Home in Time for Tea

  Clean and pristine, Oslo is a city with wealth and beauty as well as a thriving art and scene, and fascinating history . Polished neo-classical buildings grace the spotless streets, contrasting beautifully with pockets of tall glassy and ultra-chic architecture.  With one of the strongest economies in the world most things don’t  come cheap, however things are not always as expensive as you might think, and this wealth and fortune makes Oslo (and Norway in general) a very special travel destination with extremely high standards to enjoy in all aspects of a visit. Being surrounded by unspoilt hills, lakes and forest, the great outdoors is always within reach, and is greatly appreciated. People living in Oslo respect the countryside enormously and simply love to enjoy the wonderfully fresh air; skiing in winter, hiking in summer, and eating and drinking al fresco in the city in up-and-coming Aker Brygge all year round no matter what the weather. Vik...

Driving up to the Cairn Gorm ski resort in Aviemore in the beautiful Scottish Highlands, the snow was fresh and the resort was finally open after a number of days of rain, fog and high winds. Richard pulled the car around a bend, and suddenly announced "It's full." He'd seen a sign whilst I was busy snapping photos, and my heart sank . We drove on with our fingers crossed... After arriving at the top my hopes came crashing down. L ining up in droves across the car park was a sea of Gore-Tex and fleece-clad skiers and boarders snaking along in what could only be an immensely long (and very British) queue , to get their padded paws on ski passes. It has to be said, I have never come across such a thing in all the European ski resorts we have visited. To top it all off, it was a beautiful day - sunny with a massive recent snowfall. It would have been perfect skiing if the rest of the UK hadn't had the same idea... We drove onwards, North Ea...

      Road Trips in Europe (For my   actual road trips across various parts of Europe, and photos, see the road trips and links at the end of this page) There’s just something about waking up in a totally different place every morning, and heading where the wind takes you... Road trips and car hire are a fantastic way to get about in Europe and see a variety of diverse places in a modest amount of time. Whether you’re hoping to experience a taster of different countries, see different sights, or eat different foods, planning a road trip is the best way to enjoy a range of experiences. It is the best way to do what you want, when you want. The general main points which are important to remember when planning or going on a road trip are as follows: -           Cities are fun to visit but save the proper city break for just that – a city break. The traffic can be stressful and it can ...

Winter Wonderland Road Trip! Icehotel  Starry Skies  Deep Powdery Snow   Subtle and Ever-Changing Hues of the Polar Night   Stunning Mountains Frozen Fjords  Huskies Snowmobiles   Northern Lights New Year Icebar Celebrations   Moose   Glowing Decorations in Every Window  Gentle Ski Slopes   All Day Sunsets Reindeer Sledging frozen lakes snow covered forests... Northern Norway and Sweden. From the stunning Norwegian fjords to the original and biggest Icehotel near Swedish mining town Kiruna, Arctic pleasures await, on a road trip spanning 400 miles of frozen beautiful wilderness... Over a period of just 7 days, our 'itinerary' included all of the above and more. After the set of photos is a brief idea of where we flew from/to, where we stayed, and what you can do in each fantastic winter destination.  Snowmobiling Trip Coffee Around a Campfire Feeding the Feisty Reindeer! Skiing at Malsel...

Icehotel For New Year! Feel The Winter Magic... It was a quarter to midnight when we arrived in the tiny village of Jukkasjarvi after a small journey by car from the arctic town of Kiruna - one of Sweden's northernmost towns. The air was piercingly freezing, and we were wrapped up against the bite of the freshest of fresh air. The four of us walked over the road towards the fantastic Icehotel just in time to bring in the new year in a few minutes' time. Large outdoor candles lined the snowy ground and flickered in the frozen air, leading the way down to the glowing blue igloo-shaped arches of the Icehotel's magnificent entrance. We made our way by candlelight to the back of this unbelievable building, to the  expanse of the all-important Torne River and the huge lake which they cut the ice from, for next year's hotel.  After a quirky little performance involving a tractor/digger a...