Londoners, the largest and most diverse botanical (and mycological) collections in the world are on your doorstep in the form of Kew Gardens! A lovely place for a day out and you may even learn something along the way. Kew Gardens I don’t know why it is that I always feel the need to justify […]
Resting place of Plantagenet kings, a prison, a cultural centre: the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud has seen it all! A Journey To Fontevraud On a recent visit to France, I got out and about seeing a variety of sights. There was a local street performance festival, and even a day or two of activities relating […]
In this post we explore some of the lesser-known sights in the Loire Valley, in particular a number of sites connected to troglodytes around Rochemenier and Doué-en-Anjou. Who Needs Châteaux When You Have Troglodytes And Roses? When you think of visiting the Loire Valley, what comes to mind? I’m going to guess some of the […]
The Panometer Dresden is a large-scale panorama of the Baroque city. It exists at an interesting intersection of art, history and spectacle. An Unusual Attraction When I was planning my (very limited) time in Dresden, there was one attraction I was intrigued by, but wasn’t sure I would make it to. The Panometer Dresden is […]
A remarkable set of collections and exhibition spaces exists within Dresden’s former Royal Palace, including first and foremost the Green Vault, one of the world’s first public museums. Dresden’s Royal Palace On my day exploring Dresden, my first stop was the Dresdner Residenzschloss. This former palace has been home to many different royals. First the […]
Once the largest of the Codrington family’s 150 Antiguan sugar plantations, Betty’s Hope is today an important place of learning and memory. The Codringtons and Betty’s Hope Perhaps it is not a good idea to start a post about a site such as Betty’s Hope with a history of the enslavers rather than the enslaved. […]
Nelson’s Dockyard and the Dockyard Museum are must-sees for anyone visiting English Harbour in Antigua. A pleasant spot to take in the area’s many layers of history. Nelson’s Dockyard To begin with, Nelson’s Dockyard wasn’t Nelson’s Dockyard. It was just a regular dockyard, part of the naval infrastructure at English Harbour. And of course if […]
A sunny winter’s day walk takes me to Trinity Buoy Wharf, an interesting case study in post-industrial mixed-use arts spaces. Trinity Buoy Wharf Just when you thought I was done with the Docklands after all those lockdown walks I did… Never fear, there is always something new to discover! On a recent outing in which […]
Join me as we explore some of the sights and points of interest on the trail of the 19th Century gold rush in New Zealand’s Central Otago region. New Zealand’s Gold Rush: A Short History Regular blog readers know that we are currently on a Salterton Arts Review excursion to New Zealand. Based primarily in […]
A visit to the Catlins regions in Southern New Zealand provides an opportunity to think about how man-made and natural heritage combine in this popular tourist spot. The Catlins: A Brief History On a recent trip back to New Zealand, I had the opportunity of spending a couple of days in the Catlins, a scenic […]
