GOA is not, as you might expect, a country but a state on the South Western coast of India. Goa’s uniqueness has been moulded by its past history, namely its colonisation by Portuguese from 1510 until 1961. That amalgamation, of Portuguese culture with Indian traditions, has created a rather special place to visit. The Portuguese ethos in Goa is evident in church architecture, the colour of houses, the blended cuisines and the beauty of cultural events celebrating Christmas and Easter

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With a significant population, India has already been facing a great task in dealing with the damages caused by the impacts of the virus and maintaining social distancing. To make matters worse, another natural disaster hit West Bengal on 20^th May as the coastal areas of the states of Odisha and West Bengal suffered the heavy impacts of one of the strongest cyclones in decades. The hurricane caused by super cyclone “Amphan” destroyed fishing villages, homes, and farms, brought down the power lines, and damaged roads and highways. The high-speed winds of up to 190 Km/h caused surges in storm and heavy rainfall, raising the sea level and flooding agricultural land, farms, and towns. The poor infrastructure of Kolkata could not cope with the consequence of overflowing water in the streets. Many neighbourhoods such as Kumotuli were devastated. Homes and workshops were swamped in the flooding water. People have become both jobless and homeless

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It was in October of 2019 when I was in Kolkata, India, to be a competition judge among 13 members of a jury. The International Jury Award took place during the Durga Puja festival to help review 300 hundred pandals created by local artists and artisans. The city was colourful and vibrant in the celebration of the festival, uplifted in a united spirit to bring joy and happiness to the city regardless of religion or political ideas.

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I arrived in the city of Hamburg in September 2019 during the Cruise Days event. It was a very long time since my last visit, nearly 25 years ago, but my memory of the old town, the harbour, the river, the inner lake and all city attractions and landmarks were still fresh in my head.

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Friuli-Venezia Giulia in the north-west of Italy is culturally rich from years of Austrian, Hungarian, Greek and Roman traditions. This is partly due to its location being neighbours with Austria in the north, Slovenia in the east whilst facing the Adriatic Sea to the south.

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To view the photo gallery of Friuli-Venezia Giulia click here.

Dalyan, on the southwest coast of Turkey, is not a beach resort but an inland town that attracts visitors due to the impressive Kaunian rock-cut tombs.

These are the mighty remains of the ancient port city of Kaunos.  It was founded in the tenth century BC, as a port city. With magnificent temple tombs cut high on the face of the rocky mountains ( to properly enjoy the sight, take a boat trip) you can drive to the highest point on the cliffs, which used to be a gateway to the city’s harbour. From here you see Dalyan River on one side and Suluklu Lake on the other.

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To view the photo gallery of Turkey click here.

The Filipino province of Palawan consists of a string of islands that trickles down from the western part of the Philippines towards Malaysia. With 1,780 islands it offers those seeking an adventure holiday the opportunity to travel to places that few tourists see.

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To view the photo gallery of Palawan click here.

From the moment I arrived in Fez, Morocco’s second-largest city after Casablanca, I felt I had entered into a completely different history and culture.

Fez largely consists of two old medina quarters, Fes el Bali and Fes Jdid, and the modern section of Ville Nouvelle with its palm-tree-lined boulevards, built in the French colonial era.

The walled medina, with its bustling souks and old-world ambience, is the jewel of the city. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the best-preserved medinas in the world.

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To view the photo gallery of Fez click here.

Marrakesh provides accommodation for all types of travellers. But for many visitors the lure of a traditional riad is what makes the city such a fascinating place to stay. A riad is a traditional Moroccan house or palace which has survived the years and still retains its building around a courtyard or, is some cases, more than one. They have been refurbished over the years and now provide some of the best boutique accommodation you will find.

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To view the photo gallery of Marrakesh click here.

My wife and I were flying to Ottawa to celebrate my son’s engagement. Despite my natural anxiety about preparing for the ceremony and the family visits, I was thinking about how a new country in North America had been established.

As the plane hovered over the eastern coast of Canada, I recalled how everything was started by Jacques Cartier, a French sailor from the seaport city of Saint Malo in Brittany. He sailed in 1534 with two ships to establish a stake in the New World. At the time European countries were involved in a frenetic race to make history and clone themselves in the glamorous New World. All wanted stakes. The news of the rich resources in the New World reached kings and queens, the rich and the powerful, sailors and warriors, opportunists and investors and all wanted a share.

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To view the photo gallery of Ottawa click here.