Romantic Breaks in Europe
I’m not a fan of Valentine’s Day. It feels more like a commercial ploy to fill the space between Christmas and Easter than a day for people to demonstrate their love for one another. I prefer little gestures throughout the year; bars of my favourite chocolate delivered to my couch, spontaneous weekend lunches, home-cooked dinners and flowers, simply because.
Family Summer Holidays
I know it seems a bit premature to be talking about summer holidays, but believe me, if you want to get a good bargain for yourself and your family, you need to be looking now! Read more
Girls Just Want to Have Fun
Some of my best holiday memories are those I’ve had with the girls. Admittedly, these trips are less frequent now, but they are just as fun. Read more 
A Hidden World – Sintra-Cascais Natural Park
Pena Palace, Sintra
Perched on top of a hill, overlooking the Sintra Natural Park sits the magnificent and exotic Pena Palace. The palace bears a resemblance to the castles that dot the banks of the River Rhine and is said to be a fine example of Romantic architecture. Its vibrant colours – pink, yellow and blue, turrets, vault arches and medley of buildings gives it a fairy tale and fantastical quality. Read more
Cascais – A Refuge for Kings and Spies
Cascais, Portugal
It was the Portuguese Royalty who first used Estoril and Cascais as their summer residence, building palaces and luxurious villas, turning the small fishing villages into fashionable seaside towns. Read more
Holidays with an Active Twist
Cascais, Portugal
People’s attitude towards holidays have changed over the years. While we were once happy to seek out a beach, lie on a lounger and sip cocktails for a week, we now want something more. A holiday, but an adventure at the same time. Read more
Affordable Family Summer Holidays
The days are longer and while it’s cold outside, the temperature is, ever so slowly, rising. I can see buds on the apple trees and the blue tits who have taken up residence in our birdhouse are frantically putting the finishing touches to their new abode. Summer is coming and it’s about time too. Read more
Best Value Holiday Destinations
Choosing your holiday destination can reduce your holiday price dramatically, so it’s important to keep this in mind. Yes, you may find a great deal in a 5 star hotel, but keep in mind to eat and drink in the hotel will make a rather large dent in your holiday spending money. With times being tough, people are looking for more for their money, and with weather like this, they need to get a break in the sun. So I’ve put together a list of the best value for money destinations in Europe. Read more
Religious Holidays and Pilgrimages – Lourdes, Fatima, Camino de Santiago & Medjugorje
While visiting Kerala in Southern India we were invited to witness a ceremony known as Theyyam, a ritual art form, elements of which date back thousands of years. We knew little of what we were going to see, except that this was a performance with spiritual significance. The ceremony had been going on for some 20 hours by the time we tumbled out of our little minibus at 4am. We huddled together in the darkness at the edge of a field listening to the eerie sound of beating drums and high-pitched chants wondering what we’d let ourselves into. We walked through the field, ducked through some trees and emerged into a clearing dominated by a small colourful temple, before which was a large crackling bonfire. Hundreds of people surrounded the fire, men beating drums, the crowd chanting, as five men dressed only with cloths around their waists stoked the fire. Read more
Creative Holidays – Painting, Writing, Crafts & Photography
I speak from experience when I say our creative aspirations are often neglected. How many times have you heard people say “I’ve always wanted to write a book” or “I used to love painting, but I just don’t have the time now”?
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Julianne Mooney 