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How do!

So this is kind of a General Information type thread. No particular agenda, other than highlighting perhaps lesser visited locations. Why? Because in the past couple of years? I’ve ventured to new and to me, interesting places.\

My pic is going to be Orkney. I’ll offer pros and indeed cons.

Pros?

Waaaaay more Neolithic sites than you shake a menhir at. Like….all the most interesting and still being discovered to this very day Neolithic sites. Not to mention Skara Brae. On a personal note, according to my Dad’s genealogy, there’s a fair chance I’m descended from its inhabitants. Also it pre-dates the Pyramids of Giza. For me, the most fascinating historical juxtaposition was seeing the build of Skara Brae, and comparing it to Orcadian buildings still built and in use to my extended family’s lifetime. Because basically bugger all changed. And yes there’s is a preserved Orcadian House you can visit as a living museum.

The geography is also frankly spectacular. Driving is of course easier, but if you pick your season and timing right, and plan where to camp? It’s super walkable. Good for the heart and good for the soul. Even if you’re driving.

Cons?

It’s….it’s Orkney. It’s a total sod to get to. No direct flight except from Northern Scotland, which means connecting flights and/or a drive. Nowt to be done about it, unless you own your own super long range helicopter.

Also? It’s…..it’s Orkney. A set of tiny islands up the northern end of the arse end of nowhere. If you or anyone in your party craves hubub, or aren’t interested in Neolithic archaeology….there’s really not that much to do. Even the pubs are few and far between. Unless you be down in Kirkwall? Forget pubs and restaurants of any quality.

another UK one: Ravenglass and Eskdale, the lake district in Cumbria.

beautiful valley, and home to several roman ruins. their was a lead mine in the valley, and ravenglass was the port town that shipped the ores out to the wider world. theirs also a fine country house/"castle" (its called that, but its a manor house), the roman fort at Hardknott (an actual military structure, and garrison site for a auxiliary cohort form north africa, which must have been a unpleasant shock for them to be stuck in the North Wet of England), and the adorable miniature railway that links the port to the valley inteiror (the engines look like full size engines, shrunk to about chest high). Its also somewhat quiter than the central lakes areas near windermere, so its not quite as crowded, which is a plus.

I am currently enjoying the Baltic coast around Lubeck in Germany. The beaches are long, there is bugger all tidal range and currently it’s a glorious mix of warm sun and cooling, but not cold, breezes. Ideal for me, and rather different from the northern Scotland beach holiday style of shorts to allow paddling and 4 layers of arctic grade fleece amd wind breakers to stave off wind chill induced hypothermia

It’s a relatively short hop up to Denmark, Hamburg is quite close. Lots of family stuff to do.

Matera.

It's one of the most ancient cities in the world, and UNESCO world heritage site. European capital of culture in 2019. It already has lots of tourism but between Firenze, Roma and Venezia too many foreigners choose different locations for their italian trips, and that's a shame. Except for Roma, which is where I was born, I'd recommend Matera over Firenze or Venezia (or god forbid Milano or Bologna) in a hearbeat.

It was also one of the locations (the initial spectacular sequence in Italy of course) of the latest James Bond movie.