We only stayed in Trieste for three nights, but in that time we managed to cram in a bunch of stuff; a visit to Miramare Castle, a magnificent palace built for Austrian Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian who was executed in Mexico before it was fully completed, a trip into Grotte Gigante, the world's largest showcave, and an afternoon... Continue Reading →
Hardwick Hall in Derbyshire is one of the grandest and most fascinating houses the National Trust have to offer. It was the home of Elizabeth "Bess" of Hardwick, who became one of the richest women in England, second only in wealth and power to Elizabeth II herself. Bess was born on the Hardwick estate about... Continue Reading →
It would be remiss to travel halfway round the world and not visit possibly the most famous place in New Zealand - the original Hobbiton movie set. Watch our trip to Hobbiton video Don't get me wrong, there are loads of stunning places in NZ - you can see a bunch of them in our... Continue Reading →
Robert "Rabbie" Burns is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland - despite the fact he was only 37 when he died. The fact he was able to achieve this status as a Scottish icon during his short life shows how meaningful his work was. So it's only fitting that he's buried within a... Continue Reading →
If you're in Scotland and even vaguely interested in literature - or frankly even if you're not - you've got to visit at least one site associated with the poet Robert "Rabbie" Burns. I'll be honest, aside from knowing who he is and the big deal that is Burns Night, I wasn't overly familiar with... Continue Reading →
Whitby, a seaside town in Yorkshire and the Abbey ruin that sits above it, have long been associated with the writer Bram Stoker and his iconic creation, Dracula. I've been wanting to visit Whitby for a long time, and last year I was able to go there as part of a wider trip "Op North".... Continue Reading →
Anne Bronte was the younger sister of Charlotte and Emily Bronte and, like her sisters, a writer whose novels are still popular today. I stumbled across her grave accidentally whilst on a trip "Op North" last year. Anne Bronte was born on the 17 Jan 1820, the last of the children Maria and Patrick Bronte.... Continue Reading →
This might be the most beautiful library I've ever seen. Not that all libraries aren't inherently beautiful because they contain lots of lovely, lovely books - but this one is most definitely epic. This...is a library? The Grand Hall of the Austrian National library is unlike any library I've seen before and I've been to... Continue Reading →
I'm not fond of small spaces - but I do like a cave, and they don't come much bigger than Grotta Gigante (or Giant Cave), which was featured in the 1995 Guinness Book of Records as the largest show-cave in the world. It apparently doesn't hold that title any more having lost it to a... Continue Reading →
After stumbling across the world's oldest library in Verona, we then discovered the world's oldest covered theatre not far away in Trento - clearly, there's a lot of old things in Italy. The Olympic Theatre (or Teatro Olimpico) was built between 1580-1585. It's still in use, and still has in place scenery from the first... Continue Reading →
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