Oxford has lent its name to many things over the years – a colour, marmalade, and an entire movement - to name just a few. My very favourite though has to be a rather contentious gramma rule – the Oxford comma. Sometimes known as a serial comma, it is the final comma in a list... Continue Reading →
Free things to do in Oxford
Oxford has won many awards and accolades but unfortunately they include being the most expensive pint outside London and the most expensive staycation in the UK. It is a beautiful, inspiring and interesting city so if you are wary of the cost of visiting then don't be deterred - here are some ideas of things... Continue Reading →
Dubious tourist claims to fame
I do love a claim to fame, particularly dubious tourist ones and especially when they have a plaque. Here's a wee collection of some I've stumbled upon recently. Bracknell, England - longest picnic table in England made from a single piece of wood: And here is the actual table: Edinburgh, Scotland - A House in Edinburgh... Continue Reading →
7 travel tips about Rome
Rome the streets - don’t plan too much, just follow your nose, getting lost in the enchanting side streets is a truly authentic Roman experience and when you eventually see something you recognise it brings about a lovely meaning to the phrase finding yourself. Having said this there is the possibility we erred a bit... Continue Reading →
A rare example of Roman women – the Vestal Virgins
Trying to absorb as much information about this fascinating order of priestesses as I could whilst sat within the ruined walls of their actual home was an incredible thing to do. I wanted to see the House of the Vestal Virgins after the classicist Mary Beard had recommend it as one of the few places... Continue Reading →
Roman boozy bingo – cin cin!
Whilst writing my post of eating all of the famous Italian dishes whilst in Rome, I realised I also hit all the drink clichés as well - so I'm introducing boozy bingo to the escapea blog. I raise my glass to the all you travellers out there right now exploring this amazing planet and I wish... Continue Reading →
Questioning my love of solo travel
After a few weeks exploring the Amalfi coast on my own I got a train over to Rome to meet a friend. Travelling in Italy by train is easy and cheap and my only concern was how was I going to adapt to sharing my time, space and decision making with someone else. Losing the... Continue Reading →
When in Rome – where to eat the best of Italy’s famous dishes
Rome has almost too much on offer - so many restaurants, cafes and bars it is difficult to know what to choose. So we decided to approach the food like a game of bingo (albeit a very tasty one) and try each of Italy's signature dishes whilst we were there. Here's my score card: The Melotti... Continue Reading →
Amalfi coast – some travel regrets
The day before leaving the Amalfi coast I had a few short, sharp pangs – at first I thought they were sadness at leaving but it was more than just sadness, it was regret. Regret for some of the places I didn’t visit and the things I didn’t see or do, and even for some... Continue Reading →
7 travel tips about Pompeii & Vesuvius
You don’t want to go all that way and have your day in ruins so I thought I’d pass on some tips – I have a lava of them but here’s just 7 of them: Pompeii alternates between cobbles, dirt tack or gigantic stepping stones and Vesuvius is a dusty, rocky uphill tack – so... Continue Reading →