With a population of around 10,000, Rüdesheim am Rhein is a winemaking town in the fabled Rheingau scenic and wine region, and less than an hour's drive from Frankfurt. Our river-cruise ship docked here where a land train - which Germans call by the delightful name of Bummelzug -…

When we booked the "Algarve jeep safari," they promised a tour to the interior to show there was more to Portugal's southernmost region than beaches, bars and golf courses. We passed through remote villages; stopped off at a couple of out-of-the-way places for a coffee break and lunch; visited a distillery;…

Since we were about to embark on a Canadian rail journey, a visit to the Drake Street Roundhouse, in Yaletown, Vancouver, was almost inevitable. Yaletown used to be a huge railway complex, and was where the trains to Vancouver used to terminate. But all that remains nowadays is the Roundhouse. This is a really ingenious arrangement, consisting…

The poet William Wordsworth once said that the best way to view the hills of the English Lake District was from a boat on one of the lakes. I’d agree with that; when I was a kid, my holiday job was working on those boats on Lake Windermere.

A lot of time has passed since then, and I’ve amassed many more over the years.…