If you get a chance, it is definitely worth going to see the LEGO: Wonders of the World exhibition (on at the Auckland Museum until 13 May 2018) even if you don't have children to take along. Who knew you could make the Mona Lisa out of LEGO! Or such amazing replicas of the Taj Mahal and St Basil's Cathedral! Even a very passable version of Michelangelo's David! My brother and nephews were enthralled by the engineering and construction aspects - how long did it take to build? how many blocks … [Read more...]
Find out more about Russia
I recently explored Russia, Belarus and the Baltic States and here are some of the resources I used to find out more about Russia. Sir Winston Churchill once famously coined the description "a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma" in relation to Russia's behaviour in 1939. Others have said "Russia cannot be understood" and "Russia is impenetrable". This mystery has always been a fascination and the chance to explore modern day Russia and the now independent countries that were once … [Read more...]
Find Out More About China
How do you start to understand China? "The most populous country on earth with the second-largest economy, it claims the world's longest continuously recorded history: the precociously advanced civilisations of its distant past have given humanity some of its most significant scientific and technological inventions. After an extended period of decline and turmoil, China has risen to become an economic superpower at dizzying speed, hosting a successful Olympic Games and weathering a global … [Read more...]
Save the Tigers
Tigers are magnificent animals - the largest of the big cats. The tiger is revered around the world and the national animal of Bangladesh, India, Vietnam, Malaysia and South Korea. They feature in ancient mythology and folklore, and in modern films and literature. They appear on many flags, coats of arms, and as mascots for sporting teams. We have lost 97% of wild tigers in just over a century. Tigers may be one of the most revered animals, but they are also vulnerable to extinction. Tigers … [Read more...]
Find Out More About India
India is an absolutely fascinating and diverse country with a very long and equally diverse history. Whether you are interested in wildlife and nature or history and architecture, cooking or textiles, there is plenty to discover whether you are planning a trip yourself, reminiscing or just enjoy finding out more about interesting places. Here are some of the resources I have used in finding out more about this country. If you want to read more about my travels in India, click here. Insight … [Read more...]
World Traveller: Joanna Lumley
Joanna Lumley is a very well known British actress who has specialised in playing upper class roles (with a distinctive voice that reinforces this) and in the well-known Absolutely Fabulous series she epitomises everything I seek to avoid. When she first started doing travel shows, I avoided them thinking that she was the last person that I'd ever want to be watching as her style must surely be so different to my own. But I was very wrong. The characters she plays are very different to the … [Read more...]
The Amazons – Legendary Warrior Women
Fierce legendary warrior women riding on horseback are the stuff of Greek legend - but were these women real? Adrienne Mayor provides a wonderful exploration of myth, legend, art, folklore and archeology across the ancient world to show that there is more than enough fact to show that the women that inspired Greek legend were very real. These flesh and blood women were nomadic tribes-people from the Eurasian steppes. Riding of horses meant that women could become equals of men in hunting … [Read more...]
Lost Kingdoms and Ancient Civilisations
I hated history at school: I just couldn't see the point of learning endless dates of battles that didn't interest me in the slightest. But since then I have developed a fascination with ancient cultures. In the 1990s I collected the Time Life series of books on Lost Civilisations and in the 2000s I collected the IMP series of 54 DVDs on Ancient Civilisations. I avidly watch any documentary on these that I can find, really appreciating how modern technology can help us to reconstruct and … [Read more...]
Traveller and Adventurer: Simon Reeve
I have only discovered Simon Reeve in the last year or so - and I am now a dedicated fan. He is a world traveller and adventurer following in some ways the time-honoured style of Michael Palin, with epic journeys around the world. But what I really like about Simon's intelligent, thought-provoking approach is that he really 'gets under the skin' of a country, not afraid to expose some of the secrets or underbelly that are often hidden. He is an investigative journalist with broad interests … [Read more...]
World Traveller: Michael Palin
Ask anyone (of my generation at least) to name a famous traveller and it is likely that many will name Michael Palin. Michael is an English comedian, actor, writer and television presenter who was originally known for the Monty Python comedy shows. He then went on to a new career as a travel writer and travel documentary maker. His journeys have taken him all around the world, to every continent. The first travel programme that I remember of his is "Around the World in 80 Days", where … [Read more...]