Ian has strong roots in Somerset. His forebears lived there for hundreds of years before a branch of the family emigrated to New Zealand in the late 1800’s. Visiting Somerset many times on holiday, this love turned to a collaboration with Visit Somerset to create an enhanced e-book covering the diverse history and heritage of the county. In 2015 Ian shifted to Wells and spent six months travelling over 5000 miles around Somerset, capturing the area and all of its beauty. The resultant e-book was launched at the Palace of Westminster in May 2016 (pictured here). Ian said: “One of the main things that surprised me about Somerset was its diversity. In such a small distance you can see very different attractions, many that you would not expect to find in England. “I fell in love with The Levels. It is an area of unexpected beauty. Walking along a path with the rustling of reeds on one side and distant views of the magic of Avalon peeping through trees on the other is quite spectacular. We arrived at a bird hide and expected to spend a moment there. An hour later we were still there, the only humans in sight, […]
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The Provence region is justifiably one of the most popular tourist regions of France. Ever since reading A Year in Provence in the 1980's the area was high on my bucket list. In 2015 dreams became a reality when we had the opportunity to spend three months in the village of L'isle-sur-la-Sorge. From November 2015 we lived in a beautful apartment in the heart of the village. We ate baguettes, sipped on expresso, savioured Burgundy and lived a life that we could only dream of. The images in this galley are just a sample of what we experienced. All I can say is you must visit - it is everything you could ever imagine it to be - plus a whole lot more. Fore more please read my blog written whilst we were there. The Best Cafe Au Chineur You simply must visit Au Chineur. A favourite with locals, it is the best place to hang out during the day with an expresso and then in the evening, sip a beautiful red and bite into a rare steak with frites. When you visit, tell Pierre I sent you. We visited the cafe on the day we arrived and then every […]
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The town of Rjukan in the Telemark region of Norway has a remarkable history.
The birth of modern Norwegian tourism, the development of hydroelectric power and artificial fertiliser to feed a growing world population, facilitation of modern-day workers’ rights, nuclear development and the bravery and tenacity of wartime saboteurs.
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The town of Lillehammer and the beautiful Gudbrandsdalen valley are located only 2 hours by car (180 km) north of Oslo, the capital. In this region, from Lillehammer in the south to Rondane National Park in the north, you will find numerous gems steeped in cultural history and offering unique adventures, heritage accommodation and traditional Norwegian food.
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By a lake, between forests and steep mountains in the Gudbrandsdalen valley, you can experience Norway’s most famous folk tale in a spectacular outdoor theatre production. The dramatic poem Peer Gynt is staged all over the world, but it was here that Ibsen found his inspiration.
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