Here’s the second installment of my first visit to Prague; I’m hoping there will be more visits as I loved it so much. So if you’re at all keen to visit the city of  Mucha, Pilsner, classic cafes and a million golden buchty, you might pick up a few travel ideas. (FYI I can’t recommend Richard Fidler’s wonderful book called The Golden Maze enough if, like me, you’re curious about the history…

Prague is a place I’d wanted to visit for the longest time, but knowing it’s so touristy always put me off. Ever the chirpy optimist (not really!), I took a punt that there would still be real magic in the quieter streets, lesser-known sights, and local’s favourite spots, despite the 7.5 million (or so) annual visitors. I’ve written a day-by-day rundown of how I tried to dodge the crowds…

Budapest is a city of many layers. And not just the kind you spot in its Baroque, Neo-Gothic, and Art Nouveau facades (although, wow), but the kind that blend a palpable sense of history with a busy, modern charm. Yellow trams rattle down streets and traffic zips by at a fearsome pace (this is no place to jaywalk) – except on famous, pedestrianised Váci Utca in the heart of touristy downtown, that is…

If you’ve been keeping up you’ll note we recently delved into Seville, giving just a few reasons to love this luscious Andalusian city. Dripping with history, oozing charm and marinated in up-beat, tapas-fuelled vibes, it’s the kind of place that gets right under your skin, with a single visit barely scratching its alluring surface. Never mind the day trips! Here are a few more reasons to dream of visiting lovely old Seville…

Barcelona gets all the buzz, but most Spain cliches actually belong to Andalusia, the country’s second largest comunidad autónoma (region). Bordering the expansive southern coast, the capital is Seville and it’s a seductive place, famous for flamboyant holy week processions, a gob smacking cathedral…

What do Spaniards love more than a tomato? Not much. Per www.statista.com, in 2021 tomatoes were Spain’s most eaten vegetable (OK, so technically they’re a fruit, but go with this). Spanish-grown tomatoes make up 35 percent of European tomato consumption, making them a vital export crop too…

With Christmas rolling around, you can bet your bottom dollar that every Spaniard is fixated on the exact same thing - ham. Actually, when don’t they think about it? Jamón (ham) is nothing short of a national obsession and once you’ve tasted Spanish ham, no other will do. Sorry, prosciutto…

If you’ve ever been to Venice, you’ll understand how it gets under your skin. Sure, the crowds and tourist traps are annoying but if anyone has an overall ‘meh’ response to Venezia, I’d challenge them to locate their pulse. Srsly. You need to be fully dead to not appreciate this gorgeous place. And if you read Part One, you’ll have seen the…

Venice. You know you want to. Or do you really? The over-tourism. The queues. The heat. The mozzies. The expense. It’s all a bit off-putting. I found myself in Venice in June for the very first time and as a fan of shoulder and off seasons, it wouldn’t have been my pick of months to go. Tacking it onto the end of a work trip, it was what it was. And what it ended up being was actually pretty darned amazing…