Category: Travel

  • Parma: an overlooked Italian city

    Note: this post was written in August 2017 during my trip to Europe. Whenever I mentioned to people that I was visiting Parma, I was most often met with puzzlement and questions asking why I would go there. My answer was always the same: for the food. But on my arrival in Parma, I was…

  • Two days in the Lake District

    Note: this post was written in August 2017 during my trip to Europe. That a European can fly for 55 minutes and be at the end of a totally different country is still something that amazes me. The same amount of time in Australia would barely get you between two major cities. Today I bid…

  • Why Rotterdam is my favourite Dutch city

    Note: this post was originally written in July during my trip to Europe. I have found that sharing my high opinion of Rotterdam with others elicits a variety of responses ranging from furious agreement to simply fury. On the upside, it does stimulate discussion on the relative drawbacks and merits of Dutch cities which I…

  • My trip to Rhoon

    Note: this post was originally written in July during my recent trip to Europe. Every day on this trip, I try to find time to walk or cycle to a new part of Rotterdam. Last weekend I set out on another one of my trips which took me semi-accidentally to the beautiful town of Rhoon.…

  • Food in the Netherlands

    Note: this post was originally written in July during my recent trip to Europe. I must admit, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from a culinary perspective in the Netherlands. My knowledge of Dutch cuisine was very scant; basically limited to pancakes, baked potatoes and bitterballen. Needless to say that the actual situation is…