Essential History | The people, places and events that have shaped our history and culture
The people, places and events that have shaped our history and culture
Available in store or online, see links below! Order my acclaimed guidebook that pairs pivotal moments in London's history with 52 of its most iconic pubs - each just a stroll from where history was made. Goodreads reviews: ‘It's like a history field trip with beer, a fine way to learn with info-rich text and [...]
Manzanares el Real is a town thirty miles north of Madrid and a starting point for hiking in the Sierra de Guadarrama, the mountain range that curves north around Madrid with summits peaking at more than 6000 feet. This post covers a low-level walk out of the town, following the River Manzanares into the sierra. [...]
The area of Embajadores is a barrios in transition. Down-at-heel at the bottom of Calle de Embajadores, gentrifying as you rise up to Plaza de Cascorro - graffiti giving way to street art, hipster barber shops and artisanal bakeries. The Fabrica De Tabacos closed in 2000, after more than two hundred years as Madrid’s main [...]
Favoured by Madrilenos for its cool summer climate, Segovia is situated on a ridge at an elevation of over 1000 metres, giving it amazing views over the Castilian countryside. Boasting an astounding 800 metre-long Roman aqueduct dating from AD 120, the old town and aqueduct were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985. Astonishingly, [...]
Plaza del Rey is home to the curiously named Casa de Las Siete Chimeneas (House of the Seven Chimneys) - apparently each representing one of the seven deadly sins. Completed in 1577, it’s one Madrid’s oldest buildings, and is now home to the Ministry of Education and Culture. Plenty of lore is associated with the [...]