One feels it could take a lifetime to unravel the mysteries of Mother Russia. The land of this vast nation of 140 million people seems to stretch on forever, and you can ride the Trans Siberian railway for over a week to complete the journey from Moscow to Vladivostok. When you add the countries of the former Soviet Union, there are over 300 million native Russian speakers in the world today. Russian is one of the six official languages of the United Nations, and along with English, is the official language at the International Space Station. While often portrayed as the bogeyman by western nations, Russia will continue to be a major player on the world stage well in to…

It was ten years ago your intrepid travel journalist paid an inaugural visit to Russia, making the journey from Helsinki, before crossing the Finnish border and journeying on to St Petersburg. Prior to the Bolshevik revolution of 1917, this glorious city was the capital of Russia. After his rise to power, however, Lenin had security concerns as St Petersburg is geographically close to rival European powers, and made the decision to move the capital to Moscow. Ever since that visit to St Petersburg in 2006 I've dreamed of visiting Moscow, a European powerhouse and by far the largest city on the continent. The official population of the city is 12 million people, however with illegal immigrants surging to the capital…

Luxembourg is one of the founding members of the European Union, taking it's role in the continuation of a peaceful and cooperative future seriously. The Micro State is strategically positioned in the centre of Western Europe, sharing borders with Belgium, Germany and France. Having been in the centre of the horrors of the Second World War, Luxembourg is committed to a peaceful Europe, particularly between it’s two powerful neighbours France and Germany. Although the country is one of the smallest independent countries in the world, Luxembourg punches well above it’s weight as an influential player in post war Europe. The banking sector is one of the most powerful in the world, with a strong manufacturing and agricultural sector also playing…

In September 1946 Winston Churchill gave his famous United States of Europe speech at the University of Zurich. During the speech the iconic wartime leader asked for cooperation amongst the great European nations, specifically Germany and France, to avoid the horrors of the world wars ever occurring again. The ironies of this speech are not lost on the Swiss today, as this historic moment is considered by many the catalyst for the formation of the European Union. The Swiss themselves, however, are notable absentees from the Union. The country maintained neutrality for the entirety of the two world wars that tore Europe apart in the 20th Century, it’s certainly unpredictable the way history tends to play out. The local economy…

What is it that drives some people to explore the world, to keep pushing new boundaries when most of us would surely be sated? The thrill of visiting a new country casts a powerful spell; clearly I’m still afflicted with the travel bug that has propelled me around the world for all these years! One of the few Micro States I’ve not visited is the Principality of Liechtenstein. This landlocked country in Central Europe is surrounded by Switzerland and Austria, with German the national language. My research indicated the best way to get there is from Zurich, providing an unexpected bonus as I haven’t yet visited the financial hub and biggest city in Switzerland. The journal left off at the…

The Balkans experience continues with my first visit to Kosovo, a country that is 90% ethnic Albanian and after my recent experience a destination I was sure to enjoy visiting. The Ottoman Empire ruled the Balkans for 500 years, with the influence of the Ottomans evidenced by the religious affiliation of the Kosovars, including the beautiful mosques throughout the country. However, the locals are not strictly religious; it's rare to see a lady covered when strolling in the capital city Pristina or other cities in the country. As soon as I arrived, there was a relaxed welcome that's been reinforced through the duration of my visit to this lovely country. The hospitality in the Balkans is special, and something I’ll…

The history of Macedonia stretches back to ancient times, famous for the military exploits of Phillip II of Macedon and his world conquering son Alexander the Great. The modern day country arose from the collapse of the former Yugoslavia in 1991, with a population of only two million people including a significant Albanian minority. Officially recognised as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia due to Greek concerns over the use of the word Macedonia in Northern Greece, the Republic of Macedonia is striving to become part of NATO and join the EU. The Albanian minority has been granted a degree of autonomy after an uprising in the 1990's, with the country focussed on forging it's identity as an independent nation…

I knew from the moment I set foot inside Destil Hostel something special was going on, but had no clue exactly what it was. I wandered upstairs in the absence of staff to come across two young lads belting out a tune with a single guitar, Wow that's awesome I thought, these two are not your average hostel hacks, perhaps they are in a local band? Anyway, they directed me to the bar and I went through the formalities of checking in. While heading back upstairs to the dorm a girl was going all Beyonce with the lad on the guitar. Sounds great, I said as I was going past. Then I enter the dorm and two girls are sitting…

Malta is positively heaving with tourists during the summer months, but still a surprisingly popular travel destination in winter. The islands of the archipelago are rich in the history and unique culture of the Maltese, and it's been a long held dream of mine to visit the islands. From Barcelona cheap flights are available to Malta with a stopover in Rome, and my visit to the Basque region of Spain provided the catalyst for this long awaited trip. Due to it's strategic location Malta has long been attractive to foreign powers as a naval base, and the islands have seen many different rulers down through the millennia. Featuring a temperate climate, Malta can be the perfect getaway from harsh northern…

Andorra is a little jewel in Southwestern Europe, and the landlocked Micro State is surrounded by France and Spain. The people of this tiny principality treasure their freedom, and although the Andorrans use the euro currency they are not part of the EU. There are plenty of things to see and do in this wonderful country, at an altitude of at over 1000 metres in the Pyrenees mountains. There are daily return bus trips out of Barcelona, and the bus ride across the border to the capital Andorra la Vella takes only three hours. Many tourists take the opportunity to take the bus for a day trip to explore Andorra and perhaps indulge in a bit of a shopping spree,…