Travel with me around Europe and beyond!
The capital of empires… The city that dominated continents… The cradle of civilisation… The meeting point of cultures and civilisations… These are some of the thousands of phrases that describe Istanbul. Yet neither words nor any amount of reading or listening are sufficient to truly describe and become familiar with the city.
Nestled around the Baltic Sea, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia make up Europe’s stunning Baltic region. They’re some of the most beautiful countries in the world and are growing in popularity as tourist destinations each year, drawing more and more people to this northeastern corner of Europe than ever before.
My own introduction to solo travelling was when I was still 19 years old. I was fascinated by the weather (and still am) and wanted to attend a week-long Understanding Weather course in the UK. This was in 1989, years before the advent of internet and mobile phones so all planning was done through good old-fashioned letters and perhaps the odd phone call or two!
Tucked in the northeast corner of Europe, Tallinn is a true hidden gem. Whether you visit in the summer high season or in the wintry cold, like I did, there are countless cool things to do in Estonia’s capital city. For me, two days was the perfect amount of time to get a good feel of Tallinn, but then I move fast. If you want to see the city at a slower pace, then I recommend at least three days.
Some people believe street art is vandalism. Others think it adds to a city’s unique character. In any case, street art was something I basically ignored in the past but today, thanks to my cousin’s input, I’ve begun to love street art!
I had always wanted to visit Portugal and decided the north was one of the more beautiful areas to visit. I did not want to stay in Porto, though, since cities are not really my thing and I also wanted to visit the surrounding area and widen my horizons.
My aim was to visit San Marino, one of the smallest countries in the world, but since I was staying for the weekend at a nearby town, I also found the time to visit Bologna and the two fascinating medieval villages of San Leo and Dozza, both within easy driving distance from San Marino.
The land of the rich and famous, my 38th country, left me in awe at both the beauty and grandeur of the place. You don’t need a car to visit Monaco – just walk and plan a big half day, as I did.
The French Riviera is not just about life in the fast lane. It has so much more to offer if you step outside your comfort zone!
The aim of my 3-day trip to the southeast of France was always going to be Monaco. However, since I had to drive right past Nice, I could not refuse the tantalising ‘invitation’ to make a quick stopover here.
