Category: Travel Destinations
-
Annecy in Winter: A Local’s Guide to the Lake, Christmas Market and Savoyard Food
Most people discover Annecy in summer, when the lake sparkles and the crowds fill the old town. But winter might just be my favourite season here. The lake wrapped in morning mist, the old town lit up and quiet, snow-capped mountains on the horizon, and the smell of melting raclette…
-
Feminist London: Discover Westminster’s Women, from Suffragettes to Prime Ministers
Westminster is one of the world’s great centres of political power, and for most of its history, women were almost entirely absent from it. Walk through Parliament Square today and among the bronze statues of Churchill, Lincoln, Gandhi and Mandela, you will find exactly one woman. Yet the story of…
-
Carcassonne Treasure Hunt: Exploring the Medieval City on Foot
There are two ways to see Carcassonne. You can follow the crowds along the ramparts, take your photos, and leave. Or you can turn the city into a game: hunting for clues in the streets, decoding riddles hidden in the stone, and discovering Carcassonne by solving its mysteries. That is…
-
How to Get to Carcassonne: Train, Plane, Car and Bus
Carcassonne is easier to reach than its medieval, middle-of-nowhere appearance suggests. It has its own airport, sits on a main train line, and is a straightforward drive from several major cities. But the best way in depends entirely on where you’re coming from, and a couple of the options people…
-
Things to Do in Annecy: Lake, Old Town and Local Secrets
Annecy is my hometown. It is one of those places that looks almost too perfect in photos: turquoise lake, snow-topped mountains, flower-lined canals winding through a medieval old town. And here’s the good news. It’s just as good in person. But most visitors do the same three things and leave,…
-
What to See in Carcassonne in a Day: A Local’s Hour-by-Hour Plan
One day in Carcassonne works, as long as you accept the trade-off: you’ll see the city itself well, but not the lake, the vineyards or the villages around it. Most visitors make a different mistake, spending the whole day inside the Cité and leaving at four, never discovering that the…
-
Things to Do in Carcassonne: A Local’s Guide Beyond the Walls
Most people come to Carcassonne for one thing: the Cité, that impossibly perfect medieval fortress you’ve seen in photographs. And they’re right to. But here’s what I’ve learned living here — visitors who only see the walls miss most of what makes this place worth staying for. The lake, the…
-
Falling in love with London – again and again
It’s mid-October, and London is having one of those strange, warm days that still carries a trace of fog. The kind where the sun keeps trying to break through but takes its time. This morning I went for a run on Hampstead Heath. I hadn’t been in years, and I…
-
When Plans Fall Through, the City Steps In
London has a reputation for being an expensive city, but I keep finding ways to enjoy it for little or nothing. The trick, I think, is to stay curious—and to accept that things won’t always go to plan. Take the other day. I’d queued at the English National Opera for…
-
Why Annecy is More Than Just a Pretty Lake
Annecy is often known as the Pearl of the French Alps, and while its stunning lake is the main draw for many visitors, there’s so much more to this incredible city. Nestled between crystal-clear waters and breathtaking mountains, Annecy is a destination that offers history, adventure, gastronomy, and local charm—making…