Tag Archives: travel blog

Far North Foodie Adventure in the Faroe Islands (Great British Chefs)

Chris takes us on a journey through the very scenic and serene Faroe Islands, a tiny island nation that’s also one of most fascinating places for food he has been to! Continue reading

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2014 Folkestone Triennial: A Gold Rush of Great Art by the Sea

The 2014 Folkestone Triennial is on for a third edition, this year with a “Lookout” theme to its many ambitious arts set within the quaint town and on its scenic stretch of coastline along the English Channel. I thoroughly enjoyed my artsy meander round Folkestone and reckon it offers an ideal day out for Londoners (or anybody) seeking a day out with intriguing sights and a fresh sea breeze. Continue reading

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Blogger Interview: Mostly About Chocolate (OneTravel)

Mostly About Chocolate is a blog that is (yep you guessed it) mostly about one of the world’s most favorite treats. The long running blog is a project of devoted passion for Judith Lewis. If you’re planning any trips (just about anywhere) and would like to include a few chocolate escapades, her blog is an excellent resource to keep in mind. And if you’re a chocolate lover coming soon to London, Judith has some especially delicious news for you! Continue reading

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New Distillery Tours in Louisiana (OneTravel)

Thirsty for a taste of something local in Louisiana? Two new distilleries in south Louisiana have recently started to offer tours of their facilities along with onsite tastings of their products made with Louisiana ingredients, and a third distillery is … Continue reading

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Faroes and Away: My New Happy Place

Sometime between my trip to the Faroe Islands and writing up this series about the experience, I paid a visit to the dentist for a routine check up and cleaning. To say I’m not a fan of going to the dentist would be putting it mildly. Usually during a check up, I’ve got my eyes clinched tight and my hands clutching the arms of the chair with my lower legs and feet squirming around. In my mind, I’m concentrating as hard as I can on pleasant thoughts and such. This last time in the dentist’s chair, my mind went straight back to the Faroes. It’s my new ‘happy place’ I reckon and as scenic a mind’s eye destination as I could ever image. I was, for perhaps the first time during dental appointment, completely unfazed and all but unaware of the activity going on in my mouth. Continue reading

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The 4 Apps I Use Most for Getting around London (OneTravel)

When visiting a new city, do you ever wonder what apps the locals use to get around? Here’s a look at four apps that I use most often when moving around London. All are available to download for free. Read … Continue reading

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Faroes and Away: Shhh …

It may seem mundane and not terribly exciting, but one of the main reasons I loved my time in the Faroes was the peace and quiet found there. Folks say that silence is golden. But during one particularly placid morning at my hotel, it was mostly deep green and soft brown with tiny dots of wild flower yellow and a soothing blue ocean view. Continue reading

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Faroes and Away: The Ultimate Burger?

To be honest I didn’t intend to write about it – and in all sincerity (and a bit of naiveté?) I really didn’t think the topic actually would come up – but I was wrong. The issue of the long standing Faroese tradition of hunting pilot whales was something a number of Faroe Islanders wanted to discuss with me. Now back home and thinking about my time there, any account of my trip without mention of this part of Faroes Islands life would be remiss. Continue reading

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Faroes and Away: A Bad Day Fishing …

My first full day in the Faroe Islands had me tagging along with local television personality and ace cook, Gutti Winther, on a fishing trip at what seemed to be the very edge of the world. The salmon weren’t biting, but the setting was breathtaking – and the clean sea air, majestic scenery, and Gutti’s ‘plan b’ lunch more than made up for any lack of catch. As the saying goes, “a bad day fishing is better than a good day at work,” and my scenic Faroese fishin’ expedition certainly proved that point. Continue reading

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Faroes and Away: Koks Restaurant and Its New Nordic Kitchen

One especially delicious ‘just go’ reason to visit the Faroe Islands is the opportunity to dine at Koks restaurant. Located at Hotel Foroyar with sweeping views over the town of Torshavn and across the bay to the island of Nolsoy, the restaurant features haute cuisine dishes “designed to delight guests with the essence of Faroese culinary heritage” using ingredients almost exclusively sourced locally. For English speakers, the restaurant’s name might sound a bit unappetising, but don’t let that put you off … or expect anything salacious. It simply means “cooks” and is apt enough given the magic done there. Continue reading

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Faroes and Away: Just Go

Why the tiny (if staggeringly scenic) nation of the Faroe Islands wasn’t overrun with tourists during my visit in early August is beyond me – especially considering that my flight from Stansted was hardly more than two hours long and that I had never seen anywhere on earth quite as extraordinary or been anywhere quite as distinctive. That this archipelago of 18 islands jutting from the juncture of the North Atlantic and the Norwegian Sea is such an accessible yet sparsely populated and utterly gorgeous destination should be reason enough for you to stop whatever it is you’re doing right this instant and start making plans to see the Faroes for yourself. Continue reading

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How Many Airports Does London Actually Have? (OneTravel)

So you’ve set aside the time to go and you already have a good idea of the sights to see and activities to do. You’re big London vacation is eminent! But which airport is the best option for you to fly in and out of and how should you go about making such a decision? Continue reading

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Good Stuff – Speyside Delights!

Good Stuff and lots of it! Here’s the low down on some fine things to see, sip or savour – in this case all yummy findings from my recent trip to Scotland’s Speyside that I thought were worth sharing with you. Enjoy. Continue reading

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Aberlour at the Source: Fine Finish

Clean air, clean water, clean tasting whisky – why’d I ever leave? I’d relish a repeat visit to Aberlour Distillery and the Speyside swath of heaven that’s its home. Folks looking for their own ‘clean’ break would be wise to go for a similarly relaxing retreat. Continue reading

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Aberlour at the Source: More than Whisky

Even when setting aside the distillery tour, cooperage visit, and the delectable chance to taste the Aberlour range of single malts in the very environment where they’re made, my Speyside time was still such a blast. The area is absolutely gorgeous, all the food I had was delish, and the hours spent outside communing with nature were as invigorating as they were relaxing. I would have loved to have been able to extend my trip at least a few more days as there was just so much great stuff to see and do. Indeed, I would be so very keen to head back that way again to get to continue discovering this lovely part of Scotland. Continue reading

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Aberlour at the Source: Tasting Notes

To be honest, I’d never had a sip of Aberlour before my visit to its distillery. Always reckoning myself more an islands whisky kinda guy, I’m slightly embarrassed to say that I simply had not even given Speyside whisky a fair shake. I now realise the error of my ways and that I have been missing out all these years as a whisky drinker. Continue reading

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Aberlour at the Source: Speyside Cooperage

As important as the few raw ingredients that go into whisky is the cask in which the spirit is aged. Indeed it’s the interplay between the spirit and the cask wood that gives any whisky its flavour. And coming by the right cask is no mean feat as I found out when I got a look see inside the Speyside Cooperage near Aberlour Distillery. Continue reading

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Aberlour at the Source: A Whisky While beside the Lour Burn

Regardless of whether you actually like the taste of whisky, distilleries are fine places to visit if only for the scenery surrounding them. And to this point, age old Aberlour Distillery is no exception. Continue reading

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Good Stuff

Good Stuff and lots of it! Here’s the low down on some fine things to see, sip or savour – all of which I’ve recently come across and thought were worth sharing with you. Enjoy. Continue reading

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5 Sensational Blogs about Los Angeles (OneTravel)

Los Angeles is a fantastic city but unless you know it well can prove a heck of a tough one to explore. Why just stick to the beach and major attractions when there’s so much more to see and do? … Continue reading

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Region of Valencia: We are Holidays

With more than 450k of coastline featuring 38 marinas, 20 golf courses, and seven coastal parks, the Region of Valencia offers an amazing range of possibilities for your next holiday. From wild nature to world famous resorts, centuries old attractions and modern theme parks – there’s something for all tastes … as long as you love the beach! Continue reading

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Good Stuff and a New Place to Puff

Good Stuff and lots of it! Here’s the low down on some fine things to see, sip or savour – all of which I’ve recently come across and thought were worth sharing with you. Enjoy. Continue reading

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Tour de France: Cambridge to London with Bonne Maman

I would like to say a massive merci beaucoup to the friendly folks from Bonne Maman for offering me the amazing opportunity to ride along with the Tour de France in the Bonne Maman procession vehicle yesterday from Cambridge to London. It was super cool checking out the Tour’s Village at Parker’s Piece in Cambridge and taking a behind the scenes snoop of all the goings-on and preparations before the race began. And riding in the procession to encounter the tens of thousands of Tour supporters along the way was an absolute thrill. Continue reading

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4 Foodie Festivals in Italy This Summer (OneTravel)

Anytime is a good time to visit Italy, especially if you are a foodie! And this summer promises a delicious array of events for folks keen to have as many gourmet experiences as possible during their Italian vacation. Here’s a … Continue reading

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Bis Später Basel

I really had a fantastic time during my city break in Basel. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about the highlights of my visit. Continue reading

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See Basel: A City Artfully Designed to Please

Keen to take a city break that’s chock full of eye candy treats by some of the world’s greatest modern architects, designers, and artists? Go to Basel. I was blown away by all the fascinating stuff I got to behold during my few days there. Continue reading

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Eat Basel: A Tale of Two Surprise Menus

Luckily for me, eating well in Basel is a straightforward matter. Eating well and cheaply is another story all together. But affordable options can be found. Here’s the scoop on two “surprise” dinners I had while in Basel: one a rather upscale affair, the other decidedly low brow and mercifully low priced. I’ve also listed a few other quality venues for food and drink that I came across during my Basel city break. Continue reading

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Sleep Basel: The Passage

During my Basel City Break, I stayed at The Passage. Only open since February of this year, the sleek and minimalist four star hotel served as a conveniently positioned base for exploring the city and a comfy HQ well worth returning to. Continue reading

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My Basel: Taking the Make My Switzerland App for a Spin

Obviously you’ve heard about Switzerland’s stunning panoramas of and from its mighty Alps. But for my first of hopefully many more visits to this friendly little Alpine nation, I found the views shared via a handy Swiss app to be a real wonder to behold as well. The free to download app, called Make My Switzerland, is available via Google Play and Apple’s App Store and offers a wealth of insider knowledge about the things that savvy locals love best in seven Swiss cities – Basel, Bern, Geneva, Lausanne, Lucerne, Lugano, and Zurich. I gave the app a whirl over an especially fun weekend in Basel, and I’m more than happy to recommend the city and the app to anybody keen to explore a delightful and compact destination that’s big on culture. Continue reading

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Having a Spicy Time on Avery Island: Home of Tabasco Sauce (OneTravel)

In February, my girlfriend and I had a grand ole time road tripping across the Deep South. The definite highlight of our time was in Louisiana, where we enjoyed a range of Dixie delights in dynamic New Orleans as well … Continue reading

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4 Fun Bars in Athens (OneTravel)

Like a lot of sunny Mediterranean destinations, the nightlife in Athens goes late and is, of course, a load of fun. From what I could tell during my recent visit to the Greek capital, Athenians are as friendly as anyone … Continue reading

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Experiencing the World Cup in London (OneTravel)

Okay. The World Cup is on! And, save a vacation in Brasil, every sporty London is as excellent a place to experience the footie action as anywhere. It’s also a city that likes to take the spirit of these global … Continue reading

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Ai Weiwei at Lisson Gallery

Just opened at Lisson Gallery is its third solo exhibition of works by Ai Weiwei. Featuring a “monumental new installation of bicycles” alongside a number of “hand-carved, domestic-scale copies” of highly personal objects, the show offers some of the best contemporary art I’ve seen in quite awhile and was a real inspiration for me to view during last week’s private view. Continue reading

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Discover The Douro (Great British Chefs)

Chris Osburn takes us on his journey of discovery in the Portuguese regions of Porto and the Douro Valley. The trip has clearly changed his views on Port as well as all wines from those areas he visited. Continue reading

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5 Local Orlando Blogs to Read Before Your Trip (OneTravel)

Want to make the most of your next visit to Central Florida and “do” Orlando like a local? Be sure to check out these local Orlando blogs for up-to-date details and the latest scoops on what’s awesome (or awful) before … Continue reading

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