Lara DunstonAs we drive around Cyprus I notice stands of postcards outside souvenir shops everywhere. The spinning racks are stacked full of kitsch cards, of archaeological sites, old men playing backgammon at cafes, and old ladies dressed in black riding donkeys, in the Greek-speaking south, and in the Turkish-speaking north, of archaeological sites, whirling dervishes, and … Read more about Postcards: does anyone still send them?
Brown cafes are ubiquitous in European cities like Brussels, Bruges, Antwerp, and Amsterdam. These traditional bar-cum-eatery-cum-coffee shops, with their big picture windows, rickety wooden furniture and cigarette smoke-stained walls, have an atmosphere and warmth that no modern cafe can match. Slide into a tattered old leather banquette, order a local beer, and simply sit back … Read more about Cyprus: the search for traditional charm
So what is it that leads us to look for atmospheric antique cafes, charming old pubs, traditional tavernas and the like when we travel? Is it nostalgia? A longing for the past? But what if we’re too young for that past to have ever been our own? Is it that we long to relive the … Read more about Travel and nostalgia
One of the cool things about working for Lonely Planet is that its authors occasionally get commissioned to do fun stuff like present destination videos for Lonely Planet Television. Check out my destination guide to Brussels on Lonely Planet TV and my husband Terence’s guide to Lisbon, and stay tuned for videos on Amsterdam and … Read more about My guide to Brussels on Lonely Planet TV
If you’re heading to Dubai for the first time, take a look at my comprehensive first-timer’s guide to Dubai, just published on nineMSN travel:Dazzling Dubai… endless sunshine, superb eating, great shopping, and a glam nightlife — what’s not to love? And yet Dubai is a polarising place. As the world’s fastest growing city expands at … Read more about Dubai: a first-timer’s guide