Myra Robinson
Gonzoogling? A Few Observations on English Canals
Gonzoogling is the canal equivalent of train spotting; hanging around locks, watching and giving superfluous advice. It’s actually rather...
Some Advice on Driving Through France in the Low Season
Driving through France is a pleasure at any time of year, but this winter it has become increasingly difficult to find overnight accommodation and a...
Pigeons: the Flying Rats of Venice
There are 120,000 pigeons in Venice, and that is too many. The authorities are aiming at 40,000 to satisfy both health requirements and sentimental...
The Englishness of Australia: a Pom’s Notes on a...
Australia has a way of life which is at odds with the climate, and has more in common with England than you might believe. There’s a theory...
A Short Break in Genoa Italy
Not many tourists visit Genoa. They should. It has something to offer all the family, from quirky, to great fun or stunningly beautiful. Genoa, like...
Vital Information for Italian Train Travel
This is a follow-up to a similar earlier piece designed to help independent travelers cope with the bewildering confusion that is the Italian rail...
Hidden Venice
Get Away from the Crowds and Cliches Been there, done that. What next? Each tiny corner of Venice has something new to offer if you only know where...
Why Are There So Many Lions in Venice?
Lions are all over Venice: gazing from buildings, from the keystone of an arch, or atop a column. Nobody knows how many there are. Their story is...
A Living Art Gallery: the Village of San Sperate in...
Imagine a Sardinian village where every house is brightly painted with murals, and every street feels like a giant comic strip or a huge art...
Italian Spa Towns: Taking the Cure with Hot Water...
Having a thermal cure is almost an Italian obsession. Fashionable grand spa towns vie with traditional resorts for the reputation of the best mud in...
Italian Coffee: More Complicated Than you Might Imagine
When you go into an Italian bar to order a coffee, you could be faced with a bewildering array of different drinks. Here’s a brief guide. Close...
Vital information for Independent Travel on Italian...
Travel in Italy is a joy, passing through lovely landscapes, but train journeys can be confusing. Read this guide to help you through tricky...
Venice: 10 Things You Never Knew About Gondolas
Gondolas are the symbol of Venice. They’re more interesting than you might think, and a ride in one needn’t break the bank! 1. Gondolas...
Budget Holidays in West Sardinia
True, Silvio Berlusconi takes his holidays in Sardinia so you’d expect it to be expensive, exclusive and glamorous. But that’s the east...
Forgotten Valleys of the Dolomites: Where Time Stands...
A couple of hours north of Venice you can find another world where the air is cooler, the scenery spectacular and the 21st century hasn’t yet...
The New Pompidou Centre in Metz, Eastern France
France’s new Pompidou Centre in Metz is a visual delight, inside and out, containing previously unseen major works of 20th century art. Not...