Adventure Ideas: Home away from home When it comes to travel I’m a bit of a restless soul, more into the journey than making a base from which to explore. But if adventure’s about getting out of your comfort zone maybe it’s time I settled down somewhere else for a week or two. So for [...]
10 Off Season City Breaks for Families

They always look good in the brochures don’t they; those midsummer breaks in peaceful locations with a deserted beach that stretches into forever? Thing is, those idyllic pictures taken out of season start to look a little busy in July. And the reality is that your well earned quality family time is spent queuing at [...]
Eclipse in St Marks Square Venice: A Celebrity Arrives

Celebrity Square: At St Marks Square, Venice After cycling across Europe we have a day to spend in Venice, to see the sights, to celebrate our family achievement, to blend in with the thousands of tourists who have travelled far and wide to see this unique city of canals and culture. And, as it turns [...]
Party time in Venice
Venice awakes Water laps onto stone. The haze of dawn and the morning mist combine on the lagoon, casting blue light over the skyline as it wakes. I have fallen in love with this city, with its early morning waterways, intense alleys and deserted passages. I have one hour to explore it alone. The tourists, [...]
It’s not real, it’s just a dolly
Dolly has now been promoted from the buggy to riding pillion When we’re on the road, our little band of five can seem less like a family and more like a travelling kindergarten or zoo. Sometimes I lose track of who I’ve got with me at any one time. Still, on the plus side, my [...]
The waiting game
Beautiful Italy, so atmospherc The café on the square looks closed, the tables outside empty, but the door is open. It’s an improvement on the other two bars in Cartigliano whose doors are firmly locked for siesta. Where do Italians go for a lunchtime drink or snack? The kids pile in noisily and head straight [...]
Encounters with a tranny granny
It may all look very lovely but at the end of the day I’m tired, hungry and need a bed for the night It is 34 degrees. It is late and we are in a big city. We have no hotel for the night. We are having a row in the middle of the street [...]














