Slovakia is an underrated travel destination; most people I meet have never heard of it, and could not point it out on a map, so it was surprising to learn that Košice hosted Europe’s …
In March 2008 I visited a place that changed my life. Of course, back then bracing myself for every bump in the dusty road I had no idea where the rusted bus careening wildly along the highway from Phnom Penh …
“What do you want to see on our trip around Europe?” I asked my friend.
“Mountains, lakes, or beaches” came the reply.
Lakes, it is then.
Because Europe is so compact, one of the best things about travelling around the …
If you have read my blog for some time, you may have noticed that I have been absent for a while. On the other hand, maybe, you have not. Either way, it has been five months since I last wrote …
“May I have your passport, please?” asked the man at the hotel’s dingy reception desk.
“Certainly.” Smiling brightly, I handed it over.
“And the other one?”, he asked.
“Um, there is no other one. …
Who doesn’t love visiting a Historic Old Town?
My teaching career has shuttled between Europe and Asia on more than a few occasions: I moved from the UK to Vietnam in 2007, Vietnam to Sweden in 2010, Sweden to India …
Other than a package holiday in Tunisia many years ago, Africa is a completely new continent to me. I am simultaneously jumping for joy about the prospect of my upcoming trip; …
A few weeks ago, I was tired of the rainy, grey, city sky. I desperately wanted blue sky, crisp air, and plenty of snow. I longed to see mountains; and for that, I would have to go to the Tatra …
The unbelievably clear water of Syri i Kalter (‘Blue Eye’) in the South of Albania is beautiful, but it is not easy to reach. You have two options: 1) a laborious 5-hour journey along dilapidated roads from the …
It’s on a frigid Sunday in late October that I find myself climbing towards the ruins of a 13th Century limestone castle in Čachtice, Slovakia. Battling a bitter wind I draw my coat closer around me; but it is …
If you’ve been to Budapest then maybe you visited Széchenyi thermal baths; but did you know that with over 1,000 hot springs, Hungary boasts more medicinal spas than any other European country? What’s more, it even has a natural thermal …
I often get people asking me about life as an international teacher, so to honour 10 years of living overseas I have put this post together to show you what a year in my life is like. As I’m a …
Readjusting to a European winter after two years of perpetual spring/summer in India has been harder than I thought. I’m not sure why, because I like winter. For the last few months in Mumbai I’d been looking forward to feeling …
I’ve always liked the look of a dainty, brightly coloured, meringue macaron. You know, the ones that you see piled delicately on silver platters in fancy cake shops? They look exquisite, but as I’m more of a cheesecake girl I’d …
The flickering, grainy image of a hunched figure creeping up a silhouetted staircase, his claw-like hand extending towards a shadowed door, is an iconic piece of cinema history belonging to the 1922 German Expressionist movie, ‘Nosferatu’ – one of …
Having lived in Bratislava for only seven weeks I am still new to Slovak culture, particularly as I knew very little about either Slovakia or the city before I came here. It is true to say, however, that I have …
Autumn has arrived in Bratislava. Only last week I wore summer dresses and flip-flops, but this week it’s all scarves, winter coats and boots. When yesterday dawned cold but sunny, I went for a walk with friends in order to …
What is Stockholm’s ICEBAR like? Well, as you’d expect, it’s like walking into a giant freezer. A freezer with a bar, that is. A freezer full of animals elaborately carved into huge blocks of glistening ice. A freezer where people …
Having lived in Asia for 6 years of my life, I am pretty immune to noise by now. I can sleep through the loudest thunderstorm, I like hearing early morning church bells or the Call to Prayer, and I barely …
Most of my summer was spent in Cornwall, a place that I grow to love more and more each time I visit. For this mid-week post I wanted to show you some of my favourite pictures. How I wish I …