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We are now right in the heart of the path so time to post an update on our progress. Before we look closely at each day, a few thoughts on the process overall. Firstly, I wondered in my previous post about the physical effects of consecutive days walking. Happily, after significant aches and pains up … Continue reading Fife coastal path – Dysart to Fife Ness →

And so to the final three days of our walk. Those who know the geography will immediately recognise that Newport is not,in fact, the end destination of the Fife Coastal Path and that we have omitted the final 18 miles between Newport and Newburgh. It was always our intention to walk bridge to bridge - … Continue reading Fife coastal path – Fife Ness to Newport →

Our mission these next nine days will be to walk the Fife coastal path. For those who don’t hail from these parts, it pretty much ‘does what it says on the tin’. It’s a distance walking trail covering the coastal regions of the Kingdom of Fife. But, as you shall see, it’s not quite that … Continue reading Fife coastal path – Kincardine to Dysart →

Malcesine has been our base for a week on Lake Garda. It’s been a relatively laid back holiday compared to some where we’ve been frequently on the move, but there has still been plenty to keep us interested. The town itself is an excellent base, with plenty of cobbled streets, shops, bars and restaurants and … Continue reading A day out on Lake Garda →

Our last sightseeing day before two sea days crossing the Tasman Sea to Sydney was billed as ‘scenic cruising’ in Fiordland. When we rose early and looked out, the scenery consisted of leaden skies, falling rain and mist down to a few metres above the sea. If there were any majestic cliffs out there, they … Continue reading Fiordland – all good things come to those who wait →

Two days on New Zealand’s South Island, ostensibly the same timetables and yet completely different experiences. Arrive in port, explore that local area for a few hours then take a bus tour to the main city for sightseeing. And yet one was, for me, the best day of our cruise thus far and the other … Continue reading South Island – the vagaries of cruising →

Subtitle - and you didn’t even have to try. Some places eventually get into your affections. Some never do. Others irritate and jar. And then occasionally you turn up somewhere, head out to see what’s about, think ‘hey, this is cool’ and you’re sold. Effortless. That was Auckland for me today. We pulled into port … Continue reading Yes Auckland I’m impressed →

Another sea day today, between Fiji and Auckland. There had been many of these on this cruise, more than we’ve previously experienced, so it’s worth looking more closely at what life on a cruise ship is like. When we do make land and are being taken back to our ship by our excursion guides, they … Continue reading Life on board →

As we rose and looked out on the approaching islands of Fiji, the scene wasn’t quite as imagined. Rather than sun kissed palm fringed beaches we could see leaden skies, steady rain, a rather industrial looking port ahead and some ominous shipwrecks surprisingly adjacent to our starboard bow! It was more akin to sailing in … Continue reading A warm welcome in Fiji – from the people at least! →

Now it’s not that my backpacking days are well and truly over. They never really happened. I didn’t travel extensively when I was young - no family holidays abroad, no gap year of Inter-rail with my schoolmates. I did have the good fortune to travel in my twenties and thirties but it was mainly to … Continue reading Tahiti – should travel really be this easy? →

Our second port of call was the Hawaiian island of O’ahu, where we pulled into the capital Honolulu as the sun was rising. It was a peaceful, serene scene as we glided in past the already berthed Ovation of the Seas, as the high rises of downtown Honolulu watched on. The disembarkation onto the coach … Continue reading Scenic drive on O’ahu →

So here we finally are - the retirement holiday three plus years in the making, cancelled more times than I care to remember and coming more than two years after I returned to work! Many thanks to my long suffering colleagues who are covering in my absence, I’ll make it up when I return. So … Continue reading Volcanoes on Hilo →

So, we’ve seen some of the quattrocento palazzos which typified the family rivalries rife in Florence at the time. But what happened next...? For once, artistic licence trumped politics, and aesthetics took centre stage. A stylistic rivalry developed between an ongoing ‘Florentine style’ and one being developed and championed in Rome. How much Florence became … Continue reading Later Florentine palazzos →

The Baroque is not a style with which I am overly familiar. It is, of course, more associated with Rome, where after the sack of 1527 huge swathes of the city required rebuilding, much of which was done in the new style, commissioned by the Vatican from rising stars such as Bernini and Borromini. But … Continue reading Baroque Florence →

Sometimes a bit of lateral thinking helps. It’s really hot here, like 38 degrees in the middle of the day. It’s busy in the historical centre. We’ve seen most of the sights before. Time for a different approach. The plan - get up early, head off before the crowds descend and the heat rises. Leave … Continue reading Post-unification Florence →

Having thrilled at the wonders on display at Palazzo Strozzi yesterday, there was a slight air of trepidation this morning. I had tried to book tickets for the Bargello part of the exhibition some months back, to no avail. Instead I had booked general admission tickets in the hope that I could charm my way … Continue reading Donatello – yes there was a part two! →

I’ve written before, in fact only a few days ago, about the joy of attending an art exhibition. Doing so in Florence is, naturally, extra special. In many ways, wandering around the streets of the city is like being in one massive, uncurated exhibition. Much art looks better and is more impactful in situ, witnessed … Continue reading Donatello – il Rinascimento →

There’s a certain inevitability that today’s walk would follow on from yesterday’s. Having looked at the older towers and palazzos that mark the feuding times of pre-Renaissance Florence, today we stride confidently into the epoch where family pride was marked out by the size of your dynastic palazzo. We see how the various famous, and … Continue reading Quattrocento palazzos →

Anyone who knows me or has read any of my travel posts knows how I feel about Florence. It’s my spiritual home, my favourite place on earth, the place I feel most at ease. I’ve been coming here for forty years and was smitten pretty much from the word go; every visit back deepens my … Continue reading Florence – like coming home →

Our trip to London is my first trip outside Scotland since pre-pandemic times. In many ways it’s as if it never happened - there seem no restrictions and we’re all back crowded into trains and indoor spaces with not a mask in sight. I must say I don’t feel anxious about it (well no more … Continue reading Back at the National Gallery →

I remember once listening to a musician being interviewed on the radio. He was being pressed on his favourite concert, song, etc. His answer was ‘I don’t do beauty contests’. I loved that and often quote it; with all you’ve experienced in life do you really have one concert/album/player that trumps all? Perhaps.. I’ll say … Continue reading ABBA voyage – there was something in the air that night… →

I am indebted to a friend who gave me a book to read before our cruise - ‘This Thing of Darkness’ by Harry Thompson tells the stories of Captain Fitzroy and Charles Darwin as they navigate and chart Tierra Del Fuego in the 1830s. It set the tone beautifully for our visit to the region … Continue reading Ushuaia and the Beagle Channel →

Blessed with a magnificent autumnal day, Moira and I decided to walk the thirteen mile trail around Loch Leven. We had walked most parts of the trail in stages but never the whole journey in one outing. We set off on a crisp, clear morning, beginning at Kirkhouse Pier and walking clockwise. A map of … Continue reading A walk around Loch Leven →

Memory is fluid; Sorrento seems different from when I was here in 1995. Of course, my life is very different now from then so perhaps it's no surprise. Sorrento seems to have more to offer this time around, not just a base from which to tour - the Amalfi coast, Pompeii, Herculaneum, Ischia and Naples … Continue reading Sorrento →

It's always interesting to come back somewhere you visited many years ago. We're in Sorrento, where I last stayed in 1995. As I did then, I took a tour along the Amalfi coast, stopping at the three locations most tours encompass - Positano, Amalfi and Ravello. They were as beautiful as I remember, but the … Continue reading Amalfi coast; beautiful but be prepared to share →

It’s a wonderful experience spending time with our children and their partners on St Lucia. We’ve enjoyed sunshine, great food and drink and activities around the pool, beach and on the water. But it’s always good to get a flavour of the local scenery so we arranged a trip to the local rum distillery and … Continue reading Family time in Saint Lucia →

Travelling - do we see the ‘real’ country? Well, I guess the answer is obvious; it depends upon how you travel. My backpacking days aren’t as much over as never happened at all. I didn’t travel much in my youth; too busy settling down and working, sadly. When I did travel, I went to city … Continue reading The real Mexico? →

Today represented our first steps on Chilean soil, a country I know very little about and am looking forward to exploring. The topography of the country is interesting; over 4700km north to south, with a long western coastline bordering the Pacific and dotted with hoardes of islands, and an eastern spine formed in part by … Continue reading The beautiful Chilean lakes →

There are several themes underpinning today’s account of our visit to Nicaragua, some of which will be familiar to those who have read my previous pieces. Firstly, the effect of a person on one’s impression of a place. Next, how and why we travel. And finally how we inevitably tend to rank and compare rather … Continue reading Nicaragua →

Each morning after arriving in port, our effervescent captain greets us with ‘Good morning and welcome to beautiful...’. With the best will in the world, not every port is ‘beautiful’, but this morning it’s hard to take issue. We’re in Puntarenas, Costa Rica, and it’s gorgeous. With warm nights we are sleeping with curtains and … Continue reading Costa Rica – a green and pleasant land →

Our tour today was ‘The Best of Lima’. I was immediately reminded of the opening to Charles Dickens ‘A Tale of Two Cities’: ‘it was the best of times, it was the worst of times’. I cannot sum up Lima as one city; there are several multilayered facets to this complex place. I’ll approach the … Continue reading Lima – a tale of several cities →

Today we’re journeying from the port of San Martin in Peru inland to the Inca ruins at Tambo Colorado. We docked very early to allow those taking the tour to Macchu Picchu to depart. It’s one on my bucket list but the two day tour organised as an excursion from our cruise comes in at … Continue reading Tambo Colorado – a glimpse of Peru past and present →

Sometimes you have to wait for your day to come right. Chile seems to be asking me to be patient as she attempts to reveal her charms. As with our sojourn in the lakes, our city trip today took a while to catch fire. A 5am rise was always going to place us behind the … Continue reading Valparaiso, Vina del Mar and Santiago →

Today we bid farewell to Chile, having cruised overnight some 470km north from San Antonio to the port of Coquimbo. We are in one of the fastest growing areas of Chile, up in the northern reaches of the country. Today we explored both Coquimbo and the adjacent city of La Serena. Each is home to … Continue reading La Serena – farewell to Chile →

Sometimes when I look at landscape or seascape painting, I'm reminded how big the sky really is. From our terrestrial viewpoint, eyes fixed ahead or downcast, busy with our everyday lives, we rarely look heaven wards. Only during the time in my life where I lived on a hill overlooking the sea and enjoyed regular … Continue reading Peninsula Valdes – the land of ‘big skies’ →

Why do we travel? I am 8000 miles from home, as far as I have ever been, and gazing from our ship through low cloud and driving rain towards a distant, undistinguished flat landscape. Soon I will board a tender pitching in swelling, dark seas to embark on a four hour walk through town and … Continue reading The Falkland Islands →

I am indebted to a friend who gave me a book to read before our cruise - ‘This Thing of Darkness’ by Harry Thompson tells the stories of Captain Fitzroy and Charles Darwin as they navigate and chart Tierra Del Fuego in the 1830s. It set the tone beautifully for our visit to the region … Continue reading Ushuaia and the Beagle Channel →

We took the chance of seeing Buenos Aires prior to embarking our South America cruise. My wife has visited before and waxed lyrical about its beauty and diversity; it’s easy to see why. However, initial impressions weren’t great; a long flight did not lend itself to nearly two hours queuing at immigration and one almighty … Continue reading Buenos Aires →

Present day Córdoba reflects its historical influences. In the past, like much of Spain it has been ruled over by the Romans, Muslims and then the Christians, each of whom have left their mark on the character of this charming city. Cordoba sits on an inland plain some ninety minutes drive from the coast. Its … Continue reading The beauty of Córdoba →

So, they’ll ask me, did you like Amsterdam? The simple answer would be yes and no. Those wise enough to realise they risk thirty minutes of their life that they will never get back will leave it at that; for those who naively enquire further I offer the following by way of explanation, before your … Continue reading Two sides of Amsterdam →

Before you read on I’d like you to take a minute to think about Vincent Van Gogh. What do you know about him? What paintings by him are you aware of? Do you like his work? To answer my own questions as of this morning: he was a tortured artist who cut off his ear … Continue reading Van Gogh museum →

So, why Bali? It wasn’t top of my must see list; the ‘big hitters’ of South East Asia holding more appeal. At 7816 miles distant from Glasgow it’s by some way the furthest I’ve ever travelled. Trip Advisor named it World Top Travel destination in March 2017 so there must be something in it, right? … Continue reading Bali – a fragile beauty →

  It’s not often that I visit a place knowing very little about it. For several years my travel habits were rather rigid; I didn’t get many opportunities to travel and tended to stick to places I knew and ‘trusted’ would meet my needs. Now that Moira and I are retired we have been able … Continue reading Singapore →

  Sometimes the actual event fails to live up to the expectation. We’ve all had that holiday, concert, night out that didn’t quite hit the anticipated heights. Of course, anticipation is part of what makes life enjoyable but no-one enjoys feeling deflated or disappointed having invested time and energy into planning something memorable. Living and … Continue reading Reflections on Florence →

Coming to Florence my main aim was to learn more about, and rejoice in, the art of the High Renaissance. Our course provided ample opportunity with lectures on the triumvirate who have come to be synonymous with that period - Michaelangelo, Leonardo and Raphael. We were able to witness first hand the incredible art, both … Continue reading Mannerist art – an unexpected delight →

Florence has it all. In the Uffizi one can feast on a stunning collection of Renaissance paintings. The Accademia is home to the towering ‘David’ and other sculptures by Michaelangelo. This giant of the High Renaissance along with other major sculptors are represented in the magnificent collections of the Bargello. The street are studded with … Continue reading Santa Maria Novella – a fusion of the beautiful arts →

With all the magnificent painting and sculpture on view here in Florence I was aware I had overlooked much of the architecture on display. It is an area where my knowledge is more sketchy than in the other visual arts, so on a day (finally) when the rain stopped I decided to set out and … Continue reading Florentine palazzi →

I have spent many hours enjoying the delights of museums and galleries around the world. This morning, in the Museo dell’Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore I delighted in near perfection in such an experience. The museum of the cathedral in Florence was redesigned between 2013 and 2015 and I have previously visited it in … Continue reading What makes a perfect museum? →