Marseille is France’s second largest city and is located on the Mediterranean coast. Blessed with a mild climate and a stunning natural harbour, Marseille has played an important role in the trading routes in the Mediterranean since Roman times. However, the city entered a period of decline in the mid-20th century. In 2013, Marseille has [...]

Discovering the magic of South Africa in Parys
It was our third day in South Africa and we were on our way from Pilanesberg National Park to Parys, a small town southwest of Johannesberg. Parys is Afrikaans for Paris. “I bet it even has its own Eiffel Tower”, I joked. To my surprise, Kate, our South Africa Tourism host, turned around and said, “yes, [...]

A view of London through its maps
The Beefeater, Big Ben and the dome of St Paul’s are all icons of London recognised by everyone. But there’s another icon of the city that every Londoner knows, though perhaps they don’t think of it that way – the Underground map. Look at one of the early tube maps and what you’ll see is [...]

The wines of Nova Scotia
“Wines of Nova Scotia?!?!… There’s a wine industry in Nova Scotia?” Those were my exact words when I was told about Nova Scotia’s numerous wineries. I was very surprised. However, as I explored the province, there were many factors that made the idea of a wine industry in Nova Scotia less surprising. One factor blew [...]

A bookstore tour of England
A trip to a good bookstore is about more than just picking up a new novel: you’ll understand if you’ve ever stepped foot in one. These are the places where the shelves are packed from floor to ceiling with interesting titles, the booksellers themselves are knowledgeable, friendly and likely to know better than you what [...]

The fortress town of Civitella del Tronto
Civitella del Tronto is a historic fortress town in the northeastern corner of Abruzzo, the Italian region that stretches from the slopes of the Appenine mountains (east of Rome) to the Adriatic Sea. The last fortress The 500 meter long fortress, the second largest of its kind in Europe after the fortress in Salzburg, is [...]

Exploring Bo Kaap in Cape Town
The Bo Kaap neighbourhood in Cape Town is a historic enclave that graces the slopes of Signal Hill. The first thing anyone will notice about this neighbourhood are the gorgeous, brightly-coloured houses lining steep cobbled streets. The second thing: the faint scent of spices such as cardamom and cloves in the air. Bo Kaap is [...]

Walking the city walls of Girona
Girona is a small medieval city about a 1.5-hour drive north of Barcelona. Located halfway between the majestic peaks of the Pyrenees and the rugged Costa Brava coast, the town sits on the confluence of four rivers and has a rich history that goes back to the Roman ages. Girona is quite often overlooked by [...]

Velvet Moments: travel photo – the tree
Strolling through the Dalí Theatre Museum in Figueres, I couldn’t help but stop and stare at this tree in the courtyard. Its naked and forlorn appearance tugged at my heartstrings. It could’ve been my (rather melancholic) mood that day but I stood in awe of the emotions this tree evoked. Read the accompanying post: “Being [...]

What’s your travel style?
When I left my career in corporate and investment banking in 2008, my primary goal was to spend some time on ‘me’. I was tired and I felt somewhat out of touch with myself. I decided to embark on a five-month (predominantly) solo round-the-world trip. In a sense, I used that trip to grow; I [...]








