It had been raining on our last night in Krakow and as we walked through the main market square we were pleased to have it mostly to ourselves, in the middle of summer. Most people seem to be scared of the rain! As we wandered we came across a smaller square behind St Mary’s...
My accidental pilgrimage at Jasna Gora
Visiting Jasna Gora, the holy pilgrimage site of the Black Madonna and Child in Czestochowa, was a visit of historical significance to me, rather than religious, as with all other churches, cathedrals, basilica’s etcetera that I visit (and there have been soooo many!) Just before 1pm we entered the Jasna Gora Monastery. As with...
Discovering Warsaw
Warsaw was the beginning of a new phase of travel for me. The following two weeks would see me and my Mum, who had joined me five days earlier in London, being shown around some of the best sights in Poland by our Polish relatives, most of whom I had never met before. It...
12 Things to see and do in Bruges
Sitting on the train to Bruges I got chatting with a lovely Belgian woman and her two young daughters, one of whom was carrying a pet snail on a tissue. They were on their way to Knokke, a coastal town where they have a holiday home. At that moment I so wished to join...
Visiting the Palace of Versailles
It was a cold, blustery day when I headed out of Paris to visit the Chateau de Versailles. Spending eight hours wandering the rooms, halls, gardens and smaller residences, I still didn’t see it all. Am I the slowest tourist/traveller ever? What can be said about the Chateau de Versailles in words that can’t...
A day trip from Paris to Monet’s home in Giverny
I looooove Monet’s Water Lilies paintings. Having visited the Musee d’Orsay and Musee de l’Orangerie, with the wonderful impressionists exhibitions and featuring Monet’s giant water lilies, I just had to visit the gardens that inspired such beautiful pieces of work. Monet lived in his house in the village of Giverny for 43 years, until...
My Ultimate Montmartre Walking Tour
Bohemian and artistic, Montmartre was once home to Pablo Picasso, Vincent van Gogh, Henri Matisse, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Salvador Dalí and Amedeo Modigliani, amongst others. In fact, it is here that Picasso and Georges Braque founded Cubism. Famous also for the Moulin Rouge, Montmartre was where I chose to stay...
Things to do in Paris at night
Summer in Paris means long days and late evenings. It’s fantastic for seeing the sights in sunlight as it doesn’t get dark until around 10:30pm. But what if you want to see the city at night, when it’s dark? Be prepared for some late nights (afternoon naps help with this). Also to take into...
Discovering the morbid side of Paris
Paris is often referred to as ‘the city of light’ (la ville lumiere), mainly for its role in the Age of Enlightenment, but more literally because it was one of the first cities to adopt gas street lamps. I was however also interested in discovering Paris’ dark side, some of those more morbid curiosities...