Why be like the other sheep?
There are lots of wonderful places for shopping and eating in Lerwick and the good news is that they’re all close together. So even if you only have a few hours you’ll still be able to explore them.
Is Lerwick a good destination for shopping and lunching? You may be wondering this if you are travelling around Shetland or if you are just visiting for a few hours on one of the many cruise ships that now make a stop in Shetland each summer.
You won’t find many high-street names in Lerwick – no Starbucks or Costa, no M&S or WHSmiths and no Top Shop or Primark. There’s not even a McDonald’s.
This is a good thing. Continue reading “Shopping and Eating in Lerwick”
Scalloway in Shetland is on many people’s must-see list because of the castle, museum and interesting WWII history. But it’s worth spending a couple of extra hours and exploring more of the village. When I did, I found all these cute houses and wanted to move straight in.
The first couple of times I went to Scalloway I liked it, but felt it was somewhere to quickly see and move on. There’s a castle and there was a small cluttered museum in one of the terraced houses, but that was about it. Continue reading “Cute Houses of Scalloway”
Posh sandwiches, gooey cakes and warm scones all served as I pootled round London on the top deck of an old Routemaster. Read on to find out more about touring London on a cake bus.
You’ve probably seen the double-decker tour buses that drive round London and other cities countless times. But have you ever seen one that’s a cake bus?
When I mentioned to people that I was going to London to go on a cake bus I got a few people disbelieving me. As though they thought something that good couldn’t possibly exist.
But believe me people, as exist it does! Continue reading “Touring London on a Cake Bus”
Iranian food, French chocolate, an Afro-Caribbean market, a hidden river, WW2 POW history, an odd looking library, a peace wall. If you’re in London you really should spend a day in Peckham. Read on to find out what a day in Peckham has to offer. This post is part of the Exploring London’s Suburbs series.
Last week I had a few days in London and managed to fit in a trip to an area I haven’t visited before for the next installment of my series, ‘Exploring London’s Suburbs’. Read on to find out what I discovered on my day in Peckham. Continue reading “A Day in Peckham”
The world’s first purpose-built art gallery, Ernest Shackleton’s boat, an old college, an American Garden and a lovely high street. I found plenty to see and do when I spent a day in Dulwich recently.
One of the things I’m trying to do when I visit London is to see more than just the usual tourist areas. Having lived there for over ten years (though not all in one go) I feel I know the city pretty well and I know that there’s plenty to see and do outside of the West End. I also know that there are still lots of areas well worth exploring that I’ve yet to visit. Continue reading “A Day in Dulwich”
What do William Morris, Europe’s longest street market, an ancient house and 26,000 burials have in common? They’re all found in Walthamstow.
London is far more than just the West End. If you’re visiting and you have more than a couple of days, or if it’s not your first visit and so you’ve already been to Madame Tussaud’s and the Tower of London, then it’s well worth exploring a bit further than the usual Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square, Covent Garden circuit.
Hop on a tube or bus and get out into the surrounding towns and suburbs. They are all so different and have their own characters and sub-cultures, and as there’re always plenty of interesting things to do and places to eat, not only will you have a great day, but you can go home and say you’ve seen a bit of the ‘real London’ too. Continue reading “A Day in Walthamstow”
An early morning visit to the new Muscat fish market in Muttrah was a fascinating glimpse into ‘life behind the scenes’ in Oman.
Earlier this year Muscat fish market moved into a new purpose-built hall. I wondered if ‘health and safety’ and, you know, basic consideration for the comfort and well-being of the men working there might have made it less atmospheric and photogenic, but I still jumped at the chance of an early morning visit. Continue reading “Muscat Fish Market – A Photo Essay”
What better way to spend a day than having your bottom thrashed as you are dragged behind a speeding boat. This is just one of the things that happened during my boat trip in the Gulf of Oman. Read on to find out what else happened.
Sometimes I feel very lucky. This was one of those times. Why? Because not only do I have friends in the beautiful desert country of Oman and not only do these friends invite me to visit them and show me around, but … big but … a couple of them even have a boat and invited me to spend the day with them on a boat trip in the Gulf of Oman. Continue reading “Spending the Day on a Boat in the Gulf of Oman”
A beautiful desert sinkhole filled with warm, clear water and fish that nibble your feet. Why go to an expensive spa when you can swim in Bimmah Sinkhole?
On my recent visit to Oman I was lucky enough to have a friend take me out for the day to explore some of the desert near Muscat. After starting our day at Muscat’s fish market we hightailed it out of the city (or would have done if it hadn’t have been rush hour) and headed first of all to the Bimmah Sinkhole. Continue reading “Swimming in a Sinkhole”
I didn’t get time to explore Wadi Shab fully, but the bit I saw makes me want to prioritise a revisit next time I’m in Oman. However, there are some things I need to do first. Like improve my swimming.
A Wadi is a dry riverbed that in times of rain can quickly become flooded and inaccessible. As it doesn’t rain very often in Oman this is unlikely to be a problem if you want to visit. However, if it has rained do take advice before visiting.
Wadi Shab is about 90 mins drive from Muscat on the road to Sur. The entrance is spoilt by the modern highway bridge that straddles the two sides, but it doesn’t take long to lose sight of it once you start walking into the gorge. Continue reading “Wadi Shab – A Spectacular Gorge Walk in Oman”
