As the sun beats down on a warm autumn morning in Auckland, I make my way down to the city’s harbour. Queen Street, the…
Velvet Escape travel blog
Shifting capitals
As a kid, I would spend hours studying my geographic encyclopedias. I memorised all the data I could find, like the size of each…
Galapagos: things to consider before you go
A nature lover’s paradise, botanist’s dream and photographer’s haven, the Galapagos Islands off the coast of Ecuador offer a variety of holidays for people…
History and art in Malaga
Málaga lies on the Costa del Sol in Andalusia, a region in southern Spain. Owing to its location, it has a warm climate and…
The spires of the Duomo
Milan is famous as one of the world’s most dynamic fashion and design capitals but there’s one monument whose design will never run out…
Culinary Journey: Cal Sastre in Santa Pau
What: Cal Sastre restaurant – fine-dining at a small medieval village in the Garrotxa region of Catalonia Where: Santa Pau (map) Notes: Santa Pau…
The Dutch winter frenzy
It’s that time of the year again, when the thermometer hanging outside my window shows a lower reading than the display on my freezer….
Tall tales from Alaska – glow slugs
The glow slugs “How was your camping trip”, I asked the two ladies at lunch. We were on a small ship cruise in Alaska…
A self-guided tour of Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey is one of the London landmarks that I always think takes an entire day to itself. I know some people ‘do’ it…
