Ghent riverside

48 Hours in Ghent, Belgium

Ghent is Belgium's fourth largest city and one of the country's most beautiful.  It's easy to reach from the UK without the need for flying as we took the Eurostar service from London St. Pancras to Brussels. The journey takes only two hours with regular onward connections to Flanders cities on Belgian Railways.  Trams 1 …

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Elbe River, Hamburg

Day 2. A culinary tour of Hamburg

After a good night's sleep in my lovely room at the Scandic Hamburg Emporio I enjoyed breakfast along the corridor in the hotel's 'Living Room' which is for the exclusive use of guests staying on the upper two floors of the hotel. Here I enjoyed a selection of cold cuts of meat, mackerel and smoked salmon …

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Alster Plaza, Hamburg

Day 1. A culinary tour of Hamburg

With three days to explore a world of culinary delights and top sightseeing spots in Hamburg I couldn't wait to get off the plane!  I'd travelled with KLM from Leeds/Bradford connecting via Amsterdam and with direct flights available from both London and Manchester, the city is easy to reach for a short break from all …

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Prague Castle

Day 2. Prague Castle and National Museum

After enjoying a hearty breakfast in the lovely restaurant at Mama Shelter we boarded a tram to Wenceslas Square so that we could visit the National Museum.  This square is the largest in Prague and takes its name from St. Wenceslas, the Czech patron. It's actually more of a rectangle than a square and was formerly known …

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Midnight Sun Yllas, Lapland

Summer in Yllas, Finnish Lapland

I was recently invited to visit two of Finnish Lapland's top summer destinations, both of which are high above the arctic circle.  I've just published an article on Levi and now I am turning my attention to the equally beautiful village of Ylläs located one hour away by car. Getting there: I flew with Finnair …

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Midsummer in Levi, Lapland

Summer in Levi, Finnish Lapland

Lapland is well known as a winter destination and famed for its ski tracks, viewing the Northern Lights and of course for the magical experience of visiting Father Christmas in his snowy cabin.  However, did you know that Levi is an absolutely beautiful place to visit during the summertime when the sun never sets and …

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Car at British Motor Museum

Day 2. Stratford-upon-Avon and the British Motor Museum

After a wonderful night's sleep in our gorgeous room at the Hotel Indigo we popped downstairs to discover what was in store for us at breakfast.  This takes place in the light and airy Feasting Room where we found a huge refectory table laid out with a vast array of cold breakfast options. We helped ourselves …

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Naarden Fortress town, The Netherlands

Day 3. Amsterdam and Naarden Fortress

After enjoying a leisurely breakfast in the Park Plaza Vondelpark's restaurant, we checked out of the hotel leaving our luggage to collect later.  We'd decided on a morning's sightseeing and felt we couldn't visit Amsterdam without taking a canal cruise.  We therefore took a tram to Westermarkt, close to Anne Frank's House on the Prinsengracht canal …

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SS Great Britain

Day 3. Bristol Harbourside – SS Great Britain & M Shed

After spending the previous day exploring Clifton Village, we turned our attention to Bristol's vibrant harbourside with a visit to Bristol's No.1 attraction the SS Great Britain (standard admission £16.50 including unlimited return visits for a year).  Launched by Prince Albert in July 1843, she was at that time the largest passenger ship in the …

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Paddleboarding in Gibraltar

Day 6. Paddle boarding & dolphin watching in Gibraltar

It was such a warm morning that we were pleased to find tables had been laid for breakfast on the sun bathed terrace, which was such a delight during the winter and definitely the nicest possible way to start the day. After feeling recharged with an extra croissant and more coffee we headed to Sandy …

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