New Year's Day Scottish piper on Dhoon Beach Kirkcudbright Scotland Hogmanay - photo Zoe Dawes
Holiday, Mind Body Spirit, Scotland

A Perfect Hogmanay Break in Dumfries & Galloway

January 15, 2019 by Zoe Dawes 9 Comments
The piper walked slowly across the sand, bagpipes clasped under his arm, the sun glinting off the water as the haunting sound of the Skye Boat Song drifted across the bay. New Year’s Day on Dhoon Beach in Dumfries and Galloway. I couldn’t think of anywhere else I’d rather be....
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English Weather - poem by Wendy Cope - image Zoe Dawes
Book, England

A poetic grumble about English Weather and why I love it

December 28, 2018 by Zoe Dawes 1 Comment
What’s the thing most people talk about in the UK? Well, at the moment it’s possibly Brexit, though it’s banned in our house as I can’t bear to discuss it. However, a safe topic many of us resort to when meeting strangers or having chit-chat, is the weather. It’s part...
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Reading time: 1 min
3 Lake District Treats - The Quirky Traveller
Mind Body Spirit, Shopping, UK

3 Lake District treats to satisfy Mind, Body AND Spirit

December 12, 2018 by Zoe Dawes 2 Comments
As life increases its pace, many of us stressed out with all the places we have to be, people we have to see and the things we have to do. What you need is a special gift to soothe your mind, body and spirit and improve your well-being Here are a...
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Reading time: 3 min
Sealions on Gardner Bay beach galapagos - The Quirky Traveller
Adventure, Competition, World Heritage Site

My 7 World Wonders that will make YOU feel great

December 5, 2018 by Zoe Dawes 3 Comments
It’s one of the most popular pub quiz questions, ‘What are the 7 Wonders of the World?’ They usually mean the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World, which are the Colossus of Rhodes, the Lighthouse of Alexandria, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, the Temple of Artemis, the Statue of Zeus and the Great Pyramid of Giza – but...
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Reading time: 5 min
Cypriot Roast Chicken Lavender and Lovage Culinary Notebook by Karen Boorns Booth
Food & Drink, QT Review

Cookery Book Review: Around the World with ‘Lavender and Lovage Culinary Notebook’

November 30, 2018 by Zoe Dawes 3 Comments
Bajan Breakfast Banana Bread, Smoky Mexican Bean Soup, Ah Yeung’s Sweet and Sour Fish, Tian Provencal, Cypriot Pastitsio, Alabama Peach Crisp, Nanny’s Fresh Orange Layer Cake … the list of delicious recipes from home and abroad sets my taste buds tingling. I’m enveloped in the foodie delights of Lavender and...
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Reading time: 3 min
Soulful things to see and do in North East Thailand
Asia, Mind Body Spirit

7 soulful things to see and do in North East Thailand

November 19, 2018 by Zoe Dawes 3 Comments
I was getting a crick in my neck but I couldn’t stop gazing up at the enormous golden Buddha, silhoutted against a vibrant blue sky. He gazed out across the town, oblivious to the people below. The searing afternoon heat shrouded me in a humid embrace and the scent of...
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Reading time: 7 min
Field of Poppies at sunset - They shall not grow old
History, QT Review

They Shall Not Grow Old: #WW1 Documentary and Poem ‘For The Fallen’

November 11, 2018 by Zoe Dawes 4 Comments
‘They Shall Not Grow Old’ is the title of an extremely moving documentary by New Zealand film director, Peter Jackson. They Shall Not Grow Old tells the story of British Soldiers enlisting to fight in Europe, many lying about their age to go save the world. It was commissioned by IWM...
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Reading time: 2 min
David Hockney and Alan Bennett at Salts Mill Saltaire in Yorkshire
Culture, UK

Discover David Hockney at Salts Mill, Saltaire, Yorkshire

February 20, 2017 by Zoe Dawes 7 Comments
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,...
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Reading time: 4 min
RV Nk'Mip campground Osoyoos
Adventure, Blog trip, North America

Top Tips for your RV (motorhome) road trip in Canada

October 19, 2016 by Zoe Dawes 20 Comments
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...
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Reading time: 11 min
The Laxey Wheel Isle of Man = photo Zoe Dawes
Blog trip, Culture, Holiday, Top Tips

7 quirky things to do on the Isle of Man

April 22, 2013 by Zoe Dawes 31 Comments
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,...
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Reading time: 6 min
Scotland, World Travel Blogger

Top 10 Tips for North Coast 500 Road Trip in Scotland

April 13, 2018 by Guest Author 7 Comments
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...
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Reading time: 5 min
Culture, Festival, History, UK

It only happens every Preston Guild …

September 18, 2012 by Guest Author 5 Comments
Barry McCann explains the history of a northern tradition that dates back centuries and illustrates it with some of photos from this year’s celebrations. Mayor of Preston in Guild Hall Procession There is a saying in Lancashire that goes “Once every Preston Guild” which is probably unfamiliar to anyone outside the county....
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Reading time: 3 min
Europe, Top Tips, World Travel Blogger

Quirky things to do in Lisbon, the must-see capital of Portugal

January 22, 2018 by Zoe Dawes 8 Comments
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...
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Reading time: 3 min
Asia, Blog trip, World Heritage Site

World Heritage ‘Toy Train’: enjoy a unique Indian rail journey to Shimla

March 27, 2018 by Zoe Dawes 5 Comments
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....
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Reading time: 7 min
Top Tips, Writing

Top 10 Tips for Travel Writing Success

February 25, 2018 by Zoe Dawes 13 Comments
“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...
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Hi, I’m Zoë; welcome to my quirky world…

QUIRKY TRAVEL is about seeing the world from a different angle, looking at things from all sides, finding the unusual, the interesting, the fascinating. It’s about quality combined with classiness, it’s about being curious about everything and wanting to know more…

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