Owing to a family issue we decided to postpone our second Interrail trip to Europe from June to September. So we're off tomorrow morning. Trains - and the odd Flixbus Itinerary as follows: Eurostar (London to Paris) Strasbourg (1 night) Innsbruck (1 night) Pertisau am Achensee (3 nights) Venice (3 nights) Monopoli (6 nights) Bari…
Our fourth and final night in Cirne/Kyrenia ended with a stroll round the harbour, then to "The George" (our temporary local) where we had the misfortune to watch England v Greece on TV. England lost 2-1 and were utterly useless. *** The next morning we took a dolmuş back to Lekoşa (i.e. north Nicosia), where…
You can never have too many holidays. Or perhaps you can? I'l ponder that fascinating question on another occasion. Be that as it may, we decided to take a short autumn break in Cyprus. I'd never been before, but I knew there was a lot to see and October seemed to be the best time…
You may already have seen jaw-dropping pictures of medieval buildings perched on towering rocks. This is Meteora, in Northern Greece. Convent of Roussanou There are six surviving monasteries (and several ruined ones), four of which we visited over two days: namely, the Great Meteoron, Varlaam, Roussanou and Ayios Nikolaos Anapafsa. They appear to be impregnable…
I have been on holiday to Greece about a dozen times, beginning in 1971 when I was 16. I have enjoyed every single day. This one (June 2023) was no exception; in fact it may have been the best trip yet. Anne is a genius at arranging holidays She can sniff out great accommodation at…
I had visited to Athens twice before: once in 1971, when I was 16, and once with my wife Anne, in 2000. Only for a couple of days in each case; all I can really remember is traipsing up to the Acropolis and visiting two or three museums. This year we decided to spend four…
It used to be cheap. It no longer is, but I don't care. I've enjoyed every day I've spent in Greece. Having just come back from a fortnight in - possibly - my favourite country, I'm waxing lyrical yet again. We day we left Herne Hill began rather strangely. While waiting for our train to…
Nigella Lawson says that the thump of loud music now found in some of the most fashionable - and expensive - restaurants leaves her unable to taste her food. She says she is "allergic to all noise including music in shops and restaurants… It is utterly draining. And it drowns out the taste of food.…
My first visit to Greece was in April 1971. I was 16¼. Although I’d just dropped Greek for Spanish at A Level (and never regretted it), I was still studying Latin and Ancient History. My former schoolteacher Eddie O’Hara, subsequently a Labour MP, had the ambitious and slightly mad idea of taking a dozen teenage…
Yes, that's where we are - so there won't be a blog this week. But there should be plenty to talk about next time. In the meantime... thanks to the two loyal friends who've already reviewed my ebook on Amazon. If you are one of the many millions of potential fans who haven't yet read…
The Wight Stuff 