Frankly marvellous France and gorgeous Genoa February half term 2017

This was such a lovely break, such a positive experience.Genoa was a great place to start.  It is a big old lumbering place in some ways but you go round a corner and there is a stunning medieval building. The port is great. There are wonderful winding streets each with a local tart hovering in it. Meanwhile the museums were virtually empty. There wasn't even a guard in some rooms.  Nuova Strada.  But also the youth hostel was just wonderful and the mix of ages and nationalities made it a great place for discussions.

A short coach trip bought me to Nice, which is a really lovely town - very multi cultural and with a great vibe.    I visited the Matisse museum and the local town museum.  But the time was dominated by the Nice carnival.  I was a bit panicked by the police presence and potential mad men but held on had a great time.  Cannes felt a bit flat in comparison and I felt alone for the only time in the week but on my return to Marseille and a jolly hostel there it was once more great chats between me and two young Germans and a Canadian living in France,

Painful Portugal and positive Portugal. 2017

I have been searching for access to the site and have just realised one can now get in from the actual blog!  So that is different.

Having had a wonderful time in Brecon just before Easter, I have now just come back from Portugal.  It was the first visit since having to pull out of the purchase of a property there and several other very stressful events so that might explain why despite many wonders - the flowers, the sun, my son, my Dad, Mooji, Monte Sahaja, the food, the company, our accommodation, storks - I felt deeply disturbed whilst there. Apart from a lovely first day revisit of Silves it did not really feel like a holiday instead it just felt distressing.   So not what one wants from a trip abroad at all.  It is a long time since I have holiday shakes and ones that have lasted so long.  Luckily when I returned a month later, I was fine,  clearly I am just no good at holidaying with others - or something like that, but I had a lovely time really getting to know Silves and debating if I could live there and then just having a real holiday lying on the beach in Tavira,  a typical Portuguese town having both a river and seaside,  yet one with several Indian restaurants too.

Glam Youth Hostel in Tavira. 

Storks in Silves

Waiting in Garvao

Marvellous Malaga and hello, Alora. January 2017

I first visited Malaga when I was about 15.   We had rented some of the first properties being built in Torremolinos so Malaga was there in the background, and apart from a visit to the market with my son on his first trip to Spain 23 years ago,  it was once again in the background of a holiday just up the coast, so this weekend, with a detour to Alora was lovely.  The area had been flooded and then snowed upon recently but on my visit the sun shone just as it had 23 years ago.   With stunning architecture, and interesting museums and real warmth Malaga was a lovely place to potter about in whilst the trip to Alora, with its Moorish castle, tapas bars and guitar melodies,  gave a much better idea of Spanish life in Andalucia.

Perfect Pula. 2016

I was introduced to Croatia from A Place in the Sun and the recent history of the Balkans, but it is not an area of Europe I know.  However, normally when I looked up flights they were very expensive, suddenly a return to Pula appeared online for just £25.  I was in real need of a break and time by myself so was delighted to find a self catering room for four nights for just £75. What I had not expected was to find somewhere so serenly beautiful. I just loved sitting on the beach, being quiet, visitng the Roman remains,  it was fabulous.

Wonderful Warsaw. winter 2016

If you are going to be cold in winter, why not go really cold, but actually Poland was warmer than expected.   I benefitted from a really good deal on a hotel and was right in the centre of town so enjoyed walking around in the evening as much as in the day.  The food was great, very filling, after years of teaching Polish students and hearing about their food it was great to try bigos, pierogi, and cheesecake in situ.  I liked the  statue of Adam Wickiewicz' Poland's great author, who I had only heard of because of my students.   Warsaw was a mix of Moscow type buildings, lovely decor, and interesting history e.g. Copernicus and Curie.

Latest journey to Luxembourg Januar7 2017

To start the new year, I felt it was time to head off, but where to?  I decided on somewhere that has never appealed before but post Brexit seems a more relevant place to consider on my weekend to Luxembourg City, I found desolate modern buildings that really do not make the most of the countries place in Europe, but lovely old buildings that are a testament to how connected this place is to Europe.  It seems to have come under France, Belgium, Spain, Netherlands, etc etc,  and now with its dual languages and  multinational residents (many of the youth hostel staff for example were from Portugal)   it is an interesting melting pot.

Return to KG 2015

This beautiful felt yurt nicely expressed the positive and at times challenging relationship with KG. It was a touching and unexpected gift,  but how to get it home as it is big1  Luckily with all clothes shoved inside it and then it shoved inside my case,  with minor damage it now has pride of place in my room and is a favourite toy for my niece to play with.   The damage to my health working in the British education system post KG means I am now not sure I will ever work in a classroom ever again, which is a shame as I would like to return if possible at least once more to work with my inspirational Kyrgyiz colleagues.  I am still hoping to find some volunteers who might consider a trip out there too, so please pass this on if you know a teacher who might be interested.