In April 2010 I took a 2 night Leeds short break, staying at the Hilton Leeds City. I was fortunate to have a local resident, Darren Cronian creator of My Life in Leeds to show me around the city. Here are my ideas for five things to do on a Leeds short break. Royal Armouries [...]

I was a guest at Salvo’s Italian restaurant in Leeds for lunch with Darren Cronian of My Life in Leeds and Rachel McAlley, Salvo’s PR consultant, in April 2010.  The restaurant is in the Headingley district of Leeds, a couple of miles north of the city centre. Salvo’s was recently named as the best Italian [...]

Darren Cronian of MyLifeinLeeds and I were invited to a press Spring Menu preview dinner at the City Inn Leeds on 21 April 2010 .  The City Cafe restaurant overlooks the canal basin at Granary Wharf.  Now as I’m no gourmet and find it almost impossible to describe flavours in words, I  thought you’d prefer [...]

I stayed for 2 nights at the 4 star Hilton Leeds City in April 2010 on a complimentary basis. The hotel is close to the rail station, it takes less than five minutes to walk from the station to the hotel.  It also takes less than five minutes to walk to the canal basin at [...]

London is to host the 2012 Olympics, it’s not the first time England has hosted the games, in both 1908 and 1948 the Olympics were held in this European city. London has endless attractions of all kinds to entice visitors in huge numbers from every corner of the globe, but there are several reasons why [...]

Cafe Marly at The Louvre. One of the must visit spots of the city, a Paris cafe with great views.

European skies have recently been thrown into turmoil by an Icelandic volcano, shutting down many of Europe’s biggest hubs and grinding many traveller’s itineraries to a halt.  I’m feeling quite lucky, as only a week before the mayhem I flew back into Edinburgh.  But I’ve seen the upset faces on the television, have been hearing [...]

It’s about time to rescue Selcuk from the shadow of its famous neighbour Ephesus. It annoys me when I hear people say: “Oh, Selcuk. Isn’t that where you pass through on your way to Ephesus?” Yet it is confusing as the Ephesus Museum is in Selcuk. Well, yes, that’s true but there are several reasons [...]

The small Mediterranean island of Malta appeals to travellers seeking beautiful, sunny weather, gorgeous coastlines and beaches, crystal-clear sea and impressive historical sites. Although much of Malta has been over-developed, there are many beautiful destinations on this island which immediately transport you back in time. My tip is to visit the charming, exotic Maltese town [...]

Up north in Europe, though still south of the Arctic Circle, you find Trondheim, an European city, the third biggest in Norway. Spring comes late here, we can still do cross country skiing up in the hills above the city, though if you take a walk along the river Nidelven, or in the park surrounding [...]