Travel Archives

The rear of the Chartwell Property from the garden|Dolls for Christmas in Lady Churchill's Sitting Room|An array of Churchill's walking sticks in the Hall|The Secretaries' Office, the hub of the whole place|The beautifully decorated Drawing Room|The windows from the elegant Dining Room had a superb view of the gardens|The kitchen boasted a very large Aga Cooker|Churchill's Artist's Studio contains many of his paintings|Churchill liked to sit overlooking the Orfe Pond|The Swimming Pool was just one of the ponds and lakes he constructed at Chartwell

Chartwell – Winston Churchill’s Family Home

“A day away from Chartwell is a day wasted” – Winston Churchill On a miserable cloudy, wet late November day, we joined the queue of people outside the front door

January 6, 2024by Nigel Wright

Algarve travel trends to observe in 2024

As we step into 2024, the travel industry will continue to be shaped by evolving technologies, changing customer preferences and so much more. The coming year promises to be a

January 5, 2024by SandyBlue Team

The Greek temple of Concordia in Agrigento, one of the largest and best-preserved Doric temples in the world. It was built ca. 440-430 BC.|The Benedictine cloisters of the Duomo in Monreale, just west of Palermo. It was built in the 12th century in the Norman-Arabic style and is a UNESCO World Heritage site.|Palermo Duomo, erected in 1185 but rebuilt many times since, resulting in a melange of architectural styles.|The relatively unassuming tomb of Frederick II Stupor Mundi (1194-1250) in Palermo Cathedral. He became King of Sicily at the age of four and Holy Roman Emperor in 1220|The statue of Guiseppe Garibaldi (1807-1882) in Giardino Garibaldi in the Piazza Marina in Palermo.|This Ficus Benjamina is over 150 years old and is located in Gardini Garibaldi|Mt Etna, towering 3,400 meters over northeastern Sicily, is an active volcano – its last eruption in August 2023 closed Catania airport for a day. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site|The stage of the Greek theatre in Taormina, dating from the 3rd century BC. There are wonderful views looking out over the east coast. Today, the theatre is used as a venue for the annual arts festival ‘Taormina Arte’|The Greek Theatre in Siracusa is located in an archaeological park. It was first built in the 5th century BC and rebuilt in the 3rd century BC. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site of Siracusa|This stairway in Erice, in northwestern Sicily, is typical of the narrow and steep passages found in many of the small Sicilian towns|Gangi, a small village which stands on Mount Marone in Palermo province and is overlooked by Ventimiglia castle, was nominated the most beautiful village in Italy|The staircase of Santa Maria del Monte in Caltagirone. It was built in 1606, is over 130 m long and is entirely decorated with polychrome ceramic tiles. Caltagirone has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2002|Vincenzo Bellini, a bel canto opera composer, was born in Catania in 1801 and died very young in France in 1835. Catania claims him as a favourite son|A wine tasting at Barone di Villagrande in Milo. Alfonso Caltagirone is having Vibeke and Poul Snorgaard and David and Linda Grindley taste the winery’s Carricante white

Impressions of Sicily

When you think of Sicily, what do you think? Great place to vacation? Historically important? Impressive architecture? Good food and wine? Home of the Mafia? Yes, it is all of

November 2, 2023by Larry Hampton

The Roman Temple of Diana|1. Évora's famous bone chapel|The Baroque front to the Igreja da Nossa Senhora da Graça|An uncomfortable-looking Giant|The remains of the Dom Manuel Palace|The splendid façade of the Igreja de Santo Antão|The Água de Prata Aqueduct|The front of the fortess-like Cathedral|The peaceful ambience of the Cathedral Cloister|The elegant main building of the university

Évora – the Alentejo’s beautiful capital city

The Igreja de São Francisco was full. It was a big wedding. We were allowed to sneak in at the back to watch and listen. And listen we did! To

October 5, 2023by Nigel Wright

Looking across the Plaza San Pablo, past the Convento de San Pablo, with the Plaza de las Veletas and the Museo Provincial in the background|One of the many narrow alleys in old Cáceres, a perfect reason why there are no cars in most of the town|The Plaza de San Jorge with the Palacio de los Golfines de Abajo, which dates from the late 15th century and has always been in the hands of the Golfin family|Looking across the Plaza de San Jorge at the baroque 18th century Iglesia de San Francisco Javier (there is a great view from the towers)|The Plaza de los Golfines, with the Palacio de los Golfines de Abajo on the left and the baroque façade of the Edificio del Ministerio de Fomento (Ministry of Public Works) on the right.|A statue of San Pedro de Alcántara, standing in a niche at the corner of the cathedral. Rub his toes and you will have good luck!|The portals of the cathedral are Gothic, and in the Evangelio Portal, there is a corbelled pillar holding a rather sweet statue of the Virgin and Jesus.|The Plaza de Santa Maria and the Catedral de Santa Maria, the most important church in Cáceres, built at the end of the 15th century. There’s another great view from the tower.|The 15th century gothic and renaissance Casa del Sol built for the Solis family, whose coat of arms, featuring a great sun with a human face crowned with a helmet, appears above the front door.|The gothic 16th century Iglesia de San Mateo was made a Monumento Histórico Artístico in 1982. It is a sort of Panthéon of Cáceres in which the noble families of the town (Ovando, Golfines, Paredes, Saavedra) are buried.|The Convento de San Pablo, founded in the 15th century, in the Plaza de San Mateo.|The Palacio de las Cigüeñas (storks) was built in the 15th century by Don Diego Ovando on the highest point in the town. The tower is the only one left standing by Queen Isabella in 1477 – it has great views. Inside the Palacio is a military museum.|Helga is standing on our balcony in the Parador of Cáceres, looking forward to a cold glass of blanco from La Mancha and a lovely dinner.|The portal of the Iglesia de San Mateo, with Saints Peter and Paul in the lateral medallions and Saint Matthew above.

Go back in time 500 years in a weekend

Driving down from England a few days ago, Helga and I had the occasion to stop in Cáceres. This Spanish city of about 100K population, in the heart of the

September 29, 2023by Larry Hampton

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Vacationing in an Algarve Vineyard Resort

There are so many fun things to do in the Algarve region of Portugal, it’s hard to know where to start. You can spend a day or two relaxing at

September 1, 2023by Portugal ResidentIn Algarve News, Property, Quinta dos Vales, Travel

Camping – Salema Eco Camp|Camping – Salema Eco Camp|Camping – Salema Eco Camp|Camping – Salema Eco Camp|Camping – Salema Eco Camp

Salema Eco Camp – Relaxation and sustainability

Salema Eco Camp delivers one of the most diverse and eco-friendly camping experiences in the region Nine years ago, when three caravanners – Joaquim Lourenço, his wife Filipa, and their

August 30, 2023by Portugal Resident

The picturesque island coastline|International Slave Route Monument|View from the top of Le Morne Brabant Mountain|Le Morne Brabant Mountain top

Mauritius: where history, nature and tragedy converge at Le Morne Brabant mountain

In the heart of the Indian Ocean lies an island that has witnessed the ebb and flow of time. Mauritius, a name that evokes images of pristine beaches and crystal

August 29, 2023by Jay Costa Owen

Lake Lucerne|Aletschorn Mountain|Aletsch Glacier. Europe's longest|Stockalper Palace arcades|Main square at Brig||The Needle Bridge regulates Lake Lucerne's level|The wooden Spreuer Bridge dates from 1408|The Musegg Wall Clock Tower|View of Lucerne city and lake from Musegg Wall

Travelling by train in Switzerland – Part 2

The second part of our Swiss Railway holiday began in the comfortable town of Brig, where we were staying for a few days. Brig has been an important road junction

August 25, 2023by Nigel Wright

Beautiful upper lake ar Arosa|Church of St. Martin in Chur|Old Town entrance has an unusual stilt-walking statue|Cable car view of Chur|Glacier Express on Oberalp Pass|Alpine garden at 3,100m|Busy shopping street in Zermatt|Mountain view from Glacier Express|Lower swimming lake at Arosa|Matterhorn but cloud-covered summit

Travelling by train in Switzerland – Part 1

The Swiss Express train drew up at the platform in the lovely old city of Chur exactly on time. This punctuality was something we would get used to over the

August 18, 2023by Nigel Wright