As one of England’s most historical cities, there are plenty of pubs in York worth a visit.

Copyright: Phil Wiley

Not only that, but being the oldest pub in the city, Ye Olde Starre Inn holds real historical significance. It dates back to 1644 – the time of King Henry VIII’s reign – and is the subject of many ghost stories. The Battle of Marston Moor was fought near York in the English Civil War and the Inn’s cellar was used as an operating room for the wounded. It is said their screams of pain can still sometimes be heard throughout the pub. Another interesting story is that of the two cats who were apparently bricked into the pillar between the door and the bar. It is said the cats can be heard scampering through the pubs and that dogs bark and hit their heads against the pillar trying to get to the cats.

Another pub in York that is of particular interest is the Kings Arms. This is one of, if not the best known, of the pubs in York. As you wander inside to the warm, friendly atmosphere take a moment to look around. As you are greeted by the smiling staff and a friendly open fire (in the colder months) you will notice the pub’s inside décor of stone and wood features plaques of water heights.

The Kings Arms is best known for its capacity to flood. Being located on the banks of the River Ouse, every time the river bursts its banks the famous York pub goes under water. When it’s not flooded they serves up a fantastic king-sized meal. Sit inside by the fire, or on the banks of the River Ouse and have a pint or two and a bite (well a lot of bites) to eat.

York and the surrounding area is said to contain one pub for every day of the year, although this now probably a little exaggerated. It is said, with poetic licence, that there is no point within the city walls where one can stand and not be able to see at least one pub and at least one church. So if you like English beer to York.

by Kate Wiley

Various sites in this magnificent palace and gardens.
Produced by 1080 Vision Productions, 1080vision.com

Granada - Copyright: Phil Wiley 2005

Once the residence of the Muslim rulers of Granada and their court, the Alhambra is now one of Spain’s major tourist attractions exhibiting the country’s most famous Islamic architecture, together with Christian 16th century and the later additions of the ornate gardens that can be seen today.

In the warmer months the Alhambra can become so full of tourists that the Palace (full of art and antiquities) closes it’s doors quite early. They only allow a set number of visitors inside per day, so if you arrive later than midday you could be locked out. You can still enter the grounds, and walk the walls, but you won’t get to see many of the treasures.

Granada from Alhambra
Copyright: Phil Wiley 2005

My suggestion is to get there no later than 11am. If you’re staying in Granada be aware that it’s quite a hard walk from most of the tourist hotels so, unless you speak Spanish and can find the right bus (and bus-stop) it’s probably best to get a taxi.

The Palace of Charles V, within the Alhambra, was erected by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor in 1527. Its most westerly feature is the alcazaba (citadel); a strongly fortified position. The rest of the plateau comprises a number of palaces, enclosed by a relatively weak fortified wall, with thirteen towers, some defensive and some providing vistas for the inhabitants.

Completed towards the end of Muslim rule in Spain by Yusuf I (1333-1353) and Muhammed V, Sultan of Granada (1353-1391), the Alhambra is a reflection of the culture of the last days of the Nasrid emirate of Granada. It is a place where artists and intellectuals had taken refuge as Christian Spain won victories over Al Andalus. The Alhambra mixes natural elements with man-made ones, and is a testament to the skill of Muslim craftsmen of that time.

The literal translation of Alhambra “red fortress” derives from the colour of the red clay of the surroundings of which the fort is made. The buildings of the Alhambra were originally whitewashed; however, the buildings now seen today are reddish.

The first reference to the Qal’at al Hamra was during the battles between the Arabs and the Muladies during the rule of the ‘Abdullah ibn Muhammad (r. 888-912). In one particularly fierce and bloody skirmish, the Muladies soundly defeated the Arabs, who were then forced to take shelter in a primitive red castle located in the province of Elvira, presently located in Granada. According to surviving documents from the era, the red castle was quite small, and its walls were not capable of deterring an army intent on conquering. The castle was then largely ignored until the eleventh century, when its ruins were renovated and rebuilt by Samuel ibn Naghralla, vizier to the King B?d?s of the Zirid Dynasty, in an attempt to preserve the small Jewish settlement also located on the Sabikah hill. However, evidence from Arab texts indicates that the fortress was easily penetrated and that the actual Alhambra that survives today was built during the Nasrid Dynasty.

On-Location at the Alhambra in southern Spain for Indie Arts magazine. The Alhambra was originally built by the invading Moors from northern Africa as a fortress, then it became the residence of royalty of the court of Granada in the middle of the thirteenth century. It is widely regarded as one of the wonders of the world with its exquisite interior lacework, mosaics, fountains and gardens.

Radcliffe Camera - copyright: Phil Wiley

The Radcliffe Camera (colloquially, “Rad Cam” or “Radders”) is a building in Oxford, England, designed by James Gibbs in the English Palladian style and built in 1737–1749 to house the Radcliffe Science Library. The building was funded by a £40,000 bequest from John Radcliffe, who died in 1714. Nicholas Hawksmoor originally proposed making the building round, although the final plans designed by Gibbs were quite different from those planned by Hawksmoor.

After the Radcliffe Science Library moved into another building in about 1860, the Radcliffe Library was taken over by the Bodleian and renamed the Radcliffe Camera (the word camera translates from Latin as “room” or “chamber”.). The upper-floor library became a reading room, used mainly by undergraduates, who had been admitted to the Bodleian since 1856, and the ground floor was turned into a book-stack (it was converted into a second reading room in 1941). In taking over the Radcliffe, the Bodleian library acquired its first major addition of space for readers since the building of Selden End in 1634. And by the beginning of the twentieth century an average of a hundred people a day were using it. It now holds books from the English, history, and theology collections, mostly secondary sources found on Undergraduate and Graduate reading lists. There is space for around 600,000 books in rooms beneath Radcliffe Square.

The Bodleian Library, which is the main research library of the University of Oxford, is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, and in England is second in size only to the British Library. These days, many students choose to order books up to Radcliffe Camera’s reading rooms to enjoy the picturesque surroundings. Annoyingly for staff, it is also one of the harder Bodleian sites to deliver items to

Oxford’s libraries are among the most celebrated in the world, not only for their incomparable collections of books and manuscripts, but also for their buildings. Some of which have remained in continuous use since the Middle Ages. These buildings are still used by students and scholars from all over the world, and they attract an ever-increasing number of visitors.

The Bodleian, the chief among the University’s libraries, has a special place.

First opened to scholars in 1602, it incorporates an earlier library erected by the University in the fifteenth century to house books donated by Humfrey, Duke of Gloucester. Since 1602 it has expanded, slowly at first but with increasing momentum over the last 150 years, to keep pace with the ever-growing accumulation of books and papers, but the core of the old buildings has remained intact.

Before being granted access to the library, new readers are required to agree to a formal declaration. This declaration was traditionally oral, but is now usually made by signing a letter to the same effect — ceremonies in which readers recite the declaration are still performed for those who wish to take them, these occur primarily at the start of the University’s Michaelmas term. The English text of the declaration is as follows:

I hereby undertake not to remove from the Library, nor to mark, deface, or injure in any way, any volume, document or other object belonging to it or in its custody; not to bring into the Library, or kindle therein, any fire or flame, and not to smoke in the Library; and I promise to obey all rules of the Library.

This is a translation of the following traditional Latin oath:

Do fidem me nullum librum vel instrumentum aliamve quam rem ad bibliothecam pertinentem, vel ibi custodiae causa depositam, aut e bibliotheca sublaturum esse, aut foedaturum deformaturum aliove quo modo laesurum; item neque ignem nec flammam in bibliothecam inlaturum vel in ea accensurum, neque fumo nicotiano aliove quovis ibi usurum; item promitto me omnes leges ad bibliothecam Bodleianam attinentes semper observaturum esse. (Leges bibliothecae bodleianae alta voce prae legendae custodis iussu).

Here’s a short video of the libraries of Bodleian.

If you’d like to read more about the Bodleian you can find the official history of the Bodleian here, or browse a richly illustrated full colour .pdf brochure.

And if you’d like access to the online section of the library you can find a range of resources at that link. Some sections though are limited to registered students of Oxford universities.

When you go sightseeing in Paris you get the whole deal - there’s culture, authenticity and that little snap of individuality.

I traveled from a place called Flers the French countryside to Paris by train. The first thing I saw when I walked out of the Montparnasse train station when I arrived was the breathtaking sight of the the Eiffel Tower looming straight ahead of me. Needless to say this just fuelled my already burning desire to go sightseeing in Paris.

Sightseeing in Paris is sightseeing on a whole new level; there is the Eiffel Tower, the Notre Dame Cathedral, Arc Di Triomph, The Louvre, Napoleon’s Tomb and so, so much more.

My sightseeing in Paris began at the Eiffel Tower. This 116 year old structure which graces the Parisian skyline stands at 324m high and is a favourite stop for tourists from all over the world. For just under 4 euros you can walk up the 1665 stairs or catch the glass lift all the way to the top to get one of the best city views you will ever see.

copyright:Phil Wiley

My travels then took me to The Louvre - an absolute must for sightseeing in Paris! Based in the former Royal Palace, the Louvre Museum showcases the very apartments that Napoleon Bonaparte lived in, still in their original state. Given the long history of the Louvre, the glass pyramids which mark the entrance of the museum at the end of the Tullieries gardens seem in stark contrast to their surrounds. The Louvre showcases around 35,000 works of art including the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo and many other famous works from around the world. The place is so huge that it is estimated it would take five and a half weeks of non-stop looking for someone to see everything within the Louvre’s walls.

When sightseeing in Paris you also can’t go past a visit to the Moulin Rouge. It is expensive to go in, but well worth the experience if you can afford it!

… kate wiley

You can’t go home and say you truly experienced Oz unless you go on a farmstay during your holiday, and believe me, there are plenty around. In fact, farmstay is a booming part of Australia’s tourism industry.

If you go on a farmstay you’re guaranteed to make new friends, get great photos and experience a way of life that you’ll find nowhere else in the world.

Of all the farmstays I know of one comes to mind that stands out above all else for brilliant hospitality and an awesome, genuine experience. I have been to Myella Farmstay at Baralaba, Queensland twice, and I had the time of my life both times.

On a farmstay, no matter where it is, you get the real deal. I can guarantee you that you will get the bluest sky you’ve ever seen, with some of the reddest dust you’ve ever seen. That makes for for a sunset like no other you’ve ever seen followed by a majestic night sky studded with the brightest stars you ever saw.

This is definitely true at Myella Farmstay.

When I went there I had no idea what I was in for. Having been twice now, I can’t wait to go back! Hosts Lyn, Olive, Peter and Ken are some of the most genuine people I have ever met and they have done a marvellous job of opening their family cattle station to travellers from all over the world. Believe me, Myella Farmstay is good old Aussie country hospitality at its best.

At Myella, and no doubt many other farmstays as well, expect to spend your days horse riding, riding motorbikes and helping out around the property. I read on one of the Myella brochures once that you will leave sore and dirty, but very happy… how true that is! If you don’t like getting dirty then don’t go to a farmstay… when I showered the water washed out of my hair tinged red and I was cleaning red dust out of my ears for a while there, too!

And yep, I was sore too… during my farmstay I was assigned to a buckskin horse called Rebel. He had a bit more go than some of the other horses (i’m a horse girl from way back and have my own horses) so I was up for a bit of fun. At Myella Farmstay everyone is assigned to horses according to personality and ability - and I’ve got to give it to them, because they usually get it spot on. I had an absolute ball riding Rebel, but even though I ride all the time I was so sore on day two after several hours in the saddle on my first day at the farmstay. On day two I got the opportunity to give him a go at barrel racing - a real eye opener given that I’m a dressage rider, but sooo much fun!

Between all the great farmstay activities take the opportunity to do a bit of washing, play games, go into Baralaba or go for a dip in the pool.

At the end of the day there’s nothing quite like sitting around the campfire with a few coldies (Australian for an ice cold beer) chatting to your new mates and sharing stories. Then its to bed to do it all again the next day, and believe me, it will be one of the best and most welcome night’s sleep you’ll ever have!

Aussie country hospitality is legendary… so why not experience it for yourself on a farmstay?

Kate Wiley

I am reasonably well traveled for a 22 year old. I have been to many countries on various continents, often having no clue how to speak the native language. My most recent trip has encompassed Thailand, England, Spain and France. I used to learn French when I was in primary school. Like most kids I knew, I hated it. Over the years however, my extensive travel has engrained a love of travel and languages in me and I can speak bits and pieces of lots of different ones.

My experiences have taught me that if I want to learn French, the quickest way to do it is to go to France and immerse myself in the language and culture.

For the five weeks I was in France it was my mission to learn French to the highest level I could. Okay, so I’m not fluent, but I sure learned a lot! When you find yourself completely surrounded by people that don’t speak English it’s amazing how much of their language you can pick up.

I started out knowing that bonjour means hello and that was about it! After a week of trying to learn French by listening and talking to people I knew a lot more and could ask if someone spoke english and make a purchase in a shop with a degree of confidence. By the end of my five weeks I could (and still can!) explain that I am a vegetarian and order a salad without egg, ham or cheese with fries and a drink. I can hold a basic conversation and get the general idea of what is being said to me.

If you really want to learn french, or any language for that matter, they key is to immerse yourself in the langauge and culture as much as possible.

I had a great time trying to learn french in an immersion situation and when I drove over the border into Spain… yep, you guessed it! I accidentally started speaking French to the Spanish! Oops!

… Kate Wiley

Located in Sydneys Eastern Suburbs a view from the northern end of popular Coogee beach on 4/01/2007