In the midst of the current maelstrom unravelling with alarming speed around the world lurks a seemingly unstoppable monster, who is gobbling up entire financial systems without mercy. However, it's with a sense of relief I note some things haven't changed, despite the ongoing mayhem taking place in global stock markets. Singapore is still the can do island of South East Asia, and having just completed a 24 hour stopover the little city-state provides a sense of certainty in an increasingly uncertain world. So despite all the chaos, the lovely reader , the effortless efficiency of the Singaporeans comes as a great relief, and helps reinforce the positive impression gained from a previous visit to this Asian tiger a decade ago. The beautiful and dynamic island state will always be the ideal stopover destination, and don’t ... read more

Liverpool has her ticket to ride after the city became the European capital of culture for 2008. Everything is going gangbusters for this historically important seafaring capital, which for two hundred years was at the centre of transatlantic shipping. Liverpool provided the last glimpse of Europe for many millions of people emigrating to the new world, as they sailed off to North America or Australia to start new lives. The level of construction at the site of Liverpool One is on a monumental scale, and the original catalyst for the rebirth of this magnificent city has been the world renowned renovations to Albert Dock, completed in the early 1980's. If you pay a visit to Albert Dock there's plenty to see and do, including the Beatles story museum and the Merseyside Maritime museum, which are both ... read more

The occupation of Northern Ireland by British armed forces turned out to be the longest in British military history, and stretched over an unimagined period of thirty five years. What started as a limited intervention to quell unrest in Derry turned into an ongoing nightmare for all involved, whether your sympathies lie with the republican or the unionist cause. Sectarian violence exploded in Belfast during 1969, and made this city world famous for all the wrong reasons. The British completed a withdrawal of their forces in May 2007, and finally locals and travellers alike can pass unimpeded between the Republic in the south and Northern Ireland. Massive amounts of investment money have poured in from the EU, Britain and the United States to aid the task of rebuilding, and it appears Northern Ireland is heading for ... read more

Belgium has proven to be quite the surprise packet, dear reader . The country is famed for the quality of the home made chocolates and beers, which guarantees a special place in the hearts of male and female travellers alike. The most impressive feature for us, however, is the beauty and elegance of the architecture as we strolled around the cities. It all adds up to a superb travel package, and Brussels is also the home of the European Union parliament ensuring the country is at the heart of what is happening within the EU. Belgium is a somewhat surprising detour, when the plan for this trip is to explore the UK and Ireland, but it's all good! Let's recap briefly, to bring the journal up to date... We left off in Cardiff, from where I ... read more

Flying into Heathrow airport early on a sunday morning is the catalyst for more travel adventures in this wonderful part of the world. London is a buzzing metropolis ... a money making machine, a giant in fact that can swallow up another Aussie backpacker without even a second thought. This is where it's at baby, here in the heart and soul of Europe. London is a financial juggernaut, although currently suffering a rather serious bout of indigestion along with the rest of the world as the credit crunch continues to bite. But enough of global financial concerns for the moment, let's get down to the nitty gritty and some new travel adventures from your intrepid travel correspondent, as I get into the swing of this travel caper once again... My trip has been a jolly good ... read more