TRAVEL - On the Bucket list too | Modern Bric a Brac

Florence, Italy

My dream desto, straight away Puccini's aria starts to play in my head. Think Room with a View, Piazza della Santissima Annunziata, Pensione Quisisana (now the Hotel degli Orafi), Miss Honeychurch and her chaperone Miss Bartlett. Think that kiss in the stifling heat and the poppy field. I have watched this film over and over and am transported every time to the banks of the river Arno and the art of Michelangelo.

Photo by: PapaPiper (Travelling) Creative Commons Some rights reserved

~ Ponte Vecchio in Florence Facebook page ~

Hidden behind an unmarked door in the Uffizi Gallery is the entrance to the Vasari Corridor closed to the general public that runs along the top of the Ponte Vecchio. Built in 1565 it gave the ruler Cosimo de Medici safe passage across the city before eventually becoming an art gallery of 16th and 17th century art. Although not open to the general public you can book a tour, click on VisitFlorence to find out more.

Versailles

The French palace built by the sun King Louis XIV and inhabited by royalty, aristos and all the rest until the women of Paris got fed up of starving and decided to go see Marie Antoinette. Possibly the worst summary of 100 years that you'll ever read on one of the most spectacular, lavish, ornate and enormous palaces ever built.

From learning about Louis XIV at school to becoming fascinated the story of Helen Maria Williams and the French Revolution a few years ago, Versailles has kept coming up. I've travelled to Paris three times, once with my family, once on a charity hitch hike as a student and once on a conference to find out about Helen Maria Williams. The hitch hike from Cardiff involved hitching a ride with a lorry driver who told us he didn't like students, the Irish and wasn't keen on students. I didn't feel comfortable. Another ride in France was with a lady with very long finger nails driving erratically down a hill with bends in the road and making us silently hold our bags tighter as we held on for dear life.

~ Chateau Versailles Facebook page ~

Arriving in Paris as students do, we skidded across the floor in the Louvre and stood in the fountain for our photo before the security guards shooed us away. My more recent trip took me to the Marais district beside the canal. The sun shone and as I wandered around Paris I passed the Notre Dame, the Conciergerie and the Luxembourg. Places connected with the story of the French Revolution but the one place I did not see was Versailles.

Northern Lights

This almost-nearly-ohsoclose item on my bucket list involved a trip to Iceland in winter to see the Northern Lights. Although we didn't see it, I did learn a great deal about Iceland and found the place the fascinating. I definitely recommend a trip at any time of year and although the light show is not guaranteed you still go thermal bathing with the locals and enjoy the art and architecture in Reykjavik.

You can also increase your chances of seeing the northern lights by learning from my mistakes, in particular, take note of the following:

You are more likely to see the northern lights in autumn or spring (rather than mid-winter)

Avoid booking around the time of the full moon

You're most likely to see the northern lights between the hours of 9 pm and midnight than at any other time

Book at least a four night stay, so that if your tour is cancelled on the first night you have three more chances to join the tour

Book a northern lights tour (I thought we'd just see it from our window), the tour guides track information so that they can drive you out to where there is a you are likely to have clear enough skies to watch this natural wonder.

Ibiza

Rocking culture of a completely different kind. My love of dance music and its many genres goes back, way back and is still alive every time I listen to the brilliant DJ driven Codesouth. Although local to Brighton you can listen to it anywhere, so if like me you love Rave, Dance or a little bit bit of House