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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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Whale Watching and Volcanology on Faial, an Island in the Azores
My tour of Faial Island is the closest to nature I have been for a long time. But it started with a technical hitch as our flight to the island was delayed. We were due to go out on a whale watching trip and arrived more than hour after we should have left the port. We raced there from the…
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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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Hiding Away in Sherwood Forest - A Uniquely English Experience
I am always on the look-out for new experiences – I have zip-wired in Guatemala, ridden an ostrich in South Africa and been white-water rafting through a gorge in Bali. But none of these experiences have given me such lasting pleasure as a recent stay at the Sherwood Hideaway … Check out some…
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Views, Villages and Vegetation on São Miguel an Island in the Azores
It was not a good start to my second day touring the island of São Miguel in the Azores. A stubborn mist hung above the mountain road that took us to the northern tip of the island. Our guide, Carlos, had joked that in one day the island could experience four seasons. What he did not tell us…
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A Day Out on the Island of São Miguel in the Azores
Before embarking on my trip to the Azores I knew very little about the islands in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. The name alone makes them sound exotic and exciting. I was not disappointed. The islands, exposed mountain peaks, bubble and hiss with underground volcanic activity. They are…
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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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One Medicine
Adam is everything I thought he would be. Big and strong but nice to cuddle up to. Adam and I have one thing in common, total replacements of both knees. Adam is an Alaskan Malamute, a sled pulling dog. He is a patient of Professor Noel Fitzpatrick, television’s Supervet. Now, fully recovered…
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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…
