Talks
Travelling through the ancient land of Palestine, its ancient limestone hills are crowned with scattered villages and more recently dense clusters of Israeli settlements. From Bethlehem one soon reaches the Judaean desert rich in some remarkable sites and buildings. Very few tours from the UK visit places like Mar Saba, Hisham’s Palace and the palm shaded oases of this beautiful landscape.
I travelled to Palestine with the Palestine Exploration Fund and was privileged to meet some of the warm, hospitable Palestinian people across the West Bank as well as an ancient community which dates back to the early tribes of Israel. The talk also includes the holy sites of Qumran, Jerusalem and Hebron where religion continues to shape the course of history today.
Stockholm, the beautiful Swedish capital, is built on fourteen islands, looking out on the great expanse of the Baltic Sea. We journey southwards, via Copenhagen, to Lubeck and the colourful towns of the Hanseatic League, once a great trading confederation, before joining the Vistula, Poland's greatest river, taking us into a land rich in history and cultural heritage, of magnificent fortresses and castles, and the unmissable beautiful cities of Krakow, Gdansk and Torun. Also, of world famous names who made significant contributions to science, music and the church, finally touching on Poland's close ties with Ukraine.
The quest leads us from England to Tunisia and Sicily before crossing the Ionian Sea to Greece, where we explore its wonderful ancient sites and Roman mosaics. Travelling on through the beautiful country of Albania we reach Italy, the climax of our journey, whose sublime cities and churches bear witness to its incredible artistic heritage.
After seeking out some of the most awe-inspiring legacies of the Byzantine world we finally arrive at the world capital of mosaics, Ravenna - designated a UNESCO World Heritage site for their beauty and historical significance.
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A journey through the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan from the Golan Heights to the desert of Wadi Rum, well known for its links to T E Lawrence. We travel through the stunning scenery of Jordan’s Grand Canyon, visiting Jerash, Amman and the Desert Castles en route to the UNESCO World Heritage city of Petra, with its warren of caves, temples and tombs, meeting shepherds and local people along the way.
"Nothing can prepare you for Petra: the scale, the colours and the grandeur. Its streets were swathed in a fusion of Nabataean and Classical architecture — elaborate tombs, colonnaded streets and temples carved into rose-red rock."
Lying in the foothills of the Carpathians picturesque villages dominate the landscape with their unique fortified churches. We visit Maramures and Bran Castle before travelling into East Slovakia, tracing the route of the Dunajec River to the Baltic Sea, detouring to Riga and finally arriving in Estonia. Touching on the darker side of the Soviet and Nazi occupation of these countries we then explore the most attractive and successful of the Baltic States & especially its beautiful walled capital city of Tallinn.
Unable to travel due to Covid in 2020 I embarked on a winter project looking back at countries I'd visited but not yet covered by Travel Talks. What emerged was a photographic and cultural journey through Western Europe.
We begin in the stunning coastal landscapes of Northern Norway, then explore a little of the remote outposts on the journey south, following the coast to Bergen before crossing into mainland Europe and venturing briefly into Germany and Belgium.
Having traversed the Alps it's time to acclimatise to warmer temperatures and a dramatic change in our surroundings as we explore the theme of pilgrimage via several of the camino routes in the Iberian Peninsula. The journey concludes with an interesting coincidence!
Lying at the crossroads of Europe and the heart of the Balkan Peninsular Serbia is one of Europe's best kept secrets. I travelled through the country as it began to open up to tourism, visiting many of the Orthodox monasteries in remote locations, some hidden in dense forests, others surrounded by high stone walls and still standing today as pillars of Serbian tradition and culture.
We travel south from the Danube, with forays into the dramatic landscapes of nearby Albania, visiting historic towns, ancient sites and uncovering a little of the past of two interesting countries, contrasting those areas where the Turkish influence remains strong and minarets pierce the skyline.
We take a journey across Europe beginning in Prague where we explore the wonderful sites and buildings in the “golden city of spires”, particularly those visited by Mozart.
We then travel via his home in Salzburg to some of the great European cities of culture which inspired him on his tours, ending in Vienna, the European capital of music. Here we reflect on why Mozart undertook all these journeys and what led to the tragic end for such an incredibly gifted musician.
Starting in Northern Greece we follow the Via Egnatia and the Appian Way to many of the stunning ancient settlements which grew up along these routes. We also visit the Island of Samothrace, Philippi, Thessaloniki & the rock-cut churches of Matera, finally reaching the city which has been called the most celebrated meeting place in the world, and in all history.
Only a two and a half hour flight from London we travel to a different world in the northernmost country in Africa and journey across this diverse & beautiful country. We follow in the footsteps of the Romans and Carthaginians whose ancient sites lie untouched in fields abundant with wild flowers, ending the journey in the Holy City of Kairouan. A colourful portrayal of a country little visited on tours from the UK.