Here we are on our way back down the Norwegian coastline. And sitting in our cabin nursing a Hurtigruten cold, I thought I would amuse you with some of our Norwegian cruising highlights. What have we loved? Well, we both adore Norway, and the Norwegian people are a friendly welcoming bunch. Whilst I have relished

Booking an 11 day cruise up the Norwegian coast in January seemed like a great adventure. But to be honest, neither of us were quite sure how it was going to work out. We just couldn’t imagine what our first cruise together was going to be like. We have spent the last 6 days going

As we come to the end of our three and a bit months housesitting in the UK, we thought it would be fun to just have a look back at some of the great things that we have done. We had 7 housesits. We looked after 17 sheep, 15 cows, 12 dogs, 10 chooks, 3

  Snipping away at a pile of assorted greenery. Arranging my pieces to my own design in a pre-made moss wreath, and chatting as I go. I am utterly in seventh heaven. Oh, yes and throw in a festive mince pie and the bliss is complete. I am attending a Christmas Wreath making workshop, run

We were asked a question this morning; about where we would recommend visiting for a month in Asia. Specifically Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia. I got so jolly carried away with my answer, surprise, surprise! James suggested I turn it into a post. So here are our top places for a month in Asia. Thailand Bangkok

This is a story of religious intolerance. It is from a time when religious beliefs were seen as absolute truths and those beliefs affected every part of your life. This is the story of Lyveden New Bield. Sir Thomas Tresham was a Roman Catholic at a time in English history when that was considered almost

You never know quite what you are going to learn when when you visit a National Trust property. Today was all about Ludites, suffragists, suffragettes, ladybirds and a bear. We were visiting Knightshayes  and Killerton in Devon. So stunning walled gardens, very impressive houses, woodland walks and a very tasty National Trust lunch were also

As we travelled from Vienna to Kotor, there are a few lessons that we learned along the way. If you are planning a trip around the region, here are our top ten tips for Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro. Crossing borders You are inevitably going to cross borders from time to time. We travelled in

Alaska is truly the last frontier. It lived up to every dream we held for it and then some. As always when we travel we like to share a few tips with you that we learnt along the way! My Tips You will need to get yourself an ESTA, an American Visa. You can apply

After nearly 14 years of running our multi award winning B&B we have decided it is time for a change. For a new adventure. And that adventure involves unpicking our lives, selling our home and business, and travelling. Travelling like we have never travelled before. Approaching mid 50s in my case and tumbling down the

The first rays of sunlight illuminate the scene, and the ruins reveal themselves through the mist.  The thick dark green vegetation that surrounds the site, acts as a natural frame to a tableau, which could not be more perfect. From my rocky perch on Huayna Picchu I look down on one of the most celebrated vistas in the world, the

In a flash of red the King Parrot ousts the Crimson Rosella from prime position on top of my head. The Rosella undeterred by the new status quo repositions himself on my shoulder, then proceeds to edge down my arm. How cute, I think, until I realise he has his beady bird eye on my

There is no question about it, Machu Picchu is the glittering gem in the coronet that is Peru’s Sacred Valley. The Peruvians know it and guard it fiercely and have built a very slick tourism operation around it. And as a tourist I can only say it lives up to every expectation I held and

When I was a child my parents bought me a toy panda bear one Christmas, and so unwittingly started my love affair with pandas. It was then a no-brainer for me when James announced he wanted to go to China, the first words out of my mouth were “I want to see Pandas”, shallow soul

You hear them before you see them. A low rumble which turns to a growing roar as you make your way along the metal walkway. Then all at once you are upon them. Great plumes of spray shooting high into the air, water-drops acting like prisms creating mini rainbows in the afternoon light. You are

He is tall, there is no doubt about it. 71 metres to be precise, he stares out imperiously over the junction of the Minjiang, Dadu and Qingyi rivers that he was built to calm, and interesting enough he has achieved just that. Not by his withering stare mind you, but by the fact that the