A change in latitude, does wonders to my attitude.

June equals summer sales.. and a week in London is definately the best retail therapy. Eurostar is the fastest and best way to get into London from Brussels Midi station. Business class passengers were served champagne and a choice of cold and hot canapes, which is a big difference from economy class. In just under 2 hours, we arrived at the new St Pancreas Station. We stayed on Knightsbridge, right across from Harvey Nicholas and Hyde Park. I did my morning runs in Hyde Park and the connecting Kensington Gardens. One tend to forget just how wonderful it is to have a large area of green right in the middle of a bustling city. Back for a quick shower and a healthy breakfast of stewed prunes, figs, cereals, a danish and coffee. No greasy sausages and eggs, thank you. Day 1: I walked all the way down knightsbridge to Exhibition road where i visited the V&A museum - there was a jewellery exhibition that day. I poked around South Kensington area, lunched at an upmarket bistro, before ...

Johannesburg, City of Gold. The last time I was here was in 1991, just after the apartheid regime ended. The travel warnings were the same as before: "Leave your valuables in the safe ( there is a statement that says that the hotel is not liable for the lost of any valuables) ; Do not wander alone; Do not wear flashy jewellery".. the list goes on. For people who carry arms, there are signs that say " Leave your firearms outside of establishment " and "Management reserves the right of admission". Enough to make one wary even before you leave your hotel room. S.A never fails to give you a feeling of stepping back in time. We stayed at the Monte Casino complex and each morning, music from the fountain transported me back to the 80's. One of the "must see" in Jo'burg is the Apartheid Museum. It is well documented and presented in a "matter of fact" manner. The exhibit reminded me of the fragility of mankind and how it takes just som...

"Voir Malte et mourir " a saying... Numerous peoples have occupied these islands (Phonenicians, Romans, Arabs, Normans, Spanish, French and English ) leaving behind a rich cultural heritage. Large temples were built as early as prehistoric times, it was however under the Order of the Knights of Saint John that Malta developed culturally and artistically. In 1530 Emperor Charles V gave the Maltese islands to the Knights of Saint John. Attacked by the Turks in 1547 and 1551, the knights were obliged to build numerous fortifications. Grand churches, palaces were also built and art went through a revival. The eight pointed cross is known as the Maltese Cross. It is this fortified city island that St Paul was shipwrecked in 60AD as told in the Acts of the Apostles. Against this backdrop of a wealth of history was how I discovered the wonder of Malta. Situated in the centre of the Mediterranean Sea, Malta consists of two main islands, Malta and Gozo as well as Comino and three sm...

Gordion Hotel, Kavaklidere Visiting Ankara on a cold January morning meant suitcases filled with woollies to combat temperatures of -10 degrees celsius. The capital city of Turkey sits in the middle of the central Anatolian plateau. I was excited to learn that this humming city can trace its history back to the bronze age and has been a part of historic events through several great civilisations. The region's history goes back to the Bronze Age, Hatti Civilization, which was succeeded in the 2nd millennium BC by the Hittites, and then the Phrygians (10th century BC); Lydians and Persians followed. After these came the Galatians, a Celtic race who were the first to make Ankara their capital (3rd century BC). It was then known as Ancyra, meaning anchor. The town subsequently fell to the Romans, Byzantines, and Selcuks under Alpaslan in 1073, and then to the Ottomans under Yildirim Beyazit in 1402, who remained in control until the First World War. Wow, that's a load of history in...