vickygoestravelling

my journey to health and well being via exotic destinations


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Commemorating my grandfather Hermann Ungar 90 years on

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Prague Castle at dusk, where Hermann Ungar worked in 1929

I had been invited to Prague to commemorate 90 years since my grandfather Hermann Ungar died aged only 36 from sepsis. He was a Czech Jewish writer who was beginning to build a reputation for himself as a formidable talent amongst the Prague and Berlin literary circles of that time, which included Kafka, Stefan Zweig, Bertolt Brecht among other illustrious names. At the last minute the dates were changed but I had bought tickets and booked the hotel so off we went. Continue reading →


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A week in Islamic Spain 3: Granada & Alhambra

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Alhambra in the dying light – see Charles V monstrous carbuncle square box towering over the elegant Islamic buildings

So here we are in Granada, home to Alhambra, which means the Red Fort. It is correct to simply call it Alhambra as ‘al’ means ‘the’ in Arabic. Granada itself is named after the old Jewish settlement, Medina-al-Granata, or Pomegranate City, the fruit being a symbol of fertility, which is said to contain the same number of seeds as the volumes of the Torah. We have a free day to explore before our extortionate tour; still nervous about whether we have been scammed, we are relieved to get a text confirming the meeting time. Phew! Continue reading →


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A week in Islamic Spain: 2 Córdoba

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The Mezquita from the Roman Bridge

We leave Seville quite late (after our trip to the Alcazar) for Córdoba. On the way we detour to the most extraordinary site, the Madinat Al-Zahra (the shining city) built from 940 AD by the first Caliph of el-Andalus, Abd al Rahman III. Very little remains as, after the fall of the Umayyad Caliphate, the city was ransacked for its stone and marble. It was not excavated until 1911, and now only one-tenth of the site has been revealed. The museum showcases the extraordinary opulence of this period, with carved marble columns, gold ornaments and jewellery, bronzes and ceramic vessels. Continue reading →


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A week in Islamic Spain 1: Seville

Plaza de Espana, Seville

At the Plaza de Espagna in Seville with Don Quixote

We have been promising ourselves a trip around the sights of Andalucía for some time and booked it all rather last minute. As it turns out, the experience has been so rich, and we have taken so many photos, that I am forced to divide our week into blogs for each of the three main cities: Seville, Córdoba and Granada. Continue reading →


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A week of wine, fun & games in Provence

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View out over the vineyards from Chateau Malherbes

This is our fourth visit to the splendiferous Villa du Soleil. This year our hosts JB&C invite our other chums R&C with a brief to come armed with Brexit parodies to the tune of Gilbert & Sullivan…(these can be seen on my Instagram account). As well as a garish shirt competition,  it is a tradition to play musical games and quizzes to counteract the effects of copious amounts of rosé. Continue reading →


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A Belgrade wedding – and a wonderful weekend

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Belgrade skyline with St Michael’s Cathedral centre stage

We are in Belgrade for a family wedding. Cousin Nico is celebrating his recent marriage to Dragana, who is Swiss of Serbian heritage, in the Orthodox Cathedral in Belgrade. A great excuse for a gathering of the clans – literally, as cousin Christine, Nico’s mum is Scottish and her mother and sisters are coming from Belgium and Tunisia. The dress code is kilts, even for baby Stevan. Continue reading →


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Salvador & the seaside: hitting the tourist hotspots in Brazil

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The slave church in the slave market square with a woman in candomble dress

It’s still raining when we arrive in Salvador, Brazil’s former capital, site of the first landing in 1501 by Amerigo Vespucci and centre of the slave trade. It is the most African part of Brazil with 80% of people having African heritage and where traditional African religions survive  today with the numerous Candomblé cults. There is even a choir that sings in Yoruba.

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