Kaliningrad – Russia’s exclave
The 2018 World Cup in Russia will require new stadia, and one of them is in Kaliningrad. The 35,000-capacity stadium is still under construction and we saw everywhere signs (in
UNESCO National Memory of the World: The Baltic Way
This summer, Peter and I took a long trip around the Baltic, visiting nine countries. We started in Finland and finished in Sweden, having circled around the south of the
Mad, bad and dangerous – Lord Byron visits Elvas
Childe Harold is the subject of one of Byron’s most famous poems. His pilgrimage of self-discovery commenced when he first saw a distant view of Lisbon from the River Tagus.
Lord Byron visits Mafra || Part 4
Leaving from Sintra, Lord Byron must have experienced a great sense of anticipation on his way to Mafra. The complex of Baroque buildings was intended to be the envy of
Algarve History Association partners with Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation
We first met the then four members of the Lacerda Quartet (Alexander Stewart, Regina Aires, Alexandre Delgado and Luís André Ferreira) at the home of Dutch sculptor Lukas van Blaaderen.
Lord Byron in Portugal of monks, men and the military || Part 3
It was with a degree of urgency that the young Lord, aged 22, left England for Lisbon in July 1809. He was a relatively unknown poet and recent graduate from
Mad, bad and dangerous – Lord Byron in Sintra || Part 2
It was a sultry July evening in Lisbon when outside the theatre Lord Byron was castigated by an irate husband. The man was not the first and would not be
Portugal’s 90-year affair with Japan
My recent trip to Japan has left me with saudades for Japanese courtesy, order and cleanliness. In the wake of those inveterate Portuguese explorers, my fascination with Japan is in
Mad, bad and dangerous
In 1812, Lord Byron was suddenly acknowledged as a literary genius. “I awoke one morning and found myself famous,” he explained. This was due, at least in part, to his
The British in the Algarve
The Algarve was always remote, even after the railway had been built. Not until Faro airport was opened in 1965 has this region enjoyed wide popularity. The traditional and historic