Do you know when the Union Jack first flew over Malta?
Maltese history is a rich tapestry of events, influences and wars. The Maltese are proud of British heritage, but few seem to know where the British flag was first flown over the islands.
Loučeň Castle
Most stately homes and castles in Czechia close for the winter months. I suppose not many people enjoy traipsing around an unheated building when it’s -20 C outside. Loučeň castle is
Immortalising the Devil
People decorate their houses with different things - statues, sculptures, art; that sort of thing. It isn't often that I see decorations related to devils, but one building in Prague is the exception.
The Spinsters’ Church
I hold on as the swaying of the boat almost makes me lose my balance. I am on a vaporetto heading to the Venetian island of Giudecca. I want to
The House of the Two Bears
Tucked into the entrance of an alley beside the road leading to Prague’s Old Town Square lies the House of Two Bears. The imagery, which suggests a link to alchemy,
The Scratching Fanny of Cock Lane
Nothing cheers up a good ghost story than a juicy double entendre. One of London’s most famous 18th century hauntings took place in the marvellously named Cock Lane.
The Jilted Turkish lover
We're used to haunted stories about ghosts, strange creatures and brutal deaths. In Prague, there also is a haunting by a jilted lover.
Maltese windows
When the Knights of Malta built Valletta in the seventeenth century, it was admired by all who saw it. We don’t realise that it took 400 years or so to
The Bullet Holes in the Gas Tank
A gas tank is not the sort of thing most people put on your “Must see” list. In the Prague suburbs, there is one of the world’s last surviving gas
Konopiště Castle and World War I
No more than a 30-minute train ride south of Prague you can visit Konopiště castle. This is where the Archduke Franz Ferdinand travelled from when he went to Sarajevo and