Medieval Towns of Central and Northern Spain: a three week itinerary.

Spain is the second most visited country in the world - after France. It has stunning natural landscapes, history going back thousands of years, spectacular architecture, beautiful cathedrals, diverse regions with their own cultures, traditions and cuisine, welcoming people, food and wine to die for, and great weather.  Add to this, ease of travel and prevalence of English and you have to ask yourself - why wouldn't you want to visit Spain!  

How to avoid speeding fines in France and other things you NEED to know!

 

There is a trick to not getting fined for speeding in France. Even if you don't generally speed, it is easy to misunderstand the speed limits and find yourself going faster than you should. David and I have been travelling together for 40 years with so many French driving holidays under our belts I am literally unable to count them - and we have never been fined for speeding. That is not to say we haven't had the odd parking ticket, and minor accident but zero speeding fines, so read on for everything you need to know to avoid those holiday wrecking tickets.

A Rhine River Cruise with Scenic

It is the middle of May, and David and I are joining a Scenic Space-Ship for an ultra-luxury river cruise down the Rhine.  Scenic Opal, our new home for the next seven nights, does not disappoint. From the moment we step on board we are wrapped in a cocoon of comfort and indulgence - without a single care in the world.

Our Rhine Highlights cruise begins in the bustle of Amsterdam, with its maze of canals, historic buildings and thousands of bicycles. It disembarks at Basel in Switzerland (with transfers to Zurich). Each day takes us to new places and new adventures. In the evenings we dine in style in one of the ship's superb restaurants, or order room service in our private suite - where we always get the window table!  When not out exploring we spend tranquil, lazy hours watching the world go by and soaking up the rhythms of life on the Rhine. 

National Trust, English Heritage or Historic Houses - which should you join?

National Trust, English Heritage or Historic Houses - which membership is best? Then there is the National Trust Overseas Visitors Touring Pass, membership of a National Trust Overseas Organisation or the English Heritage Overseas Visitor Pass. Confused yet? Each membership gives you access to different attractions, has different pricing structures and different rules, some of which are clear and some of which are hidden in the fine print and downright sneaky.

Is the London Eye worth it!

Is the London Eye fun? Absolutely! At £24.50 for an advance purchase ticket in 2020, is the London Eye worth the outrageous price? No!!!  But - my advice is do it anyway. Read on for how much fun it is - as well as a few tips on getting it just a little bit cheaper.  And - whether you should pay even more by adding a skip the line ticket to your purchase. For a 30 minute ride the London Eye works out at a bit less than a pound a minute. Think of it that way and it doesn't sound so bad.

Avebury Henge: A stone circle to rival Stonehenge

Ancient Britons were an industrious lot. 4,000 years ago, around the same time they were piling up huge stones on the Salisbury Plain to create Stonehenge they were doing more or less the same thing 12 miles (20 kms) to the north to create the stone circles of Avebury Henge. Although a lot less popular than its more famous cousin, Avebury Henge is in many ways more interesting. For one thing you can walk right up to the stones and touch them. For another, once you have paid to park, the site is free - although there is a way to see Stonehenge for free which is almost as good as the paid entrance.

The Best Free Things to do in London

For the sheer cost of entry to its major attractions London must outrank almost every other capital city on the planet. Spend a couple of days visiting attractions like the Tower of London, the View from the Shard, the London Eye and the Royal Observatory at Greenwich and you can easily spend £100 (USD125/AUD180). But don't despair! Like most cities, London has its share of free things to do. You just have to know what they are. To help you along a bit I have put together a list of the best free things to do in London. You will find my favourite attraction at the top of the list.

How to see Stonehenge for free!

Four and a half thousand years ago (give or take a century or two) pre-historic Britons dragged a whole lot of very big stones to a pleasant spot on the Salisbury Plain and built a circle. It is hard to know why they did it, although archaeologists generally believe it had something to do with burials. The stones weighed up to 40 tons so this was a bit more than a casual morning's mucking about. Today the circle is called Stonehenge. It attracts more than one million visitors a year and it charges a hefty £30 (depending on when you visit) for every single one of them EXCEPT for those who know how to visit for free.

The Shard: What it is like at the top of London's tallest building.

At 309.6 m (1016 ft) high The Shard is tall - the tallest building in the European Union. Standing at the bottom looking up you get an idea of just how tall, but it is only once you are perched 72 floors and 244 m (801 ft) above street level and look at up (yes - you read that right 'up' not 'down') that you get the full acrophobia-inducing feeling of just how tall the Shard really is. The observation deck is partially open to the air - enough to be able to look through the steel and glass superstructure and see nothing but sky. I defy anyone to stand there, look up and not succumb to a touch of vertigo.

Turbopass London City Pass - Your passport to London attractions.

London attractions are expensive, very expensive. David and I have travelled together for 35 years visiting many of the world's leading cities. I struggle to remember a single one which surpasses London for the cost of its attractions - except perhaps my home city of Sydney. You have to see the irony in that. But what do you do! We have come half way around the world (22 hours in the air) to get here, we can hardly stand in front of the Tower of London or the London Eye or the Shard, look at each other and say - no its a bit pricey, we won't go in. Luckily we found a solution.  After a bit of internet research we chanced across the London City Pass issued by Turbopass.⃰

Have electric bikes ruined cycling in Europe?

The long slow drone of a pack of electric bicycles (e-bikes) approaches us from behind. They sound like a swarm of bees gathering into formation - ready to strike - or is the sound nothing more than my imagination. Do electric bikes make any sound? As they get closer the volume increases and my nerves jangle with anticipation of their attack.

Struggling slowly uphill in the midday sun I glance around, desperately searching for an escape route. The bike path is narrow. To my left a tight, winding road is hostile with traffic. It runs through yet another wonderfully picturesque town, but I have no time out

How to pay a parking fine in Germany: The frustrating tale of a 15 euro ticket.

I admit it - we did the wrong thing! I am the third most law-abiding person on the planet. Only the Dalai Lama and the Pope are ahead of me in the queue. If a sign says don't do something I absolutely do not do it. I don't swim outside the flags (you have to live in Australia to understand that particular piece of lunacy), I don't litter, I don't speed and I don't park where I am not supposed to. Nor does David, while I am around at least. Except on a recent trip to Germany we did and with all the hassle and grief it caused us we are never, ever doing it again.

Escaping the Czech Republic: Holiday disasters and how to avoid them - Pt. 2

Escaping the Czech Republic: -

I am a stickler for following the rules. I don't do things I'm not supposed to - even little things like jay-walking. This is especially so when I am in a foreign country. David on the other hand has a more casual approach to life which is how we found ourselves in the Czech Republic without entry stamps in our passports.

We drove across the border from Austria, in a rental car with Austrian number plates, following a long line of other Austrian cars.  No-one else stopped at the border, no-one else even slowed down. D was driving.

Christmas in Rome - isn't this where the Pope lives?

No - we're not in Rome. Not this year at least - but we were a few years ago and it's a great place to spend Christmas.

David and I associate Christmas with summer. There is nothing quite like standing in front of the oven basting a turkey on a 35C degree day (high 90s F). Don't be fooled by all the media-hype about Australians celebrating Christmas with beer and prawns at the beach - there are plenty of old fashioned traditionalists out here doing it the hard way.