Tag Archives: Europe


A winter weekend in Venice

Cat Mills says winter is the best time to visit Venice – when the canals are veiled in mist and the summer crowds have gone. After living in Malta for several months, my partner and I were getting restless. The monotony of regular everyday life was setting in: we’d get up in the morning, have breakfast, go to work, come home and watch a movie. … Continue reading


Cool places: The trulli of Alberobello, Italy

Looking out across the conical roofs jutting out from the landscape of Alberobello, you could be forgiven for thinking you’ve slipped into a forgotten JRR Tolkien novel – these slouched limestone dwellings capped with grey conical roofs seem to be lifted from the pages of fantasy. Yes, if Frodo Baggins, a few elves and a smattering of Smurfs got together to create the perfect village … Continue reading


Feeling festive: European Christmas markets

Snow-capped huts, mitten-warming mulled wine and the tantalising aroma of roasting chestnuts. Teresa Curran revels in the festive spirit of her favourite European Christmas markets. When I was growing up in New Zealand I would listen with incredulity to Christmas songs about chestnuts, sleigh rides, warm fires and snowmen. My family would sometimes receive postcards with snowy scenes: a robin, perhaps, looking jaunty in a winter wonderland. Shop … Continue reading


3 alternative things to see in your favourite European cities

You – yes you, the person guilty of the ‘holding up the leaning tower of Pisa’ tourist photo. Or are you pinching the top of the Eiffel Tower? Or are you smiling awkwardly in front of an indeterminate iconic building? (‘It’s the – er, something important…’) We’re all guilty of ticking off the iconic sights when visiting a new city, but one of the best … Continue reading