Scarborough has a bit of a reputation. It’s where Boomers and Gen-X always seem to hit on when talking about miserable rainy childhood holidays in the 60s and 70s and based on that, I wasn’t expecting much. Mind you, part of the reason for my low expectations was that I was travelling pretty much the … More I liked Scarborough a lot more than I expected to
I’ve done quite a few railway adventures in my time – I have an entire category for them – but this is one I was deeply dubious about. I was going to Scarborough for the weekend. From Southampton. That’s pretty much the entire length of the country, from the south coast to the north-east, just … More Southampton to Scarborough by train: did British Rail meet my (extremely low) expectations?
If you read my last post, about my day in Þórsmörk in 2012, you might have an inkling what this post is going to be about. A couple of years ago I joined a Facebook group which gives help and advice for people planning trips to Iceland and one thing they’re utterly obsessed with is … More Don’t tell the Facebook group but this is the best footwear for summer in Iceland
All the way back in 2012, I spent a beautiful sunny fortnight in Reykjavík, because if you fall in love in winter, you have to go back to make sure you like it in summer as well, and I did. It was, I later learned, an uncharacteristically hot and sunny summer of the kind you … More I spent a day in Þórsmörk proving my tour guide wrong
An ancient blog post from 2017 started with this line: A week and a half ago, I was told by a friend of mine – under the influence of a whole bottle plus two glasses of wine – that because I’m not afraid of going out and going travelling on my own, I am “the … More Travel and the accidental “ultimate feminist”
Welcome to the first of a new series, hopefully monthly, covering all the tools you should have in your travel toolkit. I don’t mean literal tools – no penknives or hammers to be taken away at security here! – but your skills and abilities toolkit to be able to make the most of your travels. … More Travel Toolkit: my latest first aid course
I don’t very often get to write about food! I know for some people, the food is half the point of travelling but it’s not something that’s ever worked for me because I have ARFID and food is an aspect of travel I generally just have to survive. But Catherine and Esther are normal people … More Everything we ate in Málaga
I like cathedrals. Sometimes I’ll like an ordinary church too but cathedrals were built to induce wonder and I’ll fall for it every time. So when I was reading about the must-dos in Málaga, the cathedral jumped out at me immediately. It’s nicknamed La Manquita, the One-Armed Lady, because technically it’s still unfinished. It’s supposed … More The One-Armed Lady of Málaga: a too-quick visit to the cathedral
It’s true! You can now buy my first book, A Polar Night’s Tale and you can do it right here! Please do, then come back and I’ll finish telling you all about it! BUY A POLAR NIGHT’S TALE IN PAPERBACK HERE AND AS AN EBOOK HERE!! Alright, that’s done. So, the story of A Polar … More It’s publication day! Welcome A Polar Night’s Tale to the world!
The third of Málaga’s ancient treasures is the Gibralfaro castle, a series of fortifications on the hill of the same name which cuts the city in two and offers 360° views of city, Mediterranean and mountains alike. The Gibralfaro started life somewhere around 700BC as Phoenician fortifications but what you see today was really started … More The Gibralfaro: Málaga’s truly ancient fortress
I Am A Polar Bear 