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Recent Articles
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Christchurch - A Dorset Diamond
On arrival in the Dorset town of Christchurch I was intrigued by a sign directing me to the Ducking Stool. I set off down a narrow lane beside Ye Olde George Inn the oldest pub in the town. Originally called the George and Dragon this old coach house was built during the fifteenth century. In…
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Hardship to Holidaymakers on Pico Island in the Azores
In an extraordinary turn around the hardships of the islanders on Pico during the last century have now been turned into tourist attractions. Visitors to the island arrive at Madalena, the main town and port. When I arrived it was blurry through the rain but I could see it was an attractive,…
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Horta, the Charming Capital of Faial Island in the Azores
Anyone sailing into Horta who does not feel a thrill must be either sleeping or throwing up. Colourful yachts bob within the walls of the busiest marina in the Azores. Pastel painted buildings creep up the hill towards majestic churches that dominate the skyline. And arms of imposing cliffs…
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Ponta Delgada, a Portrait in Black and White with Splashes of Colour
Architecture is the most striking aspect of Ponta Delgada on the island of São Miguel in the Azores archipelago. Simple whitewashed buildings striped with black basalt stand out against a backdrop of green vegetation beyond the town. This architecture originated from Portugal of which the islands…
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Three Tiers of Dubrovnik in Croatia
The enchanting town of Dubrovnik in Croatia attracts tourists like bees to a honeypot. As I watched them swarming through the Pile Gate into the old town I decided to start my own tour by walking the city walls. First I had to get inside the old town ...
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Aspiring to the Heights of Trogir in Croatia
Standing outside the Cathedral of Saint Lawrence in Trogir I was disappointed to see that no-one appeared to have climbed up to the top of its fourteenth century bell tower. Did that mean it was not open to the public? When I asked about going up there I was shown a small door and invited to…
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Promenading in Split, Croatia
Split is the second largest city in Croatia. An unusual characteristic, the wide promenade known as Riva stretches along the sea front , is more reminiscent of some elegant French resorts. The original Riva was established two centuries earlier when this area was ruled by the French under…
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Margate and the Highs and Lows of an English Seaside Town
"On Margate Sands. I can connect Nothing with nothing. The broken fingernails of dirty hands. My people humble people who expect Nothing." TS Eliot wrote this while convalescing in Margate ...
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Bardo Museum in Tunis - Palace, Parliament and Poet
It is many years since I last visited the Bardo Museum on the outskirts of Tunis. I was thrilled to be back. Since my last visit the building that houses the museum, a fifteenth century Beylic palace has undergone extensive renovation ...
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Ramsgate - Touched by Royalty and Saved by its Tunnels
The Royal Harbour of Ramsgate in Thanet, Kent is a picturesque jumble of boats, buildings and arches. After enjoying the panorama from the road above I walked down Jacobs Ladder to the water’s edge. Jacobs Ladder was built in … The stairs emerge by the Sailors’ Church which is next to the old…
