So here I am back on the road again, taking in three days in Istanbul en route to a guided tour of the three Caucasus countries. This is in fact my first visit to Turkey in 44 years, the last visit being as an irresponsible young backpacker and sadly, given that I got completely inebriated my first night in Istanbul then, I have no real memory of the place and thus no point of comparison. This time I’m travelling with my mate Bruce and I’m pleased to report he took better care of me than my travel companions clearly did all those years ago! I was amazed to hear that Istanbul, which of course is partially situated in each of Europe ... read more

I have added the attached comments for those who may be considering a cruise around the Caribbean, and specifically for those considering booking it on the 'Royal Clipper'. But just bear in mind that we are all different, so what works for me might not work for you and vice versa, so please read these comments with that perspective. The Caribbean Destinations: To be honest, I’m not really sure what I was expecting when I booked this trip early this year. I had always wanted to experience a cruise on a Clipper ship and the timing and location of these two voyages fitted in well with our plans to spend Xmas in the US, given that the Caribbean was probably the biggest void in my worldwide travel experiences. Looking back now at the places we visited, ... read more

St Kitts and Nevis (pronounced 'Nee-vis') are two of the sleepiest places in the Caribbean, and one of the few countries where agriculture is still a larger part of the economy than tourism. St Kitts, by far the bigger island, comprising most of the country's 60,000 population, has a mountainous interior, salt ponds and deeply indented bays. Until this century it was covered in cane fields, but the sugar industry has now totally disappeared from the island, freeing up its train tracks for other pursuits. The culture of the island draws on a mix of European, African and West Indian traditions. This was the most northern island we visited, being situated northwest of Antigua. Our initial stop here was in Basse-Terre, the capital city of St Kitts, situated at the southern end of the island. The ... read more

Guadeloupe comprises a collection of nine separate inhabited islands plus a myriad of smaller uninhabited ones, situated at the southern end of the Leeward Islands chain, north of Dominica and south of Antigua. The two largest islands, which somewhat resemble a butterfly in shape and are just separated by a river, are Grande-Terre and Basse-Terre, while the Iles des Saintes are a collection of smaller islands further south. The country has a population of almost 500,000 and exhibits a blend of French and African influences, which go right to the heart of the Caribbean's Creole culture. As well known for its sugar and rum as for its beaches and resorts, the archipelago comprises a full mix of modern cities, rural hamlets, rainforests and secluded beaches. We had two separate visits to Guadeloupe - an unscheduled visit ... read more

Martinique is a single large island situated in the Windward Island group, north of St Lucia and south of Dominica (pronounced 'Dom-in-EE-ka'). It is in fact an outlying state of France (sometimes called an Overseas Department), rather than a separate country, and is seen by many as a slice of France set down in the tropics, with many islanders often copying the mainland styles. But the music pouring out of the bars and nightclubs is very much Western Indian Creole traditions. Although French is the official language, most locals speak Creole and try to maintain some of the culture of the African slaves. Martinique has a population around 400,000 and while its large towns are relatively modern, over a third of the island is forested. We actually had a visit there on each of our cruises ... read more