My girl and I went walking

by the Caribbean sea. So wrote Jimmy Buffett in his track Pre-You. Buffett is multi-talented American singer–songwriter, author, and businessman. His songs often make reference to an “island escapism” lifestyle.  I think that many of us could do with some of that right now. His songs are full of references to various Caribbean islands and …

Cyprus is my island

“Cyprus is my island. When the going’s rough I would love to find you Somewhere in a place like that… ” David Bowie once again provides our musical inspiration for our travel destination this week. The lyrics above come from the track “Move On”. Bowie’s first wife Angie was actually born on the island and …

Adieu les tours de La Rochelle

“Farewell to the towers of La Rochelle” sang “Les Binuchards” a French “rock festif” group based in Gémozac about an hours drive south of La Rochelle about a sailor setting out on a voyage. The towers of La Rochelle refer to the three towers that formed part of the towns historic fortifications. The Saint Nicolas …

We’re all going on a summer holiday.

“We’re going where the sun shines brightlyWe’re going where the sea is blue” So sung Cliff Richard in the film “Summer Holiday” as he drove his No.9 London bus from London to the South of France via Dover and Paris. With the lifting of restrictions on non-essential travel to certain overseas destinations we can all …

Perth is a culture shock

Maybe not so much today, but back in the 1970s it might have felt that way. Along with Honolulu, Perth is one of the remotest cities in the world. “Perth is a culture shock” by the Perth based “The Victims” who were a punk band active from 1977 to 1979. The actual track was not …

I’m going to Barbados

“Welcoming you aboard Coconut Airways Flight three-seven-two to Bridgetown, Barbados”. The song “Barbados” topped the charts in August 1975. Written by two Welsh engineers who had not been bus drivers and not lived in Brixton. If fact the inspiration came from a recent trip to Jamaica by one of the band’s members. This small Caribbean …

Viva Las Vegas

And how I wish that there were moreThan twenty-four hours in the day.But even if there were forty more,I wouldn’t sleep a minute away.Oh, there’s blackjack and poker and a roulette wheel.A fortune won and lost on every deal.All you need’s a strong heart and a nerve of steel. “Viva Las Vegas” was the title …

Guantanamera

Guantanamera is probably the most iconic Cuban song. Based on a poem written by the Cuban poet José Martí the title literally means “a woman from the Guantánamo area”.  It was made famous outside Cuba in 1963 by The Sandpipers. If you watched the video above that should be enough to get you on the …

So sick and tired of the pouring rain I took a train to Morocco just to kill the pain

Sang the American band Moon Taxi in their song entitled Morocco.  Maybe they were catching the Marrakech Express 45 years after Crosby, Stills and Nash did the same. Despite the time lag between the two songs, Morocco is still a draw for tourists today. If you fancy getting away from the wet weather of the …

Walk like an Egyptian.

With summer temperatures well up into the high 30s / low 40s you might not want to do much walking in Egypt, however you will want to dive in the Red Sea. With flights now resumed to Sharm El-Sheikh, all of the Red Sea resorts including Hurghada, Marsa Alam, El Gouna and Taba are bookable …