Seville. Why have I not visited you before? Throughout my childhood I was mesmerised by the opera, Carmen, which was set in this sultry, sizzling city. Georges Bizet penned it in 1875, a story about...
Booking holidays is stressful
“Do you want to park the car in the long stay, mid stay, short stay or meet and greet?” “Anything but the meet and greet,” Dougie replies, “I don’t like the idea of people...
‘One of the loveliest views in England…’
In 1822 JMW Turner painted this view of the Lune Valley from a spot just behind St Mary the Virgin church in Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria. Art critic and social theorist, John Ruskin, was moved to write,...
How to entertain kids on a car journey
“Are we nearly there yet?” My brother and I would say this within fifteen minutes of a long car journey, forgetting that we had already spent half an hour shuffling around in the back seat before...
Review of a Woodland Retreat at Fell End Holiday Park
After two blissful nights spent in a luxury lodge at the South Lakeland Leisure Village, Dougie and I were sad to be leaving. It felt too soon to be giving up the comfy sofas...
The benefits of short breaks
When was the last time we took a fortnight’s holiday? Summer 2013 in the Austrian Lakes. All our holidays since then have been short breaks, many of them under a week. This summer in particular...
Places to visit in Dumfries and Galloway
Dumfries and Galloway is an area of Scotland that borders England and yet it can often be overlooked by visitors. After just a week travelling around the area, I would recommend turning left at Gretna Green and...
Kelpies and kirkyards in Kirkcudbright
I have always struggled with the pronunciation of Scottish place names. Dougie hoots with laughter when I read names from the map phonetically. Who knew that Milngavie is pronounced ‘mil-guy’ rather than ‘mill-un-gav-ee’? Likewise the...