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Shinjuku - A Tokyo Suburb in Bloom
Shinjuku, a suburb of Tokyo, is home to both the busiest railway station in the world and one of Japan’s prettiest parks, Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden. I loved the contrast between the two - once I had worked out which exit I needed from the huge station complex. The Southern Terrace is an open…
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Villa Borghese, a Cardinal Experience in Rome
Rome is the densely populated and intensely popular capital city of Italy. But, right in the middle of its extensive urbanisation is the large and extraordinary public park, Villa Borghese. It is thanks to the cardinals and popes of long ago that this area has survived as an oasis of tranquillity…
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Sirmione, a Pretty Peninsula Town on Lake Garda
My first visit to Sirmione was on a lovely sunny, December day. This little town is situated on a promontory in the middle of the southern end of Lake Garda. This promontory is four kilometres long and as narrow as 109 metres in places. Visitors have to park outside the town and walk across a…
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My Favourite Places in Kyoto, Japan
Kyoto has so much to offer it is a must for anyone visiting Japan. It was once the home of the Emperor. It is the site of over two thousand Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines of which seventeen are UNESCO World Heritage sites. Naturally, such a famous town attracts crowds but it is easy to…
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Nagoya and a Museum that Spins a Good Yarn
Initially I was overwhelmed by the ultra-modern Japanese city of Nagoya. Steel structures and impersonal sky scrapers everywhere. The only high-rise block that did not advertise its name in giant letters on the top was our hotel. I kept getting lost ...
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Viterbo - An Italian Medieval Masterpiece
When I arrived in Piazza Martiri d'Ungheria in Viterbo the sun was shining. It illuminated the splendid old buildings marching along the ridge above me. All around me the landscape was spiked with domes and spires. Which way to go? I chose the middle road and headed for Piazza del Plebiscito …
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Tallinn - Bread, Beer and Beautiful Food
I was blown away by the food; fresh, thinly crusted brown bread with slightly salted butter; exquisite gourmet dishes; hand-crafted fruity beers; sparkling sophisticated cider; mouthwatering desserts and pastries ... Where was I? Top London restaurants, Parisian haute cuisine? No, I was in…
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Tallinn - Rotermann and Russians
As I had already explored the old town of Tallinn, Estonia’s capital I was delighted when Katrin, our city guide, offered to show us a different area of Tallinn. The Rotermann Quarter was established by the Rotermann dynasty during the nineteenth century. It flourished during the early twentieth…
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Tallinn - Medieval Nobility and Hanseatic Merchants
During the Middle Ages the Estonian Vikings were a thorn in the side of Denmark, a great military and mercantile power at the time. In 1219 the Danish fleet sailed into the harbour of Tallinn, and claimed possession of the city ...
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Tallinn and a Medley of Museums
Estonians love their museums and Tallinn reflects this passion with some interesting collections, exhibitions and buildings. Raeapteek in the Town Hall Square is the oldest pharmacy in Europe that has continuously carried on its business in the same building. Although a pharmacy in Lübeck is…
