In one of Europe’s greenest cities, visitors stroll pedestrianised streets or hop into electric taxis to discover modernist and medieval architecture, fantastic food and microbreweries

I have written six books about the history of places I have travelled to. If you are interested in history and / or travel then you should check out these books. Please bear in mind the books are travelogues rather than travel guides and so cover only the places I visited.

Here is the one about The Balkans:

The Balkans

The North Macedonians build a fountain and upset the Greeks. Villages on the road to Lake Ohrid fly Albanian flags instead of North Macedonian ones. Kosovan taxi drivers believe fundamentalists are being sponsored in their country by former foes. Dubrovnik is so popular a one-way system is now in operation on the city walls. In Sarajevo, the place the First World War started is not easy to find, but evidence of more recent atrocities is. Memories are long in The Balkans, contrasts and contradictions are all around. History is always in your face, reminding you nothing stays the same for long in this most fascinating corner of Europe.

I have written six books about the history of places I have travelled to. If you are interested in history and / or travel then you should check out these books. Please bear in mind the books are travelogues rather than travel guides and so cover only the places I visited.

Here is the one about 9 Greek Islands:

Greek Islands

This book keeps it simple and covers nine Greek Islands: Symi, Patmos, Samos, Syros, Paros, Tinos, Delos, Mykonos and Rhodes.

From an art workshop in Tuscany and a sculpture course in Wales to crime writing in the Highlands, we pick our favourite learning retreats

The small Alps resort of Champoluc, with its famed off-piste, is set to be linked with mighty, pricey Zermatt. So go now, while it’s relatively untouched

I have written six books about the history of places I have travelled to. If you are interested in history and / or travel then you should check out these books. Please bear in mind the books are travelogues rather than travel guides and so cover only the places I visited.

Here is the one about south-eastern France:

South-eastern France

A truly fascinating part of the world. Most people are familiar with Provence and the Cote d’Azur, but Languedoc and Roussillon have much to offer, especially if you like mysteries and the history of religion. There are spectacular castles such as Montsegur, Peyrepertuse, Queribus, and Puilaurens, there are the cave paintings at Niaux, and the restored citadel at Carcassonne.

An 800km network across French Flanders is so easy to follow (and ride) you don’t even need a map to find the country’s favourite village, inspiring landscapes and great food