Whilst Christmas in the UK may half-heartedly begin on December 1, with the opening of the first advent calendar window, in Provence the festive season begins with a lot more zest and ‘official’ enthusiasm, on December 4, when St. Barbe’s Day is celebrated. Also unlike Britain where the decorations are hastily taken down and Christmas
Lycia, an expanse of ancient cities on the southern coast of Turkey, a region occupied with intensely independent people, a scenic isthmus brimming with beauty, history and culture and home of Father Christmas. Whilst the latter statement may shatter the illusion we have held since we were barely out of nappies, of Father Christmas being
Croatia – a land of unique and diverse beauty, with 1,777 kilometres of quirky coastline, 56,524 square kilometres of incomparable natural beauty, one of the world’s most beautiful and best preserved medieval cities, the richest bird reservation in Europe, and more than 1000 islands on the Adriatic Sea, we can safely surmise that Croatia is
If you are lucky enough to be heading off to the beautiful Greek island of Crete this Christmas, you may want to learn about the many festive customs this traditional island adheres to, which irrefutably aids its charm and captivation. Even if you are not spending Christmas in Crete, the island’s interesting history, which bred
Being one of the world’s most exceptional centres for volcanic studies, Lanzarote boasts some of the most breathtaking panoramic volcanic landscapes on the globe. Another positive attribute of Lanzarote’s geographical position other than its celestial vistas, is its year-round warm climate. Like all the Canary Islands, Lanzarote is affected by two weather systems – the
The Algarve and its inhabitants may be right to be proud of a lot of things -Beautiful beaches, an enviable climate including mild winters, culture and tradition interwoven with the right proportion of contemporary glitz. But legendary British singer Sir Cliff Richard being a self-confessed advocator of the region has to be high on list
Holidaymakers have been urged to take extra precaution when driving on foreign roads following a report from the Make Roads Safe Campaign which claimed 25,000 tourists are killed on the road each year. The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) has issued a stark warning to British motorists driving abroad to take greater care whilst
The last three weekends in November, in the particularly pictorial Tuscan town on San Miniato, are dedicated to the celebration of truffles, when ‘La Sagra del Tartufo Bianco’ takes place offering visitors the most divinely exquisite of white truffles and other truffle-derived products. The countryside surrounding San Miniato in the Pisa province of Tuscany is
Despite its modest size, Menorca is home to a host of unique and wonderful all-year round events. During the mid-winter the island celebrates its liberation from the Moors with a particularly colourful and vibrant fiesta, whilst in the height of the summer a “full moon party” is performed in the old sandstone quarry Ses Pedreres
It may sound quite morbid and slightly creepy, going on holiday to visit funerary architecture, but in Lycia, on the southern coast of Turkey, witnessing the tombs of this culturally distinct land full of inscrutable people still gripping to an ancient past, really can be considered as being one a ‘far-out’ travel experience. The most
