I like microstates.  The European ones are in beautiful locations, there’s always some notable things you won’t find elsewhere, each one is there because of some interesting history and there’s always a really curious mix of people drawn to them, for various reasons (which may or may not be tax related). Liechtenstein – a double-landlocked nation – is one of those places and, combined with a visit to Zurich, makes for an interesting couple of days.   A quick travel tip at this point: if you’re based in London or the counties to the south and east of it, consider

The clue is in the name… this is a unique place on “The Borders” between France and Spain.  Although only part of this urban sprawl is Els Limits; the other part is Le Perthus.  These two towns are joined at the hip, that hip being the border which runs through part of the main street.  The photo headlining this post gives a clear illustration of that: the postbox is in Spain and the parking meter is in France. The Treaty of The Pyrenees decided on the exact border between the two countries through the mountain range, which included this particular

A little bit of Spain surrounded by France, Llívia is a town that never got handed over in 1659.  The Treaty of the Pyrenees handed over a number of nearby villages to France but for various reasons Llívia wasn’t part of the deal.  Its status has stayed the same to the present day. Nowadays of course, travel between Spain and, well.. Spain isn’t a problem but even relatively recently (under Franco) it was a different story, with special passes being required to transit France.   The novelty of crossing the border and being in a Spanish town completely surrounded by

Welcome to Os de Civís, a notable place by nature of its location.  The village is part of Spain – mainland Spain, not an exclave or island – but it can only be reached by vehicle from another country.  That country is Andorra and the village’s unique position next to it makes it quite interesting and beautiful.   Andorra is not a member of the European Union (mobile roaming charges are…interesting) and has been known as a bit of a tax-free shoppers’ haven.  As a result, there are customs checks on the two main border controls (one with France, one

A trip to Iceland is good for you – in my personal, non-medically qualified opinion – for so many reasons. From the 10am walk into the centre of Reykjavik under a totally dark sky, to the lava fields, to the Blue Lagoon spa, to the geysers in Geysir, it’s nature at its best (or worst) in pretty much everything you experience.  For me December was definitely the right time to go. Below are some of my favourite images from this 3 day trip – I’ll let them illustrate the trip.