With a name like Bohemian Paradise, this national park had a lot to live up to. Promising mythical castles, towering trees and gargantuan sandstone pillars, it sounded just the kind of flamboyant weekend break I craved. Casting off my work suit, I set off to follow in the footsteps of song writers and poets on a gloriously Bohemian Bank holiday get-away to the Czech Republic.
The Bohemian Paradise, Czech Republic
“Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones” rang the soundtrack in my head as I visited the infamous Bone Church or “Ossuary” in Kutna Hora, Bohemia. Crammed with the remains of more than 40,000 mortals displayed on walls, ceilings and cherub-topped pyramids, I didn’t know whether to be impressed or repulsed.
Church of Bones, Kutna Hora
The glittering Aegean sea, flower-laden churches and streets on fire, an Easter break to Santorini is a journey into ancient times. As the poppies and mimosa blossom, the island prepares for the most important religious festival of the year. If you’re keen to shake off the last vestiges of winter, it’s an ideal time to book an out of season spring mini break to Santorini and sample an unforgettable experience of the real Greece.
Santorini
City breaks are now more popular than beach holidays and more of us than ever before will explore a new country in 2016. These are just two of the holiday trends revealed in a recent survey by Sainsburys Travel Insurance. If you’ve still to firm up your holiday plans, we can reveal the most popular annual leave hot-spots; how much salary you’ll spend and what you’ll do once you get there.
Kotor Bay Montenegro
With annual leave disappearing like snow off a dyke, it’s important to cram as much as we can into the our precious holiday entitlement. If like me, you love the buzz of the city and the solitude of the great outdoors – why not enjoy both by seeking city breaks that offer mountain escapes. I’ve hand-picked five radically different destinations where you can spend the day clambering up mountains and be back in time for evening cocktails.
Alhambra Palace
After six months of training, I finally set off on my Atlas Mountain trek last week in a state of excitement and trepidation. Would all the hard work pay off? How would I cope with altitude sickness, the trots or a combination of both? And most importantly, would I make it to the summit of the mighty Mount Toubkal? All is revealed…….
Atlas Mountains skyline
With autumn beckoning, we have just a few weeks left to savour lunch breaks alfresco and parade our sandals on the tube. If you’ve been toiling away while colleagues sizzle on foreign beaches, September heralds a smug season of off-peak travel prices and cooler temperatures on the continent. What better time to visit sultry Seville where you can gorge on tapas and flamenco to your heart’s content without the crowds. Read our top five things to do on an autumn short break to Seville.
Flamenco
Following my May Bank Holiday Snowdon ascent, my training schedule has recently ramped up a gear in preparation my first international trek in September. On top of my twice weekly-runs and daily lunch break stair climbing antics, I decided it was time to head for the hills again, this time, on a mini break to the Lake District. With walking poles and Compeed plasters at the ready, (lessons learnt from last time), I set off from work last Friday lunchtime to explore Britain’s largest hiking playground.
With the annual summer holiday exodus about to hit offices, those left behind to pick up the pieces can still escape to a weekend of fun and freedom at one of many Great British Summer Festivals. Proving there’s so much more to summertime frolics than Glastonbury, we’ve compiled a list of the most eclectic festivals taking place across the British Isles this summer. From hot air ballooning to oyster shucking, there’s a festival to suit everyone – some even with luxury toilets.
The landing of the oyster
With only four months to go (yikes) until my Atlas Mountain trek, I decided to head for the hills this May bank holiday weekend to do my first ever mountain climb. Equipped with compeed plasters, gloves, scarves and a mountain of cereal bars, I left my desk at lunchtime on Friday to join thirteen other intrepid Londoners destined for Mount Snowdon in the Welsh outback.
Mount Snowdon