Dolphin Fresco from Knossos – photo Armagnac “To the Greeks, Crete seems the most authentically Greek of all the islands, because of the length of its history and its relative remoteness from the ancient centres of war and diplomacy.” So wrote Grecophile Lawrence Durell, renowned author and brother of naturalist...

Britain is spring is truly breathtaking. The whole country seems to explode into floral colour, there’s more daylight and the weather is not nearly as dreary as it was in winter. I love both springtime and autumn in the UK, though Britain in winter also holds its own special appeal....

‘Oh what a beautiful morning …’ came singing into my mind as I gazed out across Windermere, England’s longest lake, towards the stupendous Lakeland Fells. I was standing on the balcony in my suite at the Winander Club, latest addition to luxury accommodation at Low Wood Bay Resort and Spa...

Sandstone gives the Red Fort, Agra its colloquial name but the real colour of this historic complex comes from the people who visit. Indians dress up in their best clothes for an outing to one of the finest Mughal forts in India. The fort was the site of a battle...

The pepper pot loomed overhead, a shaft of February sunlight lighting up its whitewashed walls. Across the Furness Peninsula, Morecambe Bay glittered enticingly and the quaint little town of Ulverston bustled away below the hill. I sat on a bench letting a sliver of warmth seep in as one man...

Valentine’s Day is one of the most popular days of the year to propose and here in the UK we have so many gorgeous places to do just that. British weather in February can be a rather miserable but if you’ve found the right person, then it doesn’t matter whether...

In the bleak mid-winter, frosty winds are definitely moaning, earth’s hard as iron and my pipes froze last week. Yes, it’s wintertime in North West England and summer seems a long way off. So here’s a photo of the quirky divi-divi tree on beautiful Eagle Beach on the Aruba in...

David Hockney looking at a picture of fellow Yorkshireman Alan Bennett – photo Salts Mill You may have heard of, or even been to see, the new David Hockney exhibition at Tate Britain in London. One of this country’s most loved and respected artists, Hockney was born in Bradford in 1937,...

It looked a lot bigger than I had imagined. It also looked a lot prettier, covered in views of Canada’s splendid scenery. “Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. Once you get on the road, you’ll soon forget its size and be enjoying yourself behind the wheel.” I was at the Cruise Canada pick-up centre...

With his hands clutching his long, flowing coat tightly around him, Sir William Hillary (1771-1841) stands high above Douglas Harbour, ready to face everything the weather can throw at him.  As founder of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution he was well aware of the changeable  meteorological temperament of his home,...

In this article in the World Travel Blogger series, photographer Angus Matheson describes The North Coast 500, a memorable road trip he did with his wife in the Highlands of Scotland. North Coast 500 – the greatest motoring adventure in the British Isles North Coast 500 In 2015 the North Coast...

“No offence, but I want to be THERE, not here.” This was the response from Amber, a participant in one of my recent ‘Introduction to Travel Writing’ Workshops. The group had been given a table covered in travel magazines and I was asking them what had made them choose the one...

The Toy Train to Shimla As we clattered along the narrow track, the mountains gradually emerged like shy ballerinas peeking out from behind a curtain of lush green foliage. Glimpsed intermittently at first, the foothills of the mightiest mountain range on earth rose amidst tiny hamlets and towering pine trees....

In our latest ‘World Travel Blogger‘ article, Canadian writer Cindy Baker shares her favourite things to do the beautiful city of Lisbon, capital of Portugal. The clatter of old trams, the smell of sardines on the grill, the haunting melancholy of fado music. In Lisbon, these traditions combine with a...

Rain drifts gently down from a milky grey sky. There’s not a breath of wind and the sound of footsteps is all that can be heard. Ahead loom two huge pillars thrusting upwards through the drizzle. a standing figure gradually comes into focus between the pillars, resting like Samson against...