I was just chatting with a friend who was in Edinburgh from Belfast, and we were discussing how many tourists completely miss Belfast and other gems of Northern Ireland on the rush between the more popular sites like London and Dublin. It’s a city with a dark history and has a character quite unique from [...]
The area of Trastevere in Rome is one of those classic old Roman neighbourhoods, with narrow lanes and charming squares, filled with bars, restaurants and local colour. At the heart of the neighbourhood is the pedestrianised Piazza di Santa Maria and the lovely Chiesa Santa Maria which is well worth a visit. In the Piazza [...]
If you’re taking a reluctant museum or gallery visitor on your travels in southern Germany, then I wholeheartedly recommend trying the ZKM – Center for Art and Media in Karlsruhe. It’s kind of like a combination between an art gallery, scientific museum and a technology exhibition and it really makes for a fascinating afternoon. There [...]
Concentration camps, as a general rule, are not always at the top of the list when people are sight-seeing. People do not like being reminded of certain historical events. Especially events that, in the grand scheme of things, did not happen all that long ago. From an historical perspective though, concentration camps, offer a glimpse [...]
The city of Chester is one my favourite stops in England, mainly because it combines two of my biggest passions – history and shopping – and ties them into a perfect little bow. Chester serves up a generous dose of heritage with great style. This city began as a Roman fort, and souvenirs from that [...]
Please vote for the Europe a la Carte Blog in the TravelMole Web Awards UK 2009. This year the shortlist for awards will be determined by online voting between 15 May – 10 June 2009. A panel of judges will then select the winners. The awards are for travel sites which are directed at the [...]
If you are in Stirling in central Scotland on a Thursday or Friday lunchtime I recommend that you have the buffet lunch at La Cicciara, 41 Friar Street, tel 01786 451552. It only costs £5.95 per person, it’s delicious and great value, just my type of restaurant. La Cicciara, Stirling There’s soup with Italian bread, [...]
Genoa (Genova in Italian) is a real charmer, just north of the popular Cinque Terre but it has a personality all its own. Here are my five top tips for your next stop in Genoa: Check out the museums. Two modern art museums, an enormous aquarium (hard to believe when you’re on a stunning shoreline, [...]
There’s so much more to Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, than the Castle and Princes Street. One of the best ways to truly appreciate Edinburgh’s beautiful geographic location is to walk up Arthur’s seat, one of Edinburgh’s most characteristic landmarks. The area is made up of extinct volcanoes. You don’t need to be super fit [...]
La Lonja was one of my favourite sights to see in Valencia when we visited last Spring. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage site and had recently re-opened after restoration. It’s free to enter and luckily it wasn’t too crowded on the day we visited, so we could enjoy it’s cool stone halls and tranquil, cathedral-like [...]
