Japan has lots of wonderful sweet treats that you can find in markets and shops. Glutinous mochi with red bean paste, leaf-shaped momiji manjū, humble dorayaki. But there’s one which is my particular favourite – the fish-shaped taiyaki. Taiyaki translates to ‘baked (yaki) sea bream (tai)’, hence the way it is traditionally served in the … More Taiyaki – Japan’s Delicious Fish-Shaped Street Food!
Hidden away in the Jardin des Plantes in Paris is the Carousel of Extinct and Endangered Animals, also called Le Dodo Manège. It’s a kid’s ride with an interesting theme that features a collection of extinct or endangered animals. Fancy jumping into the back of a glyptodon, dodo or thylacine for a ride? This is … More Dodo Manege – Carousel of Extinct and Endangered Animals in Paris
Lier is a small town in northern Belgium, known for its medieval city centre and two UNESCO sites. It is also home to a wonderful timekeeping curiosity: the Zimmer Tower and its Astronomical Clock. Located at the top of the Zimmerplein, the tower is unmissable with its huge dial with thirteen different time metrics. The … More Lier Astronomical Clock And The Zimmer Tower
The grave of Victor Noir is one of the most unusual resting places in Paris’ Père Lachaise Cemetery. The effigy of Noir is lying on his back, and while normally a greenish-bronze, he has a brightly polished crotch and lips from frequent rubbing. In modern times, Noir’s unusual tomb has become a symbol of fertility and … More The Grave Of Victor Noir – Is This Paris’ Sexiest Tomb?
Haarlem, just 20 minutes train from Amsterdam, is the perfect day trip city in The Netherlands. And to fully enjoy a day trip, you’ll need a great ice cream in your hand as you wander the pretty brick alleyways of Haarlem, admire the gothic architecture, and watch local boats ply the lazy waters of the … More The Best Ice Cream In Haarlem
When exploring the streets of Tokyo, you might spot a weird and fun sight in the traffic – a fleet of go-karts, dressed as Mario or Yoshi (or even Captain America), zooming around through traffic. This is Street Kart (formerly MariCar), a real go-karting experience that you can do through the traffic of Tokyo! The … More Go-Karting the Streets of Toyko – Is It Safe?
When I was living in The Netherlands, something caught my eye as I went about my day-to-day routine. People’s curtains were always left open. Why don’t Dutch people close their curtains? I am not alone in wondering what’s going on here. After some Google searching, it looks like others have tried to explain this habit. … More Why Don’t Dutch People Close Their Curtains?
Something strange happened when the clocks hit 5pm in Nikkō. The town suddenly fell quiet, the people disappeared, the shops shut their doors, and restaurants turned their ‘open’ signs around to ‘closed’. The sun went down in a haze of muted oranges and purples, a chilly evening began to creep in, and we were left … More A Sketchbook Visit to Nikkō, Japan’s UNESCO Temple Town
The Little Mermaid is an iconic figure on the waterfront of Copenhagen, a bronze statue sculpted by Edvard Erikson. Inspired by Hans Christian Anderson’s fairytale, it was installed on next to the anchored ships at Langelinie Pier in 1913. But this innocent nude sculpture has had a very turbulent history, full of beheadings, colour changes … More Vandalism of the Little Mermaid – One Statue’s Turbulent History
Fairy lights in the shape of a dinosaur skeleton. Handling dinosaur bones without gloves. Display cases full of dinosaur toys. The world’s strangest dinosaur museum must surely be the two-room Savannakhet Dinosaur Museum in Laos. It’s tiny, it’s ill conceived, it’s wonderful! The name of this museum is Museé des Dinosaures, and it’s located in … More The World’s Weirdest Dinosaur Museum? Exploring Savannakhet Dinosaur Museum, Laos
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