Officially founded in 1612 by French naval officer Daniel de la Touche de la Ravardière, São Luís is the state capital of Maranhão and known as the reggae capital of Brazil . Samba, forro and frevo might hold sway in other parts of the North East, but here in São Luís the good times are…
Author: Claire
Days out in Sussex: take a vineyard tour
Looking for a day out in Sussex that combines countryside views with a chance to sample some delicious local food and drink? Sussex vineyard tours have become popular over the past few years as more vineyards open up across the South Downs, offering the best of English sparkling wine.
Spend a weekend in Valkenburg, the hilliest place in the Netherlands
If you’re a cycling fan like me, Valkenburg means one thing – the Cauberg. The most famous summit in one of the Spring Classics, the Amstel Gold Race which takes place every April (global pandemics permitting, it was cancelled in 2020). Yes, there are hills in the southern Dutch province of Limburg and they’re a…
I left my heart in…New Orleans
If you’re anything like me, you’ve spent your lockdown dreaming of the places that you’ve visited that really left an impression. Those city streets which burrowed their way into your subconscious and stubbornly refused to budge through the strangest spring a lot of us have ever known. For me, that place is New Orleans. I…
Eating my way round New Orleans
You’ll never go hungry in the Crescent City with these tips for some great places to eat and drink
What to do in Sussex this autumn
There’s no avoiding it – summer’s over and it’s time to welcome autumn and its colourful leaves, shorter days and cooler temperatures. But there’s lots to do right on my doorstep in Sussex this autumn, so I thought I’d share a few things you can get up to if you’re planning a day out from…
England’s Medieval Festival at Herstmonceux Castle
England’s Medieval Festival takes place over the August bank holiday weekend at Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex, which is about an hour and a half from London or 45 minutes from Brighton. It claims to be the best medieval festival in England – a bold statement when it takes place not so far from the famous Loxwood Joust in West Sussex
Discover the Dolomites on a city break in Trento, Italy
Trento is the jewel of the Italian Dolomites, a city I’d never heard of until recently when a travel conference brought me to town for a weekend. It’s only an hour by train out of Verona and as soon as the journey begins the landscape transforms from flat plains to the green foothills of the…
Sampling local food and drink on the Brighton Food Tour
Brighton has a vibrant local food and drink scene with new venues opening all the time, but with so much choice it can be easy to miss places, especially those that are tucked away off the beaten track. I’ve had my eye on Brighton Food Tours, a small local company who are passionate about promoting…
Saltwater featured on The Lost Executive
Anyone who knows me will tell you I’m not very good at self-promotion or putting myself out there, but when Donnie Rust from The Lost Executive reached out to me recently to suggest working together I was intrigued. The Lost Executive is a collective of people who love travelling, seeking out new places, interacting with…