Around The Planet

Food to Eat, Places to See, Things to Do

Belgium – where Germanic and Latin Europe meet

Belgium lies at the cultural and linguistic boundary between the Germanic and Latin parts of Europe, with the north of the country composed of the Dutch-speaking Flanders, the south of Belgium being French-speaking Wallonia, and the capital area of Brussels being bilingual. [Read more…]

Arles, Provence – the place that inspired Van Gogh

Here in England, it doesn’t seem to be getting any warmer, but spring is the perfect time to escape to the south of France, where the temperatures are pleasant at this time of year, and haven’t reached the stifling levels that characterise summer in that part of the world. [Read more…]

Berlin – zeitgeist metropolis

Berlin was dramatically divided from the end of World War Two, for the most part by the infamous Berlin Wall, up until German reunification in 1990, when the wall was torn down, and the city was reinstated as the capital of Germany. No longer split into two halves, Berlin is the place to visit for those who enjoy urban life, culture, music, and a buzzing, cosmopolitan environment. [Read more…]

Kings Heath – The Metropolitan Village in Birmingham

Coming out of Birmingham on the 35 or the 50 bus, you go out through Moseley, then through Moseley Village, (which is rather Bohemian and lively, and worth a visit in its own right), before coming into Kings Heath. Kings Heath was once a village, which slowly got swallowed up by the expanding conurbation of Birmingham. Residents who have lived in Kings Heath a long time still talk about “going into the village”, although nowadays, Kings Heath is a fairly typical suburb. However, It does have one or two odd corners that are worth looking at if you happen to be in the area. [Read more…]