Countries, Sustainable Tourism, UK

The Solar Eclipse straight outta Dirleton

And as we all reach for the skies today my own little stars will be following the Solar Eclipse straight outta Dirleton.

On our doorstep in East Lothian, south-east of Edinburgh.

Where, whisper it, the villagers have the most sought-after accessory in the country, solar glasses for their Solar Walk.

With donations welcomed in support of Dirleton Primary School.

Walk on: The Solar Walk

Of course, the more iconic megalithic sites on this island will be the focus of eclipse-seekers around 6pm today.

And so there will, of course, be tailbacks to Stonehenge and throngs at the Royal Observatory Greenwich.

From another stone age

The dark side: And stay protected

Whereas if you live in the south of England, or are just visiting, then we’d recommend Avebury on the Wiltshire/Berkshire border.

Where we watched, through solar eclipse glasses, the last time the Sun and the Moon did their thang.

No, of course time and tide waits for no one as another famous Scot once said and there have been some amount of moons come and gone.

Circle of trust: Avebury

Since we carried the Daughterie around in a backpack and the Son and Heir ran around our ankles there.

When New Age hippies and those new to their Age gathered around the older and more extensive stones in the village.

See you all in 2083

Flying high: My own little stars in Dirleton

With the next total solar eclipse in 2083 they might with medical advances still be here to see it.

While a generation not yet known may be the ones nipping around their feet.

Now if I manage to steer clear of going full Icarus and looking the sun in the eye I’ll be back later.

And hopefully somewhere where there are only dark skies… and I’d suggest somewhere up a mountain, say Mount Teide in Tenerife.

But remember too to take something warm to wear and not have to rely on a gallant Scot to lend you his jacket and shiver through the experience.

 

 

 

 

 

America, Countries, Sustainable Tourism

Harping on about underwater music in Florida

And because we’re all in need of a smile these days that’s why we’re harping on about underwater music in Florida.

And the sonorous snorkelers who have just put on a coral concert for the ages.

Beneath the waves for the 42nd annual Lower Keys Underwater Music Festival.

Ocean-themed favorites streamed through underwater speakers at Looe Key Reef in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

As dancing mermaids strummed guitars, plucked harps and sounded trumpets.

And tropical fish swam through the melodies.

Blow your own trumpet: Underwater

Between songs, divers heard reminders about protecting fragile coral reefs.

By respecting marine life, using mooring buoys, and practising responsible diving and snorkelling. 

Manatees & other marine mates

Making a splash: In the Red Sea

We have seen first hand what is being done in the name of those who live under the sea.

And made some conservation chums along the way.

Such as JP, the manatees’ mate and penguins pal at SeaWorld in Orlando.

Of course, you don’t have to have fins for feet and be able to breathe underwater to help out our fishy friends.

Which is just as well for this landlubber who struggles in water.

Gulping most of it from the Red Sea to the Caribbean.

And for the most part missing out on swimming through the shoals.

Although with a deep breath I still managed to see Mr and Mrs Turtle on a couples holiday

And to clarify, that was a humans break.

Turtle Girl Power

Precious cargo: Girl Power the turtle

And talking of turtle power a big shout-out to Girl Power and her handlers.

This honey in a half-shell was rescued in the Keys around International Women’s Day last month.

Turtles I’ve known: In Barbados

And taken to The Turtle Hospital tangled in fishing line and covered in life-threatening tumours.

Four months later, she proved resilience can be stronger than any obstacles in her way. 

“Girl Power was a long shot,” said manager Bette Zirkelbach.

With a satellite transmitter attached to her shell, Girl Power was released from Sombrero Beach in Marathon.

As the Turtle Hospital’s official competitor in the Tour de Turtles race, she will be tracked by Sea Turtle Conservancy. 

Tour de Turtles

Off you go: Bette Zirkelbach and Jory Geib release Girl Power. (Natalie Danko/Florida Keys News Bureau)

As she journeys out to sea. Girl Power’s satellite tag will transmit her location whenever she surfaces

And that allows scientists to study her migration while giving us a front-row seat to cheer her on. 

For roughly three months, she will compete against other rehabilitated sea turtles.

To see who swims the farthest in this year’s Tour de Turtles

 
Countries, Europe, Sustainable Tourism

Baden-Baden is so gut they named it twice

Now where better to get away from the heat stifling the continent of Europe than a spa, right, and Baden-Baden is so gut they named it twice.

And if that name sounds familiar then you probably recall it from the England WAGs, Victoria, Cheryl, Coleen, Abbey and Co.

All pampering themselves here 20 years ago.

And earning themselves the mantle of Baden-Baden Girls… OK, we just made that up but still.

The girls, of course, availed themselves of the Brenners Park hospitality.

A £1,000-a-night 1800s spa hotel on the outskirts of town, and the Italian restaurant Garibaldi.

While they naturally went in for some retail therapy with the wags (that’s funny people) declaring the Wags had renamed the town Shopping-Shopping.

Spending £57,000 an hour on one party excursion.

Ja dancer

All white on the night: Cheryl

Now we can’t say we know if the Equipage dance, music and cocktail bar were around back then.

The WAGs and their families made do instead with Garibaldi.

Where Elen Rives, Frank Lampard’s then partner climbing on a table and singing I Will Survive.

Table manners: Garibaldi

And Neville Neville, the dad of Gary and Phil, and that really is his name, got renched in beer and brandished a replica World Cup (they never did get their hands on the real one).

To be fair, when England football wives aren’t in the small town of just 30,000 then there is a more sedate feel.

Much like we’d say an Oberammergau, although without Der Passion, more say Der Passsion Fruit cocktails when the WAGs are there.

And prides itself on its motto of the good-good life.

The good-good life

Stunning: And just a grand a night

Baden-Baden, of course, is nothing to do with a negative outcome…

I mean, who would call themselves that?

But rather bad means bath, although Bath-Bath sounds more of an order.

For those denonymophiles, and yes, we made that up to… there is a very good reason why Baden-Baden was named twice.

It is to differentiate it from other Badens in Germany, theirs starting off life as Baden in Baden, the Baden region, before getting abreviated.

You’ve been Tangoed

Take to the floor: Classy Tango town

And why apart from nostalgia are we honing in on Baden-Baden?

Well because we and the Unesco-listed Great Spa Towns of Europe are celebrating.

Five years of collaboration this year.

With Baden-Baden running a full weekend, with its popular annual tango event.

In the collonades of the Trinkhalle, or pump room

Alongside a film screening of the silent film Der Skandal in Baden-Baden.

Peace and quiet: On the balcony

Guided tourse addressed Baden-Baden’s significant role in the development of music in Europe.

And the Kurgarten was transformed into a scene from the heyday of th Great Spa Towns of Europe.

Now, you don’t have to be a WAG or their appendage to stay at Brenners Park.

So maybe we’ll see you there because you know how much we, and she, love a spa.

And you might very well see my very own shopaholic will be there around the shoes.

 

 

Countries, Deals, Europe, Sustainable Tourism

Lie back and think of Portugal

And because the most important thing about a hotel bedroom is its bed then here’s where it’s best to lie back and think of Portugal.

In the south of the country in tranquil Alentejo, near Lisbon.

Where Amazing Evolution are placing sleep and deep rest at the centre of the travel experience.

With Sleep & Nature Hotel and Gandum Conscious Hotel leading the way.

Surrounded by forests and rolling plains, both destinations offer a powerful antidote to modern fatigue.

Which we have experienced first-hand from getting right into the interior in Portugal Centro.

EaZzzzy living

Tranquil: Gandum Conscious Hotel

Not that we find sleep easy if Britain’s health service is to be believed.

With reports that the average Briton sleeps just six and a half hours per night.

Well below the NHS-recommended 7–9 hours. 

While the 2025 Healthy Ireland Survey, Irish adults average 6.9 hours of sleep on weeknights, with 32% getting six hours or less.

Get some therapy

Sleepy time: Fly and flop

Sleep & Nature Hotel, located near Montemor-o-Novo, is built around the concept of sleep therapy.

Mentored by specialist Professor Teresa Paiva.

Every guest experience is rooted in in nature, good practices, relaxing therapies and sleep hygiene.

Shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, is among the activities guests can indulge in. 

The hotel features 32 rooms and suites, each carefully designed to actively support better sleep.

Natural materials such as cork and wood help regulate temperature and acoustics.

While blackout curtains, and my Snory One has been pitching for them Casa Murty for six years.

Low lighting, and minimal in-room technology reduce sleep disruption.

Pillow talk

Made in Portugal: And a lovely spread

Beds are selected for ergonomic support and paired with high-quality linens to enhance comfort and encourage deeper sleep.

The hotel’s spa offers treatments specifically aimed at reducing tension and improving circulation.

While indoor and outdoor pools provide quiet spaces for pre-sleep unwinding.

Even dining plays a role, with balanced, seasonal menus designed to support relaxation.

While overstimulation must be avoided in the evening.  

And get this, a pillows menu is available to better adjust ergonomics and rest needs. 

Rooms start from €180 per night. For more information visit Sleep & Nature Hotel

Do the Gandum

Green for go: Ecological living

Now the Gandum Conscious Hotel has put down roots for sustainability with 50,000 trees planted in an agroforestry environment. 

Set within the Alentejo countryside, the hotel blends minimalist architecture with a strong environmental ethos. 

Gandum Conscious Hotel promises organic mattresses, natural pillows and comforters.

Made from sustainable materials and breathable cotton linens, all chosen to optimise comfort.

Thermal insulation and natural ventilation keep rooms cool and quiet, even during the warmer months.

While carefully filtered natural light aligns with circadian rhythms helping guests wake and sleep more naturally. 

Food for thought

Supper’s ready: A nibble before bed

Nutritionally conscious, they follow a farm-to-fork philosophy.

In which mostly only what is available in the vegetable garden, orchard, and henhouse is cooked.

Rooms start from €220 per night. For more information visit Gandum Conscious Hotel

 

 

Caribbean, Countries, Sustainable Tourism

Let’s hear it for the Caymans’ Red Boobies this World Earth Day

And not just because their name makes overgrown schoolboys snigger let’s hear it for the Caymans’ red boobies this World Earth Day.

It turns out we’re not alone as four out of five (83%) say they intend to book a ‘wildlife travel’ break, a jump of 36%.

With the three Cayman Islands with its extraordinary diversity of wildlife at its centre.

Through its sun-drenched forests, dramatic limestone cliffs and some of the best visibility in the Caribbean.

Our Cayman chums as ever have done the heavy lifting for us.

With a listicle of five of their unexpected wildlife stars to mark World Earth Day.

More than a cocktail

Blue looking at me: The Blue Iguana

Now how many of us have drunk in the Caribbean with a rum and blue curacao infused cocktail without knowing what it is.

Well, perhaps today, this World Earth Day, it is worth reflecting that the Blue Iguana was once on the brink of extinction.

With fewer than 30 left in the wild in the early 2000s.

But thanks to long-running breeding programmes and habitat protection on the Cayman Islands.

More than 1,200 have now been reintroduced, we can now witness a prehistoric, electric blue giants basking in protected reserves. 

Booby trip

Take it as red: Our booby

Follow that then… well we have the Red-Footed Boobies.

Little Cayman boasts one of the largest colonies of its kind in the Western Hemisphere.

Nesting at the Booby Pond Nature Reserve, these seabirds wheel above mangroves, returning at dusk in sky‑darkening flocks.

Clear your throat

Throaty call: The Anole

Next up is the Blue-throated Anole.

With throats being a sign of virility in nature, don’t you know?

And lizards use theirs during territorial displays

With males extending their brilliant throat fans which gleam against the forest canopy.

Up on the reef

Dive in: Under the sea

Much of our most precious life is right under our feet and therefore must be protected.

Which we’re glad to see out divers and snorkellers treat seriously.

As they manoeuvre their way through swirling schools of reef fish, shimmering angelfish, and tiny endemics.

Just like the Splendid Shy Blenny hiding in coral crevices.

It’s turtle immersion

Shell be there: Your turtles

And now for the history bit, and you thought you’d got away with it.

Well Christopher Columbus dubbed the islands Las Tortugas for their abundance of turtles.

Three species, green, hawksbill and loggerhead, glide through lagoons and nest on sandy shores.

And captivate travellers at hotspots like Spotts Beach and Turtle Reef.

Conservation efforts continue to protect these ancient mariners as they reclaim their historic water.

Park yourself here

Regal: The Botanic Park

So where do we park ourselves? Well, the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park.

Part visitor attraction, part conservation powerhouse, the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park is home to the Blue Iguana Conservation Facility,

Visitors can take behind-the-scenes tours of active breeding and research efforts.

Its 60+ acres of gardens, forests and wetlands also house rare flora.

Including the national flower, the Wild Banana Orchid, showcased along the Orchid Boardwalk.

And because we’re resilient

Taking the wheel: On a Caymans trip

The Central Caribbean Marine Institute on Little Cayman is where to go for reef resilience.

The team has propagated over 1,000 coral fragments from parent colonies.

And established both shallow and deepwater nurseries to strengthen biodiversity across local reef systems.

Now to visit these wonderful life-forms then you’ll want to fly through your nearest big airline hubs or via the US, whichever applies.

Central America, Countries, Sustainable Tourism

The perfect Latino immigrant to America

And we’ve found the perfect Latino immigrant to America, who barely causes a ripple and never stays past her shell-life.

Meet Peggy who we learn washed up without a by your leave on the sands of the east coast as a hatchling turtle.

And was so taken by the States, as we all are, that she returned 30 years later to the very same beach, as a mother to lay her eggs.

Peggy’s odyssey

Land ahoy: For the turtles

Peggy’s peregrinations come to mind as we prepare for World Earth Day on April 22.

And celebrate the global leadership of Belize in caring for our heroes in a half-shelf.

As they set a benchmark for marine sustainability by legally protecting 30% of its waters by 2026.

And use drones and climate modelling to balance fisheries, tourism, and shoreline protection.

The Great Migration

Sat-nav: The turtles at sea

The aim is to integrate reef restoration and community-led monitoring to ensure healthier ecosystems support coastal livelihoods.

And now here’s where MarAlliance come into play.

With the first satellite-mappped loggerhead turtle migration from Belize to the US.

And mangrove restoration projects that nurture juvenile fish, boosting biodiversity and food security.

Scholarships and education programmes empower young Belizians to become future marine scientists.

All so that we can explore clean Caribbean seas on those de rigueur holiday excursions of swimming with the turtles.

Belize please

Peggy’s peregrinations: Peggy’s odyssey

And, of course, it doesn’t stop there.

Yes, you’ll get to mingle with the natives, the turtles and the indigenous wildlife.

And explore the Bladen Nature Reserve trails.

And the Belizians will power up local airlines, helicopters, rental cars, buses, boats and even horses.

To get you on your way and off the beaten path.

While you can zipline through the jungle too or scuba dive.

And for those who like an easier life, you can relax on the beach or pound on a Garifuna drum.

So if you want to enjoy an ecoliday with plenty of activities you wouldn’t do back home.

Then check out Belize in Central America with the major airlines who fly there.

And just say Peggy and the turtles sent you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Countries, Europe, Sustainable Tourism

The world’s happiest country… where are you?

And it will come as little surprise that Finland have won for the ninth year out of the last ten but the world’s happiest country… where are you?

Because I just know that my old pal Paula has used her infinite influence to push Suomi’s charms on the voting board on the Good Folk of the World Happiness Report.

Now on the basis that we are all of us ambassadors for our countries wherever we go then Paula has spread the word for Finland admirably on her travels.

An adopted Scot after marrying fellow journo Graham Murray.

Smiles better: Finn Paula

He’ll forgive me that I have come to know Paula as ‘Missus’ after a misunderstanding when myself and Paula found ourselves on a group trip to Orlando back in the day.

Now when we turned up for the wellness treatments at the Disney hotel where we were staying the host jumped to a wrong conclusion because of our surnames.

And assumed that we were a couple, which I wouldn’t wish on the delightful Paula.

Well, that’s why

Happy days: For Finland

Now it is virtually impossible to stress out in the surroundings of a spa treatment.

And perhaps that is the secret to Finland’s perennial happiness.

With Finns seemingly spending most of their free time in their 1,000 lakes.

Helsinki mayor Daniel Sazonov clearly extols the virtues of a good sauna.

Which every Finn has, with an estimated three million saunas for a population of just 5.5 million.

‘I suggest trying out the different saunas in Helsinki and maybe even a plunge into the cold Baltic Sea,’ he suggests.

And because we always see ourselves as a public service, here’s the top 20 of happiest countries.

Twenty with plenty

Irish eyes: With queen of Spain Teresa, Eoghan Corry and Sharon Jordan in Dublin

  1. Finland
  2. Iceland
  3. Denmark
  4. Costa Rica
  5. Sweden
  6. Norway
  7. Netherlands
  8. Israel
  9. Luxembourg
  10. Switzerland
  11. New Zealand
  12. Mexico
  13. Ireland
  14. Belgium
  15. Australia
  16. Kosovo
  17. Germany
  18. Slovenia
  19. Austria
  20. Czechia

And outside looking in

Never felt so good: Sauna time

Now if yours isn’t there then you know what to do about it.

As a postscript the Irish will, of course, be happy to see that the Brits don’t make the top 20, in 29th.

And behind even the USA, in 23rd.

 

 

Countries, Europe, Sustainable Tourism

I spa with my little eye they’re five years as a World Heritage site

They’re the original holiday resort and I spa with my little eye they’re five years as a World Heritage site.

The 11 sites of the The Great Spa Towns of Europe.

Now for those who imagine that wellness tourism is a a 21st century indulgence they’d be wrong.

With water treatments, or thalassotherapy, dating back to Roman times.

Sippy time: In Karlovy Vary

When Roman soldiers took the waters in modern-day Belgium to ease their weary or injured bones.

And the acronym SPA was formed from salus per aquam, or health through water.

A spin on your own spa

Golden vision: Ladislav Renner

Now as well as the Belgian town Spa, which has been welcoming water wellness visitors since the 14th century, there are six other countries celebrated now by World Heritage.

With Austria, Czechia (famous for its Spa Triangle), France, Germany, Italy and Britain on the WH spa map.

All of whom are marking this year’s five-year celebrations with their own spin on their own spa.

Our friends at Great Spa Towns have identified what’s going on across the Eleven.

Water party

Bath time: English spa city. Picture: Colin Hawkins

Including 100 years of the Art Deco Thermalstrandbad Lido in Baden bei Wien.

Twenty years of Thermae Bath Spa in Bath, Britain’s only thermal waters.

And 235 years since The Women’s Revolt in Františkovy Lázně, a women’s protest that founded the spa town.

While Vichy in France, runs spectacular birthday festivities every July.

So, let’s hear it for the Eclectic 11 and splash it all over if and when you get there.

The Eclectic Eleven

Spring time: Vichy. Picture: Christian Parisey

1. Baden bei Wien, Austria. | The Spa of Emperors
2. Spa, Belgium. | The Cafe of Europe
3. Františkovy Lázně, Czech Republic. | A European Model Spa
4. Mariánské Lázně, Czech Republic. | Grand Harmony with Nature
5. Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic. | Europe’s Open-air Salon
6. Vichy, France. | Queen of the Spa Towns
7. Bad Ems, Germany. | The Picturesque Imperial Spa
8. Baden-Baden, Germany. | Summer Capital of Europe
9. Bad Kissingen, Germany. | Between Classicism and Modernity
10. Montecatini Terme, Italy. | Garden Spa of Europe
11. City of Bath, UK. | Georgian Spa City

 

Countries, Deals, Europe, Sustainable Tourism

Where to go and getting there rail slow with Super Escapes Travel

It’s the downside of an island and the upside of a continent. a variety of accessible countries, but here are our friends to show us where to go and get there rail slow with Super Escapes Travel.

Because from Portugal to Poland we’re cutting out the stress of even more regulated travel through airports, preferring to let the train take the strain.

And addressing the heightened awareness of environmental impact, rising flight costs, and a desire to travel with greater purpose.

Increasingly, mature travellers, and don’t you know this pup of a 60-year-old has been pitched into that category, are choosing curated European
itineraries.

The ones that combine two or three destinations in a single trip.

By linking destinations seamlessly, travellers are also finding better value for money and making smarter use of their time abroad.

Still on the right track

The train in the plains: The Jungfraujoch in Switzerland

Back in our day it was EuroRail and Transalpino to the French Riviera (ask your Mums and Dads).

These days companies like Super Escapes Travel have stepped in and stepped up.

With an expanded product offering a new collection of multi-stop European itineraries.

Tailored specifically for those older travellers who train-hopped back in their salad days but have lost the habit since.

These trips prioritise comfort, convenience, and cultural depth and centrally located hotels.

Clock this: The Astronomical Clock in Prague

The focus is on balance, pairing contrasting destinations such as coastal retreats and historic capitals.

Or vibrant cultural hubs and quieter scenic regions, all while minimising unnecessary travel stress.

It’s no surprise then that the poster twin-centre city breaks for Super Escapes Travel are two of our favourites.

The Central European gems of Prague and Budapest.

Central casting

Culture vulture: With the locals in Budapest

You will look out from the Wenceslas Square Hotel in the Czech capital, no, not on the Feast of St Stephen but on selected dates in March.

And enjoy the charms of the Bohem Art Hotel in Budapest.

Super Escapes Travel will fly you from London into Prague and back from Budapest.

Phew Danube: Taking it slow

With rail travel between the two cities included.

Your four-day trip, from a choice of March 1, 3, 8, 11 and 15, from £179pp and your hotel stays will be room only.

 

Countries, Sustainable Tourism, UK

At 60 it’s nae sweat sitting it out in a sauna

And we’ve our Finnish friends to thank for our favourite pastime with our clothes (almost) off… and naturally at 60 it’s nae sweat sitting it out in a sauna.

Or any age really depending on where you live in the world.

Where our guide in the Austrian Tirol regaled us of his childhood memories when he would go with his grandparents… and they all shed their clothes!

Not that British or Irish people are ready for that kind of open living.

Although I have noticed over the years that we have got more confident in actually talking to each other.

Which is how we, the Daughterie, Mr Daughterie and myself found ourselves getting to know Pippa’s Crew.

Sauna etiquette

Hut stuff: All the action is inside

A set (if that’s the collective noun for saunaphiles) of Edinburgh and East Lothian yummy mummies.

At Hot & Bothy Community Sauna on the Archerfield Estate in Dirleton 23 miles east of the Scottish capital.

Some subjects are, of course, off limits with Hot & Bothy reminding us not to pass comment on people’s body image or tattoos.

Although not having seen Mr Daughterie with most of his clothes off, as no father-in-law ever should, I did break that to ask him about his inkings.

And whether it was safe for him to wear his piercings, which as a sauna expert from his time in Finland he assured us that it was.

Too damned hot

Pour it on: The Hot & Bothy experience

What might not be unless you’re one of those roughie-toughie Finns is competitive saunaing is the World Sauna Championships.

Which were held in Saonola from 1999 to 2010.

And whose competitors were asked to sign a waiver.

Which was a get out of jail card when the beaten finalist in the last championships, a Russian expired.

And we’re not reading anything into the fact that the winner was a Finn, Illka Poyjoa.

Hot & Bothy rules

O Shower of Scotland: With Mr Daughterie

Hot & Bothy operate a hut and a yurt from behind the Archerfield Walled Garden.

And two plunge pools, a cold shower.

And a firepit where you can sit and drink their tea and ginger and sing Kumbaya, although that’s not compulsory.

Before you dress back into your clothes in the changing rooms.

And all for the price of a night’s drinking at £17.50 and you’ll feel a lot better for it.