Paul has penned city guides for Thomas Cook and revised and contributed text for several Michelin Green Guides. He has also authored pieces for in-flight magazines and coffee table books as well as articles for several leading periodicals including Living France, France Today and France Magazine. Recently Paul wrote a series of travel apps about the regions of France especially featuring Provence and the Dordogne. No longer available as apps they form the basis of some of the content you will find here on Bindu. While loving France and going back as often as possible, Paul travels widely in Europe and has visited just about all its countries over the years with the exception of Greece which is definitely on his list!
Newcastle upon Tyne with its iconic bridges across the Tyne is a must see for any visitor to the region. Known to many as ‘the Toon’ (‘the Town’ in the local dialect) and home to the ‘Geordies’. Newcastle’s support for the Hanoverian King George I during the Jacobite Rebellion earned this world-renowned sobriquet. Newcastle is a relatively small city and...
Geneva and Western Switzerland is the most French of all of Switzerland’s regions. For this reason it is often known as the Suisse Romande, or Romandie, and is French speaking. It shares a border with France and in fact protrudes like a finger into France itself, which folds neatly around Geneva and its lake. Geneva or Léman? Geneva sits at the western...
Those with only 48 hours with which to get a handle on the staggering beauty of Lake Geneva (Lac Léman) would do well to focus the bulk of their attention on the Lavaux region between Lausanne and Montreux, but we still recommend Geneva as your starting point, as the westernmost tip of the croissant-shaped lake delivers plenty of visual delights....
The Best of Italy and Switzerland If western Switzerland retains a French touch and central and northern Switzerland maintain a German air, then Ticino exudes an Italian gusto that is infectious. If you’ve ever found yourself in love with Italy but exasperated by its dramas then Ticino can make your dream come true: Italian features, Swiss fixtures! The landscape of...
Bern – Switzerland’s Capital City Bern (population 127,000) is Switzerland’s capital but only its fifth-largest city. Indeed, this speaks volumes about its softly-softly approach to being one of Europe’s best examples of democracy. Forget about bloated bureaucratic enclaves, this place has charm, style and a beguiling character worth many a bear hug. Her Old Town streets, cobble-stoned and arcaded, hide cool little...
This large area, the heart of Switzerland, holds the cantons of Uri, Schwyz, Obwalden, Nidwalden, Lucerne and Zug. But it’s also the heart and soul of the country, from a historical and sentimental stance. Moreover, it’s here founding myths, iconic imagery, quintessential landscape and much of the national character combine to create the essence of ‘Swissness’. William Tell and Swiss Independence This is the place...
Fabulous Nice lies along the shores of the Baie des Anges in the Mediterranean Sea. Located in the Alpes-Maritimes département of the Région Provence-Cote-d’Azur on, what English speakers often call, the French Riviera but which the French know as the Côte d’Azur. The English discovered Nice’s delights during the mid 19th century. However, the secret eventually emerged and the Riviera soon...
The attraction of the Dordogne People have been attracted to the Dordogne region, also known as the Périgord, for thousands of years. Evidence of human occupation from the Palaeolithic age can be seen especially along the beautiful valley of the river Vézere. Since then many have come to stay at least for a while. Gauls, Romans, Franks, English, French and finally the...
Provence is one of those magical destinations that travellers dream about. Blue skies, warm days, balmy evenings, healthy cuisine, splendid architecture, a fascinating heritage and the wonderful sing-song accent of the local inhabitants, the Provençaux. It is almost as much a state of mind as a geographical area. But where exactly is Provence? Technically it is contained within the modern...
Belgium, where good things come in small packages Belgium, a place that is sometimes dismissed as ‘boring’ (by those who have never been), is really anything but! Mons, capital of Culture in 2015, the brewing centre of Leuven, the Magritte Museum in Brussels and the superb contemporary architecture of the Liège-Guillemins railway station all testify to that. Belgium is a small, relatively flat, country...
Classic Mediterranean-style scenic flair combines with quintessentially Swiss Alpine grandeur to make this an unforgettable whirl of Ticino and Valais, Switzerland. Start in Italian-speaking Ticino and come to a stop at the foothills of the magnificent Matterhorn. Take plenty of rest stops to sample local delicacies and quaff hard-to-find wines! Starting Point in Ticino Our starting point is the relaxed town...
No wonder Vincent van Gogh chose this part of Provence, France, to live for a couple of years. The amazing light and stunning colours of the region must be experienced to be believed. St-Rémy is a delight, the Alpilles stunning in their rocky magnificence and Arles – well, any admirer of the great man’s work has to visit at least...
The Luberon boasts many charming villages, two of which are classified as Plus Beaux Villages. Moreover, there are wooded hills with plenty of good walking, great markets, excellent restaurants and a producer of quality wines. All in this relatively unspoilt corner of Provence. The Lavender fields in June have to be seen to be believed. Perhaps June, along with September when there are fewer...
St-Rémy is in many ways the quintessential Provençal small town. A boulevard running along the course of the old walls, plane trees lining the avenues and narrow streets with ancient houses and mansions giving access to the historic centre. To the south lie the limestone peaks of Les Alpilles under which nestles the old Roman/Greek town of Glanum. Before you begin: Start...
This incredibly scenic drive through the southern Côtes-du-Rhône Villages isn’t just for wine lovers. It starts and finishes in the Medieval walled city of Avignon, passing through beautiful countryside and several wine-growing villages before finishing in perhaps the most famous of all, Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The itinerary is a tour of Avignon and the Comtat Venaissan which includes all the major wine producing villages...
Nîmes – blue jean City No visit to France’s sunny South without spending at least a day in this ancient city of Nîmes founded by the Romans as a colony for the veterans of Julius Caesar’s Egyptian campaign. Named Nemausus (see video clip) after a local Gallic deity, the city prospered and has lots of Roman buildings. Moreover, it boasts a wonderful park to relax in...
Vieux Nice, or Old Nice, is literally the old quarter of Nice and has very Italian feel to it. Not surprising really as until 1860 Nice, and indeed the whole County of Nice, was actually part of Italy. Triangular and located at the eastern end of the Promenade des Anglais is just beyond the Jardin Albert 1st. If you’ve only a...
Into Nice’s Beyond Explore Nice‘s back country along the Roya Valley. The Niçois, or inhabitants of Nice, often refer to the impressive, beautiful mountainous territory above the City somewhat mysteriously as the ‘Beyond‘ but it is officially known, more prosaically, as the ‘Pays Arrière Niçois’ or Nice’s Back Country. Part of the old County of Nice, nowadays much of it is contained...
Nice Beyond The Niçois, or inhabitants of Nice, often refer to the impressive, beautiful mountainous territory above the City somewhat mysteriously as the ‘Beyond’. However, it is officially known, more prosaically, as the ‘Pays Arrière Niçois’ or Nice’s Back Country. This is part of the old County of Nice and much of it is contained within the Mercantour National Park. There are high...
This Côte d’Azur road trip explores arguably the most scenic and exotic parts of southern France‘s Côte d’Azur which lie between Nice and Italy. The scenery is absolutely stunning and no visit to Nice would be complete without exploring at least part of this nearby fabulous coastline with its magnificent mountains, great beaches and fabulous sea views. Before you begin:...
That everyone is different but underneath we’re all the same and that there is much more to unite us than to divide us.
The best mode of travel for me is the road trip. It may take much longer than other methods but you see so much more and can stop where and when you like!
Being transported by snowmobile through the forest on top of the Vercors Massif in French Pre-Alps.
The beautiful coast of Northumberland in the North East of England