Category: Expert Travel Advice

Gregor Swiderek visits the Imperial War Museum at Duxford with some fellow military history enthusiasts from Stanfords.

The idea of a day trip to the Imperial War Museum at Duxford was floating amongst a few of us for a while. We decided to take a train to Whittlesford Parkway station which is located less than two miles from the museum, and walk from there. Otherwise there is a bus route from Cambridge serving the museums on Sunday. If you drive, Duxford is located just beside junction 10 on the M11.

What struck me first was the size of the museum. There is number of hangars, some of them quite enormous, located next to grass and hard runways. It was all bigger and more than I expected.

We started our tour from the largest hangar of the complex, the AirSpace. It displays mostly British and Commonwealth-built aircraft and the absolute highlight is of course Concorde. It was one of the first to be built and it was used for the test flights. In fact it has the distinction of having flown the fastest of any Concorde during the flight trials in which it was involved. What’s most amazing is  how low-tech everything looks, especially the cockpit, and how tiny the windows are. Still it is a spectacular machine, the only supersonic passenger jet ever.

Other great machines in this section include such icons as the Spitfire, Hurricane or Harrier as well as lesser known but impressive beasts like an Avro Vulcan strategic bomber (a huge delta-shaped plane which was used to carry the UK’s atomic warheads), an Avro Lancaster heavy bomber from  WWII and a Short Sunderland flying boat (used for hunting U-boats). There are many smaller or less known aircraft in this huge space, we could have probably spent a few hours in this one hangar alone but we decided to move on as there was so much more to see. Continue reading Geeks' Day Out – Imperial War Museum, Duxford

by Barbara Tognini

After spending a few days in Bosnia and Montenegro, it was time to go back to Serbia, this time to visit those parts of the country which are a bit off the beaten track.

We set off from Mojkovac in Montenegro early in the morning and after driving for about three hours along the Serbian border with Kosovo, we left the main road to climb up a mountain to Studenica.

Studenica is the country’s oldest and holiest monastery, and it is still in use, with a small group of monks living within its walls.

The monastery was founded in the 12^th century and consists of three churches and other two building enclosed by a defensive wall and a tower.

You notice straight away from the lawn around it that this place is special: the monks take good care of it, everything is clean and tidy, not a leaf of grass out of place. The setting is picturesque, on top of a mountain surrounded by other taller and forested mountains. Continue reading Discovering central Serbia: Studenica, Arandjelovac and Topola

by Gregor Swiderek

After roaming central Missouri for a whole long day (which you can read about it in the previous entry) the time came to find some place to stay overnight. So during one of our usual pit stops, when we refuel the car, stock up on coffee (for my girlfriend), cold coke with plenty of ice (for myself) and chocolate (for both of us), we opened our vast array of maps and started deliberating about where to go. It was then when I spotted the small town of Hermann located on the banks of the Missouri river, less than an hour from our current location. Somehow I remembered from one of the many guidebooks on the US I have read over the years that it was supposed to be a nice historic place.

In fact Hermann turned out to be a real gem. Located about 80 miles west of St Louis it was established in 1837 by the Deutsche Ansiedlungs-Gesellschaft zu Philadelphia (German Settlement Society of Philadelphia) and named after Hermann der Cherusker, a Germanic leader who defeated the Romans in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest in 9 AD (his mildly kitschy statue in the town was dedicated in 2009).

Nowadays this small place (population only about 2500) is a centre of the, so called, Missouri Rhineland. Located mostly in the Missouri River Valley this area is named for its similarities to the Rhineland region in Germany and for the German settlers who determined that this part of Missouri would be good for grape growing. German influences as well as connections with Philadelphia are visible throughout the town. For example most of the historic buildings are constructed with bricks and they really resemble some of Philadelphia’s old neighbourhoods. In fact Hermann has over 110 buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places, many of them converted to lovely B&Bs and guest houses. Continue reading Missouri part 2

by Barbara Tognini

I’ve always found the Balkans and the history of the region extremely fascinating: it was particularly interesting to me how a region geographically situated in the centre of Europe, managed to become isolated – politically and culturally – for centuries, up to the point to be considered almost not completely European, and for sure remote and exotic. Even Prime Minister Tony Blair, talking about Kosovo, described it as “on the doorstep of Europe”!

As soon as we arrived at Belgrade Airport we headed to Smederevo, a small town along the Danube famous for its medieval fortress. My travel guides (Lonely Planet Western Balkans and Bradt Serbia) presented a captivating description of the town and its fortress; it seemed a place not to miss since it’s not too far from Belgrade (about 70km).

We decided to take country roads rather than the motorway to enjoy the landscape which I’m not sure was a wise decision, because apart from many blossoming cherry groves, the countryside wasn’t particularly attractive and the road was all bumps!

As soon as we reached the town we headed to the fortress. It is indeed very large (it’s the largest inSerbia) and very photogenic; its construction was completed in 1430 and resisted the Turks’ siege for 20 years. From an informative panel attached to the wall at the entrance of the fortress, one learns that it was heavily damaged in 1941, when a German train loaded with ammunition exploded killing about 2,000 people.

Unfortunately, it’s poorly maintained and would need some serious restoration: there are graffiti everywhere and some parts are used as open-air public toilets. My guess (or rather my hope) is that they clean it before summer…

We continued the visit of Smederevo with a walk through the centre, where we came across a little square containing a circle of “stalls” made of huge wine barrels: most of them had local products like jams and honey for sale; it was definitely an unusual sight and such a brilliant idea!

After a snack in a bakery, we set off towards Belgrade, this time taking the motorway. Continue reading Belgrade & Smederevo

by Gregor Swiderek

Missouri, “The Show Me State”, is part of the Midwest heartland which is not often visited by foreign tourists (or American ones for that matter). This fact is probably one of the reasons why I enjoyed it quite a lot. Apart of course from the fact that is has surprisingly a lot to offer.

We entered Missouri via the interstate 44 travelling east from Oklahoma and headed straight to the centre of the state, where we decided to have a lunch break in one of the state parks, specifically in the quirky named Ha Ha Tonka State Park. I’m not kidding you, it is a real name and according to some sources it means “the laughing waters” in one of the native languages. The park preserves examples of karst geology, among them sinkholes, springs (I guess that’s where the name comes from) and a quite impressive natural bridge, more than 23 meters wide and spanning about 20 meters. But the really unique feature of this park are the ruins of a castle. Yes, a castle.

A wealthy Kansas City businessman, one Robert M. Snyder, wanted an European-style castle as his country retreat. Construction started in 1905 but when Snyder died the next year in a car accident his sons finished it and subsequently leased it as a hotel. Eventually it burned down in 1942. Since then only the picturesque ruins remain. They are located on top of a steep rock visible from across the valley and offering stunning views of the karst landscape of central Missouri. A great place for a lunch stop and a walk.

From Ha Ha Tonka we drove about 60 miles north to Jefferson City which is the capital of Missouri. Let’s face it, I simply couldn’t resist visiting yet another state capitol. And I’m really glad I succumbed to my weakness as it turned out to be one of the most interesting capitol buildings I have visited during all my voyages across America. Continue reading Missouri

by Alice Bzowska 

As my eyes swept over the vast, volcanic valley of Glen Coe, with the rugged mountains encasing this breath-taking place of natural beauty, I felt sure that I was very far from home. Far I may have been from the Big Smoke of London, but I had not left the UK, and taking in the views of some of the most stunning scenery I had ever beheld, it was hard for me to understand why I had not journeyed up to Scotland sooner.

As I trekked down deeper into the glen to stand by the trickling stream flowing through it, I felt a deep sense of peace at the quiet and serenity of the area, coupled with a slight twinge of unease. Although Glen Coe is considered one of the most incredible places to visit in the Scottish Highlands, I was reminded of the 1692 massacre that led to 38 lives being senselessly lost in the villages and settlements along this very glen. Several members of the MacDonald Clan of Glencoe were innocently slaughtered after providing hospitality to the Campbell Clan, and just standing in the region where this mass-killing took place, even if it was hundreds of years ago, gave me goose bumps. Continue reading The Lochs, Glens and Beaches of the Scottish Highlands

As we say farewell to our American intern Olivia Schroeder, she shares her top tips for anyone making their first visit to London.

In the 4 short months I have been here I have discovered many cultural differences between the states and England, but I have learned to blend in just seamlessly, at least I think so. My friends and I can usually pick out our fellow Americans before they even open their mouths. (Hint: they normally look lost.). Here I will try to pass on my recently acquired knowledge of this city to others who are not fortunate enough to call themselves Londoners. I could probably write book about what to do and what not to do as a tourist in London, but we can call this post the abridged version. This is my London List.

1. Bus Tour 

The first thing you must do when arriving in a new city as famous as this one is to do the most touristy thing possible: go on a bus tour. I went on a bus tour during my first weekend here and even though I was still suffering from minor jetlag I was glad I got to look at the sightseer highlights from a well heated and dry bus. Did I mention that it rained for about 2 weeks straight when I got here? Trafalgar Square, St. Peters Cathedral, Tower Bridge, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Tower of London, Westminster Abbey…you name it, these tours show it all. A bus tour, although a little lame, it is a necessary evil. This way you get to see the places that you want to go back to and spend more time.

2. Market Exploration 

One thing London has that makes it unique is the markets. These markets must be explored. Borough Market is best to shop for food because it has everything! There are fresh fruits and vegetables, meats and delicious sweets. But it is not open on Sundays so keep that in mind and do not show up like I did wondering where everything was. Camden Lock Market is huge; I always get turned around and end up walking deeper into the market when I am trying to find an exit. This market has all kinds of food, clothes, accessories, basically anything you can think of you will find in Camden. It is crowded and everything is packed in together but going to this market is not just a shopping trip, it is an experience. Then we have my favorite, Old Spitalfields Market. This particular market is surrounded by brick and mortar stores and restaurants, but does not feel nearly as crowded as Camden. I have found some of my favorite jewelry pieces at Old Spitalfields. After an afternoon of shopping you can walk to Crêpe Affair right next to the market and dine on a delicious banana and Nutella crêpe. Continue reading London List

 by Barbara Tognini

This trip to the Virgin Islands was organised by my partner’s family to celebrate the New Year in a different way, in a hot place. The US Virgin Islands comprise the islands of Saint Thomas, Saint John, Saint Croix and Water Island, and they constitute an unincorporated territory of the United States. During our sailing we touched only the first three, visiting mainly Saint Thomas and Saint Croix.

On our arrival to St. Thomas, the airport duty free shops had organised a very nice welcome: just before getting to the baggage claim, a free rum tasting was provided for the arriving visitors! It was the local “Cruzan” rum, which comes in many different fruity flavours. I loved it straight away: it’s light, refreshing and ideal for fruit cocktails. Unfortunately they don’t export it to Europe and it’s only available in the US. Continue reading Sailing the US Virgin Islands

by Charles Davis

Previous blogs in this mini-series discussed the cottage industries and agronomic imperatives that have shaped the walking experience in high mountains, but not all our pathways to pleasure were beaten out in pursuit of such down to earth objectives. Some of the pioneers were looking further afield, a lot further, exploiting the elevation of mountains for triangulation surveys. The obvious incidence of this are the trig points in the United Kingdom that have become so popular that many hikers ‘collect’ them and, now that they have been superseded, campaign to preserve them. Trig points are less dense on the ground in Spain, but their geographical and historical reach is perhaps greater. For instance, the ruins on top of mainland Spain’s highest mountain, Mulhacen (see Walk! The Alpujarras) and the remains of the track zigzagging down its southern flank, date from a nineteenth century survey of North Africa that took advantage of the summit’s views of Algeria. But for my money the best story involving scientists in high places concerns François Arago, the nineteenth century French astronomer, mathematician, physician and politician, who became an academician at the tender age of twenty-three. Continue reading Pathways to Pleasure Part 3

by Gregor Swiderek

The Pacific Coast Highway (PCH in short) is one of the world’s most scenic roads, if not the most scenic one. As the name suggest it hugs the Pacific Coast, often perched on top of the very steep ledges. It runs from the southern tip of Baja California in Mexico all the way to the top of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state, but the most scenic, and famous, part stretches between Morro Bay in the south and Carmel in the north (both in California).

My first encounter with this fabulous road was in 2004 when with a few of my mates we toured the west coast after spending summer working in California. It was great trip and we were absolutely gobsmacked by the PCH. Back then we drove all the stretch from Los Angeles to the Olympic Peninsula but our time was quite limited and we wanted to see a lot of places so we were really rushing along. The other big downside of that trip was the fact that I couldn’t yet drive myself. So, even back then, I made a strong commitment to head back that way and drive the road myself. Over the years of my travels to the USA I did manage to drive some sections of the PCH in Oregon (which are almost equally stunning) but it wasn’t until my latest trip that I got opportunity to drive the most scenic bit of it, along the central Californian coast. Continue reading Pacific Coast Highway