Turku is a low-key river city known for its university life and as a gateway to medieval Finland and the beautiful Turku Archipelago. Turku has tens of thousands of students across multiple universities and this creates a fun, youthful atmosphere. Quality‑of‑life index scores Turku slightly higher than Helsinki overall (Turku 215 vs Helsinki 206), with better scores for healthcare, safety, and housing affordability Nice range of museums. I visited in the depths of January winter, but plan to return in summer! Eight Hundred Years Old Turku is Finland’s oldest city, with its origins usually…
Place Reviews (Thursday)
Category Archives for Place Reviews (Thursday).
Rovvaniemei: Timber, Fire, and Reinvention
Welcome to the ArcticMy second time on the Arctic Circle! Rovaniemi, in Northern Finland, sells hard on Santa and the northern lights. I came for the Northern Lights, the Ice Hotel, to ride one of the most northerly train routes, cross the Arctic Circle again and Santa Claus (in that order), and discovered that beneath the Christmas branding, there is a real Lapland hub for winter and summer activities, warm people, and experiences I’d never had before. But no lights. Backstory: Timber, Fire, and ReinventionPeople have lived around present‑day Rovaniemi since the Stone Age, but…
Cape Town: Beautiful and Complicated
I came to Cape Town hoping to like it and ended up loving it. I want to encourage other visitors to look beyond the surface here. It’s a complex and fascinating place. Introducing the City The road from the modern Cape Town airport passes through the sprawling townships of Langa, Nyanga, and Gugulethu, dense settlements of shacks with varying degrees of access to electricity and water, and unemployment rates over 50%. Literally around the corner are the well-lit, well-patrolled suburbs of Sea Point and Camps Bay, where mind-bogglingly priced sea-view homes cling to the slopes…
Rating a city: From First Crush to Favourites
How do you rate a city? A good memory? The food? Its beauty? The first time I landed in Paris, I fell hard. I loved the art, the tree‑lined streets, the river, the metro, the food and markets, and even the people (yes, I mean Parisians). Twenty‑three visits later, I still love Paris. Barcelona was the same. Since then, there have been many other cities I’ve been smitten with, a small number of places that bored me, and a very small number I couldn’t wait to leave. Most sit somewhere in the middle, with moments…
Tintin made me visit Geneva- Enjoying this Swiss Treasure
An introduction to Tintin and his Geneva When I was a child, I was obsessed with the adventures of Tintin, a fictional reporter from Belgium who traveled to almost every continent (we never saw him make it to Australia). On his travels usually accompanied by his dog Snowy, solving crimes, spy-rings and flying to the Moon. The series author Herge was fanatical about real historical detail (after his first three terrible books). In “The Calculus Affair,” Tintin dashes to Geneva to rescue his friend Proifessor Calculus who had traveled there for a science conference. In…
Helsinki: The Northern Jewel of the Baltic
Founded in 1550 by King Gustav I of Sweden, Helsinki has grown into a stunningly beautiful and highly enjoyable city, celebrated for its great quality of life. Situated on the southern coast of Finland, Helsinki spans 715 square kilometers (276 square miles) and overlooks the Baltic Sea. The city’s coastal setting, with over 300 islands dotting its archipelago, combined with lush green spaces, offers a striking contrast that defines its unique character. Comparable in size to other European capitals like Oslo and Dublin, Helsinki is divided into several districts, each with its unique charm, from…
One of Japan’s Three Great Gardens
Kōraku-en is gorgeous Japanese garden located near Okayama Castle in Okayama City, Japan. It is considered one of Japan’s Three Great Gardens, alongside Kenroku-en in Kanazawa and Kairaku-en in Mito. It is a place where visitors can enjoy the timeless beauty of traditional Japanese garden design, offering a very peaceful retreat near the heart of Okayama. Kōraku-en Okayama was designed during the Edo period and was originally a place for the lords of the domain to relax and entertain guests. The gardens have a beautiful, expansive landscape with ponds, walking paths, rolling hills,carefully designed plantings,…
Exploring Okayama’s Crow Castle: A Journey Through Time and Culture
While in Okayama, a visit to its castle was a must. The castle’s exterior, made of wooden panels painted with black lacquer, earned it the nickname “Crow Castle.” Built in 1597, it survived centuries of history before being taken over by the Ministry of War in 1869, when many of its structures were dismantled and the moats filled in as part of modernisation efforts. In 1945, during World War II, it was heavily damaged by Allied air raids, and restoration followed in 1966. The historic six-level structure narrows as it rises, with each level featuring…
Exploring Wales/Cymru: A Journey Through all its Amazing Heritage Railways
When I was a young teen, I read an article about the preserved railways of Wales, and it sparked a lifelong fascination. Since then, I’ve been determined to visit every heritage railway in the country—a goal I’ve steadily worked on. Here are the Welsh heritage railways and how you can ride them. See the table after this article for a complete summary list of them. Aberystwyth Cliff RailwayI’ve always been fascinated by this 237mt (778ft) railway, one of the longest funicular railways in the UK. When I arrived in Aberystwyth, I ran to see this…
Thirty Three Years On: A Rediscovery of San Salvador
Background I first arrived in San Salvador in 1991 as a humanitarian during the civil war. San Salvador served as a centre for Spain until its independence in 1821. Its history has endured many challenges, including devastating earthquakes, political upheaval, and periods of intense violence. Amidst the visible conflict, I fell in love with this crazy capital. The war pitted the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN) against the government and military forces. Horrific human rights abuses and civilian disappearances characterised this war. I narrowly escaped my death in this city, a chilling reminder of…
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