of sightseeing in Crete. What better way to get around than an open aired train that lets us see some of Cretes’ more out of the way places.… Read the rest

Church of St. Nicolas

Church of St. Nicholas

Among Sofia’s varied skyline – where Roman ruins, Ottoman relics and Bulgarian Orthodox churches coexist – the Church of St. Nicolas stands apart with unmistakable elegance. Golden onion domes shimmer above dark green tiles, intricate details catch the light, and the entire structure feels as though it has been lifted directly from Moscow and set gently into the Bulgarian capital.… Read the rest

The National Art Gallery

The National Art Gallery (The Trabant Monument, Georgi Donov)

In a city where layers of history reveal themselves at every turn, Bulgaria’s National Art Gallery offers something different. It is not a ruin, nor a monument to conquest or religion. Instead, it is a space where Bulgaria tells its story through art – brushstroke by brushstroke and century by century.… Read the rest

Walking Sofia

Walking Sofia (Banya Bashi Mosque)

Sofia is a city that reveals itself slowly. Even more so if you’re walking Sofia. At first glance, it feels like a blend of Soviet-era austerity and modern European energy. But look closer, beneath your feet, behind church doors and within quiet courtyards and you’ll find a city layered with more than two millennia of history.… Read the rest

Basilica of Saint Sofia

Basilica of Saint Sofia

Within the heart of Sofia, Bulgaria’s modern capital, lies one of the city’s most profound and sacred landmarks, the Basilica of Saint Sofia. Often overlooked in favor of the gilded grandeur of the nearby Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, this understated brick church holds secrets far older and a legacy that shaped the very identity of the city itself.… Read the rest

Sofia’s Presidency Building

Sofia’s Presidency Building

In a city where Roman streets lie beneath glass and Ottoman minarets rise beside Orthodox domes, Sofia’s Presidency Building represents something altogether different. It is not ancient, nor ornate, nor rooted in empire. Instead, it belongs to modern Bulgaria, standing as a symbol of statehood, authority and national identity shaped in the 20th and 21st centuries.… Read the rest

Ancient Serdica

Ancient Serdica

In most cities, history sits behind glass, preserved, labelled and carefully separated from modern life. In Sofia, it lies beneath your feet.

Step into the Ancient Serdica Archaeological Complex and you are not simply observing the past, you are walking through it.… Read the rest