A guest post by Andrea Kirkby. Sometimes you know when you step into a place that it is holy. You feel the weight of the years, the atmosphere charged with silence and veneration; the air seems colder and thinner than in the street outside and there’s a sense of something invisible being there. I never [...]
Velvet moments: travel photo – Gulfoss, Iceland
The Gulfoss waterfall is located in southwestern Iceland in a canyon formed by the Hvítá river and is one of the country’s prime attractions. The waterfall’s diagonal, three-tier drop is a sight to behold. At the last step, the water seemingly disappears into a dramatic crevice – you can only see the river continuing its [...]
Five alternative things to do in Berlin
Berlin, the capital of Germany, is arguably one of the most intriguing cities in the world. The city played a prominent geopolitical role in the first half of the 20th century before being completely destroyed and divided into two. It then staged a remarkable comeback after the fall of the infamous Berlin Wall in 1989 [...]
Mas Perafita: a lovely retreat in the Cap de Creus
The Cap de Creus is a rugged wind-swept peninsula in the far northeastern corner of Catalonia, not far from the border with France. A large part of the peninsula is a designated national park and is famous for its nature trails and secluded coves and inlets. There is also a variety of picturesque fishing villages [...]
Plane views: Toledo, Spain
Toledo is an historic city, located 70km south of Madrid. Declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1986, the city is most famous for its magnificent Cathedral and the Alcazar (a fortress that was built by the Romans in the 3rd century and later renovated and expanded by various Castilian kings). Toledo is [...]
Winter adventures in Lapland
For many of us who live in temperate climes, the dreary, rainy weather that winter brings is sufficient reason to want to pack up for an all-inclusive holiday on the beaches of a sunny, warm land. For those of us who enjoy the perks of a refreshing chill in a snowbound land, there are plenty [...]
A relaxing holiday at Hotel Aigua Blava
The road from the town of Begur to Llafranc winds past some of the most beautiful villas on the Costa Brava. After several miles, a left turn in the direction of Fornells leads visitors to arguably one of the most charming hotels along the coast: Hotel Aigua Blava. Situated on a promontory, this family-run hotel [...]
My Velvet Escape travel tip: North Downs Way, England
“My velvet escape travel tip” is a guest series about what the name ‘Velvet Escape’ evokes and what that would be in the hometown or favourite place of the guest writer. With this series, I hope to uncover travel tips from places around the world to help visitors have a truly local experience. Today’s guest [...]
Things to do on transit at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
The man sitting next to me on the plane looked a bit flustered. We were about to land at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol after an eight hour flight from Vancouver and aside from the polite “hello” when I settled in my seat, we didn’t speak a word to each other throughout the flight. He turned to [...]
High wine at The Dylan Amsterdam
Afternoon tea is a centuries-old English tradition of late-afternoon indulgence: a cup of freshly-brewed tea accompanied by a selection of pastries and bite-sized sandwiches. This quintessential English tradition was introduced in many of the ex-British colonies, including Malaysia, where I grew up, where it became commonly known as high tea. It was something I [...]








