Features

Pin it Forward UK

Posted by Katy on May 19, 2013 in Features, News, Views & Reviews | 6 comments

My obsession with pinterest began quietly. It was intrigue at first; a couple of people I knew were using it, so I asked one of them to invite me. What I found was a site like no other, one which didn’t require endless hours of reading, but which was simply as many pretty pictures as I could wish for.

A ‘Mini-Trip to Spain’ on London’s South Bank

Posted by Katy on May 9, 2013 in Features, Starry-Eyed Tales | 2 comments

Bank Holidays in the UK usually mean one thing: rain. But this May Day dawned bright and sunny, with temperatures high enough to make me put on my first summer outfit of the year. Flaunting bare feet in sandals, toenails newly painted, I wandered along to London’s South Bank.

A Literary Tour of Scotland

Posted by Katy on May 5, 2013 in Features, Starry-Eyed Tales | 3 comments

Our literary tour of Scotland begins in Edinburgh: the entrance point for many a visitor to Scotland. The gothic charm of the Old Town inspired writers across generations, from Victorian gothic novelists who took inspiration from Greyfriars Kirkyard, to J.K. Rowling. The whole city is also the setting for many books by one of my favourite writers, Alexander McCall Smith. Of course, the Scots are more fiercely proud of their own, homegrown writers, including Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and J.M. Barrie. 

The Mythical Isle of Skye

Posted by Katy on Apr 9, 2013 in Features, Photo Posts, Starry-Eyed Snapshots | 14 comments

Myth, magic and legend – welcome to the Isle of Skye.

 
I’ve just returned from a week-long tour of Scotland and I have so much to share about the country, my head is spinning. It is without doubt, one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited. I’ve climbed a mountain, found my ancestral home, whale-watched and walked barefoot on a deserted beach, among other things.  But the place which stands out most in my mind as I think back over this extraordinary trip is the mythical Isle of Skye.
 

The Best Restaurant in Budapest

Posted by Katy on Mar 16, 2013 in Features, Starry-Eyed Bites | 1 comment

It may be a bold statement, but on a recent trip to Hungary’s capital, I think I found the best restaurant in Budapest. The Bock Bistro on Erzsébet körút is not ridiculously fancy or expensive, but everything about it is perfectly charming.

The Charms and Quirks of Budapest

Posted by Katy on Feb 25, 2013 in Features, Starry-Eyed Tales | 6 comments

It was a less than serene start to our first morning in Budapest. We’d overslept, owing to blackout curtains and a non-functioning alarm, and had therefore jumped out of bed, into some clothes and out onto the streets of the city before being fully awake. We were on the hunt for a hot, caffeinated beverage, but the city seemed strangely shut down and deserted. It was after 9 on a Monday morning – most capitals would be buzzing.