Tag: Europe

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City City Break Europe Gibraltar Sun Winter Sun

Gibraltar

If you have a look at the current travel corridors, Gibraltar is one place that you can travel to at the time of writing without having a Covid test prior or on entry and there is no need to quarantine on your return.  Daytime temperatures are average around 16oC in January and can get into the low 20s.  It is pleasant enough to sit out and eat lunch during the day, but gets a bit chilly for dinner in the evening.

Although Gibraltar is relatively small, there is still plenty to do.  Scenery wise there is a little bit of everything. There are beaches which during the winter you might not want to sit on but they are great places to walk, take in the sea air and the views. There is plenty of history on Gibraltar due to its geography at the entrance of the Mediterranean Sea which has been a highly valued possession.   You will find a mixture of influences and reminders of the Romans, the Moors, the Spanish and the British all over the island.

St Micheal's Cave, Gibraltar - visitgibraltar.gi
St Micheal’s Cave – Gibraltar – visitgibraltar.gi

St Michael’s Cave is one of the many wonders of Gibraltar, and has enticed visitors for hundreds of years. While staying in Gibraltar it’s well worth paying a visit.  The cave is actually a series of caves that are 300m above sea level.  They are Gibraltar’s main tourist attraction with over 1,000,000 visitors a year.  One of the largest caves serves as an auditorium and during WW2 the caves served as a hospital.

You cannot visit Gibraltar without seeing the Barbary Macaques, these monkey inhabitants of the rock are the only monkeys on the continent of Europe.  They are well looked after in the Gibraltar nature reserve that covers 40% of the country. 

Barbary Macaque - African coastline of Morocco in the background.
Barbary Macaque – African coastline of Morocco in the background.

Two other attractions I wouldn’t want to miss out on if I were going on a short break. One would be the 11th century Moorish castle complex.  In its heyday it was much larger that it is today.  Look out for The Tower of Homage and the Gate House. In 1704 the British flag was placed on top of the castle and it still files today. The other would be the Great Siege Tunnels which were built at the end of the 18th century during the Great Siege of Gibraltar when France and Spain attempted to capture Gibraltar.  The tunnels dug out by hand mainly using sledgehammers and crowbars with the occasional gunpowder blast are impressive.

Moorish Castle and view over Gibraltar. visitgibraltar.gi
Moorish Castle and view over Gibraltar. visitgibraltar.gi
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Beach City Europe France La Rochelle Uncategorized

La Rochelle, France

If you like to combine the sun and sand with a bit of history and military history in particular then La Rochelle on the French west coast could be just the destination for you. If you have been following the Sky TV series “Das Boot” based on the German novel and film about  U-boats during the Battle of the Atlantic you will know that many of them sailed from La Rochelle.

La Rochelle’s history is strongly linked to the sea.  Originally a small fishing village it grew and became so significant that the English fought and lost Battle of La Rochelle in 1372 which three months later led to the French conquering the town and saw the beginning of the end of English control of Aquitaine. 

La Rochelle Towers - Chris Bromley
La Rochelle Towers – Chris Bromley

The pens for the U boats were constructed in secret at night and could hold 13 submarines.  Some of the most important missions set sail from here.  Unfortunately they are not open to the public as they are used by the French navy. The U-boat complexes in St. Nazaire, Lorient and Bordeaux are open to the public. 

Despite being heavily used by the Germans during the Second World War, the city itself suffered very little damage and was the last city in France to be liberated from the Germans.

La Rochelle - Karlo Kolumno
La Rochelle – Karlo Kolumno

For us it means that the “Vieux Port” (“Old Harbour”), and the old town are well preserved, with it’s churches, market square and passageways.

In town you can also visit the Bunker of La Rochelle built to protect the submarine commanders from bombs and learn about what life was like for the citizens of La Rochelle from 1939 to 1945.

Île de Ré - Christoph Maurer
Île de Ré – Christoph Maurer

For the beach you can have a choice of the beautiful Ile de Ré or the small resort at Chatetlaillon Plage, a short distance south of La Rochelle.

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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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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