The Quirky Traveller Blog

The plaque on the simple cross tells a tragic tale.  Two men sharing the same surname, both killed in war, but 25 years apart. M de Sars senior died in World War One in 1915.  His son Edmond was killed in 1940 in World War Two.  Apparently this in the only cross in Notre Dame de […]

In this guest post, Sally Fielding, owner of family-run Sally’s Cottages, shares some of her favourite, and less known, places in the Lake District in Cumbria. I’ve lived in the Lake District my whole life and I’ve discovered some truly memorable places. Many of these aren’t mentioned in guidebooks and even frequent Lake District travellers […]

The drone of the engines got louder as we accelerated along the runway, fields and trees flashing past the window as we gracefully lifted up into the clouded, sun-streaked skies above Durham Tees Valley Airport. The clicking of cameras and animated chatter ricocheted though the cabin as the elegant elderly plane forged its way up into […]

Tanzania is a vast country with so much to offer that the choice can sometimes be overwhelming. You want to see it all but the key is not to overdo it then you don’t really explore any safari area properly. There are many camps which compliment each other perfectly and also offer discounts when you […]

Ah, there it is … at last I catch the scent of the place.  Peppery, leafy, smoky, fresh, salty, sweet, tangy – yes, tangy and definitely exotic to someone from the north of England.  I am standing on the edge of lush rainforest beside a beautifully twisted, gnarled tree with fronded leaves and vibrant scarlet […]

Musician Stan Cullimore, former member of the 80’s band The Housemartins, shares his memories of a  recent boating holiday on one of England’s many charming canals. This morning I got out of bed, opened the curtains and looked out of the window. First thing I saw was a man on a bicycle attempting to herd […]