Our FlixBus reached the Greek border at 16:30. We crossed quickly over the Turkish side, but entry into Greece dragged on, and it was nearly 18:00 before we were on our way again. Almost immediately the countryside changed from huge open fields to vineyards and olive groves. About 15 km from the border is Alexandroupolis,…
With a few hours to kill before getting the bus to Istanbul, we took a last stroll through the centre of Plovdiv. stopped for a coffee and fitted in an art exhibition. A 20-minute walk through the Tsar Simeon Gardens took us down to the bus station, diagonally opposite the railway station. The FlixBus 11.15…
We would leave Romania with happy memories, excited to be visiting Bulgaria for the first time. Tuesday 8 September We rose at 8 am to check out of the Rembrandt Hotel, stopping for coffee on the way to the metro. Our remaining lei were blown at Bucharest Autogara on fruit juice and snacks for the…
One week gone already, with a long day's travel from Bratislava to Timişoara in prospect. Our goal was Istanbul, and to get there and leave ourselves four days to see the great metropolis would necessarily involve a few tough journeys. Tuesday 1 September It had rained a little during the night but had stopped by…
We are back in dear old Blighty, and what a trip it was! Nearly four weeks on our third annual Interrailing jaunt, visiting seven countries - plus two solely to change trains. Itinerary as follows: Eurostar to Paris Lucerne/Luzern (train, 2 nights) Innsbruck (train, 1 night) Graz (train, 2 nights) Bratislava (train, 1 night) Timișoara…
We have had a wonderful time Interrailing. If you want to see a lot of Europe in a few weeks the best way to do it is by train, no question. And preferably first class, which doesn't cost much more. Last year's trip will take a lot of beating. I loved it, but said I…
I have a vague interest in astronomy. I've seen lots of meteor showers, the Hale-Bopp comet in 1995, and a very good lunar eclipse a few years ago. But everybody loves a solar eclipse. On 12 August 2026 a solar eclipse passed through Europe, with the Path of Totality travelling through Iceland and northern Spain.…
I last posted at the end of June. I wrote that it was 34c, the hottest June day on record in the UK. More than six weeks on, nothing has changed. That same temperature, 34c, is projected for London by the end of this week. It may even go higher. It has hardly rained a…
At one time most people in the UK could remember the summer of 1976. But you’d have to be at least 55 years of age to have any real memory of that strange time. It was a foretaste of what we are going through today, the hottest June day on record. I’m sitting at home…
The last time we visited Scotland was to deposit Dad's remains in Loch Lomond. Three years on, I was thinking of doing the same with Mum's ashes; but I recalled that she talked about how much she loved living in Crieff (Perthshire) when her family had been evacuated from Glasgow during the war. Maybe that…
