Discovering Savonlinna and Lake Saimaa Finland’s Lake District
Mark Bibby Jackson travels to Finland’s Lake District to visit Lake Saimaa and the Savonlinna Opera Festival It is on our return journey that Captain Mikael allows me to take…
Celebrate the 250th Birthday of Jane Austen in Bath
In 2025, Bath is celebrating a big milestone — 250 years since the birth of Jane Austen in 1775. So, if you’re a fan of the iconic author, this is…
A Scottish Golfing Odyssey : Part 2 – St Andrews
Roger Hermiston makes a pilgrimage to play St Andrews golf course, while Eileen Wise explores the local spa. For anyone, but for a golfing aficionado in particular, it had to…
A Scottish Golfing Odyssey : Part 1 – Royal Troon
Roger Hermiston and Eileen Wise visit Royal Troon Scotland on the final day of The Open Championship. The seaside town of Troon in Ayrshire, on Scotland’s spectacular west coast, would…
Why Autumn in Tampere Is the Perfect Time for a Finnish Getaway
If you’re planning your next break and haven’t decided where to go, look no further – Tampere, Finland in autumn is the place to be. The season has just begun…
Nantes: France’s Queen of Green
Something’s going very green in the French city of Nantes, as Judith Schrut discovered on her recent visit to this welcoming and eco-friendly gem on the western banks of the…
Exploring Green Graz Austria
Mark Bibby Jackson visits Graz Austria, a green city with a visionary view for our future. It was on a visit to Iași in Romania a few years ago that…
Hoxha, Mother Teresa and Norman Wisdom in Tirana Albania
Albanian strongman Enver Hoxha didn’t pussyfoot around billeting “illegal immigrants” on some off-shore barge or trying to fly them to Rwanda during his country’s Communist era. He just had them…
Road Trip through Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway
Mark Bibby Jackson takes a road trip through Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway on the trail of Rabbie Burns and meets a couple of US Presidents along the way. “Auld Ayr…
Chateau de Candie : An Appetizing Getaway in the French Alps
Our first glimpse of the Chateau de Candie, a historic small luxury hotel near Chambery in the heart of Savoy, France, was picture postcard perfect. A winding road skirted a field…
A Walk through Pittsburgh : a Surprising, Green City
The previous few days had challenged my pre-formed opinion of the Rust Belt. Buffalo and Cleveland were both interesting and lively cities with plenty of architectural gems and lots of…
Active Travel Adventures for Improved Mobility in Your 40s
If you think that getting old means giving up on your mobility, you’re dead wrong. It just takes a bit more work to retain the physical abilities that came naturally…
Majorca Two Ways: A Perfect Break Combining Palma and Porto Petro
Holidaying with friends and family is fantastic in theory but can be challenging to meet everyone’s wants and needs. On a recent trip to Majorca, Maria Boyle, her daughters Daisy…
Discovering Art in Cleveland Ohio
Mark Bibby Jackson continues his visit to Cleveland Ohio discovering the creative side and the art in the city. My trip to Cleveland coincides with the 32nd annual Parade the…
Wellness Travel for the Over 40 Traveller
For the over 40 traveller, wellness travel offers more than just a break from routine—it provides a holistic approach to maintaining health, both mentally and physically. Whether through retreats, meditation…
How to Curate Unique Travel Experiences After 40
Can you feel it? It’s the call of the unexplored. The lure of new experiences knocking at the door in your 40’s. Isn’t it electrifying? This wonderful phase in life…
Montserrate, Bogota’s Mountain, Colombia
At 3,152 metres, the mountain of Montserrate dominates the high plateau (already at a height of 2,640 metres) on which Bogota, the capital of Colombia, is built. It is a…
Cleveland Ohio : A Musical City with an Industrial Heart
Mark Bibby Jackson visits Cleveland Ohio an industrial city with its roots most definitely in music. Serendipity. I’ve said it before, but it is one of the most wonderful aspects…
Monkey Island Estate Bray Review
Roger Hermiston and Eileen Wise review Monkey Island hotel and Estate on the banks of the Thames near the village of Bray. It is just a small, seven-acre island in…
Beautiful Buffalo : Silo City, Martin House and the Death of a President
Mark Bibby Jackson goes on an architectural journey through Buffalo visiting Silo City, Martin House, the City Hall and Theodore Roosevelt Inauguration Site. It is a line I am going…
Gainsborough’s House, Sudbury Suffolk
It has been a motto of mine to expect little and to be pleasantly surprised at the outcome. Gainsborough’s House in Sudbury Suffolk proved an excellent case in point. Driving…
A Tour of Brutalist Architecture in Washington DC
World class cities are like good friends, it doesn’t matter how long it has been since you last met, there is an instant familiarity. Also, just like really good friends…
WOMAD 2024 Review : A Reliable Friend
In returning to Womad 2024 there’s an echo of that joy felt in childhood, of revisiting a favourite place where all will be well. You’ll have a blast and feel…
Saint Lucia : a Community United in Music
Mark Bibby Jackson visits the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia, and discovers the secret behind its popularity as a holiday destination. There are times when I feel most fortunate to…
