Category: Europe

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Berlin City Germany

Berlin, Germany

East Side Gallery Copyright: visitberlin, Foto: Philip Koschel
Art on the Berlin Wall

This week we are in Berlin. In 2013 having not released any new material for 10 years David Bowie released his 24th album “The Next Day”. The first single to be released from that album was “Where are we now?” The song and the video below make references to places in Berlin that have a connection with Bowie.

Where Are We Now? – David Bowie

After 19 secs we see some of the graffiti art on the few remaining sections of the Berlin Wall. These are worth the time and effort to see on your trip to Berlin. Potsdamer Platz (0.28) was the place to be in the 1920s. Today you’ll find the Lego Discovery Centre nearby. A great option if its raining and you have children. The Fernsehturm (TV Tower) is Berlin’s tallest landmark and the view on a clear day is superb.

Copyright: visitBerlin, Foto: Sarah Lindemann
Fersehturm – Berlin

The back entrance to the German Parliament (Bundestag) is next on the route, followed by Nürnberger Strasse where Bowie played several times in The Dschungel nightclub. Although reference is made to the KaDeWe department store (1:10) is made we actually get to see the magnificent Cathredral (Dom). Berlin’s answer to Marble Arch is up next. The Brandenburg Gate (1:49) is one of the most recognised sites in the city.

Brandenburger Tor Copyright: visitberlin, Foto: Wolfgang Scholvien
Brandenburger Tor / Brandenburg Gate

Berlin makes a great destination for a short break. There is so much to see that you will want to go back again. Not be missed are the Wall Museum and Check Point Charlie, the Jewish museum, the largest in Europe, the very moving Holocaust Memorial and not too far from the city centre is the former concentration camp at Sachsenhausen.

Holocaust Memorial Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe Copyright visitBerlin, Foto: Pierre Adenis
Holocaust Memorial

Contact Maggie today and explore Berlin, a city full of history and culture.

British Airways fly direct to Berlin. Pay with your British Airways American Express Premium Plus Card or collect Avios and fly with BA for less.

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Austria City Europe Vienna

Vienna

Initially drawn to Vienna by the “Best Ever British Film” The Third Man and its memorising soundtrack by Anton Karas. Vienna is lost between the classic weekend break destinations of Paris, Rome and Barcelona and the newer ones of Prague, Budapest and Dubrovnik.

However it has so much to offer whether you are on a short weekend break or longer. Vienna was the capital of the Habsburgs for over 600 years from here the vast Austro-Hungarian Empire was ruled. The grand architecture from the 19th century in particular reflects the power and wealth of the country at that time.

View from City Hall. Copyright: © WienTourismus/Gregor Hofbauer
View from City Hall. Copyright: © WienTourismus/Gregor Hofbauer

Encircling the historic city centre is the Ringstrasse and a trip on the special Ring Tram is the perfect way to become aquainted with all the main glorious buildings and the features of Viennese life from your onboard guide. The Opera House, Parliament, the Art History Museum, the Natural History Museum and the Imperial Palace are just some of the sites you will see along the route.

Giant Ferris Wheel, Prater, Vienna. Copyright: © WienTourismus/Christian Stemper
Giant Ferris Wheel, Prater, Vienna. Copyright: © WienTourismus/Christian Stemper

Not to be missed in Vienna is the Giant Ferris Wheel (Riesenrad) at the entrance to the Prater Amusement Park. Not only will you experience great views on your ride but when you watch “The Third Man” or the James Bond film “The Living Daylights” you’ll be able to say I was there.

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City Dublin Ireland Sligo

Ireland

“Sometimes” is the last track from the excellent BBC series “Normal People” based on the book by Sally Rooney is a reminder that we don’t always have to travel halfway round the world to have a wonderful short break or a super holiday. Sometimes we don’t have far to go. Just a short flight or ferry ride across the Irish Sea is the Emerald Isle. There are great experiences to be had both north and south of the border.

The story of two teenage lovers from Sligo has developed a huge following not just because of the terrific soundtrack, the brilliant acting of the two main stars, the gripping storyline but the captivating locations.

Benbulben Mountain, https://www.irelandscontentpool.com/media/, Gareth McCormack
Benbulben Mountain

Sligo is one of Ireland’s hidden gems. Much of the landscape has links with the poet W.B. Yeats. His poetry constantly references the landscape and so much of the area today is know as “Yeates Country”. He is burried at Drumcliffe in the shadow of Benbulben Mountain. His final poem read

“Under bare Ben Bulben’s head
In Drumcliff churchyard Yeats is laid.”

Adventure Sligo, https://www.irelandscontentpool.com/media/ Josh McMichael
Adventure Sligo

For those of you more interested in the ocean than the land you can surf almost the entire western seaboard. But the section in County Sligo is renowned for drawing surfers from across the globe. International surfing events regularly take place here.

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Budapest City Europe Hungary

East meet West in Budapest

Many of us are familiar with the opening lyrics of the George Ezra song “Budapest”. Ironically he had not been to Budapest when he wrote the song, he got drunk and missed his train. However once you start to travel, you should not miss out on this “hidden treasure chest”. Commonly referred to as the “Paris of the East” Budapest is packed with everything that you would expect from a city break and more. Even if you have been before, there is so much more to see and experience that the main attractions of the Buda Castle, the Fistherman’s Bastion and the Heroes Square. The main sites can be viewed in this entertaining video by the popular Hungarian band “Kowalsky meg a Vega”. The title roughly translates as “Still not Eden”. No it might not be Eden but its a great place for a short break from London with flights from BA, Wizz Air and LOT.

Kowalsky meg a Vega – Még nem éden

There are plenty of hidden gems to discover in Budapest. Amongst our favourites are the Hospital in the Rock, the Café Gerbeaud and the Budapest Pinball Museum. All great attractions if you are taking the children. Finally if you are a “Columbo” fan then don’t forget to seek out the “Peter Falk” statue.

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Delphi Europe Greece

The birthplace of Western Civilisation

The birthplace of Western Civilisation, Greece has so much to offer. History and culture by the bucket loads, exquisite cuisine, 300 days of sun, beautiful beaches and much more. With 227 inhabited islands and the mainland to visit you will never be short on choice.

Delphi - Ampitheatre.
Delphi – Ampitheatre.

The ancient Greeks considered Delphi to be the center of the world and standing aat the top of the ampitheatre perched on the mountain of Parnassus it is easy to see why.

The area is recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site due to the fact that it had such a great influence on the ancient world. Not only is Delphi home to the ampitheatre but the Temple of Apollo, the Altar of Chians and the Hippodrome amongst others.

Delphi is less that two and a half hours travel time away from Athens and definitely well worth the journey.

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Canary Islands Spain Sun Winter

Winter Sun

Who knows what the restrictions will be as we head towards Christmas and New Year.

Playa Barca
Playa Barca

There is plenty of winter sun to be had in destinations such as Mexico, the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Oman. 

However you don’t have to travel so far to sit on a beach and enjoy the warmth of the sun. Daytime temperatures on the island of Fuerteventura (the second largest of the Canary Islands) are 22 oC in December compared to 24 oC in Cancun and you will get there nearly 7 hours faster.

Prices for a week in Fuerteventura are a lot less than you might think at this time of the year and represent great value when compared to long haul destinations like Cancun.

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Europe Finland Winter

Santa Claus

It is business as normal for Santa Claus this year in these Covid times. However your time to see him will be slightly different, but the but the Finnish authorities are doing everything they can to allow you to visit Santa.

Santa Claus - Rovaniemi - Finland
Santa Claus – Rovaniemi – Finland

An ideal destination is Rovaniemi which is the official home of Santa Claus. Just 8km north on the Arctic Circle is Santa Claus Village where you can find Santa at home every day of the year.

If you plan to travel to Finland for less than 72 hours you can enter without a COVID-19 test. Longer stays require two tests, read here for details. Finland itself has amongst the lowest rates of Covid in Europe and so Finland is on the UK government’s travel corridor list .

Snowland Rovaniemi - Finland
Snowland Rovaniemi

Finland is also one of the places to head this winter to see the Northern Lights. Not only can you see the lights but you can experience all that Lapland has to offer with moose, reindeer, husky and snowmobile safaris and that once in lifetime trip for that little ones that will make this time of year so special.

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City Madrid Spain

One Simply Reason

If food be the reason to travel then book now. It’s a bit of a twist on Shakespeare’s famous words from Twelfth Night, but as we start to put Christmas well behind us, it’s time to start looking forward to making plans to travel in the future. Looking back to our first post, one of the reasons we like to travel is to experience the fantastic variations in good food on offer round the world.

Empanadas
Empanadas

Food offers a unique insight to the history and culture of a region or country.  The empanadas pictured above were first documented in Galicia in North West Spain 100 years before Twelfth Night was written, but today they are a part of everyday cuisine in places as far apart as Argentina, the Philippines and the Cape Verde Islands. 

Many other cultures have their variations on an empanadas, in the UK the pasty, in South Asia the samosa and in Russia the Pirozhki.

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City Europe Slovakia

The 72 Hour City

Slovakia is sometimes forgotten as a tourist destination.  For nearly 1000 years it did not have much control over its own destiny.  Even during the period of the First Slovak Republic 1939 – 1945 it was a client state of Nazi Germany.  Around the year 1000 it became part of the Kingdom of Hungary and today over 9% of the population state their mother tongue is Hungarian.

Bratislava, the capital city of Slovakia, stands on the banks of the Danube and as such borders both Hungary and Vienna.  Bratislava markets itself as a 72 hour city as that’s the average length of time tourists spend in the city.  In those 72 hours there are plenty to keep you occupied.

Bratislava Castle - Slovakia
Bratislava Castle – Slovakia

Due to its geographical position and history a good starting point is Bratislava castle. Not only does it house the Museum of History but affords tremendous views across the city.  Down in the town, the Michael’s Gate which is the only preserved gate of the city fortification system dates back to the 14th century gives you a great view back across the Old Town and the castle.  The tower at the gate houses the Museum of Arms.

Bratislava houses the largest war memorial in Central Europe. It rises over 50 metres and dominates the city skyline.  It is the burial ground of 6845 soldiers of the Soviet army who died during the liberation of Bratislava in World War II.

St Elizabeth’s Church (The Blue Church) - Bratislava - Slovakia
St Elizabeth’s Church (The Blue Church) – Bratislava – Slovakia

On a religious note, don’t miss out on a visit the 15th Century St Marin’s Cathedral, the Art Nouveau style St Elizabeth’s Church, also known as the blue church and cubist style synagogue built between 1923 and 1926.

You will be spoilt for choice with a wide range of restaurants, cafes and bars and for those of you with a sweet tooth, patisseries something they do so well in Central Europe. Whilst in the city look out for the amazing sculptures.

Sculpture - Bratislava - Slovakia
Sculpture – Bratislava – Slovakia
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Africa Asia Australia Europe Latin America Middle East

BA September Sale

British Airways is currently running a September Sale. Let’s have a look at some of their offers. All prices quoted are for return flights and were correct on the day of publication. Must be booked by 30th September 2020.

USA and Canada: Flights to New York at £281 or less, September through to June 2021. Flights and 3 nights hotel accommodation from £379 in January. Similar deals for other east coast destinations. Flights to Miami at £338 or less, October through to June 2021, similar deals to other destinations. On the west coast, flights to San Francisco £328 or less October throught to May 2021.

Asia and Middle East: Flights to Singapore at £380 or less September through to July 2021. Seoul at $459 or less return for the same period. Dubai at £299 or less October through to June 2021.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is britishairways_216861588833774.jpg British Airways September Sale Now On.
British Airways September Sale Now On.

Rest of the world: Flights to Sydney £562 or less Janaury to June 2021. Rio de Janiero at £390 or less October to July 2021. Johannesburg at £437 or less October to June 2021.

Looking a city break. Then BA are offering 2 nights city breaks in Venice, Prague, Barcelona and Budapest from £99 pp. Absolute bargains. Fly Drive holidays: Algarve or Pisa with flights and 7 days car hire from £109 pp.

Pay with your British Airways American Express Premium Plus Card, collect Avios and fly with BA for less.