We had been to Paris just a couple of months previously, in September. So why return so soon, and in chilly (make that freezing!) November? Well, this was to be a rather different visit. Newcastle were to play Paris Saint Germain in the Champions League and although we didn't have tickets we wanted to meet up with friends and enjoy the atmosphere.
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Like many people I have long been fascinated by the lifestyle of the Amish and Mennonite people. Their rejection of many of the technological conveniences we take for granted. Their seclusion from modern society. And the beliefs that influence the choices they make about how to live. One way to learn more is to visit.
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Where the River Tyne meets the North Sea lies the aptly named appealing town of Tynemouth. In the summer this is a popular low-key seaside resort, despite the chill of that well-named sea. And in winter it is an equally popular place for a bracing walk, either on the sands or on the paths and promenades above.
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The relics of Newcastle’s industrial past are being transformed. And nowhere is that more apparent than on the banks of the Ouseburn, a small tributary of the Tyne just east of the city centre. Here there are still plenty of signs of that past, including old warehouses and the remains of glass furnaces. But many of the old buildings have been transformed into cultural venues including galleries and artists’ studios.
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After a busy September, October and November (Paris / Chicago / Madagascar / Paris) it was rather pleasant to have a quieter month. Not that I’ve been doing nothing!
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When Columbus arrived in Central and South America, to be followed by the Spanish conquistadors and other Europeans, they found a land rich in gold. But it wasn’t especially valued for its rarity or as a means of payment by the indigenous peoples of the Americas. Instead it held profound spiritual significance.
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You might think that a place called Hellville would have a dark past. But this lively town on the Madagascan island of Nosy Be takes its name not from any Satanic connections but from Anne Chrétien Louis de Hell, a French admiral who was governor of Réunion Island from 1838 to 1841.
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Nothing says Christmas quite like an abundance of colourful lights. Whether on your tree at home, adorning the exterior of houses or an official display, they lift the spirits and set the mood for a joyful festival. For those of many religions, or none, such displays symbolise the triumph of light over darkness, bringing warmth and hope during the winter season.
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None of us knows what is around the corner. And as time passes, the pressure to do all that we want to before old age (or worse!) prevents us from doing so grows. For those of us who love travelling that can mean a sense of urgency, trying to fit in all the countries we most want to see.
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There are luxury resorts all over the world where you can, if you want, relax on a beach knowing that you and your fellow guests will have it to yourselves. No one will intrude to disturb the illusion of perfection or remind you that you are (quite probably) in a third world country. Eden Lodge, on Baobab Beach, where we spent our last few days in Madagascar, is definitely not such a spot.
