USA 2009: RMS Queen Mary

I had no idea what to expect in Riga, and really had no pre-conceived notions on what I'd find but if asked back then I probably wouldn't have said a gloriously pretty city with vividly coloured buildings and art deco facades intertwined with redbrick medieval churches.

Tartu Cathedral is one of the biggest churches in Estonia and the only medieval church with two spires in the country. Its construction began in the thirteenth century and continued until the early sixteenth century. The final parts completed were its spires. The church was destroyed during the Livonian War and has not functioned as a place of worship since. Today, the University of Tartu Museum operates in the Cathedral.

A true spur of the moment trip. I grabbed my bike and my camera. The next day I wandered the streets as darkness fell and the light and decoration of the intra muros came to prominence.

A walk around Kew Gardens at night, guided by Christmas Illuminations.

I love epic train journeys, and three days straight-through from the north to the south of Australia in backpacker class certainly sounds epic. That is until the reality of the 5am New Years Day hangover start time, the small seat which is now your bed, the lack of stops to get off and explore and that the Australian bush is near unchanging until you near the coasts! Great experience overall. Just split it up with a break in the middle if you can, unlike me that fit it between flights.

Geneva to Geneva via France, Italy and Switzerland as seen from the passenger side window. Herniating a disc two days before a long-planned adventure is not the recommended way to see the Alps and really limited my movement. 95% of my images from the trip were taken from a car seat with an iPhone.

The Formula 1 Exhibition at the eXcel Area in London as seen in December 2024.

Late afternoon we arrived in the city of Rabat and our destination The Mausoleum of Mohammed V, which shares the ground with Hassan Tower. The changing colours of the polished surfaces due to the reflected light from the overhead clouds and a sun that was now lowering in the sky brought to mind the Taj Mahal in Agra where I had watched the same phenomena

The Terracotta Army Museum in Xi'an is home to one of the wolds greatest archaeological discoveries.