The London Underground is made up of 11 different lines, each with its own unique characteristics and history. Navigating the different lines and stations can be a challenge for newcomers, but understanding the language used to describe them can make your journey much easier. Each line is identified by a specific colour, which is used on maps, signs, and trains to help passengers distinguish between them. For example, the Central line is represented by the colour red, while the Piccadilly line is represented by dark blue.

A ferry crossing can be so much more than just a boat trip, or a booze cruise. It can be a leaving of something or someone behind, whether for just a short period or more permanently.

The big question is, "What do you take with you?"

Hadrian's wall has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. English Heritage, a government organisation in charge of managing the historic environment of England, describes it as "the most important monument built by the Romans in Britain".  It was a defensive fortification in northern England, and it marked the border of the Roman Empire when it was at its height in the 2nd century.  It was the most heavily fortified border in the Empire. In addition to its role as a military fortification, it is thought that many of the gates through the wall served as customs posts, to allow trade and levy taxation.

According to Visit Britain, the Monarchy brings in £500 million a year from foreign tourists.  Our "culture and heritage’’ in the widest sense - extending from theaters and galleries, to pubs, Premiership Football, castles and stately homes - generated £4.6 billion in total spending by overseas tourists in 2009, and supported 100,000 jobs, the report said.  But within that total one-in-eight of those sites – ranging from the Tower of London to The Palace of  Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh and Ruthin Castle in Wales – are associated with Britain's monarchy. The report reveals that foreign tourists who visited them generated £500 million of spending, directly and indirectly.

Thinking of your next holidays?  Times are tough, and it's not so easy nowadays, but how about house swapping?  It's not a permanent arrangement, just a chance to live in someone else's house for a few weeks, while they live in yours.

If you’ve never tried house swapping I can thoroughly  recommend it.  There are a number of clubs you can join, some of them with international membership. We’ve been swapping for about 20 years on and off and have never really had any problems.

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, what better way to celebrate than a romantic getaway?

Romantic Cabins in the Mountains of Oklahoma

Close your eyes and envision you and your sweetheart sitting side by side under a warm quilt while watching shooting stars flash across the night sky. Dream of the sounds of owls hooting in distant trees as you sip bubbly while soaking in your private hot tub overlooking a gently lapping lake.  Imagine the scents: clean mountain air and pines and burning wood from your cabin’s roaring fireplace. You have just had a glimpse of your vacation in one of the many romantic cabins in the Ouachita Mountains of south-eastern Oklahoma.