‘To remember the importance of great friendships and make time for each other’. That was the promise we made nearly five years ago as we gathered in Zagreb to mourn the unexpected loss of the dearest of friends. Last weekend we honoured that good intention with all the warmth, love and fun that typified our Ana […]
My stories to date have almost exclusively covered those parts of Europe outside British shores, so in an attempt to redress the balance a little, I thought I’d give you a glimpse of England’s past and present, which I hope will make you consider a trip to our shores. Our flight two weeks ago took […]
By Annemieke Waite
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Also posted in England, History, Holiday Activities, Nature, travel tips
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Tagged Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Hadrian's Wall, Harry Hotspur, Holy Island, Housestead, Lindisfarne, Lindisfarne Castle, Lindisfarne Gospels, LIndisfarne Priory, Northumberland, St. Cuthbert, Vindolanda
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January 27, 2013 – 9:04 pm
This week, I accidentally tipped my handbag over and a coin fell out. On closer inspection I realised it was my Polish złoty. It’s been in my bag for about 3 years now and has travelled with me everywhere I go. Why? I’m really not sure – call me sentimental. I like having reminders of special […]
October 31, 2012 – 3:22 pm
Travel planning is great fun and the anticipation of a long holiday makes it all the more exciting. Still, even the best laid plans don’t always work out as intended. Online timetables sometimes just don’t get it right, and promises of beautiful hostels in lovely locations can be disappointing. The first half of our 5-week […]
By Annemieke Waite
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Also posted in Arctic, Holiday Activities, Hostelling, Hostels, Sweden
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Tagged arctic circle, Backpacking, Gallivare, Inlandsbanan, Lofoten, Norway, Roar, Stamsund, Sweden, Train Travel
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In an attempt to escape the miserable effects of a wayward jet stream, we found ourselves on a flight bound for Andalusia. It doesn’t seem very far, the flight south was a mere two-and-a-half hours and faster than you can say Ryan Air we stepped out into a balmy night in Malaga. Five teenagers and […]
The non-stop talk of the Eurovision Song Contest and the related topics about ‘European Culture’ have made me dig into my travel files to find something to counter-act the poppy-chatter. So here’s my quiz question for today: What three things have Turku in Finland and Košice in Slovakia have in common? Ok, the first one is […]
By Annemieke Waite
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Also posted in Christmas, Finland, History, Slovakia
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Tagged Baltic Sea, Culture, European Capital of Culture, European Culture, Finland, Kosice, Slovakia, Trade, Turku
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January 11, 2012 – 11:36 am
The the recent wet weather has caused havoc in many EU countries, and for the first time in my memory (not that this says very much…) my home city of Groningen has had to resort to sandbags to stop the rising waters from flooding parts of the city. OK, I know that the Netherlands is […]
By Annemieke Waite
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Also posted in Arctic, Finland, Folklore, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Traditions
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Tagged Arctic, Flooding, Folk Stories, four winds hat, Groningen, Lapland, Lauwersoog, Norway, Poland, rain, Sami, sea levels, storm, the Netherlands, Warsaw, winds
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November 27, 2011 – 8:29 pm
It has been unseasonably warm this autumn and it’s hard to believe that we are only 3 weeks away from the winter equinox. Despite the glorious sunshine though, the days seem shorter than ever, so it must be true. One thing that confirms the time of year is the fact that people in the Netherlands […]
By Annemieke Waite
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Also posted in Austria, Croatia, Folklore, France, History, Netherlands, Traditions
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Tagged 5th December, 6th December, Austria, Bari, boat burning, Croatia, Dordrecht, France, Holiday Season, Komiza, Krampus, Moors, Myra, Netherlands, Paterswolde, patron saint, pepernoten, Pere Fouettard, Pilgrims, saint, Santa claus, Sinterklaas, Sinterklaas zinkt, St. Nicholas, St. Nicholas sinks, St. Nicholas' Eve
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November 1, 2011 – 9:45 pm
How time flies! It is hard to imagine that a year has gone by since I wrote about Halloween, and the celebrations of All Saints and All Souls. Well, a year did go by, and the lights in our hand-carved pumpkin went out late last night, after the busiest Halloween night I can ever remember. […]
By Annemieke Waite
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Also posted in Croatia, England, Nature, Poland, Slovakia
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Tagged All Saints' Day, All Souls' Day, Arboretum, Autumn, Cemetary, England, Halloween, Remembrance, Trick or Treat, Walks, Westonbirt
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August 31, 2011 – 5:05 pm
As I am writing this blog, I find myself on an Emirates flight, high above the great African plains – more than 10 kilometres high to be precise. It appears to be about midday, although my body clock is definitely not in agreement – I’m about three hours out. I’ve snoozed for hours, but haven’t […]