This week marks the 200th anniversary of the founding of the place where I live – #Waterlooville200 here in Hampshire, close to the coastal city of Portsmouth. Our town was, as one might expect, named after the battle and there are many local reminders named in honour of the key individuals – Nelson, Wellington and…
Category: Europe
Portsdown Hill – best viewpoint over Portsmouth
When you visit a new city, don’t you wish you could see its situation and understand it from the air? You can do so when travelling to Belfast of course but it is quite rare. In Hampshire, it’s uniquely possible, thanks to the long chalk ridge of Portsdown Hill. The highest point lies within Fort…
Café culture experienced!
I wrote recently about the sudden influx of cafés arriving on Southsea Beach and I have finally made it to eat at the newest, Southsea Beach Café. We sat outside with The Hound who was immediately made welcome and offered a bowl of water which of course, he turned down scornfully. He was waiting for…
Café culture finally makes it to Southsea!
It’s like waiting for a bus for ages. First one comes and then another in close succession. So it is with the former catering wilderness that was, until recently, Southsea Beach in Portsmouth, Hampshire – even The Guardian picked up on the new Southsea buzz a few weekends ago. Taking The Hound for walks along…
Foreign felines make you feel at home
It always surprises me whenever I travel how many nations love the small fluffy animal which is Felis catus or the domestic cat. (Above – Baku, Azerbaijani resident at the Karvansara Restoran in the Inner City). Once worshipped as a god, these elegant feline beauties display no linguistic difficulties when encountering strangers, enter into amicable conversations…
Hinton Ampner Bluebell Walk
As the recent and very sad fire damage of Clandon House has shown, the treasures protected for us by the National Trust are not here forever and we should take advantage of them when we can. It was with this in mind that I re-visited Hinton Ampner in Bramdean, Hampshire – one of my very favourite Trust properties…
Quintessentially English – it’s Bluebell time!
Nothing shouts Englishness as much as a bluebell does – a sentiment outlined in today’s Daily Telegraph. They are early, they are bright as a button and it is said that half of the world’s population of bluebells are based right here on our soil. So where can we spot them? Probably in your nearest…
The incomparable Hermione
Every once in a while, a big idea comes along which is breathtaking in its audacity, scope and simplicity. Welcome to the story of Hermione, the replica of the ship that took Lafayette over the Atlantic to the Americas in the War of Independence against the British. Why am I so struck by this…
Three further finds – Magical Côte d’Azur
If you have read my last two last blog posts, I have been pulling out some of my treasured memories to my re-introduction to the Côte d’Azur last December – things that you might just not expect to see on the French Riviera. We know about Picasso and his links to the Côte d’Azur but…
Three sweet finds – Magical Côte d’Azur
Following on from my previous post sharing some of the secrets I found when I visited the legendary Côte d’Azur last December, these next three finds have a definite food and drink edge to them. It started at the Hôtel du Clos in the rural village of Le Rouret (15 mins drive from Grasse) which is,…
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