Stuff you don't find in guide books
It was a hot and humid day, the type where the clammy air sticks to you and weighs at your temples. I strolled through an alley barely wider than my shoulders, blinked as I entered the Venetian sunlight and turned right. I was looking for the Bridge of Fists, so I headed north-west from the charming apartment I had found on the southern end of Dorsoduro.
Of all the wars Prague was an active participant in, few leave their mark on the city today. One exception is on the church of Charlemagne in Prague’s New Town – the Siege of Prague from 1757.
The National Park in Brussels, right in front of the Royal Palace, is a welcome touch of greenery in the city. But why would the Belgians commemorate the spot in the park where Peter the Great, Tsar of Russia, felt violently sick?
Tourists from the New World chuckle when they read that Prague’s New Town dates back to the 14th century. The New World barely existed in those days. Prague’s Old Town Fortifications have been lost but if you know where to look, you can rediscover the medieval limits of the Old Town of Prague.
Maltese history is a rich tapestry of events, influences and wars. The Maltese are proud of British heritage, but few seem to know where the British flag was first flown over the islands.
Most stately homes and castles in Czechia close for the winter months. I suppose not many people enjoy traipsing around an unheated building when it’s -20Read More
Nothing cheers up a good ghost story than a juicy double entendre. One of London’s most famous 18th century hauntings took place in the marvellously named Cock Lane.
As architectural designs go, insisting on a new castle that resembles a crown is quite original. Wanting this sort of thing to impress the kingRead More
An ossuary is a building where human remains are stored. To be precise, it’s considered to be a final resting place for human remains. InRead More
I had hoped I would have slept a little on the red-eye from San Francisco but I had not. This is why I was groggyRead More