The best things come in three...

Three days, three friends, three pubs & plenty of sightseeing. With only three days to "experience" London, it was a challenge to put together a plan to give Amy & Eddie a feel for the real old London town. We covered the main sights, took the obligatory photos with the London landmarks & ventured a little off the tourist trail.

With the beautiful daffodils in bloom, we enjoyed the Spring weekend with a visit to the Queen at Windsor Castle. While she was a little busy to show us around her house personally, we did enjoy venturing around her humble home.

While we didn't see everything this town has on offer, I was able to give A&E a little taste of my life in London and spend some quality time together. Here are a few of the obligatory photos... it's fun being a tourist again!

Top of a good mornin'

Work has once again taken me abroad… and what a perfect time to be in Dublin! It was one of the busiest weeks in Dublin with two major rugby matches and various St Paddy’s day festivities to enjoy. Below are some photos from one of the many events in remembrance of St Patrick, a leader in the Irish Christian faith who used the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity.

Top: The town painted green, with plenty of leprechorn hats... including one climbing the traffic lights.
Above: Extravagant floats, big bands, colourful costumes & plenty of dancing… the parade through town had it all!

Sunday stroll in Bath

My travel plan for last weekend has been in my diary for several months. This trip required a fair bit of preparation... physically. My trip to Bath was no ordinary weekend when tourists flock to this beautiful city in South-west England to enjoy the architecture and history. Instead, it was a weekend when 11,000 people ran 13.1 miles (21kms) to raise money for various charities.

We were treated to beautiful weather with bright blue skies and a crisp cold Sunday morning where the temperature hovered just over the zero degree mark. The looped track took us through the centre of Bath and out into the countryside. I have to admit that it was actually an enjoyable run (... it's amazing how quickly one can forget the pain factor). All in all, I was quite happy with the race. I not only reach the end but I managed to shave off 4 minutes from my personal best. My next target is to break the two hour mark... :)

Before my Sunday stroll I acclimatised myself on Saturday afternoon whilst exploring a little more of Bath itself. In addition to seeing the Bath Abbey and the River Avon (photos above), I spent the Saturday afternoon in one of Jane Austin's houses. Ahhh... Mr Darcy once again!

Under the Tuscan sun

Over the past week I had the pleasure of joining friends in Italy for part of their family holiday. My journey started in Florence, one of the most beautiful cities in the world. With a spare day before meeting the others, I ventured into the wider Tuscany region for a Chianti Classico wine tour. It was both an educational & enjoyable day out in the countryside, as we tasted the local produce & learned about the production of the special Sangiovese grapes. Florence is an easy town to navigate on foot. With cobbled stone streets, fascinating architectural facades and gelato shops on every corner, it's hard to take the smile off the face as you wander around.

Photos: Tuscan countryside (top right); and the view of Florence from Piazzale Michelangelo with the Cathedral standing in prominence and the Ponte Vecchio, the only Florence bridge to survive the German bombing in WWII (bottom left).


From Florence, we caught the train to Rome. Last summer I threw a coin in the Trevvi Fountain which carries the legend that you will return to Rome... and it came true! It was great to explore Rome once again, this time with slightly cooler weather but just as many tourists. I enjoyed exploring the Sistine Chapel and Vatican museum (photo below right is within the Vatican City courtyard), wandering around the narrow streets (photo below left) and walking through the Roman Forum. The highlight of the week was the stunning coastline known as the Cinque Terre. We had two nights in a brilliant B&B which boasted uninterrupted views of the gorgeous coastline. The five villages along this particular stretch of the coast are connected by a walking track which hugs the coastline. Even though a large section of the coastal track was closed due to the threat of avalanche, we still managed to visit the quaint towns by the local train service instead.
I ended the week the week with a quick stop in the town of Pisa. Even in the off-season, there were plenty of tourists taking that all important obligatory photo of the leaning Tower of Pisa. Photo: The Cinque Terre coastline; and the Tower of Pisa.

Beat the winter blues...

Over the past month we have had cool weather, patchy dumps of snow and plenty of ice in London. I took my chances last weekend for some winter solace despite the potential of flight cancellations and airport closures. I headed to Faro on the southern tip of Portugal. Faro is the gateway of the Algarve coast, a beautiful section of coast with fantastic beaches that are primarily enjoyed by the Brits and Northern Europeans.

On a glorious cool, yet sunny Saturday, I jumped onto a boat trip through the Rio Formosa, a natural reserve that stretches along the coastline along the tip of Portugal. The highlight was spending the afternoon on Ilha Deserta, a huge uninhabitated sandy island. This island is the southernmost point of Continental Portugal and is great for shell picking. I basked in the sun for a little while as well... ahhh warmth!

I finished off the weekend break by investigating the old town. The pics below include a typical Portugese old town street, Faro Cathedral and a tempting Valencia orange tree.