A Visit to Terelj, Mongolia

Mongolia. Before going I had visions of well, steppe steppe and more steppe. Basically a flat, featureless country that was wild and yet exciting and fascinating at the same time. But that’s not the total sum of Mongolia – of course it was never going to be. From deserts to villages, the amazing Ulaan Baatar …

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Sunday Spotlight – Arequipa (Peru)

You might say that Arequipa is the perfect subject for ‘Sunday Spotlight’. It’s a pretty little town, not a big city, and it’s not the most well-known destination in South America, but it’s a rewarding place to stop. I thought it was a very worthwhile stop in Peru, much more pleasant than Lima, and although …

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City Rumble – Paris versus Prague

Hello, time for another RUMBLE! And this week it’s two of Europe’s heavy weights – Paris, and a city that these days seems to get compared to Paris quite a bit, the capital of the Czech Republic – Prague. Both are set on big rivers – Prague on the Vlata and of course, Paris is …

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Sunday Spotlight – Irkutsk

Today’s Sunday Spotlight is shone at the adorable city of Irkutsk, in Siberia, Russia, not too far from the beautiful Lake Baikal – the world’s biggest inland lake. On the train heading to Irkutsk from Ulaan Baatar I was chatting with several people, including one guy who reckoned that Irkutsk was one of the least …

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Cologne’s Amazing Cathedral

Europe is not short on cathedrals and churches, it must be said. From the grandiose, gargantuan cathedrals such as St Peter’s in Rome to the tiniest little countryside church, spanning centuries of building, there are so many to visit when you go to Europe it’s no wonder we all get sick of ‘oh, another church’ …

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Estonia’s Island of Saaremaa

It was TEN whole years ago now that I visited the Baltics. And I realise, like Slovenia, I have written precious little about them on this version of the blog. What can I tell you? I really liked all three countries. They were cold. Especially Estonia. But it was October and Estonia is the northern …

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London’s National Portrait Gallery

One place I went this year in London that I really enjoyed was the National Portrait Gallery. I highly recommend it to anyone visiting London with an eye on history and especially British Royalty. For starters – it, like many museums and galleries in London, is FREE. Plenty of people there to check it out, …

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