A hotel voucher to burn, a new camera to test out, and a quirk of BA’s scheduling combined to send me to Madrid – where I was happy to find that this unfamiliar city was an architectural delight, soaking in winter sunshine.
photoset
Visting Etna and Alcantara from Taormina
Mt Etna in three courses: a gentle stroll around the Silvestri craters; a more demanding hike up from the cable car station; and paddling in the refreshing waters of the Alcantara gorge.
Photoset: Taormina
Having completed our long trip to Sicily, we spent most of our visit in the pretty cliff-top town of Taormina.
Visiting Pompeii from Naples
The frozen-in-time Roman settlement of Pompeii was a bit of challenge to visit without joining a tour group – but it was easily worth the effort! Here’s what we learnt (plus the obligatory photos).
The Bernina Express
Getting from Switzerland to Italy in style – by narrow gauge railway across the Alps.
- New York
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Four Nights in… New York
A work trip for a conference in Times Square gave me the chance at a longer visit to New York, which I split across two hotels and a variety of attractions. I also got to add an iconic BA experience to my list: flying Club World on the upper deck of a 747.
Two Nights in… Oslo
Despairing of the lack of a proper winter in the UK, I took a weekend in Oslo in search of snow.
Three nights in… Brussels
A long weekend in Belgium – based in Brussels, with a side trip to Ghent – plus Eurostar’s standard premier service.
Coast Starlight Day 2 – California
The second day aboard the Coast Starlight – having crossed into California overnight, we still had a long way down to Los Angeles!
Photoset: Vancouver
An attempt to capture some of the endlessly rewarding views to be found in and of Vancouver.
North Vancouver
Checking out some of Vancouver’s ticketed attractions – the Capilano suspension bridge, and Grouse Mountain – plus some additional wanderings.
Photoset: Vancouver Aquarium
My favourite shots from a visit to Vancouver’s aquarium – the ‘Sea Monsters Revealed’ exhibition, and a wide variety of jellyfish!
