VIVA Cruises – river cruising redefined!

Discover a modern, all-inclusive river cruise experience offering premium comfort, flexible dining, wellness facilities, and sustainable travel across Europe….
Blandy’s Wine Lodge
No trip to Madeira would be complete without a tour of Blandy’s Wine Lodge. It is situated in the heart of Funchal on Avenida Arriaga 28 Funchal. The tours take place every day in five languages. The guides walk you through the different areas and talk about the process of winemaking. You can enjoy wine […]…
Atelier Vicente’s
The Madeira Photography Museum is located in a 19th century building with a studio called Atelier Vicente’s. Inside there is a photographic archive of one and a half million copies which contribute to the different temporary exhibitions. There is also a collection of cameras, furniture, books and other artefacts. A section on cinmema is housed […]…
Mamma Museum
Mamma Museum of Modern Art in Funchal is a great place for art enthusiasts. Not only does it house contemporary artwork but it is also the venue for concerts and fashion shows. The gallery is situated at 14 Monumental Road. The avant-garde paintings and installations challenge perceptions and this is what makes the place interesting. […]…
Luxury small-ship cruising with Windstar

Windstar’s Star Legend delivers intimate luxury cruising from Málaga to Barcelona, with gourmet dining, personalised service and immersive shore experiences….
Visiting the land of Greek Mythology – Thessaloniki and Mount Olympus

Thessaloniki and Central Macedonia offer the perfect long weekend with history, archaeology, beaches, nature, local wine and exceptional Greek food….
A voyage into the unknown

Jeannine Williamson experiences the intrigue and excitement of a Fred. Olsen mystery cruise…
Lapland Is for Adults

Discover Swedish Lapland through husky walks, ice bathing, Sámi culture, Arctic cuisine and soulful winter rituals….
An upgrade to an executive room
On arrival at the four-star Konventa Sēta Hotel there were two pieces of good news: we had been upgraded to an executive room and, although it was only 11am, it was ready. Rooms were spread across a series of renovated and interconnected 13th-century buildings in Riga’s Old Town. Whilst there was a bit of a […]…
A fabulous dinner and a disappointing breakfast
The Mikelis Hotel in Bauska was funded by a European Union project as there was a need for good quality accommodation on the route between Latvia and Lithuania. The welcome was not particularly friendly and having chosen our breakfast and dinner times, we were asked if we wanted to visit their car museum. Despite being […]…
Estonian and Italian cuisine in Tartu
We stayed for two nights in Tartu, Estonia’s second-largest city, at the Hotel Lydia. Although their restaurant was in the Michelin Guide listing for Tartu, it was fully booked on the Saturday night and closed the following day. However, the hotel was located behind Town Hall Square which had several bars and restaurants, and we […]…
A good location in Estonia’s university city
We stayed for two nights in the four-star Hotel Lydia in Estonia’s university city, Tartu. The hotel’s 70 rooms were split between modern and historical wings and room 204 was in the former. The bed was two comfortable singles pushed together, with individual duvets, two pillows each, bedside lights and tables with fruit jellies. However, […]…