I knew very little about Unst, the most northerly of the Shetland Islands prior to arriving for a month long work exchange at the most northerly hotel in the UK. I had arranged the placement on a total whim – I was tired of my hectic life in London and had quit my job to […]
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In deep mid winter, Nottingham shakes off the dark nights by illuminating the city every February with Light Night. Nottingham Castle Hockley, Nottingham The Lace Market, Nottingham The Old Market Square, Nottingham – Science Experiments A little flavour of Light Night Nottingham Light Night 2016 from Look With New Eyes on Vimeo.
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The story January. The month for big ideas, wild plans, new beginnings. A weekday evening, middle of the month, a group of friends gathered for dinner. Fran, a previous ski season colleague casually mentioned she was probably going to hitchhike to Morocco from London sometime this year and extended an open invitation to the group. The […]
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February was an offbeat choice to set off with a backpack to Eastern Europe. With a little money saved, I dithered for weeks over where to go – Central America or an African country were tempting, but flight prices were off-putting considering my tiny budget. Years back, when I lived in New Zealand, I remember how much […]
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Tallinn, Estonia’s medieval capital – is a city of two halves. At its heart, the Old Town is an enchanting mix of cobbled streets, red-roofed city walls and church spires. At the perimeter, alternative neighbourhoods such as Kalamaja are nurturing cutting-edge Estonian art, culture and design. Starting in the Old Town, prepare to be charmed. […]
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Riga is a little beauty covered in snow; the Art Nouveau rooftops all fairytale-like, but I was keen to get out to the countryside for a bit of peaceful hiking. 50 km from Riga, the town of Sigulda is the gateway to Latvia’s largest national park – the Gauja. As well as a starting point for trails and hikes, […]
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From Europe’s largest market to Russian dumplings – Riga has plenty of budget conscious options for all tastes – from gourmet to simple, local food. On a recent trip to Riga, these were amongst my highlights. 1. Niklavs |Marstalu 1 – Decent value lunch spot Niklav’s specialises in a mix of Latvian and European dishes. […]
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The beach? In winter? Are you mad?! Probably, a little bit…But I was curious. I had never experienced frozen sand or blankets of snow hiding in sand dunes, so I hopped on the train to Majori, forty minutes outside of Riga to the beach resort of Jurmala. A ten minute walk beyond the town descends […]
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Sometimes your chips just come up nicely. Whilst doing the weekly ritual of browsing discount websites for a cheeky spring escape, I stumbled upon half price flight to Great Barrier Island. Not in Australia, but only a short flight from Auckland. After a busy start to the work season, I wanted to just chill – and let […]
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