Author Archives: Karen Woods

Grace under pressure

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The gas arrives in the early morning. Forty tons of liquified natural gas is pumped on board the Viking Grace in the Swedish capital while sleepy foot passengers embark and lorry drivers park up for the long journey ahead. This is the first ferry to be powered by LNG, sailing through the beautiful archipelagos of   …Continue Reading


Sailing into the future?

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My cabin bag is packed and I’m about to head for the airport – destination Stockholm. With colleagues from Wightlink Ferries, I’m taking a look at Viking Line’s flagship, the innovative Viking Grace. Powered by liquified natural gas (LNG), she sails the Baltic between Sweden and Finland and is one of 126 ships in the   …Continue Reading


Highs and lows of a weekend in the Balkans

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The clue is in the name. There are plenty of mountains in Montenegro. To get anywhere you have to negotiate steep mountain roads, frequently with snow in the cooler time of the year. On occasion, there are crash barriers but don’t bank on it. But it’s worth taking your time to marvel at the views,   …Continue Reading


Feeling bleu over cheese

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Charles DeGaulle once asked how could it be possible for anyone to govern a country that has 247 varieties of cheese. Back in the day, it was a treat to sample artisan fromages of all kinds and ponder a suitable wine to accompany them. Now, alas, I am becoming somewhat concerned about the state of   …Continue Reading


Do you accept credit cards in Yugoslavia?

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OK, I’ll admit it, I’m a historian. To a former student of the Habsburg Empire like me, Tito is almost a contemporary character and the war of the 1990s happened yesterday. Although the conflict ended 20 years ago with the Dayton peace agreement. I got a timely lesson in its role for modern Europeans earlier   …Continue Reading


Speaking Welsh in Patagonia

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Ten years ago, with the aid of a small windfall, I splashed some cash on an amazing holiday to South America. I stayed at many unforgettable places in Argentina; not least, the coastal town of Puerto Madryn, named by the first Welsh settlers in 1865. So I was interested to catch up this evening with   …Continue Reading


World-shattering inventions

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Every now and again, journalists compile lists of the most important breakthroughs over the last decade or two. The Internet, antibiotics and the contraceptive pill are usually on the list. Thinking about travel (as I often do), I reckon we should honour the bright spark who first put wheels on suitcases. Remember the bad old   …Continue Reading


Dodgy customer service from the RAC

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My RAC subscription is due next month and the letter arrives today. The sum will auto-debit next month but I realise I have a new credit card linked to that payment and it won’t go through on the day. So I do the decent thing and give them a call to let them know the   …Continue Reading


Green energy?

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I’ve signed up again at a local gym. This time, it’s just ten minutes walk from home so no more excuses about not going. Membership fees are reasonable and there’s a staggering number of classes on offer from ‘legs, bums and tums’ to ‘body combat’ whatever that is. Must try one of them someday. Now   …Continue Reading


A tourist in Serbia

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Many museums around the world are high tech and interactive, challenging visitors to think again about important themes and concepts and offering fun exhibits for the children. Others are dry and boring. Holidaymakers often feel obliged to visit places they would never dream of entering at home and end up regretting it. But, if you’re   …Continue Reading