Delightful Dubrovnik

Our trip to Croatia did not get off to the best start.... stuck in Heathrow traffic on the M25 (known locally as The World's Biggest Parking Lot), the clock ticking rapidly towards that infamous "Gates closed for boarding" hour!

But luckily we made it just in time, and swapped this....

Photo source: PA

For this.....

City beach - Dubrovnik

Hotel pool - unfortunately absolutely freezing, as was the Adriatic sea!

Dubrovnik Old Town and Harbour seen from the top of Mount Srd

Cable car - Mount Srd

Rooftops, seen from the Old City Walls

Old City Walls

Stradun - Dubrovnik's main drag

Clock Tower - Stradun

Orlando's Column - Stradun

Onofrio's Little Fountain - Stradun

Cafe culture

The Harbour at dusk

Old Town by night

 Rector's Palace

Church of St Blaise

One of many Italian gelato shops. Enough said!

Just in case anyone is wondering why Italian ice cream is so common in Croatia!

Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend

The UK is gearing up for major celebrations this weekend, marking the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

Sixty years? That's an awfully long time to be on one's best behaviour! 

"Gentlemen may prefer blondes... but I'm the Queen, biotch!"

"LADY Gaga you say? My dear chap, no one is ever going to believe you with that dreadful eye shadow!"

Happy Diamond Jubilee Ma'am... I do hope they at least bake you a nice cake - I've heard one is rather partial to a Victoria sponge!

I'm making the most of the four-day weekend to jet off to Dubrovnik, Croatia for some Adriatic sunshine.... see you all on the other side!

Templed Out!

Anyone who has travelled to SE Asia will be familiar with the feeling of being all "templed out"... eventually you reach the point when you've just visited enough temples. I hit my threshold about halfway through our Vietnam tour ... and that was long before the intensive two days we spent at the Angkor temples in Siem Reap, Cambodia....more on those another day!

Nevertheless, I did visit some fascinating temples in Hanoi, Da Nang and Hoi An.....

Please click on any of the photos to enlarge as a slideshow

Well of Heavenly Clarity at the Temple of literature - Hanoi

Floral sculptures in the Temple of literature - Hanoi

Altars to Confucius and his disciples

Altar to the founder King Lý Nhân Tông - Temple of Literature

Pagoda in Hoan Kiem Lake - Hanoi



Pagoda in Hoan Kiem Lake - Hanoi

Marble Mountain Temple - Da Nang



Pagoda at Marble Mountain - Da Nang

Buddhist Temple in cave in Marble Mountains

Incense coils at Phuc Kien Assembly Hall - Hoi An

Phuc Kien Assembly Hall - Hoi An