JOSPEH Stalin had some strange ideas when it came to giving gifts. Instead of providing his loyal subjects – by that I mean the residents of the Soviet states he intimidated into submission – things they could use like an endless supply of toilet paper or semi-regular deliveries of fresh meat, he gave them buildings.Continue reading “Stalin’s building …”
Category Archives: Europe
Warsaw, in winter …
Where … Wandering between Warsaw’s Old Town and my hotel, the Hyatt Regency Warsaw, on a chilly winter’s day When … Friday, December 7, 2012 at 10.35am What … A nighttime blizzard dumps a layer of white on the Polish capital and I bundle up in coat, gloves, hat and scarf to take to theContinue reading “Warsaw, in winter …”
Bosphorus, by boat …
WE finished our Turkish adventure today with a cruise on The Bosphorus to take in the view of this metropolis from the famous stretch of water that divides Asia and Europe. For a peaceful hour we followed the curves of the coast, looking at the elegant old houses that line the shore, and keeping clearContinue reading “Bosphorus, by boat …”
Sacred ground …
ON April 25, 1915, the first young Australian waded ashore at Gallipoli to begin what became one of the greatest episodes in our military history. The first to go ashore were four infantry battalions from the 3rd Brigade, First Australian Division – the West Australian, South Australians, Tasmanians and Queenslanders Charles Bean described as comingContinue reading “Sacred ground …”
Mediterranean fire …
IT’S October in Turkey, which would typically mean the weather was cooling down and giving the locals a breather after a steamy summer, but the autumn days on the Mediterranean are still hot with lots of blue sky crowning those magic water views. Another advantage of these glorious days are perfect sunsets, and we hadContinue reading “Mediterranean fire …”
Cotton on …
THINK you’ve had a hard day at the office? Imagine harvesting a field of cotton by hand. We have seen lots of cotton during the past few days on the road, and most of it’s being harvested by big tractors that spit the fluffy white balls into oversized bins, but this was the first timeContinue reading “Cotton on …”
Becalmed in Bodrum …
ANOTHER day, and night, in Turkey with nothing much to do but enjoy the changing colours of a Mediterranean settlement. We’re in Bodrum, another seaside spot set on the sands of the Aegean Coast, and with a cruise ship in port I decided the best place to be was on the balcony of the hotelContinue reading “Becalmed in Bodrum …”
Colours of Kas …
ALL you need to enjoy a lazy day in Kas is a chair and a balcony to put it on. But make sure that balcony has a view of the water – that’s not hard, as most of the hotels in this tourist town are perched on the hills that rise from the Mediterranean toContinue reading “Colours of Kas …”
Silk Road stopover …
HAVE you ever thought about the evolution of the modern-day hotel? Probably not, and I don’t blame you, as tourist digs tend to look the same after you spend a few days on the road and are hardly worthy of grand anthropological study. But I visited a compound today, Sultanhani Caravanserai on the road southContinue reading “Silk Road stopover …”
Whirling perfection …
IT’S official, I’m perfect. I had long suspected as much, but it was confirmed today when I visited the Mevlana Museum in the Turkish city of Konya. There’s a sign above the front door explaining “those who enter here incomplete will come out perfect” and after walking through the grand Ottoman doors, and exiting theContinue reading “Whirling perfection …”
Motoring around London …
TRAFFIC in London often grinds to a standstill and, as a result, the English capital isn’t considered the best city to explore on four wheels – until now that is. A couple of years ago three mates, Mini Cooper enthusiasts, established a boutique tour company that takes visitors around London’s busy streets in little carsContinue reading “Motoring around London …”
Geneva’s festival …
GOOD luck, rather than good management, has put me in Geneva on the weekend of the Swiss city’s biggest celebration. The Escalade is three days of non-stop festivities that commemorate and celebrate the night in 1602 when the residents of Geneva’s walled city repelled an attack by the Duke of Savoy. The Duke wanted toContinue reading “Geneva’s festival …”
Pleasantest sensation …
FREYA Stark, the British explorer who was one of the first women to do this travel-writing thing, once said “to awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world”. There’s a good chance Ms Stark was in some exotic Middle Eastern location when she made the now-famous statementContinue reading “Pleasantest sensation …”
Table with a view …
THIS is the table I occupied at breakfast this morning. I took a magazine to read while I enjoyed my bacon and eggs, but I didn’t even get to the first page as the view was far more interesting than anything inside my glossy travel publication. The sun doesn’t rise here until a little afterContinue reading “Table with a view …”
Mmm, macarons …
I JUST had my first real French macaron, and it was delightful. The outside was defiantly hard and broke with a firm crackle, the interior was a deep shade of rose and enticingly gooey, there was a light gel in the middle that exploded in my mouth with a burst of pink, and the flavourContinue reading “Mmm, macarons …”
Lofty French Alps’s stay …
→ While travellers are welcome at Club Med Valmorel during any season winter really is something special … ANOTHER travel first for me today. A few months ago I was the first passenger to sit in the fifth row of the brand new Qantas 737-800 called Tamworth and now I’m the first guest to occupyContinue reading “Lofty French Alps’s stay …”
Scotland, for Auld Lang Syne …
I THINK it’s very cool that Scotland’s favourite son is a poet. In a land with thousands of years of history, and a place that’s produced many patriots, warrior royals and folk heroes, the locals decided in 2009 that humble wordsmith Robert Burns was the greatest Scot of all time. Burns, the son of aContinue reading “Scotland, for Auld Lang Syne …”
Dipping a toe in a steaming pool …
YOU will need to adhere to a particular dress code if you want to enjoy the best view in Bath. No, you won’t need a jacket and tie or cocktail dress to get into this venue, with the apparel of a more practical style that requires guests to wear a different kind of suit. ToContinue reading “Dipping a toe in a steaming pool …”
Will and Kate’s UK …
THE English talk about Prince William and Catherine Middleton as if they were the next-door neighbours. While the young couple are known simply as Will and Kate, his grandmother is always referred to as “the Queen” and the Prince of Wales is only Charles when his subjects are being informal. People discuss details of theContinue reading “Will and Kate’s UK …”
One of the best …
→ When it comes to special places to stay in London there’s few better the The Dorchester … THE Dorchester is one of the world’s most famous hotels with this London icon, which opened beside Hyde Park in 1931 and underwent a two year-refurbished that wrapped in 1990, offering a feeling of “timeless glamour” toContinue reading “One of the best …”
Going the distance …
TODAY my journey was better than the destination. I was travelling from Edinburgh to London, with my destination an airport hotel at Heathrow conveniently placed for my early departure tomorrow morning, and it was the train ride south from Scotland that was the highlight. When I woke up in Edinburgh big flakes of snow wereContinue reading “Going the distance …”
Edinburgh …
ON my last day in Scotland, and with no plans to keep, I spent the afternoon wandering around Edinburgh between the rain storms that drifted across the city every hour or so. When the clouds cleared, and the rays of the weak winter sun were able to find the ground, I headed outside to exploreContinue reading “Edinburgh …”
Sunshine to storms …
I WAS fooled by a blue sky today. When I woke there wasn’t a cloud in the expanse of perfect blue that stretched from horizon to horizon so I grabbed my camera, piled on the warm clothes, and headed out to explore Edinburgh. I had a plan to walk from my hotel just below CaltonContinue reading “Sunshine to storms …”
Day tripping …
I DID a circuit from Edinburgh today that took me to the Trossachs, through some of the villages that Mary Queen of Scots frequented, and into the barrel room of a whisky distillery to sample a wee dram of the local drop. Scottish Blue Badge Guide Ken Hanley and I hit the road early, followingContinue reading “Day tripping …”
Really freezing …
THE next time I complain about a Melbourne winter’s day is “freezing” please remind me of this visit to Scotland. Since I arrived here last week the temperature has been stuck in the low single digits, with a couple of days where it has been literally freezing with the mercury sitting on zero. The firstContinue reading “Really freezing …”
Royal rooms …
I GOT as close to a royal bedroom today as I’m ever likely to get. After spending the morning exploring Edinburgh Castle – the impressive structure at one end of the Royal Mile in the Old Town that completely dominates the city’s picturesque skyline – I set the afternoon aside to tour the royal yachtContinue reading “Royal rooms …”
The Mackintosh house …
IF I ever get to design a house I will make sure it has two particular features. It will face the direction necessary to ensure the winter sun floods into at least one room, and it will feature a collection of rounded French doors made from small panels of curved glass. Catching the winter sunContinue reading “The Mackintosh house …”
On track in Aye …
→ A Scottish city’s racecourse is home to this hotel … THE Western House Hotel is perfectly placed we race day rolls with suites in this comfy place to stay, which rests beside the Scottish city’s racecourse, looking across the white picket fences and green turf of the track. Every other day of the weekContinue reading “On track in Aye …”
Burns’ Scotland …
I SPENT the morning in Burns country. That’s Robert, not Monty, which means I was exploring a quiet corner of Ayrshire in Scotland rather than a nuclear plant in Springfield. Robert Burns, who was born in 1759 in the hamlet of Alloway just 3km from Ayr, is not only considered to be Scotland’s favourite sonContinue reading “Burns’ Scotland …”
Fresh Ayr …
I AM sleeping in a hotel suite tonight that is, quite literally, bigger than the apartment I occupied in Brisbane for two years. The bathroom alone is larger than my bedroom in Kangaroo Point, with a free-standing bath that’s more spacious than my first car. It’s also considerably nicer than my little one-bedroom apartment inContinue reading “Fresh Ayr …”
Far Near Or Here 