Even for non-experts like me, signs such as ‘Menin’, ‘Passendale’ and ‘Ieper’ made it clear that, as we drove towards the last of these three destinations, we were heading for an area now intrinsically linked with the Great War and the battles which took place here nearly a hundred years ago. I had never been to this part of Flanders before and I think I was expecting more obvious signs of what had happened here. But apart from the odd quiet graveyard with its ubiquitous lines of white markers and one or two concrete structures in the fields which may or may not have been bunkers, the agricultural landscape was fairly similar to anywhere else in Belgium. More than the cemeteries, the odd poppy dancing amongst the straw on passing verges moved me. And I wanted to be moved. Ypres in particular is a place of pilgrimage for many thousands of people from Britain and the Commonwealth who want to pay their respects to the soldiers who died here and also want to understand more about what happened to their ancestors.
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The Schweizerhof? Oh it’s amazing! There’s a porter to meet you off the train! There’s a butler! They give you a glass of sparkling wine as soon as you come in the door! Honestly, the service….!
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Apparently Queensland is always referred to as ‘The Sunshine State’. But after five days of grey skies and frequent downpours in and around Brisbane, I was starting to wonder why. ‘This weather is so unusual!’ everyone told me. ‘We’ve had nothing but sunshine for the last two months!’ Just great.
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Enjoy a delicious brunch with dessert and Bellini on board the British Pullman train as you make your way to Folkestone…

Wow. I have travelled on a fair few trains in my time but never one that looked like a stately home from the inside. Nor have I boarded with such a well turned out group of commuters.
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When you are walking up the (gently inclined) hill from Place de Clichy, the Terrass Hotel is pretty hard to miss. Its Haussmann façade rises majestically above the Cimitière de Montmartre with illuminated signs wrapped
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On my last trip to Switzerland I travelled via Strasbourg, which is a great way to start a Swiss trip as it meant I had time to visit one of my favourite French cities, and enjoy a stay at the Sofitel Strasbourg Hotel.
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A wise man once said ‘the journey not the arrival matters’ and if any holiday proves that adage, this one does. This was a journey I will never forget.
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