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Cultural/Gastronomic

How cultured are you?

When people are asked why they travel abroad on holidays  they usually cite reasons such as weather (if you're Irish!), cuisine, history, scenery, people. The list is obviously longer and more nuanced than that but I think we would all agree that one of the single most important reasons why many people travel abroad is for a taste of that other country's culture and heritage. The Google dictionary defines the word 'culture' as 'The arts

The Top 10 Destinations in the World in 2013

Let's face it, we all love lists! Compilations of the 10 fastest this, or 10 most expensive or exclusive that appear to exert a magnetic draw on our collective curiosity that has to be satiated! I cam across the following list just today and what amuses me about it is that it claims to indicate the 10 top travel destinations in the world as voted for by Facebook users. How could that be when we're

Hungary? Check out Budapest

Not too long ago, Hungary and more particularly its capital — Budapest — was playing host to modern-day hoards of Irish investors who flocked to the city in search of new fortunes. Sadly, it was not to be as Budapest became victim to the same over inflated property prices like everywhere else around the world. Since then, the city has declined in its popularity as a destination for Irish tourists which is a real shame as the

Move out of your comfort zone in 2013

Carrying on from last weeks' blog in which I suggested that you combine one of the most typical new year resolutions (getting more exercise!) with that of choosing a destination ideal for walking or trekking, I would like to suggest that even if you don't want to get that energetic in 2013 that you at least take the opportunity to move a little bit outside of your comfort zone this year. This doesn't have to

New Year Resolutions

Well, it's that time of year again when we are now regretting the degree to which we stuffed our faces over the past few days with way too much chocolate, rich cheeses and assorted foodstuffs, not to mention the copious amounts of alcohol. It's like groundhog day this time every year as we contemplate whether or not we're going to subject ourselves to the annual charade that is our new year resolutions. Assuming that you're

Home is where the heart is!

Blogs such as this generally deal with overseas destinations but that of course assumes that the only people reading this are Irish. Not true! The Travel Bug blog has a diverse and international audience so today I thought that I'd write a few words about where we're based — in the idyllic seaside village of Dunmore East, Co. Waterford, Ireland. As anyone who lives near the sea will tell you, every day is different —

Been to the movies lately?

If you have then you can't help but notice that Istanbul is turning up as a movie backdrop everywhere you look. Just last week, I went to see Taken 2 which unfortunately wasn't a patch on it's predecessor — Taken, starring Liam Neeson. The real star of the show though was Istanbul which looked magnificent. It also plays a major role in the latest release in the Bond franchise called Skyfall and by all accounts,

€249 for a round-trip airfare to the Far East — where’s the catch?

You've all heard the old adage  '... If it sounds too good to be true ...' and generally speaking, it's usually a reliable rule of thumb to adhere to. Every now and then though, a deal comes along that proves the exception to the rule and the latest example is from none other than Azamara — the boutique cruise division of Royal Caribbean. Azamara  occupies the upper end of the cruise market and boasts small

The Isle of Calypso

No, we're not talking about Trinidad and Tobago but another small island located almost half way around the world! The island of Gozo (the smaller sister iland of Malta) is also know as the Isle of Calypso as it was reputedly the location where the nymph Calyso imprisoned Odysseus for a number of years, as chronicled in Homer's Odyssey. For such a small and sparsely populated island of 31,00 souls, it contains 22 churches, one of which

Malta — proof that the best things sometimes come in small packages!

Reputedly the second-most densely populated area on Earth (after Hong Kong), Malta challenges the first time visitor as to what they think they know about this small 90-square mile rock that lies between Sicily to the north and Libya to the south. Boasting the world's oldest free-standing structures — yes, they're said to be older than Newgrange — Malta is an island of contradictions that will delight the eye, ear and palate of even the

Day 4 in Puglia

Is there anyone out there who doesn't love Italian food? I don't think so. It is justifiably regarded as one of the worlds' great cuisines and not a lot of people know that French cuisine — often regarded as representing the pinnacle of gastronomic excellence — actually derives from Italian influences which were introduced into the French Royal Court around the time of the Medici's. See — you learn something new every time you read this blog!

Day 3 in Puglia

Everyone knows that Italy is rich in its antiquities but many assume that most of these are concentrated in locations such as Rome, Florence, Venice and so on — legacies of the vast wealth of these former city states. It may surprise you to know therefore that Southern Italy (and Puglia in particular) enjoys its own superabundance of exquisite buildings and sublime architecture and nowhere is that more apparent than in the gem that is

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