Living in challenging times does not stop us from living. Life must and does go on. Although our routines may not be what they were pre-Covid-19, we know how to adapt. We are smart and creative. We now shop, work and play differently. And staying positive, open minded and questioning is essential in overcoming any […]
Category Archives: Travel
Seeking in Barcelona
We sat down for a vegan paella at one of our favourite restaurants in Barcelona, a place we return to specifically for this dish. Plant-based options are still surprisingly difficult to find on many restaurant menus, but that’s a topic for another post. The restaurant overlooks one of Barcelona’s most beautiful squares: Plaça Reial, the […]
The beach is not an ashtray
We’ve been in Spain for a good few months and are temporarily residing in a seaside town called Sitges, roughly 30 km south of Barcelona. It’s a pretty little town with a quaint historic centre, beautiful churches and magnificent beaches. As the gay capital of Spain it’s a feelgood town. Sitges is a popular resort […]
Travel during Covid-19
The freedom to travel ended with Covid-19 being declared a pandemic. Lockdown is a word we are all familiar with and social distancing is the new norm. Around the globe restrictions are in place without a clear end date. Most agree that our lives will not go back to how they were. If, like me, […]
Northern lights – Norway – Hurtigruten
We like ships, we like water and we like to explore new regions. We took a journey on a ship that combines the joy of traveling with locals with the luxury of cruise facilities. The Hurtigruten ferries that go up and down the coast of Norway offer just that. Many locals use this service as […]
From Istiklal street to Kalverstraat: why Black Friday is so wrong
Walking through the Kalverstraat in Amsterdam during the Black Friday period it reminded me of Istiklal street in Istanbul. Rows of shops and restaurants, crowded, slow pace, bumping into pedestrians – for me an unpleasant experience and the prompt to write this article. Black Friday has roots in the United States dating back to the […]
Amsterdam Light Festival 2019
Each year hundreds of designers, architects and artist from around the world submit a design to be featured in the famous Amsterdam Light Festival. This year’s theme – the 8th edition – is ‘Disrupt‘. The lucky chosen few go on to build their installation in and around the canals of Amsterdam. There are about 25 […]
Salinas de Maras, Peru
After visiting Machu Picchu we continued our journey in the sacred valley to Urubamba because we were keen to visit the Salt Pans of Maras which are nearby. In Urubamba we hired a private taxi (taxis are stationed on the corner of Padre Barre and Av Mariscal Castilla) to take us to the Salinas de […]
The real cost of visiting Machu Picchu, Peru
Machu Picchu is probably one of those places many of us have on our bucket list. It certainly was for me and it was an absolutely magical experience to see the famous Inca ruins. It’s expensive to visit Machu Picchu. There are costs for: site entrance; train from Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu Pueblo (Aguas Calientes); […]
Lake Titicaca and the floating islands of Urus under threat?
Having seen many documentaries of Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world at nearly 4000 metres above sea level, I was looking forward to visiting Puno and the floating islands of Urus in Peru. After a long bus journey from Arequipa to Puno we were keen to explore the area and visit the […]