Category Archives: Great Britain

The expanse of the Roman Empire always astonishes me. From Hadrian’s Wall and the Antonine Wall in Great Britain, to the southern reaches of what is now Egypt; from the Atlantic Ocean to territories west of the Mediterranean – at its largest, the Empire ruled over 5 million square kilometres (almost 2 million square miles). But […]

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One of the many things that this year has highlighted is how mobile we have become. I have immediate family on three continents, and I’m used to seeing them regularly. Covid-19 border-closures and travel-bans put an end to my plans this year! For the most part, I’ve coped, and I have it a lot easier […]

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Weather can make all the difference when you are travelling. It sets the tone of the landscape and can influence the mood of the visitor. Back in 2012, my husband and I spent some time in Ireland (For blog posts see: Ireland) and England (eg: Salisbury and Brighton), and we were looking forward to a few […]

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We all know that it is England’s notoriously rainy weather – especially in spring – that keeps the grass so green and the flowers blooming. Nowhere is this truer than in the southwestern regions of the country, where the climate is classed as “oceanic” or “maritime” under the Köppen classification system. Winter is not too cold, summer […]

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“Spring” – that season of new life and fresh growth – is a concept originating in the temperate regions of Europe.  There is nowhere quite like an English country-garden to herald Spring in all its traditionally subtle beauty. The gentle rains – for which the countryside is so well known – coupled with slowly increasing sunlight, give […]

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