Author: The practical explorer

ON PACKING:

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I loved the column by David Whitley in the Jan-Feb edition of the National Geographic Traveller magazine. This pretty much sums up my attitude to clothes when I travel:

“Over the years, travelling has cemented my status as someone never likely to be approached by one of those ‘street style’ fashion pages in magazines. It’s been a thoroughly nerdy descent into the joys of utilitarianism, aided by the realisation that the only places that care about what you’re wearing are the ones you won’t enjoy being in anyways.”

A DAY IN LONDON: A walk in the South Bank

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You could easily spend months exploring London. But if you’re short for time, one of the best things to do is walking along the South Bank of the Thames.

This is the first place I take my friends when they come to visit, as you can see a bunch of the city’s highlights at once.

So here’s a step-by-step itinerary for a leisurely day in London:

1. Eat something first:

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Start your day by taking advantage of one of many places around London that do great brunch. My suggestion is Milk, in Balham (I discovered it recently and it was AMAZING!), but there are loads of places around.

2. The London Eye

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Start your walking tour at Westminster Bridge. There you get one of the best views of the city: Big Ben and the Parliament on one side, London Eye on the other.

The view from the London Eye is awesome (on a sunny day), but the ridiculously long queues are really off-putting. If you are planning to go, book in advance as it saves time and sometimes you can get a good discount (an adult ticket costs £26.96, ouch!).

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3. The South Bank Centre

Continuing along the river, the Southbank Centre is a great venue for arts, so check out what they have going on.

4. The Tate Modern

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You will then reach the Tate Modern. Admission to the permanent collections is free, so you should really stop and have a look around.

There are also some good cafes and restaurants (as well as a great shop), so you can stop for lunch there.

5. The Globe Theatre

Right next to the Tate is the Globe Theatre, which is the original Shakespeare theatre (although it had t be rebuilt after a fire).

There are always performances on (not all of them are Shakespeare plays), and standing tickets cost only £5! I see something there at least once a year, and it’s always great.

6. Millennium Bridge and St Paul’s

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Across from the Tate is the Millennium Bridge, which leads to St Paul’s Cathedral. This is another great place to get a good view of London.

You can continue along the river all the way up to Tower Bridge, but I always prefer to split this up in two days – so I’ll leave that for a future post…

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THE 5-MINUTE TRIP PLANNER: Day trip to Liverpool

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Liverpool is a great place for a day trip from London.

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The city is easily accessible and small enough that you can cover a lot of ground in one day.

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It’s a great place for art – as well as for bars!

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HOW TO DO IT:

  • Go: Trains from London take as little as 2h20, and prices start from £29 each way.
  • Do: Wander around the city centre, then spend some hours around Tate Liverpool – they always have great exhibitions on!
  • Drink: It’s impossible to go to Liverpool and not to think about the Beatles. Stop for a drink at the venue where it all started: The Cavern Club.

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The 5-minute trip planner: Planning a short trip in no time.

TRAVELLING ON FILM: 3 of the best movies about London

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Oh winter! You always overstay your welcome.

I haven’t travelled since mid-October and I don’t have another break planned until the end of January. I know, it’s not much at all, but for me it feels like AGES!

A good way to distract me while I’m not going anywhere is watching films about specific places. Here’s a short selection of some of good films set in London:

1. V for Vendetta

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It’s thanks to V for Vendetta that many non-British people know about Guy Fawkes (myself included). This is a great film to learn more about British history.

Plus it’s very entertaining, and Hugo Weaving is simply amazing: which is a great feat given that he’s wearing a mask pretty much the whole time.

2. Notting Hill

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Yes, Notting Hill is cheesy. But as romcoms go, it’s actually pretty good.

This film is one of the reasons why Notting Hill became so popular with tourists, and it really is very nicely portrayed in the film.

And because the neighbourhood is a key part of the film, you can do a self-guided tour around some of the main locations!

3. Skyfall

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There are not many things as British as James Bond. But James Bond at the National Gallery in front of a painting by Turner takes it to another level!

I confess I’m not a massive fan of the 007 films, but Skyfall is a great option for light entertainment, perfect for a lazy wintry afternoon.

WISHLIST: New York

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I went to New York over 12 years ago, in 2002. It feels like that trip was a lifetime ago.

Back then I wasn’t even above the legal drinking age yet (!) and the city was still very much recovering from 9-11.

But I still remember how much I liked the place. At times, it was like stepping inside a film: everywhere you went there was another highlight I’d seen on tv many times before.

Somehow I never went back – for a long time all I wanted was to be in Europe as much as I could. Now that I live in London, I feel like another visit is well overdue.

Plus the city has changed too: Williamsburg is now all the rage, and the High Line seems amazing!

Where would you go back to?

THE 5-MINUTE TRIP PLANNER: A weekend in Berlin

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Berlin is a great city. At some point I should really stay there for a couple of weeks, but so far I’ve only been for short breaks.

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Aside from the main highlights, it’s a great place to wander around and explore all the different neighbourhoods.

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I really want to go back!

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HOW TO DO IT:

  • Go: The flight from London only takes two hours, so go after work to make the most of the weekend.
  • Stay: Schoenhouse Aparments is great – large flats in a great location, highly recommended!
  • Eat: Brunch is massive in Berlin. You’ll be completely spoilt for choice around Prenzlauer Berg, a lovely neighbourhood to explore on a lazy Sunday morning.
  • Do: Don’t miss highlights like the Brandenburg Gate and Checkpoint Charlie, as seeing these up close gives you great insight on recent German history. But also make sure to spend some time just wandering around – Berlin is full of hidden gems and you don’t want to miss that!

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The 5-minute trip planner: Planning a short trip in no time

THE CLOUDSPOTTER’S GUIDE: Take this book with you next time you’re on a plane

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Once I was on a plane, at a window seat in one of those planes with two rows of three seats. The middle seat was empty, but there was a men in the aisle.

He turned to me and asked if it was okay if he moved to the middle seat, showing me his camera. I understood it was his first time on a plane and he wanted to take pictures out of the window.

So I said he could take my place instead, and he happily obliged.

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Seeing the world from up high always gives you a different perspective. It also sometimes adds one of those ‘wow’ moments to a trip: being face-to-face with the Julian Alps before landing in Ljubljana, or the amazing sunrise on the plane back from Iceland… you don’t often get to see things like that.

So after noticing it in bookshops a few times, I finally bought a copy of The Cloudspotter’s Guide, by Gavin Prettor-Pinney.

This is a lovely book about, well, clouds. Despite the name though, it is less of a guide and more about looking at and appreciating clouds (the author is the founder of the Cloud Appreciation Society).

And it is the perfect companion for a plane journey, as you can look outside and understand a bit more about all the different cloud shapes and textures.

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Just don’t forget to book a window seat!

WISHLIST: 3 amazing and unusual stays

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I usually book my holidays thinking about all the things I’m going to see and do. But sometimes hotels can be destinations in their own right. Here are three amazing stays that I would love to visit!

1. THE BALANCING BARN, SUFFOLK, ENGLAND

Photo by Living Architecture

This place is part of Alain de Botton’s project Living Architecture. It looks absolutely amazing – who wouldn’t love to spend a few days in a floating silver barn with a swing right underneath it?

2. CAPPADOCIA CAVE SUITES, TURKEY

Photo by Cappadocia Cave Suites

Turkey has been on my wishlist before – there’s just so much to see and do there. Staying in a luxury cave hotel where you can watch hot air balloons go by? Count me in!

3. A TREE HOUSE IN FRANCE

Photo by Cabane dans les Arbres

Well, this is a bit more than a tree house: it’s a tree house modelled after a French château. Perfect for a romantic getaway, as you can relax sipping French wine in the hot tub.

Amazing!