A city break in the Basque city of Bilbao

After six wonderful nights in San Sebastián, we spent four nights of our two-centre holiday in Bilbao, rounding off our trip to northern Spain and the Basque country. Getting There We flew into and out of Bilbao with Vueling Airlines, flying from London Gatwick and returning to Heathrow. With a flight time of around two […]…

A Smooth and Good-Value Flight Between London and Bilbao

We flew with the Spanish low-cost carrier, Vueling Airlines, from London Gatwick South to Bilbao and returned 10 days later to Heathrow. Overall, the experience was straightforward and good value, despite a couple of minor frustrations. Our outbound journey got off to an interesting start. On arrival at Gatwick, we found ourselves behind a group […]…

Exploring a northern Moldovan town

Edineț is a town in the far north of Moldova, close to the borders with Romania and Ukraine. It is therefore an important regional crossroads for the surrounding agricultural communities and whilst not one of the country’s major tourist destinations, we spent a day sightseeing whilst on route back to the capital. We began at […]…

A large and prosperous Roma community

The city of Soroca, in northern Moldova, was one of the most fascinating stops on our tour combining medieval history, spectacular views, and an insight into Roma culture. We began at the 30m tall monument, The Candle of Gratitude, and were fortunate enough to drive to it, as those starting in the town below, face […]…

Moldova’s Relaxed and Walkable Capital

One of the biggest surprises about Moldova’s capital Chișinău was how compact it was. Whilst we spent time exploring on our own, a half-day city tour was also well worth it. With wide boulevards, leafy parks and plenty of places to stop for a coffee or a cold drink, sightseeing felt relaxed rather than exhausting. […]…

Wining and Dining the Moldovan Way

We stayed in Moldova’s capital Chișinău on three separate occasions during our tour. While our hotels, the Bristol Central Park and City Park, served us well, we also explored some of the nearby restaurants and bars to sample the food and wine scene. LA PLĂCINTE Our first evening took us to La Plăcinte, one of […]…

Sailing Greece’s Secret Islands with Variety Cruises

Marion Ainge goes overboard for a Variety Cruises’ motor yacht Greek island cruise…

An ideal hotel for an early morning flight from Heathrow T2

Once again, with another very early morning departure from Heathrow, we decided to spend the night at the Hilton Garden Inn London Heathrow Terminal 2 and 3. Despite booking well in advance, the cost for our stay had climbed to £246 for a room on the 11th floor (Room 1127), although the convenience of being […]…

Flying on Poland’s national carrier

We’d flown with LOT Polish Airlines directly to Vilnius in September 2025 when it had been a reasonable experience. But this time, the journey to Moldova’s capital Chișinău, was a little more complicated. We’d checked in online 36 hours in advance, and our travel agent had already prebooked our seats. As we were travelling economy […]…

Learning how to make couscous in a covată

Wine tasting was a key feature on our tour of Moldova, but our favourite culinary experience was visiting La Tanti Masha, translated as ‘At Auntie Masha’s’, in the village of Slobozia Mare, in the southern part of the country. Tanti Masha has become something of a Moldovan celebrity for preserving an old family recipe for […]…

Keeping Moldovan traditional weaving alive

The Arta Rustică Craft Complex in the Moldovan village of Clișova Nouă was established in 2004 to preserve and promote rural customs, skills and artistic traditions. Before we explored the exhibits, our enthusiastic host, whose commentary was interpreted by our guide, explained how the village had been rebuilt after a devastating landslide. Black-and-white photographs vividly […]…