They say that you never forget your first time – and for me that was in Seville. While strolling along in the unfiltered sunshine, sharp flashes of light caught my eye. This was it, this was what I had heard about:
In Britain, talking about the weather is an accepted, even expected, way to start, finish and sometimes fill a conversation. Every time it snows, the country grinds to a halt and…
“Is it weird to be back?”
I hear that a lot each time I return to this jigsaw-shaped island…
s it turned out, this was Petrol Art, a creative enterprise distilled from the desire to convert environmental damage into something more worthwhile.
Ronnie Scott’s has become a byword for top quality music. At least to everyone I know. Sadly, as is often the case in all things musical, I was playing catch up from the moment I heard the word “acoustic.” So…
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t tired, but as the security guards shine a torch on my pass and I stride around that corner…
Employing the unfair advantage of being sober, it’s actually quite easy to get near the front. With…
It’s a surreal feeling, to come this close. For although the eyes of thousands are watching him, someone now watches me.
The small town of Benicassim on the northeast coast of Spain hosts the annual music festival, FIB. In between catching the likes of Kasabian, the Gorillaz and Dizzee Rascal, I had the chance to take to the skies…
The air in Benicassim throbs with heat, with screams, with expectation. Overhead somewhere, the sky must be thick with darkness but right here, right now…
The Oceanográfico forms part of the spectacular City of Arts & Sciences complex in Valencia. As the largest aquarium in Europe…it makes me uneasy.
“A lot of people talk about the F1 bubble,” says Tom, as reporters walk past in jeans and T-shirts…
Valencia has plenty of street art. Whether you think about it in conventional terms, conjuring up the “graffiti” from Bristol’s edgiest neighbourhood, or in alternative terms…
“It’s about to get extremely loud in here, guys,” says the Lotus spokesman. “Really loud.” I’m in the Lotus Formula One team garage – and with…
Venice has a tempestuous love affair with the world. Millions of adoring fans visit La Serenissima each year, lured by the sirens of the Adriatic. Perhaps I’ve spent too much time squashed on the London Underground, but…
Last week, I wrote about NO8DO, the mysterious motto of Seville. Later that day I received…
Geneva, Switzerland. My first thoughts leaped to watches, chocolates and human rights – and my first half hour in the city certainly backed up that list.
Five symbols squeeze together, like children trying to fit into one photograph.
NO8DO, NO8DO, NO8DO.
It’s written on unfurling flags and…
No, this isn’t about literature, philosophy or trying to justify playing computer games. Brain food is actually about, well, brain as food.
In the midst of a fresh Paris spring, I was standing in another building with scuffed wooden floors…
Zafra. The very name of the place intrigued me, so I was hoping for something different, something exciting and the Parador de Zafra…
Every ash cloud has a silver lining, as the new saying goes. One unexpected advantage, though, was…
Birkenau.
The name may not carry as much horror as the word Auschwitz, but it should.
Yesterday, the Eyjafjallajoekull volcano in Iceland erupted, spreading a thick cloud of ash across western Europe. This…
Guest author Robin Locker explains why she recommends The Reluctant Tuscan.
Portugal’s Albufeira has both the blessing and the curse of a smooth sandy beach, striking white houses and good weather…
“We’ll always have Paris,” as the immortal line goes. Now, it seems, Paris will always have something to remember as well…
On a spring afternoon, with orange blossom filtering the sunshine, I saw my first one. Looming tall and dressed entirely in black, the hood masked his face before rising upwards to a point above his head. His hands were gloved, the dark robe flowing and two, blinking dark eyes…
The streets of Seville have thronged with Semana Santa this week. Between Palm Sunday and Easter itself, the city hosts a delicate combination of solemn religious processions and a candy-floss-coloured carnival…
It’s Semana Santa or Holy Week in Seville. Here’s a sneak preview of a procession rehearsal. More to follow… UPDATE: Find the Travel Lab Report on Semana Santa in Seville here.
ABOUT ME: I’m a journalist with a passion for travel and a background in Neuroscience and Emergency Medicine.
Inside the Travel Lab blogs about the world of unusual journeys.
