There's a big wide world out there…..

To be found in the village of Duino outside Trieste Duino Castle is a favourite of mine, I've visited quite a few times! It's only been opened to the public since 2003, but I can remember seeing it from the train as we travelled into Trieste. Once it was opened to the public I went along to look at what was beyond the gate. The castle is still privately owned by the del Torre e Tasso family and Prince Dimitri now runs it. The castle can be reached by local bus from Trieste, it's bus number 44 and be prepared for a long trip as the bus weaves its way in and out of various towns and villages before it gets to Duino. There are some quite spectacular views of the coastline as the bus climbs up into the Karst (the mountainous area behind Trieste) The signs you see are interesting as they're bilingual in Italian and Slovene, it's a border region and there are Slovene speakers who live there. After about 50 minutes (reinforcing that it's a long trip!) the bus p...

Port Elliot, South Australia

From colonial port to seaside town Horseshoe Bay, where a seaport was established in the 1850s for the cargo that came down the Murray River. The Murray mouth was too dangerous for ships to navigate so the cargo was offloaded at Goolwa and then went overland to what became Port Elliot. Horseshoe Bay is now a very popular beach for holiday makers. Port Elliot was only used as a port for a few years as a number of ship wrecks in Horseshoe Bay meant that a safer port was established at Victor Harbour by the mid 1860s. These ruins are those of the harbourmaster's cottage. It was a tiny little cottage overlooking Horseshoe Bay. The Harbourmaster's walk which leads down to the jetty, and now also leads to other walking paths along the coastline. View from one of these paths, the Southern Ocean, next stop Antarctica. The Port Elliot train station, once the end of the line and now a stop on the Goolwa to Victor Harbour line. A little steam train travels al...

Valletta and its must see churches

Stunning art and architecture Basilica of Our Lady of Safe Haven and St. Dominic After arriving in the old town of Valletta and checking into my hotel, I went for a familiarisation walk of the local area. I was staying in the old town on Valletta and close by the Lower Barrakka Gardens, I walked along the harbourside and came across "The Malta Experience". I would highly recommend it to everyone on their first trip to Malta, it's an audio visual show held in a theatre and it runs through the history of the island of Malta. From 1530 to 1798, Malta was ruled by the Knights of St. John, also known as the Knights Hospitallar or Knights of Malta. For over 200 years a religious group ruled over Malta and they certainly left their mark in the type of buildings that can be found in the old town of Valletta. And they are stunning! I just basically went in whatever church I passed and had a look, I've since researched what I saw! Basilica of Our Lady of Safe Haven and St. Do...

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